From a September 2004 Teaching
The home of His Power, God’s Dwelling place
“In old testament times, God gave instructions to Moses for building a tabernacle. Later on He directed Solomon to construct the Temple. But none of these abodes was satisfactory. They were only temporary dwelling places for God and his children.”
[Before the day of Pentecost] “…the temple was a place to gain knowledge and love of God, as well as a refuge from troubles…”
– God’s Magnified Word Chapter 11 “God’s Dwelling Place”
Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
During the Law administration of the Old Testament, people “found God” at the Temple. This was the center of learning for God and His Word at the time. Eventually the attitudes of the people changed and they needed to be corrected.
Acts 17:24-25,27
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
“[The] temple was not big enough for God’s extensiveness. God who inhabits eternity, needs both heaven and earth and even eternity…The temple and the tabernacle were not truly satisfactory…”
God was not to be limited to just a temple which was made by man, he wants our worship and praise all the time.
–If the Temple and the tabernacle no longer suffice for our day and time, how do we worship God?
John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [The original text reads” ..God is spirit…]
When we are born again, we have the ability to communicate with God spiritually via the manifestations of Holy Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12. That is the worship referred to here.
–What is the temple of our lives built upon?
Ephesians 2:20-22 – And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
–What does it mean for Christ to be the Cornerstone?
I Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Jesus Christ is the way to the father, the one-and-only mediator, and therefore is the foundation from which the household of God is built.
Back in the days before Pentecost, people built physical dwelling places for God such as the Tabernacle and the Temple.
Today WE are God’s dwelling place; we have Christ-In-Us when we become born-again.
God dwells in Christ, who dwells in US powerfully wherever we go.
As we operate the manifestations of Holy Spirit dynamically, we are worshiping God perfectly, and we are God’s dwelling place.
Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.