The house where God is worshiped should be in accordance with His character and majesty. There are small churches that ever will be small because they place their own interests above the interests of God’s cause. While they have large, convenient houses for themselves, and are constantly improving their premises, they are content to have a most unsuitable place for the worship of God, where His holy presence is to dwell. They wonder that Joseph and Mary were obliged to find shelter in a stable, and that there the Saviour was born; but they are willing to expend upon themselves a large part of their means, while the house of worship is shamefully neglected. How often they say: “The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” But the word of the Lord to them is: “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?” {5T 268.3}

Det hus Gud skulle dyrkes i skulle være i overensstemmelse med hans karakter og majestæt. Der er små (269) menigheder der altid vil være små, fordi de sætter deres egne interesser over Guds sags interesser. Selvom de selv har store bekvemmelige huse og hele tiden udnytter deres ejendomme, indvilger de i at have et meget upassende sted til gudsdyrkelse, hvor hans hellige nærhed skal bo. De undres over at Josef og Maria var nød til at finde i en krybbe i en stald og dér blev Frelseren født; men de er villige til at bruge en stor del af deres midler på dem selv, medens bedehuset forsømmes skammeligt. Hvor ofte siger de ikke: »Endnu er det ikke tid at bygge Herrens hus.« Men Herrens ord er til dem: »Er det da tid for eder at bo i huse med træklædte vægge, når dette hus ligger øde?"