Pastor Ralph Posted May 6, 2003 Report Share Posted May 6, 2003 Q5. (Ephesians 2:22) In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? According to verse 22, how do the members of the congregation help bring this about? What shape should this take in your own life? In the life of your own congregation? Exposition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darleen Nelson Posted May 10, 2003 Report Share Posted May 10, 2003 A church building is not God's house but God's household is the people who have God living in them and show him to the watching world. They can see the God of love through the actions of the church body. We are all meant to be citizens of God's kingdom and members of His household. May we each daily walk so closely with him that it is obvious to all that our "church" has a special relaitonship with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrown Posted May 12, 2003 Report Share Posted May 12, 2003 The congregation should be a dwelling place for God. The church building itself has no meaning ; it is the people of the church that provide the dwelling place. If the people do not practice what they preach, they are nothing more than a hypocrisy of God. In fact, they will turn away many who are truly seeking God, instead of welcoming believers with open arms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted May 14, 2003 Report Share Posted May 14, 2003 The Church is the body of Christ, and believers have a position in that body. We are a group of people in which the Holy Spirit dwells with in, individually, we come together as one at church, to be joined together, to be built up, for God's own purpose, His desire. We should long to be Christ-like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Beckner Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 God by means of the Holy Spirit should be dwelling in the Spiritual temple, the hearts of the congregation. This temple, composed of living stones mortered together with truth and love, has a Holy priesthood and makes Spiritual sacrifices. We are to be the habitation on earth for God.....doing what He wants done on earth. To bring this about, we must all yield to the leadership, striving for truth and unity. We must support the weak members til they become stronger and build up the truth in every aspect of our lives. We should be seeking out those who have quit assembling so that the body does not lose out on the special gifts they have for the body to develop correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASHVILLE071995 Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 We should allow the spirit of God to take control of our services, Our agenda should always be God's agenda and not Man's agenda. God is HOly and requires his "temples" to live holy lifes. God's dwelling place is in his children. May we show the Light of Christ in our everyday lifes in our jobs , schools, neighborhoods, homes etc etc..... Lets live our lifes as our Lord intended us to . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebChats Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 (Ephesians 2:22) In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? It should be as an 'holy temple' unto the Lord. Holy being the key word here. Though we may never achieve true holiness, to strive to be holy is as good as being holy. According to verse 22, how do the members of the congregation help bring this about? By our spirits and God's Spirit coming together. What shape should this take in your own life? In the life of your own congregation? To be in one with God, whether we are in church or not .. Same holds true for each and every church member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaunita Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 "Know ye not, that ye are the temple of God"....To congregate, speaks of coming together; if it be 2, or 3, Jesus said He will be there, in the midst. I don't believe we come together, to meet with God...we bring Him with us if we are children of God...for He dwells within us, for we are the temple, built not by human hands, but by God Himself. "And what agreement hath the temple (us!) of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I shall be their God, and they shall be my people" 11Cor.6:16 So to answer the question, We bring God with us when we meet together, when we congregate. There is something wonderful about meeting with those, of like mind and spirit, knowing that God has placed us in a certain "smaller" version (body), of His corporate body, world-wide! Its also wonderful to know, if it be 1, 200, or 3000 , meeting, that He promised to be there; for He said "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjcollin Posted May 16, 2003 Report Share Posted May 16, 2003 Q5. (Ephesians 2:22) In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? According to verse 22, how do the members of the congregation help bring this about? What shape should this take in your own life? In the life of your own congregation? Exposition The congregation is the saved body of believers in Jesus Christ, who are indwelled with power in the Holy Spirit. Members of the congregation help to bring this about by working on their own personal relationship with God (Eph 1:18) and by walking in His Spirit. This takes shape in my own life by being led by God's Spirit and improving on my relationship with Him. The same should be for the congregation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Listener Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 Realizing each person, each congregation is a part of the building. All members working together for the benefit of the temple. No man is an island! No man lives alone! -- a secular saying. But it is true as far as we do not form, this dwelling place alone! We are building tohgether with others. Not you do your thing and I do mine, individually or as a congregation. Quote "When we make a commitment to become part of he temple than "God himself dwells in that congregation and make himself known" AMEN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Williams Posted May 17, 2003 Report Share Posted May 17, 2003 The congregation is God's dwelling place in the spirit. The church building is where we meet to worship God in the spirit and truth. We are the church. God dwell within us. We are to an active part of God's work. He has left us with a mission and that is spreading the Good News. We enter the building to worship and depart to serve. If we all take responsibility and be obedient to the word of God we can see God moving in our lives as well as the congregation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sangra Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 In what ways should your congregation be a 'dwelling place for God in the Spirit'? My congregation tries to be more than a club with worthwhile programs. It wants the Spirit of God to 'dwell' in each person - to inhabit the praises of God's people; to be united by the one Spirit present in each individual; to live harmoniously; to provide a place where the 'head' of the family, God, wants to be. How do members of the congregation help bring this about? By loving God with our whole being and by loving each other. 'My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practise real love.' The Message 1 John 3 What shape should this take in your own life? In my life, I try to reflect the power and glory of God to others. In the life of your congregation? Where two or more are gathered together in God's name, God is present and when the fulness of the power of God that is in us is realised, we see many wonderful answers to prayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bergerjones Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 If God's Spirit is not alive in your church He will not swell there. We must be a part of His church, loving and caring for each other, forgiving each other through good times and bad. It is not an option for a Christian or a church. Christ's church is for God - not for us. We cannot pick and choose what we will believe. All God's people are our concern - not just our friends or colleagues. All mankind is our business - to love and to help. Each of us must love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and strength. We must gather in HIs name, to worship and praise Him, to magnify hIs Holy name, to acknowlege His mighty power and omnipotence. We must call upon His holy presence - His holy spirit for help and guidence. We must make the committment to be part of HIs temple. Then He will come and dwell within our congregation. Each person - I - each member of the body of Christ, must make the committment and act upon it, not just on Sunday morning, but everyday in every part of my life, working to understand His word and acting upon that revelation, to make my body a living sacrifice, wholy acceptable to Him! The members of the church must each one take on this committment, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Stanley Posted May 18, 2003 Report Share Posted May 18, 2003 The congregation should be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit because he lives in us.We live in harmony with each other in Gods love in our hearts.I myself love God knowing also how much God love me.As a congregation that shows Gods love,people can see God and that Christ is Lord in accordance with what God says in His Word.We do "Gods Will,not our will.This is the only way I can explain this in my words.Blessings to all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luray mcclung Posted May 19, 2003 Report Share Posted May 19, 2003 Q5.Our congregation should be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit in many ways: for praise and worship, for holy communion, for prayer, for baptism in the spirit, for annointing, for special times of service (seed and soil, thanksgiving, harvest blessing, fishing fleets, crabbers, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, special holidays, Ash Wednesday) for physical healing, for spiritual gifts, for prophecy, for singing and in times of grief, for manifestation...we must be that dwelling place to invite and welcome the Holy Spirit. We bring this about by our being expectant of God's spirit upon us and in us. In my personal life , reading the word, praying, taking Bible studies and visiting frequently at a nearby nursing home have helped me as God's spirit directs. The shaping is quite different among our congreation. Some love to beautify the church, some to send cards and make calls, some to listen to praise hymns and selected tv evangelists, some to organize and lead, some to teach Sunday School, a few to take lay speaking classes... The Holy Spirit is doing His work among our congregation. lmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Miller Posted May 20, 2003 Report Share Posted May 20, 2003 Since I believe that the Dwelling Place of God is in Us... each one of us... this contributes to every believer in Christ being a part of the Congregation. Whether you live across the states of America or live abroad; in Israel, France, India, Germany, etc. Each one of us holds a responsibility to keep God's partaking of us when we are in prayer, reading of His Word, Praising and Worship. We partake of Him and He partakes of us. This reflects in and through us our becoming in His Likeness and this reflects how we are toward one another. I must say that when I visit some places of meeting; gathering at different churches... the presence of God is not as strong as in other places. You see while God is in you... everywhere you go He is... so He is always in our Midst, but when people gather and there is more of the Flesh present than His Spirit the heaviness is evident in the Church. And this is anywhere you meet. Now when the Spirit of the Lord is not Hindered by the Flesh... one sees and actually feels a Strong Presence of God. He truly delights in us when we are giving over to Him and forgetting about what it is we are in need of... He already knows the need before you even speak it... so why not spend the time with Him and allow Him to lead you in every way and then speak up... He is there... so ask and know it be given unto you. Believe me, I am learning also. Sunshine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwalya Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Q5. (Ephesians 2:22) In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? Our congregation should be a place of manifestation of God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dickinson Posted May 26, 2003 Report Share Posted May 26, 2003 Q5. (Ephesians 2:22) In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? As each member of the congregation is a vessel for God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo Posted May 30, 2003 Report Share Posted May 30, 2003 I agree with the viewpoint that the congregation, and not the church as a building, is the dwelling place of the Lord. During the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in the hearts of all the members of the church that were present during that time not to dwell in the area where they were gathered. Thus, the congregation will only make this happen if they obey the commandments of the Lord and strive to be more Christ-like in their way of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeallen Posted May 31, 2003 Report Share Posted May 31, 2003 The congregation should be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit", when we begin to "enter into His gates with thanksgiving" and begin to worship him in spirit and in truth. Letting him get the glory and honor out of our lives. The word of God says in I Chronicles 16:27 "glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place, and verse 29a says, "give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name, and 29c says "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness". In other words, for God to dwell in us our house have to be holy and clean St John 4: 24 says, "God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Our life should take the shape of a new creature in the Lord, because we are no more twain but now we are one. The congregation's life should take the shape of a new beginning in the Lord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 The members of a congregation should be holy, living lives that bring glory to God. Then, God will dwell in their presence and they will see more and more of God Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnbarnes Posted June 5, 2003 Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 There is healing in the dwelling place for the Lord. There is deliverence in the dwelling place of the Lord. There is salvation in the dwelling place of the Lord. There is provision in the dwelling place of the Lord. There is love in the dwelling place of the Lord. There is peace in the dwelling place of the Lord. Everything that we need is in the dwelling place for the Lord in the Spirit. All things that are possible in and through the Lord is in the dwelling place for the Lord in the Spirit. It is here where we, the congregation come together in the Spirit of the Lord with one common goal and purpose, that is to do the work of the Lord. We are to be the spiritual hospital for those who or lost. We are to strength one another, build us up for the work that we were called to do. With us all with one accord, miracles happen. God has given us everything we need to the same works that He did, and more. Jesus came that we would be reconciled with God in order to be prepared for the work to bring others into the dwelling place for the Lord in the Spirit. It is awesome because being the dwelling place for the Lord's Spirit means that He is with us at all times, encouraging us, nudging us, loving us to be with Him and share what we have with Him with others. This relationship helps us all to grow. Our household has made the decision the Lord with all of our heart, mind and soul. When we work together building each other up, God intervenes and allows us to go to depths that we have never experienced before. He is amazing like that! I am one who needs bulilding up and encouraging. I know that this world is not my permanent dwelling place, but I must be able to live here until that time when God calls me home. I need the strength of the saints. I need the encouragement of the saints. If we do this, all will be built up in the temple. More will be brought to salvation, deliverance and healing than ever before. We get empowered through the Spirit which dwells in us, but it helps when we work together in the Lord. It makes us more committed and excited to do the work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Strait Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? As a place for God to reveal His glory, presence, and power. As a place for all to find God. According to verse 22, how do the members of the congregation help bring this about? By being in tune with God. By living lives that are pleasing to Him and by doing His will for thier lives and His church. What shape should this take in your own life? It should become a part of every aspect of your life. 1 Cor 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." In the life of your own congregation All should be done to the glory of God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsKathy51 Posted July 21, 2003 Report Share Posted July 21, 2003 In what ways should your congregation be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit"? The congregation should be a dwelling place for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luray mcclung Posted July 24, 2003 Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Our congregation becomes a "dwelling place for God's presence of the Holy Spirit, because each of us is a temple for the indwelling Spirit. How? We must keep our temples clean, seek forgiveness, ask for deliverance, whatever we must do to be worthy to carry the light. We must be of one accord, a united body of believers, and want to seek Him by praising Him and calling upon him in true worship. Also, we must trust God to give us the needed vision for the body of His church. lmc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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