The temple without God in it is hollow. // Your life without God in it is hollow. // May the presence of Jesus Christ in your life give purpose, direction, satisfaction. 

​Until God is in the temple, it is but a shell.

A few years ago I had the graveside service for my great Aunt Minnie in Chilliwack.  (Some of you may remember her and Lori Lobb, “old smiley”).  Although I have many relatives north of the border, I don’t know many… in the funeral home were a lot of children, her great grandkids I imagine… as I stood by the casket in the funeral home and said a few words, on a whim I knocked on the casket and explained it was only a box, a very fancy box, but it was what was contained in the box that was most important.  We have been looking at Chronicles and the building of the Temple ~ the Temple is a box, an elaborate box, but only a box. A box built to be filled with the presence of God.  Until God is in the temple, it is nothing.  My life, my body is just a box, and until God is in it, it is a shell.  

Impossible! Ever have anything impossible happen?  Years ago when I plunged into a crevasse on the top of Mt. Baker, I didn’t realize I was over the gaping hole because of a layer of snow. Steve VandenBos and I stepped onto the crevasse at the same time and landed 15 feet down on a snow ledge.  A few feet before or after we would have fell 30 feet and pulled the third person down with us and we’d still be there.  I landed on my feet, looked around and thought impossible for it to happen the way it did.

Ever see a miracle, the right timing, the right opportunity, the right provision.  When you live with a God awareness, the impossible is a way of life.  Somehow money works out when it should not.  Sometimes it is a small grace, a timely phone call, a found object. Sometimes more dramatic, a miracle of healing, God taking you through a tough time.  Impossible.  One of the great delights for Christians is to believe in the God of the impossible.  “Impossible” is used in today’s scripture.  We’ll talk about the amazing use of the word Impossible, a twist in how we normally think of it.  In another place of scripture, a favorite thought that brings comfort to millions of Christians, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  I believe with my whole heart: God can do anything!  There is always HOPE, always the possibility of a better tomorrow.  Since nothing is impossible with God, we never have any reason to give up on anyone, no reason to fear, no reason to declare anything is impossible.  No reason to give up on yourself! 

Our world is confusing and depressing, but to live by the truth that God is the God of the impossible means we don’t have to understand the problems of this world!  God can do anything!  Amen!  

Around 6 pm on Friday November 13, 2009 a man got into a beige Honda Accord and exited his garage.  He turned right out of his driveway and then made a right turn out onto Olin Lakes road.  He was on his way to a high school football playoff game with his brother in law,  A quarterfinals game between Muskegon Heights and Galeen at Grand Haven High School.  It was going to be a fairly long ride, about 50 minutes, almost straight west over a few backroads.  Quietly, he pulled onto Pine Island road and headed south to 10 mile where he turned west.  This wasn’t his usual route towards the coast, but never one to fall into a routine, he decided to try something different.
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After about 10 minutes the road descended towards the intersection of 24th avenue. As he approached the intersection he glanced down, as he was known to do while driving, and missed the sign telling him to stop.    Unknown to him another vehicle, a suburban, was heading north on 24th avenue approaching the same intersection. This vehicle was not required to stop.  Both cars reached the intersection at the same moment.  The Suburban struck the Accord and drove it into a ditch.  The driver was killed instantly.

The message covers two chapters, but won’t read all. Being with the first and last verses of the section: 2 Chron. 3:1, 5:1.  READ.  In between are details.  I’m glad they are there as part of the record, but not necessary to read out loud in this public setting.  The detail.  The best materials.  The thoughtfulness of Solomon.  Many principles of serving God leap out to me as I read through the two chapters such as Give Your Best to God, Whatever we do as a church, whatever ministry we take on, do it well.  Let’s do our best.  If we learn anything from Solomon and the building go the temple, let’s learn to not halfway do things, but Be All In.  

​Herb Hatch (March 18, 2017)

​Eileen Anderson (March 28, 2017)

​Jim Gonser (April 1, 2017)