When “empty” was good...
Gut the house!
Get rid of the mold.
Get rid of the “popcorn” ceiling.
Get rid of the old 70s carpet...and all furniture.
The house must be emptied of its contents before it can be renovated right?
““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.””
Luke 6:46-49 NKJV
Jesus tells us here the wise man must “dig deep”
First dig a hole, insert the plant, water, fertilize, prune... of course there must be sunlight ... then watch the plant grow.
The renovated house must be gutted.
The seed must die in the depth of soil before growth can burst forth.
Renovation
Plantation
And Death
It’s painful.
Who wants to be “gutted” out? Not me....
Jesus died and left us the example...but I’m writing this to remind myself (and you)
That emptying of self is painful.
“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?””
Luke 24:21-26 NKJV
“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel”
Hopes are dead
Dreams are dead
Fears suffocate you...
Empty usually means sorrow...
Empty nest, empty pockets....
Empty=silence (like an empty house with a lonely person)
I heard a pastor say....
No student enjoys taking a test.
Tests are hard.
During tests what is the teacher doing?
He is silent... He sits at his desk and watches but does not talk.
This is what Saturday is like... empty silence.
Jesus is IN the fire with us...but at times He is silent.
Saturday is painful.
Waiting for Sunday is painful.
Being emptying of self is painful- but necessary...
NEW LIFE, RESURRECTION comes soon...
So let yourself break.
Pour it out.
Be emptied.
The tomb was empty because Jesus was ALIVE.
He is alive.
May we be emptied so His life can spring forth from the deepest darkest places of our soul.
Only then can we be useful for our Father’s kingdom.
Proverbs 13:7
“There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor (ie., empty) yet has great riches (ie., resurrection life). The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke.”
Proverbs 13:7-8 NKJV
Empty tomb/ Risen Lord
Emptied of self/Room for the Spirit to move
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