THE HOUSE OF THE LORD (Psalm 122)
Psalm 122:1
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Some have erroneously thought that the house of God is a physical place, where they go to meet with God. Thus we see many holy inside the building but abominable outside.
Matthew 23:25-26
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.[Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Does this not describe some gatherings?
Now when David wrote this Psalm he hadn't built the temple, God did not permit Him to, yet He worshipped God properly and with the highest praise.
I remember my days as a fellowship president. We went to see our Dean and Ven. for financial assistance from the Diocese to help us build a make shift shelter where we could gather to worship without unnecessary embarrassment from trying to get a slot on the campus church building. We used to meet at the cafeteria, but the school had abolished the use of the place for religious gatherings. He did not grant us, but gave us the story of how they as young people survived their campus days without the said structure and still succeeded to fellowship. Though it was painful at that time but we endured the difficulty. We learnt and understood what Jesus said:
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
It was not how big, comfortable or furnished the auditorium was, but the hearts of those who gathered.
Acts 7:48-50
However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord.
‘Could you build me such a resting place? Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’
The great men that imparted our lives from the time of the resurrection of Christ were not limited to gigantic buildings or structures if they did, the gospel would never have gotten as far as it did.
What do we get from large, decorative, over-furnished structures?. . .
Christians who cannot evangelize, filled with envy, money babblers, mediocre meetings and gatherings, fund raisings and bazaars etc.
We now have denominations with schools and hospitals that their members cannot afford. Where did they learn this from. Most of them leaders enjoyed free education and medical care from the missionaries who brought the message to Africa. Who is their example?
Not that we do not need the buildings and structure but we should remember that they would all be destroyed. It is the souls that matter.
2 Peter 3:11
[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,
So next time you read Psalm 122, understand that God has come to dwell in our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
John 4:21, 23-24
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
There is no how you will claim to have God's Spirit in you without having His nature, yes His fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23,25
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
What is the kingdom of God about? It is not a church building or a denomination.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The true rejoicing David talked about in Psalm 122:1 is the JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rejoice always in the Holy Spirit. When we now come together in fellowship nothing can stop us from fulfilling the will of the Lord. Glory.
The Lord bless and keep His church. Thank you Heavenly Father, thank You Lord Jesus.
Glory to God.
He calls us blessed.
Love
@the watcher.
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Some have erroneously thought that the house of God is a physical place, where they go to meet with God. Thus we see many holy inside the building but abominable outside.
Matthew 23:25-26
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.[Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Does this not describe some gatherings?
Now when David wrote this Psalm he hadn't built the temple, God did not permit Him to, yet He worshipped God properly and with the highest praise.
I remember my days as a fellowship president. We went to see our Dean and Ven. for financial assistance from the Diocese to help us build a make shift shelter where we could gather to worship without unnecessary embarrassment from trying to get a slot on the campus church building. We used to meet at the cafeteria, but the school had abolished the use of the place for religious gatherings. He did not grant us, but gave us the story of how they as young people survived their campus days without the said structure and still succeeded to fellowship. Though it was painful at that time but we endured the difficulty. We learnt and understood what Jesus said:
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
It was not how big, comfortable or furnished the auditorium was, but the hearts of those who gathered.
Acts 7:48-50
However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord.
‘Could you build me such a resting place? Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’
The great men that imparted our lives from the time of the resurrection of Christ were not limited to gigantic buildings or structures if they did, the gospel would never have gotten as far as it did.
What do we get from large, decorative, over-furnished structures?. . .
Christians who cannot evangelize, filled with envy, money babblers, mediocre meetings and gatherings, fund raisings and bazaars etc.
We now have denominations with schools and hospitals that their members cannot afford. Where did they learn this from. Most of them leaders enjoyed free education and medical care from the missionaries who brought the message to Africa. Who is their example?
Not that we do not need the buildings and structure but we should remember that they would all be destroyed. It is the souls that matter.
2 Peter 3:11
[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,
So next time you read Psalm 122, understand that God has come to dwell in our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
John 4:21, 23-24
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
There is no how you will claim to have God's Spirit in you without having His nature, yes His fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23,25
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
What is the kingdom of God about? It is not a church building or a denomination.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The true rejoicing David talked about in Psalm 122:1 is the JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rejoice always in the Holy Spirit. When we now come together in fellowship nothing can stop us from fulfilling the will of the Lord. Glory.
The Lord bless and keep His church. Thank you Heavenly Father, thank You Lord Jesus.
Glory to God.
He calls us blessed.
Love
@the watcher.
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