RISEN TO BUILD
“And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
“We are co-labourers together with God: you are a field under God’s cultivation, you are God’s building”
(1 Corinth 3:9)
“Then I told them about the desire God had put into my heart, how His gracious hand had been good upon me, and of my conversation with the king, and the plan to which he had agreed. They replied at once, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they thoroughly supported the good work.” (Nehemiah 2:18)
Happy new month, and welcome to a new quarter!
I hope that we have learned to trust God with our lives, rest-assured that He has taken over every thing that pertains to us. Remember, stop struggling and let go; trust-fall and let God catch and carry you. It is my prayer that we will continue to soar on eagle’s wings in Jesus name.
As we commemorate the one event that changed all of history and the fate of mankind, it is important that we understand not just the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the responsibility it places on us as beneficiaries of His saving grace. By reason of redemption, we have been made members of the Body of Christ, that is the Church, and Jesus is actively building His church, preparing her for His return. In light of this, our theme for the month of April is RISEN TO BUILD⚒️🛠️
1 Corinth 3:9 reminds us that we are co-labourers together with God. We are in a divine partnership to ensure that the kingdom of God finds expression here on earth, and that the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus fills the earth (Matthew 6:10). We therefore have a responsibility to intentionally advance God’s kingdom here on earth—to do whatever it takes to ensure that God’s kingdom suffers no loss. We must be bold and outspoken about our faith; we are to edify ourselves through constant fellowship, and provoke one another to good works (Hebrews 10:24-25). In all things, we must ensure that our actions are advancing and building God’s kingdom, not pulling people away from Him.
The demands of being a co-labourer with God cannot be fulfilled in our own strength. This is why the person of the Holy Ghost is very important in our walk with God. He builds us in Christ, shaping and transforming us from within till Christ and His character is fully formed in us (Galatians 4:19; 5:22-23). God has also given us spiritual authorities who get to partner with Him in a special way to build His church (Ephesians 4:11-16).
On an individual level, each of us is called to build with God—whether as parents raising a family, professionals building their career, or entrepreneurs establishing their businesses. In whatever we do in our time on earth, we must ensure that we are consciously advancing God’s kingdom in and through it. The totality of our lives must count for God. Like a hymn writer sang, “I hear the voice of Redeemer calling to me, ‘Don’t waste the Blood I shed for thee…’”
Like Nehemiah and the children of Israel, we must make up our minds that we will “arise and build.” Just as Christ is risen from the dead, and is now building His Church by His Spirit, we too must rise and build with Him. The days are evil, and time is fast running out. There is urgency to the work that must be done.
We know that God is moving us to higher levels this year as a church—we’re moving into a bigger space. As members of God’s house, we have a responsibility to build our Father’s house. In Haggai 1:7-8, God calls out to His children to thoughtfully consider the work that must be done. The same call comes to us today. So will you rise and build with God this year?
Our Sunday series this month include…Risen to build; That I may know hIm; Till my Trophies I lay down; The High Calling. Shalom!
Happy Easter!