God's House Part 1

"The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the LORD of hosts.” Haggai 2:9

What a fascinating word to hear. Many believers have heard this statement and have shouted praises to the Lord on this verse alone. The truth of the matter, there is a lot that went on before this word.

Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
6 “ You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! Haggai 1:3-7a

The portion of scripture found earlier in Haggai is something every believer should consider. The question the Lord had in verse 4 is one major key. Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple in ruins?

Today there are churches all over the world and especially in the United States that are just barely hanging on because the leadership and the people have chosen to focus more on their own interests rather than the interests of the household of faith. But that's not the real issue.

We see in verse 6 that not a lot of good was happening among the God's people because their attention to God's house was secondary. Now this might sound a little harsh but God does want all of His children to give His house priority. In a day where many believers are challenged some might think God would give us some slack. But we have to remember we are His children on His mission.

So is God overly concerned that we be concerned about "a building?" In Haggai's time the representation of God was more closely associated with the location of where His presence was found. Today we know His presence is found in us. To answer the question, buildings where we worship God in a general assembly serve well in the accommodation of groups too large for homes.

Our aim should be to see the people within our sphere of influence come to know Jesus in an intimate and personal way. The temple we talk about today has more to do with us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The question today is, are we allowing the temple of the Holy Spirit to be used for our own pleasure more than for God's purpose? This is a serious question.

More to come...

Pastor Cedric
(909) 263 4569
Skype: cedreynolds