Church

Church.

What pops into your head when you hear that word? While growing up, the word church always meant Sundays and Wednesdays to me. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally understood church is about God’s people… about my brothers and sisters. The church is what we are. And not only are we a family, but we are a family that pleases our Lord.

The more I come to love Jesus, the more I love His church. I love praising His name alongside so many others. I love thinking about the work Jesus has done in each of our lives and the fact that He knows each of us so personally. I love thinking about how broken we are as a church, and how good God is to restore us and use us. I love our ability to give all praise back to Him, and I love the overwhelming feeling of the glory I want God to receive from us.

In my time overseas I have gained a huge appreciation for the international church. God is reaching so many through their own cultures, and it’s an honor to worship him amongst my brothers and sisters of other nations. It’s a tiny sliver of what heaven is going to be. It’s beautiful.

In Revelation 7:9, we are told that heaven is international:

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands…”

Last night I was able to go to Passion Manila and worship the Lord with thousands of my Filipino brothers and sisters. It was incredible! I felt overwhelmed by the privilege to experience God being worshipped by the nation He has called me to for the past two years. It felt like a “parting gift” from Him as my number of days here dwindles.

Keep praying for the church. Pray for our eternal family that God is working through all over the world! I can’t wait for the day Rev. 7:9 is reality.