John (connotes Jesus Christ as The Son of God) as stated in John 20:30-31: And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name.
John stresses Jesus’ deity:
St. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God:
vs 14: And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us.
The author identifies himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23;
20:2). He was one of the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), because of his zeal (passion; zealousness;
commitment) for the things of God.
John wrote to prove that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah (for
the Jews), and the Son of God (for the Gentiles), and to lead believers into a
life of divine friendship with Him. The
key word is “believe”.
Text: John 14:1: Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. Vs 2: In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Vs 3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, THERE you may be also.
THERE (adverb), meaning at or in
that place; to or into that place.
Jesus was telling His disciples to
not let their hearts (kardi’a) [thoughts; feelings (mind); middle] be troubled
(taras’so) [stirred or agitated; disturbed]. Jesus was telling them that because
the body that Jesus was living in and had spent the last three and one half
years with those disciples, teaching and preparing them to become fishers of
men in, He knew, that He wasn’t going to be living in that body to much more
longer. He wasn’t going to be with them
in physical form as He was in, any longer.
Yet He was encouraging them to not be troubled by that, because in
reality He was still going to be with them but in another form, which was Spirit.
He wasn’t going to just be with them, but He was going to be “in” them! That’s why He said to them, “I go to prepare a place for you, and I
will come again, and receive (paralamban’o)
[to associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); take
(unto; with)] you unto myself; that where I am, THERE (in the same place) you may be also”.
·
Vs 4 (Jesus said): And whither I go you know, and the way you
know. Vs 5: Thomas said unto him, “Lord, we know not
whither thou go, and how can we know the way”?
Vs 6: Jesus said unto
him, “I am the way (ho’dos) [path; road] that
lead to the Father, because no man can
come to the Father but by me (John 14:6), and no man can come to me
except the Father which has sent me, draw him (John 6:44).
Jesus had become everything to those
disciples, just as He is everything to us.
Well, He’s everything to those that truly love Him!! I like what Dr. H.L. Wilmington wrote:
To the artist, He is the One altogether lovely: Song of Solomon 5:16: His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely.
To the architect He is the chief Cornerstone: 1st
Peter 2:6: Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect,
precious: and he that believes on him
shall not be confounded”.
To the astronomer He is the Sun of righteousness: Malachi
4:2: But unto you that fear my name
shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings: and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves
of the stall.
To the baker He is the Bread of life: John 6:35: And Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger, and
he that believes on me shall never thirst”.
To the banker He is the hidden treasure: Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field; the
which when a man hath found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all
that he hath, and buys that field.
To the builder He is the sure foundation: Isaiah
28:16: Therefore thus said the Lord
GOD, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious
corner stone, a sure foundation: he that
believes shall not make haste”.
To the carpenter He is the door: John 10:7: Then said Jesus unto them again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am
the door of the sheep”.
To the educator: He is the new and living way: Hebrew 10:19-: Having therefore brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus: vs 20: By a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.
To the farmer He is the sower and the Lord of harvest: Luke 10:2: Therefore he said unto them, “The harvest truly is great, but the
laborers are few: pray you therefore the
Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest".
To the doctor He is the great Physician: Jeremiah 8:22: Is there no balm in Gilead? Is
there no physician there? Why then is
not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Even then, as Jesus fulfilled His
ministry, as the Son of God, High Priest, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, there
were those that hated Him. He tells us
in John 15:18-25, that the world hated Him
and will hate us too.
·
Vs 24: If I had not done among them the
works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me
and my Father. Vs 25: But this comes to pass, that the word
might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause.
St. John 1:10, tells us: He was in the world, and the world was made
by him, and the world knew him not. Vs
11: He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. Vs 12: But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.
Jesus was already telling those
disciples where “THERE” was in John
14:6, when He said, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life, no man comes unto the Father, but by me”.
·
Vs 7 (Jesus said): If you had known me, you should have known
my Father also: and from henceforth (hereon) you know him and have seen him.
·
Vs 8: Philip said unto him, “Lord, show
us the Father, and it suffices us”.
·
Vs 9: Jesus said unto him, “Have I been
so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip”? He that
hath seen me hath seen the Father: and
how say thou then, “Show us the Father”?
·
Vs 10: Believe thou not that I am in the
Father, and the Father in me? The words
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwells
(men’o) [to stay (in a given place, state, relation
or expectancy); abide; continue; endure; be present; remain; stand; thine own]
in me, he doeth the works.
That’s why Jesus said in verse 2, “In my Father’s house (oiki’a) [residence; abodes; a family; home; house
(hold)] are many mansions (mone’) [a staying; residence (the act or
the place): abodes].
The BODY OF JESUS was the “house”
(resident;
abode) of the Father.
The first resident God dwelt in was the sanctuary:
Exodus 25 (The Israelites
brought gifts for the tent) - (God said to Moses):
·
Vs 8: “And let them make me a sanctuary
(miqdawh’) [a consecrated thing or place;
hallowed part] that I may dwell (shakan’)
[lodge; reside or permanently stay; abide; continue; have habitation;
remain; rest] among them.
Vs 9: According to all that
I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the
instruments thereof, even so shall you make it”.
That tabernacle was Christ and we
were and are the instruments that are in Him!!!
It’s stated that Luke, the physician,
is the writer of Acts. You won’t get an
argument from me about who wrote it. I’m
saying as Jesus said, “It is written”:
·
Acts 7: 44: Our fathers had the tabernacle of
witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he
should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Vs 47: But Solomon built him a house (1st kings 6---7) [the second place where God fellowshipped with His people]: Vs 48: Howbeit the Most High dwells (katoike’o) [to house permanently; resides; inhabitant] not
in temples made with hands; as said the prophet. Vs 49: Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool: what house (oikos’)
[dwelling; a family; home; house (hold); temple] will you build me”? Said the Lord: or “What is the place of my rest” (katap’ausis) [reposing down; abode; colonize]?
Colonize means to send a group of people to
(a place) and establish control over it; also to appropriate a place for one’s
own use.
Who was this colony or group of people God put in place for His own use, and
what did He give them control over? Genesis 1:26: And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. Vs 27: So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he
him: male and female created he
them.
This “man” God created in His
image, after His likeness was not just the male gender, the female
is included. Man is the Hebrew root word
adam (awdawm’), defined as a human being (an individual or the species,
mankind, etc); hypocrite; common sort; low, man (mean, of low degree); person. These people were of a common sort, of low degree, with no status or class in society just being brought forth from the
earth, Genesis 1:24, until God made him/her in His image, after His likeness, which was due to them having God’s blood in them. The second definition of man is Adam (aw-dam’), meaning to show blood (in
the face), flush or turn rosy: be (dyed, made) red (ruddy). They were made “red” with the understanding, life,
wisdom, knowledge, immortality, dominion and power of God, to rule and reign
over creation as God’s ambassadors or representatives in the earth.
·
Leviticus 17:11: The life of the flesh is in the
blood.
Blood in Hebrew is dam (dawm),
blood of man or animal; blood (guiltiness; innocent). Adam’s (aw-dawm) blood
was guilty, until God made him (male/female) in His own
image, after His likeness giving
him/her His innocent blood. The definition of blood is also Alpha. Jesus said, Revelation 1:8: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”. So the Alpha
(innocent; not guilty) blood was in and at the beginning and will
continue forever!
I made the statement that the “man” was not just the male gender, but was inclusive of the
female gender as well.
·
Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created he him:
male and female created he them.
·
Genesis 5:1: This is the book of the
generations of Adam (aw-dawm’). In the
day that God created man (aw-dawm’) in the likeness of God made he him: vs 2: Male and female created he them:
and blessed them, and called THEIR NAME ADAM, in the day when THEY were created.
God’s place of “rest” was in those He created
and made in His image and after His likeness in Genesis chapter one; and
His rest continued in the man the LORD God, and the man the LORD God formed of the dust of the ground in Genesis chapter two.
·
Vs 1: Thus the heavens and the earth
were finished, and all the host of them.
Vs 2: And on the
seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested (shabath’) [to reposed; desisted from exertion;
keep Sabbath] on the seventh day from all his work which he had
made. Vs 3: And God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified (qadash’) [to be (make, pronounce or
observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):
appointed; consecrated; dedicated; hallowed; (be, keep) holy (ier,
place); prepared; proclaimed; purified] it: because that in it he had rested from
all his work which God created and made.
Another definition of “rested” is “repose”. Repose means to lay or place for rest; composure; calm; peace. I really like this definition of repose: to
place (trust, etc) in someone; to place (power, etc) in the control of some
person or group.
·
Genesis 1:26: And God said, “Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creeps upon the earth. Vs 27: So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God created he him: male and female created he them. Vs 28: And God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue
(kabash’) [tread down; conquer; subjugate; keep under; bring into subjection] it: and have dominion (radah’) [to tread down; subjugate; to crumble off:
prevail against; reign; (bear, make to) rule (r, over); take] over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moves upon the earth.
He had already created and made and “reposed” or “repositioned” a group of
people called “Adam” (male/female) that He had entrusted His wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and character into
and placed His power, dominion, and authority in them so they could rule
over creation.
·
Genesis 2:4: These are the generations of the
heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD
(Yehovah) [self-existent; Eternal] God
(Elohiym) [gods; (spec) the Supreme God; God
(gods)] made the earth and the heavens.
Speaking of “self-existing”, self
is the identity, character, of any person
or thing; one’s own person as distinct from all others.
·
Genesis 1:11: And God said, “Let the earth bring
forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after
his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Vs 12: And the earth brought forth grass
and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in it-self after his kind.
If God made it happen like that in
the natural, yielding seed after his
kind, how much more in the Spirit, God creating
and making man (male/female), in
His own image, after His
likeness, or reproducing them after Himself? Therefore, He placed or
positioned Adam (male/female) in control of all creation.
We are still talking about the place called “THERE”. Synonyms for “THERE” are: yonder; thither; over there;
to that place; therein; inside; internally.
But the “THERE” I’m
teaching about right now, is not up there,
over yonder, or over there, but this “THERE”
is therein, inside, or internal!! It’s us being in Christ: (2nd
Corinthians 5:17): Therefore if any man
be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature (creation):
old things are passed away, behold, I make all things new: and Christ in us (Colossians
1:27): To whom God would make known what
is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is CHRIST
IN YOU, the hope of glory. He is “the place called THERE”!!
Remember what Acts 7:48 said, "Howbeit the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands". This
third house was not made by man’s hands. Jesus
said in John 14:2: “IN (within; inside) my
Father’s house (oiki’a) [residence; abode;
home; a family; house (hold)] are many mansions” (mone’) [a
staying; residence (the act or the place): abodes]: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go (poreu’omai)
[traverse (travel across or through); to remove [die], live; depart; go (one’s)
way; take a journey] to prepare (hetoima’zo)
[provide; make ready; make fit; make adjustments] a place (top’os) [a spot (space to occupy] for you. That’s why Jesus told the disciples, John 16:5-7, “But now I go my way to him that sent me,
and none of you asks me, whither goest thou”?
But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your
heart. Nevertheless I tell you the
truth, it is expedient (sumpher’o)
[conducive; better; profitable] for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (parak’letos) [an intercessor, consoler; advocate] will
not come unto you: but if I depart,
I will send him unto you. The good
news is that the Comforter is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
all in one, and they dwell (reside)
on the inside of us, God’s people.
The body of Jesus was the dwelling, resident, abode of the Father
that He chose to suffer and die in.
·
Vs 3: And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come (er’chomai) [accompany
appear; enter; grow; be set] again (pal’e)
[anew (in a new or different and more positive way) [a second time;
afresh]: and receive (paralamban’o) [to associate with oneself (in any
familiar or intimate act or relation); take (unto; with)] you unto
(eis) [into; to the intent of having one mind; set
at one again] myself: that
where I am, THERE (ekei’) [that
place] you will be also.
How many know that He has already
made the second appearance? Hebrews 9:23-28 (speaks of a better
sacrifice):
· Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look (apekdech’omai) [to expect fully; accept from some source; to receive; accept] for him shall he appear (optan’omai) [to gaze (with wide open eyes, as at something remarkable); see] / (hora’o) [to stare at; to discern clearly (phys. or ment); to experience; behold; perceive; take heed] the second time without sin unto salvation.
Paul wrote Romans 8:24, "We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for"? I'm not hoping to see Jesus one of these days, I already see (clearly discern) him, when I look at other people, or even when I look in the mirror. Why is that? Because we are His flesh and His bones in the earth. Ephesians 5:30: We are members (parts/limbs) of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 1st John 4:17: As he is, so are we, in this world. 1st Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is CHRIST.
- Colossians 1:26: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: vs 27: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is, CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY!!
- 1st John 4:4: You are of God little children (darlings), and have overcome them: because greater is he that is IN YOU, than he that is in the world. [Praise break]!!!
When did He appear the first time?
Yes, he came in the flesh as Mary’s baby.
·
Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband
of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
·
Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. Vs 5: To redeem them that was under the law, that we might receive the
adoption (placing) of sons.
But also in His first appearance He
was the Lamb of God (St. John
1:29-34):
·
Vs 29: The next day John sees Jesus
coming unto him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of
the world”!
·
2nd Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin: that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
·
Hebrews 9:13: Neither the blood of goats and
calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us: vs
22b: And without shedding of blood is
no remission. Still talking about the place called THERE!
With Jesus’ second appearance, He said to the disciples:
·
John 14:16: I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter (parak’letos)
[an intercessor; consoler; advocate] that he may abide (men’o) [stay (in a given place, state, relation or
expectancy); continue; endure; be present; remain] with you forever
(aion’) [an age; perpetuity; evermore; eternal;
without end]: vs 17: Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world (religious system) cannot receive, because it
see (theore’o) [to be a spectator of; discern;
experience or acknowledge; consider; perceive] him not, neither know
(ginos’ko) [allow; be aware of; feel; have knowledge; understand] him:
but you know (ei’do) [are aware; can
tell; consider; have knowledge; sure; understand] him: for he dwells (men’o)
[stays; continues; endure; be present; remains] with you and
shall be IN (a fixed position; among;
inwardly; therein; with) you. Vs 18: “I” will not leave you comfortless (orphanos’)
[bereaved (orphan), parentless; fatherless]: “I” will come to you!
Jesus came to the disciples just as
He said, the first day of the week where they were assembled for fear of the
Jews, and stood in the midst and said unto them “Peace be unto you”. And they
were glad when they saw the Lord (John 20:19-20): (this appearance was after His
resurrection):
·
Vs 21: Then said Jesus to them again,
“Peace be unto you: as my Father hath
sent me, even so send I you”. Vs 22: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said unto
them, “Receive you the Holy Ghost”.
Isn’t that what the LORD God did to
Adam in Genesis 2:7, breathed (puffed; blew; inflated; kindled) into his
nostrils the breath of life, and made him a living soul? Here Jesus breathed (puffed; blew; swell up; germinated; produced; sprouted;
sprung up) on them and they received the Holy Ghost! These apostles
already had the Holy Ghost prior to Pentecost, but at Pentecost, the Spirit was given as a universal gift to all
that would receive it (Him):
·
Acts 2:1: And when the day of Pentecost was
fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Vs 2: And suddenly THERE came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were sitting. Vs 3: And THERE appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them. Vs 4: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And of course they all received the “fire baptism” as well! Matthew 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than
I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
As Peter preached, Acts 2:38: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost”. Vs 41: Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day THERE
were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear
the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time “without sin unto salvation”.
Therefore, His second appearance to
you and me was by Spirit, when we by faith accepted Him as our Savior.
This is when we entered THERE
(HIM) and He is IN US!!
·
Romans 10:9: If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Vs 10: For with the
heart man believes unto righteousness:
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Remember what Jesus said in John
14:2: In my Father’s house (oiki’a) [residence; abode; home; a family; house (hold)]
are many mansions (dwelling places; abodes).
Jesus was the house (dwelling place;
abode) of the Father.
·
Vs 3: And if I go and prepare (provide; make
ready) a place for you (and he did)
I will come again, and receive you unto
myself, that where I am, THERE you may be also.
The place that Jesus made ready for them, so that where He was they would be also, was within His
own body, that was and is called
CHRIST! I’ve stated before, that
it was the Cross that differentiated between Jesus and Christ! That was
the Man Jesus, the Lamb of God that
died on the cross, but when He rose from the dead, He was never the same body
that went to the cross. When He rose, He
was raised “another body”, a “many-membered body”!
Matthew 27:45-56 (Jesus’ death): vs 51: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent
in twain from the top to the bottom: and
the earth did quake, and the rocks rent:
vs 52: And the graves
were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose: vs 53: And came out of the graves, after his resurrection, and went into the
holy city, and appeared unto many.
That was Jesus appearing in the bodies of the saints which had been asleep
in the graves, but was raised when Jesus arose. That’s why no one recognized Him as the Man Jesus that went to the Cross!
John 20:11-18 (Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene):
·
Vs 13: And they (the two angels –
messengers) said unto her, “Woman, why weep thou”? She said unto them “Because they have taken
away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him”. Vs 14: And when she had thus said, she
turned herself back and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was
Jesus. Vs 15: Jesus said unto her, “Woman, why weep thou”? “Who seek thou”? She supposing him to be the gardener, said
unto him, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him,
and I will take him away”. Vs 16: Jesus
said unto her, “Mary”. She turned
herself and said unto him, “Rabboni”, which is to say, Master.
She recognized Him by what He
said. That’s how we as Christians are recognized,
by what we say.
·
Colossians 4:6: Let your speech be always with
grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.
Luke 24:13-35 (Jesus appears to the two disciples
on the road to Emmaus):
·
Vs 14: And they talked together of all
these things which had happened. Vs 15: And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned,
Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Vs 16: But their eyes were holden (held fast), that they should not know him.
·
Vs 17-29 (thinking He was a stranger, told Him about Jesus’ crucifixion: and Jesus told them how Christ had to suffer
those things – and expounded on the scriptures concerning Himself).
·
Vs 30: And it came to pass, as he sat at
meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it and break,
and gave to them. Vs 31: And their eyes were opened and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight.
The disciples recognized Him by what He did. That’s how we as Christians
are recognized, by what we do.
·
Luke 6:43: A good tree brings not forth corrupt
fruit neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Vs 44: For every tree is known by his own
fruit.
CHRIST is now a “many membered body”!
·
Romans 12:4: For as we have many members in one
body and all members have not the same office:
vs 5: So we, being many, are one body in
CHRIST, and every one members one of another.
·
1st Corinthians 12:12: As the body is one, and hath many
members and all the members of that one body, being many are one body: so
also is CHRIST. Vs 13: For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or
free: and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit.
We are still talking about “the place called THERE”!
Therefore the third house or the house
that the Father dwells in NOW, is you and I by the power of the Holy Ghost:
·
1st Corinthians 6:19: What? Know you not that your body is the temple (naos’) [dwelling; sanctuary] of the Holy Ghost,
which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? Vs 20: You are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s.
·
2nd Corinthians 6:16: What agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? You are the temple of
the living God: as God hath said, I will
dwell (katoike’o) [to house permanently;
reside; inhabit] in them, and walk (live) in them:
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
· Revelation 21:3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle (skene’) [a tent or cloth hut; habitation] of God is with men, and he will dwell (skeno'o) [to tent or encamp; to occupy (as a mansion); reside] with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with (united; associated; possess; accompany; complete] them and be their God.
Jesus' prayer to His Father in John 17:20: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: vs 21: That they all may be ONE, as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE IN US: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Briefly, tabernacle is the root word “skene”, a cloth hut or tent. Get this the “skin” of God is with men (male/female),
and He dwells
(encamps; occupies) the inside
of us! Another definition of tabernacle is sheu’os, meaning vessel,
implement, equipment or apparatus (specifically a wife). We the Church is no more the bride of the Groom,
but we are now His wife, reproducing
and bringing forth sons of God (males/females)!! Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come (present tense) and his wife hath
made herself ready”. Vs 8: And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:
for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
So the place called THERE, is “in CHRIST”! Therefore,
we need more than just Christ being in us: Colossians 1:27: To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery, among the Gentiles, which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory.
But we also need to be IN CHRIST: 2nd Corinthians
5:17: Therefore if any man be IN
CHRIST he is a new creature (creation):
old things are passed away:
behold, all things are become new.
Our being “IN CHRIST” places us WHERE
He is, in the “place called THERE”!!
Are you “THERE”? The Staple singers
sang a song, years ago, saying, “I’ll
take you there”! I’m grateful to God that I’ve found and
have moved into the place called “THERE”
which is in Christ Jesus!!
·
2nd Corinthians 5:19: To wit (know), that God was IN
CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their (our) trespasses unto them (us): and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation. Vs
20: Now then we are ambassadors (representatives) for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ’s stead, be you reconcile to God.
Now we must take others into the place called THERE, which is IN
CHRIST, through His Word, by the power of the Holy Ghost!
Pastor Gracie Perry