A Magnificent Church

A MAGNIFICENT CHURCH

There is a scheme and a plot to destroy the Church. There a devilish minions at work to wear down God's people and to take the wind out of their sails. This conspiracy of ecclesiastical destruction has their cohorts. They have conscripted media personalities, academics, and politicians. But completely unknown to these very powerful people and spirits there is a God more powerful who is completely frustrating their plans! While they seek to ridicule, reject, and relegate the Church, the One who who birthed it continues to promote it, power it, presence it, provide for it, preserve it, and prophesy through it! In fact, the Church is perhaps one of the greatest living miracles and testimonies to the proof of God there is! The God who loves it has declared that it should be "magnificent"!

For David said, "Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it." So David provided materials in great quantity before his death. 
First Chronicles 22:5

The Old Covenant is a necessary "shadow" of the New Covenant (Heb. 10:1). Its Temple speaks of the Body of Christ (Jn 2:21). In a sense, we are like young Solomon - young and inexperienced. We need God's help to build His Church. Like Solomon, we are engaged in an enterprise of infinite importance - to build a Church that is "magnificent, of fame and glory through all the lands". The Church is not called to rule the world, but neither are we called to be insignificent. Rather, we are called to be magnificent for God! For those of us who are getting on in years, like David, we are helping the next generation by leaving a legacy for them to build on. And like David, we who are able to provide physically and materially for the House of God, do the best we can in order to build amagnificent House for God.

Can we, together, build a magnificent house for God, here in our community? To do so, we must-

1. Pray. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Pray for your preachers and teachers. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to help us to harvest.

2. Serve and give with whatever God has given you. Your little means a lot.

3. Sharpen your gift and pool it. If you're called and gifted to be a singer - get singing lessons. If you're called and gifted to be a preacher take a preaching course with ICI College. If you're gifted to be a helper go to really good restaurant and observe closely the top waiters and learn from them. If you're called to be a shepherd, learn to listen from really good interviewers. Then, once you're sharpening your gift, pool it by combining it with the strengths of others. This is how you can 'leverage' your gift (multiply your effectiveness by having someone else's strength compensate for your weaker areas and your gifts compensating for someone else's weaknesses).

Father, help me to be a part of building for You a magnificent House. Help me to know what my gifts are, use them in my local church, and be compensated for by others who have strengths that cover my weaknesses. May we take ground for Your glory and be a part of winning souls to Christ and helping them grow in Christ. For Your glory, we pray, Amen.

Eph. 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ps. Andrew