Then talk about the Church.
God is gaining the one new man in the local churches standing on the ground
of oneness. Like the seven lampstands in Revelation He has recovered on earth
"one city - one church". We've seen the vision. And Oh, how exciting to be in this move of the Lord.
There is an escape from divisions. And coming back to the ground of the local oneness
the Lord commands the blessing - life forever more.
Psalm 133 has become a reality when coming back to
"one city - one church" and "in Spirit - on the ground."
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is / For brothers to dwell in unity!
It is like the fine oil upon the head / That ran down upon the beard,
/ Upon Aaron’s beard, / That ran down upon the hem of his garments;
Like the dew of Hermon / That came down upon the mountains of Zion.
/ For there Jehovah commanded the blessing: / Life forever.
Revelation helped us to see the vision "one city - one church" ground as golden shining lampstands.
Revelation 1:10-13 -
I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
Saying, What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
And in the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
Can you see the vision?
We must be "in spirit" because human tradition of denomination, sects, division has made believers dull and somewhat drugged with
a stupifying unawareness. Without a vision the people are without restraint.
Ephsesus
Smyrna
Pergamos
Thyatira
Sardis
Philadelphia
Laocidea
These are all localities.
We thank God for His recovery of the local church.
This is not "We are the only church".
This is "We are only the church."
There is a big difference and I feel God has such a way to prepared us for His coming and His millennnial kingdom.
But when we bring up the glorious church many dear brothers must think the church is an anti-cllimax.
They look to Israel as the best hope for the glory of Christ.
This has a negative tone.
Yes, a little bit.
Because it's happening before our very eyes.
The building up of the local churches and the emerging of one new man is happening before our eyes too.
I know now that the church can woo the Lord Jesus back to earth.
For Him to deal with Antichrist and the false prophet is like a newly married husband being asked to take
a moment to take out the garbage.
Can you see on a honeymoon the wife saying
"Honey, could you take the garbage for us? "
Do not missunderstand me. The enemies of the church and the Antichrist and persecutors of Israel must be divinely dealt with.
(I said divinely ealt with).
But the Lord Jesus want to come back for His bride the church.
Some, a remnant, must make themselves ready.
Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb
has come, and His wife has made herself ready. (Rev. 19:7)
Tne oneness. the proper unity is the best realm in which we can make ourselves ready.
So the recovery of the ground of oneness is exciting though it is costly to our soul-life.
This is not a proclamation of eliteism as some will likely accuse.
This is an invitation to the up-to-date normal Christian life of overcoming.
In oneness, genuine oneness -
For there Jehovah commanded the blessing: Life forever.