The Temple of God

The temple of God has always been such a special place. Intricately designed by God the father himself. In Exodus chapter 26, God gave Moses such specific instructions to follow when building the tent of tabernacle. The details are so exact that there’s no room for interpretation. It’s precise. It’s clearly spoken by the Lord, for the Lord, the way He wants it. -The way it needs to be. This goes here, that goes there. This is to be this color and this is to be the fabric…woven this way. I want this many of these over here, 7 inches apart from the 8th fold of the 17th crease of the 3rd side.

You get the point- it was specific!

Not only for the inside, but also for the courtyards which surround it.

Later when a new temple was being built in 1 Chronicles, God placed the instructions into David’s heart, once more to a tee. In both of these instances, God’s design was so elaborate and beautiful that nothing needed to be added. Nothing human minds could have conjured up would have made it more beautiful. On the same hand, nothing needed to be taken away either. Each piece was thought up, designed, and perfectly placed to the likings of the master designer of the universe! Who could argue? If there were any questions of, “Why is that there?” or “What is that for?” the builders could just simply say, “Because that’s the way God wants it.”

Since Christ Jesus came and purchased our very lives, the temple of God is no longer made of stone or woven threads.

1 Corinthians 6:19 -20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

You are a temple. I am a temple. And God still has specific instructions for his temples. This hasn’t changed. The temple is still God’s design. He’s still definitive on it’s interior and it’s surroundings. It’s designed with purpose and to His liking. And there’s nothing we could add that would increase splendor, and nothing we should remove or neglect that’s a part of God’s design. Honor God with your temple today. Guard it and be careful of what you bring inside. The Holy Spirit desires all of it! There’s no room for our junk. There’s no room for anxiety, or fear, nor is there room for any idols. Get into the word and be reminded of God’s instructions today. Make the changes he desires and if anyone has anything to say about it, you can respond with…” That’s the way God wants it!” What a high honor that He would live inside of us. What proof that we’ve been made beautiful by design through Him who loves us.

Chris Taylor

Equipped

There was a stay at home wife who kept trying to get her husband to get a good lawn mower. The husband was always so tired after a full day’s work that he kept putting it off. One day the wife who was fed up with the overgrown yard decided she’d try a new approach. She figured if she could make him feel guilty, he might get it done. So that evening after a long day of work, the husband pulls in the driveway to find his wife outside cutting the grass with a pair of scissors. He walks inside and comes right back out, then handing his wife a toothbrush he said, “don’t forget to sweep the porch when you’re finished.”

Of course this is humorous, but as crazy as it seems to visualize someone cutting a yard with scissors, there are many who aren’t taking advantage of the proper tools they have access to. Through God we’ve been given everything we need to live and to work for Him, yet sometimes we settle for our own methods. We use tools crafted by this world rather than tools from the creator of the universe. To put it this way seems so foolish, but it’s true. When a couple has marriage problems, they seek secular counsel, or a new spouse to better fit their needs. When someone struggles with identity, they try to find who they are through searching out what pleases them. When someone feels they’ve been wronged, they used the tool of retaliation. When someone needs freedom from addition, they try all types of tools, but they aren’t doing the trick. There are those who can’t get past a season of mourning because they’re stuck on the tool of anti-depressants.

Then there are others who use tools of persuasion and charisma combined with opinion to preach a message. Singers who use the tool of vocal ability alone to lead people into worship. Youth leaders who use only games and outings to train up warriors. These are examples of using scissors to mow the yard. There are powerful and effective tools ready and available to the believer.

Here’s the thing… we’ve got work to do. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The jobs have been assigned. You’ve been hired! You work for the greatest employer there is. You’ve been chosen to do the work angels could have been chosen for. To bring a message of hope To lead others to Christ. To heal broken hearts and homes. To be peacemakers. Some are to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, some pastors, some teachers, some encouragers, and the list goes on.

None of these things can be done without the tools that are required for the job. Using our abilities alone, without God’s power and provision is like digging a giant ditch with a spoon rather than a backhoe! You may see some results, but lack the power to really get the job done.

Here’s the great news! Whoever God calls, he also equips.

Well where are these tools? You most likely have one of them on your bookshelf, and you hopefully have the other in your very body. We have the power of the Holy Spirit and we have the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Acts 1:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us power. So here we have the equipment, and the power to understand and use it!

It would be crazy to have a shelf full of top-of-the-line tools, and yet proceed with faulty and unproductive methods. So grab ahold of those tools that God has provided for you! Use the manual. Take advantage of the counselor on duty. Receive the instructions and do the work!

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Shipwrecked… the course advised against

Acts 27:18-26

18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

… 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

Here in this story we find a group of men who are in the midst of a raging storm. The violent battering has caused much to be lost. It’s dark. The sun, although there, hasn’t shown itself for days due to the thick darkness of the clouds and the rain. All this damage and loss due to a detour that they were advised against by the believer on board. Yet in the thick of the storm, God sends a messenger, an angel, to remind Paul that there is still a purpose to fulfill and that he’s going to make it through this storm. Not only that, but he’s graciously been given the lives of all the men on board. ALL the men on board, including the slaves, are going to make it out alive. The ship will be lost, but what’s of value will make it out. The cargo didn’t make it. The method of travel didn’t make it. What they had put their trust in didn’t make it. What they had packed as provision didn’t make it. But their lives made it. Even the lives of the slaves were of value to God. (One of them happened to write most of the New Testament) But there was still a wreck. Those who knew how to swim were the first off. Then those who didn’t had to find something to take hold of so they wouldn’t drown.

This is a picture of our country today. We are in a ship that has believers, non-believers, agnostics, atheists, and slaves. Leaders of the ship have decided to take a turn totally against the advice of the believers. Totally against God’s direction and instruction, we’ve found ourselves in the midst of a storm. It’s raging. It’s causing damage and it’s causing loss. Yet there’s still hope because there’s still purpose. The promises of the Lord are still going to be fulfilled. The salvation of God isn’t about the ship, nor is it about the cargo… it’s about the lives. It’s about the free man and the slaves. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. And just like it was with Paul, we’ve graciously been given the lives of those around to keep them from death… to help them to shore. We may know how to swim because we’re trained and we’ve been in these deep waters before, but others are going to be looking for something to hold on to. There’s only one thing that can keep them from drowning! That’s faith in Christ Jesus. He’s the only way to life! He is the life. Focus on the lives, not the ship. Part of our purpose is to make known what God has declared. Speak hope and life so that those in the grip of fear and on the edge of death have something (Someone!) to trust in.