Just how serious do we take God? His commandments? We have been commanded to love the Lord, to make His Disciples. Is this our first priority or are we focused on living for self? Walking to our own tune?
When I was growing up, I was taught that the "Sanctuary" was the room in the church with the pews. The place where we would gather to worship, hear His Word. Upon studying His Word, I have learned it isn't a room or a place.
It is those in Christ.
"For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (2 Corinthians 6:16)
God tells us that the road is narrow into Heaven, that the only way into Heaven is through His Son - our Savior - Jesus Christ. This verse causes me to think about how am I maintaining the Sanctuary of me? The temple of the living God?
I hate to exercise, give up foods I love, but if I don't - my body will really fall by the wayside. Just as my spiritual Temple will- if I do not continually maintain it. I love to feed it His Word. I am so thankful that He has me in a season of life that I may spend any amount of time with Him I want to. I love how He is transforming me each moment to be more like Him. Looking forward to the pruning and shaping. Even though there sometimes is pain, the rewards are too numerous to mention. Curt is a prayer warrior who prays every day for certain persons. My prayers are more of the continual conversation with Him - the "when God brings them to mind" prayer warrior.
Today, I was prayed over by a group of sisters, and one described me as a seed planter and Curt a cultivator. That so fits us. Every one of us has been given different gifts and talents, it is such a blessing that Curt and I work so well as a team. I love that we both look into His Word daily as our instruction manual. The other day, I was praying about how to tell if someone is standing on truth and God told me, "their fruits". We are all being watched by someone. We are all teachers - either by words, actions or even both. This isn't a position to take lightly, "for you know that we (teachers) will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity (than other people), Thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation." (James 3:1-2)
There are so many examples of those who have held great teaching positions and have fallen away from God. Their motives were for self and not Him. I think about the movie "The Passion" and how it affected the world. It is my prayer that the fall of the producer/director is forgotten by the power of the movie message. But, there are some who fall away because they have seen so much rot in those who claim to be in Christ.
We are all human, we will all fail, which is why I am so very thankful for His grace and mercy when I do! This is yet another reason to make sure we are well maintained. That we are using His "instruction manual" for every single step, breath, we take. Only those who maintain as He instructed, become His disciple making His disciples.
In the story of the "Pied Piper" the townspeople hired him to lure away the rats with his music. When his job was complete, they refused to pay him. In retaliation, he lured away their children.
Those who lead with any other music - but His - are a "Pied Piper" - leading self and others to death.
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