Ecclesia - Part Eight: On Earth As In Heaven

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Ecclesia: the Church universal and through all time composed of those called out by the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "'I will build my 'Ekklesia'."

In Matthew 6:5-15 every time the word "Pray" is used it literally means: to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion").

There is another shell of sanctimony broken by our experience in Communion. "Death to the Sanctuary" means death to our efforts, our faith, our righteousness, our prayers, our knowledge, our understanding of things or ability to 'merit' anything available in his grace! We pray for something to happen. We sing and worship with a great worship band to somehow merit the reward of God's presence. We study the Bible to somehow think that we can attain or apprehend the truth of scripture. We turn over spiritual leadership to the broken and frail who have "been Christians longer than us", "who have many more books, diplomas or credibility of fan-ship" or who "appear to be more gifted" or "more called" than each of us are. Using themes of giving, prayer, fasting, treasures and worry as topics in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a "Kingdom Come" perspective. 

Taking prayer for example: Let's have a CommunionFire look at "The Lord's Prayer" or "The Our Father" (So named by publishers and editors over the centuries).

"The Lord's Prayer"  (See CommunionFire Blog Notes "On Earth As In Heaven" for full details)

Like Communion we never dared look into it further. Talk about this, study it and pray about it... "The Our Father" as mighty and beautiful as it is on its own merit was never meant to be an isolated prayer standing on its own until Jesus comes back. (I routinely have prayed this every night before going to sleep since I was a child.) However, it was shared by the Lord as part of His message in "The Sermon on the Mount" in keeping with the Beatitudes. He was providing insight about the Kingdom of God, Jesus is indicating that prayer is a matter of being in His presence. When we are, He shares with us. He is there to share His life, love, peace, joy, healing and provision of every sort. Prayer by the following description by Jesus is when we look to Him and listen to what He has to share with us.

KEY: Give us this day our daily bread or day to day bread [Before sharing on this topic Jesus says, "I already know what you need before you ask so don't act all 'public' about it when you "ask me for something" as though your request reminds God what He should be doing! The first phrase Give us this day: means 'today's date' (as if give us this day, right now, where we are as we are for who we are) our "daily" or "day to day" bread. This is the only place in all of scripture "Day to Day" is used (Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3). 'daily bread' has to do with a location not food. It is the place where we feed on His presence. It is the Table of the Lord where we feed on the 'eternal bread of life that never goes stale and keeps feeding us forever. (As if) Today Lord, let us feast on "Daily" or "Day to Day" living bread. It literally means 'a defined area' or locale  where He tells His story - or 'the dwelling of telling'. (Christ in you the hope of glory) - where 'we behold Him as in a mirror and when we behold His glory we are changed into that same image from glory to glory'. 

We are His sanctuary and where two or more are gathered in His name He is in the midst. He is building us together as His dwelling. "I will dwell in the House of the Lord" is speaking of being in His presence. It also means "our heavenly subsistence for the coming day".  Jesus says when we eat His flesh and drink His blood it is real food. He also says that when we do this in remembrance of Him we have His life inside us. He wants to share His life with us and when He does we feed on what He gives us for days, weeks and months to come. It is food that feeds us and never grows stale. When we feast on His presence it is where He makes His story real to us personally. Thus, "Give us Lord today, our daily (Communion) our sustenance, as we feed upon your presence (CommunionFire)."]

So His love comes to us. It transforms us and He fits us together as a house that declares His praise and others see His glory in our lives.

FOR A MORE IN DEPTH STUDY ON THIS SUBJECT
http://www.communionfire.com/communionfire-blog-notes/on-earth-as-in-heaven