A major theme running throughout all of scripture has to do with God's priority to find a Resting Place on the Earth for His manifest presence, a place where He can dwell, abide permanently and tabernacle.
This is God's heart, God's passion.
"Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, 'Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace.' The disciples then remembered that the scriptures say, 'My love for Your House burns in me like a fire!'" (John 2:26, 27. CEV, cp. Psalm 69:9).
"And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then he taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, "My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations"'" (Mark 11:16, 17, cp. Isaiah 56:7).
We, God's people in a city, in a community, in one locality, together comprise God's House, God's Temple in that region..."as living stones, being built up into a spiritual house...to become a holy temple in the Lord...a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit" (I Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:20-22 NIV).
For many of us, our understanding of "local church" has stood in the way of God's plan and purpose. It is necessary that we have healthy, growing congregations, but it is equally necessary that we see these congregations together being the one church of our locality, the spiritual House that God is fitting together as living stones.
The Temple, the House of God, has taken, and always will take, a central place in the plan of God. God waits for us to capture a passion for His House in our locality. Our unity, the coming together of God's people, the embracing of his call to be His living, corporate Temple, is an essential, non-negotiable step on the path towards God's manifest glory filling our cities and communities.
God waits, our community waits, the nations wait, for the church to be built together as a dwelling place for God.
As Colin Shaw stated in his book, A House for His Glory, the Church in the City:
"Being called and committed to a city (community) for as long as God would have us in that place generally means that we are there for a lengthy period of time. This is necessary as far as God's building program is concerned. Relationships take time to develop and grow.
"That is why a continual turnover of ministry in a city is counter-productive to the development of the one church of the city (community). It is interesting to watch what happens when leaders link arms and begin to walk together. In many places they are staying put and committing to the long haul. Incrementally the heavenly dew falls and blessings become more and more evident."
With this in mind, the following scriptures can be applied with greater clarity and meaning to our regions, communities, and localities, remembering that a “local church” is not the same as a “local congregation.”
“Do you not discern and understand that you (the whole church of Corinth) are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you, (to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually)?” (I Corinthians 3:16, Amp.)
“You say this isn’t the right time to build a Temple for Me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses, while My Temple is a pile of ruins?...’Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the Temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,’ says the LORD” (Haggai 1:4, CEV, 1:8, NKJV).
“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this Temple with glory’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the LORD of hosts, The glory of this latter Temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘And in this place I will give peace (shalom)’” (Haggai 2:6-9).
This House will be “a House of Prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17; Isaiah 56:7), where prayer is continually kindled to agree with God’s heart for all nations. Those prayers will arise as incense to Heaven (Rev. 5:8; 8:4, 5) that will enable God to make the Earth His Footstool among the humble and contrite who are the living stones of His Temple (Isaiah 66:1, 2).
“A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar; it shall never go out” (Leviticus 6:13). “They are before the Throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His Temple. And He who sits on the Throne will dwell among them” (Rev. 7:15).
