More Than A Church
4. God with Us.'I tell you that one greater than the temple is here' Matt. 12:6 (NIV).

God had said to us through the prophet Isaiah, 'This is what the LORD says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word' Is. 66:1,2 (NIV). Here the Lord is saying, 'I am everywhere in heaven and on earth. I cannot be contained in a house, temple or church. But there is one place that I come to rest. I reside in those individuals and groups who are humble, repentant and obedient to everything I say.'

When He was among us in Person Jesus was constantly attacked by the forces of Religion. Responding to the Jewish leaders, Jesus said, 'I tell you that one greater than the temple is here' Matt. 12:6 (NIV). In other words He is all that the temple represents and more. The temple reflects Jesus. Jesus does not reflect the temple. Jesus is always more than the temple, the church and the denomination. Jesus is Lord. THE AFFRONTING Jesus

God will not be monopolised by buildings, ministries or denominations. The Father is manifest in Jesus and Jesus is manifest in humble and obedient people through the agency of the Spirit. And God dwells with them. This is what irked the leaders in Jesus' day and it irks them today. It is why they oppose the renewing presence of Jesus in the church. The return of Jesus to His own temple is always seen as subversive to the religion of man. Because Jesus is Lord He will reign over His House and He will restore it to being a House of Prayer. The fact that God will not be owned by groups of humans; the fact that 'systems' are not synonymous with God; the fact that God is willing to dispense with them and infuse with His Presence and authority nobodies, who are intimate, humble and obedient is subversive and threatening to vested interests. With great annoyance they accused Jesus, 'We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’ Mark 14:58 (NIV). Not made by man! How appalling. How dreadful. How affronting to the religious. To those whose God in an organisation, the thought that a temple might arise not made by man, fills them with incredulity and fear.

ON ALL

At Pentecost the glory of the Lord filled a group of outcasts who had put their faith in Jesus. 'Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 'They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them' Acts 2:2,3 (NIV). The Presence of the Holy Spirit not only came into the house but He came into the people! It fell to Peter to explain that the Presence of God was not now limited to special people or particular places, but was to be poured out on all, without exception. 'I will pour out my Spirit in those days' Acts 2:16-18 (NIV).

THE HOLY OF HOLIES WAS NOW IN PEOPLE. People who believe that 'Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. On the rock of this belief is built The Church. And in this church dwells the Most High God. 'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own' 1Cor. 6:19 (NIV).

5. Preparing the Way of the Lord In the Renewal that is taking place in the Body of Christ today there are a number of Key scriptures that surface repeatedly. Collectively these scriptures embody a series of imperatives from the Lord to the Body of Christ. We have a call to humility and intimacy towards the Lord. A command to liberate the oppressed in the miracle working power of the Spirit. A call to prepare the way for the return of the Lord by bringing our lives into submission to Jesus and our doctrine into agreement with the Word of God. An admonition to throw off the flesh and learn to work for the Lord in the Spirit and to become Spirit directed emissaries of God. Jesus' intention in the following is quite clear:

The Call

[1]The Call to Intimacy: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2Chr. 7:14 (NIV).

[2] The Call to Liberty: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, Luke 4:18 (NIV)

[3] The Call to Heal: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matt. 10:8 (NIV)

[4] The Call to Prepare: (a) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.' Luke 1:17 (NIV) (B) 'A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth' Luke 3:3-5 (NIV).

[5] The Call to be Filled by My Spirit: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. Zech. 4:6 (NIV)

[6] The Call to Worship in Spirit and Truth: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.' John 4:24 (NIV)

[7] The Call to do Greater Works: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12 (KJV)

[8] The Call to Apostles: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' Is. 6:8 (NIV).

ASLAN AND THE STONE TABLE

There are two themes missing from this list that must take prominence before the coming revival can be released in power. The first is the supremacy of Jesus over the church, the world and the Enemy. The second is centrality of Jesus' cross in releasing servanthood, Kingdom power and authority into the world and over the Enemy.

[9]The Call to make Jesus Supreme: Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it' Matt. 16:17,18.

Recently a friend had a vision in which scores of people were busily engaged in bringing new life to Christians who had mistakenly placed their faith in religion in stead of in Christ. They were much involved in their ministry of resuscitation. However something made them look up. Their attention was directed to Jesus who stood at the front of the scene with arms outstretched in the shape of the cross.

[10] The Call to Live in the Power of the Cross: 'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God' 1Cor. 1:18 (NIV). May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world' Gal. 6:14 (NIV). And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross' Col. 2:15 (NIV).

Another friend had a vision in which the cross of Jesus became the mast of a ship, carrying many in the ' preparing the way-forerunner' ministry. The brownish red stripes of the sail on the ship were made from the blood of Jesus and the white stripes were made from the purity of His righteousness. The breeze of the Holy Spirit will guide and propel 'forerunners' to the places the Father wishes them to go.

6. Rebuilding the Temple '‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, Acts 15:16 (NIV)

For many years the Christian church has remained captive to ignorance of its power and authority in Christ. It has always had power but this had been lost sight of due to the influence of the so called 'enlightenment' and the undisputed advances made in the technological sphere. The authority of ordinary Christians in Jesus and through the equipping power of the Spirit is being recovered and Jesus as the Lord of glory is re-establishing His rightful position in the church as Head of the Body, as believers increasingly discover the importance of praise, worship and repentance and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit, particularly the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy.

A LIBERATED CHURCH

I found this passage in a Nelson's Expositor's Bible commentary and quote it here because it aptly expresses where the Church is 'at' today. 'After the Captivity, Joshua the high priest, of the sons of Zadok (Hag. 1:1), and Zerubbabel of the house of David, the governor appointed by Cyrus, led the rebuilding of the Temple.' As I said, the Christian Church is emerging from it's chrysalis into a new level of freedom in which the Lord will release supernatural power to cause it to fly like an eagle. We are looking at a liberated church.

Thus it is significant that, after the Captivity, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel led out in the rebuilding of the temple. There are some momentous features about this man. Joshua means 'Yahweh saves'. The name Jesus has the same meaning as Joshua. The name Joshua here should be read as a figure of Jesus and the work of rebuilding as a work that Jesus is carrying forward today. Joshua the high priest rebuilt the altar (Ezra 3:2). Jesus sanctified the altar by becoming the sacrifice and glorified the temple, saying 'A greater than Moses is here!' Joshua contended with those who sought to defeat the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4:1-3; 5:1-2). Jesus contended with those who had made the temple a market place. Today he returns to establish His Presence; to contend with those who rob the people by making the church merely a market place of ideas, doctrines and philosophies.

House of Prayer

At this present time, I believe the Lord is intent on rebuilding His house. His heart for His House is expressed in the book of Haggai.

1. There are those who see nothing amiss with the church as it is. Church suits them the way things are. They see those who want more of God in the church as fanatics. God contradicts this with the words: 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house, the Temple.’ ' Hagg. 1:2 NLT. I believe the Lord is saying to all today that THE TIME TO REBUILD HIS HOUSE IS NOW.

2. Many of us expend mind, body and spirit on our own interests and give God the left-overs. We sing the Hillsong, YOU ARE MY WORLD, when the reality is that Jesus is a minor part of our world. 'So the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 'Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?' Hagg. 1:3,4 NLT. In other words, 'WHY IS THE HOUSE OF SELF SO LARGE WHILE MY HOUSE IS A SHAMBLES?

3. The Lord is not talking to us here about a physical house or physical church. He is referring to His house in our hearts, a spiritual house that he wants built in the heart of each believer and in each Christian community. Jesus is also talking about the fact that to the extent that our churches are not places of prayer they are in a ruined state. The Lord will not tolerate this. He requires restoration.

4. 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord Hagg' 1:7,8 NLT. What does He mean by 'consider how things are going for you.'? The answer is seen in the preceding verses. 'You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up.' In other words the church of the present works hard but it amounts to nothing. This is because the focus of activities is on people, programs and formulas. The Martha church does not seek God's face. It's just busy. Instead Jesus says, 'Go up into the hills' is a figure of sitting at Jesus' feet, as did Mary. 'be still and know that I am God.' The mountain of the Lord is an image of intimate communion with Jesus in the Spirit. ASCENDING THE MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD IN PRAYER IS THE WAY TO BUILD A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS.

5. The people responded well to Haggai's message. 'The LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God' Hag. 1:14 (NIV). The house these people built was built with hands. Today the Lord asks us to join with him to build a spiritual house in the hearts of people, not made with hands or not in the flesh but filled with the Holy Spirit. What is the end result of the building of this temple? 'Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. '‘From this day on I will bless you’' Hag. 2:19 (NIV). This is the path to fruitfulness.

7. A Greater than Moses is Here! 'I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown' Ezek. 44:4 (NIV)

There are 'godly' people who toil in the cause of the Lord. They pray and even run prayer ministries. Yet when genuine spirituality comes among them, they are offended and they oppose it vehemently. In doing this they rob God. They are adherents of a temple made with hands. Genuine spirituality is imbued with Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is simple, pure, liberating and powerful. Real spirituality is life-giving. When it comes among us it divides. Why does it divide? The coming of the Spirit of Jesus reveals who is actuated by the spirit of religion and who has the 'mind of Christ.'

Jesus, the Branch is today building a temple not made with hands. Repeatedly He has told man. 'Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' declares the LORD. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word' Is. 66:1,2 (NIV). 'The Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says..' Acts 7:48 (NIV). 'The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit' Psa. 34:18 (NIV). 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 'Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me' Matt. 5:3,11 (NIV).

ZADOK This temple will be built not by the might or power of man, but by the Spirit of God. They will minister in the tradition of Zadok. What is the tradition of Zadok? The original Zadok was a priest of God for David during the time he was pursued by Saul. This man was also the priest who remained faithful to David when the entire nation, save a few, sided with the rebellion of Absalom against his father. The Lord holds those in the tradition of Zadok in high regard for their loyalty in the face of almost universal apostasy. Scripture records, 'But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God' Ezek. 44:15 (KJV). Jesus is calling, mentoring and preparing people to minister in the tradition of Zadok today.

Ministers in The House of Prayer for All Nations will draw near to God. They stand before him in loyalty and innocence. They are not 'fence sitters' whose careers and allegiance to a denomination are more important to them than the pure word of God. Neither have they, or will they be actuated by the spirit of humanism rather than the Spirit of God (Ezek. 44:7 (KJV). They are given honour in the House of Prayer because they will not rob God and the people by their attachment to intellectual religion and the paraphernalia that supports it. They will be those 'who are as true to Bible truth as the needle to the pole'. They will have the courage and spirit of David, the innocence and reforming zeal of Josiah. And they will minister literally in the Spirit and power of Elijah.

JOSHUA

Joshua the temple restorer came from the family of Zadoc (Jehozadak). The line of Zadok had been foretold by God in His rebuke to Eli through a prophet. God said, 'Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ 1Sam. 2:29 (NIV). Today this rebuke to Eli and his sons refers to the penchant for using the name of Jesus and the needs of the people to build our own empires and ministries. Speaking directly to this issue the Lord says as He had said through the prophet to Eli, 'I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests… Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I tell him to do' 1 Sam 2:31,35 NLT.

Samuel began to grow and God began to speak to him: 'Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening.’ ' So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, your servant is listening.' 1 Sam 3:9,10 NLT. 'Yes, your servant is listening. Samuel had a servant heart and he listened to God. Samuel represents A PROPHETIC - LISTENING TO GOD - SERVANT - MINISTRY. 'Samuel was among those who called on his [God's] name; they called on the LORD and he answered them' Psa. 99:6 (NIV).

SAMUEL

Samuel grew up to anoint as kings both Saul and David. He can be seen as a figure of the prophetic ministry that presides in a time of transition between those that have lost the anointing through disobedience and those who have gained it through intimacy and obedience. Samuel anointed Saul to be king, told him that he had lost his authority due to disobedience and anointed David in his place. Hadyn Olsen writes, 'King Saul cared more for the outward appearances of success and power than for obedience to God's word. He would obey God as long as it suited him and as long as it didn't threaten his own ambitions and desires to be successful in the eyes of the people. God's will and His purposes are often compromised for the sake of human interest and human traditions.'

DAVID

David knew nothing of Saul's ways. He hadn't been in any of Saul's training schools. He didn't know how to even polish his armour let alone wear it into battle. All David knew, he had learned out there amongst the ordinary circumstances of daily life. He had learned the simple things of truth, love and faithfulness … Likewise God is preparing a people today. They are nothing now. Some have left denominations, some are still amongst them wondering why it is that they no longer feel a part of it all any more. They can no longer get excited by the latest seminar or out-reach. Instead they sigh and groan at the lack of God's presence in the church, and they are grieved by the way human power has filled the gap. When David arrived on the scene, he had no organisation backing him. There were no credentials or any such thing. There was only the anointing. God knew where He wanted David to be. God brought things together as He always does.... in the fullness of time. David could stand before Goliath because God was with him.' (Hadyn Olsen, published on the Elijah List).

The Tabernacle of David is a faithful priesthood. It is listening priesthood. It is also a worshiping priesthood. The priesthood of Zadoc minsters in the tabernacle of David, which in figure today is being restored today by Joshua and Zerubbabel.

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