You know God’s moving

and people are repenting

when they stop with their frantic activities for God

and start listening to Him.

On that Sunday morning when worshipping with a local church here in Atlanta, the pastor declared that they had started opening up space in their service for a time of listening for the still small voice of the Lord and opening up a platform for people to share what He says.  You know a unique thing is happening, when an increased availability to listen happens.

“Good riddens….Finally, they’re shutting up and actually listening to me!” (I imagine God thinking to Himself…so patient yet a bit annoyed)

And in that time of listening, it came to me. The Spirit zeroed in on those verses that I had read earlier in the week. They were magnified in my mind  and they burned within me, and despite the fact that my heart was pounding and I KNEW I had something to share in that service, I stayed in my seat. But, here, as I promised, Leonce, I type those words….a call, a promise, a prayer about

VESSELS.

What is God doing? What is He speaking to us here in Atlanta? Here in America? Here in the midst of a tumultuous election? A global refugee crisis? A world all splintered and broken by prejudice and pride?

He is taking back his vessels who have been swept away to be used in the temple of Babylon, and He is placing them back in their proper places, that they might be used once again in worship to the One True Living God.

In 597 BC, after many warnings to God’s people to trust in Him and not in other countries or powers to save them, the Chosen People of God were invaded, defeated and ransacked. The precious vessels in King Solomon’s glorious temple were taken away from their former use in worship of YHWH and placed in the temple in Babylon.

Years later, before the Isrealites home and land would be restored,  and before the temple could be rebuilt, the vessels had to be moved back into place.

 

Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 

Ezra 1:7

King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzer had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the the temple of Babylon. .. and he said unto him, “Take these vessels, go, and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.  Ezra 5:13, 15

Church. Ladies. Gentlemen. Children.

God is bringing us out. Out of our comfort zones. Out of our hope in political parties. Out of our high towers of “church”. Out from behind our opinion-blasting Facebook pages. Out of our towers of academic thought about God.

To be vessels of God.

God no longer requires vessels of gold and silver for use in worship, but rather has made vessels of available human lives as the instruments of acceptable worship.  Sadly, through a neglecting of true worship (being a living sacrifice), a disregard for God’s holy law, and ultimately a hoping in ourselves and our own devices, we have been swept away…into living for the American dream…living for bigger, better…living a more perfected self, living for a finer-tuned skill set to lead to more accomplishments…living for our own agendas, aspirations and comforts.

Instead of being fully at the disposal of the Living God, we have been hijacked to be used to offer sacrifices to the gods of this world, to Babalonia. Babylonia, the emblem of self-accomplishment. Self-sufficiency. Self-worship.

But things are changing. ..

We, His vessels, cleaned out by the blood of His Son, and filled by His Holy Spirit, are being set back into our proper places in society for the worship of the Father and the building of his temple.

People.

People Vessels.

Filled. Empowered. Propelled by “Power from on High” (Acts 1:8)

They are moving into places long forsaken. And simply by being there, and being available there, the rebuilding will happen.

Vessels, crafted by an Outside Creator.

Vessels, immovable without being moved by an Outside Hand.

Vessels, empty without being filled by an Outside Source.

Vessels, useless without an Outside Mind using them.

Vessels, whose only job is simply to hold whatever is placed within it (the power from on high), and be placed wherever its User deems fit, always emptied, always available, always present.

And the promise of Ezra 5:15 is that when the Vessels are set in place, then the Temple will be built. 

 

 

And this is a great relief for those who are weary and heavy laden, busy and stressed, thinking that God left the Building of His Kingdom in the hands of His People.

God did not leave the building of His Kingdom in our hands, but rather wants us to be in His hands so that He can build His Kingdom. Using us.

People of God in Atlanta, in America, throughout the world,

The Temple of Worship is being rebuilt,

and it is being rebuilt as you, His Vessels,

are taken, purified, filled, and placed in the place where He wants to erect His temple.

And He is erecting it, as his Vessels are placed in politics, in social services, in schools, in neighborhoods, in recreation, and in every corner of our society, communities, cities and world.

Vessels, BE AVAILABLE.

However you have been crafted.

For whatever purpose He chooses to use you.

Wherever you are.

BE AVAILABLE.

 

 

Just a little glimpse into ways Vessels in our pocket of the world are being used…

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