Habitation Church

When we look at the early Church we see that the Apostles spending significant time with Jesus caused them to build His Church in a specific way. This way of life together wasn't a new plan to build a thriving "church". They seemingly took the values that were important to Jesus while He was with them on the earth and lived them out daily with others. The result? A sense of awe and wonder and God adding to their number daily! If we believe this to be true, then we must also believe Jesus has a desire for what the Church should look like. This model, the first-century church, produced transformed people who were together devoted to a specific way of life. We see that following Jesus and being a part of the first-century Church cost them everything. Are we willing to pay the price no matter the cost to truly become the people that Jesus desires to have for Himself? He is worthy!

Frankie guides us through the timeless desire of the Lord to have a people who willingly choose Him out of love and obedience. From the dawn of humanity, there's been a narrative of straying from the path the Lord laid out for us. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, we witness this recurring theme of people consistently opting for alternatives to God's ways. But amidst this cycle, a pivotal moment occurs with the revelation of Jesus as the prototype human. He becomes the beacon of hope, embodying the ultimate act of choosing complete obedience to the Lord out of profound love for the Father. In light of this, we're presented with an invitation from God—to cultivate a reverent awe for Him and to shape our lives around the example of Jesus, living in loving obedience. It's a journey of growth and transformation, one where we align ourselves with the divine will and find fulfillment in walking closely with our Creator. Join us as we explore this profound invitation to live in harmony with the heart of God.

In this enriching episode, we explore the profound theme of CHRIST as our unique GOAL, highlighting prayer as a vital resource that should shape our lives. We reflect on biblical offerings like the Sin Offering, Trespass Offering, and Burnt Offering, emphasizing a life of sacrifice as the reasonable response to God's extravagant grace. In Genesis 18:19, we recognize Abraham's pivotal role in God's redemptive plan. Abraham's obedience and stewardship serve as a pattern to be considered, with Christ as his ultimate goal. We underscore Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and encourage listeners to emulate a faithful walk with God by making Christ the center of their lives.

We had the joy of hearing from our dear friend Scott Volk as he taught on some of the defining characteristics of the Church. We were challenged to be a people that are supernaturally unified, irresistibly hospitable, and radically generous! May we be a people who sow our lives into becoming the Church that brings King Jesus great glory!

Domestication can be understood in terms of taking something wild and taming it; being conformed to something familiar and acceptable; the act or process of adapting a plant to cultivation or converting it to household use. In our most recent Corporate Gathering for our churches, Michael shared from Numbers 11:1-6. Verse by verse, commentary was given to highlight a few points that were emphasized— - Immaturity in Adversity - Adversity Awakened an Appetite for the “things that were…” - Lack of Discerning led to Compromising - The Issue of Unconditional Love The Lord desires a people that are free, whole and healthy. A mature people, transformed by the power of His love, that will consistently remain under His leadership. These people are witnesses, evidences of His faithfulness, and testimonies of His power.

It was a great joy to once again have our friend David Popovici come and share the word of the Lord with the work. We are grateful for his consistent voice and investment in us as people. As he ministered, there was a clear reminder that Jesus' desire is to build a house for Himself and a call to partner with Him in His ways to participate in the establishing of this house in our generation. Jesus is not looking for people to attempt to build His house according to the wisdom of men or culture. He is searching out the ones who would be willing to give their lives to the redeeming of the those that can add nothing to them. The Lord choses the canvas of the nobodies, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized to reveal the fulness of the beauty of Jesus. Though it may cost everything, may the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!

We had the privilege of having Bob Gladstone come and share with the work on the topic of Biblical wisdom and knowledge. Having God’s wisdom and intimately knowing Him will help us have minds that are firmly set on Him and His ways. This mindset will allow us to endure suffering of all types which do not compare to the glory that will be revealed.

We had a friend of the house come and share with our church for our most recent Corporate Gathering. The "details" of this individual are being kept anonymous in order to preserve his request. We honor this man of God, and consider it a joy to be knit together. The subject matter is accusation. In this word, accusation is considered in a variety of ways- 1. Accusation against self 2. Accusation against God 3. Accusation against others The answer to exposing and conquering accusation is the grace of God. The grace of God is dynamic and powerful. We must encounter the affection of God in our direction in order to get free of accusation. This is a word that should be listened to a few times in order to fully glean all the Lord reveals. Enjoy!

The idea of Biblical leadership is costly. God absolutely believes in human leadership. We can say this because God entered into a human vehicle, the Man Jesus, and He embodies the positional and relational reality of King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Father’s chosen and anointed ruler. God takes time to form sons and daughters. Those who have been transformed and formed over time by the power of the Spirits work in them become a precious resource to God’s agenda—His purposes for His House and People. In this episode, let’s take time to consider leadership from a Biblical perspective— why it’s so necessary and why the scriptures prescriptions and evaluations for persons who desire such roles should be our constant guide and jealousy.

Becoming a people who live evangelistically will require us to be a people of His presence. In Mark 3, Jesus calls the disciples up the mountain “so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach.” Presence came before Preaching. May the way we live our lives together in His presence and according to His way of life be a provoking invitation for others to align their lives to Jesus and His purposes. Jesus is longing for a people who are a testimony to the nations of the earth!

Discipleship is the way that God grows and matures his family. If we truly saw the church as family, life-on-life discipleship is the only road to maturity. In the ideal natural family, a father and mother teach, train, and equip their children in every area of life. It is normal and expected that the children will grow and mature into adults whose character resembles their parents (Lk 6:40). God has designed the church to be his family on the earth. He’s given us spiritual ‘parents’ to teach, train, and equip us. Too often, we see our spiritual parents as peers, making it difficult to submit our lives to them. God has placed each part of the body where he pleases (1 Cor 12:18). Submitting to his process of discipleship is how he brings growth and maturity to our lives. (1 Cor 3:6).

For these corporate gatherings, the leaders of Habitation Church answered three questions pertaining to life in God and church— What is a leader? What is discipleship? What is evangelism? The goal was to answer these questions to help provide definitions for terms that historically have meant a variety of things depending on what someone’s experience has been in church or being familiar with church culture. In answering these questions, it is helpful to understand biblically what each of these ideas are, why it is necessary or needed, and then how it actually gets fleshed out or is intended to function in our context, which is church as family. Michael shares on leaders and the idea of biblical leadership. Frankie shares on discipleship and Jesus’ heart for the development of His people. Steven shares on evangelism and the work of the Holy Spirit to give Jesus a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Michael shares with Habitation Church about the knowledge of God that is revealed to us in the place of loving obedience. God cannot just be researched, He must be revealed. And, He must decide to reveal Himself. God chooses what of Himself He desires to be known. He is gracious and outrageously kind, and chooses to unveil Himself to those who partner with His grace to love Him and obey Him. Special emphasis on Philippians 3:7-10, Paul shares that because of the way God revealed Himself to Him, his whole life was transformed and reconfigured. You would never be able to understand Paul, and his jealousy to love and obey the Lord, unless you understood the way that God revealed Himself to Paul. Here is the connection— revelation should produce subjection. Our desire must be the knowledge of God— To know the Lord intimately, relationally, and experientially. Not to know of Him— information about Him, but to be immersed into union that produces a greater yielding and freedom to love Him and obey Him.

God desires to have a people for Himself that would be a holy possession. This desire is clear from the very beginning of the biblical narrative and remains throughout the timeline as we know it. In this session, Michael shares with Habitation Church particular insights taken from Deuteronomy 1-8, Numbers 13-14, and Acts 13 about our primary identity as the people of God, God’s purpose in our planting together in a way of life together that would “build His house” in our city, and then God’s heart to assign and commission people locally and abroad into a missional demonstration. “Whether you are released or remain, the goal is the same— build and become a habitation for God.

God longs to dwell in the midst of a people that are wholly His. His prescription for that is a way of life that creates a context that is most conducive for His abiding. In this session, Michael shares from Acts 2:37-47 and Acts 13:1-3 on 9 key components for a living habitation. A habitat is the natural environment of an organism; the place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism. It is the place where a person or thing is usually found. God desires a habitat for Him to walk in the cool of the day among a people that are His.

God has promised Jesus a people conformed to His image. Together, they will be the Bride of Christ. This Bride, the Church, will be a people from every tribe, nation, and tongue, across every generation of human history. This people, His comparable companion, will be His inheritance. In this session, Michael shares on the importance of God getting what He is after from the people that have been purchased with the blood of His Son. God is after a “what,”— a people conformed to the image of His Son. But, there is also a “way” that He is going to get that, and something that we can do about it to invest into what Jesus has been promised. With an emphasis on Numbers 9, Ephesians 1-4, and John 17, Michael shares on how you can make an investment into the inheritance of Jesus in a practical way.

The Church is a people that have been purchased with the blood of God’s Son— Jesus Christ. They are a people redeemed from the influence of rulers and powers, and the corruption of the domain of darkness. They have been born again, now housing a divine life— The Holy Spirit— who is radically and dynamically working within them to align them to God in an intimate way, and to His purposes in an ongoing way. The church is a family of new creatures. In this session, Michael considers God’s desire to have a people He can share Himself with and the lengths that He goes to in order to reveal the habitat that is most conducive to fulfill that desire. Context matters. And there is a context most conducive to God having a resting place, a habitation, for Him to walk in the cool of the day amongst His people. God longs to tabernacle with us; He wants to do life with us. With an emphasis on Leviticus, Michael shares the heart of an ongoing way of life together that provides God with the environment, the habitat, for God to abide.

The Scriptures are filled with story after story of people in impossible situations who put their trust in the Living God. From Abraham having a name that did not fit his natural circumstances to Rahab being remembered for the faith, she showed in one moment. We see the hope they had that God could completely change their situation in his perfect timing.

Prayer that moves mountains because with a heart of integrity before God and before one another. Bob lays out several points as a progression in prayer that will help the people of God to become a house of prayer as God desires. Prayer is— Digging Delighting Depending Doing We will need to be a powerful people in prayer if we are to become a people who do powerful works of God. All powerful work for God is first preceded by powerful and prophetic prayer.

We must become a Spirit people who are gripped with a revelation that Jesus is returning. At times it is easy to lose sight of the way we live our lives on the earth today will have an impact in eternity. In Acts 1, just before Jesus’ ascension, He commands the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Spirit. He ascended, and while they were gazing into the sky, two men appeared and told them, the same way you saw Him leave, He will one day return. The power of the Holy Spirit and the reality of His soon-coming return to reign on the earth should shape our lives practically. The Spirit helps us to live like Jesus and lay down our lives to be His witnesses on earth.