Community
God is not looking for one or two here and there to build Him a house of prayer. God is looking for communities of people to covenant with Him at cost...in overwhelming generosity. Each one individually seeing the cause of the destruction all around them and drawing near to God voluntarily.
God isn't looking for any person to build Him a house. He is looking for His body...his own hands and feet...to work as a body to build it.
He is the head. Everyone that signs up is the body. The work is not in vain if the head is the leader of each part.
God is a covenant God. Each person individually enters into a covenant with Him. A community is blessed when the righteous...those in covenant...bless it.
We bless the House of God, and God himself, by seeing that what He has given is not for us alone, but for a family in God.
This is the point of the tithe, and the offerings, and the commitment necessary to build a House of Prayer. It is the correct context of doing the Sermon on The Mount in community. You can't do the Sermon on the Mount outside of community...it is all about loving God with everything, and that overflowing as blessing to those around you.
It isn't all on you, but your part is on you.
It's costly
It's different
It's commitment
It's painful at times
It is messy
It is real
It changes the heart
It requires excessive generosity of time, money, and spirit
It requires forgiveness
It requires humility
It is rest
It is satisfying
It will last forever
The prophesy in Amos 9 is that God would shake Israel among the nations, those who loved God would respond, and the Tabernacle of David would be rebuilt as in 'the days of old'...physically. Jesus said it wouldn't be on this ' mountain or that mountain ' (Gerazim or Moriah) but everywhere Spirit and Truth were employed to worship God.
This is the time prophesied. There is only one way to walk in agreement with God in this hour, as we see the day approaching. It is described in Hebrews 10.
The new covenant isn't just about a personal salvation experience. It is about deeper individual leadership into a community restoration.
Hebrews 10:16“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the LORD:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,
22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.
27There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
30For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”He also said,
“The LORD will judge his own people.”
31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.
33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.
34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!
36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37“For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”
39But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Jesus is coming back for a Bride that prays night and day, together:
Luke 18:7“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
8“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The glory of the latter will be greater than the former. Below describes the former, in Nehemiah's day 2500 years ago...what the Bride will do will be greater...she will lay down more, because she has so much more...the very Spirit of Jesus inside:
Nehemiah 10:1Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.
10Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
14The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—
29these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:
30We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
31if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.
32Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.
34We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God as it is written in the Law.
35And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
36to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
37to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.
38And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.
39For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.
We are all running out of time to learn how to live in heaven.
...As we see the day approaching...
"Them" isn't the problem, "us" is.
God isn't looking for any person to build Him a house. He is looking for His body...his own hands and feet...to work as a body to build it.
He is the head. Everyone that signs up is the body. The work is not in vain if the head is the leader of each part.
God is a covenant God. Each person individually enters into a covenant with Him. A community is blessed when the righteous...those in covenant...bless it.
We bless the House of God, and God himself, by seeing that what He has given is not for us alone, but for a family in God.
This is the point of the tithe, and the offerings, and the commitment necessary to build a House of Prayer. It is the correct context of doing the Sermon on The Mount in community. You can't do the Sermon on the Mount outside of community...it is all about loving God with everything, and that overflowing as blessing to those around you.
It isn't all on you, but your part is on you.
It's costly
It's different
It's commitment
It's painful at times
It is messy
It is real
It changes the heart
It requires excessive generosity of time, money, and spirit
It requires forgiveness
It requires humility
It is rest
It is satisfying
It will last forever
The prophesy in Amos 9 is that God would shake Israel among the nations, those who loved God would respond, and the Tabernacle of David would be rebuilt as in 'the days of old'...physically. Jesus said it wouldn't be on this ' mountain or that mountain ' (Gerazim or Moriah) but everywhere Spirit and Truth were employed to worship God.
This is the time prophesied. There is only one way to walk in agreement with God in this hour, as we see the day approaching. It is described in Hebrews 10.
The new covenant isn't just about a personal salvation experience. It is about deeper individual leadership into a community restoration.
Hebrews 10:16“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the LORD:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
19And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
20By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
21And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house,
22let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
26Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.
27There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
30For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”He also said,
“The LORD will judge his own people.”
31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.
33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.
34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
35So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!
36Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37“For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”
39But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Jesus is coming back for a Bride that prays night and day, together:
Luke 18:7“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
8“I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
The glory of the latter will be greater than the former. Below describes the former, in Nehemiah's day 2500 years ago...what the Bride will do will be greater...she will lay down more, because she has so much more...the very Spirit of Jesus inside:
Nehemiah 10:1Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.
10Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
14The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—
29these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:
30We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
31if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.
32Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.
34We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God as it is written in the Law.
35And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
36to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
37to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.
38And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.
39For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.
We are all running out of time to learn how to live in heaven.
...As we see the day approaching...
"Them" isn't the problem, "us" is.
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