The actual corner stone of our church is Christ. The decorative corner stone on our building was engraved with the words “UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE THEY LABOR IN VAIN WHO BUILD IT” when is was constructed in 1976. We believed it then, and we believe it now.
I doubt the psalmist was talking about the carpenter from Nazareth when he wrote it. He was stressing the fact that unless the Lord is the driving force behind anything built in His name, no matter how magnificent or modest, it will mean nothing to Him. I trust what we build truly honors Him.
The home our crew in Mexico built for a young family was not intended to bring glory to Chatham Christian Church, but to Christ. It was financed by the material wealth God has blessed us with, undergirded with prayer, and built by loving hands He created. I’m confident He was honored by their labor.
Before the end of July, you should see the ground being prepared for another building we trust will honor Him. The funds for the building came from a couple who kept their eye on the prize, and made sure what God had blessed them with in life would continue honoring Him after they received their eternal reward. It’s our prayer that the gymnasium we’re building will begin being used for His glory sometime this fall.
Their faithfulness in life and death is also making it possible for a church in Jamaica to get a new roof. I spent quite a bit of time on the old roof, patching and painting, with several mission teams that went there to work with Theo and Rose. The old roof had been built by volunteers from the states after the original roof blew off in a hurricane. Even if the roof now being built gets blown off some day, it will not have been built in vain.
There is one more house, actually a home, that will be built here this month. On July 12th I’ll have the pleasure of bringing Anna and Luke together to build a home that will honor Him, as I also did last July with Grace and Zack.
God bless, Rick
Chatham Christian Church 