TEMPLE TUESDAY
(5 in a series of 5)

This is the fifth and final writing in this series on the body as a temple. Following is a brief review of the past four weeks:

Week One: “How does our body become a temple?”

When Christ died the veil was torn in the Temple at Jerusalem. This signified the release of the Holy Spirit and direct access to God. We no longer require a priest, or any other human, to be our mediator or covering, the blood sacrifice of Christ on the cross is our covering. For those who believe in and accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit, also called the Holy Ghost, comes to dwell in our body. Thus our body becomes the Temple, a building is no longer required to worship, praise or honor God. The resurrection signifies that we serve a living, breathing, loving God who is always with us.

Week Two: “What happens to our body once it becomes a Temple?”

Cleansing brings disturbance and disruption, the degree of which depends on many factors. When we accept the invitation of Jesus to enter our life and dwell in our body, a cleansing begins. We may find that the changes in us are immediate, recognizable, transforming. We can see them; others can see them. Or we may find that they are subtle, happening in degrees, until one day we look back and see that we have changed. We may find that some change is resistant, stubborn, rebellious, it takes more effort. There is even some change, like the thorn in Paul’s flesh, that God will not allow for His own reasons; we have to learn to live with it, just as Paul did. Cleansing and transformation is a lifelong dance with God.

Week Three: “How do we move through the resistance of our flesh to the Spirit?”

Scripture tells us that the Spirit and our flesh struggle against each other. To win this struggle we must walk in the Spirit. Keeping our Temple clean and well maintained is important in this walk. Two key factors include guarding our heart and renewing our mind.

Week Four: “How can we tell if our Temple is clean?”

We learned that gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit are different. Gifts may not all be given to one person but each one of us receives all nine characteristics of the fruit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, it is up to us to bring the fruit to full harvest; the more abundant the fruit, the cleaner the Temple.

Now we are at week five, the final week in this series. Easter Sunday is fast approaching. Many people call the week before Easter, Holy Week. It’s a good time for reflection, a good time to make decisions about the future. So, I would like to present three important questions to you, one for non-believers, and two for Believers.

1 What will you do with Jesus?

If you are already a believer praise God and skip to the next question. But if you are not a Believer then ponder this: every day, all day, you have a choice to make, until you are no longer breathing. What will you do with Jesus? He stands silently at the door and knocks, every day, asking you to let him in. But you must take action to accept His invitation. Your parents or spouse can’t do it for you. It is not an entitlement that you get because your great-great-grandmother was a Beliver. You must Believe for yourself. You don’t have to be in a church building to accept Christ, you don’t have to be in front of a priest or preacher or any other person to accept Christ. All you must do is confess to God, in your own way, that you believe in Jesus. This is a private intimate relationship between you and God. After that it is important to learn for yourself and not to rely on another person’s teachings. Pray, read your Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit. If you don’t have a Bible, message me your mailing address and I will send you one.

2 What will you do with God?

Believer, maybe your salvation happened years ago, maybe a few minutes ago. It doesn’t matter how old or how new you are in faith you still must answer the question daily: What will you do with God? He wants a personal, individual, intimate relationship with you. Relationships require effort. Prayer, praise, worship, Bible reading, Bible study, meditation. There are many ways for you to show God how much you want a relationship with Him. Some people feel closer to God outdoors, some in a church, some surrounded by family. Your relationship with God will be as unique and individual as you are. He loves you more than you can begin to fathom. Devote time to Him each day. As you draw closer to God, He will draw closer to you. Which brings us to the third question.

3 What will you allow God to do with you?

Believer, God has an assignment that only you can carry out. It may be small; it may be large. Trust Him, follow His guidance. Doors that no man can shut will be opened to you. Just because you can’t see the way in the physical world does not mean the path is unpaved in the Spiritual realm. Step out in faith and let God work.

Taking care of your body temple is important. Physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, be aware of all aspects of your body and mind. If you don’t take care of your body Temple, then the Holy Spirit’s expression through you is going to be limited. I cannot do what is assigned to you and you cannot do what is assigned to me. Even if on the surface the assignment looks the same, or similar, we bring our own unique approach to the assignment, we will touch different souls in different ways. If you don’t allow God to work through you, someone may not be reached.

Dear Lord, Thank You for the person reading this, if they are a non-believer please soften their heart, open their mind, allow them to desire a relationship with You. If they are a Believer please bless them with a double portion of Your favor. Comfort, guide and protect them, and their family, as only You can. Easter Sunday will be here soon. Help us reflect on what you have done for us, what you offer us. Help us pursue a deeper relationship with You. Renew and revive in us a desire to do Your will. To humble ourselves and obey Your guidance. To diligently guard our hearts and renew our minds, keeping them set on You. Help us carry out your assignments. Impart in each of us Divine knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment. Thank You Father for Your grace, mercy, and unfailing love.

E.A. Fussell
04.04.2023

TEMPLE TUESDAY
(4 in a series of 5)

2590 karpós – properly, fruit; (figuratively) everything done in true partnership with Christ, i.e. a believer (a branch) lives in union with Christ (the Vine). By definition, fruit (2590/karpós) results from two life-streams – the Lord living His life through ours – to yield what is eternal

The Greek word translated as “fruit” refers to the natural product of a living thing. It is singular, showing that “fruit” is a unified whole, not independent characteristics. When our body becomes a Temple the fruit of the Spirit will begin to grow and mature in us. Like physical fruit it needs time to grow, it will not ripen overnight. Like a gardener must diligently work to see the harvest, we must constantly be aware of the struggle between our flesh and Spirit in order to weed out our sinful nature and allow the fruit to flourish.

Scripture talks about fruit (characteristics) of the Spirit and gifts (talents) of the Spirit. Every person will not receive every gift but each person will receive the seed of the entire fruit. It’s up to us to bring that seed to harvest.

9 characteristics of the fruit:

LOVE
True, love is a choice, not a feeling. It deliberately expresses itself in loving ways and always seeks the welfare of others. It is unconditional not emotional.

JOY
A feeling of gladness based on our eternal circumstances, not on our fleeting earthly circumstances.

PEACE
Freedom from disturbance. Tranquility.

LONGSUFFERING
Patience, even when severely tested or tried. Enduring, persevering, uncomplaining, tolerant, forgiving.

GENTLENESS
Kindness, compassion, cautious.

GOODNESS
Living with good morals and motives. Nourishing, showing grace, mercy, righteousness.

FAITH
Unwavering, constant, complete trust and confidence in God.

MEEKNESS
Humbly conforming to the authority and will of God. Obedience.

TEMPERANCE
Self-control. The ability to manage impulses, emotions, and behaviors. Subdue the flesh.

The cleaner the Temple the more evident the fruit. Scripture is also very clear about the things that we need to diligently work to keep ourselves from:

• A proud look
• A lying tongue
• Hands that shed innocent blood
• An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations
• Feet that be swift in running to mischief
• A false witness that speaketh lies
• He that soweth discord among brethren

Just like good fruit won’t grow in an uncared-for orchard or garden, our Temple needs to be well cared for to produce the best fruit. The Sprit in each Believer seeks to produce excellent fruit but, as we talked about last week, the flesh struggles against the Spirit. We must learn how to subdue our flesh by submitting to the Spirit.

Obeying Divine direction is easy to say, but difficult to practice. Divine direction comes in many ways. Prayer, Bible reading, meditation are common to all of us but there are also unique individual ways Divine communication can occur. God desires a personal relationship with each of us. Because He understands us better than anyone else could, He can speak with us individually, in unique ways that only we can understand.

Draw close to God and He will draw close to you, the closer you get the more clearly His Spirit can be heard. It’s a lifelong continual process that ebbs and flows. As we submit to the Spirit our Temple will be cleaned and our fruit will become abundant; that abundance is meant to be shared for the benefit of others as well as ourselves.

Next week is the final writing in this five-week series. With a somewhat clearer understanding of when our body becomes a Temple, how it becomes one, and what the evidence is that it is one, we will now think about the priceless question:

“What will you do with Jesus?”

E.A Fussell
03.28.2023

P.S.
The answers on how to live are in the Word. It’s a giant letter from God. Parts of it are difficult to read and hard to understand other parts are very clear. It is a lifelong tool for learning, comfort, guidance, and direction. Praise God that my dad taught me how to study it. I encourage you to read your Bible, learn how to study it, don’t rely on someone else to tell you what it says. It is a letter of love to you and there may be a message in it for you that only you can unlock. If you don’t have a Bible, I will send you one, just message me your mailing address.

Fruit of the Spirit scripture:
Galatians 5:13-26

7 things God hates scripture:
Proverbs 6:16-19

Draw close to God and He will draw close to you scriptures:
James 4:8
Jeremiah 29:12-14

Deeper understanding scripture:
Matthew 7
1st John 4

Body as the Temple scriptures:
Luke 17:20-21
John 2:19-21
1st Corinthians 3:16-17
1st Corinthians 6:19
2nd Corinthians 6:16
Ephesians 2:19-22
1st Peter 2:5

TEMPLE TUESDAY
(3 in a series of 5)

If we don’t take care of our body Temple, then the Holy Spirit’s expression through us is going to be limited. We’re not going to be able to do what God wants us to do, what He assigns us to do. His work through us will be hindered. We are wonderfully and uniquely made. I cannot do what is assigned to you and you cannot do what is assigned to me. Even if on the surface the assignment looks the same, or similar, we bring our own unique being to the assignment, we will touch different souls in different ways.

The Holy Spirit was sent to guide us, and to comfort us. Scripture tells us that the Spirit and our flesh struggle against each other. To win this struggle we must walk in the Spirit. Keeping our Temple clean and well maintained is important in this walk. When we clean our home we have a routine, a place we start. So where do we start with our body Temple?

Our foundation is first and foremost the finished work of Jesus on the cross. He sacrificed His flesh so that we could be free. Who and what we identify with indicates who and what we are. We start by identifying with Christ. Our flesh struggles with the desire to serve God versus the temptations of the world. Our bodies can’t be cast out, they are our soul’s earthly home and the Temple of God, so we must learn how to subdue the flesh. Christ’s sacrifice allows us through faith and obedience, to subdue the desires of our flesh which come in many forms: over-eating, laziness, addiction, greed, etc. etc. etc.

There is no confusion with God, obedience and self-control are key. A clean organized Temple leads to less disorder, less disobedience. Disobedience brings stumbling. Deliberate, willful, conscious disobedience brings falling. We will all fall short at one time or another, but, praise God, we can choose not to stay down. We are not defeated, we are disobedient. We can dust ourselves off, repent, ask forgiveness, and continue drawing closer to our Lord through obedience. How do we keep the inside our Temple clean so that stumbling is less likely?

“Above all else guard your heart” and “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create actions. Actions create results. Results create circumstances. Said another way: Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behavior. Behavior creates what we see. What we see creates what we experience. This is a perpetual cycle.

We can change our thoughts and create a new circumstance, a new experience. Be transformed by the renewing or our mind. Thoughts create feelings so if we guard our thoughts, we guard our heart.

That is much easier said than done. Our internal thoughts are impacted by so many things. Internal thinking, external influencers. If we aren’t thinking on purpose our thoughts will run away with us. How many times have you gotten stuck in a loop of thinking that was not healthy for you? Or your mind just aimlessly wondered from topic to topic without any real direction and suddenly you are completely off the point you were originally trying to think about? We must be aware of our thoughts and take control of them. Thinking makes the difference in the type of life we experience. Our mind is flesh. It is at natural odds with our Spirit. If we don’t take control of our thoughts, we won’t be able to clearly hear the guidance of the Spirit.

Internally we must closely gauge how our thoughts are impacting our feelings. Are they bringing us down, self-condemning, hindering, limiting. The Spirit may convict but it won’t condemn. Conviction is not the same as condemnation. There is no condemnation in Christ. If we are feeling condemned that is from the flesh or our enemy, not the Spirit. We must take control and change our thoughts. Pray, read the Word, listen to God. We were wonderfully made to experience joy even during our saddest moments. If bitterness, jealousy, or hate, cloud our thinking. Forgiveness is the answer. It is possible to forgive others, and ourselves. “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Externally we should be aware of what we are consuming, intentionally and subliminally. What we watch, listen to, eat, drink, inhale, everything we expose ourselves to. This is not as difficult as controlling our thoughts but is still very hard. The flesh is drawn to the world. Acceptance, success, love. Our ego longs for all types of pleasurable indulgences the world offers. Sugar, adrenaline, peaceful calm. Our senses long for various experiences. We must diligently monitor our environment. This will vary individually based on the weaknesses of our flesh. My weakness may not be your weakness and vice versa. Even the strongest foothold can be dealt with, often eliminated, with prayer, fasting and most importantly faith.

Most people think of fasting as it relates to food and drink, but you can choose what to fast from. Fasting means abstaining. Abstain means to choose not to do or have something: to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice. The duration of a fast can be a few hours or days. It’s your choice. Pray about it.

Some of us have weaker flesh than others. It helps me to remember that there are certain promises that apply to all Believers; “resist the devil and he will flee from you”; “faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.” And there are some practical things we can do to help us:

✅ Choose to identify with Christ, not the world.
✅ Spend time with God; pray, read His Word, sing praises, worship Him.
✅ Choose to avoid temptation; limit exposure to those things that are triggering.
✅ Chose to consume healthier food and beverages; this will help the brain function at a higher level which will allow better thought patterns.
✅ Choose to think on purpose; take control of feelings by taking control of thoughts. Thinking determines how life is experienced.
✅ Remember we are never alone, the Holy Spirit dwells in the Temple of our body to guide and comfort us. The Spirit of God is always with us.

As we go about cleaning and maintaining our Temple we will meet with certain struggles. But we are not alone, and the battle has already been won. We just have to walk in faith even when we cannot see the answers; even when we cannot understand the reasons; even when we feel like giving up. Hold onto the Word: “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Next week we will think about how we can tell if our Tempe is clean. Until then realize:

💟 You are important to God
💟 You are wonderfully made
💟 You are exclusive, one of a kind, only you can do what God has assigned to you

E.A.Fussell
03.21.2023

Spirit struggle against flesh scripture
Galatians 5:16-17

Heart & Mind scriptures
Proverbs 4:23
Matthew 15:18-19
Proverbs 23:7
Matthew 12:34-35
Romans 12:2

All things possible scripture
Matthew 19:26

Mustard seed faith scripture
Mathew 17:20

Resist and the devil and he will flee from you scripture
James 4:7-8

Wonderfully made scripture
Psalms 139:14

No condemnation scripture
Romans 8:1-2

God is not the author of confusion scripture
1st Corinthians 14:33

Body as the temple scriptures:
Luke 17:20-21
John 2:19-21
1st Corinthians 3:16-17
1st Corinthians 6:19
2nd Corinthians 6:16
Ephesians 2:19-22
1st Peter 2:5

TEMPLE TUESDAY
(2 in a series of 5)

What happens to our body once it becomes a Temple?

Cleansing brings disruption.

When Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He became angry at what the religious leaders were allowing to happen in the courts of the Temple. Merchants and money changers were defiling the place meant for prayer. He disrupted their activities and cleansed the Temple courts with zeal and authority. Overturning their tables and driving them out with great force and passion. Cleansing the Temple required forceful disruption.

When we believe in and accept Christ our soul gets cleansed, washed white as snow. This allows the Holy Spirit to enter and dwell within us, turning our body into a living Temple. This initial cleansing, the continued maintenance, and the degree of disruption it may cause in our lives, depends on many things.

Our age
Circumstances
Level of commitment
Level of maturity
Level of understanding
Depth of our rebellion
Degree of our sin
Our ability to obey
Our ability to love
Our desire to change
Our willingness to submit to change

There are many ways to experience God. Each one of us was uniquely created and thereby each one of us will have our own unique experience. However, some things may be common to all of us, in varying degrees:

DESIRE:
To know God
To be a better person
To release our burdens

HEIGHTENED AWARENESS:
Of what we believe is right or wrong
Of good energy and bad
Of our environment and choices

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING:
Of God’s Word
Of prayer
Of forgiveness
Of unconditional love

We may find that the changes in us are immediate, recognizable, transforming. We can see them; others can see them. Or we may find that they are subtle, happening in degrees, until one day we look back and see that we have changed. We may find that some change is resistant, stubborn, rebellious, it takes more effort. There is even some change, like the thorn in Paul’s flesh, that God will not allow for His own reasons; we have to learn to live with it, just as Paul did.

There are numerous ways to experience God. Our Temple has many courts and chambers. Many ways to cleanse them. Many ways disruption may be experienced.

RELATIONSHIPS may be disrupted.
When others see us changing, they may not understand it or like it. This can be tough, especially if the person is close to us, a spouse or loved one. Employers or fellow employees may be disturbed by the change in our countenance. Our closest friends may find it hard to accept that we no longer want to participate in things we used to do without thinking twice.

ROUTINES may be disrupted.
We may find ourselves choosing to discontinue certain activities or engage in new ones. What we listen to, or watch, may change. What we eat and drink may change. Bad habits may be exchanged for better choices.

Cleansing causes change, change causes disruption for ourselves, those around us, and our environment. Humans do not like change, we prefer familiarity. Change is uncomfortable. Our old nature may resist. We are covered by the ultimate sacrifice; but we are still flesh which means we are still subject to the desires of the flesh, the weakness of the flesh. Next week we will think about techniques to move thru resistance and maintain our Temple.

E.A. Fussell
03.14.2023

Cleansing the Temple scriptures:
Matthew 21:12-17
Mark 11:15-18
Luke 19:45-46
John 2:13-17
Psalm 69:9
Jeremiah 7:11
Isaiah 56:7

Body as the temple scriptures:
Luke 17:20-21
John 2:19-21
1st Corinthians 3:16-17
1st Corinthians 6:19
2nd Corinthians 6:16
Ephesians 2:19-22
1st Peter 2:5

Paul’s thorn scripture:
2nd Corinthians 12:7-10

TEMPLE TUESDAY
(1 in a series of 5)

How does our body become a temple?

When Christ died on the cross the Holy Spirit was released, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. The veil hung in the temple chamber called the Holy of Holies, where the ark of the covenant represented the presence of God.

The veil signified our separation from God. The high priest was the only one allowed behind the veil. Each year the priest would perform an atonement ceremony for the people. Upon Christ’s death God Himself removed the veil hanging in the temple, tearing it from top to bottom. This signifies that we are no longer separated from Him.

Our belief in Christ allows the Holy Spirit to come dwell in us, our body becomes a temple and we have direct access to God. There are no restrictions on who can believe. Anyone who believes is accepted.

There is no religious ceremony required for salvation. We don’t have to be in a church building to believe. No acts of service or good works will get us there. No money or valuable possessions can be exchanged for it. There is nothing we can offer except faith.

Simply believing, accepting Christ, is all that is required. Simply amazing.

What happens once we become a believer and our body is a temple? We’ll take a look at that next week on Temple Tuesday.

E.A. Fussell
03.07.2023

Veil Scriptures
Exodus 26:31-34
Matthew 27:50-51
Mark 15:37-38
Luke 23:45-46

Body as the temple scriptures:
Luke 17:20-21
John 2:19-21
1st Corinthians 3:16-17
1st Corinthians 6:19
2nd Corinthians 6:16
Ephesians 2:19-22
1st Peter 2:5

Temple Tuesday

Whatever…

That’s how I treated my body most of my life. Whatever I wanted to eat, whatever I wanted to drink, whatever I wanted to watch, whatever I wanted to listen to, whatever I wanted to feel, whatever I wanted to do, or not do.

Whatever…

At a young age I heard that our bodies are temples. But my young mind couldn’t really grasp it. Over the years I have read about it, heard lectures on it, tried to comprehend it, but it never really sank in.

My body is a temple.

That must be about someone else. One of those holy-rollers, always at church on Sunday, never saying a cuss word, never drinking or dancing, or getting divorced, etc. My life has been the opposite of those things so I figured I was something other than, less than, a temple. I understood that the Spirit resides in me, but I just couldn’t see myself as a temple.

Lately it’s been heavy on my mind to stop listening to the lies of that old crafty dragon. The urge to understand and embrace temple scripture keeps rising in my mind, it won’t let me rest until I comprehend it. It’s a little un-nerving to think about treating myself like the precious dwelling place God sees me as.

Why do we allow the enemy to convince us that our dwelling place, is less than someone else’s? It’s often easier to believe a lie than the Truth. It’s certainly easier to live in a “whatever” state of mind.

Today marks forty days to Easter Sunday and I have committed to studying daily, between now and then, about treating my body as a temple. Writing out my thoughts helps bring clarity so on Tuesdays, for the next five weeks, I will share some of my thoughts with you as they relate to this topic. When you see “Temple Tuesday” at the beginning of my post you can decide whether to keep scrolling or pause to consider, and maybe even share your own thoughts about whatever.

E.A. Fussell
02.28.2023

1 Corinthians 6:19-20