GROWTH...
GROWING in Christ and GROWING in number...GROWING the Kingdom is what we're about. Growth is characteristic of God. We see it in all His creation. God's will is to GROW and MULTIPLY...to Mankind, after creating Adam and Eve, He said "Be fruitful and multiply!" In the animal and plant kingdom, He designed them to MULTIPLY! In His Body, the church, He designed her to MULITPLY as well. In His directive in Matthew 28:19, Jesus told His disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO and MAKE DISCIPLES of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." GROW! MULTIPLY! He commanded His Body, the church, to eat His flesh and drink His blood. (John 6:53-58) "Whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life...if you don't you have NO life in you." His body, the bread and the wine, this physical symbol transformed by the Holy Spirit, penetrating our body, spiritually uniting us with Jesus, is His way of reproducing spiritual children through us! This act is known in our church as Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion. We then take His body, physically & spiritually, inside ours, into the world, drawing others to Jesus by His Life that is within us... making disciples and GROWING the church.
What an exciting opportunity, each one of us has, to GROW the church, increasing the Family of God!
Colossians 3:15-17 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
John 13:34-35 Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By THIS all men will know that YOU are MY disciples, IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
