Connecting Points

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Today’s Topic:  One Big Body

Today’s Text:  Revelation 5:9-10  And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.   You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

I love modern technology. I love the way it increases the connectivity of the Body of Christ. Some people think it is hurting true relationship, but I think it is enhancing it. I think people are more connected now than ever, and the Holy Spirit is bringing us together as one universal Body more than ever before.

Yesterday I was on a Skype video call on my computer to a young woman from our church who lives for the summer at her home an hour away. We needed to meet to talk about some ministry plans for the fall. Rather than spend the money to drive the distance between us, we met face to face on the computer. As we were conferencing, I noticed another family from our church enter the room. They had stopped at this home on their way back from a trip they had taken. I also needed to talk to them about a ministry issue. So we did it right then and there. It was amazing.

To our younger generation this all seems quite normal. To me it is still amazing.

While I was on the video call I noticed that a man named Solomon had requested to connect with me on Skype. I accepted his invitation. When I arrived at my office this morning he was on line, and we connected via a video call. He is a pastor from India. His father had started a mission to orphans and lepers in that country. When the Lord took his dad home in 2009, Solomon received a call from God to continue the ministry. He is now involved in a church planting work that reaches the rural tribal areas of India that are desperately under the bondage of false religion and idol worship.

What joy we had for twenty minutes as we talked about our common heart for the harvest of souls, and I shared with him my upcoming trip to the tribal areas of the Philippines. We prayed together, and I was overwhelmed with the joy of the Lord as I realized in a new way that the Lord Jesus Christ has servants all over the world and they are committed to serving Him faithfully and fearlessly.

I immediately thought of this verse in Revelation, where the Lamb of God is proclaimed by the elders of heaven to be worthy because by His blood He has purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. What an incredible truth.  It brings shouting to my lips – shouts of praise proclaiming the greatness of God’s grace. To think that among all of those from around the world, I am one of them. Oh how my heart sings the matchless grace of Jesus.

We so easily become exclusive in our faith. We so quickly learn to focus only on our little place in the world and the little space that we occupy. We tend to move towards an inward focus and then work hard to protect the comfort zones we have established. The church can easily become ingrown. I praise God that He keeps a Kingdom vision always before me. I am thrilled to be a part of a church that has a Kingdom mindset.

I shout “Hallelujah” for the privilege of being connected worldwide with old friends and new friends who are a part of the Body of Christ. From Africa to the Philippines; from Japan to India; from Brazil to Eau Claire – this is the Body of Christ, and I am thankful to be so connected.

Pastor John