I managed to steal some time away from my busy schedule, at East Coast Beach on Sat morning, trying to hear from God for the new year with the backdrop of soothing wave sounds.
It was a refreshing time and the word that came was from a familiar portion of Scripture: "And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple..." Its from Mal (3: 1-3) and God reminded me on a few more things about this cry that is constantly in my heart.
Firstly, there must be a messenger who prepares the way (ver 1) before the Messenger of the covenant can come. It is similar to what Pastor Yang shared on Sunday about how the Holy Spirit sets His spotlight on different families to prepare both the prophetic line and the kingly line. John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for Jesus to be manifested to the the nation of Israel, with his message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt 3:3)
Thus this divine order is critical and we must pray that Cornerstone will be a prophetic voice to this nation, to prepare for Jesus to come. And I cannot over-emphasize the importance of the coming Open Heavens conference. Let it be a sign and a wonder to the church in Singapore.
Next, the specific place where the Lord will come is His temple (ver 1). In one sense, it refers to our individual hearts and bodies and whether we delight in Him and looking forward to His coming. But it can also refer to a whole congregation of people seeking to see His face.
Ver 2 & 3 tell us that we are all completely unworthy to face Him but the Lord is the one who purges us that we can offer to Him an offering in righteousness. This speaks of the superior Zadok priesthood that will draw near and minister to God. The requirements are not too profound, but to remain loyal and faithful to the Lord, and to keep seeking for the coming radical encounter with the Messenger of the covenant Himself.
Much of the focus of this year will probably be on us ministering inside the Holy Place, rather than from the outer courts. Press on, saints... He is our inheritance...
"For I am the LORD, I do not change... Return to Me, and I will return to you..." (Mal 3: 6-7)
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