Wait Upon The Lord

Habakkuk 2:1-2 (NLT)

¹ I will climb up to my watchtower
      and stand at my guardpost.
   There I will wait to see what the Lord says
      and how He^[a] will answer my complaint.

 ² Then the Lord said to me,

   “Write my answer plainly on tablets,
      so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.

These two verses contain a few very important concepts that God pointed out to us. First of all, when we need His answer, we have to stand at the guard and wait for His answer. Second of all, when we stand patiently and seek Him with our whole heart, He always answers. Finally, when God says something, He says it clear, so there is no miscommunication or misunderstanding that could be claimed on our part as an excuse to disobey His word.

I think I can relate to the verse one and boldly say that I missed that mark by too many occasions when I prayed to God to answer some critical matters, but I failed to stand on the watch and listen to what He really gets to say. Instead, I took the liberty to answer my own questions and solve the problem on my own. I think we do that too often when we pray and ask for God`s intervention in a specific situation, and then we go about and make decisions on our own without waiting patiently to what God does and says. He convicted my heart awhile back on this issue when I would come to Him and I would pour out my heart and pray zealously regarding specific circumstance, and then I would go to sleep or go about doing what I think is appropriate (most of the time turns out to be inappropriate in His eyes though) instead of waiting patiently for His answer.

Habakkuk was writing regarding the events that took place in Judah (most likely regarding the Babylonian`s conquest of the area), but we don`t really have an exact time period to pinpoint. There is also very little that is known about Habakkuk himself, and I like that about him. I personally like to be anonymous, so I don`t get a chance to claim all the glory; instead I give it all to God. What we see here in the scripture, is Habakkuk desperately trying to seek the answer regarding all the unrighteous behavior that takes place and the judgment that`s coming on Judah as a result of it. He is “climbing to his watchtower” (that`s hard labor just to get to the place where he could seek the Lord). I`ve been too many times in situation where I can`t get to my secret place where I could get alone with God and ask Him all these questions that I have; a place where I could focus and bring my thoughts together to be honest with God especially during the days when things get too hard to bear.

Once he climbed to the watchtower, he “stood at his guardpost” waiting patiently upon the Lord to answer. This is a crucial part to realize for me that I have to wait patiently for God to answer when I ask Him of something because He said it in His word through Jeremiah that He would be there for those who seek Him:

²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
      To the soul who seeks Him. (Lamentations 3:25, NKJV)

The Lord is definitely good to those who seek Him, He rewards each one of us based on our heart`s attitude. We show Him that we believe that he is capable to handle whatever impossible circumstances there may be when we seek Him diligently with all heart.

God also said in Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God rewards those who show their faith and stick by it; we please Him when we have faith especially in impossible situation like mine. It took me awhile to get to the place where I have nothing but a complete trust in God with my whole heart. It`s not easy in my situation when I face the same issues, the same problems that seem endless, but God knows what time would work best to change my circumstances, and so I wait at the “guardpost” upon the Lord, and I know that His reward would be great.

Habakkuk confirmed God`s truth that He is faithful, and He replies to those who diligently wait upon Him to get the answer. In the verse two God answered and, He made sure He answered clearly. There was no miscommunication as to what God required of Habakkuk to get across for others to read. God made sure He told Habakkuk to write down the message in plain words for all kinds of people to be able to read and understand it. It doesn`t matter how much of an uneducated person one can be, when God speaks, He makes it so blatantly clear, that we can`t have excuses to disobey. I like how God always makes sure He gets His message to me one way or another. He`s using, scriptures, people, events, circumstances to get across to me whatever He needs. He doesn`t grow weary with my deafness or hardness of heart.

I think it`s important to keep these concepts in mind when we come to seek God and ask for His intervention, that we go to the secret place allowing us to be with Him without interruptions, that we wait to the end to Hear His answer, and that we realize that when God speaks, His message is clear. It is satan who tries to make things convoluted and unclear to confuse our thinking, but God`s message is always clear and never, ever contradicts His word. If you`re not sure about something that God tells you to do, go to His word and check against it to make sure it is the same truth because God would never contradict His own Word.

 

Sobriety Check Point

Hebrews 10:26-31 (NKJV)

²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimonyof two or three witnesses.

²⁹ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”^[e] says the Lord.^[f] And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”<sup>[g]

31</sup> It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Wow, this is quite a sobering truth!

When I read the two passages in Hebrews dealing with the problem of a believer living in sin, I felt like all I ever did for Jesus in return for His sacrifice on the cross was send him a “Thank You” card. I accepted His priceless sacrifice, His love, His mercy, His grace, and all I gave Him back in return was” “Thank you!”, now I am saved but I`d like to keep on living however I want; I have really “trampled the Son of God underfoot” with my lifestyle.  

I have to be honest with you that for someone like me who`s been an expert in backsliding throughout my life, this passage comes as something of a harsh sobriety check point. I keep asking myself: “Did I truly get myself to the point of a complete surrender to God allowing me to appreciate Jesus` sacrifice at its fullest?”

Frankly, I didn`t even remember this scripture until I came around it in my devotions a few days ago, and I had to do some digging to understand the full picture of the context. This is one of the topics that`s been of an interest to me for a while especially since I`ve been a backslider more than once in my life, and I wanted to find some answers to what Jesus said in the passage of Matthew 7:21-23. I wanted to find out how is it that a saved person can still go to hell as Jesus clearly states it here:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)

I knew of the scriptures in Romans (a whole book on righteousness and meaning of God), letters to Corinthians (where Paul reproves the carnal way of living for those who are already saved), and meaning of chastening by God in Hebrews, but this passage was always a big question mark for me. I think what it really comes down to is this: you can full others around you, but you can`t fool God. He knows what`s in one`s heart and whether one is close to Him, seeking Him and longing to live in Father`s will. If one just put up a show by going to the church, small groups, "praying" 15 min. here and there, God knows about that. He knows what`s in my heart and what`s in your heart, so examine it. Use these scriptures as sobriety check points.

Another scripture in Hebrews that I found interesting regarding this same question of whether one already saved could lose that privilege is here:

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace. ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned (Hebrews 6:4-8 NIV).

When I read these two passages in Hebrews it kind of made sense to me regarding what Jesus said in Matthew. I think there are many people who would call themselves “Christians”, yet they don`t comply with God`s standards of living according to His word. There are those of us who like to live their lives according to their will and not according to the “will of the Father”. It is clear that Jesus said that it is not enough just to be a servant at the church, to be a pastor, a worship leader, a Sunday school teacher, a helper, etc., but unless one`s life is completely consecrated to Father`s will (subject to Father`s will, completely given up to do what He wants), it is a lifestyle for a true believer. Paul in the epistle to Ephesians writes a manual in the chapters 4-6 of what a life of a true believer should look like. The lifestyle that he describes there is only possible with Jesus being in the center of one`s heart.

I think it`s not that grace of God doesn`t work, but the consequences of our own actions when one`s life is not subjected to Father`s will after getting saved, that is what gets us in trouble. It is impossible to submit one`s heart to Jesus and continue to live for oneself. This is where Bible makes that blatant distinction and emphasis through the scriptures that if one is truly believes Jesus is God, Who died on the cross for one`s sins, and believes Jesus is Savior in one`s heart (Romans 10:9), than those truths would produce the change in one`s heart and true repentance leading to the changes the way one lives. Moreover, that repentance would hunger to live for God and not for oneself.

I like how Pastor Chuck Smith said in his commentaries regarding to whom we really serve in our hearts:

Now I've either made a god like me, or God is making me like Him. You're in one of the two. You're either on the path down or the path up. Every man has a god. Don't believe a man who says, "I'm an atheist," because a god is only a title, and it is the title of what is the master passion of that person's life. What's the guiding principle of his life? Watch him for a while and you can see. Maybe the guiding passion of his life is pleasure and his whole life is lived for pleasure. Molech is his god. Maybe his whole life is lived for power and he's trying to control things, money, possessions and all. And Mammon is his god. Maybe he's trying to develop his intellect and the expansion of his consciousness and his understanding and all and he's made this the chief goal of life. Then Baal is his god. Every man has a god. Some of them are rather worthless gods, but gods indeed. And how good it is to worship and serve the true and the living God. Not one that I've created in my own mind. Not a concept that I have created. But to take the revelation of God of Himself to us and to worship the true and the living God.

I think this explains the cause of backsliding and possibility of losing salvation: if we don`t really serve God in our hearts (which shows through our actions in everyday life), then these different idols take over and bring on the sinful actions. If for some reason, I reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit and choose to live in sin, I become deaf to His convictions because one`s heart gets hardened. It happened to me, it happened to a close person of mine, and I know of others as well who go through the same cycle. I think this hardness of heart prevents one from accepting the standards of Father`s will and living by them because it contradicts with the way one wants to live, and this particular actions lead one further and further astray. The further one goes and continues to live in sin, the further the lies of satan continue to bombard one`s mind and heart with the lie that there is no God. That is the most dangerous path that there is, yet it is the path that some choose after being saved. I think ones one gets to this point, this is where God just kind of let`s go of the person and “gives one up to the desires of one`s own heart`s lusts” (Psalm 81:11-12; 1 Corinthians 5:3-5).

I have to be honest that when I was “untouchable” (you can refer back to the earlier posting on “Untouchables”), I rebelled against God and got to the point of my anger with Him that I was telling Him: “Where are you, if You are so mighty and good, then where is Your hand in my life? Why did you allow all this horror to happen to me? If You are really The God, then where are you?” I was on the dangerous path, but deep in my heart I still had a fear of the Lord, and He knew it. That`s why He was able to bring me back to Him through the series of the afflictions and circumstances. I have to be honest with you that looking back, in a way I am grateful for them because I am closer to Him like never before, and I understand certain things better now as never before. I think that if there is even a hint of desire in one`s heart to turn one`s way and change the course of one`s life back to God, He would use the circumstances, certain people, scripture, events, etc., to fire up those diming coals. The reason for that is because only God knows the deepest parts of our hearts, and He knows that if He touches the “untouchables” through certain afflictions and trials, the brokenness would bring one back to repentance. In that case, the re-dedication would take place and the life of a Christian could be revived like never before bringing endless blessings and closeness to God. This is exactly what happened to me. I was falling deeper and deeper down further away from God, living in sin, but He knew that deep in my heart, if I was placed in circumstances beyond my own fixing, I would hearken back to Him and would crawl back in brokenness and humbleness and true repentance.

If one`s heart is so hardened through living in sin that one is unwilling to repent and turn one`s ways to God, He “gives one up to their own heart`s lusts”. Sometimes, it is the only way to make one see and understand the emptiness of having it all the way one wants; in order to see that vanity of life without God. God loves every single person that He created, and He waits very patiently for one to hearken to Him; however, when one continues to blatantly defile Jesus` sacrifice, His judgment takes place.

I think when it says that “we crucify the Son of God all over again even after knowing the truth” is if we don`t live up to the word of God—will of the Father. It is challenging for a true believer to live up to God`s standards. For those who know His truth, had Holy Spirit in their hearts, yet continued to live in sin, He gives them up to their own heart`s lusts and judges accordingly.

I also believe that to God there is no such thing as unpardonable sin, but it`s the attitude of one`s heart that matters. If you think like you committed the worse sin in the world, yet you desire to repent, all you need to do is come to God because He is waiting for you. He wants you back, just like He wanted me back. Don`t be one of those who hardened one`s heart to the point of not returning back at all because I`ve met people like that; those who are not interested in returning to God; they want to live for the desires and lusts of their heart. Those are the “Christians” who are described in these scriptures in both passages in Hebrews and Matthew. Luke 15 is all about God`s patience, and mercy and love for us, and He does all He can to chasten us to come back, so don`t resist it if you are in the situation of afflictions. Treat it either as a reason of chastening to return to God or as a reason for trials that would make you into a stronger believer.

I love how David said in his Psalm 139:23 (NKJV)

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

If you think that you fall into the category of “untouchables”/backslider or if you are not saved at all, and if you know that you live a carnal selfish life, I urge you to surrender to Father`s will once and for all because God is longsuffering, and longpatient with us, but He would not allow for His only Son to be crucified over, and over, and over again. If you know the truth, let it set you free—hearken to Him and turn your ways to seek Him like never before with your whole heart. It is a said picture to see someone being “given up to one`s heart`s lusts” because it brings ultimate destruction. In that destruction, it doesn`t always bring one back to God because we all have a free choice to live by. Make the right choice, the one that leads to His forgiveness and ultimate change in life.

  

Father, I thank you for Your goodness, Your love, Your patience, for Jesus` sacrifice on the cross, and I pray that you touch the “untouchables” before it`s too late, and you bring them back to You. Lord, touch the hearts of those who know the truth, yet they continue to live in sin because they hardened their hearts to hear Holy Spirit convicting them. Please, Lord, give them another chance in life, just like you did it with me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Power Of Praise And Worship

Psalm 95: 1-7 (NKJV)

¹ Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
         Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
 ² Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
         Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
 ³ For the LORD is the great God,
         And the great King above all gods.
 ⁴ In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
         The heights of the hills are His also.
 ⁵ The sea is His, for He made it;
         And His hands formed the dry land.  

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
         Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
 ⁷ For He is our God,
         And we are the people of His pasture,
         And the sheep of His hand.

As I was praying for the Lord to strengthen me and to deliver me out of the hand of my enemies, I realized that God is with me, and I`ve done enough of praying already about my trials and afflictions; but what I needed to start doing now is praising and worshiping Him. I don`t know if you are aware of the significance of worship, but it`s one of the major hard artilleries that we have against our enemy—satan, and he is extremely afraid of it. The reason why he is afraid of that is because when we worship God, we pledge ourselves to Him and concentrate on His goodness and greatness instead of thinking about fear of the circumstances. By doing that, we avert our attention from all the problems and impossibilities of one`s situation (satan loves to lie to us that God is incapable to deliver us out of whatever problems we have), and instead concentrate on the mightiness of God.

As I was praying and praising Lord for everything that He does in my life, His presence filled me up, and I could feel that lightness and victory. This is something that I cannot describe unless one would sick and experience on your own. God created heaven and earth, and there is nothing in this world that could be out of His reach or impossible for Him to resolve or handle.

 ¹ Thus says the LORD:

      “ Heaven is My throne,
      And earth is My footstool.
      Where is the house that you will build Me?
      And where is the place of My rest?
       ² For all those things My hand has made,
      And all those things exist,”
      Says the LORD.

      “ But on this one will I look:
      On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
      And who trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66:1-2 NKJV)

If God created everything by His hand, don`t you think He is capable to deliver you out of whatever impossible problems and circumstance you may experience? When I read these verses, it serves me as a reminder of all the impossible things that He`s done already in my life. He saved me so many times and healed me, and provided for me financially when I had nothing. He is The Almighty, The Only God, Who will deliver me, and He will deliver you from whatever circumstance that you stand, as long as you Praise Him and give Him thanks for everything that He is!

When Joshua led the battle of Jericho, one of the main things the Israelites did was blowing their trumpets and shouting to the Lord most High! They did that once a day for six days, and on the seventh day, they walked around the city seven times with priests walking in front of them with the ark and trumpets blowing them and shouting to the Lord. As soon as they did that, the walls of Jericho fell down and they were able to conquer the city. It was a mighty city, and if Israelites gave in even to the mere hint of fear or doubts, they would have disobeyed the Lord and lost the battle, but they worshiped the Lord, and God fulfilled His promise to give them that piece of land (Joshua 6).

As we look at the story of Gideon, we see the same principle of the victory through the worship of the Lord. There were only 300 of them who stood up with the trumpets and broke their pitchers that had light inside and shouted to praise God:

¹⁷ And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: ¹⁸ When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!’” ¹⁹ So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. ²⁰ Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” ²¹ And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. (Judges 7:17-21 NKJV)

God always provides the victory when we thank Him and worship Him putting our trust only in Him. When I praise God for all the things that He is and that He`s done, I feel victory and I get victory regardless of the amount of time it takes. God has His timing for everything, and His time is perfect, have no doubt about that. The important thing to remember is our attitude and our faith during these trials and in our everyday walk.

I am reading the book by W. Phillip Keller called “A Shepherds Look at Psalm 23”, and it blows my mind away realizing some simple facts about shepherds` and sheeps` behavior. One of the things that really captured me was the marking of the sheep that each shepherd has to do in order to distinguish and set aside his herd. The shepherd has to cut a special marking on the ear of the sheep (individual marking that`s unique on each sheep) to distinguish them among all the neighbors` herds or in case the sheep going astray, so it could be easier to find.

God was called a “Good Shepherd” in Psalm 23, and this is so true that He makes this individual marking on each one of His sheep (His children), so that when we go astray, He could still find us. Also, the marking is important, so the enemy (satan) knows to Whom we belong because he would desperately try to capture God`s sheep and kill, steal, and destroy them (John 10:10). That`s why it`s so important to remember that whatever trials one endures, those are most likely are the distinguished markings that make you stand out with our Father to proclaim to everyone else to Whom you and I belong. I am proud to carry those markings because not only do they make me special to Him, but they also make me stand out in this world to testify of my Good Shepherd.

I have seen the power of worship especially in the hardships, and I know how powerful this important weapon is that we have against our enemy; that and the word of God. God created us for His glory, so we would worship Him.

It is said in the Psalm 8:2 (NIV)

² Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  

How much more important it is for us to make it a point to praise and worship our Lord in hardships to “silence the foe and the avenger” if even the babies and infants do that.

If you never trusted or understood the power of praise and worship, I challenge you today to try it. You will be blown away by the closeness to the Lord that you`ll experience and by the victory because God takes pleasure in those who seek Him. We do just that by taking our time to exalt Him.

"The Need Of Endurance"

Hebrews 10:35-39

³⁵ Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

³⁷ “For yet a little while, and He^[j] Who is coming will come and will not tarry.

³⁸ Now the^[k]just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”^[l]

³⁹ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

As I was praying this weekend over all the things that`s been happening to me, I received a few scriptures as a reminder of God`s faithfulness and His goodness. It is not my job to question His timing or to doubt His actions because He is faithful, and He promised that everything works together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28), so I stand on this promise every day. It seems like my circumstances go from bad to worse with every week, and I know why: satan doesn`t rest until he would get what he wants- steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10); however, I also know that whatever that seems like his victory, in reality it is only a fake victory just like when he thought he destroyed God`s plan regarding Jesus` death. The result was—Jesus rose from the dead, and His death served to save all those who believe in Him, and through His death and resurrection we become children of God.

When I look at my circumstances, they are a complete failure, and I used to get depressed until I engrained the word of God into my memory to the point that whenever I get doubts, I pull the appropriate scripture and get through with the victory. The key for me was to stop thinking about what I want. The main reason why I couldn`t trust God was because His plan went against of what I wanted Him to do, and as soon as I realized it, I gave in. I received not only a tremendous peace in my heart, but I received a confidence that He is Almighty God who is capable to deliver me out of the worst circumstances that I`m in.  

One of my favorite epistles in the New Testament is written by Peter, and he said in his letter:

¹³ And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”^[c]

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God^[d] in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (1 Peter 3:13-15 NKJV)

This is the key: “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” because out of the heart the rivers of living water would flow as Jesus said it Himself (John 7:38). It should be our goal to guard our hearts, so that God could use one to do what is good and right. There is no reason for me to be alarmed or afraid of my circumstances regardless of how treacherous they are because God promised that “who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?” This scripture was like a soothing medicine to my heartache because I know since I follow the Lord, and I live for Him, no harm would go unanswered or without victory.

There is a certain need for endurance in the life of any true believer because endurance produces spiritual healthy growth in one`s relationship with God, it creates opportunities for God to move in a powerful way to show His glory, and it gives Him a chance to bless us to no end.

In the verse Hebrews 10:35 it is said:

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great rewards”

God has a plan to bless me, and you as long as I don`t lose my confidence in Him and my faith in Him—“draws back” because those things bring no pleasure to God, I know that He continues His work in my heart. Whatever the circumstances are, I choose not to draw back or to grow weary because it brings no pleasure to Him, and I want to live to please Him.

I like what Oswald Chambers said:

“It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways… Getting into God`s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don`t give up because the pain is intense right now—get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.”

God has a plan to bless me and you as long as we keep pace with Him and search for Him. God promised that through this “need of endurance” we save our soul to inherit His Kingdom. The reason why it is so trivial to endure trials and hardships is because it teaches us to completely forsake our own wants and needs, and drives us to rely completely on Him, which is exactly what He desires of us.

I never truly understood the book of Job until I faced the worst circumstances in my life, and as I was reading his response to endurance and trials, I realized that it could only be through his complete surrender to God. Job lost his children, his wealth, and got the worst case of leprosy all in one day, and his wife urged him to curse God and die. That`s the type of advice you want to steer away if you ever hear something like that in your life. I love what Job said though in response to that foolishness:

¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:10 NKJV)

The best part of this book of Job is that in the end God restored all the wealth, healed him, gave him children, and his prosperity was greater than what was initially before his trials began. His enduring of the worst circumstances lasted for a year, and in the end God blessed him to no end.

I go through the worst enduring (at least in my mind this is the worst I`ve seen in my life), but I know that God is faithful, and He is doing a mighty work behind the curtains which I cannot see or understand right now, but in the end all the pieces of the puzzle they would come together, and it would be a mighty testimony of God`s love.

Whatever your circumstances are, do not grown weary or loose heart because it displeases God, and He only has in His mind to bless you. Stay on the track, and look for the scriptures that would sustain you during the worst hours, days, weeks just like I do.

Temple Of The Living God

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
 

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

¹⁷ If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
 

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body^[a] and in your spirit, which are God’s.
 

Paul couldn`t get more clear than this to elucidate for us where God dwells and abides. It is clear that once we get saved, God lives in one`s heart and it becomes His Temple! The reason why this piece of scripture is so crucial to understand is because of the nature of our carnality and fleshly drive that each one of us experience even more so after being saved. It is a constant battle between selfish drive and what`s pleasing to God; between spiritual and carnal. Despite this battle though, we must realize that our body doesn`t belong to us, but it is a Temple of the Living God! When I got saved, I pledged my life to Christ and asked Him to live in my heart; I gave Him my permission to build His temple in me.
 

I`ve done so much to destroy His temple by damaging my body through heavy drinking, smoking, cutting myself,  suicide, etc., and as I read this scripture it serves as a strong reminder for me to abandon the acts of my flesh and focus on what`s pleasing to Him. Don`t be deceived thinking that you can continue to live for yourself after you got saved because it`s a lie from satan. Jesus shed His precious blood for you and me, so we could give our lives to Him in return and serve Him with all our hearts. I`ve lived for too long trying to build my life on this earth where I am only a pilgrim, passing through; my real home is in heaven with my Father.
 

As I go through my trials, I can see the mighty hand of God orchestrating everything for the better even before I see the final result and a breakthrough because of what He`s been doing in my heart. I`ve done so many things to defile His Temple that to this day I can`t stop thanking Him for His patience with me. God clearly said that one`s body doesn`t belong to one anymore because of the cost paid for it, for it was “bought at a price”- heavy price of the blood of Jesus. I cannot allow myself to temper with sin knowing that I don`t belong to myself anymore.

Both letters to Corinthians were written by Paul after he was made aware of what was happening at the church there: people were getting drunk, combining idolatry with coming to the church and practicing this very liberal teachings which were contradicting what God`s truth is. It is so easy to find justifications to the carnal drives in churches nowadays because we are so much like Corinth- we attempt to live a selfish life combining “business with pleasure”; we try to claim salvation through the grace of God believing in Christ dying for us and shedding His blood, yet we cling to our fleshly drives to live for ourselves. It doesn`t work that way, and I tried it for too many times.
 

This is what Jesus said with His own words regarding this kind of a lifestyle:
 

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24 NKJV)
 

Jesus said that it is impossible to serve God and to this world at the same time (riches of this world) because our carnal sinful nature would tug us to please ourselves instead of God. Our nature is permeated with sin, and the only way to deal with it is by pledging oneself to God completely. Paul warned us in his letter also saying:
 

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV)
 

The reason is the same as what Jesus said—we cannot resist the temptations when we temper with this world and the desires it brings. The lust of the flesh, the pride, the wealth, and all the other things the world beckons us with could not possibly allow us to serve our Lord and build His temple of our bodies unless our lives were completely consecrated to Him once and for all.
 

I tried to live a life of the liberal Christian foolishly attempting to convince myself that I could serve both: God and mammon, and I miserably failed. I had to end up in the worst circumstances in my life in order to realize that I was bought by the steep price, and I don`t belong to myself anymore. My body became the Temple of the Living God who cannot share His presence with anything unholy, marred, sinful, unrighteous, and so I repented, and I begged my Lord to rebuild His temple from scratch, so He could dwell there forever. My life has a different meaning now, and it`s much deeper and meaningful compare to what I was. I am greatful to my Lord for His grace, and mercy, and His patience, and His love that He scooped me up from all that dirt, and turned my life around to serve Him instead.
 

Ask yourself this simple question: do you allow God to build His temple in you, and do you live a life allowing Him to dwell in you? If you live a life of a liberal Christian, I challenge you today to examine your ways and see for yourself if you bring forth fruit to glorify God`s name because if not, God warned us of the consequences. He warned us anyone who defiles His temple would be destroyed. I`ve done my share of damage to His temple, and I promised to do no more of that. I live for His glory, and so can you.
 

Jesus said:
 

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

¹⁴ Because^[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV)
 

I want to walk the narrow way that leads to life, and I already experience the fullness of it in my life. It is a difficult going, but it`s worth all the effort because the reward is the everlasting life with God in heaven.