God's House

 "Don't you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you are bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6: 19. 20

    I have a small collection of churches. My husband's grandfather made the largest one, complete with a baptismal font and bell tower, but I have to agree with my granddaughter when it comes to my favorite one: It's a mechanical music box in which the doors open and a minister comes forth in a welcoming manner. 

    Over the years, it has given me great joy to worship in many different types of churches. Some are magnificently adorned with stained glass windows and a long aisle, which blushing brides prefer. Some are humble, like the six-pew chapel found at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, which impressed me as a child. When I visited Parkside Church to hear Alistair Begg preach, I was surprised by the plainness of the sanctuary; no altar, no colorful glass - not even a cross. The explanation was quite simple: The focus is meant to be solely on the Bible, so all distractions have been pared down to the basics. 

    If you were going to design a church, what would you include? 

    The Bible says, if you have received Christ as your Savior, that you are the temple. When the Spirit of God walks around in your heart, what does He see? I wonder how He prefers His dwelling to be? 

    When I ponder these questions, I know right off that I do not want any dirt or clutter in my church. Nor do I want to entertain any false ideas that will grieve Him. Perhaps He would teach me, if I finally sat down in the pew with a listening heart instead of anally arranging flowers or fawning over the music selection. When I open my mouth, will what I say honor Him? Will my hands offer service? Will I commune in fellowship with Him, as did Adam when God walked with him in the cool of the day before the Fall?

    It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? To think that God, the Creator of the Universe, desires a relationship with us and that His house is as close as our own hearts! Immanuel: God with us. Let the miracle of this sink in as you prepare your sanctuary today.

"For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will live with them and walk among them. I will be their God and they will be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16