The Church

Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.  You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you. [Exodus 25.8-9]

Although I often get lost in trying to visualize the constriction of the Tabernacle, I love the detail of it.  It was ornate and yet very utility.

I particularly enjoy trying to get a mental picture of the Ark of the Covenant.  For some reason, I just enjoy boxes!

Likewise, the construction of the priestly garments further satisfies something in me that enjoys fit and finish.

All together, the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priestly garments account for everything needed to maintain Israel's devotion to God.  Well... almost everything needed as God had to show up... oh, and the priests as well!

The cool thing about the Tabernacle is that it was a picture - a type, of you will - of human kind.  The original Tabernacle was designed as a dwelling place for God Almighty - a holy sanctuary.  Prior to Jesus' resurrection and ascension back to God but after His death on the cross, the veil in the Temple (also a picture of human kind, but not portable like the Tabernacle) was supernaturally torn implying the Temple's uselessness for further devotion to God.  Instead, God chose to dwell in humans of faith!

For all the detail, fit and finish of the Tabernacle, the object of its type, humans, are far superior in design and intricacy!  The design of the human body, including the ability to think, communicate, and even effectively collaborate, is second to none.  It is only fitting that it should be the chosen and preferred dwelling place of God on earth!

And then, there is the Church!  This is where the abilities of communication and collaboration (noted in the preceding paragraph) come together in nothing less than brilliance!  I should correct my statement here to say the Church should come together to demonstrate that brilliance.

In light of my most recent thoughts. since my previous post, that lead me to believe that "Word of Faith" teaching falls short of God's plan, I find myself confirmed in this idea because God's plan, although I believe He intends for His own to walk and live by faith, is that His own would communicate and collaborate effectively as a single body - the Church - to affect His will in the earth.  

It should be noted here that God's plan is much, much more than for individuals to have perfect health, new cars, and large houses.  God's plan is for the world to know Him and for His own to make Him known!  Blessings are indeed very much something God enjoys bestowing upon His individual followers, but if the blessings become the goal, then faith becomes self-serving thus having no characterization of God whatsoever... because God did not "take" but instead "gave" (John 3.16).

While the human person is amazing, the Church - the collaboration of humans led by God's Spirit - is truly mysterious and unimaginable in its possibilities!  As God-following individuals, we must leave off anything that serves us as individuals and instead seek that which enlivens and enables the Church!  If faith becomes isolated as a self-serving tool, then it is overwhelmingly underutilized as for its intended purpose.

I make absolutely no argument here to the end that God does not desire to bless His individual followers!  But if we are blinded by faith-turned-self-serving from seeing and serving the Church, then we are guilty of misuse and not seeking first the Kingdom of God!

I know it is a fine line.  However, it is a line worth focusing upon - a line well worth our consideration.

Father, please help my words here not come across as an attack on any movement of faith.  Let them rather, bring re-focus and subsequent redirection to us all to keep the Church - Your Body - in clear focus, understanding that Your glory is manifest more completely through the Church and not through individuals!