Psalm 97, 98, 99, 100; Ezra 4:1-5, 24; Haggai 1:1-2:23
Ezra records the account of God working through Cyrus king of Persia to actually send Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Unfortunately, once they got there, they were discouraged by bad guys and got distracted with constructing their own houses. So, God sent Haggai to bust their chops and get them back to business:
What was so significant about the LORD's temple in Jerusalem? Was he really that partial to a physical building? Or was it something more - something spiritual? I think the significance of the Temple is that was the container of Yahweh's Glorious Presence. The New Testament reveals that each of us is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and we collectively are the body of Christ:
So, we see from the New Testament that not only are we a part of God's spiritual "building" (I like to think of God as the perfect civil engineer), but we are to be engaged in His grand construction project! Instead, we get so distracted by nice houses, fast cars, and boats on the lake. And then we wonder why God doesn't bless our country-club style "churches". He would break loose if we would devote ourselves to His building project - the ONE TRUE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST!
I want to be focused on building the Church, for His glory and His fame alone.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that redirects me from my natural self-focus to a God centered focus. Lord, your Word reveals that your building project is to glorify yourself with the Church - the Branches of the True Vine, the Body of Christ, the pure Bride of Christ, and the Building on the Cornerstone. Father, please use me to build your Church; may I drop everything of my natural flesh and only depend on your Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts you have given me. Please encourage me and help me encourage others to labor in love for your Kingdom. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ezra records the account of God working through Cyrus king of Persia to actually send Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Unfortunately, once they got there, they were discouraged by bad guys and got distracted with constructing their own houses. So, God sent Haggai to bust their chops and get them back to business:
Haggai 1:2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' "
3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."
What was so significant about the LORD's temple in Jerusalem? Was he really that partial to a physical building? Or was it something more - something spiritual? I think the significance of the Temple is that was the container of Yahweh's Glorious Presence. The New Testament reveals that each of us is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and we collectively are the body of Christ:
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
So, we see from the New Testament that not only are we a part of God's spiritual "building" (I like to think of God as the perfect civil engineer), but we are to be engaged in His grand construction project! Instead, we get so distracted by nice houses, fast cars, and boats on the lake. And then we wonder why God doesn't bless our country-club style "churches". He would break loose if we would devote ourselves to His building project - the ONE TRUE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST!
I want to be focused on building the Church, for His glory and His fame alone.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that redirects me from my natural self-focus to a God centered focus. Lord, your Word reveals that your building project is to glorify yourself with the Church - the Branches of the True Vine, the Body of Christ, the pure Bride of Christ, and the Building on the Cornerstone. Father, please use me to build your Church; may I drop everything of my natural flesh and only depend on your Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts you have given me. Please encourage me and help me encourage others to labor in love for your Kingdom. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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