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

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.