Richard Maisenbacher
At the end of June, we celebrated our 25th year of being in ministry as The Covenant Center in Lakeland Florida! I want to thank everyone who has participated and supported this work and ministry. We, with David and Elizabeth Weber’s help, built a stone prayer wall where we can add written prayers much like standing at the Temple Wall in Jerusalem.
In doing a little research regarding the number 25, (with Barbie Breathitt’s Dream Dictionary), it seems significant particularly for this new chapter. There are four meanings: 1) Forgiveness of sin; 2) Beginning of Ministry Training; 3) Essence of Grace; 4) Visions.
Here is some insight that may pertain to The Covenant Center:
1) Obviously, it is difficult to move forward if we have not completely forgiven others, including ourselves. It is also important not to embrace shame for those things we may harbored that God has said He has already forgiven.
2) It took us 25 years to establish the foundation of what God wanted to do here and now we can walk into the ministry training that He desires for The Covenant Center family.
3) We need God’s grace (Him doing for us that we cannot do for ourselves) to continue to encompass all that we do.
4) We need to continue to see in the form of visions and hear what He is doing next so we can be directed by Him.
We also wanted to understand and emphasize the importance of us being living stones as expressed in 1 Peter 2:4-5: “And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
We as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house. The Master Builder (Chief Cornerstone) is doing the work. We are part of the construction project. To build with living stones He chips away, cuts and polishes, by using a wet saw, a chisel, and a griding wheel so He can make us into the shape we need to be. Then we are cemented next to each other in His covenant.
Now sometimes we act like the builder and try to make the other stones fit, but we should say “Put me where you want me to be,” and He does the rest. We now offer up spiritual sacrifices instead of animals on an altar, that may appear in the form of prayers, praise, good works by faith, love, the glory of God or acts of kindness all led by the Spirit of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” We are not constructing our own building but are building up one another. We are builders with other living stones - with believers whose lives we affect. Since each of us has a responsibility to be builders of each other, everyone in the community contributes to the houses of each other. No person builds their own house. We need each other to be built up. Each person brings a different skill to the project. Each person is unique and important. Living stones work together to bless each other with their gifts, as the Spirit works through each of us building a community /house that is pleasing to Him.
Thank You Father for developing beautiful living stones in this spiritual house!
In His Covenant Love,
