By MYRA D. COLGATE
“Yet the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says, “’Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build for me? Says the Lord, or what is my resting place?’
“’Did my hand not make all these things?’
Acts 7:48-50 (GSB-NET)
(These verses were given to me last Sunday for this week’s column. Little did I know then what significance these words, spoken by God, and recorded for us by Luke as they were spoken of by Stephen in the book of Acts, would also have for many by that very next evening… Who could have foreseen what was going to happen to one of the oldest, most beautiful, man-made buildings in the world—left standing intact for well over 800 years—even after surviving two World Wars? The fire which at least partially destroyed the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Monday evening, {referred to fondly as ‘The Forest’ since the roof was said to have been built with 57,000 planks from trees} renders it as an unfortunate and tragic loss for the entire world at this time.)
(Perhaps, though the Lord is asking us to look at this in a slightly different light–from His perspective. The Church per se, is not only contained in any one particular building—but for Him and for us, the Church is the entire Body of Christ—the Body of believers in Christ Jesus as Lord and as the Head of His Church. Granted, from the historical perspective, this destructive fire was tragic. However, we must also thank Him that not even one life was lost in that huge fire. It also has been reported that because of the timing of that fire that the three black church buildings that were destroyed by arson in Alabama last week, have also now received over a million dollars pledged to help the members of those churches rebuild from many members of the Body of Christ all around the world—in unity.)
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, ‘Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?’ But now are they many members, yet but one body.
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, ‘I have no need of thee:’ ‘nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’…But God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
“That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care of one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
“Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (KJV)
(Read 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14. (KJV)
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:12-16 (KJV)
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord,
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.”
Ephesians 5:19-21 (KJV)
We each are to be one of the “living stones” used in building up the Body of Christ—not by differing denominations, only by each one’s faith in Christ Jesus as Lord in Love and in unity.
