Sermon Title: God’s Original Purpose for Mankind – How must we live. (Pt 2)
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:24-25)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
God was specific in His design for marriage and in His creation of human sexuality.
“A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
For the man and his wife, the task of conforming to the holiness of God is now no longer their parents’ but their own. They are now solely responsible for creating a new culture of holiness before God.
Established on their relationship utterly with God alone, every marriage and family according to God’s original design is to lead to the flourishing of Mankind as God’s stewards over all of Creation.
Adam and his wife had no sin, and lived up to God’s standard of holiness and glory.
As a matter of interest, the Chinese character for people(人) and fire (火) alludes to the glorious and fiery state of a sinless Mankind; similar to Moses – whose “face was radiant” after being in the Lord’s Holy Presence and coming “down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands” (Exodus 34:29-35)
Our Lord Jesus affirmed God’s perfect and original design for Mankind – “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female... ...for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Matthew 19:4-5) – and further sharpened our understanding of the sacredness of marriage by saying,
“So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:6)
The design of the marriage is ordained by the Lord God; and is foundational and fundamental for human thriving; the Lord Jesus resonates His Father with the divine command that no one is to desecrate God’s design and purpose for marriage with their own version of this sacred union.
Even when the Pharisees tried to justify divorce with Moses’ authority, our Lord Jesus silenced them by replying, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.
But it was not this way from the beginning.” (Matthew 19:8)
It was not this way from the beginning.
Now that we have re-familiarized ourselves with God’s original and perfect design for Mankind, we must think about how we must respond to the world around us in light of His Divine Revelation.
Throughout the ages, Mankind – in sin – has constantly viewed God and His holy laws with hardened hearts.
Needless to say, with every believer throughout the generations, we find ourselves in the same situation today.
Till Christ returns, the church will always be surrounded with people whose hearts are hardened towards God.
Indeed.
Some of the laws of Canada are concerning in terms of its rejection towards aspects of life that pertains to God’s original and perfect design and destiny for Mankind.
And yet, we recognize that Canada is far from being like Israel – a nation of people whom God has personally set apart from the rest of the world; as we may clearly understand from reading the Old Testament.
Israel knew God; they were governed by the laws of God according to the Torah - which is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
They knew what God expected of them; and yet their hearts were hardened - because of the prevailing influences of pagan nations that surrounded them. There were a people that - along with the rest of the world - worship idols. Though they knew the God of Israel, they were determined not to recognize God for who He is.
Israel’s heart was also hardened because of an internal condition; that compelled them to conform to the patterns of the world; to take the path of least resistance; to live as how their neighbors live - so as not to stand out and be oppressed for being different.
This internal condition is Man’s corrupt, sinful nature; the nature that makes the individual stand in defiance against the Sovereign Will of God.
Pride – the manifestation of this corrupt nature – is so wicked in His sight because it is the failure to recognize our place before the Almighty God; that He is the Creator, and that we, are His creatures whom He calls - His Children.
So, Israel’s heart was hardened because of an internal condition and an external influence.
Our concern for the Church today is that in the face of the prevailing, liberal and godless culture that has so deeply embedded itself into Canadian politics, society and culture, would our hearts, too, be hardened in spite of knowing the Sovereign Will of God and His desire for human flourishing through His design of sexuality, gender, marriage, family and community?
God has revealed to us how we must live.
And much like the Israel of old, the church is God’s present ambassador of Love, Grace and Mercy; in the words of Christ in Matthew 5:13-16, we must be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
Would our hearts be hardened to the laws of God because it is easier to conform to the patterns of the world?
We know God’s original design for Mankind; but will we waver under the pressure of the world around us, or will we be steadfast in our grip on the laws of God and resolutely remain in His Heart?
Are we compassionate to the world with a love that flows out from the deepest conviction to live in solely in His Truth? Or do we bend our knee to the gravity of darkness out of convenience.
There is nothing convenient about following Christ.
Our lives in Christ cannot even be considered a detour, because our journey will lead us to a completely different destination from the rest of the world.
The moment we uttered, “Jesus I believe in you”; we are getting ourselves into the challenge of our lives, the struggle of our lives and the fight of our lives.
Our Lord Jesus died on the Cross for the atonement of our sins before He sat at the right hand side of God.
Our Lord Jesus taught us, “No servant is greater than his master” (John 13:16), and in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
Be aware, vigilant and watchful of your surroundings.
Do not let your heart get hardened.
Do not be complacent; for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion; looking for any Christian who is unmindful and unaware to devour – his mission being to turn you against God; to harden your heart and rebel against God.
We may be in the world but we are “not of the world”. (John 17:16)
Canada may have been seemingly founded by Christians; but bear in mind, Christianity was the prevalent culture in 1867.
In the year 2022, it is no longer so.
The world has always been in darkness.
Nothing has changed.
Do not let the environment fool you into lowering your guard; even if it is based on a constitution that begins with –
“Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” (Constitution Act, 1982)
In this very constitution contains the guarantee of the fundamental freedoms namely:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.
However, when Bill C-4 – a legislation introduced to ban “conversion therapy” – was implemented as part of the law of the land in Canada on January 7th, 2022; it not only marked a seismic shift in Canadian law and society, it revealed an inherent and systemic bias against the very Christian foundation on which this country was seemingly founded upon.
Most certainly, as a people, we are vehemently against any forms of coercive and unscientific practices the Bill was meant to address; and we do affirm the morality of protecting the vulnerable amongst us.
However, Bill C-4’s definition of “conversion therapy” is so vague that the reach of the legislation could be misused to entrap parents, pastors and counsellors who teach a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality in the context of the Church.
This has to be deeply concerning to us.
We, as Canadian Christians, need to be aware – and alert - to this law, and be prepared for the ramifications of what this law might entail for the church.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is meant to guarantee our freedoms of religion, conscience, thought, belief, expression and association.
And yet, in another area that exposes our environment of hardened hearts is found in a bias that is clearly expressed in the preamble to Bill C-4 as passed.
“Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions;” (Statutes of Canada 2021, Chapter 24, Bill C-4)
Through every generation of Canadians before this one, it would have been considered basic and fundamental that gender equals biological sex – “the sex assigned to a person.”
To state – in a legislation, no less - that such beliefs once held universally, and still held extensively by many Canadians, as “myths” and “stereotypes” is to be blatantly inconsistent to the fundamental freedoms of religion, conscience, thought, belief, expression and association.
This is an intolerance against any Canadian who holds onto God’s original design for Mankind.
The spirit of the disobedient (ref: Ephesian 2:1-3) has once again been embedded into the law of this land; and we must “be alert and sober minded” – as the Apostle Peter teaches in 1 Peter 5:8, and not let the devil devour us for our lack of attention and awareness to what is really happening.
Even in the desecration of God’s Creation, we must be mindful not to take up an adversarial posture toward any groups of people - “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
We have learnt that every human being is created in the image of God; and we are called to love them as we would ourselves. (Ref: Mark 12:31)
As the Spirit of God enlivens and empowers us, we must extend the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all - including a genuine belief that the grace of God through Christ Jesus, our Saviour, provides both forgiveness and the power to change.
This is our Gospel as much as it is the world’s.
Let us pray that Bill C-4 is wisely implemented in a way that continues to honor the fundamental freedoms of all Canadians.
And let us – as God’s Children – continue to fearlessly preach His Gospel with love; and reveal His Goodness when we truly live upon “principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”
The greatest danger facing the Church in Canada and around the world - is not persecution or prosecution, but rather prostitution - that out of the need to survive the prevailing cultures of the world that hold sway over the church of Jesus Christ, we might compromise in our teaching of the Word of God or fall silent in our proclamation of His Gospel.
Church, never let our hearts be hardened - ever.
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32)
As a church, we must remain resolute in obeying God alone. (Ref: Acts 5:29)
With the Power of the Holy Spirit, we must continue to:
Be very careful that we do not get swallowed up by the prevailing cultures as represented by the roaring lion – the devil – whose sole mission is to swallow up Christians who lose their very identity in Christ.
Let us recognize that one day, there will be a heavy price to pay for faithfully preaching what the Bible has to say about human sexuality, gender, marriage, family and community.
When it comes – let us consider it our joy and privilege to stand with God, and suffer hatred on behalf of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Until that time, and as long as the Lord gives us breath and life, let us always use this breath and life to reach out in His love and through His Gospel message to our fellow Canadians.
As we press on in the work of His Kingdom ministry, we will trust our Heavenly Father to watch over us – as He has faithfully done so since the very beginning when His Church was established with the outpouring of His Holy Spirit - and work out His greater purposes for our good and for His glory.
In spite of the increasing, and relentless, defiance against God, and His Church, my greatest comfort is Christ Jesus, our Lord; and the revelation of His prayer for us.
In this prayer is found His divine resolution for what the Church must strive towards as we await His glorious return.
“Father… 14 I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.
18 As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
22 I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as We are one— 23 I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My Glory, the Glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me.
26 I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” (John 17:14-26)
From our Lord's prayer, these are seven key truths that must inform our collective response to the world.
1. God has given us His Word.
2. Because of that, the world hates us.
3. We have God’s protection from the evil one.
4. We do not belong in this world; but rather we belong to God and are destined for His eternal Kingdom.
5. At present, we are sent by God into this dark world.
6. We have been made holy through Christ.
7. And only if we truly remain in Christ and be one – brought to complete unity under Christ – would the world believe that our Lord Jesus was sent by God to save the world from the wages of sin unto eternal life.
There is much to be done; but with God, all things are possible!
By the Power of the Holy Spirit, may the Church be one, just as God is one; and through being found utterly in God, may the world know His Glory and Salvation found only through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen and amen!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You for your divine revelation of the purposes of Mankind; and even after we have sinned against You, we are eternally grateful for Your Love and Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord
As we face the darkness of this world, Holy Spirit, help us remember that our struggle is against the devil and his forces of darkness; and that in Christ, we have the victory!
As our Lord has prayed for us, we ask that Your Presence and Power would consecrate, sanctified and empower us to be true disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Help us to solely and truly remain in Christ and be one – brought to complete unity under our Lord Jesus; so that the world would know and understand that we are sent by You to preach, and live out, the Gospel Truth of Your Love and Coming Kingdom.
Grant us the resolve to do so in Your Holy Love.
In this, I echo this song of prayer by brother Robert Gay:
"Father, we ask of You this day, come and heal our land;
Knit our hearts together, that Your glory might be seen in us;
Then the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Let us be one voice that glorifies Your Name;
Let us be one voice declaring that You Reign
Let us be one voice in love and harmony
And we pray, O God, grant us unity!"
Yes Lord, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, may Your Church be one, just as You are One.
May we be found utterly in unity with You, O God, that the world may see Your Glory and receive Your Salvation found only through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:24-25)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
God was specific in His design for marriage and in His creation of human sexuality.
“A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
For the man and his wife, the task of conforming to the holiness of God is now no longer their parents’ but their own. They are now solely responsible for creating a new culture of holiness before God.
Established on their relationship utterly with God alone, every marriage and family according to God’s original design is to lead to the flourishing of Mankind as God’s stewards over all of Creation.
Adam and his wife had no sin, and lived up to God’s standard of holiness and glory.
As a matter of interest, the Chinese character for people(人) and fire (火) alludes to the glorious and fiery state of a sinless Mankind; similar to Moses – whose “face was radiant” after being in the Lord’s Holy Presence and coming “down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands” (Exodus 34:29-35)
Our Lord Jesus affirmed God’s perfect and original design for Mankind – “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female... ...for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Matthew 19:4-5) – and further sharpened our understanding of the sacredness of marriage by saying,
“So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:6)
The design of the marriage is ordained by the Lord God; and is foundational and fundamental for human thriving; the Lord Jesus resonates His Father with the divine command that no one is to desecrate God’s design and purpose for marriage with their own version of this sacred union.
Even when the Pharisees tried to justify divorce with Moses’ authority, our Lord Jesus silenced them by replying, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.
But it was not this way from the beginning.” (Matthew 19:8)
It was not this way from the beginning.
Now that we have re-familiarized ourselves with God’s original and perfect design for Mankind, we must think about how we must respond to the world around us in light of His Divine Revelation.
Throughout the ages, Mankind – in sin – has constantly viewed God and His holy laws with hardened hearts.
Needless to say, with every believer throughout the generations, we find ourselves in the same situation today.
Till Christ returns, the church will always be surrounded with people whose hearts are hardened towards God.
Indeed.
Some of the laws of Canada are concerning in terms of its rejection towards aspects of life that pertains to God’s original and perfect design and destiny for Mankind.
And yet, we recognize that Canada is far from being like Israel – a nation of people whom God has personally set apart from the rest of the world; as we may clearly understand from reading the Old Testament.
Israel knew God; they were governed by the laws of God according to the Torah - which is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
They knew what God expected of them; and yet their hearts were hardened - because of the prevailing influences of pagan nations that surrounded them. There were a people that - along with the rest of the world - worship idols. Though they knew the God of Israel, they were determined not to recognize God for who He is.
Israel’s heart was also hardened because of an internal condition; that compelled them to conform to the patterns of the world; to take the path of least resistance; to live as how their neighbors live - so as not to stand out and be oppressed for being different.
This internal condition is Man’s corrupt, sinful nature; the nature that makes the individual stand in defiance against the Sovereign Will of God.
Pride – the manifestation of this corrupt nature – is so wicked in His sight because it is the failure to recognize our place before the Almighty God; that He is the Creator, and that we, are His creatures whom He calls - His Children.
So, Israel’s heart was hardened because of an internal condition and an external influence.
Our concern for the Church today is that in the face of the prevailing, liberal and godless culture that has so deeply embedded itself into Canadian politics, society and culture, would our hearts, too, be hardened in spite of knowing the Sovereign Will of God and His desire for human flourishing through His design of sexuality, gender, marriage, family and community?
God has revealed to us how we must live.
And much like the Israel of old, the church is God’s present ambassador of Love, Grace and Mercy; in the words of Christ in Matthew 5:13-16, we must be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
Would our hearts be hardened to the laws of God because it is easier to conform to the patterns of the world?
We know God’s original design for Mankind; but will we waver under the pressure of the world around us, or will we be steadfast in our grip on the laws of God and resolutely remain in His Heart?
Are we compassionate to the world with a love that flows out from the deepest conviction to live in solely in His Truth? Or do we bend our knee to the gravity of darkness out of convenience.
There is nothing convenient about following Christ.
Our lives in Christ cannot even be considered a detour, because our journey will lead us to a completely different destination from the rest of the world.
The moment we uttered, “Jesus I believe in you”; we are getting ourselves into the challenge of our lives, the struggle of our lives and the fight of our lives.
Our Lord Jesus died on the Cross for the atonement of our sins before He sat at the right hand side of God.
Our Lord Jesus taught us, “No servant is greater than his master” (John 13:16), and in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
Be aware, vigilant and watchful of your surroundings.
Do not let your heart get hardened.
Do not be complacent; for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion; looking for any Christian who is unmindful and unaware to devour – his mission being to turn you against God; to harden your heart and rebel against God.
We may be in the world but we are “not of the world”. (John 17:16)
Canada may have been seemingly founded by Christians; but bear in mind, Christianity was the prevalent culture in 1867.
In the year 2022, it is no longer so.
The world has always been in darkness.
Nothing has changed.
Do not let the environment fool you into lowering your guard; even if it is based on a constitution that begins with –
“Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” (Constitution Act, 1982)
In this very constitution contains the guarantee of the fundamental freedoms namely:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.
However, when Bill C-4 – a legislation introduced to ban “conversion therapy” – was implemented as part of the law of the land in Canada on January 7th, 2022; it not only marked a seismic shift in Canadian law and society, it revealed an inherent and systemic bias against the very Christian foundation on which this country was seemingly founded upon.
Most certainly, as a people, we are vehemently against any forms of coercive and unscientific practices the Bill was meant to address; and we do affirm the morality of protecting the vulnerable amongst us.
However, Bill C-4’s definition of “conversion therapy” is so vague that the reach of the legislation could be misused to entrap parents, pastors and counsellors who teach a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality in the context of the Church.
This has to be deeply concerning to us.
We, as Canadian Christians, need to be aware – and alert - to this law, and be prepared for the ramifications of what this law might entail for the church.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is meant to guarantee our freedoms of religion, conscience, thought, belief, expression and association.
And yet, in another area that exposes our environment of hardened hearts is found in a bias that is clearly expressed in the preamble to Bill C-4 as passed.
“Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions;” (Statutes of Canada 2021, Chapter 24, Bill C-4)
Through every generation of Canadians before this one, it would have been considered basic and fundamental that gender equals biological sex – “the sex assigned to a person.”
To state – in a legislation, no less - that such beliefs once held universally, and still held extensively by many Canadians, as “myths” and “stereotypes” is to be blatantly inconsistent to the fundamental freedoms of religion, conscience, thought, belief, expression and association.
This is an intolerance against any Canadian who holds onto God’s original design for Mankind.
The spirit of the disobedient (ref: Ephesian 2:1-3) has once again been embedded into the law of this land; and we must “be alert and sober minded” – as the Apostle Peter teaches in 1 Peter 5:8, and not let the devil devour us for our lack of attention and awareness to what is really happening.
Even in the desecration of God’s Creation, we must be mindful not to take up an adversarial posture toward any groups of people - “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
We have learnt that every human being is created in the image of God; and we are called to love them as we would ourselves. (Ref: Mark 12:31)
As the Spirit of God enlivens and empowers us, we must extend the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all - including a genuine belief that the grace of God through Christ Jesus, our Saviour, provides both forgiveness and the power to change.
This is our Gospel as much as it is the world’s.
Let us pray that Bill C-4 is wisely implemented in a way that continues to honor the fundamental freedoms of all Canadians.
And let us – as God’s Children – continue to fearlessly preach His Gospel with love; and reveal His Goodness when we truly live upon “principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”
The greatest danger facing the Church in Canada and around the world - is not persecution or prosecution, but rather prostitution - that out of the need to survive the prevailing cultures of the world that hold sway over the church of Jesus Christ, we might compromise in our teaching of the Word of God or fall silent in our proclamation of His Gospel.
Church, never let our hearts be hardened - ever.
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32)
As a church, we must remain resolute in obeying God alone. (Ref: Acts 5:29)
With the Power of the Holy Spirit, we must continue to:
- Proclaim the whole counsel of God without favor or fear (Ref: Acts 20:27);
- Issue the divine call to repentance of all manners of sin - before God; and to believe in Christ Jesus, who is the one and only hope of salvation for the world (Ref: Acts 4:12);
- Fearlessly live out God’s eternal life-giving design for human beings - having been made in His image - male and female - unto divine rest, for divine work and to divine relationships – in which, all sexual intimacy is reserved solely for the covenantal “one flesh” union of a man and a woman (Ref: Genesis 1:27-28, 2:24);
- Pray for His Grace and Mercy to come upon this land; and
- Love and serve all people - in Jesus’ name.
Be very careful that we do not get swallowed up by the prevailing cultures as represented by the roaring lion – the devil – whose sole mission is to swallow up Christians who lose their very identity in Christ.
Let us recognize that one day, there will be a heavy price to pay for faithfully preaching what the Bible has to say about human sexuality, gender, marriage, family and community.
When it comes – let us consider it our joy and privilege to stand with God, and suffer hatred on behalf of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Until that time, and as long as the Lord gives us breath and life, let us always use this breath and life to reach out in His love and through His Gospel message to our fellow Canadians.
As we press on in the work of His Kingdom ministry, we will trust our Heavenly Father to watch over us – as He has faithfully done so since the very beginning when His Church was established with the outpouring of His Holy Spirit - and work out His greater purposes for our good and for His glory.
In spite of the increasing, and relentless, defiance against God, and His Church, my greatest comfort is Christ Jesus, our Lord; and the revelation of His prayer for us.
In this prayer is found His divine resolution for what the Church must strive towards as we await His glorious return.
“Father… 14 I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.
18 As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
22 I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as We are one— 23 I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My Glory, the Glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me.
26 I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” (John 17:14-26)
From our Lord's prayer, these are seven key truths that must inform our collective response to the world.
1. God has given us His Word.
2. Because of that, the world hates us.
3. We have God’s protection from the evil one.
4. We do not belong in this world; but rather we belong to God and are destined for His eternal Kingdom.
5. At present, we are sent by God into this dark world.
6. We have been made holy through Christ.
7. And only if we truly remain in Christ and be one – brought to complete unity under Christ – would the world believe that our Lord Jesus was sent by God to save the world from the wages of sin unto eternal life.
There is much to be done; but with God, all things are possible!
By the Power of the Holy Spirit, may the Church be one, just as God is one; and through being found utterly in God, may the world know His Glory and Salvation found only through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen and amen!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You for your divine revelation of the purposes of Mankind; and even after we have sinned against You, we are eternally grateful for Your Love and Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord
As we face the darkness of this world, Holy Spirit, help us remember that our struggle is against the devil and his forces of darkness; and that in Christ, we have the victory!
As our Lord has prayed for us, we ask that Your Presence and Power would consecrate, sanctified and empower us to be true disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Help us to solely and truly remain in Christ and be one – brought to complete unity under our Lord Jesus; so that the world would know and understand that we are sent by You to preach, and live out, the Gospel Truth of Your Love and Coming Kingdom.
Grant us the resolve to do so in Your Holy Love.
In this, I echo this song of prayer by brother Robert Gay:
"Father, we ask of You this day, come and heal our land;
Knit our hearts together, that Your glory might be seen in us;
Then the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Let us be one voice that glorifies Your Name;
Let us be one voice declaring that You Reign
Let us be one voice in love and harmony
And we pray, O God, grant us unity!"
Yes Lord, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, may Your Church be one, just as You are One.
May we be found utterly in unity with You, O God, that the world may see Your Glory and receive Your Salvation found only through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.