The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / JESUS EXPANDS THE PLACE OF TRUE WORSHIP

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 99 of 365 JESUS EXPANDS THE PLACE OF TRUE WORSHIP The place of worship in the Old Testament was extremely important. The presence of God rested on the place he chose. Unlike the false places of worship - that were creations of cultures surrounding the Israelites - God commanded that true worship would occur only in the place he designated. In these verses, Moses contrasted the false places of worship so prevalent at that time with the place of true worship chosen by God. The preeminent means of access to God was found in the tabernacle while Israel wandered in the wilderness and for many years after settling in the promise land, and later in the temple in Jerusalem. The place of true worship is just as important today as it was at that time, but God has expanded the reality of "place." In Jesus, the place of worship is no longer limited to a specific physical location (Jn 2:18 - 22). Now the Spirit of God dwells within believers, and our bodies serve as the temple of God (1Co 6:19). This is why Christians are able to "pray continually," meaning, worship God wherever they are, at all times (1Th 5:17). Jesus, thank you for freeing me to worship you in spirit and truth no matter where I am or what I am doing. Help me to live prayerfully, worshipfully and fully submitted to your Spirit inside of me. Amen. Deuteronomy 12:1-7 NASB 1 "These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the L ord , the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 You shall not act like this toward the L ord your God. 5 But you shall seek the L ord at the place which the L ord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. 6 There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 There also you and your households shall eat before the L ord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the L ord your God has blessed you. John 2:18-22 NASB 18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.