Whenever I hear some of what God’s doing through GACX members, I am reminded what unique and sacred privilege to hear present-day stories which could well have been written in the book of Acts. And it’s even more amazing to realize that each story is, in some way, part of a much larger tapestry God is weaving.
A tapestry is formed of two basic elements. The warp is the strong fibers held taught on a loom, across which the weft is woven in an over-under pattern. It is the combination of these threads which forms the pattern. For complex woven images, an artist will first create a paper cartoonfor the weaver to follow. In ages past, an intricately woven tapestry would tell a story — much like a stained glass window or mural, but perhaps a bit more portable.
God is weaving His tapestry according to a specific plan, for a specific purpose: to tell the story of His love and glory across time. His promises are the unbreakable threads stretching across time from creation to eternity; into and around these are woven the colorful fibers spun from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Paul writes in Ephesians that his understanding of God’s plan — once hidden, but now revealed in Christ — causes him to fall to his knees in wonder (3:14-15). But the point in what God is weaving is seen a few verses earlier.
Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus…. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (3:6,10-11)
In Revelation 19, the bride of Christ — the church — is presented in full and complete glory. “She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” Which, “represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.” (Revelation 19:7-8) We perceive something as “white” when it reflects all the colors of visible light. Every act of obedience, every thread of faith, becomes part of the spectrum of colors that melds into the white wedding dress for Jesus’ bride.
You and I are blessed to see and hear stories from God’s ongoing mission in our day. But what we know now is just a sliver of a bigger picture, and what we comprehend at a distance is formed by an unfathomable number of divine interventions, miracles, and incredible acts.
What praise will leap from our lips when we see the completed tapestry of God’s story. What joy will shoot from our heart to our feet when we can examine in detail each and every thread testifying to His love and grace. What wonder shall fill our mind when we see how it’s all connected. Such will be an inspiration for our eternal hymns of praise.
We’ve prayerfully chosen “Unfinished Tapestry” as the theme for the 2018 GACX Global Forum. It reflects what we see God doing in our midst today: an unbroken tapestry which tells the story of His glory from the Fall to the Restoration. But it’s unfinished because there are still some missing threads — good deeds for us to accomplish through the Holy Spirit, and more testimonies of the Redeemer to be spun. That’s the whole reason we’re coming together this October 9-11 in Denver.