The Spiritual Air Purifier

I need You here in this atmosphere.

There is no fear when You are near.

Permeate this place with the fragrance --

The anointed aroma of Your presence.

Remove the fumes of gloom and doom.

Release healing perfume in this room.

May the power Divine that conquers all

Flow all around in here from wall to wall.

O Lion of the Judah tribe

Shake this place with miracle vibes.

Scatter the attackers of my faith.

Illuminate this space with hope and grace.

I send out thoughts of love and support

From here then reaching across the Earth.

By the spiritual vibrations

In this location

I ask for transformation

Of all situations.

Amen.

© Matt Decker

Week Points

If you are succumbing to weight gain, there is a strong possibility that you have at least one weak point. And it is equally likely that this weak point is habitually getting the upper hand. There is a solution.

Turn your weak point into a week point.
       

Take time on Sunday to target one fattening food in your diet. Set a goal to eliminate this weak point in your diet in the week ahead. Repeat this process with a new dietary target every Sunday. By employing this technique you can turn your weak point - be it cake, pizza or whatever - into your week point of focus.
       

It's amazing what can be accomplished within seven days. There are 168 hours in a given week. Each one of these hours can either make you fatter, make you slimmer or keep you in the same condition. The choice is yours as to how you use them. The slimmest person in the world doesn't have any extra hours or days. Think about it. 

© Matt Decker

» This post is excerpted from my booklet  SLIM GEMS: 10 Priceless Weight Loss Techniques

       

The NOODOO Prayer

"God, grant me the flexibility to break this cycle of monotony

And to create a new and better reality.

Help me to see the variety of choices available to me

And the many possibilities stretching nearly to infinity.

Amen."

© Matt Decker

» This post is excerpted from my eBook  The Magic of NOODOO

(The Shady) Lou M. Notti

Who is that man?
Why is he here?
At every dark scene
He seems to appear.

What does he want?
What is his mission?
Could he be an agent
From some shady dimension?

The murder of a family in cold blood,
In the aftermath of a historic flood --
He was spotted entering the woods,
Then seen trudging through the muck and mud.

The tranquillity of my town
Devastated by a tornado.
I turn around and see him there,
Standing in the debris-strewn shadows.

As I meander through the rubble,
I stumble onto the street.
Presently a cold hand
Helps me to my feet.

I'm staring into the blank face
Of the ubiquitous and mysterious stranger.
I feel an overwhelming surge
Of vulnerability and danger.

After shaking my hand,
He presents a badge.
Quickly my eyes scan --
Lou M. Notti it flashed.

I can't put my finger on it
But the name rings familiar
As he locks me in his gaze
With the evil grin of a killer.

Finally the creeper speaks
In a voice really eerie,
Revealing details about me,
Inching a little too near me
(Man! This is getting scary)
When the thought hits me --
I was right to be so leery.

How does he know so much about me?
Who told him all these personal facts?
He reaches out to touch me
But immediately I step back.

"I have something to offer you.
It's advised that you not refuse."
His words violate my mind,
Chills of fear climbing my spine.

Before I can conjure a reply,
Residual bolts crack the sky.
Nervous townsfolk converge in panic.
And just like that -- Notti has vanished.

Where did he go?
I'm relieved he's gone.
So weary and shaken,
I want to be alone.

I can't help but wonder
If after days or even years
Lou M. Notti will reappear
(The very thought fills me with fear.)
Then maybe I should abandon
My home of many years
(The very thought provokes a tear.)

What if all those conspiracies
And crazy theories I have heard
About a nefarious bunch on Earth
Can be traced back to a single man
Who effects events with a shady hand?

So the next time tragedy comes to town
And a curious soul pivots around
Perhaps she will eye a mysterious person
Creepily leering through the proverbial curtain.

© Matt Decker

Stinky Words

Ephesians 4:29
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
       

What exactly is ''corrupt communication''? There are various forms of communication, some of which do not require the use of words or speech. Body language is a form of communication. Facial expressions can communicate very clear messages, as can hand gestures. But the scripture quoted above is referring to verbal communication - the words we speak - because it exhorts us to not let a certain form of communication proceed out of our mouths. The words we speak matter.
       

It's uncommon to label speech as ''corrupt'' in our modern vernacular. Instead, we refer to ''bad words,'' ''negative talk'' and ''obscene language.'' (Colossians 3:8 tells us to ''put off'' filthy language.) We tend to think of corruption in terms of shady dealings by those in positions of authority. Type in "corrupt" on Google News and you will get back one article after another concerning corrupt governments or corrupt leaders.

Word Study: The Greek word translated as ''corrupt'' in the King James Version of Ephesians 4:29 means ''rotten'' in the sense of being worthless. The root word from which it sprouts means ''to putrefy.'' If something has rotted and putrefied, it will emit a most objectionable odor. Do our words stink?
       

Most other translations use the word ''unwholesome'' rather than corrupt. Let no unwholesome communication proceed out of your mouth. Just think: this admonition was given thousands of years before the invention of social media. As Christians who are committed to living according to biblical principles, can we honestly say that our tweets are wholesome? How about our posts on Facebook and other social media platforms? In this case, we have to guard against letting unwholesome communication proceed from our fingertips as we type. The Bible is relevant in our day, right where we live.
       

Since unwholesome communication is a no-no, what sort of words should be proceeding out of our mouths? The criterion is clear and simple: if it is ''good to the use of edifying,'' we should speak it. If it edifies those within earshot, it passes God's test. (Of course this same principle would apply to the words we type, since nowadays verbal communication to a large degree has been supplanted by texting and social media.) To edify is to build up. Words can build up or tear down. Words can bless or curse (James 3:10). It is incumbent upon us to do the former with the communication that proceeds out of our mouths.
       

When we use our words to bless and to build up, something wonderful happens as a result. The edifying communication actually ''ministers grace unto the hearers.'' Think about this: grace can flow through human speech. We can minister grace to others by the right selection of words. We know that words are the carriers of ideas, and they can also carry the grace of God. We can literally ''say grace'' by speaking grace-filled words!

Colossians 4:6 (New International Version)
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
       

How often should we incorporate grace into our conversations? ''Let your conversation be ALWAYS full of grace...'' (emphasis mine) It's not enough to speak grace-saturated words in church. That's easy. It won't do much good if you speak grace one moment, then turn around and revert to unwholesome, negative talk the next moment. If your speech is not seasoned with grace, it will be ''rotten'' with corrupt communication.
       

''...so that you may know how to answer everyone.'' The world is looking for answers. The grace of God is the answer. When they hear grace proceeding from your mouth, it will minister to them. You will be an effective witness for Christ when your words minister grace unto the hearers.

© Matt Decker

» This post is excerpted from my book  GRACE IN A MAZE: How to Make it Through.

The Spiritual Technologists

You've made many advancements

Technological enhancements

And for that we commend you.

But out here on our planets

By far we transcend you.

Outside the circus of circuits

The delights of devices

And the gamut of gadgets

Lies a wider circle

Loftier heights

And what you might call magic.

We know the mechanism of your reality

Is fueled by all that is sensory

But we wish to encourage intimacy

With the reality of spiritual energy.

Long ago it became our mission

To make the next level transition

From all material ambitions

To harnessing the energies

Of the unseen dimensions.

We wish for you to see

That the cure for all disease

Will never be complete

By vaccines and machines

Medical routines

Or pharmaceutical techniques.

There is a deeper realm

(We hope you will hear it)

There miracles are found --

The world of the spirit.

At the crosspoint between humans and lions

Awaits the promise of a brand new science.

Study these lines

Hold them in mind.

They will make more sense

When more time is spent.

© Matt Decker

The Temple of Wisdom

       September 19, 1952. The action-packed television series ''Adventures of Superman'' debuts to the delight of science fiction fans everywhere. Starring George Reeves as the caped champion, the show airs for six years. Each installment brings a new, exciting experience into the living rooms of spellbound viewers.

       The inaugural episode fittingly reveals the background of Superman and the cataclysmic events precipitating his arrival on Earth. The opening scene takes place on Superman's doomed home planet Krypton, ''high above the city,'' in an ornate building dubbed the Temple of Wisdom. The Governing Council of Krypton have gathered here, surrounded by marble columns and burning torches, to hear a presentation from their planet's chief scientist Jor-El, who also happens to be Superman's biological father.
       The news is not good. Krypton is a ticking time bomb, precariously teetering on the edge of annihilation. Each passing hour edges the advanced Kryptonian civilization closer to the cosmic dustbin of planetary extinction. The rarefied air of the magnificent Temple of Wisdom, however, is filled with incredulous denial. No matter. The impending demise of their world is inevitable. But all will not be lost. Jor-El sends his extraordinary child - the future Superman - to the safety of Earth in a rocket. And so begins the super saga of ''truth, justice and the American way.''

A KING OF WISDOM

       Let's focus our attention on wisdom - the fictional Temple of Superman's native planet is, after all, named after it.
       Among the holy lineup of biblical characters, none is more closely associated with the blessing of wisdom than King Solomon. He was renowned for his great wisdom and insightful judgment. People came from great distances to talk with Israel's leader, to ask him questions and to hear his wisdom. One such visitor was the storied Queen of Sheba - a visit referenced by none other than the Super Savior Himself (Matthew 12:42).
       From whence did Solomon acquire this stupendous wisdom? The cumulative experience of passing years didn't bestow it. Nor was it gained from studious application of worldly knowledge. On the contrary, the legendary king received wisdom directly from the Throne of the Almighty. His prodigious wisdom, keen understanding, uncommon knowledge and penetrating insight arrived as a gift from God. He asked for wisdom and he received it - along with the attendant blessings of wealth and honor for which he didn't ask (1 Kings 3:5-15). The latter flowed from the former. As he would later write, divine wisdom was (and always will be) ''the principal thing'' (Proverbs 4:7). It is the key which unlocks every other blessing. Solomon understood this.
» James 1:5
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
       The formula has not changed. Wisdom is obtained through prayer. It worked for Solomon. He lacked wisdom, he asked God for it and he received a liberal supply of it. And it will work for us as well - provided we ask for it with unwavering faith (verses 6-8).
       A caveat is in order at this point. The Super Scriptures are the first and final authority when we need divine direction. They are collectively the Word of God, and as such, they contain His wisdom for our lives. To know the Super Scriptures is to know the wisdom of God. (More on this momentarily.) At the same time, there are specific situations which arise for which we can't find chapter-and-verse for guidance. Otherwise, there would be no need to ever ask for wisdom.
       For example: What gave the Apostle Paul and his missionary team the assurance that God was sending them to Macedonia to preach the Gospel? There is no specific scripture to which they could turn to receive such specific, geographical direction. They needed wisdom to know what God wanted them to do and where He wanted them to go next. This wisdom arrived in the form of a vision. In this vision, Paul sees ''a man of Macedonia'' imploring him to bring his ministry there (Acts 16:9). It's only at this point when they ''assuredly gather[ed] that the Lord had called [them] for to preach the gospel unto them'' (verse 10). This was the wisdom that was needed at the moment.
       When we need wisdom, our first stop must be the Super Scriptures. If, after diligent searching, we fail to find the specific wisdom we need (such as whether to move to a certain city or enter into a specific business partnership), then let us follow Solomon's example and James' instruction. Let us ask God for the wisdom we need.

THE TEMPLE THAT WISDOM BUILT

       The crowning contribution of King Solomon's forty-year reign to history would be, unquestionably, the construction of the grand Temple at Jerusalem. What a solemn and sacred experience it must have been to stand within its hallowed walls! The imaginary Temple of Wisdom on fictional Krypton doesn't hold a candelabrum to Solomon's gloriously-gilded Temple. In the utmost seriousness and reverence, the Temple was far more than an impressive architectural wonder. Rather, it was designed and constructed to be ''the house of the LORD'' (1 Kings 6:1). There is no greater testimony to this truth than the inner sanctum - the Holy of holies - wherein the blest Ark of the Covenant rested. God Himself occupied this most holy of rooms.
       Even divine building projects take time. The Holy Temple (also known as The First Temple) required seven years for completion. And while Solomon gets credit for making the vision a reality, it was actually the wisdom of God - operating within the king - that got the momentous job done. Wisdom built the Temple. The sacred structure was, effectively, the real-life Temple of Wisdom!
» Proverbs 24:3-4
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
       None other than Solomon himself authored the above words. He knew a thing or two about the building process. Right? Consider this: since it takes wisdom to properly build a secular (non-sacred) house, how much more was wisdom needed to build the House of the LORD! Through wisdom was the Temple built. By understanding was the Temple established. By knowledge were the chambers - including the Most Holy chamber - filled with precious and pleasant riches; none more precious than the Ark of the Covenant. Wisdom is God's blueprint for building anything, especially projects of spiritual significance (such as our lives). In the absence of wisdom, the best-laid plans will inevitably and eventually go awry. ''Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it...'' (Psalm 127:1)

THE KING OF WISDOM

       Contrary to prevalent assumption, King Solomon was not the apex of wisdom on the earth. That distinction belongs to the King of kings - our Super Savior. According to His own infallible testimony, Jesus was ''greater than Solomon'' (Matthew 12:42). He carried out His earthly mission with an uncommon and uncanny measure of wisdom.
       Solomon had already assumed the throne when he received his gift of wisdom. The coronation had already taken place. The crown had already been positioned on his head. The anointing oil had already been applied. In contrast, we see Jesus walking in the wisdom of His heavenly Father long before He enters into His public ministry. He is still a child when, according to Luke, He is astonishing the adults with His wisdom and depth of understanding (2:40-52). Even during these formative years He is ''filled with wisdom'' (verse 40). He increases in wisdom concurrently with His natural development (verse 52).
       The future Super Savior is not quite a teenager when we, along with Mary and Joseph, find Him in the Temple - astonishing the religious ''experts'' with His wisdom. Luke 2:47 records, ''And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.'' A kid is not supposed to have the answers. But this is no ordinary youngster. He is overflowing with the wisdom of God even in these adolescent days.
       Picture the scene on the screen of your mind - it's the only one we have from His childhood. Take it all in because eighteen years will elapse before His next biblical appearance. Make your way through the hallowed halls of the Temple. Look around until at last you hear His young voice. There, surrounded by the religious ''experts,'' sits the juvenescent Jesus - displaying depth of wisdom light years ahead of His natural age. This is a tough crowd to impress. These men are experienced and learned in religious matters. The King James Version calls them ''doctors.'' They have devoted their lives to diligent study of the Law. And yet they are stricken with wonderment at the fountain of wisdom springing up from within this extraordinary youth.
       The wisdom manifesting in the structural Temple on this day corresponds to the peerless wisdom resident within the spiritual ''Temple'' of the Master's body.
» John 2:18-21 (emphasis mine)
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy THIS TEMPLE, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was THIS TEMPLE in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY.
       This particular conversation takes place further down the Gospel timeline. Jesus has attained adulthood and entered into the anointing of His public ministry. Again the Temple is the focal point. By the time of Christ, the blessed building had undergone reconstruction. The First Temple of Solomon, you will recall, took ''only'' seven years to complete. In contrast, the Jews in our scripture passage observe, the second version of the Temple was ''forty and six years...in building.'' The First Temple, while raised by King Solomon, was later razed by the Babylonians. The Second Temple - the one in which our Super Savior walked and shared His wondrous wisdom - was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and later expanded by Herod the Great.

''OH, YOU MEAN THAT TEMPLE''

       When presented with a familiar word, it is the tendency of the human brain to evoke relevant and representative mental images. This imagery arises from the vast database of the subconscious - producing our assumptions, suppositions and conceptual expectations. It's as if the brain opens an inner filing cabinet and selects files from memory that match key words. To employ a more modern analogy, it's comparable to entering text on Google Images and receiving back image-based results. This subconscious process determines our perception and understanding of a matter. It's true today, and it was equally true thousands of years ago. The problem is that one word can have multiple meanings, especially when used to describe a spiritual truth. We see this in the scripture passage referenced above.
       When Jesus utters the word ''temple,'' the Jews to whom He speaks have only one reference point. They assume they know what He is talking about. The internal image of the building which goes by that name flashes into their consciousness. But Jesus is referring to a different kind of temple - ''the temple of his body.'' Factor in the wisdom under which He lived and ministered, and a wonderful truth comes into view. Our Super Savior was the incarnate Temple of Wisdom! He was the holy Temple in bodily form. The wisdom of God abounded within the Temple of His body.
       Everywhere Jesus went, He brought the life-changing experience of this Temple. When He laid His anointed hands upon a needy soul, He was conferring the divine blessing of this Temple. When the crowds reached out to touch Him, they were ascending the steps to this Temple. When He declared words of power, the doors of this Temple were opened wide. The wisdom within this Temple was shared with hearing ears when the Master expounded on the Super Scriptures. Even as the religious experts in the structural Temple were amazed at His wisdom in former years, so the people are amazed at the wisdom operating in His ministry - through the Temple of His body. This wisdom worked miracles.
» Mark 6:2 (emphasis mine)
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what WISDOM is this which is given unto him, that even such MIGHTY WORKS are wrought by his hands?
       The wisdom produced the mighty works. The wisdom flowing through the Temple of His body - wrought by His hands - manifested the miracles. The people recognized the power of wisdom at work. They knew that some extraordinary wisdom must have been in operation for such mighty works to be performed.

ARE YOU A TEMPLE OF WISDOM?

       It's easy to understand why the holy, sinless body of our Super Savior would qualify as a temple. Right? The spiritual reality, however, is that there are many temples of flesh walking around on the earth. Again we consult the Super Scriptures...
» 1 Corinthians 3:16-20 (emphasis mine)
16 Know ye not that YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, WHICH TEMPLE YE ARE.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be WISE in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be WISE.
19 For the WISDOM of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh THE WISE in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of THE WISE, that they are vain.
       Note the proximate occurrences of the words temple, wisdom and wise in the scripture passage above. There is apparently a link between ''the temple of God'' and wisdom - thus the reason for this chapter. There is a clear distinction between worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God. The former is not wisdom at all; it's foolishness in the eyes of God. ''This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish...But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.'' (James 3:15,17)
       Paul asks the Corinthians, ''Don't you know that you are the temple of God?''. The wording of this question suggests that the trailblazing apostle wasn't introducing a new concept to his readers. On the contrary, he seems to be reminding them about a spiritual truth which they should have known. Consider who he is addressing with these words. He is writing to Christians - to those who were ''sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours'' (1:2). Let's not get it twisted. It's the believer who is the holy Temple of God because ''the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.'' God will not make His home in an unsaved and unbelieving heart. It's His grace that turns the ''stony heart'' of a sin-tainted human into a holy Temple wherein His Spirit can dwell (see Ezekiel 11:19).
» 1 Corinthians 6:19
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
       Regardless of status or station, and despite personal deficiencies, every believer is the living Temple of the Holy Ghost. What a gloriously solemn truth! Again Paul seems genuinely surprised at the need to point this out. ''And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.'' (2 Chronicles 7:2) Even as the ''shekinah'' glory of God's presence filled Solomon's Temple, so the Holy Ghost - the Spirit of Glory - inhabits the temple of our bodies. Hallelujah! Consequently, we belong to God and therefore have the spiritual responsibility to ''glorify God in [our] body, and in [our] spirit'' (1 Corinthians 6:20).
       Paul would need to highlight the point to the Corinthian congregation once more - this time in his second letter.
» 2 Corinthians 6:16 (emphasis mine)
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
       Some things simply don't go together. There can be no ''agreement'' between Light and darkness, between Good and evil, between Angels and demons, between God and the devil. To use Paul's analogy, there can be no more spiritual congruity between believers and unbelievers than the presence of idols in the holy Temple. Who would dare to bring a man-made ''god'' into the sacred House of the LORD? No doubt the very idea caused Paul's audience to recoil with righteous disgust. At the same time, there was apparently an issue with these self-same congregants ''yoking up'' with idolatrous unbelievers. Hence the need to reiterate the believer's spiritual identity as a living, breathing temple of the Almighty.
       Now let's put a bow on this wonderful study. ''You are the temple of the living God.'' This is true both collectively and individually. Taken together, the Church as a whole is the Temple of God on the earth. But at the same time, each individual believer - each individual member of the Body of Christ - is a temple as well. Child of God, the wisdom of God is available to you. This divine wisdom resides within you - in the temple of your body. When you fill your mind and heart with the wisdom of the Super Scriptures, you become a Temple of Wisdom!
       Interestingly, we can see this spiritual principle even in our modern vernacular. The word "temple," according to the dictionary, means "place of worship." No surprise there. But wait. Like so many words in the English language, there is an alternate meaning, an alternate definition. The word temple can also mean flattened space on each side of the forehead. (Have you ever suffered from pain in your temple?) Consider this: the wisdom of God enters the temple of your body - eventually reaching the inner sanctum of your spirit - by way of the ''temple doors'' of your head. When you fill your mind with the Super Scriptures, you are effectively filling the temple with wisdom.
       When this happens, the answer is a resounding yes - you are the Temple of Wisdom!

© Matt Decker

» This post is an excerpted chapter from my book  SUPER SCRIPTURES ON EARTH