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The House of the Lord: You or The Local Church?

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. - Psalm 23:6

Recently I was pondering on the benediction style in my church and most church. It usually goes like this; "Let's share the grace....". Then the second part of it is the popular recitation from psalm 23:6. 

This is what got me pondering, the last part of the verse that says "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever". That was David making that prayer. He wants to stay in God's house forever. Back then in those days, the house of God which is the synagogue (temple) is equivalent to the Presence of God. 

But all that change when Jesus came,  we don't dwell in the house of God. We are the House of God. God dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. If we still wait to go to our local parish before we access God's Presence, we are living in the oldies. We are carrier of God's presence. Wherever you are, wherever you go, that is where God is too.

During David's time, The house of the Lord can hardly be anything but the Temple;  though some preachers/teachers treat this even as figurative of membership in the Divine family. But if you an avid reader of the book of Psalm, you would know The expression, does not refer to eternity or to heaven.

Paul said to the Corinthians "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. - 2 Corinthians 6:6

We don't dwell in the house of God anymore, rather we are the House of God.

That was God original plan to dwell in us, Jesus came to restore that. We don't wait  Sundays before we say our benediction (which is even funny as we go to church once or twice a week and yet we want to dwell in there forever).  Our local parish (church) is not the only  where the presence of God is. As a child of God, everywhere you go, God's presence is always with you. You carry God in the inside of you. 

My own revised benediction goes thus: "Surely goodness and mercy is following me all the days of my life and I shall continue to be the House of the Lord for ever and ever, Amen."

Selah!

Good Morning and a blessed Thursday to you!

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