God’s house, the holy priesthood, is built with living stones (1 Pet. 2:4-5). We are all meant to be these living stones. If you do not have life within you, then you cannot pray for the Lord to build Zion—because Zion is made up of living stones. In the book of Haggai, before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord (Hag. 2:15), God’s people were in a pitiful state. They sowed much but brought in little (1:6). When they brought in their harvest, the Lord blew it away (1:9). The Lord also struck them with plagues (2:16-17) because they cared more about their own houses than the house of God.
Paul and those who served with him had a wide heart, one that made room for the saints in many places. Unfortunately, this was not reciprocated by the hearts of the Corinthians. „O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections“ (2 Cor. 6:11-12). If we spend most of our day preoccupied with our own affairs, then we cannot intercede for God’s matters in prayer. By nature, we are fleshly, earthly, and ordinary. Our hearts pursue our own house, not God’s house: „But the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual“ (1 Cor. 15:46).
Yet, „from this day on I will bless you“ (Hag. 2:19). From the day you dedicate yourself anew to the building of God’s temple, the Lord will bless you! Tell the Lord, „Today, I offer myself anew as a living stone for Your house in Zurich. Every day, I want to give myself so that Your house may be built—whether that means calling someone, preparing an offering, or bringing my portion to Your house. You have said that You will bless me; I want to see that!“ It is good to make a commitment to God in this. Don’t you think God will teach you if you sincerely ask Him to help you? For example, He will teach us how we can observe the Feast of Trumpets, one of the last three feasts celebrated especially before His return.
All precious stones are needed for the building of Zion. Each member’s gift is essential. When there is a lack in the body, it is often the same saints who step in. It can be wearisome to hear the same voices repeatedly. But if everyone brings their part, nothing will be missing, and the body will be healthy, because „God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased“ (1 Cor. 12:18).
To the church in Laodicea, He introduces Himself as the „Amen“ (Rev. 3:14). When someone prays or shares something, we strengthen the Spirit by affirming with our „Amen“ in faith. In doing so, we testify: „So be it!“ We bear witness to the name of our Lord. It is essential to listen actively and to wait for the opportunity: When can I bring my portion of Christ? In this way, the body of Christ will not be unbalanced but healthy. Don’t wait for a „good atmosphere“ in the meeting: „As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God“ (1 Pet. 4:10). When we bring Christ in this way, everyone profits.
Precious stones should also be transparent. The more transparent and pure a stone is, the more valuable it is. We don’t want to display a „holy,“ outward behavior in the meeting that does not reflect our true selves. We are not hypocrites putting on a „holy“ face or a „humble“ voice. When we are transparent, we also have boldness in prayer and testimony.
We cannot be half-hearted in the house of the Lord. If we are occupied with our own houses and needs, we will miss the Lord’s overflowing and abundant blessing. But if we put God’s temple first by going up to gather building materials, He will bless our lives: our work, our family, our health (see Mal. 3:10). The Lord has abundantly blessed the house of Aaron, the priests (Ps. 115:10-12). Consider what you want to accomplish in the Lord by the day you stand before Him. Today—as long as it is still called „today“ (Heb. 3:13)—it is not too late to turn from our own ways. We can repent and rededicate ourselves to the Lord’s temple. „Lord, I was lukewarm, but now I offer myself anew as a living stone for Your house!“ As built-up, living stones in Zion, we will overcome the enemies of Zion.