Religious Practices or the Presence of Christ?

Religious Practices or the Presence of Christ?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (20) Then the
Jews said, This temple was built in forty-six years, and You
will raise it up in three days? (21) But He spoke of the
temple of His body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The contrast between religion and God's economy [plan] can be
illustrated by the Lord's human living. When the Lord Jesus
was on earth, the temple with all its rituals, practices, and
ordinances was still in Jerusalem. In the temple the priests
presented the offerings, burned the incense, and lighted the
lamps. However, God was not in the temple—He was in the Lord
Jesus. Sometimes the Lord stayed in the home of Lazarus,
Martha, and Mary in Bethany. He visited with them and spoke
with them in a normal, human way. Nevertheless, while He was
in that house in Bethany, the priests continued to perform the
rituals in the temple. With the priests in the temple we see
the practice of religion, but with the Lord in Bethany we see
God's economy. God's economy is to work Himself into man.

His economy was carried out not in the temple, but in that
house in Bethany, for there Christ, the embodiment of the
fullness of God, was present. Those who worshipped in the
temple were practicing their religion, but Lazarus, Martha,
and Mary enjoyed the presence of the Lord Jesus. The local
churches today should not be like the temple in Jerusalem, but
be like that home in Bethany. This means that the churches
should not be places of religion, but be places where God's
economy is being carried out.