The Spiritual Gifts are among the richest blessings for Believers, and yet also remain among the most divisive topics within the Christian community. 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14 reveal more about the work of the Holy Spirit than do any other passages in the Word of God. Our challenge will be to blindfold our prejudices and carefully examine what the Word tells us.

The Holy Spirit is a person, repeatedly referred to as “He.” He is clearly a member of the Trinity and every major event in the Bible is specifically ascribed to each member of the Elohim as is highlighted in Table 1.

Notice the Individual Distinctives of each member of the Trinity…

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There is no place that is considered a more significant as well as volatile, piece of real estate than the Temple Mount. Some say that World War III will erupt there. More blood has been shed over disputes of ownership and control of the traditional temple platform than any other location on earth. But some now believe the temple of Solomon was never even there at all, and that the legend of it being at that spot has gone unchallenged for so long now that tradition seems to have sealed reality into a long forgotten tomb.

Like so many, I thought that the location for the temple of Solomon had been proven to be on the traditional Temple Mount in Jerusalem. But, I became suspicious after reading the work of the late archaeologist and author, Dr. Ernest L. Martin. My research efforts would not have been possible without his ground-breaking insights. However, I hope that my own personal research presented herein offers a bold new chapter in this potentially history-adjusting subject.

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN!

Jesus warned His disciples of the coming destruction of the temple and that not one stone of the temple would be left on top of another. Matthew 24:1–2 says, “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Christ’s words clearly state that the entire temple, each and every stone, would be dug up, dislodged, and tossed away. It is interesting to note that there are massive stone blocks by the thousands set in the wall supporting the Temple Mount platform. Was Jesus wrong in His prophesying that not one stone would remain standing?

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The apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian church by telling them, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

In a sense, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are like clay in the hands of the Master Potter. He shapes us into vessels of honor in order to be used for His glory. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he makes reference to our good works. What kind of works on our part could Paul be referring to if the work of our salvation is completed in Christ? Jesus also makes reference to our “good works” when He says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” What good works could Jesus be referencing in His proclamation?

The last commandment of Jesus before His ascension was for His disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Paul challenged the Corinthian Christians by saying, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” What is the role of an ambassador?

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God continually tests our faith to see if we trust Him. He continually asks us: Will you hope in Me when the unthinkable happens in your life? Will you, like Moses, hold up the Word of God when the enemy advances, or will you drop the Word and let the enemy come in like a flood?

Psalm 81 tells us that if we call on the Lord (if we trust Him and if we hope in Him) when we are in trouble He will answer us in the secret place of thunder. Do we believe Him? Will we trust Him in our difficult times?

As we mentioned in last month’s newsletter, this secret place of thunder can be compared to the Valley of Baca or the Valley of Tears in the Old Testament. The Valley of Baca was known for its difficult terrain, its barrenness and its black shadows. Psalm 84 tells us that the faithful pilgrims who made it through the darkness of this valley, were able to turn the whole frightening experience around and make it into a “well of blessing.” Scripture says that as a result, they went from “strength (in the Lord) to more strength (in the Lord).”

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