Empty Building Part IV; the Experience
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
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 at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I used to fill my temple with the things of and for the world, with the pursuits of this world; the fame, the money, the attributes, the titles, the vocations, the notoriety, the images. The more I would fill my temple with such idols and nonsense, the more I was crowding the Spirit of Him who salvaged my life from ruin. It wasn't until I began to realize a bigger picture these passages revealed, according to His patience and grace granted to me, that I began to 'see' what I have been doing to the building He made for me. It was then that I began to clean and clear His temple given me.
I now know what compels me to contemplate removing myself from all material desire and pursuit.
The further I step away from the rut of this world, the clearer I see God. The more I struggle to reach for Him, the more I eliminate the entanglements of this world. The more I strive to open my heart to all who cross my path, the clearer I see His hand reaching out to me. I can hear Him speaking to me with every move that I make, with every decision I take and with every person I come in contact with.
When I look back on my life, I can see how He has saved me from catastrophe time and time again. I can also see how He has blessed the good choices I've made. I can see how He has been gracious in not bringing heavy consequences onto me after me having made bad choices. I can see the bounty of mercy He has displayed to me and how I've been in His grace the entire time, even before acknowledging Him as my Lord and my God!
I see now, without doubt, that this Almighty God loves me more than I can ever imagine or express. I see now, without a second thought, that He will sustain me wherever I shall roam on this planet. I see now, without having to consider what could have been, that my previous dreams and aspirations of being the many things men come up with - rock star, movie star, business star, a 'star' in general - was not the path He had purposed for me. I am eternally grateful He kept me from entangling myself with such pursuits. Although some believers are found in such pursuits, perhaps it is their path to stay in those vocations. I was prevented from continuing in them for a reason and I have no regret nor hold Him in contempt for removing me from those pursuits. May those who believe they are to continue in those pursuits be strengthened by the Holy Hand which sustains us all.
I used to believe, like so many others, that more money or more worldly achievements were His obvious 'blessings' and that these things stood as confirmation of choices I had made, but this was not true. There are blessings from doing what is right, and with those choices comes more fruits in the form of more income, increased wealth, etc., but each and every increase from each and every decision is not an obvious blessing from Him. When I achieved success with real estate, I didn't see that I was part of the problem which enslaves so many into debt. Yet God is gracious and holds all this in His hand despite our limited view and understanding. When I was lending money at interest, thinking it was okay since it was 'legal' and others were doing it, I didn't see how I too was contributing to the sin of usury. Yet, God is gracious in His understanding of our limited understanding of the world at any give time. He understands our limited view and cannot judge us according to our ignorance. Yet, once you know, you know. To deny Him and His Way after coming to the knowledge and understanding of His Way is living in denial and ignoring what He is speaking to your heart. Please do not do this to yourself.
This is why it is written that the idea of spirituality as a way to wealth is condemned. When we remove this misconception from our hearts is when we can see clearly what is God-sent and what is more of a thorn / a test. There was a time when my heart was set on these things and I was getting further away from Him, much like Solomon with every new wife and every new project would place him further from God's path, testing the bounds of God's grace.
After coming to knowledge and understanding of how cluttered the building God has made for you has become, isn't it time to clean house and clear out that temple He has entrusted to you? He is good, He is gracious, He understands and He wants you to further your journey in the Way:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Yeshua Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Christ.
- 2 Peter 1:3-11
Praise His Holy Name in word and in deed.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
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 at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I used to fill my temple with the things of and for the world, with the pursuits of this world; the fame, the money, the attributes, the titles, the vocations, the notoriety, the images. The more I would fill my temple with such idols and nonsense, the more I was crowding the Spirit of Him who salvaged my life from ruin. It wasn't until I began to realize a bigger picture these passages revealed, according to His patience and grace granted to me, that I began to 'see' what I have been doing to the building He made for me. It was then that I began to clean and clear His temple given me.
I now know what compels me to contemplate removing myself from all material desire and pursuit.
The further I step away from the rut of this world, the clearer I see God. The more I struggle to reach for Him, the more I eliminate the entanglements of this world. The more I strive to open my heart to all who cross my path, the clearer I see His hand reaching out to me. I can hear Him speaking to me with every move that I make, with every decision I take and with every person I come in contact with.
When I look back on my life, I can see how He has saved me from catastrophe time and time again. I can also see how He has blessed the good choices I've made. I can see how He has been gracious in not bringing heavy consequences onto me after me having made bad choices. I can see the bounty of mercy He has displayed to me and how I've been in His grace the entire time, even before acknowledging Him as my Lord and my God!
I see now, without doubt, that this Almighty God loves me more than I can ever imagine or express. I see now, without a second thought, that He will sustain me wherever I shall roam on this planet. I see now, without having to consider what could have been, that my previous dreams and aspirations of being the many things men come up with - rock star, movie star, business star, a 'star' in general - was not the path He had purposed for me. I am eternally grateful He kept me from entangling myself with such pursuits. Although some believers are found in such pursuits, perhaps it is their path to stay in those vocations. I was prevented from continuing in them for a reason and I have no regret nor hold Him in contempt for removing me from those pursuits. May those who believe they are to continue in those pursuits be strengthened by the Holy Hand which sustains us all.
I used to believe, like so many others, that more money or more worldly achievements were His obvious 'blessings' and that these things stood as confirmation of choices I had made, but this was not true. There are blessings from doing what is right, and with those choices comes more fruits in the form of more income, increased wealth, etc., but each and every increase from each and every decision is not an obvious blessing from Him. When I achieved success with real estate, I didn't see that I was part of the problem which enslaves so many into debt. Yet God is gracious and holds all this in His hand despite our limited view and understanding. When I was lending money at interest, thinking it was okay since it was 'legal' and others were doing it, I didn't see how I too was contributing to the sin of usury. Yet, God is gracious in His understanding of our limited understanding of the world at any give time. He understands our limited view and cannot judge us according to our ignorance. Yet, once you know, you know. To deny Him and His Way after coming to the knowledge and understanding of His Way is living in denial and ignoring what He is speaking to your heart. Please do not do this to yourself.
This is why it is written that the idea of spirituality as a way to wealth is condemned. When we remove this misconception from our hearts is when we can see clearly what is God-sent and what is more of a thorn / a test. There was a time when my heart was set on these things and I was getting further away from Him, much like Solomon with every new wife and every new project would place him further from God's path, testing the bounds of God's grace.
After coming to knowledge and understanding of how cluttered the building God has made for you has become, isn't it time to clean house and clear out that temple He has entrusted to you? He is good, He is gracious, He understands and He wants you to further your journey in the Way:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Yeshua Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Christ.
- 2 Peter 1:3-11
Praise His Holy Name in word and in deed.
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