Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
In the Old Testament, Solomon built a magnificent house of God.
They were very careful concerning those things brought into this house.
They even prayed toward the direction of Jerusalem. We see that example in Daniel.
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
I Kings 8:28-30 Yet have THOU respect unto the prayer of THY servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which THY servant prayeth before THEE to day: That THINE eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said:
Jesus changed everything.
John 4
19-24 The woman saith unto him (to Jesus), Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
I Cor. 6
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
In the NT church, we are the temple of God when we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us.
After we are born again, given HIS Spirit, we sanctify ourselves to HIM ... We are new creations ... Formed by God, by HIS Word.
The only thing that was in the ark of the covenant, which Solomon brought into the house of God which he built, were the 2 tables written by God ... the Word of God.
I Kings 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
Wherever the ark was, God brought prosperity to HIS people.
The ark is that WORD given us by the Spirit of God concerning the issues pertaining to this present life. When God gives us "that" word and we follow "that" word, doing as "that" word says, we prosper greatly. Prosper meaning: things turn out well for us ... we succeed.
Not only do we pay close attention to "that" word brought to our minds by the Holy Spirit, but we are careful concerning that which we take into our hearts, not wanting to defile "the temple".
I Cor. 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
We learn, as we go along, that it is better for us not to see certain things on TV. It is better to avoid certain people and conversations for we will be vexed by them. And we learn to control our own tongue, desiring to edify one another in things of God and not to do damage to another person needlessly by what we say to that person.
We are the church, sanctified (set aside) to God for HIS own purpose.
*****
There are many wonderful, faith building stories, showing God, in the Old Testament.
It is good for us to read these various stories, for by them we see the heart of God and we see what God is really like. God is not like humans want to think God to be. The stories in the Bible, especially the OT stories, show us a side of God which is often completely missing in the church groups today.
For God is a just God.
The OT shows this about God.
God is not trying to impress man. God is righteous. God often does things that man cannot understand and even judges to be "wrong", God forbid!
We often hear humans today judging God as they cast aside HIS Word on specific matters. They think themselves to be gods. Not only is this very dangerous and foolhardy, it is suicidal.
The stories in the Old Testament teach us a reverential fear of God.
If we fear God, we then have a respect for HIS WORD. We are also more likely to handle HIS WORD with care when we have a fear of God inside us.
Here is just one example which can be bewildering to humans.
II Samuel 6
1-7 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
(He presumed to do a good work. But he was not appointed by God to this work.)
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8-15 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
There are many people who put themselves into the church by their own thinking, joining a church, being baptized in water but not having the Spirit of God which only God can give. They are as dead bodies sitting in the congregations.
There are also many who put themselves into the ministry by their own fleshly works.
This is spoken of in Jude.
17-19 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
We must be careful in the way we handle things of God.
Reading the Bible is partaking of the Lord's supper. We eat and drink the Word of God. We should do this with a type of respect toward God. We should not enter into reading the Bible lightly.
When we understand a fear of the Lord, a fear of God, reverential fear, we are less likely to take up scripture is a slothful way.
The following scripture is speaking of mishandling of the Word of God.
I Cor. 11:29-30 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
Click here to see more Faith Building Moments From The Old Testament
And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
(He presumed to do a good work. But he was not appointed by God to this work.)
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8-15 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
There are many people who put themselves into the church by their own thinking, joining a church, being baptized in water but not having the Spirit of God which only God can give. They are as dead bodies sitting in the congregations.
There are also many who put themselves into the ministry by their own fleshly works.
This is spoken of in Jude.
17-19 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers (imitators) in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
*****
We must be careful in the way we handle things of God.
Reading the Bible is partaking of the Lord's supper. We eat and drink the Word of God. We should do this with a type of respect toward God. We should not enter into reading the Bible lightly.
When we understand a fear of the Lord, a fear of God, reverential fear, we are less likely to take up scripture is a slothful way.
The following scripture is speaking of mishandling of the Word of God.
I Cor. 11:29-30 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
Click here to see more Faith Building Moments From The Old Testament