beauty and passion...

Beauty... passion...
I saw... both... at the symphony on Sunday...

The beauty of many...
coming together as one...

Every member...
under the direction of one...
each with a different instrument...
a different role...

Beautiful...

It gave me just a glimpse... an idea...
of what the church could be...
if we all came under One...
and followed the same score...

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body ---

Jews or Greeks, slaves or free --- and all were made

to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

An orchestra...
bringing great beauty...
because they all had the same purpose...
the same focus...

What beauty could the church bring...? into a dark...? corrupt...? world...? If we all surrendered to the Spirit...? came under the authority of the Father...? followed the Son...?

And passion...

A guest cellist...
playing her instrument...
with passion...
intensity...

She knew her music...
no score before her...
it was in her heart...
her soul...

In her... I saw... the kind of passion I want for His Word...
to know it...
for it to flow from me...
heart... soul...

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

Psalm 119:2-3 ESV

Beauty... passion...
both elements the church should pour forth...

Why don't we...?
what are we missing...?

Lord... stir the hearts of Your people...

remind us... me... of the beauty... passion...

Your people should bring into the world...

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; 

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering, and come into his courts!

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness,

tremble before him, all the earth!

Psalm 96:1-9 ESV

any idols hidden in your heart...?

The teacher defines an idol as...

...anything that I run to under stress and pressure if it's not Christ...

---Michael Wells, Living the Abiding Life

And I have to think... What do I run to...? under stress and pressure...? that's not Christ...?

A recent Bible study question... had me consider idols... or potential idols... in my life...

Hezekiah pleased God when he spiritually cleaned house, got rid of idols, and smashed and cut down all the signs of spiritual compromise in the land. When you look at your spiritual life, what could you clean out, cut down, or smash so that you can walk more closely with God?

---Randy Frazee, The Story Participant's Guide

Off the top of my head I couldn't think of anything... so I asked God... prayed a short prayer...What do I need to get rid of... smash...?

Well an answer came... very quickly...

I even questioned it... thinking... Really...?

The answer to my question was a television show... one that's been cancelled... but is available on Amazon Prime...

A series I decided to re-watch recently... from beginning to end...

I really wanted to finish... and was it so bad...?

Then I realized... the last time I turned it on... was when I was weary... stressed... seeking escape... and solace...

I didn't run to Him... I ran to her... The Closer...

Needless to say... I haven't been tuning in by myself... and I probably won't finish it... and at this point... recognizing the spiritual issues... I don't feel the need... or desire to... anymore...*

So what about you... what idols do you have lurking... in your heart... in His sanctuary...?

Are you willing to look...? to let Him show you your idols...?

Then He brought me to the entrance of the court,

and when I looked there was a hole in the wall.

He said to me, "Son of man, dig through the wall."

So I dug through the wall, and there was a doorway.

He said to me, "Go in and see the terrible and detestable

things they are committing here." I went in and looked,

and there engraved all around the wall was every form

of detestable thing, crawling creatures and beasts,

as well as all the idols of the house of Israel.

Seventy elders from the house of Israel were standing before them.

Each had a firepan in his hand, and a fragrant cloud

of incense was rising up. Then He said to me,

"Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel 

are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol?

For they are saying, 'The Lord does not see us.

The Lord has abandoned the land.'"

Ezekiel 8:7-12 HCSB

Maybe... we feel abandoned by God... when stress... pressure... creeps into our lives...

Maybe... we think He doesn't see... or doesn't care...

Maybe... what seems fine to us... is detestable to Him...

Are your ready for Him to guide you... on a dig into your heart...?

Ask Him to reveal idols... potential idols... in your life...

Come into agreement with Him...

It's time... to purify our passion...

Clean up the sanctuary of our heart... for Him...

what does it take... to prepare a sanctuary... for Him...?

What does it take... to prepare a sanctuary... for Him...?

He gave instructions... to Moses... for His dwelling place on earth... the tabernacle...

Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle,

and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Exodus 25:3 ESV

Three of the things... the people were called to contribute for its construction... caught my attention...

"You shall command the people of Israel that they bring

to you pure beaten olive oil for the light,

that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.

Exodus 27:20 ESV

The first... to catch my eye... pure oil...

And I wonder... What is this a spiritual picture of...? this oil that burns...?

I believe... it's passion...

To prepare our hearts... as a sanctuary for Him... we need... pure passion... passion for His Word... for His people... for Him...

"They shall make an ark of acacia wood. ...

You shall overlay it with pure gold,

inside and outside shall you overlay it,

and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.

Exodus 25:10-11 ESV

The second item required... pure gold...

Not only was the ark to be covered in gold... but all the utensils... lamp stands... and the table for the bread... were to be covered in pure gold...

So what is this gold covering about...? spiritually speaking...?

The thought came... The pure gold overly... represents our righteous actions...

Our presentation to the world... what people see... should be... pure righteousness...

Living a life of right relationships... being Christ-centered... rather than self-centered... a fountain of grace...

Then there's the incense...

And the incense that you shall make 

according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. 

It shall be for you holy to the Lord.

Exodus 30:37 ESV

This incense is to be unique... not used for any other purpose... other than for the Lord...

I believe... the incense... represents... our worship... 

He alone... is worthy of worship...

Worship comes in the form of praise... adoration... dependence... all expressed with a heart of prayer...

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Psalm 141:2 ESV

These are three of the requirements... three of the items needed... to prepare a heart as a sanctuary for Him...

Checking our hearts... for where we are with these... is the first step... in cleaning up our hearts...

Is our passion pure...? what are we passionate about...? Him...? or the things of this world...?

Our actions...? are they righteous...? full of grace...? or are they divisive...? prideful...? self-centered...?

What do we worship...? Him alone...? is He the One we count on to fulfill our lives...? provide for our needs...?

Hmmm...

Just some thoughts... about preparing a sanctuary... for Him...

passion...

Passion...

I was told I had it...

but I didn't feel it...

Today...

God stirred it anew...

reminded me... yes... I was... am... passionate about prayer...

What about you...?

What passion has He fired up in your heart...?

Have you let it smolder...? lie dormant...?

Ask Him to fire it up anew in you...

Passion... it is a gift...

Lord... You give us our passion... 

for the building of Your kingdom... 

the encouragement of Your people... 

Fan the flame anew...

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God...

2 Timothy 1:6 ESV