Psalm 26 – Glory revealed

GOD, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory.

 

Recently while visiting Australia we came across such beautiful old church buildings that are now standing empty. I went into some of them and it was amazing how you just felt the presence of God in them. People or not, you just knew that God had visited and inhabited these old buildings as people once worshipped Him there. I know a building is just a building but there is no denying that a building purposefully constructed, equipped and dedicated to worshipping God somehow becomes a house for His presence. His glory lingers and the sweet aroma of His presence remains. The power that He exudes leaves an awesomeness that is still felt today.

But dwelling in God’s house, living with Him, doesn’t have to be going to a building does it? After all we, the collective of believers, are the church. Where 2 or 3 are gathered, God is there. Any gathering of believers, immaterial of where they are, should immediately take on the exact same characteristics as the old building. Anyone entering the gathering should immediately get the sense of His power and love and grace and holiness. They should sense the same awe. They should know without a doubt that God dwells in that gathering. His glory will one day fill the whole earth but in the mean time the body, the bride, should be displaying that glory to all who would look their way.

Then of course you are the temple of God. God dwells in you. The fulness of the Godhead has made a permanent dwelling place in your bodily form. Lord I love living with you is no longer a trip to church but an acknowledgement that we love Him living in us.

I am a mobile revelation of God’s glory. Whether in a building, in a group or all alone, His house is filled with glory. His glory shines in any place I choose to worship. His glory shines in any gathering I am a part of and His glory shines as I go about my day far from any building or gathering. His glory shines in the darkness of the world where I must live for this time.

His house shines with His glory so that the lost may see the way home. I love it that it is where I already am.

Lord today fill me again with your presence, your love, your grace and power. Lord live so in me that your glory will fill the temple and shine like a beacon in the darkness

Psalm 22 – It starts in the Body

Here in this great gathering for worship I have discovered this praise-life. And I’ll do what I promised right here in front of the God-worshipers.

Although salvation is a very personal matter, man is not saved into an individual position before God. In rebirth we are joined together with the body of Christ of which He is the head. Christian life then is first and foremost lived out in the body. We are not a self standing tree but a branch on the vine that is Christ.

The simple term ‘in Christ’ defines our position. Together with all believers we are hidden in Him. In Him we live and move and have our being.

It makes perfect sense then that the place where we will learn the life that brings praise and glory to God is in the body, as it is the body and not the individual parts that honour Him.He is found in the midst of His people. Where they are gathered in His name there He is. His Kingdom is established in their praises.

Man has messed up the earthly church with traditions, religious legalism, adapted doctrine etc to the point where there is very little similarity between the physical church and the spiritual church. Where the body of the church no longer reflects the body of Christ.

Yet what are we, the believer supposed to do?. The answer found in this verse is simple. Gather in His Name. It is imperative for the Name of Jesus and the working of the body that the body must be together. Friend your faith has justified you and you can do all things but you are not, YOU ARE NOT, all things. You are but a small part of this large and great body. No matter how good you think you are, no matter how much you think you accomplish, no matter how famous your name and your ministry, you remain but a small part of the body. Your service to the head can only exist as it connects to the head through other parts of the body. Most of that service is actually serving the body on behalf of the head.

It is in corporate worship, where the body stands up and collectively glorifies its head that you will most learn the life of worship.

In the same way it is servant ministry that you will most likely fulfil your purpose. If you can’t work within the body how do you be a part of it?

So about church. Let us take hands around the world and let Him use us to build His church. Go make a difference. Go show them how to do it. Where you have been hurt and disappointed, forgive and change them instead of them hurting you. Where there is no church start one, it’s just a gathering of the saints.

It’s you.