Profound thoughts on the body

[Guest guest]

Hi Ladies,I wanted to share something that has been on my heart for many years now. In fact, this very subject is why I am endeavoring to write a book on my healing journey. It is of a spiritual nature, so for those of you who appreciate such subject matter, this is for you.What I want to share comes directly from my current Beth Bible study, day 4 of week 10 of "A Woman's Heart." This is a study of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and of the tabernacle that God had them build, and WHY. As many of you know, Bible study is a daily pursuit for me, and I encourage those of you who desire a closer relationship with your God to make this a priority in your life. I speak from experience....the blessings cannot be measured! When you seek Him, you will find an intimate communion with the maker of your very

soul that heals you.Our breast implant experience was for a purpose....and I know many of us would rather have skipped the illness part of it completely. But there is no greater purpose than to learn who we are meant to be, and who we were meant to bless through this. Without my illness, I would have been a lesser person, I truly believe that. This lesson in my Bible study is the very thing I wish I had realized before I got implants, but which God has taught me through this suffering. Please let me lay the foundation first, to make the final point. I'll skip a few of her paragraphs for the sake of brevity, but leave the main points. Beth writes:"Since the garden of Eden, God has desired to dwell among His prized creation. After sin cast humans from God's dwelling place, He enacted a plan to make His dwelling place with humans. Through the Old Testament tabernacle God testified of a true Tabernacle to

come. God graced the tabernacle in the wilderness with His glory; but the true Tabernacle He had planned would enclose not simply God's glory, as awesome as it is, but God Himself. The true Tabernacle would be the habitation of a far greater degree of glory: "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9) We cannot even fathom it.Christ took the true Tabernacle back to its rightful place: to the heavenlies, where He belongs..........How many times in the past 10 weeks have you wished for a time machine to get a glimpse of the wilderness tabernacle? Every time you drew one of those diagrams, I'm sure! I cannot show you the actual Old Testament tabernacle, but I can do better: I can show you the New Testament tabernacle. Have you received Christ as Savior? Then take a long, hard look in the mirror and consider the words of l Corinthians 3:17: "God's temple is sacred and you are that temple."You are that temple! You are looking at a sacred dwelling place! That body you might like to trade in for a newer version is sacred! Take a good look at how God approaches the shell that encases your spirit and your soul. Read Psalm 139: 13-18.Recall the detail to which the tabernacle of testimony had to conform: to absolute precision, no deviation. In fact, the dwelling had to be so perfect that only the Holy Spirit could build it to suit holy God. Remember the crucial inspection each object had to pass before the Hebrews dared transport it into the tabernacle? This Contractor was a perfectionist.And He is the same One who built you. If that sounds trite, you have grown cynical. You can confidently tell your children that they are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14), but you may have

a hard time believing it about yourself. He is God. He could have chosen to dwell anywhere in the universe. He could have made his sanctuary in the farthest galaxies, in the majestic mountains, in the deep oceans, or in the vast Grand Canyon. But He chose to live in you and me. You are now the way He dwells among the people of this world. He dwells there in your tent. We often observe two common yet erroneous attitudes toward the physical body: making it too small a priority and making it too important.How must we respond to the reality that we are the temple of Holy God?The Word emphatically teaches that our physical bodies are important to God (Romans 12:1). He loves the bodies He gave us! He specifically chose them and sovereignly assigned them, like it or not.Some Christians think God doesnt' care whether

our bodies are in shape or, frankly, what we do with them. That simply is not true. I'll always remember the words of a very good friend who lost a precious two year old son in an accident.........She told me that as she stood over the casket, many well-meaning family members and friends said: "Walk away from it. He's not in there anymore."She said: "Beth, I knew he wasn't in there anymore. I knew that better than anyone. I also know that his little soul and spirit are not in that grave. I know that! But the body that came from my own, that I held and kissed, the hair I washed and brushed, the hand I secured in mine as we walked across the street, the face I cherished, and the frame I rocked were in there. And I loved them!"Those are the most honest words I have ever heard a grieving person utter.If my friend--a mother made of flesh and blood who has relatively limited capabilities

to love--could make such a statement, how much more our limitless Heavenly Father loves His children, our bodies and all! We are the works of His hands!Anyone who thinks the body has no impact on the soul should test how easy it is to focus spiritually the next time she has the flu. Or imagine sitting comfortably in a bible study after having used your body as an instrument of immorality the night before. Until we die or God meets us in the air, we are inseparably linked to these bodies and each part has a major impact on the others.As some care nothing about their bodies, others care only about them. This is also an unhealthy, biblical extreme. To treasure a decaying tent more than an eternal spirit and soul is futile. The balance is this: a healthy, holy tabernacle provides the best possible environment in which a healthy, holy soul can thrive.The tabernacle had to

be maintained with such care because it enclosed the very glory of God--a motivation that must remain ours as well. This discussion is not about looks, size, or weight. It is about authority. Can you openly acknowledge God as Master over your entire being?We are dwellings through which Christ desires to tabernacle among His people--a gathering place where He may reveal His glory. After all, isn't that our purpose: "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made" (Isaiah 43:7)?We are not on this planet in the midst of a perverse generation by accident. God predestined this society to be the one in which He would tabernacle specifically through us. We have been chosen to reveal His glorious presence to this dark generation. He has entrusted it to us: "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives

in us" (2 1:14).Be faithful to guard that trust."My purpose in sharing this is to reach down to the very heart of the matter which caused many of us to get implants in the first place. I was not satisfied with how God had made me. I fought against it, and tried to change it, to my peril. I believed the lies of this modern society that told me I needed larger, more full breasts to be a complete woman, and that it would be safe to trample God's temple. Oh, if only I had been able to believe God from the beginning! That He made me perfect, just as He wanted me! How different my life would have been! This is the lesson I had to learn to be forever and completely healed. God's way for me was perfect from the beginning. It will be NOW when I surrender to His authority over my body. I believe that is the message we need to share with a world that is bent on destroying what God made good in the

first place. Nothing about the breast implant issue is based on God's truth, but on the lies that the devil wants us to believe, and which keep us from living well, as God intended.My healing was spiritual as well as physical. God was faithful to heal me, and show me that I did not believe Him when He said I was fearfully and wonderfully made. I did not trust His authority over me. I've cried many tears of remorse in prayer to Him over this subject, and felt His forgiveness . His love over me is unmistakebly tender, compassionate and merciful. Now He asks me to be faithful to share what I've learned . Beth's study drove it home again. I just wanted to share.Love,Patty

[Guest guest]

Wow, that is heavy stuff, Patty, and so true. Thanks for sharing and

being part of the blessing of this journey. Love, PH

>

> Hi Ladies,

> I wanted to share something that has been on my heart for many

years now.  In fact, this very subject is why I am endeavoring to

write a book on my healing journey.  It is of a spiritual nature, so

for those of you who appreciate such subject matter, this is for you.

>

> What I want to share comes directly from my current Beth

Bible study, day 4 of week 10 of  " A Woman's Heart. " This is a study

of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and of the tabernacle

that God had them build, and WHY.  As many of you know, Bible study

is a daily pursuit for me, and I encourage those of you who desire a

closer relationship with your God to make this a priority in your

life.  I speak from experience....the blessings cannot be measured! 

When you seek Him, you will find an intimate communion with the maker

of your very soul that heals you.

>

> Our breast implant experience was for a purpose....and I know many

of us would rather have skipped the illness part of it completely.  

But there is no greater purpose than to learn who we are meant to be,

and who we were meant to bless through this. Without my illness, I

would have been a lesser person, I truly believe that.  This lesson

in my Bible study is the very thing I wish I had realized before I

got implants, but which God has taught me through this suffering. 

Please let me lay the foundation first, to make the final point. I'll

skip a few of her paragraphs for the sake of brevity, but leave the

main points. Beth writes:

>

> " Since the garden of Eden, God has desired to dwell among His

prized creation.  After sin cast humans from God's dwelling place, He

enacted a plan to make His dwelling place with humans. Through the

Old Testament tabernacle God testified of a true Tabernacle to come. 

God graced the tabernacle in the wilderness with His glory; but the

true Tabernacle He had planned would enclose not simply God's glory,

as awesome as it is, but God Himself.  The true Tabernacle would be

the habitation of a far greater degree of glory: 

> " In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form "

(Colossians 2:9) We cannot even fathom it.

>

> Christ took the true Tabernacle back to its rightful place: to the

heavenlies, where He belongs..........How many times in the past 10

weeks have you wished for a time machine to get a glimpse of the

wilderness tabernacle?  Every time you drew one of those diagrams,

I'm sure!  I cannot show you the actual Old Testament tabernacle, but

I can do better:  I can show you the New Testament tabernacle.  Have

you received Christ as Savior?  Then take a long, hard look in the

mirror and consider the words of l Corinthians 3:17: " God's temple is

sacred and you are that temple. "

>

> You are that temple!  You are looking at a sacred dwelling place! 

That body you might like to trade in for a newer version is sacred! 

Take a good look at how God approaches the shell that encases your

spirit and your soul.  Read Psalm 139: 13-18.

>

> Recall the detail to which the tabernacle of testimony had to

conform: to absolute precision, no deviation.  In fact, the dwelling

had to be so perfect that only the Holy Spirit could build it to suit

holy God.  Remember the crucial inspection each object had to pass

before the Hebrews dared transport it into the tabernacle?  This

Contractor was a perfectionist.

>

> And He is the same One who built you.  If that sounds trite, you

have grown cynical.  You can confidently tell your children that they

are " fearfully and wonderfully made " (Psalm 139:14), but you may have

a hard time believing it about yourself. He is God.  He could have

chosen to dwell anywhere in the universe.  He could have made his

sanctuary in the farthest galaxies, in the majestic mountains, in the

deep oceans, or in the vast Grand Canyon.  But He chose to live in

you and me.  You are now the way He dwells among the people of this

world.  He dwells there in your tent. We often observe two common yet

erroneous attitudes toward the physical body:  making it too small a

priority and making it too important.

>

> How must we respond to the reality that we are the temple of Holy

God?

>

> The Word emphatically teaches that our physical bodies are

important to God  (Romans 12:1).  He loves the bodies He gave us!  He

specifically chose them and sovereignly assigned them, like it or not.

>

> Some Christians think God doesnt' care whether our bodies are in

shape or, frankly, what we do with them.  That simply is not true. 

I'll always remember the words of a very good friend who lost a

precious two year old son in an accident.........She told me that as

she stood over the casket, many well-meaning family members and

friends said:  " Walk away from it.  He's not in there anymore. "

>

> She said: " Beth, I knew he wasn't in there anymore. I knew that

better than anyone.  I also know that his little soul and spirit are

not in that grave.  I know that!  But the body that came from my own,

that I held and kissed, the hair I washed and brushed, the hand I

secured in mine as we walked across the street, the face I cherished,

and the frame I rocked were in there.  And I loved them! "

>

> Those are the most honest words I have ever heard a grieving person

utter.

>

> If my friend--a mother made of flesh and blood who has relatively

limited capabilities to love--could make such a statement, how much

more our limitless Heavenly Father loves His children, our bodies and

all!  We are the works of His hands!

>

> Anyone who thinks the body has no impact on the soul should test

how easy it is to focus spiritually the next time she has the flu. 

Or imagine sitting comfortably in a bible study after having used

your body as an instrument of immorality the night before.  Until we

die or God meets us in the air, we are inseparably linked to these

bodies and each part has a major impact on the others.

>

> As some care nothing about their bodies, others care only about

them. This is also an unhealthy, biblical extreme.  To treasure a

decaying tent more than an eternal spirit and soul is futile. The

balance is this: a healthy, holy tabernacle provides the best

possible environment in which a healthy, holy soul can thrive.

>

> The tabernacle had to be maintained with such care because it

enclosed the very glory of God--a motivation that must remain ours as

well.  This discussion is not about looks, size, or weight.  It is

about authority.  Can you openly acknowledge God as Master over your

entire being?

>

> We are dwellings through which Christ desires to tabernacle among

His people--a gathering place where He may reveal His glory.  After

all, isn't that our purpose:  " Everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made " (Isaiah 43:7)?

>

> We are not on this planet in the midst of a perverse generation by

accident.  God predestined this society to be the one in which He

would tabernacle specifically through us.  We have been chosen to

reveal His glorious presence to this dark generation. He has

entrusted it to us:  " Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to

you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us " (2

1:14).

>

> Be faithful to guard that trust. "

>

> My purpose in sharing this is to reach down to the very heart of

the matter which caused many of us to get implants in the first

place. I was not satisfied with how God had made me.  I fought

against it, and tried to change it, to my peril.  I believed the lies

of this modern society that told me I needed larger, more full

breasts to be a complete woman, and that it would be safe to trample

God's temple.  Oh, if only I had been able to believe God from the

beginning!  That He made me perfect, just as He wanted me! How

different my life would have been!  This is the lesson I had to learn

to be forever and completely healed. God's way for me was perfect

from the beginning.  It will be NOW when I surrender to His authority

over my body.   I believe that is the message we need to share with a

world that is bent on destroying what God made good in the first

place.  Nothing about the breast implant issue is based on God's

truth, but on the lies that

> the devil wants us to believe, and which keep us from living well,

as God intended.

>

> My healing was spiritual as well as physical.  God was faithful to

heal me, and show me that I did not believe Him when He said I was

fearfully and wonderfully made. I did not trust His authority over

me.   I've cried many tears of remorse in prayer to Him over this

subject, and felt His forgiveness .  His love over me is unmistakebly

tender, compassionate and merciful.  Now He asks me to be faithful to

share what I've learned . Beth's study drove it home again.  I just

wanted to share.

> Love,

> Patty

>