Dear brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of Jesus Christ.
Haggai 1:3-4, Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai
the prophet, saying: “Is it a time for you
yourselves
to live
in your
paneled houses,
while this house
lies in ruins?”.
Once upon a time, the Israelite were
building themselves very luxurious houses but they forgot to build and beatify the
house of the LORD. They were living in beautiful paneled or ceiling houses
while the temple of God was lying in ruins or waste. Then the word of God came
to them through Haggai reminding them to rebuild the temple of LORD.
The same word comes to us today, we people
of the last church we are building very luxurious houses for us to dwell in but
we forget to rebuild the Temple of God. Both: physical and spiritual temples. The
temples we go gathering together for praying and worshiping the LORD. It is not
necessarily that we should build or rebuild our local churches; we are supposed
to build any church whose teachings are the true teachings of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Let us join forces together and build LORD’s temples anywhere and
everywhere so that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His resurrection should be
preached to every living creature. It is very disappointing that nowadays
people are able contributing for ceremonies but unable contributing for the
work of the LORD. We should make the LORD our God known everywhere; let us
preach the good news together because this is what we were called for (Mark
16:15 & Matthew 10:7-8).
The word of the LORD continues, “Go
up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take
pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD” Haggai 1:8. Not
only the physical temples but also the spiritual temples and remember we are
the temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells whenever God the Father
and Jesus Christ the Son dwells. While building the physical temples, we are
supposed to build ourselves as we are the spiritual temples of the LORD. Let make our LORD take pleasure and be glorified in us.
“Do you not know that your bodies are
temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You
are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your
bodies” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
From the above verse from the Holy Bible,
we may be building beautiful and luxurious physical temples for the LORD but forgetting
our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit. As an individual, does your body
honors God? You were saved by the grace of God and sanctified by the blood of
Jesus Christ. Maintain purity, because purity will give you courage to preach
the good news, that gospel of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. If, as an
individual temple you are not pure how can you preach to others? How can you
preach what you are not doing? Actions preach louder than merely words.
Whenever building or rebuilding the physical
temple of the LORD remember to build or rebuild yourself as the spiritual
temple of the LORD. Whatever you want to do; speaking, wearing, and going/visiting
you should ask yourself the following questions: does this please the LORD? Does
this distinguish me from the world? If it does not please the LORD and it does
not distinguish you from the world, then forget it.
Be that light
and salt the LORD our good God created you to be. Let your life preach the good
news in Jesus name. Amen.
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