GOD'S WILL: Building and Becoming The Church

19. Consequently, you are no longer foreigner and strangers, but you are fellow citizens, 
with God's people, and you are also members of His household,
20. Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus, himself,
as the chief cornerstone.
21. IN Him the whole building is joined together, and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.
Ephesians 2: 19-22

Questions and Observations:

     Here are a  couple of questions for you, as well as some observations: How do we build a church? How do we become the Church? I have observed far too many church leaders, by their actions, seem to  think they have the stuff to be enough to build the Church, but we cannot.  Therefore, rather than join God in what He blesses, leaders get all wrapped up in doing their thing, trying to connect by providing top down non solutions, and by following some formula they took from the internet. Their Church prayer teams begin treating God like some "Bell Hop in the Sky," rather than seeking God, as did the early church, to receive The Holy Spirit's power for each one, who would be Christ's  Ambassadors, if we prayed in one accord.  Formula's don't work. Top down leadership does not work, and making God our Heavenly Bell Hop is a huge mistake. Yes, God does care about our needs, and it really okay to "Cast all our cares on Him," because God does care for us. But when our prayer lists are ALL about God "give me," we really are missing out on becoming the powerful Church of years gone by. We really do miss out on God's world changing miracles.

Becoming Family and Citizens of Heaven:     

Notice what the scripture above is saying: First, verse 20,  God brings us into His family, when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives. He says we are no longer foreigners, and we are no longer strangers. God actually makes us citizens of Heaven, and God makes us part of the family. Once God does this, verse 20, God starts building us, and He does so on the strong foundation of the ancient ones: He does this building on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and Jesus is key to the foundation because He is the Chief Cornerstone. It's amazing this foundation still is strong even after multiple millennia. 

Becoming God's Holy Temple:

     The process continues as God puts all of us together and we rise to become God's holy temple IN the Lord. (verse 21) Notice, again, God builds, and we become. What do we become? We become God's Holy Temple. After all, are not our bodies "the temple of The Holy Spirit?"

Becoming The Authentic You and The Authentic Me:     

     Now in verse 21, the Apostle Paul becomes more specific: He gets right down to the real nuts and bolts of this building and becoming process. He begins to talk specifically, about you, and he begins to talk specifically about me. Listen to this wonderful promise: 21. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. Let's unpack this: When we intentionally abide "IN Christ" or "IN Him," Like branches on the vine of Jesus (John 15:1-8), as we choose to daily be attached to Him, God's Divine Essence -- the Holy Spirit -- dwells within us, and flows through our lives producing much fruit -- more Church Growth.  Yep! All of this "is a God thing honey." (Della Reese.) 

Becoming a Built and Growing Church:
So, if we want to grow numerically and spiritually, we really do need to BE people who deny ourselves, take up the Cross and follow Jesus. We really need to BE people offer ourselves daily to the Father, through Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we present our bodies as living sacrifices, which God considers He has made holy and acceptable unto Him. And when we become, we are actually worshipping God,  as a spiritual act  of worship. He then causes us  NOT BE conformed to the world, but He transforms us while we worship "In Spirit and In Truth," (See John 4:23-24,) and when He transforms us, He renews our minds to be able to know God's will, to be able to find out what we are to be, and we begin thinking, and being, in cooperation with God, who builds us, and who builds the rest of the church. Romans 12:1-2.

 

Becoming A Church Who Prays In One Accord:
If we really want to become, and if you really want God to build, as only God can do, check out my January 24th blog of this year entitled "A Miracle Prayer For Every Congregation and You." Start praying for God to make us the Church God wants us to be. Call your own congregation to BE a Church who prays in one accord this prayer. When God's people become these kind of Kingdom prayer warriors with God,  we are joining God in what God blesses. When we P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens) as we become, and as God builds us, we start doing as the Church does just prior to great awakenings. Praying in one accord is vital,  and when we do this, Pentecostal Power can flow though God's Church, and He will change us, as well as the world around us. Yes, indeed, when we allow God's Holy Spirit to transform us, it is amazing what God does as He builds His Church.

God bless you.

SoJourner