A Vision For SAC 2026 and Beyond

January 25, 2026

Part. I

We started the year with a reference to God as a consuming fire, and a prophetic declaration that God is getting ready to move amongst in a fiery way. We have spent a few weeks talking about what that means, what it looks like, and why.

One of the main texts for this was:

Malachi 3:1-3 (LSB) — “Behold, I am going to 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 Yahweh of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a smelter’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

This speaks to both God coming and moving amongst his people, and to the impact or effects of His presence drawing near. “He is like a smelter’s fire.”

Hebrews 12:29 (LSB) — “for our God is a consuming fire.”

We talked about how this description or picture of God being fire is something that He uses often in the Bible, specifically using fire to mark and distinguish His dwelling place. Fire falls and remains in the places that God lives.

Dedication of the Tabernacle - Fire Fell

Leviticus 9:24 (LSB) —  Then fire came out from before Yahweh and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar. And all the people saw it and shouted and fell on their faces.

Dedication of Solomon’s Temple - Fire Fell

2 Chronicles 7:1 (LSB) — Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.

Dedication of the Church (God’s New Temple) — Fire Fell

Acts 2:3 (LSB) — And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

God sends his fire, a manifest, tangible, expression of His Presence to mark, differentiate, point out and make holy his dwelling place.

As believers we are now, individually and as the church, God’s dwelling place in the Spirit. As such, He sends his fiery presence into our hearts, lives, and fellowship.

Luke 3:16 (LSB) — John answered, saying to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Believers and churches are meant to people and places marked by the manifestation of the Presence of God. He sends and gives this Presence,  or this mode of operating of the Holy Spirit (Spirit of burning - Is. 4:4), and we are to receive the fire of His Presence in our lives, persons, and fellowship. We are to receive and tend, steward that fire so that it doesn’t go out.

In the Old Testament tabernacle the fire of the Lord fell on the altar straight from God Himself, but the priests were instructed to keep the fire burning. God started it, indicating that there is no human origin to God’s glory,  but they had the responsibility of putting wood on the fire to keep what God gave burning.

Leviticus 6:12-13 (LSB) — And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13 Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it shall not go out.

In the New Testament God sends the fiery Presence of His Spirit into our lives, fellowship,  and church as Jesus baptizes us in the Spirit and in fire (tangible expressions of His Presence).

Just as the old testament priests were instructed to keep the fire burning by continually putting wood on the altar, we too are to steward and keep alive the fire of God’s presence and activity in our lives.  We obviously do not put wood on a literal fire as fuel, but in Romans we are told that we are to be living sacrifices.

Living as a living sacrifice is constantly putting ourselves on the altar where the fire burns. We are to keep the fire alive through lives of worship and sacrifice, yielding to the work of the Spirit in taking up the cross and following him (the cross being the altar).

Romans 12:1 (LSB) — Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

In this life of worship, of daily living the cross-life of sacrifice on the altar that is the cross, we see the fire of God burn in us and on us, and we fan into flame the gifts that he has given us.

2 Timothy 1:6 (LSB) — For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Kindling afresh the gift of God is a direct reference to the fire of God’s Holy Spirit’s presence and power being released into our lives, with direct reference to keeping that fire going on the altar, the life of the cross.

The fire of God doesn’t rekindle, or fan into flame by hype or loud music, or aggressive, emotional posturing, but by putting the right kindling on the altar; that being us embracing the cross. This is what the Holy Spirit is actually attempting to do in our lives; empower us to take up the cross and follow Jesus.

It was by the Spirit that Jesus offered himself up to God on the cross and it is only by the Spirit that we can too.

Hebrews 9:14 (LSB) — how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

When we speak of offering ourselves on the altar, of living as a living sacrifice that the fire can burn on, of taking up the cross (God’s true altar), this is not a reference to self-sacrifice and ascetics, nor to our own harsh treatment of our bodies, but rather a work of the Holy Spirit in us.

The Holy Spirit, if we ask him to and submit to his work, will apply to our lives and hearts the dying of Jesus on the cross, enabling us moment by moment if we surrender to him, to die to our flesh and choose His leading instead.

Romans 8:13-14 (LSB) — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Thus the ongoing work of the cross in us is a work of the Spirit in our lives as we by faith surrender our lives to his leadership, allowing him to be our guide, not our flesh,  nor sin, nor the devil. If we will yield to him and follow his lead, the death of Jesus will be worked out in us, and so too will his resurrection life.

Part II

Knowing then that God marks his Presence and house by fire, and that fire being more than mere allegory or symbolism but it being the very manifestation of the Presence and Person of God the Holy Spirit, we are meant to see that just like natural fire has real action and consequence when it is present, so God’s Spirit present in our midst also has real fiery action and consequence.

Consuming

Hebrews 12:29 (LSB) — “for our God is a consuming fire.”

Fire consumes, burns,  and reduces to ash what it burns. God does the same in our lives and promises to do so in judgement.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (LSB) — Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident, for the day will indicate it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Our lives are to be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and then built up in Him. Anything we build in our lives, persons, and churches will be exposed to the fire of God’s Presence. Anything built in, on, and through Jesus by the Holy Spirit (gold, silver, precious jewels), will not be burned up but refined, strengthened, and remain after exposure to fire.

Anything that we build in our lives, persons, churches that is of the flesh, self, sin, devil, our own natural ability, this stuff (wood, hay, stubble), when in the Presence of God and the fire that he is will be burned up, leaving nothing but ashes.

This absolutely speaks to an experience we will all have as believers when we die, but it also speaks to a way of knowing Him now. We can have this experience now and allow him to come to us in this way, burning what is not of Him so that we don’t give our time and life attention to building something that will not last his fiery inspection.

This is what happens when the Lord releases the Holy Spirit in our midst as the spirit of judgement and burning.

Isaiah 4:4 (LSB) — “When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and rinsed away the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning…”

Fire of Love, Passion, Jealousy

Fire also speaks to the intensity of love, passion, zeal that God has and is. His drawing near in fire imparts to us a deep, experiential, and heart-marking knowledge of his love for us. It likewise empowers us to love him and others with that same intensity.

In Hebrews 12:29 we are told God is a consuming fire, but we are also told that God is love (1 John 4:16). These two descriptions are not mutually exclusive. God is fire, he is love, and his love is fiery hot.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (LSB) — Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of Yah. 7  Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”

Loving jealousy is called the very flames of YAHWEH. God’s fiery love will produce in us a knowledge of his love that empowers us to live loved, marking us, and equipping us to love with that same fiery love.

This fiery love of God is strong, stronger than death. It cannot be quenched, nor can it be bought,  and it will never sell out. This type of love is not something that we can manufacture ourselves. Like a fire imparts heat to those standing near, this love is imparted to those who would warm themselves by it.

1 John 4:10 -11 (LSB) — In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Zeal

The word for zeal in the new testament is related to the idea of a pot full of water bubbling up and boiling over its edges. The fire of God warms us like fire warms water, and is meant to bring us to an experience of zeal and passion for God that boils over the boundaries and edges of our lives.

Roman 12:11 (LSB) — not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,

Romans 12:11 (NIV) —  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord

We are to be full of zeal, fervour, intensity and passion in our walk with God, expressing excitement, and overflowing with spiritual energy. But, just like a pot of water needs exposure to heat in order to boil, God’s fiery presence in our lives produces the heat that cause us to bubble up and boil over.

This is not emotionalism, this is a command of God and a necessary experience should we want to partner with God is his purposes. God engages zeal and passion to do his work and to sustain him in it.  We need it as well.

Isaiah 9:7 (LSB) — Of the greatness of his government and peace  there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

God’s zealous passion for his purpose and Son will accomplish His goals. We too need this motivational energy.

Testing

Fire brings testing, and it drives out impurity (mixture). The cross alone is the remedy for our sin, but fire exposes it so we can confess, repent, and receive mercy and grace by the blood of Jesus.

Proverbs 17:3 (LSB) — The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (LSB) — Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. 13 But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation

Just as gold is refined by fire, so is our faith that it may be proven genuine and real under fire, authentic and true just as Jesus’ faith and life were in his days on Earth. Our faith and our growth in to his nature is tested and proven, forever passing the test of genuineness, having passed through fire. God’s presence in our lives as fire is a test to us, but also provokes testing and persecution, conflict and attack, tribulation and hardship in a fallen world that is antagonist to God.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (LSB) — in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The symbolism and activity of natural fire is meant to help us as a people to see what God’s Presence (true spiritual fire,) will do and bring to our lives. Just as natural fire creates real impact (burns, gives heat, light, smoke, can be damaging or useful, deadly or life-giving), so does God’s presence. He is telling us ahead of time so we can recognize the signs and surrender to his dealings.

Part. III

Hearing God tell us that he is coming to us in fire, this is prophetic in nature for us as a people, but should not in any sense detract from the fact that God is already here, moving in our midst, and alive inside of all who are truly born again. This is not to say he is not already here, but it is to acknowledge that he wants to move amongst us and manifest himself in our midst in the coming season in the above mentioned ways.

God does special things with specific churches. He speaks to them, gives them insight into what he wants to do with them and through them, and gives them detailed instructions as to how to expect, anticipate, and partner with his movements and dealings in their midst.  For example, in Revelation 2 and 3 we see various instances of Jesus telling different churches “I am coming to you” (Rev. 2:5), and that he is doing certain things in their midst.

At Stoughton Apostolic Church, I believe God has spoken and said He is coming to us in the fiery mode, seeking to accomplish all the work in us that fire does (as listed in Part III), for very specific reasons listed below:

1. He has an original plan for this church, prayed throughout its generations, and has a future promised to its forefathers.

2. God is fighting not for random blessing on this church, but that it becomes what he intended. To secure this intention,  he is coming to consume what is not Him, impart love, ignite zeal, test and refine, so he can abide amongst us.

3. As fire always marked his dwelling place and was a visible and tangible expression of this presence, we too are meant to be a people of His presence; stewarding, manifesting, burning with His Spirit’s Presence. This is not meant to go out, and he would teach how to walk with Him in a way that is not just sparks and fireworks that go out, but being a people of His abiding presence and glory.

God is saying that the high and noble calling on this church is to be a people of His manifest presence, where tangible, visible, experiential encounters with his Presence and Glory happens. We are to be a place where streams of grace go out, (5 Crossroads), where rivers of healing and refreshing from his presence go forth. We are to be a place where people can come and experience God.

This all is summed up in these verses:

Ephesians 2:19-22 (LSB) — So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

This is a unique calling to be a people of His Presence. To seek, receive, and then host inwardly and outwardly his fiery presence requires a way of doing things that is not normal. It requires a pursuit of God as a people and a church that is uncommon in that it requires flexibility and openness to God Himself leading us and being our chief strategist.

Jesus told his disciple one time that they had an invitation to be a people of His presence and they did not understand. So this is what he told them:

John 14:21-23 (LSB) —  He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.

This disclosing of Himself to his disciples, this coming to them and making their dwelling with them, this is much more than Jesus saying I will live in you and you will be born again. This is an invite and blueprint into the fullness of what we saw in

Ephesians 2:19-22, “…in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

This is more than “God lives in me and I am saved.” This represents the journey into fullness and union, one in which God is able to express Himself fully in His presence through a people. This is God’s very manifest Presence and glory being on display from within to without a people. This is Peter’s shadow healing people, tongues of fire on the heads, and this is the room shaking in Acts 4.

This is an amazing promise. He is saying he is coming to reengage the work of making us this place and this people, a people through whom he can manifest His glory.  Neither you, nor I, nor any of your forefathers did anything to deserve this call, it is the sovereign grace of God calling you to be a place of his glory:

Opposition — This is why the attacks of the devil on this church, this community, this region are so geared toward sowing disunity, offence, accusation, gossip, twisting and accusing.  It all about driving wedges between people. It is  because even the devil knows of this calling to be a people of his glory.

Psalms 133 (LSB) — Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2  It is like the good oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard,Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3  It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there, Yahweh commanded the blessing—life forever.

The oil of God’s anointing, the dew of His presence is seen in people of unity!

God is giving us His glory, His manifest presence to unite us. True unity is in the Person of Jesus. That’s what we mean when we say presence, glory. We are talking about the manifestation of a person, not an atmosphere. His presence creates atmosphere, but atmosphere is not what we are after.

It is Him, His person and presence that unites, not projects, visions, msgs, worship music, or outreaches. Jesus said it this way:

John 17:22 (LSB) — The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

This is why unity is attacked, and why gossip, slander, backbiting, grievances, offences, and bitterness is demonically energized and so readily embraced here, often even posing as wisdom.

The good news on this front is this: We only need two or three to agree as touching anything in order to have answers to prayers, and we only need to or three to gather in Jesus’ name for his presence to be here (Matt. 18:19-20).  With God three of a kind beats a full house. Can’t stress how important this is!

Part IV

Once again, the call on this church is to be a people and a place of His presence and glory. A place people can come to experience God, and a place from which streams of grace, rivers of healing and refreshing go out.

This requires an undistracted devotion as people and as a church to the pursuit of God’s Presence, responding to him, and to allow ourselves to be led and organized around His Presence and person. This is a track not oft traveled. It requires the attentiveness of Joshua to the new thing (Is. 43:18-21).

Joshua 3:4 (LSB) — However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

In light of such a promise we have a very specific response required of us.

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 (LSB) — Or what agreement has a sanctuary of God with idols? For we are a sanctuary of the living God; just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17  Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean, And I will welcome you. 18  And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty. 7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The promise of God to be his sanctuary, for him to dwell in us and amongst us, to walk amongst us (His Presence), requires the above response.

It also requires some guidance and help from scripture, which thankfully we have. There are a few places in the Bible that give us a template for this journey into being a people of God’s Presence.

We talked about one pattern already, the journey through the Tabernacle furniture.

From outside the gate to the altar (cross) in the outer court (salvation)

Altar (cross) to bronze laver (baptism and sanctification)

From the laver into the Holy Place and the candelabra (light of his word)

From candelabra to bread of presence on right side (he and his will become sustenance)

Past candelabra and table to altar of incense (worship, intercession, manifesting Christ)

Past Altar of incense to Ark of Covenant - Where Glory of God resided (union)

Each of these furniture pieces represent different stages of our journey with the Lord and defined growth and development pathways he wants to take us on. We saw that the furniture is laid out in the pattern of a cross, showing that every stage of growth is connected to taking up the cross and following Jesus.

There is the pathway of the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. But for our corporate purposes, there is another relevant template in the journey of the Ark of the Covenant (the place of God’s Presence and Glory) back to God’s people in Jerusalem. This journey culminated in the setting up of the Tabernacle of David in 2 Samuel 6. This I believe hits at the heart of what we are called to be as a people and a church.

Part V

In this story (2 Samuel 6) David was on a quest to bring the Ark back to the people of God. He mounted the Ark on a new board or a new ox cart and set off with thirty thousand men from the the house of Abinadab. They were accompanied by song, worship, instruments etc.

As it was being driven, the ox cart shook and Uzzah put out his hand to steady it so it wouldn’t fall. God struck him dead for his irreverence. David got angry at the Lord for striking Uzzah dead and parked the Ark at the house of Obed-Edom for three months. All that Obed-Edon did prospered in those months.

David saw the blessing on Obed-Edom’s house, renewed his desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, and did some research. Now the ark would be carried on the shoulders of the priesthood and an oxen would be sacrificed every six paces. It was a slow, deliberate trail of blood, guts, and death.

What stands out most about the story, apart from its obvious reference to the strength of man (as represented by the ox cart) being unable to carry God’s glory, and that death to this strength of man (every six paces) was required, was where the journey ended.

At the culmination of the journey the ark was not placed in the temple as it had yet to be built. It was instead placed inside a tent that David pitched. A tent. (2 Samuel 6:17)

2 Samuel 6:17 (LSB) — And they brought in the ark of Yahweh and placed it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.

The tabernacle had exact specifications and a clear warning that only the high priest once a year on the day of atonement could go into the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was, and only with blood. Entry into the presence of the Ark and the Presence and Glory of God was forbidden to all, placed behind the veil. Yet, when David brought the Ark back to Jerusalem he put it in a simple tent that made the Presence and Glory of God available and accessible to all.

The Ark of the Covenant, God’s Presence and glory was accessible to all worshipers in David’s Tabernacle. Its like he reached ahead into the era of grace, saw the veil torn by Jesus’ death, and set the Glory and Presence of God out to be seen and be accessible to all who wanted it.

David’s Tabernacle was a place where the people could go and access, experience, see, interact with the very tangible Presence and Glory of God at the Ark of the Covenant. That sounds a lot like what this church is called to be!

This Tabernacle of David, David’s tent, is actually prophesied in the Old Testament as something which God is rebuilding and seeking to restore. God is looking again to raise up places where the Presence and Power and glory of God can be tangibly experienced by people, by a community, by whosoever would.

Amos 9:11-12 (LSB) — “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the ancient days, 12  That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares Yahweh who does this.

God promised to raise up David’s fallen tent. We know he was talking about more than just an actual tent with pegs and cloth. In fact the apostles in Acts 15 reference this very verse.

The Jerusalem Council was convened to discuss what to do with the Gentiles who were coming to faith in Jesus, and more to the point, having the Holy Spirit poured out on them through Jesus.

Acts 15:7-9 (LSB) —  And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Peter said God gave the Gentiles access to the Holy Spirit, just as he did to them at Pentecost. Looking back into the scriptures, James declared this access that the Gentiles had through Jesus to the power and presence and glory of God via the Holy Spirit, this was none other than the fulfilment of Amos 9:11-12 and God rebuilding David’s fallen tent.

Acts 15:15-19 (LSB) — “And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16  After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the fallen booth of David, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, 17  So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ 18  Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. 19 Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles…”

Why is looking to create a place where his glory can be seen, experienced, tangibly interacted with? Its in the verses… “so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord.” Its to get people saved, healed, delivered, and reconciled to God through Jesus.

It is predicated upon the belief that in experiencing and seeing God for who he is, not secondhand, but via personal encounter people will turn to him.

This template shows us, this interpretation of the new testament apostles shows us how a unique journey to being people of his presence is ahead of us if we want it.

It shows us that the fruit, ministry, salvation, outreach that we want and the impact we hope to see, its on the other side of being a people of his presence, not before it.

It’s a journey that starts by daring to believe that if we seek God and his presence in our hearts, lives, fellowship that we will be infinitely more fruitful than if we give ourselves to programs. Its calling us to be people like Mary who sat at his feet rather than to be like Martha who was busied by much “needed activity.”Only one thing is needed said Jesus (Luke 10:42). It is literally being a Presence-centred and Presence led church, not a program led church.

If you mis-diagnose the problem you will also apply the wrong solution. This church is not in need of a king, or programs, or events to make us like the other churches. It reminds me of the Israelites calling out to God for a king so they could be like other nations. We don’t need that! But if you want it, for a time God will give it to you, and like them, you will be enslaved by the very thing you asked for.

We have an invite to seek the Lord, to wait on Him, to believe him and press in to know him by experience. He is promising to draw near and even giving us a heads up as to what that is going to look like so we can surrender, participate, and yield to his dealings as he seeks to move us toward his objective.

It should be noted that this call is not unique to this church. Many churches have this call, and indeed all are called to be this in their own way. However the invitation to us is that of Ezekiel 43. More times than not, before all of God’s people see and embrace what they are to be there are forerunner ministries and churches called by God to go first, to be Apostolic, to be a template others can see and be encouraged and gain vision by.

Ezekiel 43:10-11 (LSB) — “As for you, son of man, describe the house of Yahweh to the house of Israel, that they may feel dishonor for their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. 11 If they feel dishonor for all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight so that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes and do them.

Ezekiel was told to show, explain, give a picture to the house of Israel (God’s family) as to what God’s house (dwelling place) is meant to look like. This church has that call if we will respond to it and be brave enough to allow God to take us on journey to be something together that you can’t see in other places right now.

If we go on this journey with him, there are a few things that he would draw our attention to, one of these being a re-emphasis of covenant.

Part VI

You will have noticed that in the old testament, in both of our templates we have looked at, the journey through the tabernacle furniture and then the journey of the Ark back to Jerusalem, both of these culminate and have at their core objective proximity to God’s glory as it dwelt atop the Ark of the Covenant.

We have much to say about this, but the revelation of the new covenant, its realities and its promises has very much to do with both God’s promised movement amongst us in fire, and his coming to us to dwell within and amongst us.

We will deal much more with this in weeks and months to come, but for now we will leave it full circle with the verses first shared in Malachi 3. Notice in the verse preceding his statement of coming to us as a refiner’s fire, that there is a messenger of the covenant coming. The message of the messenger of the covenant is one we need to head and hear so we can endure his coming and be built as a people into all he intends for us.

Malachi 3:1-3 (LSB) — “Behold, I am going to 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 Yahweh of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a smelter’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

AMEN!