God is in his temple!

Seven hundred fifty years before Christ the prophet Isaiah went to the temple to worship and pray. The Lord opened his spiritual eyes and he became aware of God’s presence in this place of worship. He could see how the glory of God filled the temple. The train of God’s robe was like carpeting on the temple floor. Above the glorious presence of the Lord, seraphim were hovering. They are six-winged spiritual beings. With two wings they fly, and with the remaining wings they cover their faces and feet in humble admiration of our awesome God of perfect holiness. Isaiah heard in stunned silence, that they chanted to one another, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

The smoke of the incense burnt by the priests filled the temple. And the holiness of God was as thick as the smoke. Isaiah fell to his knees. And in all humility cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5) Isaiah was amazed, yes smitten, by the glorious presence of the holy God in the place where his people worshipped him.
Our awesome God was there. That was what kind of place the temple was.

This is a dramatic statement about the importance of worship. Where two or three are together in the name of Christ, our God is present – just as he was in the temple in the days of Isaiah.
God desires communion. What he wants is for us to fellowship with him, for us to be awe-struck by him, to love him, to honour and glorify him. That we may serve him with all of our hearts. “Having church” is so much more than going through the motions. It is coming into a divine encounter with the living God. An encounter that changes our lives.

Through real worship and service, we are changed, and then our lives can touch the lives of others. True worship and service are living testimonies to the power of God - to us and to the world.

Is there more than an appearance of Christianity about us? Is there substance? Is our worship real? Is fruitfulness the result of our holy communion with God? By God's grace it can be.