Lately, we have been doing a lot of things to fix up our old house that we purchased late last year. Being built in 1939 and having stood empty for the past few years, this house, although not delapidated, is in much need of fixing up. It has been sorely NEGLECTED for many years and it truly needs some tender loving care.
It needs a GOOD paint job inside and out. There are so many coats of paint on the outside that the whole house needs to be STRIPPED down to bare wood before even thinking about repainting. Every surface inside, walls, trim, cabinets, EVERYTHING needs a fresh coat of paint. Hardwood floors need refinished...you get the idea. All these things are going to take time. It's a process. You know, I was thinking, the same is true with God's house. Of course, I am not talking about the church building as being God's house...
WHAT? know ye not that YOUR body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are NOT your own? For ye are BOUGHT with a price: therefore GLORIFY GOD in your BODY, and in your SPIRIT, which are GOD'S---1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I am talking about YOU. The scripture here tells us, that IF you have the Holy Ghost dwelling in you, that your body and spirit belong to God. That is your OUTER and your INNER man. YOU are the house in which He dwells. (If you do not have the Holy Ghost, evidence by speaking in other tongues and would like to find out more about it, please email me, I would be happy to talk with you more about it privately and on a more personal basis)
Sometimes our state of disrepair is apparent as sin shows it's wear and tear on our lives. We need a loving God to "buy us" and painstakingly craft us into what He knows we can be. For those of us who are already in the process of God's restoration, there are times when our trouble spots are not so apparent. After all, we've had a fresh coat of paint and some new landscaping on the outside and everything is looking good. However, there may be some deeper, more hidden issues still lurking around.
I have found that in an actual house (building), bad weather will usually let you know that there are some "unseen" or "hidden" problems or damage, i.e. the windows or roof might leak. There may be cold drafts, or the furnace or air conditioning don't work right when hot or cold weather put them to the test. Recently, I discovered our old house had a leaking toilet. It wasn't apparent at first, because there was no water on the floor. We only discovered the leak because some of the ceramic tiles started popping loose. Upon closer inspection, the toilet was leaking between two layers of flooring where no water could be seen or felt. The leak didn't become apparent to the naked eye until it had done a considerable amount of damage and caused a lot more work in the long run. We had to replace the entire floor, when if we had known earlier, just replacing the seal on the toilet would have been sufficient. BUT WHO KNEW?
I have found that in an actual house (building), bad weather will usually let you know that there are some "unseen" or "hidden" problems or damage, i.e. the windows or roof might leak. There may be cold drafts, or the furnace or air conditioning don't work right when hot or cold weather put them to the test. Recently, I discovered our old house had a leaking toilet. It wasn't apparent at first, because there was no water on the floor. We only discovered the leak because some of the ceramic tiles started popping loose. Upon closer inspection, the toilet was leaking between two layers of flooring where no water could be seen or felt. The leak didn't become apparent to the naked eye until it had done a considerable amount of damage and caused a lot more work in the long run. We had to replace the entire floor, when if we had known earlier, just replacing the seal on the toilet would have been sufficient. BUT WHO KNEW?
The same is true with us. There are some minor problems, that can be taken care of with regular maintenance. Sadly, it's not until the storms of life come blowing through that we realize there's a leak and we need to give a few areas some attention. What's worse, is sometimes there are some much deeper issues within our hearts that don't surface until a significant amount of damage has been done and we need extensive repairs.
My question for you today is this, what shape is GOD'S house in? Has your spiritual man been neglected? Have you failed to care for it properly? Not praying, fasting, reading the Bible, attending church regularly? Have sinful things crept in through cracks in your mortar? Is there damage beyond the surface of your heart, leaving you to rot from the inside out and showing up in a bad attitude? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are in spiritual DISREPAIR ?
It's time for a trip to the Master Carpenter's shop (church). You will find him at the workbench (alter) waiting to help you make some repairs.
Don't delay!
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it...Psalm 127:1
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