We have been traveling through Southeast Asia for 2-1/2 months. We recently went to Siem Reap, Cambodia to tour the 8th Wonder of the world, Angor Wat, as well as The Killing Fields Museum, and other temples surrounding the national park at Angor Wat.

What I’m continually reminded of in scripture when I see what man has made from centuries ago is “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft…I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and it utensils…” Exodus 31:1-11

Scripture outlines every detail of the temple that God had man build for his glory, which later held the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, that were written with the finger of God. Exodus 31:18

From what I can see today, many of the temples in Southeast Asia, especially Angor Wat, closely resemble the temple God outlined in the Word to his people, but sadly, these Hindu and Buddhist temples were not built for him. They were built to serve their gods; gods made of stone, with no ears to hear, eyes to see, or mouth to answer. Our tour guide, Lex, described the layout out of the original Hindu high altar, which sounded to me as though he were reading from the Bible, but I knew that was not the case.

As we toured Angor Wat, Lex described how the moat was built to keep the foundation firmly in place and even today, centuries later, when the compass is placed in the middle of the temple, it sits at 0 degrees. In man’s eyes, perfection. How? God gave man every ability to create and design. Every wall, ceiling, and crevice of Angor Wat had carvings. Each “block” fit like a glove, or like he told us, like a lego. No cement or mud was used to hold them in place centuries ago. They were carved with perfection so that when each block was placed on one another, they fit perfectly so they would not slide. Any block that might slide due to its positioning, such as a tower or statue standing upright for instance, had holes drilled in them for a pole to be inserted, or what we call today, a dowel, placed down the middle to secure them upright.

Up until the 12th century, Cambodia was primarily Hindu and today, is mostly Buddhist. When I saw the Great Pyramids of Egypt back in 1998 I felt much the same way I did after seeing Angor Wat. From a human perspective, it’s hard to comprehend how man could have built this enormous structure in just 37 years, with the precision and detail that they did without modern technology. They didn’t just slap on plain, gray blocks. Each block had carvings and were placed with purpose and with exquisite detail.

There is much sadness walking amongst these ruins. One, they still use sections of it today for their Buddhist rituals. Also, like the Israelites from long ago, there is no hope in their temple and all the work they put into their temple is like scripture states, “where moth and dust corrupts.” Matthew 6:19 There is no hope in their god or their religion. In fact, in Buddhism, there are many wonderful attributes and qualities one can strive to attain, but with their goal to reach Karma, and hope to “reach” their ultimate destination, they never really know where “there” is or what that will be. They never really know, so they keep striving and hoping, never really knowing. How sad to come to the end of your life and just hope you got it right.

My friend, with Jesus, you do not have to guess where your salvation rest and ends. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through me.” And, once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we know without question we will see our Heavenly Father face to face one day, in heaven. He promises us a mansion in heaven. I don’t care how big or small it is; knowing I will be in heaven, where the Bible tells us there will be be no more tears or sorrows, a place filled with nothing but joy and happiness, and my God, is all the hope I need in this world.

How can you obtain this hope, this peace, the joy, and know with certainty where your destination is after death? Follow these easy steps that are outlined in the book of Romans, which is found in the New Testament:

First, you must recognize you are a sinner: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Secondly, believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for you. “But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Three, there’s nothing you can do to earn heaven. It’s free. Jesus already paid the price for you. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Fourth, if you believe, put your trust in Him and know there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. None! “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Romans 8:1

Fifth, confess and be saved. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

If you pray and confess your sins to Christ, put your faith in him, you are saved. You are His! God will transform you. The Bible states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Walk in righteousness and if you slip up, pray to the Lord, start over, and keep walking forward. Read your Bible and pray and the more you know of God, the more you will know of God, and you will begin to walk in his ways.

We are living in days where people are hungry to worship something and are seeking the supernatural but not the living God! Read your Bible and pray! Please be people of prayer and the Word and ask the Lord to give you God dreams. Ask him to help you interpret your dreams. Read more of the blog for tools from a Biblical perspective. God bless you. Teresa

Thumbnail print is a closed church in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Pray for the Buddhist in Southeast Asia to come to know Jesus. Check out Change the Map app to learn more and how to pray more specifically for this part of the world and get the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Thank you.