If You Value Your Life Like God Value's His Church...

Then you won't try to defile it!  This is a re-write of a bumper sticker that my pastor saw.  The original bumper sticker said something like, if you value your life like I value my truck you won't touch my truck.  But this statement totally ties in with what our evening sermon was about this Sunday.  We studied about 1 Cor. 3:16-17 which says

¹⁶Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
¹⁷If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

There are a few key points in this passage.  Here are the questions that my pastor posed to us:

1. Who are the ye in the sixteenth verse?
2. What does it mean by the word defile?
3. Who are the defilers?
4. How does someone defile the temple?
5. And what does it mean by "him shall God destroy"

A lot of questions for such a small passage of scripture huh?  But questions that we might not take the time to consider with just a regular skimming of the Bible.  So here are the answers that Bro. Dan gave us.

• The ye is plural, it would be the church as a whole and as individual churches also. 
• Defile means neglecting of duties by the guardians and leading away of the church from a state of holiness in which the church ought to be.
• The defilers are believers, Christians.  The greatest threat to t the  church is from the inside.
• We defile the church by letting divisions to occur within the church, by allowing bad theology to permeate our churches and by bad methodology or bad conduct. 
• By destroy, well, we really don't know what God intends to do.  The Bible doesn't say for sure, we can only take references from other areas of the bible (see 1 Cor. 11:30)

Which brings me to the beginning, the title of this post.  As humorous as the bumper sticker would be, valuing your life doesn't mean God will strike you with a bolt of lightening.  During this part of the sermon, I felt a sense that perhaps this would mean the quality of your life (although I am not trying to limit God by saying that punishment by death wouldn't happen).  This sermon has a very important message in it.  When God gives you a command, you should want to keep it because you love Him.  Doing the opposite shows defiance, not love. 

God is my Bounty®

He is strong enough to hold me up and soft enough to comfort me.
The most durable in any situation and absorbent for life's blows and tears.

He can help me clean my messes up no matter what their size.
He is the one I continue to pick even after all these years

No need for me to select a size for He is perfect for any need.
Always available whatever the cause, finding Him down on bended knee.

I highly recommend Him to all my family and friends.
Although His price was very steep, He was kind enough to prepay for me.

In You Whom I Boast

There's nothing I can do to get
me to you.

I can claim no glory for my
blood washed soul.

The perfect plan was in action
long before I.

My claim to glory is only
in your name.

For even at your weakest you are
mighty by far.

In your most foolish of moments
Your wisdom surpasses.

What will be my legacy for this life
But your name

Nothing! And amen and amen. Glory be to
God's holy name

Paul's Journey

WOW........  I am so thrilled today that I felt that the first word of this post needed some extra emphasis.  This morning at Watts Chapel Baptist we were blessed to have hosted a beautiful singing quartet called "Paul's Journey".  They are from Houston, Texas and tour all over the United States.  (I added a link directly to their web page so you could check them out and buy their CD's.  There are also links to other ways to connect to them and their tour dates/places as well.)  Let me just say that I do not possess the words to tell you how much of a blessing these men were to our church!  I hope maybe God will tell me the words tonight, but as of yet I am speechless.  If they are ever near your state, you should go listen to them.  If you don't get a blessing, you must have had ear plugs in! 

I can tell you for sure that if they come back to Kentucky, I will be there to see them.  Keep them in your prayers, for their music ministry is a full time job!  They need prayers, love and support (and yes I mean money)!  Please go by their website and check them out. 

And by the off chance that any of the members of the group should read this, please let me say again how thankful I am that you are doing EXACTLY what God created you for!

My Gift

How can I sing my praise to you
With my voice?
I will in honor of what you've done
And who you are.
Not because I sound so sweet
As an angel, oh so glorious.

Lord how shall I shout to others of you
I've not been given the countenance
For confrontation such as that
I can humbly tell them of your love
And pray that you guide my words

I am so thankful for this body God
And that you've called others to do
What I've not been given the gift for
Beautiful singers, powerful evangelists
Thank you Lord for my gifts

I pray each day that I can use them for you
In honor of your love and devotion
In silent praise to your name, I write
You whisper words to me; they flow endlessly
Without thought or pause

For Lord, you are more than the poems I write
You are the reason that I do
I give all my praise and my love
I give everything I have
I give it all to you

Amen