Matthew 16:18 ~ on this rock, I will build My Church

Today, I'm talking about building a Cathedral.

And let's think of the correlation to...

Building our lives every day to please the Lord.

 

So suppose you wanted to play the National Favorite Pastime 

of Build Your Cathedral.

First, you'd want to get all your fish in a row.

This photo, and the one of "The Lord Heals" is from Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas

Where my mother was not going to survive, and hospice arrived. 

Due to God's Plan, soon my mom went to exercise and the grocery store and complained about the price of dry cleaning and got an ice cream cone. 

Thank You, Father God.






A Church is a sacred thing. 

We feel the Holiness and Goodness of Father God - Who would run to His prodigal child - me. You. And we are welcomed into His Warmth.  Warmth. This is a good and joyous thing, worthy of all of mankind to be received!  A fire within you. Warmth of Hearth and Home.

Today, I'm talking about a Cathedral.

And let's think of the correlation to...

Building our lives every day to please the Lord.

I loved the novel  "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Seeing the goodness rise up of monasteries who had lifelong joy, satisfaction, and Jesus Christ feeding, 'beering', educating, loving the community and finally, beginning, hospitals when plague arrived. And building Cathedrals over centuries. I truly enjoyed - This Book. And getting the picture of how hard life was when 1/3 rd's of England starved to death under serfdom - realities of the true work of Christ set in. Valor of hard work and daily being part of communal life. Willing to do weeding, wedding, scrubbing, enduring communal rivalries, death from germs, forgiveness, wisdom and Love. No wonder Jesus loved vineyards.

Church is a very, very sacred thing of God.







Ok. Great. Bam. Cathedrals are works of God and take Centuries.

 And in the journey - can turn into works of Herod for the wrong reason. Popular and trendy to bash the empty Cathedrals of Europe. Forget - that. Cathedrals are for understanding the Beauty and Sacred Honor of Housing God. A glimpse of Heaven. A work of mankind to Honor God.

(PS 

Herod built the Royal Stoa and this was the infamous Money Changers Building Jesus threw out the people with whips from the of the 36 Acre Temple. Constantine and his beloved mother, 80-year-old, archaeologist seek was sent out,  Helena. {Constantine ended up giving his very elaborate tomb to his beloved mother to be seen today.} Then the First Vatican was an exact replica of the Royal Stoa. Om, oops? 4th Century until 16th Century. The Vatican of today designed by dream team architects: Donato Bramante (Renaissance master), Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno (Father of Baroque Architecture) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (leading sculptor), well considered the holiest church in Christendom. From Pope Julius in 1506 to 1615.)










 Let's Do That. Honor God.




Jesus being God, took His Disciples to Caesarea to see all the Roman buildings Herod had built to please his master, Caesar. It was inspired to explain where Jesus would build the Church none of the Disciples knew would exist.

Matthew 16:18

On this rock I will build My Church, 

and the gates of Hades 

will not prevail against it

Dome of the Rock

Mount Moriah, meaning the chosen of Jehovah. This is where the Sacred Rock Abraham and Isaac were rescued by God.

John 1:1 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Acts 2:38 

And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized 

every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and 

you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Luke 9:23-24

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Luke 11:3 

Give us each day our daily bread

Psalm 68:19 

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; 

God is our salvation. 

Selah

Ephesians 2:8 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. 

And this is not your own doing; 

it is the gift of God

Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

1 John 2:3

And by this we know that we have come to know Him, 

if we keep His commandments

Psalm 16:11

 

You make known to me the path of life; 

in your presence there is fullness of joy; 

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

And the Rock above Peter enabled his bones not to decay. 80 feet below the Vatican altar of both Vatican 1st Building - 4th Century to 16th and Vatican 2nd Building - 16th Century to today. The Bones tell us Peter was about 5' 6" tall, a bit plump, 62 years old and feet removed from his crucifixion cross.






Now let's consider Heaven.

When we really study Revelation, we are seeing something history did not see. 

This view of His Throne seemed sort of 'way out'.  Revelation,  we see God doing the inhalation of our prayers through smoke. Streams of Living Water. Emerald Green and Red. We find God is showing all of His Wisdom and Inspiration of Much Higher Thought. Almost scientific. Very Tree of Life and nature oriented.


And when we see Ephesians 2 

we find families live in Heaven. And we live 'many will sit down at the table of Abraham and Isaac'. We are seeing Moses, Elijah and Jesus live together. The centuries are going to find a path to live together. The Bronze Age meets Hubble Telescope.

We will see Cathedrals have a Wonderful, Wonderful Place.

What if you could build a Cathedral???

We need our Cathedral to be available. Daily.


We will start at the top. Jesus Christ and His gift to Father God - a new Heaven. And the Lord's Prayer - bringing more Heaven to earth. Some practicality.

Steeple. Yes. Look Up. 

God's Way. Jesus. High enough to bring encouragement for the people who pass by and are praying with Jesus.

Lift High the Cross! The Cross of Jesus Christ Hymn!
May Jesus Christ dwell in our Hearts 

with His Love and Grace.

The Cathedral will bring in Nature. God's Good Creation.


And just a photo idea of what I'm thinking about:

Glass and magnificent windows in the Foyer:

And, remember, available and practical :)

Becoming a little more like this:

Where was Jesus born?!!!

We see the top again:

What are the beams? . Lighted, I'd hope.

And the floor? I guess we'd go with a white limestone. Like the Rock.



Light of the World?

Very gentle and merciful. Too much color is not stained glass and is overwhelming.

A Light filled Cathedral. 

The brilliant colors told to us of Heaven and the walls. 

The parking lot? 

Definitely a golf cart tram. Long rides? So much the better! Chatty Charlie or Chattie Cathy creates Fellows in a Ship. Fellowship.

And surrounding?

The Beauty of God's Earth.

The grounds are Vineyard and Trees and Rocks and Water. 

Pleasing to Jesus who loved to sail, to walk and to greet His People.


The rest? Here is the Cathedral, Here is the Steeple. All we need are God's People!!!


In all seriousness, there are so many styles and ideas. We just cannot do all 3,000 pages of God's Word. This is the Light of one thought.

Most Churches are very, very Beautiful.

Just as paintings in a museum differ one from another - we would be utterly, utterly remiss not to Glorify God for His Goodness in His Bride - The Church. Be blessed with this idea from just me.

God's People coming to His Table to Worship Jesus Christ 

Psalm 23

Surely goodness and mercy

are my footprints

all my days

Abba, Father!

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

to become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

Thank You

for

our first grandbaby

Arriving this summer,

All Your Love

Blessings upon

this little one.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus The Lord

†