“Now it will come about that In the last
days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the
chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all
the nations will stream to it.” (Isaiah 2:2)
There are numerous verses in the Bible that
prophesy about the last day Church and how it will be a glorious
Church, a Church without spot or wrinkle and how many will be seeking
the way to find it. This scripture above is only one that indicates
that there will be a day quite different than we are experiencing
today. It will be a day when all nations (or races) will stream to it.
Why?, what will be so different in the last
days that will cause multitudes to stream to it? Will it be because...
(A) we have finally mastered church growth
programs? (B) we have finally learned how to properly market and
locate our churches?...or (C) of some “new miraculous thing” that
is going on in one or two churches?
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS (D), NONE OF THE ABOVE.
John 13:35 says, "By this all men
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another."
When the world can look upon the church (the
believers) and see a quality in us that they have not found anywhere
else; a quality of living what we preach and showing integrity in our
relationships with each other, then and only then will we see the real
harvest that we pray for. And remember, the harvest will still only be
a remnant.
The Lord is now looking for those who are
willing to be made examples: Examples of the very nature and character
of Christ for first, the Church to see and then for the world to see.
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 says, “You are our
letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being
manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written
not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of
stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”
We are to be living epistles, testimonies to
the power of the Christ living in us. We are to literally be “ ”
for the world to see as we live out that which is written on our
hearts by the Spirit of the living God.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one look
down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith
and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”
Titus 2:7-8 says, “...in all things show
yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine,
dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the
opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”
My heart’s desire for the Church is that we
be known not for some “powerful anointing”, but for integrity of
character. We should be known for being examples of people walking
together in unity of spirit and unity of faith...known as people who
are careful to keep their word to others and are more concerned that
relationships be maintained than they are of being right or wrong. And
most of all, we must be known for being people who practice what they
preach, being examples of the character of Christ as we cry out to see
Christ formed in His Church!
John 17:17-21 says, "Sanctify them in
the truth; Thy word is truth. ‘As Thou didst send Me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world. ‘And for their sakes I
sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
‘ I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who
believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as
Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us;
that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”
When Jesus prayed for His disciples and for
all those who are believers, He did not ask the Father to give us
great, well-known ministries or anointings. He asked for us to be
sanctified in the Word and that we be one as He and the Father are
one. Jesus knew that if we could walk in absolute unity, then the
power and anointing would be maintained. Therefore, we find that the
primary ingredient needed to become that glorious end-time Church is
simply to work at being one together as Jesus is with His Father.
Remember, Scripture tells us that Jesus will
present to Himself a Church in all her glory, having no spot or
wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless
(Ephesians 5:27).
WHAT DOES A GLORIOUS CHURCH LOOK LIKE? IT IS
A CHURCH THAT LOOKS LIKE JESUS!
In His Covenant Love,
Apostle Richard
