Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
Scriptures we have been looking at all year:
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
Focus for today:
Setting the Stage. This is based on 2 Samuel 6:1-12.
Before I get started, I will tell you upfront that today’s message carries a level of theological depth that I want you to prepare your heart and mind for. In most of my messages, we ZOOM IN to a specific passage. Today, we will ZOOM OUT, to learn from Genesis to the New Covenant we have in Christ Jesus.
After David was settled in as King, he decided to bring the Ark of God (i.e., the Ark of the Covenant) to the city of David. He gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all, just in case anyone attempted to steal it while it was transported. The Ark was so significant because the Lord Himself, the Holy Spirit, dwelled above the Ark, enthroned between the cherubim. In other words, wherever the Ark was, the Spirit of God was. Let me pause here to give you a quick lesson.
Adam and Eve had God’s Spirit in them in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were connected to God Spirit-to-Spirit. In Genesis 1 and 2, we see a perfect picture of what God wants with us: creation was directly connected to the Creator, operating in Kingdom dominion, expanding heaven on earth, without any interference from or fear of satan. Adam and Eve lost all that when they sinned, and the Spirit’s connection between creation and Creator was severed.
In the Old Testament, believers did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them. He came upon people from time to time, but He did not dwell within them permanently. He dwelled between the cherubim, over the Ark of the Covenant. Therefore, the Ark of the Covenant had to be treated in a very particular way. Any deviation from God’s instructions concerning it was met with disastrous results.
Getting back to the story, the Ark of the Covenant was placed on a new cart and moved from Abinadab’s house. The house was on a hill, so the team had to be very careful. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart as it left the house. Ahio walked in front and guided the team. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. However, he was not supposed to touch it, and he died on the spot.
David stopped everything. He was afraid of going any further, so he decided not to leave the Ark in the house of Obed-edom of Gath, which was nearby. The Ark remained there for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household. When King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” He decided the risk was worth the reward, so he got another team ready to move the Ark to the City of David.
So, what does this mean to you today? Lots of things:
1. From The Garden to Grace: God’s Presence Restored.
The journey of God’s presence with humanity is a powerful story of restoration. What Adam lost in the Garden, Jesus restored at Calvary. Jesus came to get us out of the mess Adam got us into. In the beginning, Adam walked with God in perfect communion. After sin entered, that connection was severed, and God’s presence was limited to dwelling above the Ark of the Covenant. But through Jesus, we now have full access to God’s presence again.
How this applies to you:
— If you are Born-Again, you have been restored to God’s original plan of intimate fellowship.
— You now have what Adam had – direct access to God’s presence through the Holy Spirit.
— Your relationship with God is better than what Old Testament saints experienced.
— You are living fulfilling what the prophets only dreamed about.
— You don’t need to visit a temple; you are the temple, and the Holy Spirit lives IN you.
— You carry what the Ark of the Covenant carried – God’s presence.
— Your body is now more sacred than the Holy of Holies.
— You have constant access to what priests could only access once a year.
— You are a walking, living sanctuary of the Most High God.
2. The Transforming Power of God’s Presence.
Just as the house of Obed-edom was blessed by hosting the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life brings supernatural transformation. When you carry God’s presence, everything around you is impacted by His power.
How this applies to you:
— As God’s temple, you carry His presence everywhere you go. You also carry Kingdom authority and dominion everywhere you go.
— The Holy Spirit’s presence brings supernatural transformation to and through your life.
— Others should experience God’s presence through your life.
— Your environment should be impacted by the presence you carry.
— Signs, wonders, and miracles should follow you.
— Your life should demonstrate the power of having God’s presence within.
— Everything you touch should be impacted by the presence you carry.
— You have 24/7 access to supernatural power and authority.
— Your life should be a testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit: From The Ark to Your Heart.
When Jesus cried “It is finished,” the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying a dramatic shift in how we access God’s presence. The Holy Spirit no longer dwells above an Ark – He lives in you! You are now His chosen dwelling place.
How this applies to you:
— You are a walking, talking temple of the Holy Spirit.
— God’s presence goes wherever you go.
— The Holy Spirit empowers you for Kingdom impact.
— You have 24/7 access to divine guidance and power.
— Your body is sacred because it hosts God’s presence.
— You don’t house the Spirit temporarily; He lives in you permanently.
— The Spirit in you is greater than any power in the world.
— You have constant communion with God through His Spirit.
— Your life will change forever the day you realize and recognize that you are God’s dwelling place.
4. Living in the Greater Glory.
We live in a time of greater glory than even Moses experienced. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just come upon us temporarily – He lives within us permanently. This privilege brings both power and responsibility.
How this applies to you:
— You have unlimited access to God through His Spirit.
— The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.
— You can operate in supernatural power every day.
— The Holy Spirit never leaves you nor forsakes you.
— You are empowered to represent heaven on earth.
— You are to represent God’s presence wherever you go.
— When you are led by God’s Spirit, your words carry weight.
— You have authority because of Who lives in you.
— You are empowered to manifest God’s glory on earth.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for making me Your living temple through Jesus Christ.
I am humbled and honored that Your Holy Spirit has chosen to make His permanent residence in me.
My body is now more sacred than the Holy of Holies because Your Spirit lives within me permanently.
I carry Your presence everywhere I go, knowing that You transform every environment I enter.
I bring the Holy Spirit into every meeting, conversation, zoom call, engagement, and activity.
I walk with divine confidence because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.
You have upgraded me from visiting Your temple to being Your temple, giving me unrestricted access to Your presence.
I treat my body with reverence and honor, knowing it is the sanctuary where Your Spirit dwells.
Your presence in me makes me unstoppable in fulfilling Your divine purpose.
I declare that as Your temple, I manifest Your glory, Your power, and Your presence everywhere I go.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it, and prosper!
