The Place of Revelation

You must understand that when you become a Christian, the church isn’t made for you; you are made for the church. The church is your place in the plan of God! That’s where your gifts and calling and knowledge of what it means to be a Christian are revealed. You don’t even know what it means to be a Christian until you are in your place in a local assembly. Relationships are the key to all revelation, whether it is concerning the Word or what you are to do today.

I liken it to a jigsaw puzzle, which has a lot of pieces. You pick up a piece that you know belongs in that puzzle, but because certain other pieces are not yet in their places, it is difficult to connect the piece in your hand. It is hard to see the full meaning and purpose of that piece until it is properly connected with the other pieces. It is an essential part, but its effectiveness is greatly diminished unless it is connected. You know that it is significant, and its color and sometimes its shape can give you an idea where it goes; so you don’t want to set it aside or lose it.

Sometimes you don’t know the piece is missing until you need it! By then it can be too late. You put the piece somewhere and don’t remember where it is. The piece is not where it is supposed to be, in the company of the pieces it connects to. It is gone, so there is no hope of it realizing its destiny. But I want to encourage you, it might be too late with a puzzle piece, but thank God it is not too late for you! You are still breathing. You are still His beloved child. Find your place in His local church. You may be the piece that completes the puzzle by reaching your neighborhood, going on a mission trip, or even bringing Jesus back!

Believers who just look at themselves without connecting to the local church are like people who hold one puzzle piece in their hands and never connect it. All they know is what’s on that piece. They don’t see the whole picture, and they will never know the fullness of their identity and purpose because they don’t see themselves through God’s eyes: in context of the whole body. They don’t see what God is doing in their place and time. All they see is their one little piece, which doesn’t tell them much.

At the other end of the spectrum are the believers who try to make themselves fit into places they were never created to fit. They also end up never knowing their full potential and all the joys and blessings God has for them. They are not connected properly. That’s why relationships need to be established by God. It is divine connections that enable us to fulfill our divine purpose.

The local church is the place of God’s assembly, so you must start with the place where He has called you. Then you will better understand your time and you can do your part. If you miss your place you will never understand the strategic plan of God. You will never see the big picture, and your ability to grow in revelation will be hindered. You have to play your part in the big picture to see and understand the big picture. So the first thing you must do is ask the Lord,
“Where is my church? Where is the assembly of believers You are calling me to?”

(Excerpt from the book Called Together. Order Now)