Page 214 - THE REVELATION OF THE THIRD HEAVEN and THE MEAT OF THE WORD

will, the synagogues were an appropriate place to teach and Jesus did so (Mark
1:21), this does not mean that there are ‘Christian buildings’ as such. The body of
believers is the building of God and the building He is interested in (1 Cor 3:9).

There is nothing special about meetings that are larger than can fit comfortably into
a home, a congregation can meet in a home setting and therefore it is not necessary
or essential to have ‘church’ buildings at all (1 Cor 16:19). God dwells in thick
darkness and the heavens (Ex 20:21, Deut 4:11, 2 Sam 22:10-12, 1 Kings 8:12, 2
Chr 6:1, Psalm 18:11, 91:1, 123:1) and the heaven of heavens can not contain Him
(1 Kings 8:27). Indeed the Word describes the blackness of space girdling the
clouds of the Earth (Job 38:9, Isaiah 50:3). Building a house of or for God was not
God’s primary will and was conceived in disobedience (2 Sam 7:5-9, 1 Kings 8:16,
Acts 17:24). God does not dwell in temples anymore than anywhere else (John
18:20, Acts 17:24).

Under the Law as a seondary will, synagogues and the temple had their role and
Jesus preached in them as a result (Luke 4:44, John 18:20). Christians should go to
preach wherever people are, so obviously synagogues would and did qualify (Acts
13:14-16, 17:1-2, 10).

‘The house of God’ in 1 Timothy 3:15 is specifically defined as the Church which
is made up of believers, not bricks and mortar (1 Cor 6:15, 19, Eph 1:23, 5:30, 32,

Col 1:18).

We are all priests and by our bodies, temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 6:19, 1 Pet
2:5, 9).

Fasting

Fasting is not required of Christians (Mat 9:15, Luke 5:34). The Bridegroom,
Christ, is with a Christian always without interruption (Mat 28:20). This was said
when Christ was still on Earth so the ‘with’ is not lessened by his Ascension (Mat
28:20). Since Pentecost of course Christ is actually not only ‘with’ us but in us,
the most intimate and personal presence that can be imagined (Col 1:27). The time
when Jesus was dead is when fasting was proper (Mark 2:19-20). Christians are in
Christ’s body and Christ is in their body, a very intimate ‘with’ (Col 1:27, Eph
5:30). Given that someone is fasting then they should do it in humility and secretly
(Mat 6:18). Fasting is a secondary will under the Law (Isaiah 58:5-8, Mat 17:21,
Mark (9:29). The liberality of Christ represented by the Christian status is the best
‘fast’ (Isaiah 58:6, Mat 11:28-30, Luke 4:18). When, in this context, Jesus refers to
alms (Mat 6:1) or fasting (Mat 6:16) he is referring to the Law and the basic