Hi all! Today brings us to the penultimate reading on heaven and earth. So far we've looked at where heaven is scripturally and God's relation to that, where heaven and earth overlap, how sin puts 'holes' in that overlap and the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice in the new covenant to establish the final pathway forward to merge heaven and earth once more in New Eden. That leaves today as the midpoint between Jesus and New Eden, and ultimately, where our responsibility lies in helping to usher in heaven here on earth. We'll look at the scripture lessons that speak to that and I'll have some more to share below on that as well as some discussion questions. In the meantime, let's read!
Scripture to Read
Exodus 40:34-38 followed by Acts 2:1-4
When the final element of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, was poured out on the disciples and all of humanity through baptism the dwelling place of God did not change but vessel did. In other words, God still remains in the temple but Paul and Peter write that we are considered living temples in which God dwells. While it can certainly be a little intimidating to think that God, our creator, is living within us at all times I prefer to view it with a nod of comfort. I no longer feel truly lonely as in those quietest moments I trust that God is hearing my thoughts, too. When I don't feel smart enough, or qualified enough, or prepared enough or anything like that I try to look in the mirror and remind myself that I am enough for God the universe to want to dwell with me. That feeling of universal companionship is another example of heaven here on earth. Maybe you're still a little skeptical of God and the comfort God provides. Next time you're feeling down just go the mirror and say "I am wonderfully made - I am enough" and you will experience a taste of heaven here on earth.
Questions to Consider
What is your reaction to the idea of God living in you?
What is your reaction to the idea of your body being a temple? What responsibility comes with that?
When do you feel God the strongest or closest to you?
Praying with Praise
We recently used Abide with Me which would have been pretty fitting so instead we're going to stick with another contemporary option for today from Rend Collective - Christ Lives in Me.
Just a quick note on the chorus when it says "it is no longer I who lives." That's not to say that the parts of you that make you well.. you 'die'. Rather, it is a declaration that you no longer live for yourself, but you live for Christ, and by living for Christ you live for the people that Christ lived for. The poor, the weak, the lost, the least, the last and so on and so forth. You live for others and its death to the "selfie" so to say.