DWELLING OR ENTERING
Jeremiah 7:1-11

To be going and coming out of the church building cannot be regarded as dwelling or abiding under the shadow of the Almighty God. You can choose to make your church building your place of residence, but still it will not count as dwelling or abiding in the shadow of God. So many are entering, but very few are actually dwelling in His presence. Thousands enter into places of worship on Sundays, but only few dwell in His presence on Sunday to Sunday. This is not a new thing because just as the Bible says, “…there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Entering and not dwelling has been mentioned in the Old Testament and it is still happening today. Jeremiah 7:1-3, “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 ‘Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!’’ 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.’” The word came from the Lord through Jeremiah to the people that worship God and not to those who did not go near the places of worship. The message was for those who are always entering the place of worship in the name of coming to worship God. God pointed out that they were only entering; they, however, were not dwelling. Until they began to enter and dwell, they were missing it and it would not carry them anywhere. It was also pointed out in this message that dwelling requires amendment of lifestyles (ways) and dealings with all that is around every individual who wants to dwell. God sees all that goes back and forth in the life of every acclaimed believer and He alone, not any man or pastor, can determine if individuals who are entering are qualified to that of a dweller or a deceiver. How can you account for your Sundays of going and coming to the place of worship? If your going is only on Sundays and you have no other separate day during the week to go and spend time with the One and only One who made Heaven and Earth, it becomes dangerous and that danger might be an issue of religion or convenience; not commitment. The Psalmist recorded in Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” In any of your relationship with Him, go and begin to seek for the way to be dwelling instead of only entering. The secret place of the Lord is no longer secret to any of His children who care to hear from Him daily in the pages of the Bible where His words unfold deliverance, breakthrough and preservation. The secret of God is in the word of God.