KEY SCRIPTURE: Gal 3:27 BBE” For all those of you who were given baptism into Christ did put on Christ.”

Baptism is a Greek word transliterated into English. It means to be dipped into, immersed or buried in something. Everyone who came to Jesus to submit to His Lordship was dipped into Christ by the Holy Spirit.1Co 12:13 KJV” For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” This is different from the physical baptism in water. It is a spiritual one. The import of this is that every Christian is hidden in Christ. He has partaken of every nature, ability, experience, and the authority of our Lord. The Christian is a physical representative of the ascended Christ. When men relate to you, they should freely say, This man, or this sister, is like Jesus.

Romans 6:3-5 expounds more on this issue of the Christian baptism into Christ. The best term is our IDENTIFICATION with Jesus. Dear child of God, your life must fully reveal Jesus. This is what makes you a Christian. You are not just a follower of Jesus, but one with Jesus and, in reality, His representative. This is the great mystery of Christianity. 1Jn 4:17 KJV “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” The scripture rightly declares that as Jesus is, so are we in this world. No form of evil can dominate our Lord Jesus. No power of darkness should likewise Lord over us. Sicknesses, diseases, and sin cannot function any way around him. In a similar vein, none of these things must dominate the Christian.

One may ask how this be possible when we live in this body? Our opening scripture says, as a Christian, you have put Jesus on as a man wears a garment. This can be possible through your resolve to believe what the scriptures have revealed. A lack of acknowledgement of this truth is the cause of so much weakness and a lot of deception among Christians. The man who knows has absolute victory over the adversary would not be subjected to all the manipulations of quack prophets and a life of fear, worry, and anxiety because they feel helpless at the barrage of attacks from the enemy. The Christian is never weak, sinful, or helpless in the face of evil and wickedness. Whatever the Lord Jesus did and achieved was done with us. This is possible because of our baptism into Christ, glory be to God.

If you find yourself in any awkward situation, do not panic; take time to look into the scriptures and locate all that God has said concerning our victory in Christ. Take your stand on these scriptures and refuse to give in. This is what the scriptures call the fight of faith. Note that faith in God can never be defeated by the enemy on any front. Eph 6:16 KJV “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

CONFESSION

I am a Christian because I have been baptised into Christ, and I have therefore put Jesus on as a garment. I am identified with him. I cannot be defeated by the enemy in any contest, for I have taken my grounds to stand on His victory and never to give up, till my already established victory becomes experiential to me

FURTHER STUDIES

Eph 6:13 KJV” Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

1Ti 6:12 KJV “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

Rom 13:14 KJV But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Phil 3:3 KJV. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

In our past study, we observed that the Christian worships the Lord in the Spirit and joyfully serve the Lord. There is the last part of the key scripture that we did not look at. The Christian has no confidence in the flesh. The Christian comes into Christ not by works but by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8-9. The scripture adds that there is no boasting. The reason for so many religions is a sad display of the men and women who have sought approval from whatever divine being they acknowledge. In the light of this region, they judge and claim certain people do not meet the standard, and so they must be persecuted. In the bible, the religious leaders brought the woman caught in adultery, claiming she must be stoned to death. Religion makes men easily condemn others. This is so because they consider themselves better than others. This is not so about the Christian, for everything he has is by grace. He cannot boast about how good he is.

Christianity is having a borrowed life. It is no longer you. We died with Jesus, and so it is now Jesus alive in us. You can’t have any confidence in your flesh because anything done via the flesh is death. Rom 8:6 “For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:” You cannot call yourself a Christian, and be self-righteous, because our righteousness is given to us by grace, and it is received by faith.

 Christianity is a life of grace from the first to the end. The scripture rightly said of His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace. Pride, arrogance, and almost all these sinful ways are products of the flesh. Christian pastors who are drawn into competition about who has the largest congregation or who has the latest car are all a display of the flesh. You can’t be a Christian and have confidence in the flesh. Once again, another sign of a true Christian is that he never attributes any achievement to himself but ascribes all successes to the ability of God through him

Dear one, if you have been priding yourself on any achievements or associating anything with your special abilities, then either you do not understand what Christianity is all about, or you are just not one in the first place.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Co 3:5 BBE “Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;”

Gal 2:20 BBE” I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Phil 3:3 KJV” For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Apostle Paul demonstrated the kind of life that proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he was a Christian. Some have tried to argue that the people of God should not be called Christians, but sons of God or followers of God. I think this is neither here nor there. The term Christian means like Christ, and that is the best revelation of the people of God according to the Pauline revelations of Jesus Christ. The fact that many people call themselves Christians and do not even understand what they are talking about does not mean the term is wrong. We are one with Jesus. We are like Him in every way. This is indeed the right description of the people of Christ.

We go back to our topic of consideration: who is a Christian? From our key scripture, the writer says we are the circumcision: this talks about a physical sign done in the body that associates the Jewish people to God, but that aspect was not his focus. The Christian is not primarily about what you do in the flesh, but a spiritual relationship. He said we worship in the Spirit. This is a spiritual knowledge of Jesus in truth 2 Corinthians 5:16 KJV” Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” To know the Lord in the Spirit is to know Him in reality. It is sad to have just a mental knowledge of Jesus. The scripture teaches in 1st Corinthians 1:21 that man by wisdom knew not God. We can only know Jesus in reality by faith, that is, knowing Him in reality or by the Spirit

The apostle Paul added that we rejoice in Him. The next sign of one who is a true Christian is the joy of knowing Him in reality. This joy is the basis for a victorious life. The scripture teaches that with joy we shall draw water out of the Wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 Without this joy, all we do is superficial. The scripture also teaches that Rom 14:17 KJV” For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The joy in the heart of the believer is a true sign that he has a relationship with Jesus.  Oh, how hard it is for the many who are trying to lead this Christian life without the joy of the Spirit. They struggle to worship, struggle to lead upright lives, and struggle to pay their tithe. They are hurting under all kinds of offences others might have meted out to them, while the man with a relationship with Jesus says Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing? TO SAY IT SIMPLY: THE TRUE CHRISTIAN HAS A JOYFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.

Are you a Christian? Do you have that joy of knowing and serving the master? Please be sincere with yourself. If your walk with Jesus has not been with Joy, then you probably do not know him at all.

Call upon him right now. Ask Him to come into your life, repent of your works, and submit to His Lordship Today.

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 1:21 KJV” For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

1 Peter 1:8 KJV” Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:26 KJV” And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught many people. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Is this a realistic question to ask at a time like this? Before Christianity became popular around the third century, this would not have been an issue to enquire about. Everyone who called himself or herself a Christian was indeed one. Most of the people who accepted to be Christian were people who were ready for martyrdom, that is, they were ready to die for what they believed. The bible said they overcame the devil because they loved not their lives, even unto death. Rev 12:11c. The type of Christianity we have these days is predominantly variant from this one. I ask again, who is a Christian?

The very first point is that a Christian believes in God, the creator of heaven and earth, whose Son is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole earth. Gen 1:1,2.

The next point is that he has believed in Jesus, the Son of God, as his Saviour through His death, burial, and resurrection, as well as making him the Lord over his life.1 Corinthians 15:2-4

He lives to please Jesus. If you live to please yourself, then you are not a Christian at all

The Christian has encountered the new birth that makes him a new creature, with the old completely gone. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 He lives by faith of Jesus Gal 2:20.

The Christian has repented of his old ways and now walks on the path of righteousness. He also knows that by the grace of God, sin has no power over him.  (Rom 6:14)

The Christian has a dislike for sin and hates to sin, and will feel very uneasy when he sins, so he would quickly confess and forsake it. Prov 28:13 Anyone who is not seriously convicted about sin, and loves to live in it, has lost his spiritual sensitivity, and so is in his sins; he is not a Christian.

The Christian grows in his longing for the word of God, as well as a desire to pray.1 Pet 2:12, 1 Thess 5:17.

Dear Christian, if you are always moved to watch a worldly video program or something of fleshly amusement rather than pray, read your bible, or go out to win souls, then you might not be a Christian in the first place. The Christian is filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, Eph 5:18.

The Christian loves to join other Christians’ fellowship and worship the Lord. Heb 10:25, You can’t claim to be a Christian, yet you do not fellowship with other Christians. You are deceiving yourself

The Christian is filled with a sincere love for God and his fellow men. He easily forgives those who offend him and is also ready to share with those in need what he has. Heb 13:11 If you can’t forgive your offenders, then you may not have the Spirit of Christ.

The Christian has faith in God and is at rest within his heart, irrespective of challenging situations that may be prevailing around him. Heb 4:2-4.

The Christian has taken up his cross, and Jesus is first in his life. He lives with one purpose: to glorify Jesus in all he does. Luke 14:26-27. If you do not love Jesus above your very self, then you are not His disciple.

Christians are kind-hearted people, always ready to put a smile on the faces of the sad.

The Christian who is not other-inclined or places others before himself is either a fleshly one or not a Christian at all.1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The Christian has received the ability to heal the sick through faith in the name of Jesus. Mark 16:15-19,  Acts 3:16.

The Christian believes that the Lord Jesus would come back to rapture the church, that is, those who are ready for Him, and those who are not ready would be left behind to face the horrors of the tribulation.2 Thess 2:1-17.

Dear reader, have you partaken of Christ? You might have been going to church for so many years, yet today you have realised you were not a real Christian. Do not be shy to pray now, by asking Jesus to be the Lord over your life. Repent of your sins and choose to follow Him in truth.

FURTHER STUDIES

Titus 2:11 KJV” For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”

2Pet 1:8 KJV” For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 2:15 KJV “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”

In today’s study, we examine the divinity attributed to the gold in the Ark. The spiritual realm is the normal dwelling place of the child of God. It is the place of power and authority. In the Spirit, Satan and his hosts are helpless before the child of God. God expresses Himself perfectly through the Christian who functions in and from the Spirit. To be in the spirit is not to function like the wind, although the Bible describes the man born of the Spirit like the wind John 3:8. I mean you do not become like the wind in reality. The vehicle that carries us into the Spirit is the word of God. Remember the word is alive, Spirit and life, John 6:63.

2 Peter 1:4 explains how the word gives us access to the supernatural. 2 Peter 1:4 KJV” Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” We partake of the divine nature or the Spirit nature by believing the promises of scripture. On the flip side, corruption and decay would easily function because men submit to the influence of the flesh.

In Romans 8:2, the Holy Spirit taught us that in Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life makes us free from the law of sin and of death. The law of sin and death is the power of sin that works death, as well as the consequences of sin, like sicknesses, which are incipient death. Once, Evangelist John G Lake, who travelled to South Africa to minister at a time when there was a deadly epidemic. Anyone who physically came into contact with the bacteria died. He touched the sick and prayed for them, yet nothing happened to him. A medical group was curious to know why he was immune to the attack of deadly organisms. They experimented to ascertain the reality of his experience. They took samples from the body fluid of an infested individual, examined the organisms under a microscope. All the bacteria were alive and active. But when the same sample was poured on his hands and observed, he then shockingly realised the bacteria were dead. He explained to them that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death. The bacteria symbolised the law of death, and could not function in the face of the Spirit of life.

Dear Child of God, this is the power at work in you. It gets operative when you function in the Spirit. This happens to the man who makes the word of God rule in his life. The power in the word goes into effect when we believe what is said or written. The Lord’s disciples once asked him, what must we do that we may work the works of God? The following was the Lord’s answer:” This is God’s work that ye may believe on Him whom He sent, John 6:29.

Many Christians hear, read or even say the word, yet they fail in the final act, that is, believing. Believe Him with all of your being, and surely he would take over.

PRAYER

Lord, stir in our hearts the ability to believe you always, through all situations.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mar 5:36 KJV” As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”

Gal 5:16 KJV This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 16:2 “And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, the asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink”.

King David left his palace in Jerusalem to avoid any open confrontation with Absalom. On his way, he was met by Ziba, who brought food on a couple of asses saddled for King David’s men. This man was Mephibosheth’s servant. Would Ziba have come out to show kindness to David if David had also not shown some kindness to Mephibosheth? May we always learn to show kindness to one another. God is the rewarder of a kind deed done to others. Some people may not return a kind deed done to them, but don’t be worried about those who will not reciprocate a kind deed. Always know that whatever good thing you do for somebody, you do it unto the Lord. Matthew 25:44 “Then shall they also answer Him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or thirsty or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them saying, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Our heavenly Father is the final receiver of every good or bad deed we render to one another. Be very careful how you treat people. Some have entertained angels unaware.

As David and his men were going to their new destination, one Shemei, who is also a Benjamite from the house of Saul, came up and rained insults on David. He even cast stones at him. Abishai, one of David’s men, requested that David go and discipline Shemei. David was furious at him and said, “And the king said, what have I to do with you ye Abishai, sons of Zeruiah? So, let him curse because the Lord has said unto him Curse David. Who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so?

David was ready to accept God’s discipline to the limit. He never wanted to act against God’s way. David also knew that it was God who enthroned and dethroned. He was not going to act according to his will any longer. David also said further in verse 12 as follows, “it may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day”. May we always learn to let God have his way in our lives.

CONFESSION

My will is subjected to the will of God. Pleasing Him in everything I do is all that positive living entails.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Colossians 3:17 ” And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.

Psalms 119:30-31” I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Rom 12:1 KJV” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

In our study about the makeup of the ark, we left out two qualities of the gold that I would want us to talk about now. We said the gold naturally must be pure. Its process of purification is through fire. This act means it naturally accepts great sacrifice to attain its desired end. The word is sacrifice. Sacrifice is to willingly give up something dear or precious that ultimately glorifies God. It is a willing act.

As the living Ark of God, we must make lots of sacrifices. When I talk about sacrifices, I do not mean things like sickness. The Lord taught that sickness is an oppression of Satan, and the child of God must not tolerate. He must always stand against it and resist it in faith, and the Lord says it would flee away like its source. When I talk about sacrifice, I mean actions that keep us more pure and holy as saints of God. A Saint of God must fast and pray. Many times, it is not praying for ourselves but praying for others. Especially those who are bound by sin and all kinds of demonic activities. We must also endure hardships as ministers or servants of God. 2Co 6:4 KJV “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;” Apostle Paul says he w8llingly accepts to go through these distressing circumstances and does not get offended in any way. This is one of the means of sacrificing.

The essence of sacrifices is to end up very pure. Purity is seen in a heart truly in love with God, and that makes you want to please God. Purity is not about showing anything to men, but a state that increases your commitment to God. It is this true love for God that constantly drives you away from sinful fleshly life to always choose that which would honour God. Sacrifice should be normal with us because that is our nature. When dealing with certain difficult people, we must bear with their difficulties. This is a sacrifice. When we have to go out of our way to support the weak and needy. Many times, this is done not out of our abundance but at quite challenging times. Mar 12:43 KJV “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:” This woman made a great and real sacrifice. Such unqualified sacrifice always attracts God’s unqualified attention. Please, how many of the worshippers who offered touched Jesus to make any comment but this poor widow? In the way Jesus commented, Heaven would release angels to go and assist her so she does not go hungry and poor. God would always respond to your sacrifice.

CONFESSION

I am a living Ark of God, and I represent God by making sacrifices on every occasion as the word of God and the Spirit of God would demand. My sacrifice draws me closer to the Father in love and purity. God also responds in many amazing ways, showing his power and providence. Amen

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 15:58 KJV:” Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Phi 2:17 KJV” Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: 1Sa 5:3 KJV” And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.”

The scripture (1st Sam 4) teaches that once the Israelites and the Philistines were engaged in a war, in which Israel was losing, they said, “Let us bring the Ark, and the tables would turn to our favour.” They were defeated instead. What was the cause of their defeat? The sons of Eli, the priest, had defiled the priesthood. These were the men who went for the Ark. Please, God is not a mechanical God. If you live in sin, do not expect gallons of oil to change anything about you. Isa 59:1 KJV “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Remember, your sin is so powerful to drive God far from you.

The Philistines captured the Ark and carried it to Dagon, their god, whom they associate with agriculture and also the chief of their gods. This meant Dagon was a very powerful God. The scripture said that by the next morning, Dagon had fallen face down. They might have thought that some wicked person might have done this. They took him up and placed him back again. The next morning, Dagon was totally shattered on the ground. His head, hands, and legs were all broken to the ground. God in the Ark seriously finished Dagon. It is simply wrong for any deity to claim he is messing up the Christian, or the living Ark of God. Well, this is possible if the child of God is either ignorant or living in sin. In the absence of these, no power should take you captive. The presence of God is very much conscious of working on your behalf. You must be bold to challenge that condition with the word.

These Philistines were very scared and wanted to send the Ark away. They first sent the Ark to Ashdod, where many were slain and were afflicted with emerods.  These people started crying and shouting, they have brought the Ark of God to slay us. The Ark was taken to another town, and hell broke loose. This so-called wooden box was not just ordinary but the headquarters of God’s presence, and very terrible and destructive to those who oppose and do not honour.  Dear child of God, there is a person in you that makes you a living wonder.  In our case, He does not function without our awareness and permission.  It takes our faith for Him to fully express Himself.

Those who have exercised their faith well enough express Him very well. You also have the opportunity to throw away the garment of ignorance, and then you put His word into action.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly father, for your great act of mercy, to make my body your house of abode. Every power to conquer, be a solution, and have a victorious life is all within me. I refuse every negative trend from now, and commit my life to becoming the Real light answer to this generation as I have been made to be. I thank you.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 8:12 KJV Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1John 4:4 KJV “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Exo 25:17 KJV “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof”.

The Lord asked Moses to make a mercy seat. It was the center of the upper cover of the Ark. He called it the mercy seat because it was the place where the high priest always presented the blood of the sacrifice. Lev 16:14 KJV” And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times”. Whenever the blood of sacrifice was offered, the presence of God appeared above the mercy seat as fire, and the Lord spoke to the high priest from that fire.

What is our relation to the mercy seat as the living Ark of God? Please note that the Lord did not talk about the power seat, grace seat, love seat, but the mercy seat. Mercy is when, by our actions, we deserve to be punished, but God overlooks our mistakes to accept and even blesses us.

This mercy seat clearly shows us that men are naturally sinners who would need a lot of mercy.

One area to demonstrate our mercy is through intercession.

Intercession is not a special ministry. Every Christian is an intercessor. Every Christian is a priest. Rev 1:6 KJV And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Dear reader, one of the reasons the Christian cannot marry two and take girlfriends is that we are the living Ark of God as well as priests unto God. Our relationship to God was never known by anyone under the old covenant

A heart of intercession is a seat of mercy, where we feel the weight of the sins, destruction, pain, and failure of humanity. It is very unfortunate when the church and people of God become so selfish and pray for themselves only. We’ve got to be filled with great mercy. The secret of a merciful heart is a heart filled with love for God and holiness. This is a product of dedication to God Jas 3:17 KJV But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

PRAYER

Father, our world is hurting, lost in sin, and living in fear. stir in me the desire to know you to the point that your passion of love also fills me to show the same mercy to mankind

FURTHER STUDIES

Isaiah 59:16 KJV” And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.”

Isaiah 53:12 KJV” Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Exo 25:16 KJV” And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.”

To all those who might be reading for the first time, we are studying the Ark of the covenant with the background understanding that, since it was a place God dwelt among the people of Israel, and we are also God’s present dwelling, place on the earth, then we could easily say we are the living Ark of the covenant. We consider the makeup of the Ark and apply it to ourselves, drawing lessons about how we ought to live so we can be a real living Ark of God. This time, we examine the tablet of testimony which God asked Moses to place in the Ark. The tablet of testimony was the Ten Commandments.

What was the significance of the tablet of testimony in the Ark.? Please note that the Ark was indwelt by the invisible God. God asked him to place the tablet of testimony there as the only visible thing.

This meant the tablet represented Him. The tablet of testimony is the word of God. God and His word are one. What God is telling us in this act is that His word in us is He in our hearts. God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His word. The word of God must have the first place in our lives. The word of God is not just letters but the very Spirit of God expressing Himself in thoughts. John 6:63,2 Tim 3:16, 17. To also have God mightily in you, the word of God should likewise dwell in you. Col 3:16 KJV” Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

When God’s word dominates our hearts, we will function in our true capacity as the living Ark of God. Please, there is an unlimited power in every child of God. How we activate this power is through knowing the word, believing it, and speaking it forth in faith. We ought to be very bold in speaking out what the word says. The next thing to make the word effective in our lives is to be obedient to what it says. James 1:22 KJV “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” As God’s living Ark, we have the kingdom of God within us. Luk 17:21 KJV “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” The kingdom of God is the seat of government of the throne of Almighty God. This is the Lord taught lives in us. The implication of this statement is far-reaching. We are the headquarters of God’s power and authority. A storehouse of immense power and glory. We have the responsibility to bring the impact of the kingdom of God to bear on our world. We cannot afford to be hiding but shine.

CONFESSION

I am a living Ark of God on earth. God lives in me. His presence is demonstrated by how much his word is seen in my day-to-day life. His kingdom is in me. I walk in the authority of Jesus and refuse to allow satanic controls over my life in any way. My life reveals his glory, wisdom, and love to a lost, hurting world.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Psalms 82:6 KJV “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”