Something Greater Than the Temple

"I tell you something greater than the temple is here."
- Jesus

"Behold my servant, who I uphold, my chosen,
in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations."
- God

"But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."
- Jesus

"An evil land adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
- Jesus

Whoa. Awesome. Get ready.

Lord, Your kingdom come! The first quote is what Jesus tells the pharisees when they challenge him about the sabbath. (all of these quotes are from Matthew 12, check it out). Jesus is like "Shut up. Something bigger than your precious temple, your precious laws is here. This is huge." It gives me tinglies, this phrase does...it's such a simple sentence but there is nothing tame about it! It's dying to just boom across the nations.

Did anyone else notice the Holy Spirit so prevalent in the New Testament? Why don't churches focus on that or point that out? Did anyone else know that Jesus did all his miracles THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT...Hello! How can you deny the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit through believers in the modern day when Christ couldn't do ANYTHING without the Holy Spirit on him.

Christ validates himself when the pharisees challenge him about casting out demons. They told the crowds that he cast them out because he was actually Satan and so had dominion over them...like God doesn't rule over the demons as well. Jesus shuts them up real quick when he tells them that BECAUSE he casts out demons proves that he is not a demon and that in fact THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE. Did you hear that? THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE. Oh my lanta.

Everyone wants proof. Everyone wants a sign. But guess what?!?!?! The best and perfect and ONLY sign is that of Christ's death for three days and resurrection after...if you can't believe after that, there is NOTHING that will convince you to follow him. If you can't believe in a God, who's perfect and pleasing will involves you being loved by the only One who knows how, after Jesus gave up deity, gave up his power, gave up his comforts to live a hard life as a human, having to rely on the Holy Spirit to give him his own power, died the most physically and mentally and spiritually difficult death and then conquered OVER death, than there is no hope for you. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will.

God's perfect will never changes. But there is His permissive will as well, that allows things into our lives and our reactions to these things are huge. We aren't supposed to turn on God and start arguing with Him because of what He allowed into our lives. We aren't supposed to blindly accept it and move on as if it never happened. We are supposed to wrestle it out, fight our nature that wants to reject or ignore it until we get to the point where we completely trust in God and then His perfect will in that moment is revealed to us...and we understand the significance of this invasion into our Christian lives.

It's only after wrestling through things that I can pray with power. Otherwise, my prayers are limp and ineffective.

"If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory every time."
- Oswald Chambers

"The purpose of prayer is to bring heaven's power to bear on earth's circumstances."
- Donna Partow

This morning it seems that God is telling me three things. First, that His kingdom is here! And it's got me excited! Second, that prayer is power and I HAVE to wrestle through the things that He throws my way, not just ignore them and move on. Because it's important for me to understand. And because my prayers are dead otherwise. And thats part of the reason He is calling me for this one year...so that I learn to pray with power, because He has called me to raise up people in prayer and to do His work through prayer and to battle demons and Satan with His most powerful weapon. Third, He's telling me to not worry and to trust Him...because He is going to make me fall in love with Him and nothing I encounter this next year will be without my Husband.

My Prince,
My life sometimes feels so meaningless and empty. Show me, my Prince, how to live the kind of life You have for me. I so need Your Holy Spirit to teach me what it means to live as Your Princess Bride. I am ready to leave the old me behind and become like a newly married bride, totally alive from being so in love...in love with You, my Lord. Amen!
Love,
Your Princess, who is ready to live!

"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever."
- Psalm 16:11