25/03/13

This is the House of the LORD God

1 Chronicle 22: 1 - Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.


Some time back as I was teaching Acts chapter 15 I came across a very interesting scripture (verse 16) in which the Lord speaks through Peter. Peter quotes Isaiah 16:5 in which the Lord says He will establish the throne of David and says He will sit upon it in truth. He then specifies where the throne is and says it is in the tabernacle of David. This is the place where I was a little surprised. Moses made a tabernacle and Solomon and other Israelite kings build the temple but David neither build a physical tabernacle nor build a temple. So what tabernacle of David was the Lord referring to?

In 1 Chronicles chapter 23 to 27 we see David did build a Tabernacle and it was not a structure or monument but a Tabernacle of people. If one has the understanding of the things of Heaven we see David had set the people of Israel according to the structure of Beings in Heaven.

In Acts the word translated return also means to turn upside down and when one puts that meaning it gives the right understanding to the words of Peter.

Time and again we see people of God are building a Church but not according to God but according to their understanding. The Church the Apostles build was corrupted with the teachings of Nicolas a Jewish heretic who became a Christian and then started infusing the Jewish heretic teachings into Christianity. It was he who bought the concept of Mother of God. The hierarchy of priests or Church leaders followed by the Catholic Church is from the teachings of Nicholas. The surprising thing is even the structure of the Believer Churches is not totally Biblical but is partly Nicolaitan.

When we read Acts and the Epistles we see the Church was not headed by either one person (Peter) or by the twelve Apostles but initially by three John, James and Peter. That is why we see Jesus gave extra attention to these three when He taught them. Later these three were joined by Paul and Barnabas. They overlooked the administration of the Church only because they were the most mature among the others. It was not that they knew the most or were gifted the most.

The Church is a Body and the structure is according to the callings and sadly we do not see this in our Churches today. In the Old Testament even the priests were answerable to the Prophets, but in the New Testament we see the Prophets became answerable to the Apostles, Apostles not because of the twelve but because of their calling. All twelve chosen by Jesus had the calling of Apostleship and Jesus knew the right way of building the Church not because He was God who came as man but because He had the right understanding of scriptures and of the Kingdom of God.

The letters to the seven Churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are actually to seven phases the Church of God goes through and it is only in the sixth stage we see the glorious Church of God. The Church that functions according to the way God designed it, the way it is in Heaven.

In today's message the Lord is telling us He is going to start this rebuilding of the Church. Some months back I had a chat with a senior Pastor on the topic of callings and how we do not see that in Church. He did give me ear and in the coming weeks I saw he listen and was giving opportunity to people in the Church and these first timers preached with a fire that shook the congregation.

It is time people of God give thought to the calling they have in Christ according to Seven Spirits of the Holy Spirit as given in Isaiah 11:2, the six callings and Christ the Head. The six callings are Apostle, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist, Administrator (Pastor) and Healer. This same design is what we see in the image we humans are physically made in.

This Body is the Throne on which the Lord [The Spirit of Christ] will rule His people giving judgements, ordinance and teachings of the way of the Lord.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray the coming of the Church in glory as You set it. We pray for a change in heart of the leaders of the Church, that they come out of the deceit that has been shadowing your people. That they do according to your Word, according to Heavenly things...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Acts 15:16 - After this I will turn upside down, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Isaiah 16:5 - And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment [ordinance], and hasting righteousness.

Revelation 2:6, 12-17
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Isaiah 11: 2 And the spirit of the LORD [1] shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom [2] and understanding [3], the spirit of counsel [4] and might[5], the spirit of knowledge[6] and of the fear of the LORD[7];

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