Yesterday I watched most of the closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Besides stirring my Scottish blood, I noted the grandeur of the venue. Filled with color, lights, singing, pyrotechnics, and so many happy faces, it was the site of the “greatest games ever” and a place of action, emotion, and the unifying power of a common passion.
Yet today’s devotional reminds me of “little rooms where
worlds were made” citing a chamber in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signed,
the little rooms where great documents and books were written and world
changing products and processes were invented.
The church is described as “the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets” with “Christ Jesus the
cornerstone” and “in Him the whole
structure grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:19–21) However,
the church did begin in an actual building . . . .
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in
one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided
tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” (Acts
2:1–3)
These new Christians were mostly Israelites who were
familiar with the events of their nation. They would know about David’s
experience of calling to God with his offerings . . .
“David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt
offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him
with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.” (1 Chronicles 21:26)
They would also know what happened when Solomon’s Temple
was dedicated to God with praise . . .
“All the Levitical singers . . . stood east of the altar with
120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and
singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord),
and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical
instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love
endures forever,” the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so
that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the
glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:12–14)
As they sat together on that day of Pentecost, these first
Christians experienced fire also, not on an offering or the building, but on
each of them. They became the household of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit,
and the purpose of this fire was to purify and refine them to serve the Lord .
. .
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way
before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the
messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord
of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he
appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as
a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and
refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in
righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be
pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.” (Malachi
3:1–4)
Pentecost fire fell in one place, in a literal house that
became a spiritual household. From that day on, the world was never the same.
This reminds me how much the church today needs that
cleansing fire from God to purify our hearts and reunite us into one holy
temple. When that happens, it may not be as visually spectacular as that
earlier first event, but lives are still changed as God endues His people with
the power needed to become world-changers.
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