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To Build His Glorious Church
(Mt16:16-18; Eph5:22-33)
God is the Lord of glory.
Glory comes from Him and
He lets those who know His glory go from glory to glory (2Co3:18).
Faith is knowing His glory and
The life of this faith is gloriously building up His church.
To see glory in the world,
One must become superior in his status, power, wealth and fame, for which
People strive to possess it at all cost.
This is originates from Adam, the ancestor of all men, who
Sinned wanting to be like God (Ge3:4-6) because
He was deceived by the devil, also Satan, who
Attempted to be like God but was cast down to Hades (Is14:12-15; Eze28:17).
Nevertheless, God chose a people to display His glory ” the Israelites (Is49:3).
He delivered them from their slavery and led them through the Red Sea,
While He drowned the Egyptian soldiers and their horses because
It was for Him to gain glory for Himself (Ex14:4).
God's glory that settled on Mount Sinai which
The people saw when Moses received the commandment (Ex24:16)
Later filled the sanctuary, also called the tabernacle or the temple of God (Ex40:34-35; 2Ch5:14).
At such sight, the priests were overwhelmed and the people became afraid.
In the meanwhile, the prophet spoke of the coming of the king of glory (Ps24:7-10), and thus
The interest of the Jews was set on the Temple of Jerusalem.
But Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Though the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would tear down the glory shown indirectly and
With His body give glory to the Father for
He is the glory of the one and only Son (Lk2:14; Jn1:1, 14; He10:9-10).
For He knew that the Father would glorify Him (Jn8:54),
He did not seek the splendors of the world (Mt4:8-10).
Rather, He humbled Himself and willingly chose death (Jn10:18; Php2:8) to
Go from glory to glory (Lk24:16).
Thus, as He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), for it was the moment for
The Son of Man to receive glory (Jn12:23-24), declaring that He:
1) As the righteous One died a glorious death in place of sinners, committing His soul to the Father (Rm5:6-8; 2Co5:14, 21);
2) Condemned the devil who attempted to take his own glory (1Jn3:8); and
3) Sprinkled His blood to birth to the souls of men, for them to become glorious children of God (Rm8:21; 1Pe1:23-24).
The Father raised Him from the dead and
His resurrection is the crown of His glorious death to arrive in glory.
The Holy Spirit whom He sent from the heavenly throne (Ac2:33)
In His name calls believers, gathers and chooses them as His church.
The church is His bride who prepares herself for the groom Christ (Rev19:7),
By washing with water through the word becoming holy
To be presented as a glorious church,
Without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish (Eph5:26-27).
Therefore, the members of the church put every effort to
Not become secularized, not make any compromise with the world (Eph4:11-16; Php3:17-21),
In order to arrive in the glorious resurrection through the glorious death (Php3:17-21).
O Lord,
On this 31st Anniversary of Church of Jesus
We have a special emotion that others know not of ”
Because we love our church,
Because we are proud of our church and
Because we had to fight to protect our church.
Even if we are segregated from the world,
Even if we are isolated from other churches,
Let Your dream of building the glorious church come true! Amen.