So it seems to me we all understand that we as believers in “The Way” are each temples. But there is a confusing issue where the Bible says, “Ichabod” was written above the door. Meaning something like “The Spirit has left the building”. There is also the knowledge that sometimes uniquely, the Spirit is thick in a building.
So it seems to me, we can’t limit what the Spirit chooses to inhabit or when the Spirit chooses to be there. I consider it a possibility the Spirit might choose to hang around a building even though the believers have gone to Luby’s for lunch.
~priest just sayin’…
God Spots 
Scott Bertolini If a building on Sunday, suddenly becomes a church because of the people who show up, what is it the rest of the week when it’s empty?
9 hours ago · Comment · Like
Alison Defreitas and 3 others like this.
Scott Bertolini This is not an argumentative question, just looking for clarification from some of my brothers and sisters.
(the body of Christ and living church)
9 hours ago
Aaron Elijah it is just a building… the Spirit of God does dwell in temples made by hands… most christians, or rather those who call themselves christians, want the benefits, but dont want the job… faith is a job… it is an action word…
9 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Very nice Aaron, not sure I get the “faith is a job” statement, but something tells me it will preach.
9 hours ago
Patrick Jackson It’s just an empty building nothing sacred about it.
9 hours ago
Aaron Elijah abraham was justified by faith… because he went when God said to go… works with faith is nothing and faith with out works is dead… therefor it is a job… being a follower of Christ requires us to do certain things, just saying we believe is not enough… if we dont act on our faith it is not faith…
9 hours ago
Gary Bucher They will know us by our fruits wright Aaron ?
9 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Ok, I get the “works without faith”, not sure I look at that as a job, but that’s just details towards how we get to serve Him.
9 hours ago
Cherie Madden the sancturary
9 hours ago
Nathan Josiah Clingan Another building, which will rot, crumble, and someday cease absolutely to be.
9 hours ago
Patrick Jackson Ministry is not a job this is the problem today. Professional pimps get paid for preaching to born again believers. There is only 1 Gospel and it’s to be declared to the lost. The believer edify one another. When we come together one may have a psalm, hymn etc… As Paul stated. We are to work by the sweat of our brow(occupation) ministry is not an occupation. The Holy Spirit Minsters through us and he dosent charge$$ because the price has been paid by Jesus.
9 hours ago
Gary Bucher I dont think its a job but a duty or better yet a honor ! But the Church is were ever 2 or more gather in the name of God and worship him for being the one and only most high king of kings and Lord of Lord’s !
9 hours ago
Patrick Jackson @ agree Gary 100%
8 hours ago
Marina Reyneke In our case “The King’s School Robin Hills” SA – the building becomes a school during the week and a church on a Sunday! The building / place is just the venue. If I don’t go to the building on Sunday and spend time reading the Word or with my family at home – church still happened!
8 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Nice visual there Patrick, I am a recovery Pastor at The Well Ministry of Rescue. I get to preach and teach, but we also have a vocational training program to accompany the discipleship. We teach the men trades like construction and painting ( I have my class B & C-33 licenses), landscaping, auto detailing & repair. We have a full sevice restaurant…
See More
8 hours ago
Will Byrd A Day care .. or in the case of my parish, a Food Pantry? a building is a building … the church is a living organism.
8 hours ago
Nathan Josiah Clingan The church isn’t a building…and neither is it a service. It is the group of people called out from the world to be the Bride of Christ, bought with His blood, yet left on earth to be Salt and Light. The church is not a series of activities, it is a group of redeemed people.
8 hours ago
Gary Bucher Yah Patrick that is a good visual !! And i think that great what you are doing Scott !!! I know a lot of recovering addicts that have no skills and end up fealing hopeless and using again ! Thanks and good luck with that !!
8 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Hope, that is the key.
8 hours ago
Patrick Jackson @ yes Nathan!!! The Church is not a Service. Man you describe the Church perfectly.
7 hours ago
Elizabeth Dahl Kingery I think that most Christians will say that the building is simply a place to assemble, or gather together. However, we do not realize its implications week after week… when the building, the church division and the gathering actually becomes church to us… and is something completely different than the living body of Christ which exists 24/7. The building and the gathering is not church, but many Christians call it exactly that… That should be a red flag to all of us.
6 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Very well put Elizabeth.
6 hours ago
Janice Dobbs DeAnnuntis Hopefully relationships are being built and those attending a building on Sunday are also “building” relationship and ministry throughout the week. The world needs to experience Jesus through the “Body of Christ”, Jesus being the head of course and the Holy Spirit the agent of the workings through the believers.
6 hours ago
Scott Bertolini Love the use of “building relationships” as it applys in the lives of believers. Without Holy Spirit, what do we have but a handful of useless actions that won’t amount to much in the face of a Holy God.
6 hours ago
Kyle Maritz The ‘eklesia’ is a gathering. That’s what the word meant when Jesus and the early disciples used it. The Greek word was used in relation to any kind of gathering throughout the ancient world. It had nothing to do with buildings.The non-Jewish (gentile) ‘eklesia’ of Jesus followers met in homes. The Jewish followers met in homes, but also attended …
See More
4 hours ago
Kyle Maritz Before Constantine the ‘eklesia’ was relational, but afterwards changed into institutionalism. Which unfortunately is what we have inherited. The solution however is not to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ but to make sense of ‘church’ and ‘christian’ in the 21st century- just like the followers of Jesus had to make sense of those 2000 years ago.
4 hours ago
Nathan Lambshead I see an empty ‘sanctuary’, (sanctuary from WHAT I don’t know), paid for on the backs of those who are now scared to have God attack their finances if they don’t ‘pay their dues’. A building that says God’s Word is ‘old law’ to be thrown out (except the Levitical Tithe of coarse, trans-mutated to wages paid to an organization)
“I think I see a …
See More
47 minutes ago
Nathan Lambshead No video here, but in a recent Coffee House Gig I did, this was one of the songs, preceded by my very thoughts on this subject. It has been a big one for me too, having spent all my life in christian church.
39 minutes ago
Archie Rhines So it seems to me we all understand that we as believers in “The Way” are each temples. But there is a confusing issue where the Bible says, “Ichabod” was written above the door. Meaning something like “The Spirit has left the building”. There is also the knowledge that sometimes uniquely, the Spirit is thick in a building.
So it seems to me, we can’t limit what the Spirit chooses to inhabit or when the Spirit chooses to be there. I consider it a possibility the Spirit might choose to hang around a building even though the believers have gone to Luby’s for lunch.
~priest just sayin’…
3 minutes ago ·
Nathan Lambshead There are different aspects to ‘being there’. He is present in all of creation.
The question (as I take it) is about the institutionalized building though Archie.
When the people gather there, in any building, God is there. It does not say God is there at any other time other than when two (or more) are present, as in relation to church assembly.
What spirit do you think is hanging out there without us? One who would enslave all who fall for it I think.
15 minutes ago
Nathan Lambshead PS how is the head?
13 minutes ago
Archie Rhines Good morning Nathan! I have to stick with a God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that is totally out of the box and without limitations. If the Spirit chooses to hang around a building, that is his choice, not mine or the evil ones….
10 minutes ago ·
Archie Rhines As to the head, was blessed with about 12 hours of wonderful respite… Then back to the salt mine… It is a great memory prompt for prayer. lol
9 minutes ago ·
Brennan Williams
It should be a place of refuge for the needy. It should be used for ministry and outreach 24/7. Matt.25:35,36…. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink ; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
about a minute ago
Hi Archie;
You inquired, let me “enlighten” you.
A building is a building. Spirits don’t dwell in buildings.
The temple the Son of Man describes is in your heart, mind and soul.
There were a number of people in an African church that were hacked to death in their church last year in Africa.
Was it because there was no spirit there? Was it meant to be?
No one can answer these questions.
The only thing I can tell you, the people who committed this crime will suffer the consequences as I think some of them already have. Are they beyond forgiveness?
Who knows.
Hi Archie;
Can you take the word “without” from the first line please. It was a typo.
Contrary to popular belief, Ichabod has a soul and spirit and heart and mind. He was judged without trial as we are so quick to do nowadays 🙂
But Ichabod knows this story well, so he forgives all those who assume he may be the Devil’s pawn. 🙂
Hi Ich! Using your “handle” Ichabod was not meant as a jab at you. Reference came to mind as an illustration. Not meant to defame a friend. Hope you are surviving the winter. Take care. archie
i recently read a book “So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore” by W/ Jacobsen/D. Coleman–more of a story mode book but it touches on the above subject–pretty good book i think and covers alot of the way i think of “church” or lack there of.
Hey lost sheep. Appreciate your honesty in your beliefs. Do you find it difficulty that Jesus does not have skin?
Hey, Archie,
This is quite the thought and I appreciate this insight… The possibilities here are great.
“I consider it a possibility the Spirit might choose to hang around a building even though the believers have gone to Luby’s for lunch. ” is a strong statement that can be seen both literally and figuratively. And too often we have left the Church and gone to lunch.