The Temple of God
Today’s Focus: Local Church vs. City Church: Prophecy Against the Local Church Exaltation
Scripture: 1 Kings 14
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
The reason we are really stick with this is because we must migrate in the seasons of God and begin to really focus on building his Temple and not our local synagogues and households of faith. Let’s get right to it because this is a lot. After Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways after the young prophet came to him, his son, Abijah fell sick (1 Kings 14:1). Jeroboam instructs his wife to disguise herself and go to the prophet Ahijah who is located in Shiloh who told him that he would be king and return with an answer of what will happen to the child. So his wife goes and does this exact thing. The Lord prepares the prophet for the coming of Jeroboam’s wife who is in disguise and when she arrived, he called out to her by her name because he, Ahijah could not see. Now for the sake of time God explains to Jeroboam because you have not kept my commandments as David did and committed evil in my sight (1 Kings 14:7-9). This is the punishment:
1 Kings 14:10-11: Therefore behold I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: For the Lord has spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
Do not take this condemnation lightly, this goes for every leader of a local church that exalts their church or household of faith over the Temple of God. The first thing that will happen is the death of the house or family of Jeroboam. Sons are meant to build the Temple. Let me explain. There is a difference between Solomon’s quarry and the temple. Solomon’s quarry represents the place where the rocks are hewn out and shaped so that they may fit in the temple. Hence the local church is the reality of the quarry. It is in the local church or household of faith where the lively stones that are to build the Temple of God are shaped and molded. 1 Peter 2:5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But what has happened is that we have made the temple the quarry. Now in past times that would have been acceptable but now, in this season, it is not. The focus must be on building the temple or the male seed will die, just like in the case of Jeroboam. This death is not necessary a physical but a spiritual death. When the primary is the local church then we see the exaltation of the man and not God. The local church then points to you. However it will be the Temple will bear the name of the Lord. So the first thing that will happen is the death of the male seed.
The second thing that will happen according to the prophecy is your house or local church will be invaded by dogs. We know that dogs were the lowest of the low animals and they represent the religious spirits. Dogs carry rabies. With the disease of rabies come animosity and hatred for water and we know what water represents in the Spirit. Water is a picture of the Word of God. These people scorn the Word of God. Dogs like bones. This is representative of a people who have an affinity for the past, need pampering and love regurgitating food. Are these not all things that dogs do?
Finally, the house or local church will be over ran by birds. Birds are representative of demons. In other words, you have a local church full of demons and there is always a casting out of demons in the church. Do not get me wrong should there be casting out of demons? Yes! However, your church should not be overran with them.
In closing, the three consequences of exalting the local church or household of faith is death, invasion of religious spirits who scorn the word of God and infestation of demons within the church. It is time to examine our local churches and be honest with ourselves. Are we suffering the consequences of exalting the local church, just as Jeroboam did?
In the next message we will continue to look at the spirit of locality and how it prevents us from moving in the purposes of God in building the Temple.
Peace, Love and Grace from the Father,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
