...CommentsThe Pastor's Vision
"Pulling Down Strong Holds and Building Up Relationships" (2 Co. 10:3-8)
January 02, 2000
The Patience
to See God's Beautiful Work
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hears of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
Eccl 3:11; 7:8-146 (NIV)
Tell me, what do you see? I see a people of God that has come of age. I can remember coming to Antioch in 1993. We were battered and worn to put it mildly. The challenge was to reattach us to the grace and love of God which is in Christ Jesus. We became the Church of Three Ships. We must remember that these are but words, we the people make these words live. Transition is a difficult thing to go through. No one like change, but change is necessary in order for maturity to come about. It is the year 2000 and it is the first Sunday of the new year. Emanuel is spiritually here with us, and we have come to participate in something that is joyfully unique, a new beginning.
Tell me, where are we going? We are going toward our Divinely appointed destiny. The new century makes us want to wax eloquent about matters of life. My greatest hope is that we would embrace this challenge of the new century. It must be remembered that holy living is what will change the world around us. Our destiny is to be pure. We are to be the living Christ for others to see. The end of a thing is better than the beginning -- yet we must run the race with patience in order for us to get to the end. Can you see the beauty of what God is doing? Today in the Lord's supper we can behold the beauty of God's work. Take your deepest secret and give it to God. He will hold it with hands so gentle yet so firm. It does not yet appear what we should be but we shall be like Jesus. Come and see Him today!