OUR MIRRORS

Isaiah 53:10a Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him.

Jesus was flogged,mocked,bruised and He bore our sins in His body. Before His death He said He was going to pull down the temple which was His body and build it up in 3 days. Isaiah said it pleased The Father to bruise Him. Why will The Father delight in such an act? At the point of crucifixion He became an offering for sin. He bore our sins in His body. So in essence His body had taken a corrupted form.

For the glory of Christ to be seen He had to be bruised with this body of sin which He carried on our behalf.

On the 3rd day the glory of the new temple was seen which was His glorified body after He had put the body of sin to death.
Now we are the temple that He dwells in and He is changing us more into His image. The Father has to take us through the work of crucifixion daily so we can rise together and become the glorified temple. He will continuosly bruise our flesh so that it will be put to death. He will bruise our pride by allowing difficult circumstances to teach us humility. He will bruise our impatience by allowing us to work with people who are extremely impatient.

Jacob had lived his early life as a supplanter. He had rid Esau of his birth rite and denied him of his father's blessings. All along Jacob thought he was the smartest guy but what became of him later in his adulthood?

God sent him to the house of Laban to break him and train him anew. Laban was a mirror to Jacob and he cast a magnified images of Jacob.
Jacob was a cheat but he met a stiffer opposition. His own son also slept with his concubine. The man whom he caused much sorrow became a terror to him. He had to send men ahead of him to pacify Esau.

In Jacob's old age Joseph the son after his heart was sold into slavery. God sent Joseph to Egypt to prepare a resting place for him after Jacob had been bruised enough. Now Jacob had taken a new dimension in life. He had learnt honesty. He had learnt patience. God gave him rest in Egypt after taking him through hard training at Canaan.

Many of us are being shown the mirrors in our lives one way or the other. The Lord is showing us our ugly nature through the people around us. Everyone thinks that boss is dumb. Everyone thinks that colleague is rude. Everyone thinks that husband is unfaithful. God is presenting our mirrors before us daily and many are cursing their ugly images instead of humbling themselves and repenting to dress up that ugly image.
Often God will raise up people of our kind and even worst so that we will be broken for Him to remold us. Why are many not seeing the ugliness of their heart through the offenses of others? Why are many blaming others but not recognising the evil traits they have in common. Human beings naturally like to find fault and push blame on others.

Few months back I had a friend getting so much on my nerves because he was always saying unpleasant words about me always criticizing at the slightest mistake. I will get upset with him and I will come home complaining about his character. Then one day as I was complaining about him The Lord revealed the condition of my heart to me in just a split second. I came to the understanding that he was a mirror and he was reflecting my ugly heart. I had to repent before The Lord.

Our mirrors will come in different forms. Some will reveal magnified images of our life. Our ugly side will constantly be bruised. As our flesh is crashed daily it will die and we will become that glorious temple.
Now we are His temple and He is building us daily. He is pulling down the merchandise tables. He is releasing the turtle doves in His temple. He is pulling down what does not belong there so that He can present a glorious temple on the third day which signifies readiness for His coming. He is adorning His temple for His coming. There will be tougher battles to fight. Our faith and obedience will be tested.

Not all will resurrect at His coming because they are so much alive to self and can't receive His life at the trumpet call. We must die more to ourselves then we will have His life fully when He comes. How can we say we are dead and our lives are hidden in Him when we can't even forgive offenses? How can we say our lives are hidden in Him when we lack the obedience to tithe faithfully? Are we dead to greed and the love for money? How can we say we are dead when we flirt with the world on His day? Many are quick to shout they are dead but how can you say your life is in Him when you pray occasionally? Is not about reciting. Its about understanding, believing and walking in it. Our faith must be alive through obedience and fruit bearing. When He appears He will come for those who allowed their flesh to be put to death.
                                        April 8,2013
                                                            Glory To Jesus