I didn’t know when I wrote down these three simple prayers that they were progressive in nature, and the Lord has answered them concurrently, or at least overlapping.

Faithful prayer is about laying down roots, the deeper the better.

Holiness is about refusing to give “dirt” to weeds, growing only one tree. We are dirt; He is Life. Choose Life.

Possession is about reaching up and out, about branches, canopy, and fruit. It’s about claiming the Kingdom that waits there in the air all around you.

God has given us miracle upon miracle. All that we need for life and godliness (Himself). Power, love and a sound mind (His). Peace, rest, and . . .

A Hedge of Protection. The Hedge of Protection is a two edged sword, so to speak. It has long sharp thorns. It keeps the enemy out. The lions circle it in the night and roar, but they can’t reach you. Not really.

The problem is sometimes we look for the dead center of the circle and squinch up small so we won’t get scratched or feel the hot breath of the beast on the other side, but when we do Satan roars, mocks God, and laughs at us. We make ourselves as comfortable as possible in a dangerous world and sit down to wait for Him to come for us.

When we take possession of all He’s given, the hedge of protection becomes a crown of thorns, and the kingdom has presence. Our lives take on a transcendent meaning. Parts of us don’t fit in the circle anymore, but what really matters is never at risk. Guard what has been entrusted to you!

This pressing outward to the edges of all He’s given causes momentary and light affliction, it requires an act of will and Wisdom.

Most people when poked, release what is in them, but the Kingdom only comes to those who press into the poking and release Jesus.

Pardon me while I mix my metaphors for a moment. They overlap. I promise.

The bible tells the story of two temples that were built in Israel. The first was practically handed to them by God. David prepared everything ahead of time, Solomon was the richest, wisest king who ruled at a time of almost perfect peace. And he conscripted foreigners to do the labor. So for seven years they watched as the temple rose up in front of them and then they celebrated the harvest festival of Tabernacles. It was perfect.

But they couldn’t hold it. They didn’t really know what it meant to pray faithfully, regard Him as Holy and therefore they could not take possession of all that He had given them.

The second temple was different. “Go up to the mountain! Bring down timber! And build My house!” These were the words of encouragement that Haggai brought to the Israelites who were mired down in the restoration of Jerusalem after 70 long years of exile and captivity.

“Go up to the mountain” is about stopping all the busy-ness that seems so necessary for survival and going out of your way for God. All the greats have “turned aside to see” what God is doing. All of them have been “led to a mountain I will show you.” Abraham was led to Mount Moriah. Moses to Mount Horeb. Joshua to Mount Ebal. David to the Temple Mount-the threshing floor of Arauna (also Mount Moriah), Elijah climbed Mt. Carmel and Mount Horeb, and Jesus ascended Golgotha.

When we pray faithfully, we stop what we are doing, we choose to go to Him, to let Him lead us to that Secret Place, the Garden, The Mountaintop, where we have intimacy and friendship with Him.

“Bring down timber” is about doing something you’ve never done before. The Lebanese cut all the timber for the first temple and that was the plan for the second one as well. Lebanon had beautiful old growth forests and they were experienced woodsmen. Solomon paid them for their timber and kept a treaty with their king all his days. And in the beginning some timber was bought from Lebanon for the second temple, but not enough, and opposition to the rebuilding slowed progress. At one point the building was stopped completely by non-Israelite officials who were running things in those days.

It seemed impossible. It seemed dangerous. “Bring down timber” is about doing something new that you’ve never done before, something you’re afraid to do and don’t know how to do. But God promises to show us. In Isaiah He says that each crop is grown in it’s own way and harvested and threshed or ground in its own way, and the Lord instructs the farmer in all this. He also promised that you will see your teachers and hear their voices behind you. When we “Go to the mountain” day after day until we know Him, then we begin to trust Him, to “pray” less and listen more. Then we regard Him as holy and what He says as most precious, and He teaches us many many things that we did not know. We bring down timber!

Once we have done these two things: We have “Gone up to the Mountain,” prayed faithfully; and we have “Brought down timber,” regarded Him as holy; then we are ready to “Build His house.”

Building His house is about grasping the kingdom. It is about making a space where others can draw near and begin their journey up the mountain! It is about a life of transcendent purpose!

The third temple is not built with wood or stone, it is build with people. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, Peter, whose name means “stone” was added next to Him. We who Go Up and Bring Down, are built into the structure they began. We don’t just Build His house, we become it! One day this temple will be complete. We rejoice to see the capstone in the hands of Zerubbabel!

Haggai promised that the second temple would see more glory than the first. It saw Jesus come and teach and heal and dwell with His people.

Jesus said “Greater things than these will you do in My Name!” Go UP! Bring Down! Become His House, His tear soaked, bloodstained, beautiful house!