The Temple
When I think of a temple, I think of a very formal building with lots of finishes and décor that represents a type of religion of some sort. The temple that Solomon built was ornate and designed by God to be a place where He dwelt. There was one place inside where the high priest could only go once a year on a special day. The Lord took His dwelling place very seriously.
This morning I was reading in Ezekiel and he describes things that were obviously hard to describe. His visions include the temple, and he describes some strange creatures and happenings there. The Glory of The Lord is there in the vision but is leaving the temple. Check this out….
18 Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. 19 And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. (Ezekiel 10:18-19 NLT)
I think it’s a horrible day when the Glory of The Lord leaves. I want the Glory of The Lord to be where I am. I see the Glory of The Lord as the visible presence of The Spirit of God. I don’t ever want the Spirit of God to leave my heart. I’m thankful that He dwells here. Paul reminds the Christ followers at Corinth that the very Spirit of God dwells in our earthly bodies. We are now the temple where the glory of God dwells. Check this out….
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NL)
The Lord should be noticed in my life.
The Lord should be noticed in my attitude.
The Lord should be noticed in my presence.
The Lord should be noticed in my relationship.
The Lord should be noticed in my leadership.
The Lord should be noticed in every part of me.
Paul said it very well in his second letter to the Christ followers at Corinth. Check this out….
5You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT)
I want the Presence of God to clearly be with me and in me. I want it to be obvious to others that I walk with the Lord. I want it to be obvious that I am a follower of Jesus. If His Glory is living in me, it should be quite obvious.
Pressing On!
Dwayne