Good morning,
We often marvel some of the man-made wonders of the world, such as the Taj Mahal of India and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
I have been reading some of historical facts and figures regarding the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was built for the 1889 World Fair which also coincided with the centenary of the French Revolution. Erection of the Eiffel Tower began on January 26, 1887. It was completed on March 31, 1889. The erection of the Eiffel Tower took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days from start to finish. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was the main architect, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier were the main engineers, Stephen Sauvestre was the main architect, and Jean Compagnon handled the construction of the Eiffel Tower. It was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel who created the internal frame of the Statue of Liberty in the year 1885. The Eiffel Tower was to be dismantled and the metal sold as scrap 20 years after it was constructed, but this never happened.
From the moment it’s architect first conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is one of the architectural wonders of the world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris.
In the same way we are struck by Jesus’ loyalty to another structure—the church, His bride, which He entrusted to an unlikely band of disciples, whom He defended, prayed for, and prepared for the job of spreading the gospel. To outsiders they (and we) must seem like incapable blunderers. Yet, Jesus, the architect of the church, knows this structure is destined for greatness. The Church is under the same management for over two thousand years. Jesus said, “…I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
William Barclay gives us an excellent insight into the nature of the true church, writing, “Suppose a great doctor discovers a cure for cancer. Once that cure is found, it is there. But before it can become available for everyone, it must be taken out to the world. Doctors and surgeons must know about it and be trained to use it. The cure is there, but one person cannot take it out to all the world; a corps of doctors must be the agents whereby it arrives at all the world’s sufferers. That precisely is what the church is to Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that all people and all nations can be reconciled to God. But before that can happen, they must know about Jesus Christ, and it is the task of the church to bring that about. Christ is the head; the church is the body. The head must have a body through which it can work. The church is quite literally hands to do Christ’s work, feet to run upon His errands, and a voice to speak His words.”
That’s what our mission is.
Shouldn’t we give our best, our all? Shouldn’t we finish with half-hearted commitment? Shouldn’t we fall on our faces before Him in full surrender? May the Holy Spirit provoke us to love the Lord and His church and remain loyal to Him and finish race well, that is set before us .
In Christ, the Lord of the church
Brown
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXiL4TVGAy4
Saturday Evening worship services
at : First United Methodist Church,
53 McKinley Ave., Endicott.
Sponsored by Union Center United Methodist Church.
Schedule for the remainder of October:
October 23, 2010
Music by Aric Phinney and team
Preacher: Rev Earle Cowden
October 30, 2010
Music by Laureen Naik and team
Preacher: Jeff Vansyckle
November 6, 2010 - ( Saturday) There will be a Thanksgiving banquet. At 5 PM a traditional Thanksgiving menu will be served, including home made rolls and pies. Chef: Lou Pasquale and team. (Reservations: Call the Church office (607)-748-6329 or email at umcgospel@aol.com
The banquet will be followed by 6:30 PM Worship
Music: Aric Phinney and the team
Speaker: Kelly Johnson from Nashville, TN.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment