Jireh’s Blog #1 | 21 July 2015

Sitting in between two couples, in a café at Strathfield, I was reminded of an extraordinary truth about the Church I am part of.

On the one side sat a couple, both looking at their phones and sipping their coffee.

On the other side sat a couple, both looking at their Bibles together and sharing notes on the passage.

Both couples were strangers to me.

And yet I know I am in deep relationship with one of them.

They were gathered around the Word of God and it was my joy to witness their gathering. I was built up by their faith in God’s Word. I was thankful to God for the encouragement.

Although I don’t know them, I know that we are gathered by our God. It is by the blood of Jesus that all three of us were saved. Gathered together we now look forward to the return of our King and preach Christ crucified to the world.

Although I don’t know them, God knows all three of us.

I am not sure whether I should say something to them. Maybe I should let them know that I am encouraged by them and share a prayer. Maybe I should shake their hand and ask them their names? Or maybe I should just go? I don’t know haha! Maybe it would be too awkward…

I remember the passage we went through at Church. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to see Church as more glorious than any one earthly meeting of mortals.

As those saved by the blood of Jesus:

‘…You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.’ [Hebrews 12:22-24]

God has gathered His people around His King into His Kingdom.

And although I may not see that couple ever again in this life, I know that in the next, we will all be gathered in the throne room of God, stand together side by side praising God for all eternity, because the Church that I am part of, is God’s Church that we are all part of.

Thanks be to God that His Church is more glorious than what we see each Sunday.