March 2007 Prayer Letter

BUILDING THE HOUSE FOR GOD

“Except The Lord Build the house they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain.”  (Psa 127:1)

 I work and serve with many Independent, Fundamental Baptist Churches which God has called us to help along with Small and Struggling Churches and New Church Planters across the United States and Canada.
I want us to look at Solomon because I thought we might do well to have an understanding of Solomon’s Wisdom.  In other words an Understanding mind…Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and evil.
 
 So, I must say at the beginning that you cannot build the House of God unless you have an understanding heart, and I declare, with it, you will become acquainted with good and evil.

“Concerning this House which thou art building, if thou wilt walk
in my statues, and execute My Judgments, and keep all My
Commandments, to walk in them; Then will I perform My Word
with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell
among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.
So Solomon built the House and finished it.”  (I Kings 6:12-14)
 
 Solomon can tell us how God’s House Can Be Built…Solomon says there are three things you must do.
The first thing you must do is walk in His statues, which means that you must be willing to be governed by God’s Law and you must be willing to be disciplined by God’s Law.  You cannot Build God’s House Where There Is NO DISCIPLINE.
 
 The Apostle Paul told the Church at Corinth that all things must be done decently and in order.  God has some laws and some standards of conduct.  God has some dictates of discipline.  God has some ordinances of order.  You want to know what God’s Statute Is?  Ask Bro. Micah.  “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doeth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”  (Micah 6:8).
 Not only must you walk in My Statues, but God told Solomon, you have to “Execute My Judgments.”  We don’t like the word of judgment.  But I am persuaded by the Holy Spirit that God has a Word of Judgment for the Church.
 
 Just because you look proud, there is a Word of Judgment.  Never mind how right and righteous you’ve convinced your little nest of friends you are, There is a Word of Judgment…
 
 Jesus went down to this same Temple that Solomon was building and found money changers robbing the poor and stealing from the blind.  Jesus told them, You forget that this is a House of Prayer.  It’s My Father’s House and it’s My House and My House shall be called a House Of Prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.  If we are going to stay away from the Judgment of God there had better be some Prayer in This House.   Every ministry of the Church ought to be a prayer meeting…
 
 We shouldn’t tithe and give to missions until we have prayed.  Ushers ought not to come forward until they have prayed.  The Choir should not sing until they have met the Lord in prayer.  Deacons ought not to be Deacons until they have learned the value of prayer.  The Holy Ghost will not come until we become people of  prayer.  You cannot build God’s House without prayer.  Unless the Church is a praying Church, we stand under the Judgment of God.
 
 And so I hear God telling Solomon “If you want to build this House, walk in My Statutes, Execute My Judgments, and then Follow My Commandments.”  God still has a commandment for the Church.  And His Commandment is to be found in the Sure Word of God.
 
 The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to gain eternal life?”  Jesus said, “Follow The Commandments.”  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting Him, and saying, “Master which is the great Commandment in the Law?”  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  “This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt 22:35-39)
 
 You still want to know what the Commandment is?  Jesus told His disciples one day, “A new Commandment I give unto you.  That ye love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are MY disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34, 35)
You Cannot Build A Church Where There Is No Love.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” (I Cor. 13:1)

So Solomon Built The House and Finished it.
He didn’t just start it, he finished it.
He didn’t just break ground for it, he finished it.
He didn’t just talk about it, he finished it.
 
I tell you, church, let’s finish it.  Like Nehemiah on the wall.  Don’t come down, let’s finish it!
 God alone is to be worshipped here.  Not the place, not the structure, not the stones, not the name, not the history, not the heritage, not the land.  God alone is to be praised.  The Church is a house.  It Is God’s House.
 
 May God continue to have His divine hand upon your lives and ministries is my prayer.