HAPPY MONDAY!
Today's scriptures are about your body, God's temple. I used to hear people say "your body is a temple" all the time, but never really got it. It's amazing how many things we learn from the Word of God [written hundreds of years ago], that are still very relevant today (Isa. 40:6-8). We are considered the "church" of God, because when we're saved, our old self is torn down, and we're rebuilt on the solid Rock, with the "Chief Cornerstone", who is Jesus Christ. We become God's temple, because His Holy Spirit dwells within us. We must treat this temple with the tender care it requires, in order to do the things necessary to complete the will of God. I don't think a lot of us understand that we cannot adequately take care of anyone else, until we first take care of ourselves. God gives us special gifts to be able to care for others, once our foundation is built, and our temple stands strong.
Maybe you've heard the story of when Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ. Jesus asked Peter, "who do you say that I am?", and Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:16) Jesus revealed this secret to His disciples that night, because He needed to relay this message to all of us. Jesus goes on to say: And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt 16:18-19) We can fill in our name, where Jesus says "you are ____", because this promise is offered to every believer. The temple He’s creating in us will be so strong that not even Satan can enter and destroy.
Let's think about this for a moment, when you think of a Church (or Temple) what's the first thing that comes to your mind? For me I see church as a place I go to meet God. I go to learn about Him, praise and worship Him with people who are in agreement with me. People who are also seeking the Love of God, and are willing share that with everyone. A church is a place where I want to feel at home, and welcomed. A place I can seek solitude, shelter, and relief, all in the Name of Jesus. I've been fortunate enough to visit, or even be a member of some great churches, but I've also seen some not so great churches. There are some I see on while driving down the road, which I won't even give a second thought, because of the way it looks on the outside, or the way it feels when I come close to it. Leaders of churches often put in time and effort, making their church warm and inviting, because they're representing God, and they want people to see Him, every time they’re in His presence. That's the attitude that we all should have.We must take care of ourselves because we're here to give a piece of God to everyone we come in contact with, in the form of love. We're commanded to love our neighbors, and the only way we can do that effectively is to surrender to God. We must give our life to the Lord completely, and allow Him to tear down our old shell, and rebuild a beautiful, warm, and inviting temple. He's turned a light on inside of us, which will draw people in, so we can show them His love. We're His vessels, so He uses us to communicate with each other. Jesus told Peter in this story "for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven", so He too was a vessel for God. It's important for us to take care of our temples, so when people see us, they'll be drawn in, and will want to experience the Love that we have to share. We must open to those in need. Think about what you want and expect out of a church home, and try to instill those same principles in your own life.
If you've accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit has already taken residence in your temple. It grieves Him to live in constant sin. We must take care of ourselves, mentally, physically, and spiritually, because God Himself is with us. We no longer belong to ourselves, or the world, but we belong to God. He's working each day to build in us a strong foundation from the inside out; all we have to do is allow Him to work. Get out of His way! We must try out best to keep open communication with Him, break bad habits, and separate ourselves from sin, or anything that will tempt us to sin. Remember, we've died to self, and been resurrected in Christ. If you don't know Jesus as Lord, then you're built on very shaky ground, and the enemy frequents your temple. A simple prayer can help you rebuild, so take a few moments to take the God Quiz today. My favorite verses today are: Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455425&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional
I love you!
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