The Church her History, Habitation and Harvest Part 2 Her Habitation

The Church her History, Habitation and Harvest  Part 2Her Habitation The word of Paul in Acts 17 Stated where the early church lived and dwelt where her habitation was, Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; They lived and moved in God. Their source of all things was God There was no psychology; just the power of God. Ordinary Men and Women filled with the Holy Spirit turned the world upside down. The failure of the church to demonstrate the supernatural has driven 10000s from its doors. They lived and moved in God There are conventions we can go to, there are bible colleges we can attend, there is no end to the christian information and teaching we have available to us. The problem is, We fill people with doctrine instead of filling them with Deity They weren’t very sophisticated, the anointing was everything to them, they understood that without the Holy Spirit nothing could be achieved. We can have a church service that is so seeker sensitive, that everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator. There so many Seminars on how to do it, how to build a large church. Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. So many churches today are franchises The have the same look the same songs the same strategy. The churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, and Ephesus were very different churches with different structures. When we try to be like someone else’s church our habitation is no longer in God. That is also true of the individual; don't try to be like someone else. We must know what God has called us to do, that’s where the anointing is. Destiny is accomplished by knowing and doing the will of God They lived and moved in God with visions, dreams, anointing, angels, and the power of God. The Temple and the Synagogue The Jews of Jesus time had two different types of worship in which to engage. In the synagogue, they could hear the word, receive ministry and have fellowship. In the temple worship was interacting with the presence and glory of God. We need both forms but maybe not at the same time. We need long periods interacting with and being empowered by the presence and glory of God. Temple type worship has been woefully absent from most of our churches yet it is the place of empowerment impartation and anointing. Interacting with the manifest presence of God opens up another dimension a place and presence where we can be touched by God in no other way, it is a place of revelation commissioning and empowerment. Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. If we want the kind of power and glory the Apostle Paul talked about in  2 Cor 3:18 we have to meet the conditions. 2 Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. Paul is saying that the New Testament church should far experience far greater Glory that was upon the Old Testament church Paul goes on to explain how this is achieved:  2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; In temple worship we behold the Lord for long periods of time we undergo change and thus being empowered and equipped, when this happens ministry then is effortless because our habitation and empowerment is of God: 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; There is a saying you cannot breathe in once and breathe out twice In other words unless we have drunk deeply of the Lords presence we cannot breath out ministry. The early church learned to live in God, their ability their success was commensurate with the impartation they received by the Holy Spirit. John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. The apostle Paul came to a place where it was no longer Him that was doing the ministry Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: Why is it that all revivals to date have waned? We pray for revival, but really what we need is to be able to stay in the place where the results of revival are constant. Church history repeats the same pattern, we pray for revival which eventually comes and then wanes. Revival is designed to bring the church back to normal The idea is that we stay at that level and revival blessing of God. Continuous revival should be the norm, and will eventually be, but we need to understand the reasons for loosing it in the first place. Most revivals are lost because we organize it instead of letting it flow like a river where it will. We use revivals to build something for ourselves, we becoming defensive and protective, and controlling. The only form of control acceptable in church life is self control Galatians  5:22-23.  Secondly revivals are lost because we neglect temple worship the continuous place of empowerment. The temple was the place where sacrifices where made. The constant laying down of our lives is essential, being in the manifest presence of the Lord continuously is necessary for permanent revival. It was from the temple that the water of live flowed into the streets Ezekiel 47:1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. They temple is a place of worship and surrender a place where we are renewed changed and empowered by the Glory of God in order to spill out into the streets with the life giving water of the gospel. God Bless youNeville Johnson © March 2006