A Holy Temple In The Lord

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is called A Holy Temple in the Lord. Let’s turn to Eph 1:3-6,  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Let’s turn to Eph 2:1-10, And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

Our salvation is the gift of God: God gave his Son. Eph 2:19-22, Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit; a habitation of God through the Spirit. 

Let’s turn to 1 Pet 2:1-12, Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious; coming to Him as to a living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes in Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, the Stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone, and a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the Word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

Ok, let’s turn to John 2:13-17, Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, Take these things away! do not make my Father's house a house of merchandise! Then his disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for your house has eaten Me up.

Jesus is zealous for his House. What would you do if the Lord Jesus told you that He was going to come visit you in your house at a certain day and time within the next week. As you looked around your house, you would see things that were messy or disorderly, and you would begin to straighten things up. The more you thought about Him coming, the more you would go about vacuuming and cleaning and setting things in order. Maybe you would even hire a cleaning service to come and do a deep cleaning of the house. Maybe you would even hire a carpenter and a painter to come and really make things beautiful for the Lord. As you continued to prepare for his arrival, if you saw any dirty thing or anything out of place, you would immediately deal with it and make everything as nice as possible to receive the Lord into your house. And, as you looked around, when you had the house fixed up as nice as you could for the Lord, you would probably fall on your knees and on your face and say to Him, Oh Lord, I have prepared my house as best as I can, and yet it is not worthy for you to come into to visit me. Please have mercy on me and grant me grace. Oh Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. Please show me anything in me that is not pleasing to you and cleanse me and wash me so that when you come we can fellowship together here in my house, and I can receive you with joy, and you will be pleased with me. And, as the time drew near for him to come to your house, you would be looking forward with great anticipation; you would be spending much time in prayer, and perhaps fasting, to prepare yourself to meet Him. You might even go out and buy some really nice clothes to wear when He comes. And when the appointed time would come, Jesus would surely come and visit you. My friends there is an appointed time when Jesus will come to your house. How will He find it? Will it be prepared for Him in beauty? Or will He have to overturn some tables, make a scourge and drive out some wickedness. Will He even be able to enter the house? Or will He find it so filthy and defiled that He will have to pass by it. What are you allowing in your house? What are you setting before your eyes? What kind of music is in your house? Is it acceptable to God? What kind of people do you fellowship with? What are we allowing in the Church of Jesus Christ today? What is going on in your house of worship, in your fellowship? Is Jesus welcome in your church? Really? Does the Holy Spirit inhabit your worship in your church? Is it pleasing to Him? Is He present? The Holy Spirit is Holy, and He is the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. He will not come and confirm a filthy house, where lies are being taught and embraced, and where sin in the house is overlooked.

Let’s turn to Isa 1:2-20, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O Earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? Says the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample my courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow, and for the unborn I would add. Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Amen! Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 

Let’s turn to 2Cor 6:14-7:1, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Titus 2:11-14, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself his own special people, zealous for good works. Make no mistake, God is building a Holy Temple for Him to inhabit forever; a holy people; sons and daughters of the Living God; through the sacrifice of his Beloved Son, who will love Him and serve Him and fellowship with Him and with one another in joyful, perfect communion throughout all eternity; purified, sanctified, justified and glorified; redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb of God. Rev 7:9-17, After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!  All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? And I said to him, Sir, you know. So he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 

Prophecy:

I am with you, says the Lord; those of you listening to my servant Rob, if you will humble yourselves, turn from your wicked ways, and seek my face, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will heal your land, says the Lord.