Ephesians 2:17-22 KJV 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Smoking a stack of cigarettes might not be a sin some say, but the truth is that stack of cigarettes is going into the temple of God if you are a Christian. That Chocolate cake or that bottle of wine, might not seem evil, but the bottle will make you drunk, a small glass will not. A piece of chocolate cake probably won't hurt you unless your allergic but eat the whole cake every day and you soon your waistline is increasing unless you are doing hard labor and that your only meal. Most of us do not worry about the little endulgents of food entering our bodies. Seldom do we think deeply about the habitation of God being within the believer. Now our spirit is still separated from God's Spirit. In no way is our spirit God's spirit. Yet God lives in many houses. Every believer houses the Holy Spirit in their heart. God is building many mansion it is said in John 14, but most imagine I suspect the image of actual houses or palaces. But what Christ is talking about is the house of your Spirit, your body encased by a body. God's house is Christ body and HIs body. Establishment of God's house clearly understood I think if you been reading what I been talking about all week, if not quick summary. God and Christ share the same Word and Spirit, Christ coming in the flesh to man kind and returning to the Father, for he was and is the Word of God that came in the flesh and had dwell prior to his physical appearance on earth as the Word in Heaven. The Word always being, and now physical once on earth and now in heaven seated beside God in the Heavenlies. God is creating a body for us, one of perfection without flaw. Science would like you to believe they can do what God can do by creating a place to put all your working body parts especially your brain so it will work forever. The human decays, it has no lasting power. Even if you freeze it and relive you still will physically die, because the body is to old. The human tissue do die. Though science would have you believe that their are ways to keep the body young and youthful there is nothing full proof. In fact if you have a perfect body on earth for some reason, you still could get run over, or find yourself injured, or destroyed in matter of minutes. This earth is imperfect even if you were perfect. Despite what science is capable of doing, the kinks are not worked out and will not last. The building of science is finite, God's body and family is infinite. Now if you know your body is a place of God's habitation are you willing to take extra good care of it? Some never think of how God's house should look, or be. The self image beside the occasional clothes buying, makes little difference besides the passing of a mirror to some. To others the outerwear, undergarments and jewelry must be matching or at least in style with the latest hairdo. Some of God's house are very fancy on this earth and some are very humble looking. It is non of the adorament of physical garment that is important but it good to have. It is the adorament of the heart and spirit of a person that is important to God. God is grieved by the way we keep our body when we cover our body with sin. The lust of eye, the desire for evil and the desire for sin that does not seem unhuman to be involved in. Our jealousy, our hatred, desire to kill someone, or even the wild partying is all those things God no longer wants us to be in bondage too. Nothing wrong with a party, but is the substance at the party controlling you or you controlling yourself. Mindcontrol by someone else is causing you to sin, it could, but it be like the sin of mentally ill, not aware of one's outward action. The inward part is just as sinful as the outward part of the body at times. It is important to keep our thoughts in check, as well as control our continual thoughts. To keep our thoughts in check is harder then one would guess, because millions of thoughts run continuously through the brain. Many things pass through the mind but few things actually remain in the heart. The serial killers brain has a malfunction of desire for evil against someone. A person saying I like to kill might not really mean it, but a psycho will they will carry it out. Like I said millions of thoughts go through the mind that has nothing to do with the inward hearts. A tv show, a news story, or even the image of last week may plague someone. What it does not do is alway retain these images or thoughts until a reoccurence. If the human mind could dust the cobwebs out, then one would never see the true world we live in. Fortunely our mind is the only place that seems to store evil and will save every piece of information it can for a later date. See when we get saved, the Holy Spirit comes and cleans our hearts. He tires hard to clean and purify the mind, but to much filth in the world to destroy it all. It not that God can't it that he does not, for his dining room is in the heart so our actions are then purify as we allow him too enable us to be holy not just in the heart but outwardly too. God wants to get rid of all evil intent, and replace it with love and compassion. God wants to give us a new mind too, one that concentrates on the things of God. A mind purified by who God is. Our purification does not mean our comprehension of what is evil is gone, it means our house is purified of the cluttered mess we sometimes retain. God called us to be holy, because He is holy and lives within you. He called us to be purified by our actions and deed. To be renewed continual in our mind and soul. To be sancified continually as if one is continually on fire for God because of the healing of continual purification and sanctification process. Do not fret you have not a physicall new wardrobe, because you do have an inner new wardrobe you can put on as soon as your get saved. For a new creation and new building/house for God's Spirit. God provides you with a new inward wardrobe that will shine in his image outwardly with the human touch of imperfection. Despite those perfect wardrobe we have those outward traits around still that will shows our humanity and flaws we fail to give over to God. Let us not forget the wisdom of man to try and make our bodies last is not the wisdom of God, but the ability of God and not man. Man's wisdom is based on his own understanding, it not based on the reality check. If it were so our government would not spend millions of dollars toward research that can not restore the human body to its youth, but only for the ability to treat and cure those things that are plaguing our world. In fact if our government would spend more time in prayer, these issues we see before us would perhaps disappear if people would fall on there knews before God. After all, the truth is if our nation would bow to God Jehovah, HIs Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit and go back to our country roots the United States, it would be purified but so would the world around us as they see the light of Christ in our nation once again. Right now it clutter with idols. Yet the way to solve the problem is not always the ripping apart of these things, but allow the light of Christ to shine forth to allow God to knock over the idols of this world for His glory and honor. For us to be the testifier of the things of God, by our actions and not just our words. The body of Christ is part of the many mansion God has on the earth for his habitation, but it is also unique because each part has purpose in the family of God. Each house has a purpose. If one interlocked all the houses together it be a perfect picture of the unity of God's temple. All working together to reach others for Christ and to build up the house of God. God own's a skyscapper on this earth that is wider then any mountain he formed. Dear Heavenly Father, remind us daily our bodies are a living temple, help us to learn to yield to your purification and sanctification process in our life. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 KJV 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. http://www.turtle30cshell.com