The Temple of God

 

The temple of God is where the Lord abides. The old testaments tells us it is a special place where you go to hear from God and experience his presence. It is the home of God

When we think about our homes, our character and personalities usually show in the way we maintain our homes. God’s character is holy! God is love! He is also a jealous God hence is Temple must be kept holy, filled with love and guarded. This is true of most “churches” as people see the “church building” as the temple of God. It is regularly cleaned; you are not allowed to bring in items that can defile the building or any part of it.

However Jesus tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 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;

The Lord used this verse to talk about sexual immorality but we need to look beyond that. If our bodies are indeed the temple of the Holy spirit which is the spirit of God in us, does everything about us reflect he who lives in us.

If Christ lives in us and we are his temple then the lives we live and everything we do should reflect his character; over and above that, the body in which he resides should be kept in a way that honours him.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV -Our bodies should be kept holy

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT

Holiness refers to a live burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself. Oxford dictionary defines Holiness as dedicated or consecrated to God

In Hebrews Holy (qadosh) means “set apart” or “separate” it is used to describe the nature of God and how his character and nature are so much greater and more wonderful than anyone else. For something to be holy means to be dedicated to God, the extent to which our lives are devoted to him and our actions reflect his character.

If we are the temple of God then to reflect the character of holiness is to live a life that shows we are consecrated to him. Whatever is inside of us is what should reflect. If you hold a glass of orange juice and someone pushes you or you trip, all that will pour of the cup is orange juice. Regardless of what happens to us, it is that which we have given space to within us that will manifest.

So Jesus walked the earth and every where he went lives were changed. He healed sickness and diseases Matthew 4:23. He lived fearlessly. From a young age he stayed back to speak in the synagogue when his parents were returning from the Passover celebration Luke 2: from 41

In the way we live, does everyone that meets us know or experience the Christ that lives in us.  Are lives changed. Are the hungry fed? are the cloth-less clothed? are the poor provided for? We are the first Jesus a lot of people will ever meet, when they do meet us do they meet Jesus. Do we profess and speak the word and message he gives to us fearlessly or are we afraid of what people may think? In the way we run our businesses, at work and socially do people see Jesus in us! Do we show his love and speak his truth fearlessly?

People that know us before may be taken aback and may question the authority we possess or may belittle what they see in us. Even the family of Jesus said “Is this not Jesus son of Joseph whose mother and father we know. John 6:42. To God’s glory, we are not that person they used to know, Christ Jesus lives in us and we are sitted in the heavenly places with him. Ephesians 2:6. We have received power because the Holy spirit resides in us and we are to be his witness to the end of the earth Acts 1:8

Our light must shine so that Jehovah is exalted. We must not waver in the truth we know both in words and actions. Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven. Is our light shining bright or just a little or does it flicker? We all know light that flickers and is not stable hurts the eye of all who see it. Our light must shine bright and stable.

Jesus was fearless because he knew and was sure of the authority he carried. He was able to command the wind! Hallelujah. The bible says perfect love casts out all fear. 1 John 4:18. Jesus is perfect love. He lives within us. If he lives in us, there is no place for fear in us. Light and darkness cannot be together. Everywhere you light up even with a small candle, darkness fades. Jesus has taken away every fear. We cannot have Jesus in us and live in fear of the battles the devil brings. Luke 10:19. Remember we are fighting from a winning point. His death on the cross already won the battle for us. We just need to stand in the authority that is inside of us.

Physically we should think about what we feed the temple of God (Our body). We should be purposeful about what we eat and drink because the temple of God must not be defiled. It should not be loaded with Junk just as we will not make our home a place filled with junk or dirt that can make it uninhabitable. Note to self! Lol. Before you put that thing in your mouth Lola, is it going to nourish and beautify that temple. (I have to keep telling myself this) Trust me diets will be a thing of the past if we do this.

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 NLT. whilst this verse speaks about sexual immorality, it is true to say if our body was made for the Lord and he cares about our body, He also cares about the food we put into our body. Science tells us a lot of illnesses can be avoided if we nourished our bodies in the right way.

God has blessed us with food and we should eat and drink but we have to be mindful of what is good for nourishing our bodies and what is not.

Mentally- The bibles says we should guard our heart. Proverbs 4:23. What are we feeding our heart and minds. What are we allowing into our soul. The spirit of God is within us but for our soul to be at one with the spirit it needs to align. The words we listen too, the stories we read, the music we listen to, the conversations we have, are they aligning our soul to be one with the spirit of God. We may come across things that are not palatable about lives of others but our response should be to pray for that person and move on from it. Remember they are loved by Lord who resides in us. 1 John 4:19-21. The Lord desires the soul of everyone to be saved. We should pray for the salvation of the souls of those we know are not saved. We should not be found spreading gossip about people or mocking their actions and choices.

Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace (note the word ALWAYS not sometimes), seasoned with salt (we all know salt sweetens anything we add it too) so that you may have the right response for everyone.

Philippians 4:8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things

Remember we are the temple of God, where his spirit resides, we have to showcase the spirit that lives within us. Our lives should reflect the character of Christ Jesus.

Finally.....

Ephesians 1:16-23 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

The same power that exerted Jesus resides in us, let us go out and showcase that to the world

 

The Cedars of (God) Lebanon

 

The righteous will flourish! Hallelujah

We are made righteous through the death of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!!!! Romans 3:22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are

Psalm 92:12 - But the righteous will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the “Cedars of Lebanon”

Psalm 104:16 The trees of the LORD are well cared for— the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

We are the trees the Lord planted on earth.

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD.

We are promised that we will grow strong like the Cedars of Lebanon. The Cedars of Lebanon is the most famous Cedar patch and is one of the last vestiges of old growth forest. They are one of the rarest patch where the Cedrus Libani still grows. They were used to build the temple built by King Solomon. We are the church the Lord Jesus is building Ephesians 2:20-21 NLT.

The Phoenicians used Cedar Wood to build their ship making them become the world first Sea-Trading civilization. Just like the Cedars, Jesus is using us to build his church to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

The Cedar tree symbolises resilience, immortality, strength and elevation. Through Jesus Christ who abides with us we are resilient as those who trust in him will be like Mount Zion that cannot be shaken but abides forever Psalm 125:1. Through his death we are immortal and will live on after we leave the earth 1 Corinthians 15:22. He promises to give us strength even when we feel weak 2 Corinthians 12:9 and to elevate and prosper us Jeremiah 29:11

The Cedars of Lebanon is a UNESCO World heritage site. “The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity" (Wikipedia). We are God’s chosen people, we are the salt of the earth, we should add value to everyone and everything we encounter; we are the light of the world and we are to give light to the world around us Matthew 5:13-16. To be selected as a world heritage site, the site must have a unique landmark, identifiable and have a special significance. We were created for great works God prepared in advance for us to do Ephesians 2:10.

The Cedars of Lebanon are protected by UNESCO and are demarcated as protected zones. God promises to keep us safe under his shadow, where no evil can happen to us Psalm 91. We are protected and shielded from the enemy 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Though we may have challenges we will overcome them in the name of Jesus Psalm 34:19. Halleluyah!!!!

The Cedars of Lebanon can survive in a challenging environment. “ The ancient Cedars of Lebanon have outlived empires and survived modern wars (New York Times) God promises that when we go through deep waters, God will be with us; when we pass through the rivers of difficulty, they will not drown us, when you walk through the fire of oppression, we will not be burned; the flames will not consume us. Isaiah 43:2 Hallelujah!!!

In order to protect the Cedars from destruction of climate change, various Lebanese conservation groups are trying to diversify their location and expand their population. The main goal of replanting, they say, is to make the cedar forests larger and more resilient to whatever future environmental pressures they face. (New York times July 2018). God is calling us out to go into the world and make disciples of every nation, to baptise in the name of the Father, son and holy spirit. Matthew 28:19-20. The Lord is calling us to a revival to take over the world from the ruler of darkness; to restore order to the world through his world Luke 4:18; to bring heaven to earth and change the world order to his glory Matthew 6:10. The Good news has to be preached throughout the earth so that all nations will hear it Matthew 24:14

God promised us we will grow strong like the Cedars of Lebanon. His promises are true 1 Corinthians 1:9 WNT, Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 7:9 and his word will achieve everything it has been spoken for Isaiah 55:11. Every word he has spoken will be fulfilled Joshua 21:45.

To enjoy his blessings, you have to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is our Lord and saviour Romans 10:9-10. If you have desire to know more please send an email to WomanafterGodsheart23@gmail.com

God is not National Lottery

The amount of offering you give in church does not determine the amount of blessings God chooses to bestow on you! God is not the "National lottery"


 Romans ‭9:10-17‬ ‭Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”


We should give to express God's love to humanity! To make life better for others! To show gratitude for what God has blessed us with! We give to show trust in God that we know he is in control and will give us "our daily bread". Giving doesn't have to be money! Sowing positive time into lives of others, a hug, food on the table for those that can't afford it, training someone to learn a new skill that will empower them, creating positive opportunities for others, a smile, praying with and for others, a kind word, encouraging people are all ways of giving! God loves a cheerful giver not an obligated giver or someone that gives so that they can reap a hundred fold! Yes whatever you sow you will reap but the reaping depends on how God determines not in doubling the amount you put down in church! In reaping it could be generations to come that will reap the seeds you or I have sown! Ultimately what matters is eternity! Our focus should be on being Christ like and making the world a better place not playing lottery in church. If you want to gamble try the National lottery or euro millions!

Christianity really is about having a relationship with God. That's exactly what it is, having your own relationship with our father Jehovah! Most of us don't need an intermediary to have discussions with our earthly fathers except in cases where the relationship has irrevocably broken down.
So why do we need anyone to be an intermediary between us and God who has clearly given us a tool "prayer" to talk to him and his guiding rules "The Bible" to get an understanding of what he expects of us and promises to depend on.
No man is perfect and I am glad God has made us all perfect in his own image but as imperfect human beings so we can keep our focus on him. So remember that your prayer leader and pastor you look up to are not perfect.
No one needs to tell you how to have a relationship with God. Get into the word! Read the bible. One verse a day and you will be amazed how much you have learnt in a year. You will be amazed how much peace you will have knowing God is simple and his ways are not to make life difficult or a misery. There is no prescription to salvation except accepting the Lord as your Lord and saviour and following biblical truths. Everything else is man made. Remember we worship God and not man!
Get into the word today! Pray for yourself. No one can pray on your behalf or explain your situation like you can. Remember Hannah in Shiloh.
Follow the simple truths in the Bible.
The bible says in this world we will have trouble but Christ has overcome the world. He will be with you even in those challenging times. No season lasts forever. But pls do not place our salvation on anyone's prescription. God alone is enough!!!!

Unity in Christ

One of the main difference between Christianity and other religions is the huge amount of denominations that exists in Christendom. In some parts of the world there is an average of two to three churches on every street. With so many churches everywhere, one will expect the world will be a better place. Unfortunately this is not the case. The devil is waging war against the people of God by bringing discord amongst denominations, ensuring Christians get wound up in their own denomination, and are not accepting of other denominations. Everyone believes their own way of serving God is the right one. Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference.

We all know that a house that prays together sticks together, as long as there is division amongst all the various churches, it will be a challenge or virtually impossible for Christians to be as effective as other religions. To make life easier there are also different translation of our bible, whilst this is supposed to help our understanding of the word of God, sometimes some of the message loses its real meaning in translation.

No one is perfect and we can only be made perfect through Christ. We should all play a part in bringing the house of God together. Turning your nose up at other churches does not by any means make you better than people that worship in that church. We need to be respecting of everyone’s way of approaching Christ, as long as it is Jesus and God they call on, we are all still on the same page. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus

The scandals within various churches seem to reiterate that what matters most is our own individual right standing with God. The church you go too does not determine the type of Christian you are.

The message of Christ is of love. Love one another with the love of God. That’s the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ. So before you condemn the church down your road, your friend’s church or any church; think about the message of love and the unity that Christ desires for us all as Christians. Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

We all need to come together and have one voice through the word of God, we can reach out to the world if we have one voice, show love and respect for one another regardless of which denomination we worship in. Ephesians 4: 2-6 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

If you truly want to make a difference, please visit organisations like http://www.churches-together.net/ http://www.streetpastors.co.uk/

Trusting

I totally trust God I hear most Christians say including myself but do we really? We only need something to test our faith before we realise how much we trust God.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever; yet when we face our human struggles it’s hard to see things in the spiritual realm. It seems easy to use a daily devotional, pray as a family and do all things we think God requires of us when the going is good; its harder to do these things when the going gets tough; yet God wants us to have a relationship with him regardless of what we are going through. Our parents are usually the first people we turn too when we have problems we cannot solve so in the midst of the storm, God should still be our first port of call.

He promised that; Psalm 34:10 the lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD will lack no good thing. God is the same God that blesses us even when everything around seems dry and it looks as if there is no way things can work out.

He has a plan for every one of us, we just need to trust and know that he will surely make a way when the time is right. Time and time again in the bible, God blessed people even when there was famine in the land, In Genesis 26; God blessed Isaac, he blessed him so much that his enemies were jealous, closed up the entire well his father Abraham had dug and sent him away to another part of the land; God continued to bless him even more. Eventually his enemies came to beg him and make peace.

We need to realise that if we walk right with God he will surely be there for us, through good or bad. He did not say we will not go through trials or challenges; what he promised us is that he will be there for us and he will lift us up.

I don’t know what you are going through right now but whatever it is leave it at the door of God; get on your knees and talk to your father who is so gracious and will meet you at every point of your need. Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Stay Connected

I do love my BB (BlackBerry) so much and am sure many of you reading this are just like me (admit it). I take my bb everywhere with me. Why? I believe I have important people on it that I want to be in touch with and I want them to be able to reach me anytime they want too.
I have been guilty of getting late to places because I forgot my bb a home and felt the need to go and pick it up just in case I miss that important call, or message. Although some people will find this strange, it’s the reality of what happens in these modern times.

There is an emotional need within us all to be connected to our loved ones; to know they are ok; to know they can reach us and we can reach them whenever we want too. There is a kind of need being satisfied by being in touch. Imagine having this sort of connection with God! This will be so awesome. Am sure God himself will be delighted that we are in constant touch and he can reach us whenever he chooses too. So have we got our bb on for God? Because I know he has his bb on ready to connect with us.

How do we switch our bb on to connect with God? Reading, meditating on the word of God and praying blesses and increases our spiritual connectivity. God will speak to us constantly through his word if we spared a little time to just read it daily. Half a chapter is enough to meditate on daily. When we require one of our friends or family to help us out, again we send a bb message, make a phone call or send an email. It’s faster and cheaper; guess what? Praying is the same; it’s free; faster and cheaper. God is delighted to hear from us all the time and says he will answer our prayer if we believe he will. John 14:14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! Mark 11:24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. Whilst it’s important to set apart some time to pray daily; praying through out the day is just as effective. We just need to stay connected.

We need to be in tune with the spirit of God throughout the day, God will talk to us daily through his word, our prayers, colleagues and through things that happen around us. He loves us so much that even with all our sin he still chooses to talk to us, listen to us, bless us and he is willing to forgive us.

There is a kind of inner peace that comes with being switched on with God. Peace and happiness radiates through people that are connected to God; He is the only one that can give everlasting peace. John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

So remember whenever you check your bb for that message from a friend or a loved one, remember to check you’re still connected to God too. It only takes a few minutes throughout the day to check and make sure you’re connected to the almighty. Stay connected.