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Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed - Donald K. Short

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ut come not near any man upon whom is <strong>the</strong><br />

mark; and begin at my sanctuary. <strong>Then</strong> <strong>the</strong>y began<br />

at <strong>the</strong> ancient men which were before <strong>the</strong> house."<br />

Here we see that <strong>the</strong> church—<strong>the</strong> Lord's<br />

sanctuary—was <strong>the</strong> first to feel <strong>the</strong> stroke of <strong>the</strong><br />

wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom<br />

God had given great light, and who had stood as<br />

guardians of <strong>the</strong> spiritual interests of <strong>the</strong> people,<br />

had betrayed <strong>the</strong>ir trust.<br />

The seriousness of this counsel demands our<br />

attention; especially it must be noted that <strong>the</strong><br />

church is <strong>the</strong> "Lord's sanctuary." His concern is not<br />

some far-off secretarial work of checking <strong>the</strong><br />

books, but ra<strong>the</strong>r having a church that is truly His<br />

tabernacle. The world is full of thousands of<br />

marvelous structures erected in <strong>the</strong> name of <strong>the</strong><br />

Lord. Many of <strong>the</strong>m took decades to build and<br />

some have been standing for centuries. Yet <strong>the</strong><br />

world today is waiting to see <strong>the</strong> splendor of a<br />

"house" fully and completely dedicated to God's<br />

service. The material is not lacking but that which<br />

<strong>the</strong> Lord has provided has not been used. The<br />

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