My Column Column

My Column Column

Today, my written column is a blog post about columns.... also called pillars, as in the architectural kind. Read on:

Rev 3:12 ESV
"The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name."

Walking home yesterday, I had a vision. I believe the Lord gave it to me. I saw a single pillar. It was made of grey stone, and had a flat solid base, and a flat solid top. It seemed to be a little pillar, but very solid. It was on the ground, upright. Then I saw several earthquakes. Each earthquake was quite intense, and the pillar would wobble, but remain standing. There were many tremors in the earth, but the pillar kept standing. Then a huge tremor hit, and the pillar tipped over. At that point, a huge hand came in, and immediately caught the pillar, and propped it back up again. The pillar almost fell over, but never hit the ground, because of the hand. That happened only once.

Then I saw a chisel. I saw hands very quickly and powerfully etching "JESUS" in the pillar. There were other designs and symbols. But the outstanding word was "Jesus", chiseled sideways, up the side of the pillar.

I believe the pillar is a symbol in the old testament, representing the power and the presence of the LORD. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Those two pillars were the two main manifestations of the one true God leading His people through the wilderness. (Exodus 13:22) There were pillars in Solomon's temple. (Jer. 52:21-22)

Now, Jesus Christ, who reveals God perfectly in Himself has built the Church on Himself, the Rock and the Cornerstone. He built His church, and is still building it. His living church is made of living pillars.

Eph 2:18-22 ESV
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
 
 1 Tim. 3:15 ESV "if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth."

I believe God is making His disciples and followers into pillars. Pillars are strong columns, that hold things up. The Roof, the flag, multiple floors, etc. Pillars are architecturally important. Jesus promises us that if we overcome and are faithful to Him until the very end, He will reward us by making us living breathing spiritual pillars in Heaven's Temple! Be encouraged... if you are like me, then you have been through more than a few earth-shaking events. But God has held you steady. He held me steady. We are being tried and tested. Once the testing and the chiselling is complete (our lifetime) then He will fit us into the Heavenly temple permanently. We are already a living building, the church! Keep on standing for JESUS! He is inscribing His NAME -The Lord Jesus Christ- and His city, the HEAVENLY Jerusalem from above, into you!

Be Blessed,
Pastor Curtis
 

A Clean Heart, created from a Broken one.

 Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
 
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 

 

I once saw this video clip by Louie Giglio about something in the human body called Laminin. It is a tiny yet important molecule in the body, for it acts like a "glue" that holds all the cells of our body together. This is what laminin looks like:

 

 

 

Amazingly, it is shaped like a cross. Since Jesus is Creator as well as Saviour, this seems to make sense. Afterall, the Cross is the central symbol of Christianity, representing the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We as Christians are called to follow the Lord and "take up our cross" by denying our own worldly desires and lusts, and following him in daily relationship.

 

About four years ago, I had a devestating tragedy in my life, my wife abandoned me. It was her second time doing so, and this time it was permanent. She simply did not want to honour her vows to me before God, and did not want to deal with the challenges of everyday life. I was not bending to her manipulations so she left. She refused to return home to me. And it broke my heart. The year 2007 is when my heart started cracking (her first time leaving), 2008 is when it broke (when I was permanently abandoned). The year 2009 is when the no-contest divorce was finalized by the judge.  



That divorce is now nearly three years old. I spent more than a year from 2008 and into 2010 recycling thoughts and conversations and crying to the Lord. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was all a disaster, and it looked like the end of the line for me.

But the Lord did something beautiful instead. As I trusted Jesus, and called out to Him over time, He gently put my heart back together again, day by day. To confirm this, I recently received a prophetic word from one of our church's regular guest speakers saying that the Lord has pieced my heart back together again. This word continues: He did not just put it together in a way that the scars are big and noticable. He put me together with grace. His Spirit's Grace mixed with human experience is what has glued my heart pieces back together.

So after that, I got thinking... yes it's true. I am more calm and at peace now, and I feel ready to advance in the Lord, to go higher. He held me steady in the storm, and now I am still standing!

 He created within me a clean heart, one made from a broken and contrite one. It is held together with the "laminin" of his Grace, the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus' sacrifice of life is what hold me in one piece. He is the One in whom I consist. If I had never experienced a broken heart, then how would I know just how tenderly and lovingly God can handle each piece of my heart? It is the broken heart God cherishes, as He can put it together again with a grace that only the broken heart can receive. An unbroken heart which never needs repair cannot recieve the grace of God into it's cracks, since those cracks don't exist. I have His grace in my heart, holding it together in a way that makes me humbler, gentler, more understanding and sensitive to the lost and hurting. These broken hearts are so precious to the Lord. You may have had one as well. Come to the Lord with it. He will not refuse a humble, broken heart. He will create it afresh in you, heal you, make your heart a dwellingplace for Jesus Christ the Lord! The Grace of Jesus will hold the pieces of your heart together, and that grace will begin to ooze out of you in a fresh new way. Ask Him now - give Him your time.