Happy Tuesday

God In You ... Sanctification!

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God. " - 2 Corinthians 6:16
The Vietnam War memorial in Washington, D.C., has become one of the most visited and emotional sites in the nation's capital.  What sets it apart from other memorials?  Carved into that black granite wall are more than 58,000 names of Americans who gave their lives building a foundation for freedom.

In 1 Kings 9, we find Solomon, having built the temple, now dedicating it to God.  Here is God's response, verse 3:  "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my name there forever.  My eyes and my heart will always be there."

Solomon built a physical temple, but only God could hallow it and consecrate it to Himself.  In the New Testament, God tells us of living temples -- the people of God.  And only God can sanctify us to Himself.  He promises that those whom He sets apart for Himself have His eye, His heart, His love, and His care upon them.

Sanctification begins with God's call to us in Christ.  It is put in motion when we respond by faith and give our lives to Him.  And it continues with God's work of molding us to be more like the person of Jesus Christ.  We must dedicate ourselves to Him and cooperate by obeying His commands, but the sanctifying belongs to Him.
 

The apostle Paul wrote, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

Prayer
"Lord, when I get discouraged by my inability to be holy, remind me that I can do nothing unless You do it in me. Amen. "

Holiness does not come from observing a list of do's and don'ts; it comes from God's supernatural work in me as I obey Him.

In The News:
19 Firefighters Killed in Arizona Blaze: 'Our Entire Crew Was Lost'

The state of Arizona is mourning the loss of 19 firefighters who died Sunday battling a wildfire northwest of Phoenix, CNN reports. The firefighters were part of an elite squad who confronted wildfires up close, setting up barriers to stop the spreading destruction. It was the deadliest day for firefighters since 9/11, and it is the deadliest wildland fire since 1933, according to a list from the U.S. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. "Our entire crew was lost," Prescott fire chief Dan Fraijo said Sunday night. "We just lost 19 of some of the finest people you'll ever meet. Right now, we're in crisis." Fraijo said he did not know the exact circumstances surrounding the firefighters' deaths and wouldn't speculate on a cause, but he said drought conditions, combined with winds that whipped unpredictably, have made battling the flames especially difficult. Authorities believe lightning sparked the Yarnell Hill fire on Friday. By Sunday night, it had scorched more than 6,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 structures, incident commander Mike Reichling said. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged residents in the area to heed local authorities' instructions, while lamenting the loss of so many firefighters. President Barack Obama also lauded the efforts of the fallen firefighters, saying their deaths are heartbreaking and "our thoughts and prayers go out" to their families.

 

Chick-fil-A CEO: 'Founding Fathers Would Be Ashamed' of Supreme Court Ruling Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy has spoken out against gay marriage once again. Following the Supreme Court rulings Wednesday striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and opening the door for same-sex marriages in California, Cathy took to Twitter to criticize the rulings, CBS reports. "Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies," Cathy tweeted. It was later deleted from his account. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Chick-fil-A said it was not focusing on the Supreme Court rulings. "We believe in providing great-tasting food and genuine hospitality to everyone -- so our focus is on running an exceptional restaurant company," the statement read. "Therefore, we are leaving political decisions and discussions to others and focusing only on what we do best." Cathy created a firestorm last year when he spoke out in favor of traditional marriage, leading to protests and boycotts of Chick-fil-A. Thousands of supporters though flocked to restaurants nationwide last August for "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" to stand behind the company's platform.

Court: Hobby Lobby Can Challenge Obamacare Without Paying Penalties In a decision giving hope to opponents of the federal contraception coverage mandate, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Hobby Lobby won't have to start paying millions of dollars in fines next week for not complying with the requirement, Fox News reports. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver decided the Oklahoma City-based arts-and-crafts chain can proceed with its case against the government without being subjected to fines in the process. The reprieve gives Hobby Lobby more time to argue in a lower court that for-profit businesses -- not just currently exempted religious groups -- should be allowed to seek an exception if the law violates their religious beliefs. The company had sued to overturn the mandate on the grounds that it violates the faith of founder and CEO David Green and his family. "Sincerely religious persons could find a connection between the exercise of religion and the pursuit of profit," the judges wrote. "Would an incorporated kosher butcher really have no claim to challenge a regulation mandating non-kosher butchering practices?" Lawyers for the Greens called the court’s ruling a "resounding victory for religious freedom."

Sri Lanka: Church Attack Injures Five Five Sri Lankan believers sustained injuries after a Buddhist monk and a mob stormed the New Life Church in Hanwella, Colombo District, on Sunday, Open Doors USA reports. At about 9:45 a.m., a Buddhist monk stopped the New Life Church pastor who was out on a personal errand. "The monk hurled derogatory words and picked up a fallen coconut branch and assaulted the pastor," according to the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka. "A week prior to this, the [same] monk went to the village school principal and demanded that the pastor be removed from the school committee." The pastor fled to his church, but the relentless Buddhist monk pursued him. When the pastor reached the church premises, about 20 young men were already gathered outside waiting for him. The men encircled the pastor and they began to beat him for allegedly assaulting the same Buddhist monk. "The mob then forcibly entered the church," NCEASL said, "disrupting a worship service that was taking place. They assaulted the church members who were praying and damaged the musical instruments inside."