Worship: The Church Path
“And it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be [firmly] established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall come and say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations and decide [disputes] for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Oh, house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.’” Isaiah 2: 2-5
I have given you the church as your inheritance. This is the house I (Father) have given you.
Questions
The sunlit day sparkled over the lake in front of the house. Ancient pines grew almost to the water’s edge joining gnarled oaks, wild flowers and palmettos. Birds of all sorts made it their habitat. The view was exquisite. I had admired that lake and its natural growth and wildlife for many years. As a young child my family had come to this undeveloped land and built this cottage as a family retreat, a refuge. I had learned to swim in this lake as a child and through the years my husband and I brought our own children here as well.
Remarkably the house and land had survived the divorce of my parents when I was nine years young and had remained in our family. Through forty years of divorce my mother had faithfully maintained and improved the house until once again when they remarried my father was restored to its ownership. Eight years later when my mother predeceased my father, he relocated his home, scaled down his life’s responsibilities and gave me the ownership and stewardship of the house and land.
I had gone to the property to attend to some responsibilities and while there I was hopeful for some restful time as well. This house with its exquisite lake view was the setting that day as I thought about its stewardship and embraced an opportunity for some time alone with the Lord. I started a worshipful song on the disc player and began to move in the dance.
Moving with the music I paused momentarily to reflect on a plaque I had installed in that room overlooking the lake. When I was given the property I had a desire to bring it into a new season of blessing and purpose for God’s kingdom, so after cleaning and refurbishing I put up a plaque of dedication that read:
“… As for me and my house we will serve (worship) the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
“This house and land are set apart holy unto God. May you be refreshed and blessed here. May His presence minister to you and may your presence be worshipful unto Him.”
As I paused, my awareness of the brevity of life was so keen given the recent death of my mother, and my brother who predeceased her. I felt more of a sense of stewardship than possession or ownership of this house. Regarding my stewardship of the house, I thought “I want to do more with it.” That phrase was still on my mind when I quickly became aware that it was not merely my own thought but the Holy Spirit echoing:
“I want to do more.
The path is in place.
Others have built in the natural. I want you to build in the super natural. Others have developed this with a view to the natural. I want you to develop this with a view toward Me.
Look up!
Worshipfully!
Your whole life is a prophetic picture.
Here too.
I will lead you.
You are rebuilding in the spirit realm that which was broken down.
Remember I said the latter house will be greater than the former house. (Haggai 2:9 came to mind)
They laid a foundation. You will complete the house, fulfill My purpose.
I have given you the church as your inheritance. This is the house I (Father) have given you.”
The last two lines resonated again and again in my heart and mind. I attempted to grasp what the Holy Spirit was conveying:
My natural father had given me this, his house. My Heavenly Father was identifying the church as “this house” that He has given, an inheritance from Him. This was a new view. I had never thought of the church as an inheritance. It was a house of gathering for His people that one was not to forsake, right? A place where I belonged to the family of God, and therefore, was an important part of my identity as a Christian, correct? But His call is off the beaten path of life, to this path of the life of worship. In this new paradigm He was speaking in relational terms, emphasizing inner being, “blood being,” by a new and better covenant which Jesus ratified in His own blood.
This was a prophetic picture. Father God was sharing His view from His old yet ever new perspective.
LAMP: “And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest [Priest], who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind, and I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before My anointed [Anointed] forever.”[I Samuel 2: 35]
“But Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” [Hebrews 3:6 KJV]
Gradually but clearly I heard this word as not singularly for me. While I embraced it in an individual, personal way, I became aware as I meditated on those words that the “you” was plural, a corporate word, a generational word. [Psalm 24:6]
This word is for you on the path of the life of worship. The “you” is His Body and Bride, His living House, His complete family, His “true Israel.” The “you” is a worshiping people, perfectly prepared, ready for the Lord. [Matthew 24; Romans 9:6; Luke 1:17; Ephesians 5:27]