{"id":25080,"date":"2019-02-23T03:30:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T11:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=25080"},"modified":"2019-02-21T16:04:10","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T00:04:10","slug":"february-23-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2019\/02\/23\/february-23-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"February 23, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cThe enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place;They set up their banners\u00a0for\u00a0signs…And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers. They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.\u201d Psalm 74:3b-4, 6-7<\/em><\/p>\n

Tomb Raider\u2019s Temple<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It reminded me of the movie Tomb Raider. Lara Croft, on a grand adventure, seeks to find missing treasure in an old temple. As she enters the once palatial building, she discovers it to be abandoned, neglected, full of dust, spider webs, and vermin. The walls and carvings, once so beautiful, are crumbling and in disrepair. The air is stale, and wilderness has reclaimed the place meant for worship.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you know that you yourselves are God\u2019s temple and that God\u2019s Spirit dwells in your midst?\u201d <\/em>(1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV).<\/p>\n

I closed my eyes and pictured my life as God\u2019s temple. Does it look like a place of active worship? Or does it resemble Lara Croft\u2019s neglected temple, full of cobwebs and in need of a good cleaning, repairs, and fresh air?<\/p>\n

I pondered the verse, \u201cThe enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>What enemies of God have I let in to my life, that are causing damage to the work the Holy Spirit wants to do? Anger. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. Self-centerdness. Pride. These are some of the things that I have let reside in my temple for far too long, that don\u2019t belong there. They are against God, His work He wants to do, and His worship in my life. These insidious things set up their own banners in the temple of my heart\u2014where God alone is to be revered\u2014that say, \u201cLook at me! Look at me! Give me\u00a0<\/em>your attention and time, for in doing so you give me<\/em>the place of honor in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

In your own mind, picture your life as God\u2019s temple. What does it look like? Are there corners that need to be swept out? Vermin that needs to be removed? Do you need the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh air into a stale place? Is there anything in the temple that doesn\u2019t belong there? What enemy have you allowed in? May the Spirit of God come breathe fresh life into these humble temples, and blow away the cobwebs and dust in our hearts.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cWhat agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: \u2018I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people\u2019\u201d <\/em>(2 Corinthians 6:16).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>\u201cGod, help us be mindful of all the ways in which WE are Your chosen dwelling place. May we never bring You shame, and always keep a \u2018clean home\u2019 for You. Amen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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