THE HOUSE OF GOD OFTEN MEETS TO WORSHIP IN A BUILDING

The house of God also meets in rented halls, private homes, under a shed, in public buildings, and even in the open spaces. But, one asks, “is not the church building where we meet on Sunday, the Lord’s house? Yes, in the same sense that my house in which my wife and I live is the Lord’s house. It belongs to God who provided it for us. The psalmist declared that “The earth is the Lord’s , and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1,ESV). But, did not David say, ”I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” (Psalm 122:1)?. Yes, that is true. There was a time when God’s presence could be found above the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (sanctuary) that Moses erected. (See Exodus 25:8;21,22). The glory filled also the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). Later, King Solomon built the temple (house) of the Lord in the city of Jerusalem. (1 Kings 6:14). When finished, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (1 Kings 8:11). In the sermon of the apostle Paul as recorded in Acts 17, he declared, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands (v.24). But, God does dwell in His people! You see, the house of God is the church of our Lord! In his letter to Timothy, Paul wrote in chapter 3:14,15, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” In 1 Peter 2:5, we read, “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the church of God in Corinth, “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). The house of God is a spiritual building and not one erected by the hands of men! It is in this sense that the house of God does often meet in a building! The house (church) of our Lord is never a place but a people redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! The house of God is also referred to as being “a holy temple in the Lord'' as we read in Ephesians 2:19-22: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” We also read in 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” The apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, the scriptures teach that we are the “house of God, which is the church of the living God”, that is “a spiritual house”; and not the place where we assemble to worship God!.

"AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD I WILL PASS OVER YOU"

Before God brought the 10th plague upon Egypt, that is, the death of the firstborn in every family among the Egyptians, including the animals. He informed Moses that no harm would come to the children of Israel (Exodus, chapters 11&12). On the 10th day of the first month of Abib every man was to take a male lamb of the sheep or goats and keep it until the 14th day when it was to be slain. The men were instructed to take the blood of the animal and put some on the doorposts and the lintel of the house. Instructions were also given as to how they were to prepare the lamb for a meal in each household. Only unleavened bread was to be eaten with the meal.This was the “Lord’s Passover”. The Passover was to be a memorial for Israel throughout their generations. The Lord spoke to Moses, “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12, 13, Emphasis, mine,re). The lamb that was killed was without blemish. The blood that was placed on the doorposts and lintel of the houses assured the people of Israel that the firstborn of each family would be spared from death. The Passover lamb of the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf. In 1 Corinthians we read, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him,he said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The lamb that was offered by the children of Israel was to be without blemish, so was the Lamb of God who was sacrificed on Calvary. The apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18, 19, “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” As the lamb’s blood was placed on the doorposts and lintel, the blood of the Lamb of God was shed when He was on Calvary’s cross. When Jesus was eating with His disciple during Passover, He took a cup and said, ““Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). John wrote in Revelation 1:6, “To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7 concerning Jesus Christ, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…. ” And we know that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22). Thank God for His infinite grace and the precious blood of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:3,4, we learn when we come in contact with the blood of Christ: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” It is not the water that saves us when we are immersed, rather it is the blood of Christ when we are “baptized into his death” when His precious blood was shed. It is in this sense that God ‘passes over us’ in the forgiveness of our sins. There was an old hymn that we used to sing in worship when I was a boy entitled, ‘WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD’ that contains this thought. Here are two of the stanzas and the chorus, “Christ, our Redeemer, died on the cross, Died for the sinner, paid all his due; All who receive Him need never fear,Yes, He will pass, will pass over you. O what compassion, O boundless love, Jesus hath power, Jesus is true; All who believe are safe from the storm, O He will pass, will pass over you. When I see the blood, When I see the blood, When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” - J.G.F

'LIFE IS NOT A BOWL OF CHERRIES'

Sometimes the valleys in life are deep and long. But it is not a time to give up. Blaming God and leaving the Lord would not be the answer. Gold refined by fire rids the dross and makes it purer (I Peter 1:7). I think of this passage in Proverbs 24:10, “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.” There was a time when many of the disciples of the Lord left Him and He asked His own apostles, “Do you also want to go away?” It was then that Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. “Also we have come to believe and know You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:66-69). It is in the valleys of life that I need Him. He has never forsaken me and why should I forsake him. He is my Rock and my salvation. He is my Hightower; my shelter in the time of the storms. He gives me comfort in the night. His strength is greatly manifested in weakness. I have often requested of Him to bestow His grace upon me so that I might see the sun beyond the overcast and the silver lining behind every cloud. And His grace is sufficient for me. A moving verse is found in James 4:6 which is a simple but a very profound statement, “But He gives more grace.” Here is a precious promise of our Heavenly Father, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). Also we find in Psalm 46:1 that “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” The following hymn explains best what I am trying to say: HE GIVETH MORE GRACE By Annie J. Flint (1866-1932) He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our father’s full giving is only begun. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, Our God ever yearns His resources to share; Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; The Father both thee and thy load will upbear. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. - THE TRIUMPHANT STORY of ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT By Rowland V. Bingham

EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12,13).The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews was exhorting his brothers and sisters to remain faithful to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There was the imminent danger of the believers being lured back to the first covenant with all the rituals and animal sacrifices. Their hearts could be hardened if they turned their backs to the “new and living way” through Christ. In the original, the word exhort, parakaleo, basically meant to “encourage, entreat, to urge, and to comfort” (2 Thess. 2:1). Now, as then, we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to be faithful to Christ, and not to be drawn away by the devices of satan. There are brothers and sisters who are drifting away, and we certainly need to encourage them. James wrote in chapter 5:19,20, ``Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” We should do this while we have the opportunity, that is “as long as it is called today”. This exhorting can be done in various ways and anytime by the individual Christian. Perhaps a personal visit would be the most effective, however, we can send a card, write a letter, make a telephone call, or send a text to our brothers and sisters, etc. However we choose to encourage our brothers and sisters, we are instructed to do it today because tomorrow may be too late. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25). As a part of the writer’s exhortation, he urged the disciples to “stir up love and good works” To “stir up” is to motivate, provoke, encourage and arouse one another to love one another and do “good works.” In this passage the writer mentions “the assembling of ourselves together.” We know this was a regular assembly because some members were habitually forsaking it. This assembly would definitely include meeting weekly on the first day of the week to “break bread” as was evident in the first century (See 1 Corinthians 16:1,2; Acts 20:7). The word “forsaking” means to abandon, to completely desert the assemblies. Forsaking the assemblies also involves turning away from the only salvation that is to be found in the death of Christ when He shed His blood for our sins. To forsake is to “sin willfully”, meaning there remains no other sacrifice for sins. When we assemble together to worship God (John 4:23,24), we are to exhort one another. We do this when we sing together, pray together, teach one another the word of God, and when we commune with our Lord and as a body of believers when we partake of the Lord’s Supper. We also have fellowship with one another as we give our money to the work of the Lord. Likewise, we encourage one another when we speak a kind word, shake someone's hand, express our love to one another, and just to be in the company of our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a real sense of urgency found in the expression, “and so much the more as you see the Day approaching”. This “Day” was a time that could be ‘seen’ by those Christians who read this epistle. This “Day” can be best understood as being the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. (Matthew 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21). That “Day” most likely occurred a few years after this epistle was written. But, there is another ‘day’ coming when we will all “appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he had done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). We will hear either “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”, or, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:34,41). Therefore let us exhort one another to be faithful “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42). Finally, brethren, “Live for Jesus O my brother, His disciple ever be; Render not to any other, What alone the Lord’s should be. Live for Jesus , live for Jesus, Give Him all thou hast to give; On the cross the world’s Redeemer, Gave His life that thou mightst live.” - Frank M. Davis