Yeah. Well, I am going to show you. Let us have a word of prayer.
Lord, we thank You because You are willing to speak to us. You want to open up Your thoughts to those who seek after You. Today, as we gather before You, may we encounter You.
We thank You. May Your Spirit fill the entire meeting, and may those who speak and those who wait on You be blessed together.
You want to lead us into Your glorious purpose and help us to see how satisfied Your heart is when Your purpose is fulfilled. We bow down and worship You.
Prepare our minds, on the one hand, that we may receive Your grace and blessing; on the other hand, prepare us for the walk that we have ahead of us. We give You all the blessing and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Please turn to the book of Ephesians, chapter 1. Once again, we will read the verses that we read yesterday, beginning with verse 19.
What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,
which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead,
and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.And He put all things in subjection under His feet,
and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.—Ephesians 1:19-23
Now turn to Ephesians, chapter 4, beginning with verse 1.
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in all.—Ephesians 4:1-6
Turn also to Colossians, chapter 2, beginning with verse 9.
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in Him ye are made full,
Who is the head of all principality and power.—Colossians 2:9-10
Finally, turn to Revelation, chapter 21, beginning with verse 1.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God:
and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.And He that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
—Revelation 21:1-5
Then again, verse 22.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof.
And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb.And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.
And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day, for there shall be no night there:
and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.—Revelation 21:22-26
We thank the Lord. Continuing from where we left off yesterday, we want to fellowship concerning what we have just read. Brothers and sisters, we should know what the glorious ending will be like.
This glorious ending is based upon the glory and honor that Christ has received. The glory and honor that Christ receives, the Lord will work in us, and it will be revealed in us.
In salvation we are redeemed. We are not only brought back, but God has said that He will glorify us. What is this glory? The glory of Christ will become our glory. This is a grand thing; it surpasses our understanding.
God is going to reveal the power of resurrection that is upon Christ also in those of us who believe. The glory that Christ received, God will also work in those of us who believe.
When the fulness of Christ becomes the fulness of the church, this is what we see in Ephesians 1:23: “Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.”
Yesterday we specifically said that Christ was made Head over all things. This reality—that Christ is Head over all things—will be brought into all things through the church.
How will the church be at that time? The Word says, “The church is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” From this wording, we can see this glorious fact: God is bringing all things into the reality of life.
The church is not only glorified with the Lord. The church has a more glorious outcome: it will contain the fulness of Him who filleth all in all. Who is He who filleth all in all? God Himself.
When the church is obtained by God, all the fulness of God becomes the fulness of Christ in the church. The fulness of the church brings satisfaction to God.
When God looks upon all creation, He is able to see something that never existed before: God filling all in all. The desire of God, which has been present for such a long time, is brought to its beautiful ending.
As soon as we mention this, we must return to the original purpose of God in creating man. Our brother was very clear on the first morning concerning the purpose of man’s creation.
Man exists in order to reveal the glory of God. Man was also made to reveal the authority of God.
There is another important fact: God intended to destroy the power of Satan, who has disturbed everything in the universe.
When these things happen, God’s heart is satisfied. There is no separation between God and man.
When the church becomes the body of Christ, the fulness of Him, God has found a dwelling place that is pleasing to Him. God wants to dwell in this dwelling place, and God wants to fill this body.
After we receive God’s salvation, we need to continue to move forward, because salvation is not just for our benefit.
Salvation itself reveals the authority, power, and abundance of God. God promises us that we shall all receive rest, and God is the source of that rest.
Through the resurrection of Christ, God was able to deal with the adversary, Satan. We thank the Lord.
When the church becomes the body of Christ, it manifests not merely individuals who belong to the Lord, but individuals together who belong to the Lord.
The church is to become one whole body to contain the fulness of Christ. Why would God do this? We need to look into this carefully.
God said there is only one church. Regardless of how many people there are, there is one body. God did not say that there is a body in the east, another in the west, another in the south, and another in the north. He said, “One body.”
God wants to obtain this glorious one body. The outcome that satisfies God’s heart will be brought forth through this one body.
If the church is going to bring forth something that fully satisfies the heart of God, then we must pay attention to one thing: God had this thought before the foundation of the world.
After man was created, God was able to reveal this purpose in man. But sadly, man was not able to follow. Through salvation, God will bring man back to his original purpose.
In the mind of God, He wants to renew all things of the old creation. In order for His purpose to be brought to completion, God has paid such a great price. He even gave His only begotten Son.
God does not merely create an outward form that satisfies Him. He wants to bring all creation—especially man—into complete unity with God. When this complete unity comes forth, it satisfies God and gives Him rest.
This is why building the church is something that those of us who follow the Lord cannot ignore. We are set free from death and from the bondage of death. Is that not already great? Yet God’s purpose goes further.
God rejoices in every individual who is saved. But according to the thought of God, all of us individually need to be united together.
From before the foundation of the world to the fulfilment of this reality, how much time has God spent? How much longsuffering has He endured? How full has His patience been, that He is able to unite all these people into one body?
God wants to obtain this reality in His Son, to reveal exactly what His purpose is and what the outcome of that purpose will be.
In Colossians we see that God has put all the fulness in His Son. When He brings all those who are saved into Christ, the glory of God is revealed.
When God and man are fully united, God’s heart is satisfied. Otherwise, God throughout history is working and working and working. As long as this purpose is not fulfilled, God cannot stop working.
Though this is a difficult process, our God has not changed or given up His original purpose.
What God is doing is not according to anything else, but according to the purpose that He made before the foundation of the world. God had this thought from the beginning.
Among fallen men, God did not find anyone through whom He was able to fulfil this arrangement. Even though man could not follow this thought, God did not change His purpose.
Throughout history, God searched for a man who was able to continue with His purpose. God is searching for a resting place—a reality in which He is completely satisfied.
In all the days past, God was not able to find anyone who could satisfy His heart. But when God brought Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, into a Gentile land and then back again, God began openly to reveal His thought to man.
Because of Jacob’s condition at that time, God was not able to clearly tell him all that was in His heart concerning the finding of a resting place.
Why did God choose Jacob to speak to him? The character and actions of Jacob, we can say, almost none of them matched the heart of God. Yet God was not asking Jacob to understand this immediately.
God was telling Jacob that, in His heart, He had a purpose: He wanted to find a resting place.
When Jacob returned from Padan-aram to Canaan, God appeared to him. We will not go into the details, but the manner in which He appeared to Jacob brought out the original purpose of God.
After this, Jacob understood that God was there. Of course, it was the place where Jacob once was; yet when we speak of “here,” in God’s heart it concerns the whole earth.
Jacob understood something, but he was not clear about everything. He could not know why God was doing this. Nevertheless, God allowed him to know that He had this desire: God wants to find a dwelling place.
God’s thought was first revealed to Jacob, but no one was able to understand exactly what God wanted.
After the Israelites left Egypt and entered Canaan, God allowed them to know that He accompanied them. God revealed, “I will dwell among you. I will accompany you on this journey.”
The Israelites did not truly understand what they heard. Yet, according to what God commanded them, they did one thing.
The relationship between God and man at that time was very particular. If man could not correctly live before God, he would fall under judgment, because God is holy and righteous.
God said, “I will dwell among you.” But if God dwells among us, how can we be delivered from His judgment?
God knew that the heart of man did not understand Him. Therefore, God told Moses, when he came down from the mountain, to lead the Israelites in doing one thing.
According to My commandment, you shall build a tabernacle. It shall be built among you.
Through the tabernacle, God was telling them that He wanted to dwell among them. God specifically told them how they should live around the tabernacle after it was built.
The tabernacle was a very significant provision concerning Israel’s entrance into Canaan. It gave the Israelites assurance that God would lead them into Canaan.
Though the foolishness of man did not cease, God had a way to remove sin from man. When we look at the tabernacle itself, the heart of the Lord is revealed through it.
The tabernacle told the Israelites that they could be assured of entering Canaan. But why could the Israelites find rest when the tabernacle was among them? It was not because they had suddenly understood all the ways of God.
God wanted the Israelites to know that the tabernacle was among them because there was something they needed to do within it.
In the tabernacle there had to be an altar, and upon the altar there had to be sacrifice. Once this was done, God was able to lead and govern them.
There were several objects in the tabernacle that told the Israelites how God would lead them into Canaan. One was the ark.
When the Israelites thought of the Ark of the Covenant, it meant that God had made a covenant with them. We must walk according to the covenant that we have with God.
When man walks this way and encounters difficulties, the foolishness of man cannot understand God. Therefore, God established the lampstand.
Through the light of the lampstand, on the one hand God showed the foolishness of the Israelites; on the other hand, He shone upon the path on which they were walking.
The lampstand not only told them how to walk. God also told them, “I have prepared for you the grace of salvation.”
This was manifested in the table established in the tabernacle. Upon this table they could see that God was their support and sustenance. We thank our God.
If we consider the contents of the tabernacle in detail, we see that Israel’s departure from Egypt, passage through the wilderness, and entrance into Canaan were not accomplished by Israel’s own ability. God accompanied them and helped them reach their destination.
Through these very concrete objects, God showed the Israelites what the relationship between God and man should be, and where God was leading His people.
Through very difficult conditions, the Israelites entered into Canaan. They established their kingdom, and the nation grew. But was God satisfied? Not yet.
Outwardly, they had come under the care of God, but they did not understand the relationship they had with God. Therefore, God moved in David to prepare a better place for God to dwell among men.
After the tabernacle was moved from the wilderness to Canaan, it became the holy temple.
There are many things for us to understand concerning the temple. God used the temple to replace the tabernacle.
In the tabernacle, man was able to receive support from God. But when the temple was built, God wanted to tell the Israelites more concerning how to live with God. That was the reason for building the temple.
The main contents of the temple were not different from those of the tabernacle. Yet through the way man could live in relation to the temple, God manifested a more glorious relationship between man and God.
In the hearts of the Israelites there was a misunderstanding. They thought that because the holy temple was among them, God would simply govern and bless them. But their foolishness did not understand what God was doing.
The covenant that God made with the Israelites was brought into the new covenant. The new covenant enables man to move from an outward form into an inner reality.
The new covenant is the result of the Son of God. When God sees the church appear on earth, He begins to rejoice, because He has found a dwelling place among men.
When God is able to find a dwelling place among men, it is a great thing. The relationship between God and man, and the fellowship between them, is now revealed.
What caused this great change? God paid the price for man, so that man’s weakness and sins might be dealt with.
The relationship between God and man has greatly changed since the tabernacle period. In the Old Testament, the tabernacle gave Israel the understanding that God was accompanying them, but that understanding was expressed through many rituals and activities.
In the New Testament, because of what the Son of God has done, we can have unity in life. This unity in life enables us to enjoy all the heavenly blessings.
When we look at the history of how the tabernacle progressed into the new covenant, we may say that God has found some satisfaction. Yet He has not reached His purpose completely.
God says in the New Testament that the church is His dwelling place. Through the church, God can directly fellowship with man.
With strength, earnest calling, and sustenance, God is able to help His people reach the end. We thank the Lord.
Man may be satisfied when his relationship with God progresses to this point. God also has joy. Yet this has not reached His ultimate purpose.
God has found a way for those of us who rest in God to become a resting place for God. When we see the progress from the tabernacle onward, we see how much we have been blessed; yet God continues onward until His heart is fully satisfied.
When we look at this history—from the tabernacle, to the temple, to the church—we see that step by step God brought man from far away into a nearer position.
God is leading the church onward into deeper fellowship with Himself. He will bring the church into full unity with God. At that time, the work of God is almost at its end.
We become a vessel pleasing to Him. Through this vessel, God has found the basis for fulfilling His purpose.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see God making covenant with man and bringing man from afar to near, and from nearness into an even deeper reality in which we are united with God.
Especially when the church is established, the relationship between God and man turns from indirect to direct.
Through the successful building of the church, God will once again reveal what He promised to the Israelites in the Old Testament.
This helps us to understand the second coming of our Lord. He not only takes the church to meet Him, but on earth God is doing another work.
God is building a kingdom on this earth, and through this kingdom He will bring all men and all creation back to God.
From the beginning of the building of the church to its full establishment, God is doing something: He is revealing the hidden kingdom and opening the way to the full fulfilment of His purpose.
Brothers and sisters, we desire the Lord’s return not merely so that we may be caught up and enjoy all the heavenly blessings. The church has a very important function.
When the church is fully built, what God has promised to Israel has the condition to be revealed. But the kingdom itself is still not the final endpoint of God’s purpose.
When the kingdom is fulfilled according to God’s arrangement, God will show us His final purpose: the new heaven and new earth will come and replace all the old creation.
From the building of the tabernacle to the new heaven and new earth, how much time has God spent? We do not know how to count it, but we know it has been very long.
God has spent a great deal of time, step by step, in order to fulfil His purpose. From the tabernacle to the new heaven and new earth is a spiritual journey that shows us how great the blessing of God is toward us.
Let us return to the focal point: How can the church be built? It is built through the reality of Christ as the Head of the church, and through separate individuals being brought into a corporate reality.
We all know that this progress has a close connection with the building of the church. Simply speaking, if the church is not built, then God’s purpose concerning His kingdom has no place to be executed.
If the church is not built, even the new heaven and new earth have no condition to be revealed. Therefore, we see the function of the church and its very important ministry.
When the church grows to the point that it has a direct relationship with the eternal purpose of God, then we see what God is doing.
God has paid a countless price in order to bring us to please Him. He even gave His only begotten Son so that those who were once cut off from God might become useful vessels in His hand.
This vessel becomes a very critical part in the fulfilment of His eternal purpose. In simple terms, if the church is not built, the kingdom has no condition to be revealed. If the kingdom cannot come forth, the new heaven and new earth have no condition to come forth.
The church is not merely the consequence of our salvation. More importantly, it brings the purpose of God into full fulfilment.
God is bringing churches from all over the earth into the reality of one body. We thank the Lord.
Many cannot understand why, from our salvation, we must go on into the purpose of God. Yet God esteems the church so highly because, in His purpose, He has ordained this.
In the process of the church’s maturity, God fills the church with the fulness of Christ. When the church is fully grown in the grace of God, it brings forth the most important part of God’s salvation plan.
How can the church become this full reality? The Lord must help us to see.
Churches may be scattered all over the earth, and we have differences. Even though we receive grace, we are still under many earthly restrictions.
It may appear as though the church is scattered in many places, but in the thoughts of God, He is not restricted by location.
Regardless of how many churches there are, God will bring them into this oneness. In His eternal purpose, He has ordained this important reality.
Though we are scattered all over the place, God looks at His church as one. We are the testimony of God.
We may be in different locations, but no matter how the churches are separated, in the eyes of God they are still one. God’s Word is clear: one body.
Only this one body can reveal Christ as the Head of the body.
Like our conference this time, brothers and sisters have come from all over the world. Many of us have never met one another before.
Yet when God calls us to gather together and wait on Him, we feel that among brothers and sisters there is no separation. Under His grace, we fellowship with joy.
Because of restrictions of location, we cannot gather in this way all the time. But God shows us that location cannot hinder the work of God.
The church becomes local churches because we are restricted by location. It appears as though there are many different churches, but in reality we are scattered only in outward circumstances.
Once we touch the matter of the church, we realize that location cannot hinder the work of God.
The fully built church is not merely a matter of churches in different places bearing witness for God. More importantly, it concerns God making His Son the center of our salvation.
What Christ has done is to bring many of us back to God’s family. But more importantly, God works until the end in order to bring forth a reality in which all things are summed up in Christ as one.
This was God’s original thought. All creation was to be under the authority of God, but man’s fallen nature disrupted God’s plan.
How can God restore this? In man’s thought, because man is so disruptive, he could never bring forth such a perfect outcome. But we thank the Lord.
In Ephesians, on the one hand, we see that Christ is the Head of the church. Because of what Christ has done, we must live in this way before God.
The Head of the church is not only the Head of the church; He is Lord of all. Under this purpose of God, the church has this function: all rebellious creation will return under His authority.
God called us those who first hoped in Christ. Why do we pay so much attention to the growth of the church? Not because the church is the focal point of God’s purpose in itself, but because at this moment the church is the focal point of God’s work.
Through the building of the church, God will bring the whole universe into release.
Return to Revelation, chapters 4 and 5, and consider this fact. These chapters may seem like a record of historical events, but that is not all that they are.
Through the building of the church, God will bring the entire universe back to God.
In Revelation 4, we see that in heaven God has no difficulty being worshipped. The heavens worship God continually.
Yet if we pay attention, we discover that the heavenly worship, though it manifests the exaltation of God, lacks something: it has no response from the earth.
Only heavenly beings worship God in heaven. The worship continues from eternity past into eternity future, and it does not end; yet it has no echo.
When John saw this, he had difficulty. Then God sent an angel to speak to him: “John, do not cry.”
Though no ordinary man can fulfil the eternal purpose of God, God is using His own Son as the Lamb of God. Through the Lamb who was slain, God’s eternal purpose will be fulfilled.
When God revealed this secret to John, John saw something change. When heavenly worship began again, it was not only the living creatures in heaven who worshipped.
That worship expanded to all the earth. This is very important, brothers and sisters.
When is God’s purpose satisfied? When the church is fully built, God’s heart is near to being satisfied, because the church will lead all creation into worship and the exaltation of God.
Let us read a few verses from Revelation 5.
And He came, and He taketh it out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne.
And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,
having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof:
for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with Thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.—Revelation 5:7-10
If you continue reading, you see a change.
And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders;
and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying,
Unto Him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.
—Revelation 5:11-14
Brothers and sisters, do you see this? In Revelation 4, you see only what happens in heaven. The rest of creation has no response to God.
But thank the Lord: when the Lamb appears, He brings an end to all disobedience to God. The Lamb brings a higher and broader worship to God.
Thousands upon thousands of angels worship God, and then every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that are in them join in.
All creation says, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth on the throne for ever and ever.”
This worship is no longer only in heaven; it is now in all creation. The angels have a part. All living things have a part. Whether in the universe, on high, or in the sea, they echo this worship.
Think of this picture. When God sees all this happen, His heart will be satisfied.
Not only has man fulfilled the purpose of creation, but all creation has been brought into the purpose of God through what the Lamb has done.
All creation is set free from bondage. It is drawn to God, and without reservation it worships God.
Why do we not yet see this fully on earth? We must wait until the church is fully grown.
When the church, as the bride of Christ, is completely revealed, pay attention to the timing: at that point the new heaven and new earth appear, and all creation in the universe is changed.
The exaltation and praise of God become complete. This is why we pay attention to the building of the church. When it is fully grown, all these things will be brought forth.
Go to Revelation 21. I will read again from verse 22.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof.
And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb.And the nations shall walk amidst the light thereof: and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it.
And the gates thereof shall in no wise be shut by day, for there shall be no night there:
and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.—Revelation 21:22-26
How do you feel after reading this? We see that worship in heaven and on earth falls before the throne of God. But that is not where we stop.
If we look ahead, there is something more important. When God fully establishes the church and brings the church forth as the bride of Christ, it brings forth this result: all creation on earth worships God.
We have seen a great change. Heaven and earth are no longer separated. God and man are no longer separated. All things that have been created are now made perfect.
But this is not yet the most important thing. What is the most important thing? The last verse that we read: there is no temple.
Without a temple, how does man fellowship with God? Though there is no temple, a new reality has come forth: the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
When we come to this, we know that salvation is no longer indirect but direct.
The kings of the nations give glory to God, and the people of the nations give glory to God. Please pay attention to this important fact.
Whether kings or peoples, when they give glory to God, this reveals the scope of creation. It is too grand a thing, too glorious.
There is another thing that amazes us. The kings of the nations and the people of the nations worship—but who receives this worship?
In our thoughts, of course, we say that glory and honor belong to God. Yet in this vision, the one who receives the glory is New Jerusalem.
How can this be? At the very end, when the new heaven and new earth appear, all things are renewed and every hindrance to God has been removed.
Those who are saved become New Jerusalem. They become the representatives of God to receive worship.
This New Jerusalem—or, we may say, the glorified church—will completely represent God.
Return to Genesis and consider the purpose of God. Do you see that what God ordained is now fulfilled? Who is New Jerusalem? It is the bride who has been prepared, the church in glory.
The reality revealed there echoes what God said in creation: “Let Us make man in Our image,” and let those made in God’s image have authority.
Genesis 1 and the revelation of future things in Revelation show us that God’s purpose is indeed fully fulfilled.
Remember how much time God has spent, how much longsuffering, how much mercy, and how much countless grace He has shown toward rebellious man in order to bring man back to God.
In Ephesians 1, God ordained that all the power manifested in Christ would be manifested through us. Brothers and sisters, do you see this?
When we come to that day, will not Genesis 1 be very clear? God’s purpose will be completely fulfilled.
In Revelation 21, God says, “Behold, I make all things new.” The result is that the tabernacle of God is among men, and He dwells with men.
When we understand all this, we must see that the maturity of the church is the most important spiritual work.
What we are pressing on to pursue is for God to bring His church into fulness. This will lead to all the glorious things at the end.
When you know this whole spiritual history, both the past and the future, you have to bow down.
You must be willing to pay any price in order that God can fulfil His eternal purpose.
Therefore, we say that we live for Christ. Why do we live for Christ? We honor Christ and what He has done.
Without the Lamb, God’s purpose has no way forward. Without the Lamb, the church cannot be built and cannot grow.
The Lord paid a great price. Throughout the generations, because of what the Lamb has done, God’s people overcome, and this leads to the fulfilment of God’s purpose.
Other than worshipping Him, what choice do we have? We have no other choice. It is Christ alone. It is God’s Son alone.
It is the Father who sent His Son to fulfil all things. What the Lord has done brings a great change in us.
Though we are drawn near to the Lord, we are drawn nearer still, until we can say, “It is no longer I, but Christ.”
All worship and praise be unto our Father. We thank the Lord.
May the Lord be gracious to us in the way that remains before us, until He sees us face to face. We thank the Lord. Let us pray together.
Lord, through the moving of the Holy Spirit, open the stubbornness in our hearts. Illuminate our spiritual sight.
May we know that, other than giving You glory, there is nothing else that we need to do while we are on earth.
Lord, with Your gracious hand, lead us on the path that remains for us. We look to You, Lord.
For all that You have done in the past, we give You thanks. For the present and the future, we look to You to bring us into Your glory.
May Your glory be manifested to all the universe through us. God, we thank You and praise You.
We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.