A year which will be more Glorious
A Year that will be More Glorious
Sunday – 01st January 2023
Overview
1. Introduction
2. We will have the Peace of God in our lives.
3. We will be filled with more glory.
4. We will be Strong because the Lord is with us.
5. We will be fearless.
6. We will see God’s appointed time.
7. Our desire will be the Glory of God
8. Closing Prayer
Introduction – New Temple More Glorious
This is the message preached by Pr. Anish Mano Stephen
This is the first part of a series of messages on “New Temple More Glorious”
This year the Lord told us as a church that 2023 will be more glorious for the Church of God. Last year we experienced the glory of God individually, where we witnessed glorious miracles and glorious heavenly interventions. There was the beauty and perfection of heaven released in almost all our church family members, the impossible becoming possible, the delays getting activated, and the separations getting reconciled. And as we step into 2023 receiving the promise of being a ‘more glorious’ year, we believe that something supernatural with the highest degree of God’s intervention is waiting for us.
Let us look deeper into our promise verse that the Lord gave us,
“…and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.”
- Haggai 2:9 (CEV)
This verse, when we read in NKJV, it says the “latter temple”
The former temple has gone through many problems, troubles, and attacks, but the Lord says, that when this new temple comes and the Glory descends, there will be peace once and forever.
There are only three temples mentioned in the Bible. The first temple was built by King Solomon. And during the time of its dedication, the fire from heaven lit up the sacrifice and magnificent glory filled the Temple of God. The Second Temple was built by King Zerubbabel, Joshua, Haggai, and Ezra. They all worked hard and built the temple. This temple was not as magnificent as the first temple. But here, God promised that the Glory will fill this temple and this temple’s Glory will be greater than the former glory. And when we come to the New Covenant church, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
So, in 2023 if we yield to the Holy Spirit more and allow the Holy Spirit to make us a new temple, then as God promised we will be filled with the glory of God and we will have eternal Peace.
In 2023, The Lord said, we will see the Holy Spirit in action in an UNLIMITED WAY
Something new is happening in our personal life as the Lord will transform our temple into a MORE GLORIOUS TEMPLE in the first few months
There are certain qualities of this more glorious new temple. The first and most important of them are:
A. Peace of God and Divine Rest
‘And in this place, I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.
- Haggai 2:9
In Haggai 2:9, we read that God is saying, in this place, I will give you peace.
Peace – in Hebrew means
1) Good Health – When we yield to the Holy Spirit and become a new temple filled with God’s glory, we will have good health.
2) Well-being – Well-being simply means God’s blessing in all circumstances and every area of our life.
Isaiah 43:19 says, Behold I am doing a new thing - Before doing a new thing, God always makes sure, the previous things are aligned together restored, and at rest.
And also, the same verse says I will make a road in the wilderness, so in 2023 all impossibilities are going to become possible. There will be no impossibilities this year.
3) Abundant Life – Abundance means having more than what is required of us.
In Galatians 3 we read about Abrahamic blessings in the new covenant being a blessing to everyone; and only if we are in abundance, we can be a blessing to nations.
No struggle or lack in 2023
4) Everything being as it ought to be – in 2023, we will become what we are supposed to be. What God desires in His heart for us, we will become that.
In 2023, Unlimited work of the Holy Spirit in our Life. We will be transformed into new people.
B. More Glory
Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?
- Haggai 2:3
As we read in Haggai 2:3, In 2023, we will not be satisfied by former glory but will see more glorious things happening in our lives
The former glory mentioned in the Bible filled certain places which God had instructed them to build. In the Bible, we read about three places where the glory of God was filled.
1) In the Tabernacle
A tabernacle is a meeting place between Man and God
Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
- Exodus 40:34
2) In the Temple of God
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1-2
3) In the House of God
so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God
- 2 Chronicles 5:14
C. Strength
We will be strong and we will work and will progress because the Lord is with us.
Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.
- Haggai 2:4
D. Fearless
‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
- Haggai 2:5
God has made a covenant by giving us His Spirit, so we will not fear.
E. Divine Timings
“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
- Haggai 2:6
Shake in Greek means speaking of the day of the Lord, the appointed time of the Lord. In 2023, we will see some divine timings of the Lord in our lives.
F. The Glory of God will be our desire
and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts
- Haggai 2:7
The word desire is the same word used for desiring objects. It shows the different dimensions of the glory of God.
Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;
- 2 Chronicles 32:27
And, when we read Hosea 13:15, and Nahum 2:9, the word desire relates to rich objects like diamonds and stones. These riches signify the different dimensions of the glory of God. And the glory of God will be the desire of all nations because a day will come, as David prayed when the whole earth will be filled with the Glory of God. Habakkuk prophesied that day is coming when the Glory of God will be filled in the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Our desires will change. We would no longer be approaching God desiring healing or deliverance, but we would come to Him desiring His Glory.
‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.
- Haggai 2:8
Gold is the divine character of the Lord Jesus Christ and Silver is the redemption sign of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means we are brought by Jesus Christ to His glory and the whole control of our life will be by the Holy Spirit.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, we desire in 2023, that we want to be more glorious, where our total focus will be on spiritual things. May our priorities change, may our prayer requests change, and may we be filled with the unlimited Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.