Psalm 122 (KJV)
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

Greetings to you in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
For today’s message from God, let us meditate the words of Psalm 122. The theme of this psalm is WORSHIP. The very first verse tells us the importance of going to the church on Sundays.

LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD:

Today morning, I went out of the campus where I stayed for last three days at 6.00 a.m. to catch a bus from Mandaiyur to trichy junction and then to a village church which is at a distance of about 16 km from Trichy central bus stand.

When I was waiting for a bus in front BIT, I noticed several 100s of people walking on bare foot ( I am appreciating their sacrifice, I am saying about their innocence) to go to a temple in Trichy to celebrate the full moon function. I asked them on the way some interesting questions. They were very nice village people walking about 110 kms for three days to fulfill their dreams and desires and prayers. They are sincere but wrong. I walked with them for about 100 minutes for about 7 or 8 miles. Then I discontinued from them, had my breakfast and took the bus to go the church to preach God’s word.

This simple experience motivated me about the importance of Sunday services in the church. The people of Israel went to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year on three special festivals namely:

1. Feast of Passover
2. Feast of Pentecost
3. Feast of Tabernacles

They traveled from from different regions of Israel, may be by walk, I believe for long distance in those days.They used to sing the psalms 120 to 134 on their way to Jerusalem. One such psalm is 122. The first verse tells us:” I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD is THE TEMPLE OF GODE:

We should pray for new people to come church, but also invite them saying: Let us go into the house of the LORD. DAVID says, I was glad. Some people mad instead being glad. David understood the emotions of God. He says, I am glad, when I go to the house of God. What is the house of God?

1. Human body
2. The church
3. The body of Jesus

Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem one time. He said: do not my Father’s house, a house of merchandise. He also said: My Father’s house shall be called the house of Prayer for all people. Jesus said: destroy his temple and in three days, I will raise it again. He was prophesying about His death and resurrection after three days. He was telling some important facts here. Not only His body, but each and every believer’s body is individually and collectively constitute the temple of God.

The Apostle Paul explains this truth powerfully in First Corinthians 3;16 as below:

“ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Here are the five truths about God’s temple: 1. You are the temple of God,2. the Spirit of God dwells in you,3. if anyone defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy,4..God’s temple is holy , 5. you are God’s holy temple.

This is the wonderful truth, which enlightened me to gain salvation experience in my early Christian life. So many people are ignorant of this marvelous revelation. God is in us. We are the temple of God. God’s Spirit is dwelling in us. Christ in us the hope of glory. When a believer understands this truth about themselves, they can lie a holy life. Further this truth is amplified in 2. Corinthians 6:16 and 1. Corinthians 6:19. We are the Temple of the Living God. This is a wonderful revelation in the Holy Bible. What is Church? Church is God’s Temple. Church is God’s House, which house we are. That is why David was glad about going into the House of God. Keeping idols of Jesus, Mary or saints in Prayer towers or churches are foolishness and traditions. The Bible says in John 4:24: “ God is Spirit, those who worship Him, Should worship Him in spirit and truth”.

The next revelation in Psalm 122 is about JERUSALEM. David says:” Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together”

Our feet stands within Jerusalem. I obtained this blessedness on 23 rd and 24 th of September 2011. I visited the city of Jerusalem on those days. I prayed for the peace of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city compact together. The word compaction is a geotechnical word. It means: Definition: Soil compaction is defined as the method of mechanically increasing the density of soil by reducing volume of air.

Why Soil Compaction: 1- Increase Soil Strength 2- Reduce Soil Settlement 3- Reduce Soil Permeability 4- Reduce Frost Damage 5- Reduce Erosion Damage.Building is a structural word. Compaction is needed to strengthen the foundation. Building upon is essential to complete the building process. Ephesians 4:16 is about construction of the church spiritually:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Fitly joined together means : to render close jointed together. Compact means to press or join firmly together. This is achieved spiritually by divine love between the members of Christ. Jesus said: love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. Very important statement for a Civil Engineer. Church is built like that. Our life is built like that. Our marriage is built like that. The third message in this Psalm is Blessings of Jerusalem:

In the house of the Lord, we should give thanks to the name of the LORD. What is His name? His name is Jesus, the name above all names. In the name of Jesus, there is 1.salvation, 2.Healing,3. Deliverance,4. Prosperity, 5.Victory and so on.Let us hear two important verses in the Bible: Acts 4;12 and 16:31

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

BLESSINGS OF JERUSALEM:

1. Peace, 2. Prosperity, 3. Goodness. The Psalm 122 says:

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.”

Peace be unto you. Jesus announced good news of peace to the hurting people. Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem that they should understand things pertaining to their peace life. Jesus said peace to His disciples. Jesus instructed His Disciples to say peace to every house they go in for preaching. Let me say peace be to you: John 14:27, Jesus said:

John 14:27 King James Version (KJV) “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”.

Jerusalem represents 1.church,2.individual believer,3.physical Jerusalem. Jesus is telling to my son, my daughter: Peace be unto you. The next blessing is prosperity. God wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul prosper. Reading, meditating, and speaking God’s word makes us prosperous people. Joshua 1:8 says:

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success

The third blessing in Jerusalem is goodness. David says: “Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.” God’s house should be filled with His goodness .Solomon says: By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength(Proverbs 24:3-5).