“YET NOW BE STRONG” – RETURN &BUILD

When Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended to the throne, He laid the groundwork for His disciples to begin to build the Father a House patterned after His Mind, Heart & Life. In the early Church, the believers, who were the living stones, came together in unity to build such a House—one where the Father is worshiped in Spirit and in truth—truth that had been buried under years of error and traditions of men!

God’s plan from before the beginning of time was to dwell in and amongst a people chosen for Himself. Beginning with Abraham the Father initiated the work to prepare for Himself a House, a Place of Dwelling structured and built with the very substance of the Life of His Son Jesus.

Yahweh’s House is intended to be a House of transcendent Glory, a habitation of the Godhead for all eternity—a place where God’s sons and daughters will live in His Presence, beholding the beauty of the LORD forever! This Sanctuary is a Heavenly Place, God moved to establish on Earth in preparation for His Son’s coming rule and reign on earth—A Heavenly Kingdom centered on earth in Jerusalem, “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven!”

Temporary dwellings were erected on Israel’s journey to the final resting Place of the Ark in Jerusalem, where Solomon was chosen as the one to build the Father’s House for the Glory of His great Name. Solomon is a picture in type of Jesus, the Son of God. This house was built from written specifications received from the Father by David and given to Solomon.

“All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” (1 Chron. 28:19).

Over the course of time, because of sin, disobedience, and idolatry, the people of God lost the Glory—the House was destroyed, and the nation was taken into captivity by their enemies for seventy years for a period of discipline. Then in God’s chosen appointed time, after a long season of refinement in captivity, He released His people from exile to return to His Land to rebuild His House for His Glory.

The return of the exiles to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple was overshadowed by God’s favor—the miraculous nature of God’s providence, accompanied by signs and wonders! Through Daniel’s prayer Angel Armies were dispatched and Cyrus was raised up to release Israel to return and to support the work of building the Temple financially.

Many heard the call and were obedient to return to volunteer for the work of rebuilding the House of God, but many had become settled and chose to remain in captivity rather than take the risk into unknown territory!

The people of God have now arrived at such a time in history mirrored in the book of Haggai & Zechariah. Just as with the exiles, over time, the fire present in the early Church has diminished—replaced with religion and the idolatry of self. Complacency followed due to the desire for self comfort. Self interests—the desire to build their own houses and empires, were raised above God’s interests!

Ichabod—the Glory has departed became written over much of the Church over history as the Glory of God lifted. THE LACK OF GOD’S GLORY HAS LED TO MUCH LACK IN THE HOUSE OF GOD! As it was then, the Father is now asking us to consider our ways:

“You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Thus says the LORD of Hosts: “Consider you ways! Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of Hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock and on all the labor of your hands.” (Haggai 1:6-11)

The Father is now calling for a great move of repentance in the hearts of His people. He is once again sounding the call to return from the captivity brought on by a spirit of religion, pride and works of the flesh, to build the House of God ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST IN THE FULLNESS OF HIS GLORY! A Holy Place aligned to the Plumb Line of Christ’s Mind, Heart and ways!

He is now saying to all His people in every nation from every tribe, and especially to Israel:

“YET NOW BE STRONG…all of you people of the land, and work, for I am with you.” says the LORD of hosts, according to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My spirit remains among you; do not fear!” “FOR THUS SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS: ‘ONCE MORE (IT IS A LITTLE WHILE) I WILL SHAKE HEAVEN AND EARTH, THE SEA AND DRY LAND; AND I WILL SHAKE ALL NATIONS, AND THEY SHALL COME TO THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS, AND I WILL FILL THIS TEMPLE WITH GLORY,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. THE SILVER IS MINE, AND THE GOLD IS MINE,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. THE GLORY OF THIS LATTER TEMPLE SHALL BE GREATER THAN THE FORMER,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. ‘AND IN THIS PLACE I WILL GIVE PEACE,’ SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.” Haggai 2:4-9

After a long season of refining and preparation God is now about to release His great Armies in Heaven and on Earth, in a divine coalition to defeat the powers of darkness in the Dance orchestrated by Heaven! God is blowing the trumpet and calling the Israel of God to return with Him to complete the House of God begun in Jerusalem. The call is now going out to rebuild the end-time Temple—The Headstone of the House of God—with shouts of GRACE, GRACE to it!

“And he shall bring forth the headstone with shoutings, crying, grace, grace to it” Zechariah 4:7

God has prepared a Headstone Generation for such a time and for such a task! A generation that has ascended to union with Christ in Mind & Heart, to become a mature Man of great authority (Ephes. 4:13). When both the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon were completed according to God’s specifications, the Glory of God filled the Temple!

The measure that the House of God is structured according to the Father’s design—whether individually or corporately—determines the measure of His Glory it will reflect. At The completion of the end-time Temple in the book of Ezekiel, God’s declaration over it is ‘Yahweh Shamah’—THE LORD, HE IS THERE!

“…the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.” Ezekiel 48:35