The book of Ezekiel speaks of a temple different than the one built during the time of Moses, Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod. This temple is one made entirely of wood
[i]. In the Hebrew culture, wood is a symbol for humanity. It was prophesied that God would fill this temple with His presence and remain there. Now there are no records of this temple being built in the natural. God was revealing to Ezekiel that He was preparing a body to restore and reconcile Man through, that body is His Son, Jesus.
The Holy Spirit confirms this in the scriptures. When Jesus cleared the temple courts of its market goods, He was asked to give them a sign to prove that He has the authority to do what He did. Jesus said to them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Scripture reveals in the next verse that the temple He was speaking of, was His body.
[ii]
Jesus says this in the book of John, “
Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them and we will come to them and
make our home with them.”
[iii] We are God’s house! In Christ, we are the temple that God dwells and remains in. When you step into a room you can boldly say that the Kingdom of God is here.
:-)
Jesus made a very profound statement that sheds new light on ministry. He says that He and the Father are one and if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father
(John 14). Now if you are in Christ and the Spirit of God dwells in you, then no encounter is a chance encounter. When a person sees you, they’ve seen the Father for you are literally bringing God before every person you encounter in your day.
A Call To Ministry
The Father has called us to be co-laborers with Christ and ministers of the new covenant. We are not called to run and hide in the face of darkness but to be a reflection of God’s love to the broken, lost and bound. The will of God is this, to see that none perish. When God places an individual in your path, know that God has drawn them to you not to harm you but for one purpose. To impart life, grace and truth to this individual before you.
Whether you’re on the checkout line, waiting to be served at your favorite restaurant, picking up your child from school or at the Doctor’s office. God has raised you up to share His word and impart life. You carry light and life before that cashier, that waitress, your kid’s teacher, your doctor. No encounter is a chance encounter for all we know God has already prepared that unsaved heart to receive Him but He needs a body, that body that He prepared, to impart the love of His Son. That body is you in Christ.
You can give a person food, money, medical help, a roof over their head and the clothes on your back but if you fail to give them Jesus, the One who truly saves, sustains, clothe and heals, you’ve done nothing to help that person. You, who were made alive in Christ, hold the key to life for those who are literally walking around like the walking dead. If all you give is the material and you fail to impart the eternal; you might as well say, I’ve done nothing for them at all.
I don’t believe God wants us to defend Him; He is God, who in all of Creation can stand against Him. I believe He wants His children to make His Love known to the objects of His mercy. I want to encourage you to seek God in this. Find out from Him His will and path for you. You are God’s House; He chose to reside in you for a reason, ask Him to reveal to you what that is.
