Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
I believe we are living in the time when the bride of Christ is being called upon to make herself ready for the Lord. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Rev. 19:7-8. These words have taken on a greater sense of urgency as we see the day of the Lord drawing near. The Lord is releasing a fresh revelation of Himself and this will result in a fresh revelation of the church and a greater release of the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:13-19). It is important to see that these three are connected; a fresh revelation of the Lord Himself, the church and the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Recently the Lord has stirred me concerning all three. This is something He showed me about the church.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; Matthew 5:14. The church is a city set on a hill and as such we are one of the seven mountains of influence in society. We have been placed alongside, but not over the other mountains of influence (government, business, media, etc.). The church’s job as a mountain of influence is corporate worship, prayer, evangelism and to build itself up in love through the inner working of the various members. We are the pillar and support of truth in society (1 Tim. 3:15). This is church as a congregation, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25. The phrase “assembling together” in the Greek means a complete collection especially a Christian meeting for worship. Missionaries to remote areas confirm that evil is much more prevalent and entrenched where no viable and functioning congregations are established.
Much can be said against the current state of the church and many have been wounded, disappointed and made to feel like an outcast by their church experience. I have experienced all this myself, but I believe Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus settles any and all arguments against the central role of the church in the believer’s life; “because we are members of His body.” Eph. 5:30. The church is the most exalted, esteemed, and important group that anyone on earth could ever be joined to.
Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Matthew 5:15. The word for lamp means any portable light such as a candle or lantern. Jesus told us we are the light of the world and we are not to hide that light but be placed on a lamp stand, which He later explained to be the church (Rev. 1:20). But since it was portable it was not meant to simply stay in the church; we are mobile lights.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16. We must also see the church as all believers functioning in any of the other mountains of influence in our society. This is how God designed the church to have the greatest influence on society. We find this all over the New Testament. The letters written to the different churches of the New Testament were not letters on how to function when the church assembled itself as a congregation, although this is addressed in certain instances, they were letters giving instructions to believers as to how they were to function in every area of their lives each day and in every place they may find themselves. I believe the prayers of the church have great impact on our society (2 Chron. 7:14), however it is clear from the New Testament that it is when we as individual believers go into our society as salt and light that the church has the greatest impact on society.
Many Blessings, BW