Today's Meditation - Saturday, May 23, 2020

Today's Meditation

Read Ephesians 2:11-22

¹¹So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision” —a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ¹⁷So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

     I'm concentrating on verse 14 this morning, "For He is our peace; in His flesh He has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us."

     In Jesus Christ, all things are possible.  In our love for God, God finds a way to break down our walls of hostility and anger.  In Jesus Christ, we are free to embrace people who think differently, who act differently, who have a different worldview.  Embracing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can work towards welcome and peace.

     As we continue to worship, pray, praise, and sing we do so outside the bounds of church walls.  What better way to build the church of God than to be the People of God.   

    Friends, We Are The Church.

Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective, a quirky group of musicians, but I love the song!

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray

Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
And we need Your power
In us

We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church
And we pray revive
This earth (We're prayin' for revival)

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear…