Shock Treatment
Daniel 8:9-12
And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
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Daniel sees a vision four hundred years prior to the reign of Antiochus IV, the little horn represented in Daniel 8. Antiochus came on the scene burning the scriptures, forbidding the Sabbath from being celebrated, not allowing Jewish children to be circumcised, persecuting the Jewish people who wouldn't submit to the Greek gods, and ultimately desecrating the temple by killing a pig and spreading its juices all over the altar. Then there came a revolt, called the Maccabean revolt, where Judas Maccabees led an army to push back against the Greek army. The Jewish people rededicated the temple back to the Lord and cleansed it as predicted in Daniel 8:14. This was commonly referred to as the Feast of Dedication that Jesus even recognized (John 10:22), but known to us today as Hanukah. Hanukah celebrates this re-dedication where a single cruse of oil, which was supposed to keep the lampstand burning for one day, lasted eight days instead.
Friend, as followers of Jesus we are God's temple (1 Cor 6:19). We too have the potential of getting defiled and desecrated by what we allow in our hearts and lives spiritually. It should shock us, as it did Daniel, to see anything in our lives that we put in place of the Lord in our worship.
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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2 Corinthians 10:5
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
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Take the time to put the Lord first in every area of your life. Anything else apart from Him will defile you, but even when you slip and fall you can turn back to Jesus and rededicate the temple of your life back to Him.
Life Lesson: ANYTHING that desecrates our temple (body) we need to eliminate from our lives so that the dedication of our lives will shine all the more brightly for the Lord.
Lord,
I thank You for Your forgiveness. I admit that in areas of my life I don't always put You and Your Word first. Please forgive me afresh for my sins and allow my life to be fully rededicated to You.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Living to tell what He died to say,
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