260 - “Don’t Offer Systems of Insights and Principles; Offer a Redeemer” Ezra 4-6

                                                

Ezra 4:4-5 The Samaritans reared up their ugly heads at the building of the temple.  Satan shows up to discourage and undermine and bribe those who want to do good.  These returned revived revelers were beautiful exiles and so full of joy.  But, they were so targeted by the enemy of their souls.  Let us remember that that the god of this world seeks to devour our attempts to walk and worship.  He is out looking for good intentions.  And out fatal flaw is not looking into our own souls when opposition bombards our temples.  

We are all looking for a Redeemer.  But the nails and mortar and curtains and boards trap us into finding our worship on paths that are going straight to destruction---like the offer of these Samaritans.  

"We must not offer people a system of redemption,

a set of insights and principles.

We offer people a Redeemer."

Paul David Tripp

One version of the Bible says:  They were plunged into a sea of joy.  This is where I sit today.  Plunged.  Joy.  Because God has changed the attitude of those directly over my life. But is that the best reason for joy? Circumstances? Joy is the presence of God not the absence of troubles. 

For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. Ezra 6:22

PHOTO:  The graffiti of our soul.  What words will we write today in this story we live.