Build My House

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Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. Haggai 1:8 NIV

I believe there is New Covenant symbolism in this Old Testament verse. “Go up into the mountains,” can represent the heavenly realms of His Spirit where we are seated with God. It is in that place of the Spirit that we can receive the supernatural anointing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself is the builder of the House and His cross is the timber.

He has chosen to build His House through those He has redeemed. We cannot build God’s House in our own power. Only when we remain in close communion with God can the power of the Holy Spirit work through us. We build God’s House with the Gospel— God’s grace and love through Jesus Christ!

Build Up the Body of Christ

Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love. Ephesians 4:16 GNT

Together we are the Body of Christ because he has placed His Spirit inside those who follow Jesus. As Christ has built each of us up, we also build one another up. If we work against each other in any way it’s like the liver saying to the body, “I’m against you!” That’s not good for the liver or the rest of the body!

We are one in Christ and we need to give and receive love from one another to stay healthy in the Lord. A Christian should take critical thoughts, attitudes or actions and nail them to the cross where they belong.

Visit the Cross Often

Sometimes we have to go back and remember the moment we first met Jesus. Then we can see one another in the Body through the eyes of the cross– as clean and forgiven children of God!

If we gossip, accuse, blame and shame, would God want to bring a new believer into that graceless atmosphere? Of course not! Keeping the Body of Christ spiritually healthy and built up is the only way we can keep God’s “newborns” healthy and growing in Christ.

Build on the Firm Foundation

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NET

Together we are the Temple of the Lord. But it is our responsibility as individuals to tear down the inward and outward sin in our lives. Then God can build us up stronger by His Spirit. Without Him as our Builder we build in vain.

Building On Fear

If we have built our “house” on what others think of us, we are not resting on the foundation of God’s grace. By compromising our Godly convictions to try and “fit in” with others and society, we have exalted what people think of us over our relationship with Jesus. It takes courage, humility and the power of God’s love inside us to follow God’s Spirit, even at the risk of losing the approval of others.

God will destroy this world on judgment day. So we want to make sure we’re not building our lives on the world’s foundations! When we fear the Lord (acknowledge that His is Judge) instead of fearing people, we can live in God’s love– without fear. We become a part of His Family and sit at His loving Table in the heavenly realms. Then we can build with the material from the heavenly realms that will last forever! We want to be close to the Father’s heart even if it costs us everything.

And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. Acts 20:32 NLT

Jesus Showed Us How to Build

Jesus is the one who builds us up and teaches us how to build others up. He forgave the adulterous woman and then told her to stop sinning. Because of her grace-encounter with Jesus, she then had hope that she could live a new life filled with God’s love and mercy!

Jesus didn’t shun Zaccheus, the chief tax collector who became rich by collecting taxes from the people. He asked to spend some time with Zach! Zaccheus was so overwhelmed by Jesus that he gave half of his possessions to the poor and promised to pay back 4 times the amount to anyone he had cheated!

Jesus built others up and immediately they tore down and discarded their old way of living! Why? Because they encountered Love Himself and He built them up!

True Encounters With Jesus

True encounters with Jesus in the Spirit will cause us to tear down the old house and let God build up the new one! These encounters may come through worship, prayer, reading / listening to His Word. You may encounter the Lord while sitting on the beach or taking a walk in your neighborhood. Jesus may speak to you through a dream, a vision or through a brother or sister in Christ. He may come to you through overwhelming peace in a difficult life situation. There are so many ways to encounter the Lord spiritually. Stay aware of His presence, honor and submit to Him. He wants to build you up so you can help build His House!

Every Child of God is a Builder

So it is with you, since you are so very eager to have spiritual gifts and manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in ways that will build up the church [spiritually]. 1 Corinthians 14:12 AMP

Everybody wants to see God’s miracles, gifts, signs and wonders and to feel His love. But not everyone wants to go through the refining process of the Spirit so God can have His way in them. Drawing closer to God’s light and away from darkness involves repentance and sometimes deliverance. The garbage in our personal lives needs to get out of His Temple. God’s refining fire is not usually pleasant but the end result is! The Holy Spirit wants to do miracles, signs and wonders through us using His gifts, but only if we are full of His supernatural love– full of Him!

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it would give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 NET

Self-Righteousness

Mind Your Manners!

One day a few years ago, I approached the post office and a man opened the door for me. Usually when that happened I was quick to say, “Thank you!” But that day I wasn’t. I stepped over the threshold and the man shouted gruffly, “You’re welcome!” On cue, I responded in a kind voice with a smile, “Thank you so much!”

The South is known for its gentlemen, right? The man may have opened the door for me that day but he did not speak like a gentleman. He may have done what his mama taught him to do but missed the point. He was a man — but he was not gentle. And that’s okay. I remember forgiving him from my heart the moment it happened.

The Heart of the Matter

In my hesitation, I reacted well. But let’s look a little deeper… My parents and teachers taught me to say thank you often. It was a rule. If you did it they praised you or at least did not scold you. But if you didn’t, they corrected you.

There’s a difference in saying, “Thank you!” because you don’t want to be corrected, and saying it because you truly acknowledge the kind deed of the other person. I missed my opportunity that day to bless that man with genuine heartfelt acknowledgment– and he obviously needed it. We will fall short sometimes and I am so thankful for God’s mercy and grace! But we can grow in Christ so that we are more focused on building others up.

Value Others Above Yourselves

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

God shows us our failures, not to punish us, but to build us up! Our value is not in working hard for God. He wants us to rest in the work Christ did for us on the cross and the resurrection power of communion with the Holy Spirit. Then we will be able to value others above ourselves and build them up.

Build Up the House of the Lord

The Harvest

The great harvest is coming to us and God is saying, “Build My House!” Is my heart loving enough to welcome and help care for thousands of financially poor and hopeless people when they show up in my community? Are we compassionate enough to ask God how we can help rescue the trafficked children in our own nation? Is my heart prepared to comfort them in their grief and give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes? Are we anointed of God to supernaturally mend broken hearts, apply the oil of joy and cover them with a garment of praise? Are you and I willing to change our comfortable lifestyles if necessary in order to build up the precious ones God is sending our way?

Yes! We have the Holy Spirit inside us to empower us to do just that! Jesus went out on the streets looking for the ones the Father wanted Him to rescue. His parables tell us to go searching for those who would accept the invitation to His banquet. Holy Spirit is ready to fill us with His love and touch lives wherever we go.

Isaiah 61 is what the glory of the Lord looks like– God’s unconditional love being poured out supernaturally upon the helpless ones who are lost without Jesus Christ! The Father’s heart is aching for His precious lost children. Many people are living in hell on earth right now and God wants to rescue them through us. We must be touched by God’s glory so that we can give His glorious love away. My heart still falls short but I desire to be built up in Christ so I can build others up.

Build With God

Let us be seated in unity and love with God in the heavenly realms where His glory resides. If we remain in His wonderful and undeserved love and grace, He will give us everything we need to bring others to the cross and build them up. In a chaotic world where the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, our Father will take pleasure as His beautiful House is being built through the Gospel of Jesus and His great love! Lives will be saved– body, soul and spirit– and God will be honored through His glorious Son!