TEACHING

Don Atkin

HABITATION LEADS TO DOMINION

God’s plan has always been to bring His kingdom into the earth through mature sons who glorify Him.  His initial blessing upon mankind was to release and enable them to be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28).

His provision, the Tree of Life, quietly stood nearby as they listened to wrong voices, made wrong choices. and failed to fulfill their potential.

Habitation is present tense, not future tense. Yet, much of today’s church is still going around in circles in their wilderness, waiting in unbelief for something that God has already given them. 

VISITATION

Visitation speaks of events and seasons.  Habitation speaks of a lifestyle of overcoming faith.  Visitation may be experienced by being in the right place (geographically and/or spiritually) at the right time.  Habitation becomes an experiential reality for us as we are rightly placed in His body, and then discipled by guardians and stewards who are charged with our upbringing.

Hungry and thirsty people get excited when visitation comes into their midst.  Demons flee, healing miracles take place, and lost sheep are found and rescued in an atmosphere of faith. The cyclical history of the present-day wilderness church is laced with such events and seasons. 

Yet, for all of the times of refreshing, the “light” is not as bright as it was.  The church is not as “salty” as in the past.  We have lost, not gained, ground among the many competing and conflicting influences. 

Only two verses in the entire New Testament give reference to a visitation from God.  Both are related to those who are in unbelief.  (1) Weeping over Jerusalem, Jesus prophesied her destruction, “because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44).” (2) Peter instructed the believers regarding their conduct among the Gentiles, “they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation (I Peter 2:12).”

There are only a few NT verses referencing habitation, some good, some not so good.  But, one is especially enlightening.  It is Ephesians 2:19-22, and refers to the church as a building being fitted together, a holy temple, being built together for a dwelling place (habitation) of God in the Spirit.

HABITATION

Laying the vital foundation in Corinth, Paul asks: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you (I Corinthians 3:16)?

Peter (I Peter 2:5) identifies believers as living stones being built up a spiritual house (habitation).  Paul gives us a bottom-line litmus test that settles forever the question of habitation:

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified. – II Corinthians 13:5.

Christians (those in whom Christ lives), God does not come and then go away again.  He is never far from us!  Yes, He is on the mountain.  Yes, He is in Jerusalem.  Yes, He is right where you are now!  He abides (has taken up permanent residence) in you.  He is also in the midst when there are two or three gathered together.  And, He inhabits the praises of His people.  He is both personal and corporate in His presence, habitation, and purpose.

Jesus prophesied Pentecost:  The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.  A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. – John 14:17-19a.

Our faith is to be rooted in Him as the Word of God, not in special events.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  The just shall live by faith! It is flighty faith, not a flighty Father, which causes our ups and downs, hills and valleys, our crooked paths and chronic limps.

Jesus modeled the strategy that is needed for developing faith and for kingdom multiplication!  Here it is: He laid His life down for three years to prepare the twelve to become ~ to model ~ the habitation of God.  Signs and wonders followed them as they followed after an obedience that was guided and empowered by the indwelling Spirit.  Jesus promised:

Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. – John 14:21

Visitation alone will not empower and enable the fulfilling of the great commission or the great commandment.  Love is the fruit of the Spirit, the result of an abiding and enduring relationship with the One who came to make His habitation within and among us.

POSITION

In the days of their deliverance, the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 13:18).  There also was an order for entering the Jordan on the way to conquest:

So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

“Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure.  Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” – Joshua 3:2-4.

In other words, “If you get too close, you won’t be able to know the way to go ~ and it’s a brand new way!” 

Let’s consider this example:  A light bulb lights the way all around it, including what is beyond it.  But, if you get your face right up into the light bulb, you won’t be able to see anything but the light bulb!

It might sound spiritual to desire only His face.  Babies will first recognize their mother, and nothing or nobody else.  That is fine when a baby is a baby.  However, our Father wants us to grow into sons and see the “text” in context!

The church has recognized the “what” of visitation for centuries.  But, this is the season to learn the “why” of visitation that will lead us to the “how” of habitation.  Purposelessness can be the byproduct of ignorance (lack of proper instruction), or the deceit of self-indulgence (it’s all about me).

The “why” or purpose of visitations is to provide a taste, a sampling, of the kingdom. What God does in these times of visitation ~ salvation, deliverance, healings and miracles ~ should be common happenings because of habitation! 

Our Father wants to prepare us to receive the kingdom that He has prepared for us!  This is the inheritance of His sons and the response to creation’s cry (Romans 8:19). 

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary!”

RESURRECTION

The “how” of habitation is ~ you might say ~ uneventful.  It is not an event.  It is gut-level, self-denying, obedience unto death ~ even daily dying on our individual crosses.  (This really is good news!)  The joy set before us is on the other side of the cross.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. – Galatians 2:20a.

We must get out of the way to become God’s habitation.  We must get out of the way to make room for Him and for those with whom He joins us in that temple that is being made without human hands.  While we identify with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection by faith and through baptism, we also must realize that there is a practical outworking.  It is His resurrection life in us ~ His habitation in and among us ~ that produces kingdom fruit around us.

Participation in visitation may help to spark faith to truly become a disciple.  It is discipleship that will bring the necessary maturity to sustain the faithful living of resurrection life.  We cannot settle for the visitation alone.  It is habitation, not visitation, which brings dominion, the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

People who live from event to event, constantly pray for revival, and live for visitation, are not yet rightly formed and brought to maturity.  The need is for fathers to bring forth sons who bring forth sons, who bring forth sons ~  examples and equippers ~ to disciple the ethnos, to labor in childbirth until Christ is formed in and among His people.

It is vital that we see His presence in the context of His purpose!  Otherwise, we’ll keep circling mountains until yet another generation arises with the will to enter in.  Embrace discipleship as modeled by Jesus among the twelve. Pray for and labor among the sons of adoption (Romans 8:14-21).

While activities and events are not necessarily wrong, it is essential that discipleship leading to Holy Spirit placement and functional fruitfulness be a high priority.  Too many are on the wide road of event-centered activity.  Too few are on the narrow road that leads to 24/7 (salt and light) lives, in tune with creation’s cry. 

Keep the ark before you.  Live in His glorious presence.  But, get perspective and know purpose!  Don’t recycle!  There’s new land to be taken!

Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” – Joshua 3:4.

Elijah eventually found that the Lord was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire, but in a still small voice (I Kings 19:11-13)  “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

What are YOU doing here?