The Second Sunday of Advent, December 10

THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION

Take heed how you build – 1 Corinthians 3: 9- 23

Satan would love to have us keep our salvation on an individual level only, and miss the glorious revelation of the church victorious.  The words of this great hymn express a grand vision of the church universal.  We ought to be more than just a Sunday morning gathering of individuals.  The church is a community of saints, which encompasses all believers from every nation and from every generation, joined together and united in ONE SPIRIT and ONE TRUTH.  May we be ever reminded and awakened to the great truths expressed in this hymn, which constitute the true church of Jesus Christ.  He is our ONE foundation.  NOT Allah, NOT Buddha, NOT faith in human potential, nor any other philosophies, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.  Will the saints of today stand up and proclaim ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE holy name given under heaven whereby we must be saved?  The true church WILL, and MUST.  We must FEAR NOT the offense to other “faiths”, or the resulting violence against us, which will be incurred, as it is even now in parts of the world.  HEAR the voices of the saints from ages past which cry out “DO NOT DENY HIM! DO NOT FORSAKE THE BRIDEGROOM!”  They eagerly await us.  They are not complete without us, and we are not complete without them, and we all are not complete without those who are yet to come.

Col. 3: 2 – Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  Let us not count our lives dear to us.  Our health, our careers, our bank accounts, the economy, or any other things, which would entice our trust, could come crashing down in an instant.  It’s just a matter of time.  Soon, the foundations of the earth will be shaken.  The cities of the nations will fall.  The islands will flee and the mountains will not be found.  But Jesus Christ will be found, coming for His holy bride, the church.  He will not leave us or forsake us. His kingdom is FOREVER!  He is our ROCK!  He is our SURE foundation! With his own blood He bought us.  For our life He died. His blood brought us into union with Himself and with one another.  We are altogether His new creation.  Jesus said to love one another as He has loved us.  The hand cannot say to the foot, “We have no need of you.”  May your longing eyes be blessed by the glorious vision of the CHURCH VICTORIOUS.  He has endued us with every grace and spiritual blessing, enabling us to press on and press into this hope—Jesus Christ living in us, the hope of glory.

Matt. 5: 13- 14 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

~ Jim Krauser