1 Kings 5:17-18 KJV
17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

Ephesians 2:20-22 KJV
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

I can talk all day about building people up, but unless there is a foundation in which to build on, you will encourage no one in the Lord. And all other encouragement is on sinking sand because it will not hold a person in the storms of life. Even heathens cry out to God in horrorness of a severe storm. How do we build, do we build the temple like Solomon did with the aid of outsider or do we build the temple of God with the foundation stone of Jesus Christ the word of God, the word in the flesh and the teachings of his apostles who remember the ways of Jesus and taught them to Christ's disciples.

Solomon built the temple of the Lord. He desire to put God in a house, to build him a house that people could worship him in. One thing for certain God is not housed in a man made object or by the will of man but by God's will. The tabernacle was the first dwelling place for God inside Israel camp. It remain through the time of the Judges and two kings of Israel, however there was a need to build a permanent place of the ark of the covenant. We can get lost in the image of the ark verse the spiritual Spirit of God that gives birth spiritually to all that believe if we adhere to the sacredness of tradition, we have religiousity. God moved among his people without a house. Meaning God is not confined to a house made for him. He moves throughout his creation and beyond, but if we classify him only being in the Holies of Holies then the believers and soon to be believers would never be blessed with the knowledge of God's Spirit. Meaning upon faith something happens, God is now able to commune with his people directly. Yet the people did not want to hear and people still do not want to listening because of the need for a box. The temple was Solomon desire to do something for God. To build this house in the custom he would also build other gods and goddess in the land of Israel houses.

King Solomon though he believed in God and did this because his father had desire to do so but was told by God he could not build because he had blood on his hands, where he killed an innocense man.. God allowed King Solomon to build this house for him. Something desire by the king and the people. When the temple was rebuilt only God's people were allowed to build it and sanctify it, though outsiders wanted to help they were not allowed. Did Hiram believe in God, he acknowledge the God of Israel whether he worshipped the God of Israel is unclear. Hiram did admire King David and so his country brought the wood and things Israel need to build the temple and Hiram men aided in the building of the temple for God.

For a believer in Christ we are the temple of God, his Spirit lives in our hearts and communes with our Spirit. The Spirit God was said to have anointed David, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, seventy elders and more in the Old Testament. To anoint is to be chosen by God. To be filled by God's Spirit and baptized by his Spirit means that God is working in our hearts and our spiritual being, not as our spiritual being but with our spirit. Cain new the correction of God but it cost him because of his disobedience to God's Spirit, in fact God spoke to Cain in the same manner he speaks to us as unbelievers with a warning. There not one man except Christ to have been anointed by God that has not felt temptation or yield to temptation of sin. Christ is the only one that lived his life in perfection to the will of God. God correct in the Old Testament by his Spirit and by the prophets. However for a prophet to come, one must not of been yielding to God's Spirit or will by refusing to listen, or God is using the prophet to help the person to recognize sin.

God's people have never need a building to worship or altar to do sacrifices on, yet these things were necessary as example as a reminder, as a symbol and exercise of faith. Some go to the altar in churches and pray even after receiving Christ both to repent and to pray. There those that go to the priest in the catholic church and make confessions of sin. And then they carry out their religious practice of correction to make things right with the Lord and sometimes with others.

The question may come is their repentance and confession after salvation, the answer is yes, but there is no more sacrifice for your eternal salvation, it paid and bought by Christ Jesus upon belief in him. Nothing that can seperate you from the love of Jesus. However going through a trial you may wonder. There is a point no man can laid the foundation that is in Christ Jesus. That foundation is laid by Spiritual birth. Anyone can build a house for his God but God is the only one that can build his spiritual house through the individual blocks that are us. We become a block laid on the foundation of Christ and the apostles and teachers of faith. God spiritual chisels the flaws of even the teaching of our teachers that do not line up with God's word. He is building his church by his Spirit, he laying the grout and us in place to build a tabernacle for his kingdom. Our heart is Christ home upon salvation. He knocks and enters in laying down the cornerstones of faith through belief in him, and establishing the laws by his Spirit by the apostles first and the teachers second. Meaning the Gospel recorded by the Apostles and leaders of the very first church, but we are to obey the Spirit of God foremost and first. We learn who Jesus is by learning from the teachings, but we learning to obey by following God's Spirit as he speaks to our heart.

In reality Jews can not build the temple without human hands. Neither can the Gentiles this is something spiritually only God can lay and design this spiritual temple he building for his kingdom. The church building, the temple at the time of the Jews a meeting place to learn about God to understand it is his house. It was design for the things of God and not idolatry. Separation of religious practice of the heathens did not belong in the sanctuary of the church or the temple at the time of the Old Testament. This never changed. Faith being establishment of accepting God's design, though he allowed these buildings to be built and have a purpose, it because what a stumbling stone for the unbelievers who thought faith was a religious practice.

God can anoint the house he dwells in, and he indwells us so he sanctifies us for his service, to a holy people doing his will. Our holiness is about faith. Our righteousness about faith in Jesus and God the Father. Our faith also being in trusting of God's Spirit. None of us do this perfectly because of our free will establish when man was created. It must learned to follow, to yield, to listen and to obey. Some never get it and some know enough and never listen. They are the children of cain and not God. The things in God's Word is written and record for man by His Spirit. Learning about and obeying God might start there but until salvation it is only obedience to his word by not faith but religiousity or legalism, like love, and caring for others. Even heathens do this at the minimum for thir own. Christian learn to love first by experiencing the love and forgiveness given to them by God through Christ Jesus and our works are a part of our faith, but without works are we saved. Justified first by faith, then our actions speaking whose child we are.

Without that foundation in Christ that God plants in our hearts to receive and to heed then our faith can not be planted in the foundation of Christ Jesus. What are you built on religiousity or faith? Think on it, if you attend church every time the door is open that does not make you saved. Faith must come first by belief, religiousity/legalism there is nothing wrong with it, but your not God's child untell you have faith in him. No foundation stone can God lay in your heart. That foundation stone is Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father open the eyes of those that religious but have no faith in you or your reality. Lord plant your word in our hearts, so that we know Christ salvation is for us that your foundation is not sinking sand and that he speaking to our hearts out of love for us. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Want to know how to be saved, please click the how to be saved button and follow the instructions there. Thank you and prayers for you that today will be the day of your salvation. God bless you.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 Peter 2:4-10 KJV
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.