{"id":81,"date":"2004-01-01T21:23:23","date_gmt":"2004-01-02T03:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=81"},"modified":"2012-04-23T21:29:00","modified_gmt":"2012-04-24T02:29:00","slug":"what-will-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=81","title":{"rendered":"What Will Be"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c\u2026the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,\u2026\u2026which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.\u201d Ephesians 1:18, 23<\/em><\/p>\n

Some while ago I was talking with a friend, a brother whom I respect, and he observed what he thought the future held for his denomination: His prediction wasn\u2019t bright. He believed the organization would eventually loose itself from the fundamental principles to which it has been moored and set sail into uncharted, even ungodly waters.<\/p>\n

The suspense novelist Dan Brown of Da Vinci Code<\/em> fame, in his earlier book Angels and Demons<\/em>, wrote a cast of characters who threw into doubt the future of the Church, albeit the Catholic Church. In many people\u2019s point of view, including apparently Mr. Brown\u2019s, the Catholic Church is synonymous with the Body of Christ.<\/p>\n

Many Episcopal Christians find themselves thrown into turmoil over recent decisions by their leaders, choices that move them further than ever from the principles they hold true and dear.<\/p>\n

How many Pentecostals have lost their way because they thought more highly than they should of leaders who proved they were mere men?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know the future of the Catholic Church or the Southern Baptist Convention or the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, or Pentecostal denominations. Their fates will be decided by men. But I am starting, just beginning, to understand the hope of His calling. Of Jesus\u2019 calling in the earth. They calling that began in the countryside of Israel so long ago, where He modeled Spirit-led ministry. It continues through His saints today, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.<\/p>\n

The success of the Lord\u2019s Church doesn\u2019t depend on men and women. It was decided at Calvary when He declared, \u201cIt is finished.\u201d We are now His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared a long time ago. This great company, this company of believers, will fulfill God\u2019s purpose that was manifest in Jesus: To destroy the works of the devil. We declare it to our generations. We declare it to the ages to come. That kingdom, that small rock which destroyed the kingdoms of men (Daniel 2:31-35), will expand and grow until the earth is full of its glory. And that, my friends, is contingent on none of us. Not one.<\/p>\n

Yet we are invited to be a part, to share in His calling. If we are born of His Spirit we are a part.<\/p>\n

Bill Gaither wrote a song, The Church Triumphant. That\u2019s what I believe in. \u201cGod has always had a people\u201d. The Church is alive and triumphant because Jesus is alive and triumphant, and always will be. We are not called with our own callings, but with His. To rule and to reign with Him. For Him.<\/p>\n

To quote the song, \u201cLet the Church be the Church! Let the people rejoice!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a new year. It\u2019s a new day. Greet both with joy because Jesus is alive and IT IS FINISHED!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c\u2026the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,\u2026\u2026which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Mo02-1j","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":958,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=958","url_meta":{"origin":81,"position":0},"title":"Own It","author":"lsimonds","date":"December 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cFor the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.\u201d 1 Corinthians 1:18 I used to think it sounded \u201cbetter\u201d when someone said they were an agnostic instead of an atheist. Agnosticism seemed less\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2017"","block_context":{"text":"2017","link":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1496,"url":"https:\/\/melissakaysimonds.com\/?p=1496","url_meta":{"origin":81,"position":1},"title":"Indiscriminate God","author":"lsimonds","date":"October 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAgain, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 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