Wednesday, December 21, 2005

A Spiritual House
I feel that the Lord has been revealing Himself to me concerning Hebrews 4:6, that there is a place of rest for the people of God and that some must enter in. There must be more and we can go there if we want to. Today I was sharing this with our office manager and we began to talk and the Lord brought to my mind something He gave years ago...but I wouldn't do anything with. The Apostle Peter says that we are God's building, a spiritual building that God Himself is building to offer spiritul sacrifices unto God. Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and most of all, upon Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says that we are being built as a holy habitation...We are God's House. In a natural house there are several rooms: Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, and Bathroom. Each of these rooms serve a purpose, the living room is a place of fellowship, where others can come and discuss, laugh, relax, a place for family and friends. The kitchen is a place of creativity, combined with the dining room, that which is created provides nourishment. The bedroom is a place of rest and intimacy, everyone is not invited there, it is a place of seclusion...because we must be careful who we are intimate with, lest we create something that is displeasing to the Lord...and then, there's the Bathroom. I've never minded talking about the other rooms, but this bathroom thing, it's offensive. Our office manager shared a portion of scripture in Deuteronomy 23:12-14 that talks about removing our refuse from within the camp and burying it because God walks among the camp and doesn't want to be offended. Would you agree with me that there somethings that need to be gotten rid of? I'm just asking? I'm searching for the pathway into the presence of God, the place of His blessing and favor...don't want Him to get any of my stuff on His shoes, to be offended and leave. Rather, I want His oily footprints to take me where He is!

2 comments:

Pastor Jeff said...

One message I preached a few years back was based on Josh. 4:9, where Joshua piled up 12 stones in the dry Jordan riverbed. It was at floodstage, and soon God would allow the water to start flowing again. I always wondered why God had him stack up those stones, then I felt that God was having him make a statement, that who the Israelites were, complainers, stubborn, etc., was dead and buried. The "refuse" if you will. If we are to grow in the Lord, yes, there are things thatmust go. Even stuff that may not be sinful in and of itself. Like a change in life's direction. When Christ was baptized by John, He had no "refuse" to dispose of, He was sinless. But He was a carpenter. Could He have been saying that the carpenter was now buried, and dead? Just another thought. You've really been making me think, Neil!
~Jeff

Clay said...

interesting... Pastor just preached a sermon about a month ago entitled "Make ROOM for God".