Page 71 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

The Church as the Kingdom of the Son of God’s Love 70

The kingdom of the Son of God’s love comprises three ages: the present
age, in which the church is; the coming age, in which the millennial kingdom
will be; and the eternal age with the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and
new earth. The stress in Colossians 1:13 is the kingdom of the Son of God’s
love in this age, which is the reality of the church. The church life today is
the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love, which is as delightful to God the
Father as the Son of God is.
We know that the Son of God is so delightful to the Father, but this point
shows us that the church life because of the Son is also as delightful to God
the Father. These two verses mentioned here, Colossians 4:15-16, says, “Greet
the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nymphas and the church, which is in his
house. And when this letter is read among you, cause that it be read in the
church of the Laodiceans also, and that you also read the one from Laodicea.”
It took me some time to understand why these two verses were placed
here, but when I was reading the ministry, I realized that these verses talk
about the traffic between the churches. Apparently, there is quite a lot of
traffic between Laodicea and Colossae. They have this traffic, they know
each other; that is why Paul could say read their letter and allow them to
read your letter. According to the ministry, such traffic of the church actually
expresses in a practical way the living of a new man. Such a living has Christ
as its reality. Praise the Lord! I am so glad that Brother Lee talked about
blending before he went to be with the Lord. Today, we are still here together
because of such blending. That is why this banner is still there, maybe for
twenty to thirty years, “God has blended us together.” That is very significant.
It is through this blending that we become so delightful to the Lord. Praise
the Lord for our blending! Our blending is producing the church that the Lord
wants. If we do not have such blending time, I think we would all return to
Babylon. We would all be separated and scattered. Praise the Lord for such
a blending!
I am so glad that in this time, even if the PTERO is held in the North, a
lot of brothers from the southern part of the country came. Don’t you think
that is wonderful? When I heard that Taal Volcano erupted, I was wondering
if I should come. This is dangerous. But the Lord touched me, in such a
blending time, we should all come so we can be delightful to the Lord.