True Temples

Whenever I look at old testament typology of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am always amazed at all of the ways He alludes that He is the Center of everything Spiritual.

Take for example the Temple. The Lord Jesus Christ seems to be demonstrated in the Temple. He is the location of our Worship in John 4. True Worship in Spirit and Truth is not located in an earthly Temple, or on a mountain, but it is found In Jesus Alone. Is Jesus alluding that the Temple is a Type of himself? Some may disagree, but I would say yes. When he states...
"destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up, but he was speaking of the Temple of His Body." (John 2:20-21) - I believe He is encouraging the Jew to recognize that He is the true location of Worship. His presence is more significant than the existence of the earthly, physical temple in Jerusalem. Just as the physical Temple was destroyed in AD 70, it was of no use when the true Temple and place of Worship Jesus the Christ had come.

Now the Body of Christ is considered as a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21). We are to grow into a Temple that is fitted together. Worshiping Jesus collectively, in Spirit and in Truth, Growing in Unity unto our Head who is Christ.

And again, we are considered to be the "temple" of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). WoW - so we can actually worship God because the Holy Spirit is within Us - Our Bodies house the person of the Holy Spirit and thus we don't need to be in a physical temple, but can worship God in Spirit and in Truth by the Spirit of God Himself.

I don't fully understand how all of these things can be. How I can be worshiping in the Temple as the Body of Christ, as a believer (The Temple of the Holy Spirit). I do know however that because Jesus has raised His own Temple, that we can have true worship. I look forward to Worshiping God in the heavenly Temple, not made with Hands. He is forever to be praised!

Wisdom of Words...

1 Corinthians 1:17 reads...

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect...

How does "Wisdom of Words" make Christ's cross, "of no effect"?

As we share the gospel of Christ, we hope to demonstrate who He is. We hope to discuss and share the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, demonstrated to be our Messiah by the raising from the dead. He is the Christ, the anointed God-Man King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He has risen bodily from the dead!

Now, when we discuss and share this message about Jesus, we need to avoid flowery words, human arguments and fleshly debating trickery. As we share this most beautiful truth, we must avoid placing confidence in our words, our own intelligence and our own reasonings rather than the Cross of Christ. When the emphasis is on "wisdom of words" to sway the hearer, we risk an emphasis on our persuasion rather than Jesus the Christ.

The Holy Spirit causes us to believe.

Let us trust in God, the Holy Spirit to open the ears of hearers in the world; boldly, confidently, but humbly sharing the Gospel of Christ. Let us rely on reasoned arugments from the scriptures rather than personal eloquence or verbal prowess.

Christ our Learning

There are a lot of things the world wants us to understand and learn. Job duties, titles, procedures, political saavy, leadership skills, typing skills, computer skills, "the way of the world", "common sense", how to talk to women, how to please a man.

The world wants you to learn many things.

God wants you to learn one thing. His Son.

All of our learning in the body of Christ is that we might understand the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ who is to forever to be praised. Amen. Christ is what we learn, He is the one we study, we are disciples of Him. All of the Bible holds Christ as the subject, topic and focus. All of what we want to know and learn ought to be the Lord Jesus.

Christ is all,
Troy

Christ on the Brain

If you are one of my brothers or sisters who attended the Christocentric Conference in Indiana, PA this last week, you will know what I am talking about.

Christ Pre-occupation.

The Lord Jesus Christ should be that which we have set our mind on as we engage with any new activity. He his our thinking starting point - the person we engage with that we may do all things to His Glory.

Jesus Christ ought to be our leading thought. The sermon at the conference emphasized, " Often times, our point of determination is more self-centered..."I will not waste my time", "I will not back down", "I will not forget", "I determine to be on-time from now on...". upon arriving at Corinth, Paul's intention was singular, specific and focused. 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony* of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Can you see that this is Paul's has intentially decided to intensely recognizeand lay hold of our Lord Jesus Christ? He is increasing in Christocentricity. He was planning His thoughts before time. He had a Christocentric Epistemology what he would learn, think and teach would be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us determine to consider, think on, and obey Him before!

Christ is all!