The Functioning Temple
All We Have Is An Altar?
Have you ever faced situations in your life where you just said, "Lord! I don't know if I can go on?" We'll I have and still do at times. One thing that I learned through tough times is that it's not the foundation of myself that is going to get me through those hard times. It’s not holding to the teachings alone without having that pure relationship and fellowship with Christ that’s going to cause me to grow in the Lord. It's the foundation of Christ Jesus that's going to carry me through. In Ezra 3:3 the first 50,000 Jews came back to Jerusalem after a 70 year bondage in captivity. It was under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel was a great righteous governor, and Joshua was a High Priest. Then 80 years later Ezra came with another 3,000 Jews to Jerusalem in the rebuilding of the temple. Then we have Nehemiah some years later to rebuild the wall. One thing I want us to see is that when the first 50,000 Jews got to Jerusalem in Ezra 3:3, they didn't have anything built as of yet, but they had hope. All they had was an altar. They placed the altar upon the foundation when they got there, and they offered burnt offerings to the Lord. You may be at a place today where you are just tired and worn out by life, but you can say with me, "All I have is an altar!" Our altar may be in the car, in our prayer closet, or wherever it may be, God will be there. It's more than just having an altar. We need to praise God with the realization that we have a foundation that is unshakable. It is the foundation of Christ Jesus, and Christ is the sure foundation that absolutely cannot be shaken. There are times in our lives as christians that we have to place our faith and trust upon that foundation, and when we find ourselves at a place of no hope, we can turn our focus upon that sure foundation which is Jesus Christ. My friend, don't lose focus. If you do, you can praise and worship God now upon that beautiful foundation that is a powerful foundation.
Prayer:
Lord we come to you now and pray for your strength. All we have is an altar Lord, but we bow down to your throne and pray that you would lift us up out of the bondages we have. Raise us up out of our dispair, and guide us by your spirit. Amen
by Keith Edwards
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Functioning Temple As The church November 28th Weekly Devotional by Keith Edwards
Read:
Ephesians 2:19-21
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
The church As The Temple
a Good picture of the church comes from the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, but before that he was pastor of Washington D.C.'s large Fourth Presbyterian Church. He had been leading that church for years when suddenly, one night, he saw his church clearly for the very first time. He was flying into Washington one day at dusk. At that time the approach path to Washington's Reagan National Airport happened to pass directly over Fourth Presbyterian Church. He pressed his face against the window to catch a glimpse of the building from the air. But everything on the ground was shrouded in the shadows falling over the city as the sun set. Dick could not find his church. He leaned back in his seat, gazing at the Washington skyline, always an inspiring sight. As his eyes followed the Potomac River, he could see the skyscrapers of Rosslyn, just across Key Bridge from Georgetown. Then, in the distance to the left, the White House, the lights of the Labor Department, the distant glow of the Capitol dome. As he stared out the window, he began mentally ticking off the names of members of his congregation who worked in those office buildings and government bureaus. Disciples he had equipped to live their faith. And suddenly it hit him. "Of course!" he exclaimed to the startled passenger in the next seat. "There it is! Fourth Presbyterian Church!" You see a church isn't marked by a sanctuary or steeple. The church was poured out into homes, Washington, and neighborhoods. I want you to see yourself looking below the plane today. How many lives have you impacted in some way or another. You look down and you can't seem to find your church, but you see your school where you might have impacted someone. Then you see a large building where you led someone to Christ. As you are flying a little further, you see a neighborhood where you might have led a cell group, or touched someone. Maybe you haven't made an impact like you needed to as a Christian, and you want to. Just look below the plane today. There is opportunity waiting for you. You can make a difference as being part of the church.
There are 3 things that I want us to reflect on as we go forward with the Functioning Temple series.
1. Connection- We need to connect greater than ever with our home church. The church should be teaching God's truth of course, but it's time as the temple that we connect in a healthy way. There is such a power in connecting a the church.
2. Motivation- We need to be motivated to go out of the church and hit our community. We shouldn't stay within the 4 walls of the building and expect to see a change in our community and nation. We can each make a difference. We need to be motivated by God's spirit and the 5-fold ministry in the church to feed the poor, help the widows, orphanages, and win lost souls for the Lord Jesus.
3. Revelation- We need a fresh revelation of how God builds. God builds generationally, relationally, and by revelation. When we get fresh revelation of how God builds, then we can enter that placement that God has got for us as part of the body of Christ.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you give us a new perspective outlook on where we all fit in as the church. Give us that revelation to plug in to the church in a healthy way, and allow our gifts and talents that you have given us unfold before us as we connect to the body of Christ the right way, amen.
by Keith Edwards
Ephesians 2:19-21
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
The church As The Temple
a Good picture of the church comes from the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, but before that he was pastor of Washington D.C.'s large Fourth Presbyterian Church. He had been leading that church for years when suddenly, one night, he saw his church clearly for the very first time. He was flying into Washington one day at dusk. At that time the approach path to Washington's Reagan National Airport happened to pass directly over Fourth Presbyterian Church. He pressed his face against the window to catch a glimpse of the building from the air. But everything on the ground was shrouded in the shadows falling over the city as the sun set. Dick could not find his church. He leaned back in his seat, gazing at the Washington skyline, always an inspiring sight. As his eyes followed the Potomac River, he could see the skyscrapers of Rosslyn, just across Key Bridge from Georgetown. Then, in the distance to the left, the White House, the lights of the Labor Department, the distant glow of the Capitol dome. As he stared out the window, he began mentally ticking off the names of members of his congregation who worked in those office buildings and government bureaus. Disciples he had equipped to live their faith. And suddenly it hit him. "Of course!" he exclaimed to the startled passenger in the next seat. "There it is! Fourth Presbyterian Church!" You see a church isn't marked by a sanctuary or steeple. The church was poured out into homes, Washington, and neighborhoods. I want you to see yourself looking below the plane today. How many lives have you impacted in some way or another. You look down and you can't seem to find your church, but you see your school where you might have impacted someone. Then you see a large building where you led someone to Christ. As you are flying a little further, you see a neighborhood where you might have led a cell group, or touched someone. Maybe you haven't made an impact like you needed to as a Christian, and you want to. Just look below the plane today. There is opportunity waiting for you. You can make a difference as being part of the church.
There are 3 things that I want us to reflect on as we go forward with the Functioning Temple series.
1. Connection- We need to connect greater than ever with our home church. The church should be teaching God's truth of course, but it's time as the temple that we connect in a healthy way. There is such a power in connecting a the church.
2. Motivation- We need to be motivated to go out of the church and hit our community. We shouldn't stay within the 4 walls of the building and expect to see a change in our community and nation. We can each make a difference. We need to be motivated by God's spirit and the 5-fold ministry in the church to feed the poor, help the widows, orphanages, and win lost souls for the Lord Jesus.
3. Revelation- We need a fresh revelation of how God builds. God builds generationally, relationally, and by revelation. When we get fresh revelation of how God builds, then we can enter that placement that God has got for us as part of the body of Christ.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you give us a new perspective outlook on where we all fit in as the church. Give us that revelation to plug in to the church in a healthy way, and allow our gifts and talents that you have given us unfold before us as we connect to the body of Christ the right way, amen.
by Keith Edwards
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Time Management November 14 weekly devotional
Read:
Proverbs 3:6
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths
In 2008 my wife and I started a cleaning business. We walked into a great contract getting some great clients from sports stars, lawyers, doctors etc. but we got too busy with trying to weigh out the business, home life, kids, ministry and so forth. God spoke to me about my busy schedule and I found myself at the throne of God repenting for putting ministry, music, business and other things before Him and my family. I finally hired a new employee and cut back on hours. The first week I did God began to speak to me fresh and anew again in a way I haven't heard from Him in about 2 years because of the busy schedule. I said all of this to speak to many today in the body of Christ to examine your life. I want to bring forth some things I feel like the Lord spoke to my heart concerning my personal life as a believer and to the body of Christ today. There are three things that I feel like God spoke about us as the body of Christ in this hour we are living in.
1. Time Management:
Time management is very powerful. We can be over-committed and under-connected as a believer. This can cause great strain on your family, and it will also cause our hearts to become hard to God's voice. We find ourselves pushing the envelope and we start trying to fill that void within us that only God can fill again. In these last days God wants us to get plenty of rest and concentrate on managing our time better so we can enjoy the richness of our devotion to Him and our family.
2. Financial Management:
This is one of the greatest opportunities that we as the body of Christ need to examine. Financial debt will cause great pain in a family, and will also cause us to chase things instead of trusting God. In the upcoming year God wants us to manage our finances better than ever. Those who are not managing there finances need to get a plan together and begin to budget. God wants all of us as the body of Christ to get a budget plan for our finances. This will cause a great peace to come upon us so that we can enjoy our time with family and concentrate on our walk with the Lord without worrying about debts. I want to speak something to us as the body of Christ though. If we have gotten in a mess it takes time for restoration in our finances. The greatest weapon the enemy will put before us is discouragement. God is our "Wall Of Fire" around us as we go forth in restoration for our finances.
3. Hearing God' voice:
As we make changes concerning time management and financial management, we will begin to hear God's voice again in a new and fresh way. He will speak to us as His body and we will get a clear direction as we walk along that path with Him. However, we have to be careful to not get discouraged as believer's as we go "through" that restoration in our walk with God. It takes time, but we will continue to go around that same mountain with Daddy God if we don't see things in a new perspective.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you and ask that you will direct us in a mighty way as we acknowledge you in a mighty way. Help us to have time management, and help us to gather up the strength by your grace concerning our finances. We long God to hear your voice today and the upcoming years in our walk with you, building as living stones a temple that you desire to show your glory in, amen.
Proverbs 3:6
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths
In 2008 my wife and I started a cleaning business. We walked into a great contract getting some great clients from sports stars, lawyers, doctors etc. but we got too busy with trying to weigh out the business, home life, kids, ministry and so forth. God spoke to me about my busy schedule and I found myself at the throne of God repenting for putting ministry, music, business and other things before Him and my family. I finally hired a new employee and cut back on hours. The first week I did God began to speak to me fresh and anew again in a way I haven't heard from Him in about 2 years because of the busy schedule. I said all of this to speak to many today in the body of Christ to examine your life. I want to bring forth some things I feel like the Lord spoke to my heart concerning my personal life as a believer and to the body of Christ today. There are three things that I feel like God spoke about us as the body of Christ in this hour we are living in.
1. Time Management:
Time management is very powerful. We can be over-committed and under-connected as a believer. This can cause great strain on your family, and it will also cause our hearts to become hard to God's voice. We find ourselves pushing the envelope and we start trying to fill that void within us that only God can fill again. In these last days God wants us to get plenty of rest and concentrate on managing our time better so we can enjoy the richness of our devotion to Him and our family.
2. Financial Management:
This is one of the greatest opportunities that we as the body of Christ need to examine. Financial debt will cause great pain in a family, and will also cause us to chase things instead of trusting God. In the upcoming year God wants us to manage our finances better than ever. Those who are not managing there finances need to get a plan together and begin to budget. God wants all of us as the body of Christ to get a budget plan for our finances. This will cause a great peace to come upon us so that we can enjoy our time with family and concentrate on our walk with the Lord without worrying about debts. I want to speak something to us as the body of Christ though. If we have gotten in a mess it takes time for restoration in our finances. The greatest weapon the enemy will put before us is discouragement. God is our "Wall Of Fire" around us as we go forth in restoration for our finances.
3. Hearing God' voice:
As we make changes concerning time management and financial management, we will begin to hear God's voice again in a new and fresh way. He will speak to us as His body and we will get a clear direction as we walk along that path with Him. However, we have to be careful to not get discouraged as believer's as we go "through" that restoration in our walk with God. It takes time, but we will continue to go around that same mountain with Daddy God if we don't see things in a new perspective.
Prayer:
Lord, we come to you and ask that you will direct us in a mighty way as we acknowledge you in a mighty way. Help us to have time management, and help us to gather up the strength by your grace concerning our finances. We long God to hear your voice today and the upcoming years in our walk with you, building as living stones a temple that you desire to show your glory in, amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Functioning Temple
Reconstruction of Jerusalem in Our Life, Home, and Church”
In 457 B.C. King of Persia issued the decree for the restoration of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is completed in 408 B.C. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the prophets had in their heart something that we need to have in our heart. It is building the body as a temple and revival, for revival should be a lifestyle. We need to be focused on the whole body of Christ, instead of just focusing on our own needs. God wants to help us reconstruct the Jerusalem’s in our hearts, families, and church. Let’s rebuild Jerusalem in our life, rebuild the heart of worship at mount Zion, and let’s build together as living stones a wall that can't be broken; a wall that separates the prejudice spirits, and binds us together as one. James speaks of this very plainly in the crushing silence. Acts chapter 15:16 15: And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16: After this I will return, and will rebuild again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up. He tells them that God is God of Jews and Gentiles. We need to stop being the lone rangers in the spirit, and “plug” into the church with not only being servants in the church, but equipped soldiers for the lost and or the Kingdom of God. We need to be concerned with the body of Christ as a whole. Let’s bind together as one. When we submit to God first, all of our needs will be met, and our visions and dreams of what God has placed in us will come forth when we realize that we are a family, and that we are one. As the faithfulness and committment to our home church increases, so shall our gifts and callings begin to go forth in a mighty way. God builds relationally. This is the time to start worshiping the Lord continually. We will see mighty things manifest in our lives when we worship the Lord and get into his presence daily. I feel like God is speaking to me that it is time for his saints to increase their devotional life with him, and understand that restoration of worship is needed. There are prayerful Ezra’s that need to rise up and lead prayer for our nation, and we need to repent of the sin of mixed marriages of the sin concerning comfort in our church, and this has paralyzed the holy seed in it’s tracks. The holy seed was very important to God with the reconstruction of Jerusalem then,, as it is with the holy seed today concerning the great commission, to go out and evangelize to this lost and dying world. The comfortable and complacent spirit has got to be destroyed, and the great commission needs to be refined by the encouragement and words from ministers of God. We are in great need for the true prophetic voice in the church today. We are in great need for a fresh word. God is wanting for the reconstruction of Jerusalem some Haggai’s, Zechariah’s, and Malachai's to speak to the body of Christ some words of encouragement. I feel in my spirit that the temple today has been delayed just as it was when Haggai and Zechariah came on the scene. They told them to start building. One of the reasons for the delay is where our nation is today. It was really no different then as it is today; just that we face more of a deceptive spirit then what they were facing then. As the prayers of the saints grow stronger, the deception of our nation over us will become weaker, and we can become fruitful even in the land of affliction. There is a prayer bubbling up in my spirit, and it is this prayer. “Bind us together Lord with a unity spirit. Bind us together Lord to build, and move upon the five fold ministry to equip the saints to go and evangelize. Lord I pray that the five fold ministry will be under the careful eye of yourself. In Jesus name we pray.”
In 457 B.C. King of Persia issued the decree for the restoration of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is completed in 408 B.C. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the prophets had in their heart something that we need to have in our heart. It is building the body as a temple and revival, for revival should be a lifestyle. We need to be focused on the whole body of Christ, instead of just focusing on our own needs. God wants to help us reconstruct the Jerusalem’s in our hearts, families, and church. Let’s rebuild Jerusalem in our life, rebuild the heart of worship at mount Zion, and let’s build together as living stones a wall that can't be broken; a wall that separates the prejudice spirits, and binds us together as one. James speaks of this very plainly in the crushing silence. Acts chapter 15:16 15: And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16: After this I will return, and will rebuild again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up. He tells them that God is God of Jews and Gentiles. We need to stop being the lone rangers in the spirit, and “plug” into the church with not only being servants in the church, but equipped soldiers for the lost and or the Kingdom of God. We need to be concerned with the body of Christ as a whole. Let’s bind together as one. When we submit to God first, all of our needs will be met, and our visions and dreams of what God has placed in us will come forth when we realize that we are a family, and that we are one. As the faithfulness and committment to our home church increases, so shall our gifts and callings begin to go forth in a mighty way. God builds relationally. This is the time to start worshiping the Lord continually. We will see mighty things manifest in our lives when we worship the Lord and get into his presence daily. I feel like God is speaking to me that it is time for his saints to increase their devotional life with him, and understand that restoration of worship is needed. There are prayerful Ezra’s that need to rise up and lead prayer for our nation, and we need to repent of the sin of mixed marriages of the sin concerning comfort in our church, and this has paralyzed the holy seed in it’s tracks. The holy seed was very important to God with the reconstruction of Jerusalem then,, as it is with the holy seed today concerning the great commission, to go out and evangelize to this lost and dying world. The comfortable and complacent spirit has got to be destroyed, and the great commission needs to be refined by the encouragement and words from ministers of God. We are in great need for the true prophetic voice in the church today. We are in great need for a fresh word. God is wanting for the reconstruction of Jerusalem some Haggai’s, Zechariah’s, and Malachai's to speak to the body of Christ some words of encouragement. I feel in my spirit that the temple today has been delayed just as it was when Haggai and Zechariah came on the scene. They told them to start building. One of the reasons for the delay is where our nation is today. It was really no different then as it is today; just that we face more of a deceptive spirit then what they were facing then. As the prayers of the saints grow stronger, the deception of our nation over us will become weaker, and we can become fruitful even in the land of affliction. There is a prayer bubbling up in my spirit, and it is this prayer. “Bind us together Lord with a unity spirit. Bind us together Lord to build, and move upon the five fold ministry to equip the saints to go and evangelize. Lord I pray that the five fold ministry will be under the careful eye of yourself. In Jesus name we pray.”
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