"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 3:10, NIV)
"Church," is a bad word for a lot of people, especially for those to whom the word meant "organization," hierarchy, well, you may have had or have your own appraisal. If the Church is to reveal Jesus Christ to the earth, people need to be delivered from only identifying "Church" with Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, etc. A lot of "independent" congregations which sprang up in the 70s and 80s did/do not have the word, "church," in their name.
Now I don't have to tell you that, "the Church," is not that building you go to on Sundays, though whenever everyone, and I mean everyone refers to the local church of which they are apart, it is always, "I go to," which is always a location of a building. The reality is that, "the Church," is you and I, all who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes." When Sarah and I pray over a meal, we are, "the Church." Whenever I meet someone for lunch, we are, "the Church," as in, "where two or three are gathered together in My Name...."
Our text tells us that if, "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms," are going to know anything about, "the manifold wisdom of God," they are going to know it from you and me, from that group of people with whom we meet on a regularly basis, those millions upon millions of people who love and obey Jesus Christ, some living a life of political freedom, some living in unbelievable suffering, as in North Korea and most of the world. The people at our places of business, our schools, our neighborhoods observe how we relate to one another, how we conduct business, etc. What sort of "revelation" of, "the manifold wisdom of God..., do they have by that observation? "By this will all know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." I think it is also called, "You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world." That building is not.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that the manifestation of Your, "manifold wisdom," will not be diminished in me. Amen.
"Church," is a bad word for a lot of people, especially for those to whom the word meant "organization," hierarchy, well, you may have had or have your own appraisal. If the Church is to reveal Jesus Christ to the earth, people need to be delivered from only identifying "Church" with Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, etc. A lot of "independent" congregations which sprang up in the 70s and 80s did/do not have the word, "church," in their name.
Now I don't have to tell you that, "the Church," is not that building you go to on Sundays, though whenever everyone, and I mean everyone refers to the local church of which they are apart, it is always, "I go to," which is always a location of a building. The reality is that, "the Church," is you and I, all who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes." When Sarah and I pray over a meal, we are, "the Church." Whenever I meet someone for lunch, we are, "the Church," as in, "where two or three are gathered together in My Name...."
Our text tells us that if, "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms," are going to know anything about, "the manifold wisdom of God," they are going to know it from you and me, from that group of people with whom we meet on a regularly basis, those millions upon millions of people who love and obey Jesus Christ, some living a life of political freedom, some living in unbelievable suffering, as in North Korea and most of the world. The people at our places of business, our schools, our neighborhoods observe how we relate to one another, how we conduct business, etc. What sort of "revelation" of, "the manifold wisdom of God..., do they have by that observation? "By this will all know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." I think it is also called, "You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world." That building is not.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that the manifestation of Your, "manifold wisdom," will not be diminished in me. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
