LEAVE YOUR SLEDGEHAMMERS HOME - We have the words of life to speak into anyone's life today - What an amazing thought that a holy and infinite God dwells within us when we come to faith! God is constructing this magnificent temple of living stones, believers around the world, and fitting us together into a masterpiece; stones of every color, every size, and weight, and fitting them TIGHTLY and perfectly together! Imagine walking into a glorious Temple, a visual masterpiece His temple of Living stones… and gazing at the splendor of gold, silver and precious gems … imagine the beauty! But how often do we ourselves as His body pick up our hammers and do this destructive work? There is a proverb of Solomon – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Our tongues can become "hammers" of destruction and death to His precious children, His Holy Bride, in the Temple of God, His Body. Words can build up … and can also destroy! Use words as skillful building tools inspired by the Holy Spirit to build one another up … polishing each and every precious stone in God's Temple.

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Leave Your Sledgehammers Home!

We have the words of life to speak into anyone's life today

Worthy Ministries

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

“in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” - Ephesians 2:21-22

What an amazing thought that a holy and infinite God dwells within our bodies when we come to faith!

This awesome God so desires to inhabit our very beings ... wow!

Now imagine how that God is constructing this magnificent temple of living stones, believers around the world, and fitting us together into a masterpiece; stones of every color, every size, and differing weight, and fitting them TIGHTLY and perfectly together for His glory!

Imagine walking into a glorious Temple, a visual masterpiece exemplifying His temple of Living stones… and gazing at the splendor of gold, silver and precious gems … imagine the awe of the beauty you're taking in!

Now brace yourself and imagine a person entering this glorious place, taking a sledgehammer and smashing the walls ... hitting every stone ... doing all he can to desecrate and destroy all this wonder and beauty … you'd say it's the height of insanity, a massive blasphemy against the magnificent work of the Creator!

But how often do we ourselves as His body pick up our hammers, big and small, and do this destructive work?

There is a proverb of Solomon – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” - Proverbs 18:21

Our tongues can become "hammers" of destruction and death to His precious children, His Holy Bride, in the Temple of God, His Body.

Words can build up … and sadly, can also destroy!

Use words, not as hammers of destruction, but as skillful building tools inspired by the Holy Spirit to build one another up … polishing each and every precious stone in God's Temple.

Our Lord is a builder, the Living Word who says, "Let there be! And it IS! …” so, let us also be aware before we open our mouths to speak, as we will be judged for every idle word!

We have the words of life to speak into anyone's life today.

And "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." [Proverbs 25:11]

Worthy Ministries is a Christian organization based in the United States and Israel with a global outreach to more than 120 countries on a daily basis.

Though we are an internet ministry, we are also significantly involved in the land of Israel.

Each week, Worthy Ministries delivers thousands of daily devotionals and news briefs across the globe. This past year alone, we have sent out more than 5.2 million news briefs and inspirational devotionals. We have received thousands of encouraging responses from appreciative subscribers. And many millions have utilized our sites and services, including Worthy News, Worthy Chat, Worthy Devotions, and Worthy Christian Forums.

https://www.worthydevotions.com/christian-devotional/leave-your-sledgehammers-home

THE THIRD HEAVEN - Paradise, or the third heaven, is the place where God is. ‘Third heaven’ (which only appears once in the Bible) has the same meaning as how we normally use the word ‘heaven’. ‘Heaven’ or ‘heavens’ is used in various ways in the Bible. The first meaning of ‘heavens’ is the atmosphere of the earth. The second meaning of ‘heavens’ is the stars beyond the earth’s atmosphere. The third meaning of heavens is the dwelling place of God. So, when Paul was writing about ‘third heaven’, he meant to say: ‘I was not in the clouds, I was not among the stars – I was in the presence of God!’ That is a deep and overwhelming joy that each of us will experience if we have trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’. ‘There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness’.

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The Third Heaven

What is the third heaven?

Marten Visser

Your question: What is the third heaven?

Paul wrote that he was “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2).

In the next verse he calls the same place “paradise”.

Paradise, or the third heaven, is the place where God is.

Jesus promised to the criminal on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

They will be in the presence of God together.

So ‘third heaven’ (which only appears once in the Bible) has the same meaning as how we normally use the word ‘heaven’.

Various ways of heaven

Why then is Paul talking about ‘third heaven’ and not just ‘heaven’?

That is to make sure his readers do not misunderstand him.

‘Heaven’ or ‘heavens’ is used in various ways in the Bible.

The first meaning of ‘heavens’ is the atmosphere of the earth. Examples of this are:

•   ‘the birds of the heavens’ (Genesis 1:26)

•   ‘the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained’ (Genesis 8:2).

•   ‘he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain’ (Deuteronomy 11:17).

•   ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven’ (Matthew 26:64).

The second meaning of ‘heavens’ is the stars beyond the earth’s atmosphere. Examples of this are:

•   ‘There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness’ (Exodus 24:10).

•   ‘I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven’, (Genesis 22:17).

•   ‘served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden’ (Deuteronomy 17:3)

•   ‘I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners’ (Acts 11:5).

The third meaning of heavens is the dwelling place of God. Examples of this use of the word are:

•   ‘And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive’ (1 Kings 8:30).

•   ‘then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

•   ‘The LORD has established his throne in the heavens’ (Psalms 103:19).

•   ‘give glory to your Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 5:16).

Mixed use of heaven

Often ‘heaven’ is used in a way that these three meanings are more or less mixed. For example:

•   When Jacob flees Esau, we read ‘And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!’ (Genesis 28:12).

•   “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven’” (John 6:32).

In the presence of the Lord

So, when Paul was writing about ‘third heaven’, he meant to say: ‘I was not in the clouds, I was not among the stars – I was in the presence of God!’

That is a deep and overwhelming joy that each of us will experience if we have trusted in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour.

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Marten Visser (1971), experienced a call from the Lord to be a missionary while in Kindergarten. He received M.Div., Th.M. in Missiology, M.A. in cultural anthropology degrees and a Ph.D. degree in Theology. In 2000 he became a church planting missionary in Thailand with OMF, together with his wife Esther. In 2015 he returned to the Netherlands where he founded GlobalRize. He continues to serve as GlobalRize’s director of evangelism.

https://www.biblword.net/what-is-the-third-heaven/