Hi all
We had a great time in church yesterday morning worshipping together and celebrating the fact that together we are being built into a spiritual temple in which the presence of God on earth – his Holy Spirit dwells.
We were reminded by our young people that no matter how we got here, we are being fitted together, brick by brick into a temple in which God is quite at home.
Yes, the Holy Spirit lives in You! And God’s Spirit is often associated with God’s breath and with life and so as this spiritual temple, we are to be those who are full of his spirit, full of his breath and full of life, but not through building with anything on earth, not from what we can produce ourselves – the source of it all must be Jesus as the cornerstone – the building blocks must be spiritual.
Why would God live in a place which was man made when he can live in a place which is God-made – and you are made by God – knitted together in your mother’s womb and transformed by faith in Jesus into a new creation.
And the temple is built on people – the person of Christ, our cornerstone, with the apostles and prophets as foundations and so encounter with Jesus is the key to being part of it – that’s why they are the foundation because they spent time with Jesus. And as we encounter Jesus and are filled with his Spirit, we are built up into this spiritual structure as living stones which is the kingdom of God on earth.
And there is significance in the joining together – a brick does not make a temple/building on its own – we need to be connected together within this temple. And connected with a purpose – we have Jesus in common, and our purpose is to be a home for – and to be at home with – the Holy Spirit, and to glorify God throughout the earth. And so as you meet together in the various connect groups this week, take it as an opportunity to celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit in you and encourage the gift of faith in one another as we fix our eyes on Jesus.
Have a great week
Mark
