Now I, also, am saying to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will be building My ecclesia, and the gates of the unseen shall not be prevailing against it
Matthews Account 16: 18, Concordant New Testament
What began as my own attempt to expand my horizons has now blossomed into a community totaling close to fifty members. Indeed, when I approached my friend Casey that afternoon I was thinking more along the lines of having another gym patron to talk to as I did my exercise thing. Obviously, God had something else in mind for me. Slowly, as being led by His spirit within me, I began to open myself up more and more to those around me. This has been the Fathers intent from the beginning. I was thinking of this last night and marveled at just how similar my own experience has been to that which the Lord had originally planned for His own community in the garden of Eden. For what began with the first creation created in the likeness of the Father had been intended to come to fruition as the community of God in the midst of all which He had created. Unfortunately, Gods first creation knew not of His intentions for them and ended up believing the words of the accuser over that of their creator. What was meant by God to be the beginnings of His ecclesia, His community, on earth ended when Eve took of the fruit which the Father had forbidden her not to partake of. Along the way, the Lords creation fell victim to the lie spoken by the deceiver. This is the lie that if the Lords creation were to take of that fruit, that they would not surely die and the Father had warned them. For, as the accuser proclaimed, when they took of the fruit their own eyes would be opened and they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:4-5}. This was the continuation of the original sin spoken by the fallen angel Lucifer who also proclaimed that he would "Exalt my throne above the stars of God" {Isaiah 14:13}. So it is that the deceiver not only believed in the lie of his own independence from God, but he in turn spoke the lie unto Gods creation and convinced them of it as well. It is the same lie which continues to be spoken by the mainstream church to this day, that our sin separates us from God.
Now you are the body of Christ, and members of a part
Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27, Concordant New Testament
Despite the fact that Gods creation turned to the lie of the accuser and forsook His intentions for His earthly community, the Father did not give up on His own desire for His ecclesia here on earth. This was made known through the proclamation by the prophets of the birth of the coming Mesiah. When the angel of the Lord announced to Joseph the coming birth of His son, he proclaims "You shall call his name Emmanuel" (which means, God with us) {Matthews Account 1:23}. God with us. So it is that, through the coming of the promised Mesiah of Israel, that God would once again populate His ecclesia upon the earth. God the Father, in the human person of Christ Jesus, had once again come to be among His creation He cherished. As Jesus walked the earth speaking the truth of a radical new teaching, it was God speaking through Him. Once again, the desire of the Father was being manifested through His Son Jesus. That desire is the Fathers own desire for His community, His ecclesia, amongst His creation. God has desired to be among that which He created. We are all a part of His family, each and every one of us {Paul to the Corinthians (1) 12:27}. The lie spoken by the accuser is just that, a lie. The church may speak to our sin being that barrier between ourselves and God, but through Christ Jesus God has dealt with sin once and for all {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. I see many similarities in the way my gym community has grown and that of the Fathers ecclesia here on earth. He is the focal point of both.
~Scott~
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