What Part of the Church Am I?

Jesus,

It's so easy to get confused in the world today. We live in a culture a teaches us to love ourselves

and to get the most for our ourselves out of everything and everyone. Jesus I love you and I thank you greatly for being in my life. This day help me to love your way. Help me to focus on loving and being a good representative of your church. Help me to be a small stone built on your foundation that glorifies God and all the beautiful people and things he has put into this world.

In Jesus Christ name I pray amen.

Ezra 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

I remember long time ago I heard a great explanation of this passage. And someone explained how God wanted his ways and his love to the flow out of the church, and change everything for the better. The thing of it is, at the time I neglected to realize that I was part of the church. I neglected to realize that I am part of what flows out of the church. Now that I am older, and just a tidbit wiser I realize that I am a member of the church and I am part of what flows out of the church. That's said I need to be mindful of what I say and what I do. There are many members of the church who have acted in unchristian ways. It's not surprising because Christians are flawed just as anyone else. But I now realize as a Christian when I make a mistake I need to make amends and ask for forgiveness. Unfortunately I don't have the ability to meet all those who I wronged in the past. So all I can do is move forward, help others and try to make amends for mistakes that Christians make today.

1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17

Brothers and sisters: You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Reading this passage I focus on the last couple lines. It's not always easy being a Christian. Like said before, I have made many mistakes and there have been many other Christians who have made mistakes. For this there are many in the world who refused to except Christianity because of Christians they have met who have not acted like Christians. Some of those to fight against Christianity have hearts that are so hard that they strike out at Christians in return. So what do I do? I believe God wants me to love into be as compassionate as possible. I believe that God wants me to ask for forgiveness not just of myself but others when confronted about the mistakes of other Christians. I also believe though, that in these lines God gives me refuge that I will be taken care of. That even if I am struck down by evil, as long as I stay pure in heart, dedicated to God and in a position of sanctifying grace, I will see heaven at the end of my days.

John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

I am shaken to be sober. It reminds me of the fact that while we can start with the best of intentions in trying to serve our Lord, it is all too easy to get wrapped up in the lifestyle that is evil. I have to admit there have been moments where I live embarked on a mission to serve the Lord and yet ended up serving myself to the sin of pride. I am very thankful though that I have Jesus in my life. And I'm thankful that I have passages like this in my Bible that I get to read it regularly. It reminds me that I need to move forward with compassion and with the focus on God above all things in done serving others. It's easy to get distracted, and it is common to want recognition for one's hard work, but to seek recognition for my own personal glory. Such efforts usually leave me blind so that I may trip and fall into a bigger pit of sin. It's largely why I try to find a loan time with my Lord and Savior in prayer and meditation so that I may focus on what I am doing and why am doing it. And in those calm moments my Lord speaks to me compassionately but clearly, and with his help I stay on righteous path.

And that's all I got to say about that.