Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  (2)  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  (3)  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  (4)  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Introduction:

In this area of scripture, Paul is referring to a time in the Old Testament when the nation of Israel was walking through the wilderness. He says they were “under the cloud” speaking of the manifestation of God’s presence in the form of a cloud that covered them by day.

He says they “all passed through the sea” speaking of crossing the Red Sea. They “did all eat of the same spiritual meat”, not only the manna God provided from Heaven, but the word of God that was preached unto them.

He says they “were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea”. The word baptism means to fully submerge and surround, so the nation of Israel was surrounded by water when they crossed the Red Sea and they were surrounded by the cloud that covered them by day while they walked through the wilderness. God considered these as a form of baptism which represents salvation. As long as they crossed the Red Sea and stayed under the cloud in the wilderness, and under the ministry of Moses or “unto Moses”, they were right where God wanted them to be.

He then brings up the spiritual drink and the spiritual Rock, which was Christ. In the wilderness, it was a physical rock that was used to bring forth water, but it was the Rock Christ Jesus who brought forth water from it, even though it was in the Old Testament.

1) A Physical Rock Giving Physical Water

    a) Numbers 20:7-11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (8)  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.  (9)  And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.  (10)  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  (11)  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Moses was told to speak once, but he smote twice. He also took the glory that belonged to God by saying “must we fetch you water out of this rock?” The people did not appear to know that the LORD had spoken these things to Moses, so Moses made it appear as though it were his idea and by his power that he did this!

    b) This would be a determining factor as to why Moses could not lead God’s people into the Promise Land. Numbers 20:12  And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Anytime we do things outside the will of God to accomplish a goal, we show that we do not truly believe God.

   c) In his song, Moses says in Deuteronomy 32:15  But Jeshurun (a name given to Israel to signify their call to be righteous – Used only four times) …lightly esteemed (or fell away from) the Rock of his salvation.

So, we see that God has always wanted to be the Rock of His people’s salvation, and He used a physical rock both to give physical water and also to represent Jesus Christ who gives living water!

2) A Spiritual Rock Giving Spiritual Water

    a) John 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

    b) God’s promise

John 4:13-14  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:  (14)  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

     c) Someone who had the right response

John 4:15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

3) Christ is Still the Rock of Our Salvation

    a) Psalms 62:6  He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

    b) 1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

    c) Luke 20:17-18  And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected (speaking of Jesus as the Messiah and Christ), the same is become the head of the corner?  (18)  Whosoever shall fall upon that stone (speaking of salvation through faith) shall be broken (meaning their self-will shall be broken); but on whomsoever it shall fall (speaking of the day of judgment), it will grind him to powder (speaking of eternal judgment for the sins they would not allow Christ to wash).

Conclusion:

When we fall by faith onto the Rock Christ Jesus, and trust in Him to be the Rock of our salvation, He will uphold us and give us this water than we thirst no more for the things of the world, but we start to hunger and thirst for His righteousness!

The Mystery of the Messiah: Part 4 – The Mystery of the Messiah’s Ministry and Message

To watch the recorded video of this teaching, please >>Click Here<<

Bible Reading: 1st Peter 1:10-12  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  (11)  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  (12)  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Mark 1:14-15  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  (15)  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The Mystery of the Messiah’s Ministry

In this fourth and final part of the series The Mystery of the Messiah, we’ll see that the ministry of the Messiah was one that was and still is highly misunderstood.

This is especially the case to those in the days of Jesus who thought the Messiah would come to deliver them from the tyranny of the Roman government. This is part of the reason Jesus was so rejected. He came preaching about personal responsibility and repentance, not overthrowing the government like so many Jews hoped!

An overthrow of the government may have sounded appealing to the Jews, but what they needed was repentance from dead works. Jesus focuses on giving you what you need. This is something that, though it be less appealing to the flesh, will get you into eternity with God!

To illustrate this misperception, we’ll look at the life of someone who arguably would have been the most familiar with the ministry of the Messiah…John the Baptist.

It seems that even John the Baptist had a certain perception of what the ministry of the Messiah would look like. John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the prophecies found in Isaiah and Malachi.

Isaiah 40:3 – The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Jesus confirms this in Luke 7:27  This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Malachi 4:5-6 – Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:  (6)  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

We get the impression that John the Baptist had certain expectations of the Messiah’s ministry through the kind of messages John preached. What was John’s message?

Luke 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Luke 3:7-8 …O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…

Also, Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Instead of looking for the Messiah to deliver Israel from Roman authority, it seems John the Baptist’s expectation was that the Messiah would show up and judge all the hypocrites.

Basically, John the Baptist’s message was, “Turn or burn sinners, because the Messiah is here and He is not messing around!!”…or something like that!

The Mystery of the Messiah’s Message

We read of one of the first messages preached by Jesus, known as “The Beatitudes”, or supreme blessings, is found in Matthew 5:3-4  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (4)  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

This was hardly the message the Messiah was expected to preach! A lot of people today also have a lot of expectations of Jesus that He does not fulfill and because of this, they get offended.

It was John the Baptist who identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, John 1:29  …Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John would also say, John 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease. Yet, we find that even he had certain preconceived ideas about the Messiah.

Not much longer after this, John would be thrown into prison at The Fortress of Machaerus, which is located on the northeastern shore of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan River.

He was put there by Herod Antipas, not simply because he preached about repentance in vague generalities, but because he specifically identified what should be repented of…namely Herod’s adulterous relationship with his brother Philip’s wife.

Because the ministry of Jesus wasn’t one of judgment and eternal punishment, as John supposed it would be, even John the Baptist seems to have doubted the ministry of Jesus as being the Messiah. This is where we find John asking the question in Luke 7:19  …Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

It was to this question that Jesus responds in Luke 7:21-23  And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.  (22)  Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.  (23)  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

This was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  (2)  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD…

John the Baptist was looking for Part 2 of this prophecy in Isaiah 61, which reads in Verse 2… and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. Jesus’ response to John was basically, “Remember John, there is another part of the prophecies that must be fulfilled first. We must fulfill the first part before we can fulfill the second part.”

Maybe upon hearing this response, John the Baptist realized that he too had the wrong perspective of what the message of the Messiah would be and thus became more willing to accept the will of God.

So, we see that the ministry and message of Jesus did not fit the preconceived ideas of what was expected of the Messiah, even to John the Baptist, who was most familiar and ready for it.

Many today will not accept Christ, because His ministry and message do not fit into their preconceived ideas, much like those in the days of Jesus. But, His ministry is God’s chosen way and anyone who accepts this chosen way will get to God’s Heaven through the ministry and message of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Christ of God!

This site is dedicated to Encouraging Men and Women to Walk in a Personal Relationship with God. If this article has added value to your life for God, consider subscribing by >>Clicking Here << and joining our YouTube family by >> Subscribing Here <<.

Thank you!

Pastor Fulmer

Scriptural Promise for the Week of December 22 – 28

Isaiah 9:6-7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  (7)  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

These well-known verses are not only a prophecy, but they are also a promise…a promise that there would be given to the human race a gift, in the form of a child.

This gift would be Jesus Christ, the only Person who could bring complete peace upon the entire world. Jesus is God’s perfect gift to us!

Until He returns to bring complete peace upon the entire world, He wants to bring complete peace into our personal worlds!

When we receive this promise from Isaiah in our personal lives, God will fulfill His promise of complete peace to us!

The Mystery of the Messiah: Part 3 – The Mystery of the Messiah’s Birth

Watch the entire recorded message by >>Clicking Here<<

Bible Reading: 1st Peter 1:10-12  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  (11)  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  (12)  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Matthew 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Up to this point we have set the foundation for this teaching. We learned from Part 1: The Paradoxes of the Messianic Prophecies and from Part 2: The Mystery of the Messiah’s Lineage. Now, we’ll go into Part 3: The Mystery of Messiah’s Birth.

He would be born in Bethlehem – Matthew 2:6  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Shepherds Worship Him at the Manger in Bethlehem

Luke 2:8-14  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  (10)  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  (12)  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  (14)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

It’s apparent this announcement was made to the shepherds on the day of Jesus’ birth. Given the shepherds were “…abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” shows us that the birth of Christ was not on December 25th but rather was likely around mid-September.

According to one Bible commentator (Adam Clarke), it was traditional for the Jews to send their sheep to pasture from the spring until early October. As the cold winter months began, the flocks would return from the fields for protection and warmth. Since the shepherds were still tending their flocks in the fields around Bethlehem it can be deduced that the angels announced the news of Jesus’ birth no later than October.

It’s estimated that Jesus was born into this world around mid to late September instead. (Find the explanation of this at When Was Jesus Actually Born? Biblical, Historical Evidence)

This is why, although December 25th is a celebration of the day of His birth, it is not a birthday celebration as we know it. That is also why we will use decorations that depict the manger scene, but not use decorations that say “Happy Birthday, Jesus”. This is because celebrating a birth day (day of someone’s birth) is not the same as celebrating another year of life, called a “birthday”.

Wise Men Worship Him In The House In Nazareth

Matthew 2:11  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

This was probably around two years old (not at the manger). We notice the use of the phrase “into the house”, not “into the manger”.

Notice also this time the angel calls Jesus “the young child” (Greek: paidion – an infant)and not “the babe” (Greek: brefos – an unborn or newborn child), as the angel told the shepherds in Luke 2:12.

The Flight into Egypt

Matthew 2:13  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Fulfilling Hosea 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

This happened just after the wise men left. Notice again the use of the phrase “the young child”, not “the babe”.

Herod Kills Males Two Years And Under

Matthew 2:16  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Why did Herod choose the age of two years old if Jesus was still a newborn in the manger when the wise men saw Him? This is because it’s more likely that by the time the wise men got to Jesus, He was older than a newborn baby.

Remember, Matthew 2:12  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. This means that by the time they found Jesus, the plan of Herod was already in the works.

Two years old is the generally agreed upon age of Jesus because it appears that Herod counted back to around the time the wise men came to him until the time he decided to commit this atrocity.

This would be a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Jeremiah 31:15  Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

Through the providence of God, Jesus was spared being part of fulfilling this prophecy so that He may …grow up before him as a tender plant (Isaiah 53:2) and …justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11).

Have you allowed Jesus to bear your iniquities and bring complete peace into your world?

This site is dedicated to Encouraging Men and Women to Walk in a Personal Relationship with God. If this article has added value to your life for God, consider subscribing by >>Clicking Here << and joining our YouTube family by >> Subscribing Here <<.

Thank you!

Pastor Fulmer

Christmas 2024 Video from Our Church

This video is a compilation of some of our church members answering the question “Why is the birth of Jesus special to you?”.

New Testament Christian Church is located at 2153 South Market St., Wichita, KS 67211

The Mystery of the Messiah: Part 2 – The Mystery of the Messiah’s Lineage

You can watch the recorded teaching by >>Clicking Here<<

Bible Reading: 1st Peter 1:10-12  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  (11)  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  (12)  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Matthew 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Listed in the lineage of the Messiah are some unlikely candidates. Five women. In the Hebrew culture, women were not normally listed in the lineage, but they are in the lineage of the Messiah. These five women are: 1) Tamar, (Matthew 1:3) who slept with her dead husband’s father 2) Rahab (or Rachab in Matthew 1:5), a well-known prostitute 3) Ruth (Matthew 1:5), a Moabitess 4) Bathsheba, or “…of her that had been the wife of Urias” in Matthew 1:6), an adulteress, 5) Mary (Matthew 1:16), a virgin.

None of these women would be considered eligible to be in the lineage of the great, holy, and of course Jewish Messiah, either because of their immoral lifestyles (as with Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba), being non-Jewish (as with Ruth), or never having been with a man to have a child (as with Mary). But, God is the great mold-breaker!!

                 Tamar – We are going to focus on Tamar for now, to show you the length to which God will go in order to work all things together for His glory and His plan.

In Genesis 38, we read that Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah, who was the fourth xuallyson of Jacob and Leah. We know, from (Genesis 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.), that the Messiah was supposed to come through the line of Judah. The problem is that there were some major problems with the line of Judah.

Tamar was married to Er, Judah’s oldest son. Er was so wicked that God killed him. We don’t know how this was done, we only from Genesis 38:7  And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. That’s his legacy!

Judah then told his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and have a child with her, and name it after Er. Onan gladly had sex with Tamar, but he did not want to have a child with her and name it after his dead brother. So, God killed him also.

 Judah promised Tamar that, if she would remain a widow, he would let his younger son, Shelah, marry her. After Judah’s wife died, he goes up to Timnath, and sees a prostitute. He goes in and has sex with her and promises to pay her later with a young goat. As collateral, she keeps his bracelets, staff, and signet ring until he returns. He quickly returns with the goat, knowing that the items she has could easily identify him, but he could not find the prostitute anywhere. So, he goes back home.

 After three months, Judah hears that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, is pregnant by someone she’s not married to. He then orders her to be burned. There were only two offenses for which people may die by burning. 1) Prostitution by a priest’s daughter (Leviticus 21:9  And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.) and 2) Incest. (Leviticus 20:14  And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.)

 As they were getting ready to burn Tamar for getting pregnant without being married, we read in Genesis 38:25  When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet (that says “Judah #1 on it”…I added that part), and bracelets, and staff. Tamar had dressed up as the prostitute that Judah slept with three months earlier. He had slept with his own daughter-in-law and didn’t know it.

 Judah then acknowledges his sin in Genesis 38:26  And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her (had sex with her) again no more. Tamar had twins by her father-in-law, Judah, Pharez and Zamar and it would be through the lineage of Pharez that the Messiah would come.

   The Curse of Being Born out of Wedlock

 We now know that, in Genesis 49, it would later be prophesied that the Messiah would come through the lineage of Judah, but there was a problem. Judah’s two older sons were dead and he had twins by his daughter-in-law, but they were illegitimate children because they were born out of wedlock and God pronounces a curse upon those who are born out of wedlock, in Deuteronomy 23:2  A bastard (illegitimate child) shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Well, God would just use Judah’s youngest son Shelah, right? Wrong! God uses the lineage of Pharez, one of the illegitimate children, to bring the Messiah into the world. Let’s see how God does that.

Remember, the curse of the illegitimate child lasted to the tenth generation. Matthew 1:3-6  …1) Phares begat Esrom; and 2) Esrom begat Aram;  (4)  And 3) Aram begat Aminadab; and 4) Aminadab begat Naasson; and 5) Naasson begat Salmon;  (5)  And 6) Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and 7) Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and 8) Obed begat Jesse;  (6)  And 9) Jesse begat David the king; and 10) David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; From Pharez to David is 10 generations and the curse is broken at the birth of David, who later would be king of Israel and through whom God would bring the Messiah.

The Curse of Jeconiah

We read in Matthew 1:11  And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: Jechonias (or Jeconiah, Jehoiachin, or Coniah) was a very wicked king in Israel’s history. It was during his reign that Israel was taken into Babylonian captivity.

 God pronounces a curse upon Jechonias in Jeremiah 22:24-25  As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;  (25)  And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life… (Jeremiah 22:30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

How is it that God cursed the lineage of Jechonias, yet, we read that Messiah would come through the lineage of Jechonias in Matthew 1:11  And Josias begat Jechonias… I thought God said no king would descend from Jechonias. Isn’t Jesus the King of kings?

The lineage of Jechonias came through the lineage of King Solomon, the son of King David and it was through this lineage that Joseph the husband of Mary came. But, Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph. Jesus is the biological Son of God. So, the DNA of Joseph was not in Jesus, therefore the DNA of Jechonias was not in Jesus, which means Jesus is exempt from the lineage, and therefore the curse, of Jechonias.

Jesus is still in the lineage of King David through his mother Mary, who came through the lineage of another son of David by the name of Nathan. (Luke 3:31 …Nathan, which was the son of David,) Therefore, Jesus still gets to descend from the lineage of King David and bypasses the curse of Jechonias because the line of Jechonias is Jesus’ adopted lineage through His stepfather Joseph, not His biological lineage through His mother, Mary.

Scriptural Promise for the Week of December 15 – 21

In this scripture we have the promise that God’s promises will all be found in Christ!

The word “Yea” indicates, not just the word “Yes” as we know it, but a strong “Yes”, being said by God Himself.

That is, that if you have put your unreserved faith in Christ, then God’s blessings are yours with no reservation on God’s part!

Upon hearing and believing this, we as the Church should say “Amen” to the glory of God!

So, believe without reservation that God has no reservations of fulfilling His promises to you when you are found in Christ!

Let the Church say….AMEN!

Is The Church Building Really “The House of God”?

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2nd Samuel 7:5-7  Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?  (6)  Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.  (7)  In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

This area of scripture seems to be one that is frequently used by people to indicate that, because God cannot be contained in one physical location, therefore a building where people congregate is unnecessary.

Some may even go as far as to say it’s wrong to have a church building and to call it “the house of God”. When we find people making extreme claims like this, it’s best to go to the scriptures and find out what God has revealed to us about the topic.

The beginning text from 2nd Samuel 7 would later be referenced by Stephen in Acts 7:48-50  Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,  (49)  Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?  (50)  Hath not my hand made all these things?

People may ask, “If God can be worshipped anywhere, then why do we need one place to worship Him?” Since this seems to be a point of contention for some people, let’s look at it through the lens of scripture!

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness

Starting in Exodus 20, God gave Moses commandments that were to be taught to and obeyed by the people of God. This is not only where God gave the original 10 Commandments, but God also gave Moses laws concerning what kind of altars to build, laws about servants and how to treat them, laws about restitution of people’s possessions, and so much more.

Then, in Exodus 25, God took 40 days and 40 nights to lay out the specifications of how to build a tabernacle in which to worship Him. God told Moses what kind of fabric to use, exactly how to build the Ark of the Covenant, the table of shewbread, and many other articles that would be used in the worship of God. God then reinforced this to Moses by saying in Exodus 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

So, we see that all the way back to when Israel was travelling through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promise Land, God wanted to establish one location for His people to gather in order to worship Him.

The Temple in Jerusalem

When king David wanted to build a house for God, he was not allowed to do so. God told David, through the prophet Nathan, that it would be David’s son, Solomon, who would build a house for God’s name. 2nd Samuel 7:13  He (Solomon) shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Solomon would later reference this in 1st Kings 8:18  And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

So far we see that, not only did God actually command that a house be built for His people to worship Him in while they were in the wilderness, but we also see that God was pleased that it was in David’s heart to build God a house after Israel was already in their inheritance.

Of course, we have to deal with the typical rebuttal that says, “Well, that was in the Old Testament!”

Physical Church Locations in the New Testament

Luke 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

We see from this scripture alone that Jesus would go to a physical location to congregate with others when it was open to do so, which was usually on the Sabbath day. We also see that He went there frequently, by Luke’s use of the phrase “as his custom was…”

Of course Jesus would teach while in the mountains (Matthew 5),  by the sea side (Mark 2), by the coast (Mark 10), and many other places that were outside of a physical building.

God spoke to the heart of a man named Jairus in Mark 9 that Jesus could heal his dying daughter. In the same chapter, God spoke to the heart of the woman with the issue of blood that if she would just touch Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. Both of these situations took place outside of a physical building.

In Mark 2, God spoke to the hearts of four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus, believing that Jesus would heal their friend. They believed it so much they tore open the roof of the place where Jesus was preaching just to let their friend down to where Jesus was…and the man was healed AND forgiven of his sins! This healing took place inside of a physical building.

So, we see that the unlimited God is not limited to the inside of a physical structure, but He is also not limited to the outside of a physical structure. God can speak to our hearts anywhere He pleases.

The problem comes when we start thinking He can only speak to us where we want Him to speak. I have found this to be the approach people take when they say things like, “I don’t have to be in a church building for God to speak to me”, and they’re right. But, do you notice in that phrase who is calling the shots? It isn’t God!

What Jesus Said About Church Buildings

For those who like to say that, “A church building is not the house of God”, they have to contend with at least two places where Jesus Himself says differently:

John 2:16-17  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.  (17)  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. (Referencing Psalms 69:9  For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up…)

Luke 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Of course, this is Jesus’ parable about reaching out to anyone you can with the Gospel message and not just to those who have heard the Gospel and refuse to accept the invitation.

While it is certainly true that we should not look at church buildings as being the goal of a ministry, nor as the only place God’s presence dwells, we can certainly see that for thousands of years, God has used physical buildings to bring people together to learn of Him and to worship Him.

I personally have never met anyone who believes in going to church who would also say that God’s presence is limited to their church building. Most, if not all, realize that church buildings are simply a gathering place for God’s people to worship God together.

Some Benefits of Gathering Together

With gathering together, there is also a sense of accountability, not just to the Lord, but also one to another. This is what was going on during the time of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians 5:4-5 – In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

This sense of accountability could be one of the very reasons many do not want to gather together, and would rather limit God to outside of a church building. It may also be why they constantly say phrases like, “I can worship God wherever I want because God is everywhere and He hears my prayers”. Again, this is true, but it is only part of the way that God speaks to people.

In conclusion, we see that God calls His people to be together, not on any certain time or day, although certain days have come to be known as “church days”. But, He calls His people to be together nevertheless and that He speaks to people both inside and outside of the physical church building.

The church building is a hospital for the hurting and a classroom for the learning. God’s ability to speak to us anywhere does not discount His use of physical locations where His people can gather to hear His word and His voice!

So, is the church building also considered to be “the house of God”? Jesus said it is.

This site is dedicated to Encouraging Men and Women to Walk in a Personal Relationship with God. If this article has added value to your life for God, consider subscribing by >>Clicking Here << and joining our YouTube family by >> Subscribing Here <<.

Thank you!

Pastor Fulmer

Scriptural Promise for the Week of December 8 – 14, 2024

In this week’s scriptural promise, the writer of the book of Hebrews is referencing God’s promise to neither leave nor forsake His people. There are many places in the Bible where God makes this promise!

The first time we read this specific promise goes all the way back to the book of Genesis, where Jacob had a dream while on his way to his uncle Laban’s house to escape being murdered by his own twin brother, Esau.

God told Jacob in Genesis 28:15 – And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

God has not changed! No matter what situation we are in; whether we understand it or not, if we set our hearts to seek the Lord, He will be right there with us to bring us all the way through!!

This site is dedicated to Encouraging Men and Women to Walk in a Personal Relationship with God. If this article has added value to your life for God, please consider subscribing by >>Clicking Here << and joining our YouTube family by >> Subscribing Here <<.

Thank you!

Pastor Fulmer