REMODELING

Have you ever been involved in a remodeling job? I am currently in the process of having my kitchen remodeled and this is all a new experience for me. I am blessed of God, and things are running smoothly for me, and I am really enjoying this project. I am enjoying watching the transformation of my kitchen take place; Knowing what it was to seeing what it is becoming, brings great joy to my soul and spirit.

However, as you well know there are things involved in the transition that aren’t, shall we say, very joyful. First before the new cabinets could be brought in, the old ones had to be taken out. And before you could take out the old cabinets they had to be emptied. Now emptying in itself is a process, as you must decide several things. First you must decide what you will keep and what you will give away. Then you must decide where you will put the items you are keeping during the transition period.

Next comes the tear out, where the old fixtures are removed. This can involve a number of tools, including a hammer, screw driver and a pry bar if necessary. Keep in mind after every step there is general clean up involved. Next comes the installation of the new cabinets. Now the new cabinets can not be put in haphazardly; in fact before they are put in there is a master plan that is consulted to make sure everything fits and serves it’s functionality to the best purpose. There is usually someone with expertise that does this work and directs the installers into the way it will look and function the best. The master plan is really required before any work at all begins.

Next comes the electrical and plumbing work as this is easiest to do when the old items are out of the way. A clean slate so to speak, where proper installation can be completed. Once these basic elements are installed then the new cabinets can be installed. After the new installation, there are the finishing touches that are done to make the new items last longer and look better and bring more pleasure to the owner and a great reputation to the Master builder.

As I have watched my kitchen transform, so I have I watched my Heavenly Father work on transforming my heart. Yes, I guess I have left out the very first step of this remodeling process. Before a remodel can even begin, the person who owns the home must decide they want the remodel and this is true of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. We are the homeowner who owns the vessel of our body and the Holy Spirit does no work without our permission and involvement.

For quite some time, I kept telling myself I was ok. I didn’t need to be transformed, after all I knew I was a Christian. I guess I had gotten used to the old furniture and the way things looked. It’s easy to do. I am sure at one time, the “furniture” of my Christian walk was good for use and even appealing to me; However, over time it got old. It no longer served the purposes it needed to serve. I compare this to carnality. When I lived my walk on the past pleasures of the Word and did not seek out the new pleasures that the Lord has for me today. God’s Word tells me that if you are not moving forward with God, you are not staying in place but you are actually backsliding, and that is where I was. Too proud to say that my furniture was not what God was intending for my life to display at this moment. I kept wanting to look at the old ways being good, but the Holy Spirit is the installer of God’s Master Plan and He knew it wasn’t good for me, and was actually hurting me from moving forward. So as I battled with the hollowness in my heart, as the Holy Spirit confirmed to me what I already knew, I finally gave in and allowed the Holy Spirt to do the work of The Master Planner and Builder: My God. (Phillipians 2:12) I made the decision and gave Him the green light to get started.

So with the choice made, I began the emptying process relying on the Master Builder’s plan. You know there are so many things we do that are “good” in the eyes of the carnally religious folks, but good is an enemy of the best, and the best is what God always has and always wants for us. (Jeremiah 29:12 ) Time to empty. Question your thoughts, motives, and actions. Bring all of these into the captivity of the Word of God to see we what stays and what goes; this is the criteria. Talk to Jesus. It’s ok to pour out your heart to Him and ask Him for His help. Have you ever stuffed items in the back of a cupboard only to forget that they were there? This is the emptying step. Work with the Holy Spirit to show you the things in your life that you may not even be aware of that need to go. You may have forgotten all about them. Ask God to give you eyes of understanding, and ask Him to help you understand why you do the things you do. You won’t have to look hard as the Holy Spirit will prompt you in your spirit. Stop making excuses for yourself, like I’m ok, I understand the Bible and I can handle this on my own! All prideful sin needs to go.

Next comes the tear out. This is closely related to the step above As you question things you do, ask yourself, do you do it out of a fear of something? fear and faith work in opposite spiritual realms. Choose faith, even if what you need to do is totally new to you; Trust God. (Proverbs 3:5-6). The things that are of fear, throw out. Say out loud to yourself, you will not do or say or act that way anymore. Find a scripture and stand on it. Say your scripture out loud. (Prov. 18:1, Hebrews 11:1). O sure, this can be hard work; your flesh will cry out like it’s dying, but here’s a hint for you. It’s not dying but it is actually on it’s way back to life! You won’t die, you will live! It is hard work taking the trash to the curb, but it’s worth it when it’s done. Just like those old dishes are pushed back into the cupboard out of sight and forgotten, so do the old actions, thoughts and feelings reside in the old fears of our mind, the dead man’s cupboard. Get it out of there! It is hard to admit we do things sometimes out of fear; but look at it for what it is; deal with it in the blood of Jesus and then get yourself a new verse that conquers it. (Philippians 4:13). This leads us to the next step.

Installation. Once the old cupboards are gone it is easy to work on the plumbing and wiring. Looking at the plumbing first, you may have an odd mixture of different types of pipes that need to go. For instance, you may have had a variety of different religious backgrounds, attended different churches in the past, and have a jumbled up mess like some old homes have with different types of pipes. Pipes are used to carry the water where needed. God’s Word tells us in John 4:14: (Jesus said) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. So look at your pipes. Is what you believe really what the scriptures tell us? If you don’t know, then do a couple of things. First and always, get your nose into the Bible and read! Read, read, read. Read every day. If you don’t understand something, don’t let that stop you from reading! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand, but keep on reading. Read every day and think, think, think, about what you just read. repeat the words to yourself. Meditate on it asking yourself, what did that mean. Repeat it to yourself using your own words. Second: get yourself into a church that preaches the Word, and not man’s opinion or philosophy about life ; and once you have found a Word church, go regularly. Enough said there! If you do these two things then, Romans 12: 1-2 will become a living reality in your life.

The second installation to do is the electrical installation. This brings the power! A lot of older homes don’t have a lot of juice as we say. They sometimes need to get their electrical boxes upgraded to be able to handle more ampherege. Our God is a very good and a very powerful God. He does not use His power against us, like many people picture God with a baseball bat, just ready to hit us over the head if we mess up. NO, NO, NO! He doesn’t teach us through pain, sickness, or suffering! This all comes from Satan, the enemy of our souls. (1 Peter 5:8, Acts 10;38, James 1:13-17)

Matthew 28:18-20 tells us plainly: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Luke 24:49 says: (Jesus speaking) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. I know that I know that I know that being baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues is a gift from God for today. How do I know? Because God baptized me with this gift of the Holy Spirit when I was 12 years old. I wasn’t seeking to be filled, I wasn’t even asking for it; but I was following God and in prayer to God in church at the time it happened. There is so much power that Jesus himself told us to go in this power. Do His work in this power. It wasn’t even a suggestion, but a command. (Romans 8:11-14) Why so many Christians today want to deny the power of the Holy Spirit and the gifts Jesus Christ Himself gave us is beyond my understanding. As for me, I will choose to stay plugged into the power Source, the gift that Jesus Himself told us that the Father was sending us for our benefit!

Now we are ready for the new cabinets. Again, the cabinets are the outward showing of the wonderful transformation that has taken place in our mind and hearts first, and then revealed in our body. The cupboards have been cleaned and swept and filled with the Word of God. It is imperative here to note that you must keep the cupboard of your mind filled with God’s Word, or you could end up in a state worse than what you were in in the beginning.

With the new cupboards installed in the Mind of Christ, the refreshing water of the Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, you are all ready to be used and displayed for Christ’s glory. However, there is still work to be done. Trimming and painting and polishing is always needed to keep you close to God, following in His footsteps, being led by His Spirit. Continue to feed on the Word of God and stay plugged into the power source of the Holy Spirit in prayer. Continually work out your salvation and bring glory to God. The work of the remodel is worth it!