TENTING WITH THE devil is such a remarkable analogy that God impressed me with that I want to elaborate on it more: perhaps, even more in the future.  TENTING WITH THE DEVIL here on Earth is potentially devstating to one’s spirit; for we are that tri-part being. As a Christian our spirit is sinless and able to stand boldly before the throne of God at any time. It is the soul that we must crucify; that is put to death the misdeeds of the body.

Selah.

 

Ephesians 2:1-7
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 8:11-13
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

 

As our earthly bodies are compared to tents and our spirits are already perfected; our mission on Earth must be to dwell with Christ also with our soul and body. We are to put off the old man who has died when we came to Christ and keep on the new man: Christians are a new creation. But sinner and saint both certainly do face temptations. A sinner resisting temptation at times may help himself to become more in tune in realizing the absolute necessity of living a holy life, becoming a child of God; therefore, truly he will start enjoying the narrow road that leads to life and the blessings of life if he remains on it.

Selah.

For the child of God who truly wants to please God, to honor Him with his spirit, body and soul, going from glory to glory it is a high privilege and an exciting journey so astounding that he should never want to stop loving, learning and serving God and man more and more. Here again, the two greatest commandments:

 

Matthew 22:35-40
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

Because God is worthy of all worship and every person is made in His image and likeness, the blood of Jesus, our Paschal Lamb is what we must rely on – and rely on only. I urge each and every one of us to stop tenting with the devil and turn in our double-mindedness for this:

 

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

 

The Apostle Paul referred to his earthly body as a tent, giving us the obvious truth that our earthly body is temporal.

Selah.

The body of man will be separated from the soul and spirit for a time. For those of us who love the LORD God Almighty we, our tri-part being, will be united again in Heaven. The righteous will be clothed with an eternal home in Heaven as the Apostle Paul speaks of in Second Corinthians. However, the wicked will be naked in the pits of Hell; another shame and horror to eternally endure for the evil wages earned by claiming he has no need or love for God.

As we see Paul’s metaphor we understand deeply how very temporary the human body is. God has no second plan. He knew, of course, what Adam would do. The Fall of man entered in through Adam and God was not pleased.

Selah.

Because of His great love for us:

 

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

At one time in my prison ministry I asked the men how old they were when they became aware that people die. Naturally, all who answered related they were at a very young age when death became a reality to them. Sad, but true. Children become aware of the sorrows and horrors of this fallen world so soon in their little lives, much to the pain of their daddies and mommies. Exactly because we all know death is inevitable unless we are raptured, we would be wise to prepare for it.

CALL IT RAPTURE / CALL IT A CATCHING AWAY / CALL IT CAUGHT UP IN THE CLOUDS (The Latin Vulgate calls it rapture.)

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

 

Children of God: we must all make a hearty decision not to tent with the devil! Setting up a weak and temporary residence is not wise when the availability of a strong house is totally available. Rather than moving from place to place it is a much better lifestyle to be grounded on solid ground. I personally have chosen to make my home a sanctuary. I choose the laws of my land. I want Christ proclaimed, welcomed and cherished there! Rebuking will come when necessary, as well as having nothing to do with some: believe it or not, that is scriptural. Christians are the body of Christ. We are to be attached to Jesus and love Him first and foremost in every way! As we go through our daily lives, I urge each and every one of you to make solid plans that cannot be shaken, torn down or blown away. Don’t tent with the devil!

 

 

 

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS JOY STORY:

 

2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.  Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.  For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

 

Isaiah 53:4-6
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.\

 

1 Corinthians 2:14
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

 

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

Colossians 1:15-20
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.  For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

 

Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”