King Solomon built a magnificent temple for God but he did not beautify his body for God. He was the man who spread out his hands toward heaven during the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8:22 but ended up an idolater worshipping the idols of his foreign wives.
In the Old Testament, God dwelt in temples built by hands but in the New Testament, He dwells in the hearts of men through the Holy Spirit which descended on the Day of Pentecost. Our bodies are the temple of God where the Holy Spirit now dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
In this Last Day, many churches worldwide are in a fierce competition building huge magnificent cathedrals for God, striving to have the largest or the most magnificent auditorium in the country to attract God’s attention and blessings?
Are the hearts of the worshipers who gather in these cathedrals beautiful before God? God is much more interested in the spiritual condition of our hearts individually and collectively than the beautiful physical cathedrals we claim to be building for Him.
God is interested in pure and circumcised hearts (Deuteronomy 30:6) (Matthew 5:8). Are the worshipers genuinely born again followers of Christ or mere church attendants or church sinners who worship God with their lips only while their hearts are far away from Him (Matthew 15:8) (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)?
What is the condition of our hearts toward God? Do we love God with all our hearts as commanded in Matthew 22:37-39?
Or have we allowed our addiction to the modern day idols (Facebook, social media, television, internet, relationships, mobile phones, sports, love of gold, love of pleasure and many others to displace God from the front seat position in our hearts, drawing our hearts away from Him?
What is the condition of our hearts toward our neighbor? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves as commanded in Matthew 7:12 and Matthew 22:37-39)?
Or are our hearts bitter, hateful and unforgiving toward our neighbors? Do we have a malicious heart towards our neighbors yet come to spread our hands toward God in our beautiful temples?
Check the condition of your heart toward God and your neighbor. If you are far away from the Lord, it is time to repent and to return to Him with a whole heart and not a divided heart.
Joshua and Caleb were the only two out of the six hundred thousand men who left Egypt in the exodus that entered the Promised Land because they followed God with their whole hearts (Numbers 32:12), not a divided heart.
Your thoughts can defile you before God (Genesis 6:4) (Jeremiah 17:9) (Mark 7:21-23)
Your words can defile you before God (Matthew 12:36-37)
Your actions can defile you before God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Check the spiritual condition of your heart toward God and men and return to Him wholeheartedly.
Prayers:
• Lord Jesus, have mercy on me for I am a sinner (Luke 18:13)
• Lord Jesus, give me a new heart and a new spirit (Deuteronomy 30:6)
• Blood of Jesus, wash and cleanse me from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.ng
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