The Lord wants to tabernacle with you!

The Lord says, "This is a time to rejoice! Choose to rejoice, no matter what happens around you in the world! Look to Me and receive from Me! Be set free from your sorrow, and enter into My joy! This is the time to declare that your time of mourning has ended, and your time of rejoicing has come!"

Isaiah 60:20-21 (NLT) says, 'Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands in order to bring Myself glory'. 

The word 'mourning' here is from the word 'abal' in Hebrew, which means 'to lament, to bewail, to be in sorrow'. Indeed, your time of mourning is coming to an end, and you are set free from sorrow!

Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT) says, 'You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!'

The word 'mourning' here is 'sawfad' in Hebrew, which speaks of 'to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as some people in some culture do in a time of grief)'. Now, what does 'beating the breasts' (or 'beating the chest') show us here? It is a show of grief, regret, or disappointment because of something that had happened, and the person who does it would even cause self-inflicted harm.

Beloved of God, some of you need to hear this! Beat yourself no more! Hit yourself no more! Harm yourself no more! Whether physically or in your soul. Past is past. Let it go! Forgive yourself. Forgive those who have hurt you. Today, know that the Lord has set you free, and He has given you a new hope and a new joy! 

You know why? Jesus has already been beaten, hit, striped, and slashed for you! In fact, He has been pierced for you when He died for you on the cross! He has become the man of sorrow, acquainted with grief, and He has carried all those sorrows and griefs of yours when He died for you on the cross! (Isaiah 53:3)

In Isaiah 57:14-15 (NLT), the Lord God says, "Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so My people can return from captivity. I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts."

Beloved of God, here's a piece of good news for you! The Lord is in the midst of 'rebuilding the road' for you! He is clearing away the 'rocks and stones' that hinder you! He is setting you free! He is making a way for a greater future for you, in spite of what had happened in your past! But you have to play your part by giving Him room to do so! 

So, take heart. All is not lost yet, no matter how you 'blew it' recently, or what mistake you've made recently!

The word 'live' (or 'dwell' in NKJV) here is 'shakan' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'stay, abide, continue, inhabit, remain, rest, reside, lodge'. See? The Lord is 'attracted' to those whose hearts are contrite and humble before Him! And He will know how to restore and revive those who are such! 

So, dedicate yourself to Him afresh and anew! Dedicate even your home to Him afresh and anew! Let Him dwell in your life! Let Him 'shakan' with you! Because when you have Him lodging and residing in your life, you don't have to be afraid anymore! After all, He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and He lives in you!

Zechariah 2:10-11 (NKJV), the Lord says, "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst. Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you."

The word 'dwell' here is also 'shakan' in Hebrew, and another word to describe it is to 'tabernacle'. That is to say He is here to tabernacle with you! In other words, He is here to make His home in your life! What a privilege to be called a child of God!

Prayer for you today: "O Lord, as Your people dedicate their lives, and even their homes to You this day, come and fill each of Your beloved and their homes with Your glorious presence. As You tabernacle with them, and as You dwell in their midst, I declare a time of mourning has ended, and a time of rejoicing has begun! There will be honor, riches, and life for those who humble themselves and fear the Lord! And when Your glory is here, nothing in this world can withstand You, and no evil can overcome Your people who look to You. Amen!"

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Being filled with all the fullness of God

Ephesians 3:18-19 (NKJV): ... that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The word 'passes' here is 'huperballo' in Greek, which means 'to throw beyond the usual mark, to surpass, to exceed'. See the word 'all' here? God wants you to be filled with all the fullness of Him, not 'some' or 'part'.

'Fullness' here is 'pleroma' in Greek, which means 'completion, filled up (to the full)', from the word 'pleroo' meaning 'to satisfy, to complete, to supply, to fulfil'. In other words, to be filled with all the fullness of God is to be satisfied, completed, supplied, and fulfilled with all the fullness of God!

God has satisfied every 'thirst' (or 'lack') of yours at the cross some 2,000 years ago, and therefore as a believer, your 'cup' runs over (Psalm 23:5). David understood this fullness of God very well, and that's why he wrote "I shall not be in want" (Psalm 23:1). This fullness of God is the fullness of heaven - where there's no lack, no sickness, and no pain. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." You see, heaven on earth! And the good news is you don't have to reach heaven (yet) to live in heaven! You can have heaven even right now on earth!

"Sounds too good to be true!"

But this is what the Word of God says!

Let me explain further. John 19:28-31 says, 'After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop (a kind of bitter herb), and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit'.

By the way, 'sour wine' here is like acid, and imagine this acid 'burning' through Jesus' dry lips, tongue, throat, esophagus, lung, and through all the internal organs of His body! As you can see, it wasn't just outwardly that He was disfigured and wounded, but also inwardly! It was a whole, complete sacrifice! This acid 'burning' through is like fire burning through, a 'picture' of God's holy anger against sin being fully satisfied on Jesus' body at the cross.

And that's how Jesus became the 'burnt offering' for you. God's holy judgement and punishment against your sins consumed like fire on (and in) Jesus' body at the cross! Let Scripture interpret Scripture. In cross-reference, Exodus 12:7-9 says, 'And they shall take some of the blood (of the lamb) and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night (of Passover); roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire - its head with its leg and its entrails (i.e. internal organs)'. See the word 'entrails' here? The lamb was to be roasted in fire not just outwardly, but also inwardly!

Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, see all your sins, diseases, or problems 'burnt' with this fire on Jesus' body as well! He got 'dried up' so you'll never 'thirst' or lack any good thing from heaven!

Ephesians 2:18-22 says, 'For through Him (Christ) we have access by One Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit'. See the word 'access' here? Through Him, you have access to the Father who gives you every good thing! (see Matthew 7:11)

Let's go to the Old Testament now for cross-reference. Genesis 28:11-12 says, 'So he (Jacob) came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God ascending and descending on it'. 

Genesis 28:16-17 then says, 'Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"'

'House of God' here is 'Beyth El' or 'Bethel', which also means 'habitation of God, dwelling place of God'. The word 'gate' here is 'sha ar' in Hebrew, meaning 'an opening, access'. Therefore, the term 'gate of heaven' here means 'access to and from heaven'! See the word 'access' again?

As a believer, know that you too are the 'house of God' (where He dwells), and the 'gate of heaven' (where you have access to every good thing that heaven supplies)! 

And because there's no lack, no sickness, no pain, no work of darkness in heaven, so should you be on earth!

Genesis 28:18-19 says further, 'Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he (Jacob) called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously'. 

Notice 'stone' here is actually a 'picture' of you and I, the living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5), and 'oil' here speaks of the Holy Spirit. In the New Covenant, you and I are that living stones filled with the Holy Spirit!

Interestingly, one meaning of 'Luz' in Hebrew is 'be perverse, be turned aside from the truth'. As you behold Him as in a mirror (see 2 Corinthians 3:18), allow Him to transform you from 'Luz' to 'Bethel', and of course, from glory to glory!

Romans 12:2 says, 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God'. By the way, the word 'prove' here is 'dokimazo' in Greek, which can be translated as 'to allow it to happen'. 

People of God, this is the time to allow God to renew and transform your mind, so that 'His kingdom come, His will be done (in your life) on earth as it is in heaven'. Start seeing yourself as the 'house of God' and the 'gate of heaven' from now on, where angels are ascending and descending - ministering for you (Hebrews 1:14) and bringing all the 'goodies' of heaven on earth to you and through you. Amen!

You are built together for His dwelling place!

Ephesians 2:20-22 (NKJV): ... Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom, you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

'Built together' here in Greek is 'sunoikodomeo', which means 'being constructed, or composed together', and 'dwelling place' ('habitation' in King James Version) here is from the word 'kat(a)oikeo', which means 'to reside permanently, or to be housed permanently'.

In cross reference, let's look now at 1 Corinthians 6:17, and then 1 Corinthians 6:19. It says, 'But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him... Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?'

In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul wrote, 'Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells (lives) in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred (holy, set apart, separated unto God), and you are that temple'.

From the Scriptures above, it is clear that in the New Covenant, God dwells (lives) not in temples made of bricks and stones, but He dwells (lives) in you, the temple of the Holy Spirit. By the way, the word 'temple' mentioned in all the above verses here is called 'naos' (pronounced 'nah-os') in Greek, which simply means 'dwelling place'.

One can personalize Ephesians 2:22 this way: "In Christ, I am being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

People of God, do you see that now? You are being built together for what? What was the reason God 'constructed, or composed' ('sunoikodomeo') you in the first place?

The answer is so that He can make His home in you! For some people in this world, they live for eating, for some, they live for drinking, and still for some others, they live for all the pleasures they can ever get in this world, but God's Word says you are being 'built together' for God's glory (presence) to reside in you!
Note: There is nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and enjoying the good pleasures that God has given you, but I mean 'the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but rather righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17).

And when the glory of the Lord is in you, people will come looking for you because somehow they know you have the 'answer' to their 'questions'! That was exactly what happened when the temple of Solomon was being dedicated to the Lord! (see 1 Kings 8:22-63) 1 Kings 8:60 says, '(so) that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; and there is no other'.

The Old Testament is the 'shadow', and the New Testament is the 'substance'. So, let's go to the Old Testament now to find out the details of what a 'temple' is, and let Scripture interpret Scripture. In the context of our Bible-study today, the temple of Solomon is the 'shadow', and you (the temple of the Holy Spirit) are the 'substance'.
Note: The composition of the temple

'The inner sanctuary ('The Most Holy Place' where the ark of the covenant is)' speaks of your 'spirit';

'The Holy Place' speaks of your 'soul'; and

'The porch and the outer court' speaks of your 'body'.

Therefore, I can say that the temple of Solomon those days was a 'picture' of you today, the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Kings 6:22 says, 'The whole temple he (Solomon) overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary'. When I see this word 'gold', one word comes into mind, and that word is 'precious'! And the Bible says, 'The whole temple of Solomon was overlaid with gold'! You know what this means? God is telling you today that you are precious in His eyes too, even if others may not see you that way! But God sees you precious! Period.

1 Kings 8:1 then says, 'Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion'.

This 'ark of the covenant' speaks of Jesus Himself, the King of Glory. 1 Kings 8:9 says, 'Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there...' The 'two tablets of stone' here speaks of the 'Law' given to Moses. The Bible says 'Jesus has come to fulfil (satisfy) the Law...' (see Matthew 5:17-18). As a matter of fact, no one can fulfil (satisfy) the Law perfectly except Jesus who is perfect in all His ways.

Now, notice in 1 Kings 8:5, the Bible says, 'Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.

Before the 'ark' (which speaks of 'Jesus') was brought into the 'inner sanctuary' (which speaks of 'your spirit, or heart'), there was a sacrifice of sheep and oxen 'that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.

Today, in the New Covenant, we don't need to sacrifice sheep and oxen any more, because Jesus (the Lamb of God) has already been sacrificed for you, once for all! Hebrews 10:10 says, 'By that (sacrifice) will we have been sanctified (cleansed, set apart, made holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'. So, what you need to do today is simply looking to all that Jesus has done for you at the cross. Many people see Jesus as just another 'religious' teacher or prophet, but what do you see Jesus as? He is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and there is no other name by which one is saved but the name of Jesus! (see Acts 4:12) May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as you keep looking unto Him. Amen.

Indeed, His sacrifice on the cross some 2,000 years ago was a perfect sacrifice, greater than all the sheep and oxen being put together and sacrificed in this world! (see Hebrews 10:1)

Upon bringing the 'ark of the covenant' into its rightful place (i.e. the inner sanctuary), 1 Kings 8:10 says, 'And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud (speaks of 'the glory of the Lord') filled the house of the Lord (i.e. the temple)'!
Note: The glory of the Lord is His very presence, and where the presence of the Lord is, there is peace, rest, and joy.

As you open your heart for the 'ark' to come into your 'inner sanctuary', you too will be filled with the glory of the Lord who dwells in you! Never mind about the past, or what has happened in your past, but in Him, know that the blood shed on the cross for you has already washed and cleansed you from all your sins, curse, past and hurts the moment you receive Him into your life. Just as the temple of Solomon was dedicated, you too can have a brand-new start in life today! Will you give your life to Him anew and afresh all over again? A brand-new season of God's glory beckons if you do.

In amazement of the glory of the Lord that filled the temple, Solomon then said, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying befire You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer that Your servant makes toward this place." (1 Kings 8:27-29)

Beloved of God, God also wants you to know that His eyes are always open toward you too (His temple) night and day, for He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), and therefore you can be assured that He is always watching over you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Not only that, because He makes you His home, His name shall also be in you, and He is your:
El-Shaddai (God Almighty and All-Sufficient to you),
El-Olam (God Everlasting and Eternal to you),
El-Roi (God who watches, who sees, and who is All-knowing to you),
El-Gibbor (God the great God to you),
Immanu-El (God who is with you),
YHWH Yireh (The Lord who provides for you),
YHWH Rapha (The Lord who heals you),
YHWH Nissi (The Lord your Banner of Victory),
YHWH Shalom (The Lord your Peace),
YHWH Raah (The Lord your Good Shepherd),
YHWH Tsidkenu (The Lord your Righteousness),
YHWH Shammah (The Lord who is always here for you, and Ever-present to you),
who lives in you.

And so, if He is in you, of whom (and what) shall you fear?

You are a 'dwelling place' of God!

Ephesians 2:22: In Christ, you are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

You are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit! The Bible also says your body is the ‘temple’ of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) who is (stays) in you, whom you have from God. The word ‘temple’ here in Greek is ‘naos’, which means ‘dwelling place’. This word comes from the verb ‘naio’, which means ‘to dwell’. So, the word ‘temple’ is a general, neutral word which simply means ‘a dwelling place’, and it can be a dwelling place for either God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit), or for any other spirits (even demonic spirit, or spirit of idolatry). As a believer, know that it’s the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, and not any other!

So beloved, as an individual, or as a ‘church’ (‘ekklesia’ in Greek, which means ‘a congregation of God’s people’), you are being built together as a ‘temple’ of the Holy Spirit, a place where the Holy Spirit dwells in. Notice the word ‘ekklesia’ (church) here refers to a ‘people’, not a building made of bricks, wood, etc.

In the Old Covenant, the ‘temple’ was a physical place, consisting of three parts, the ‘outer court’, the ‘Holy Place’, and the ‘Holy of Holies’ (also known as the ‘Most Holy Place’), where the ‘ark of the covenant’ was placed. It’s in this ‘Holy of Holies’ that the high priest would ‘meet with God’ once a year on the Day of Atonement on behalf of the Israelites. This, of course, was a ‘shadow’ of the things to come in our time. Today in the New Covenant, Ephesians 2:22 says you are now the ‘dwelling place’ of God, and the Holy Spirit resides in you, instead of in a ‘physical building’. Just as the temple in Jerusalem had three parts, you are also a ‘tri-partite’, consisting of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The ‘Holy of Holies’ is therefore a picture of your ‘spirit’, the ‘Holy Place’ is a picture of your ‘soul’ (mind, will, emotions), while the ‘outer court’ is a picture of your ‘body’.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the ‘veil’ between the ‘Holy of Holies’ & the ‘Holy Place’ of the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two (Luke 23:45), and because of His perfect sacrifice on the cross (where His blood was shed, and His body was broken), done once for all (Hebrews 10:14), as believers, you can now ‘meet with God’ and have access to His very presence every day, and wherever you are, unlike in the Old Covenant time. The Bible also says as believers, your spirit is joined to Him, and is one spirit (in union) with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Notice the Old Covenant priests would ‘stand ministering’ daily, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which actually can never take away sins (Hebrews 10:11). In fact, interestingly, there wasn’t any piece of furniture in the Holy Place on which the priests can sit on! But Jesus, after having offered Himself (the one sacrifice that takes away sins forever), He ‘sat down’ at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12). This act of ‘sitting down’ by Jesus is a picture of ‘His work being accomplished or completed’. Imagine after a whole day’s work, feeling accomplished and at rest, one would just ‘sit down’ on his/her comfy sofa and have a cool glass of ice-cream soda! Jesus Himself said “It is finished!” (John 19:30) when He gave up His Spirit at the cross. The work has already been completed once for all to take away our sins, and to reconcile us back to God! Hebrews 10:14 says ‘by this one offering (on the cross), He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified’. Jesus is indeed our perfect Lamb of God! His one sacrifice on the cross has made all the difference for you & me! And the best part is this: not only did He sit down, He also made you sit together with Him! (Ephesians 2:6) Today, you can rule and reign with Him in the heavenly places!

Beloved, you are indeed a ‘temple’ (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit! I see droves and droves of people come running to this ‘temple’ that is you, because 'the way, the truth & the life’, the ‘answer’ is in you! Believe & receive! The broken shall be restored through you. The lost shall find their ‘answer’ through you. The sick shall be healed through you. Praise the Lord! Dedicate yourself today as His holy ‘temple’, washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, just as King Solomon did for the temple in Jerusalem, and that’s when the glory of the Lord filled the whole ‘dwelling place’! (2 Chronicles 5:14) Amen!