Pastor's Blog

As I visited the oldest member (Mabel Huro 103 yrs old) of our congregation a few weeks ago, we shared concerning the faithfulness of our Lord to the many generations who have come together to worship together as the Body of Jesus Christ in the church building which was erected in 1913. And as we discussed the imminent move to the new building which will replace the old church building, she shared these words with me: "The old church has been wonderful. The new church will be good also as long as the Word of God is spoken there. The building does not make the Church, but the Word of God that is being preached there makes it a church." Yes, that is true, for the words of Apostle Paul come to mind which he wrote to the Ephesian congregation concerning this, as he concludes the 2nd chapter with the following:

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

In the book of Acts, we read the following also: Acts 2: 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

In both instances we see that the foundation is mentioned first, with the emphasis on Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone, as declared by the apostles and the prophets. We also understand that the building that is being built upon the foundation is just that, a building which in other places is described as the body. The Body of Jesus Christ. It describes a corporate body, one that has many members.

When Jesus walked this on this earth, He pointed to himself as a temple. The Apostle John writes of this in the second chapter of his gospel: 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

At that time, those hearing Him, did not understand that He was speaking of His physical body. When the time drew near for Him to complete his mission and ascend to His Father, He made this promise to his disciples (and to all who hear it)
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

He also told them (us) that greater works would be done by them than He himself had done. Of course, we understand that He was not referring to His mediatorial work, but to the scope of His work through the power of the Holy Spirit.

KJV John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

He has been present in our fellowship for many years and according to His promise, is with us today and will be with us in the future.

1 Corinthiains 12: 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. It is not the building which we will be inhabiting which makes the Church, but it is the corporate Body in which Jesus Christ Himself dwells. For there is no separation between Christ, the Church and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus told his disciples that they were going to do greater things than Jesus did, they did not understand that Jesus was speaking of the scope of the Holy Spirit. Disciples of Jesus through the years have done and continue to do that which Jesus did while he was here since He is everywhere that the true Church is. Today the Holy Spirit carries out that which Jesus Christ does through us in the way that He wants it done. The members of the body carry out their functions depending upon the work of the Holy Spirit.

KJV John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
KJV John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

May we remain in Him and He in us so that much fruit may be brought forth in our congregation as well as through our congregation to the benefit of those souls who need to hear the gospel.. This we ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Pastor Orval Wirkkala

After writing last week's article which was entitled "Putting on the armor of God", I received an email from our brother Dennis Hilman from Finland in which he shared the following words concerning the armor of God. "In your letter you wrote about putting on the whole armor of faith. We can't really talk too much about those different pieces of the armor. At some times in my life when the press from the three fold enemy has been most threatening I have literally put on those pieces of armor one by one in the morning as I get up. It really works!! "

Dennis gives unto us a very practical way in which we may utilize this armor in our everyday lives, for as he describes the actual putting on of the armor, can we not already begin to sense of the protection and strength that comes from the "putting on" of it? Yes, I believe that we are able to experience that which Dennis wrote about. What a good example for us to follow in that we put on each day the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, taking the sword of the Spirit and praying and making supplication for all saints.

We might look at it this way: Before beginning our day and before we are offered all sorts of perspectives of truth, we put on the belt of truth. Before Satan offers us a pseudorighteousness (false), we put on the breastplate of righteousness of Jesus Christ. Before going out into the highways and biways, we put on the shoes of the Gospel of peace so that we will not stumble, but will walk grounded in Christ and be quick to tell those whom we meet the Good News of the Gospel: "Your sins are forgiven in Jesus Name and Shed Blood!" When being accused by Satan of our sinfulness, we will stick the shield of faith so that the accusations are rendered powerless and harmless by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in His redemptive work. Before doubts come upon our mind, we put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. At all times, we have with us the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word, both as a defensive armament and an offensive armament. Before putting these armaments on, while we are putting these armaments on, and after we put them on, we remain in prayer and supplication, for all the members of the Body of Jesus as well as requesting prayer for ourselves that we would remain faithfult to the calling to which we have been called.

Let's keep the armor on, dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Pastor Orval Wirkkala