“We’ve Made It Into Canaan”
I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. Lev 25:38
At Holiness Tabernacle, we have for so long desired to acquire property, specifically designed as a place to freely worship and serve God. After years of prayers, tears and sacrifice God has blessed us to enter His new house at 1440 Old Bridge Road in Woodbridge, Virginia. In Leviticus 25:38, God speaks to the children of Israel concerning the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. And we have applied this verse to our situation. To us Egypt represents, the past. It represents difficulty and lack of freedom and in some instances bondage. However, Canaan, the Promised Land, is a representation of achievement, a better lifestyle, better success and a fulfillment of God’s promise.
Whenever God brings His people into a new place, before He proceeds with taking them further He establishes standards, guidelines and new rules for the new place and Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, founder and pastor of Holiness Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, made no reservations in emphasizing those standards and rules, during the first morning worship service in our new church edifice on June 28, 2009. The points were clear as Pastor Pruitte delivered his sermon titled “Sanctifying the House” developed from II Chronicles 29:1-11. Pastor Pruitte mentioned that God watches over His house and it is to be respected. We cannot do any and everything in God’s house. Just as we have standards for our homes and we expect them to be governed, God has rules and standards for His house and He expects them to be fully governed.
Pastor Pruitte, also referenced Haggai 1:6,9 where we learn a very intricate lesson from God concerning the lack of respect towards His house. God spoke by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel saying, “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.” We learn that if we do not take care of God’s house we will not prosper.
Pastor Pruitte continues to admonish us to remember that Holiness Tabernacle Church of God in Christ is God’s house and it is our job to keep it sanctified.
“I have hollowed this house which thou has built to put mine name there for ever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. “ I Kings 9:3