Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Temple Of God 5

""Principles to remember: Before you start to build anything you should purpose in your heart to finish it.

God made a promise to Solomon and all Israel while he (Solomon) was building the Temple." 

Once the Temple is built, it is to be a house of submission, prayer, praise and worship."


Next we are going to move on to 2 Chronicles 7:19-20.
God inhabits the praises of His people from the Temple of God.  Their prayers and sacrifices offered in obedience are answered. 

2 Chronicles 7:19-20
“But if ye turn away, and forsake My statutes and My commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go  and serve other gods, and worship them;
V20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of My land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for My name, will I cast it out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all nations.”

As important as the Temple of God was, it was no good to God, if it was defiled.  An holy Temple, filled with unholy people, made the Temple unholy.  And God was willing to destroy the Temple built for Him if it was desecrated.

Where does the Temple of God reside today?
Your right, within you. 

Go to 1 Corinthians 3:9-17
There are a lot of parallels between the Temple of God built in Jerusalem and the Temple that we are building for God.

If you like to underline, get ready to underline a few key points in these passages.
1 Corinthians 3:9-17
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
V10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth theron.  But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
V11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
V12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
V13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the
fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
V14 If any man;’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
V15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
V16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
V17 If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which Temple ye are.”

What once was a temple built of cedars and stone and gold precious stones - is now a temple of flesh and bone and soul and spirit. 

Jesus has entrusted you to build His Church by first building His Temple, not alone, but by the Holy Spirit.

We learned from the building of the Temple of God at Jerusalem that:
1. Before you start to build anything, you should purpose in your heart to finish it.
2. God made a promise to Solomon and all Israel while he was building the Temple. 
3. The Temple is not really completed until it is dedicated to God.

4. Once the Temple is built, it is to be a house of submission, prayer, praise & worship."


Excerpt from The Temple Of God by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2016

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