In these troubling times, it’s heartwarming to hear stories of human goodness. Here’s a link to a heartwarming tale of a stray dog finding a loving home in the US.
The Bible said, “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.” (Isaiah 65:25)
Let’s learn from this story of a stray dog. Many are struggling and may be falling into depression. All it took was a chance encounter with a stranger who was willing to extend a helping hand. The rest is up to us. If you responded positively to that opportunity, your chances of bettering yourself are now possible. However, never abuse a gracious offer. They only offer you a hand, not their entire person.
Depression is the fear of being alone in your misery, but that’s never true. Scripture states, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us – Matthew 1:23).” That’s Jesus Christ.
In the Book of Revelation, the Bible proclaims, “And I heard a resounding voice from the throne declaring, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God has come to man. He will reside among them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them as their God.’” (Revelation 21:3)
The Jerusalem temple, the visible manifestation of the First Heaven and First Earth, has ceased to exist. This aligns with Jesus Christ’s teachings in Scripture, as it has passed away. For reference, check out Matthew 24:1-35.
Paul, in his letter to the church of Corinth, declared, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they have become a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The New Creation has been a constant presence since the arrival of Christ Jesus, marking the inauguration of God’s kingdom. (For Scripture references, see Luke 17:20-21 and Matthew 12:28.) Its fullness becomes a complete reality with the destruction of the Old Covenant Jewish temple. Jesus declared, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) Clearly, the temple about to be destroyed was the Jerusalem temple. Christ Jesus, along with His church, constitutes the New Temple (Ephesians 2:19-22 and Ephesians 5:23), which He established by His resurrection.
Though it is sad that the organized church has mangled the image of God’s church. Often times, it becomes a stumbling block for people to believe the Gospel. Nevertheless, never be afraid to be alone, especially if you are truly a Christian.
Regardless of what happens, God promises never to abandon or forsake us. As it says in Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
Scripture also warns that “the love of money brings trouble” (1 Timothy 6:10). Instead, seek God’s blessings, as it says in Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”
There is hope in humanity, after all. God’s goodness shines through in the hearts of those who are always ready to care and help. However, they must embrace the Gospel. Ephesians 2:8-9 emphasizes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. It is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Share the Gospel, but do not imposed rules, regulations, or practices that are not explicitly taught in Scripture. The Bible intended God’s church to be a community, not an organization.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!
One of the remarkable prophecies in the Bible pertains to the arrival of the Son of God. Scripture proclaims, “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. From the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Christ, the incarnate Jesus, was born and lived a life much like ours—fully human yet free from sin, and, unlike us, fully divine. He shared wisdom inspired by God the Father, accomplished His mission, and willingly went to the cross for the redemption of our sins. He died and stayed in the tomb for three days and three nights, as He had prophesied (Matthew 12:40) and as foretold in Hosea 6:2. On the third day, He was resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:4). For forty days, He appeared alive (Acts 1:3) before being taken up into glory (1 Timothy 3:16)—not in a bodily form, as many had assumed. Stephen saw Him standing at the right hand of the throne of God (Acts 7:56) just before his martyrdom, indicating His reign. This fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7. Therefore, Jesus reigns now and forevermore.
Scripture declared: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; what is the house that you would build for Me, and what is the place of My rest?’” (Isaiah 66:1) The idea of the third Jerusalem temple isn’t a Christian teaching, because God’s throne is in heaven, not earth. He reigns over all creation in heaven. Yet, God now dwells among us Christians; hence, Scripture said Jesus Christ and His Church is the New Temple (Ephesians 2:19-22). Temple means to dwell, same with tabernacle. In other words, it means God dwells with His people, the church; hence, God’s people is the New temple.
The church then isn’t a place, neither is it an organization or institution, but an assembly of Christians. When would Christians, especially pastors, correct that misunderstanding? I hope it’s not due to the fact that you want and need to keep Christians coming into your congregation? Don’t get me wrong. I am not against collective gatherings of the church, for as long as the integrity of the church isn’t compromised. However, the question often asked “Where do you go to church?” is a misrepresentation of the true meaning of the church.
Christians invite people to embrace the Gospel, so it is wrong to say we can invite anyone to the church. It’s only after they have repented and believe, then they become a part of God’s church. Contrary to popular belief, God’s church is not a hospital. Instead, it is the gathering of the redeemed, who have been healed by the grace of God. Their perfection lies not in themselves but in the blood of Christ Jesus. Hence, Paul instructing Christians said: “But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)
Again, Paul declared: “Do you not know that your bodies (i.e. the individual Christian) are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or 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.” (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
Once more, Paul declared: “Do you not know that you (“you” Greek plural, i.e. the church) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you (“you” Greek plural, i.e. the church)? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Christians have overlook their responsibility to evangelize and disciple individuals before welcoming them into the church, the body of Christ. This oversight can lead to confusion and challenges when believers interact with those who do not understand the faith. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul advises the church, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” It is a serious error to allow a predator to infiltrate and prey on the flock.
This leads to the conclusion that launching discipleship programs within the church, which include both believers and non-believers, is akin to putting the cart before the horse. Such an approach simply won’t be effective.
Let’s be honest: do you often see familiar faces joining one discipleship program after another? There aren’t many new faces, are there? Evangelism and discipleship go hand in hand; they are intrinsically linked. One cannot truly exist without the other. However, it’s never too late to make a change. In John 6, many disciples followed Jesus, but when He began to teach the truth about Himself, the Scriptures say, “Many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him” (John 6:66). We must be willing to face the consequences of change.
But of course, that’s unacceptable, epecially since the mindset of ROI (return of investment) has been instituted into the leadership. Therefore, the reality of the present-day churches would just persist, like a spinning carousel without stop, increasing its speed, until something gets detached, damaging its structure.
Like any God-fearing Christians in conventional churches, I also desire to see the church healthy and effective for evangelism and discipleship. But how can the church do her role, if Christians among yourselves are the ones receiving discipleship without end?
I have seen Christians leaving a congregation then starting a new one. They may have successfully drawn people into their congregation, but by repeating the same mistakes – bringing people to church without first evangelism and discipleship – in time they are back to square one. They intended to do a 180 degree change but ended up with a 360, finding themselves right where they left. Frustrating and disappointing, I can relate.
Stop concentrating only on numbers and instead adopt the methodology of Christ Jesus. Begin small and exclude those who are not ready. As we see in Scripture, the small group—including Paul, who was specifically called for missions outside of Judea—became the catalyst that, within forty years, reached the far corners of the then-known world – Rome. Ultimately, that was where Paul ended up, as we read in the book of Acts, wasn’t it?
Many have not noticed, but Paul had repeatedly declared the Gospel reaching the end of the world. See passages below:
(1) “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” (Romans 10:18)
(2) “but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” (Acts 26:20) The Gentiles receiving the Gospel also implied the ends of the world. No one was excluded anymore. And that’s exactly what Israel refused to do, though it should have been their mandate from the beginning of their creation as God’s people. See Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”
(3) “This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.” (Romans 15:22-24) Rome, clearly represents the ends of the then known world.
(4) “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.” (Colossians 1:3-6)
Again, it’s not too late to make the change, and do it properly. But sacrifices ought to be done. The first step, however, is recognizing that it’s been done wrong.
Jesus shared a parable saying, “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property” (Matthew 25:14). In this parable, Jesus represents the man who goes on a journey, which symbolizes His death, resurrection, and ascension. He entrusted His property—the church—to His servants.
In the parable, each servant was given talents according to their ability (Matthew 25:15-18). These talents represent Jewish money or resources. Therefore, when the master returned and discovered that one servant had buried his single talent in the ground, he rebuked him, saying, “Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest” (Matthew 25:27).
The command of Jesus Christ is, and has always been, to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20)—not just to construct buildings and label them as churches. Christians are given different talents for evangelism and discipleship. However, many have wasted their talents by focusing on activities unrelated to these missions.
Concerning God’s church, Paul explained, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building (i.e., the church). According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co 3:6-11)
The sole and true foundation of the church is Christ Jesus and His Word. Paul here called on Christians to be concerned and faithful to God’s Word. The ultimate goal of the church, God’s people, is to build a community of Christians. This is what Jesus mandates us to do. Unfortunately, some Christians, perhaps misled by tradition and practice, have prioritized physical structures over people.
So, ask yourselves, according to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30: how will you be received by Him—faithful or unfaithful?
Note: Click on underlines and highlights for definitions or Bible references.
Peter , in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share freely, for you freely receive. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!
Next week all Christendom would be remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, more popularly known as the Holy Week. For the sake of clarity, the term “Holy Week” was nowhere spoken in the Bible, it’s a later invention, see caption on quotation below.
In the Greek and Roman liturgical books, it is called the Great Week because great deeds were done by God during this week. The name Holy Week was used in the 4th century by St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and St. Epiphanius of Constantia. Originally, only Good Friday and Holy Saturday were observed as holy days. Later, Wednesday was added as the day on which Judas plotted to betray Jesus, and by the beginning of the 3rd century the other days of the week had been added.
Historically, Jesus Christ came to fulfill God’s promise of the Messiah. Yes, the Jewish religious leaders of Old Covenant Israel rejected Christ Jesus and sent Him to be crucified. To quote Joseph, son of Jacob, perhaps his words foreshadowed God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ – “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Genesis 50:20)”.
God’s sovereign will for salvation prevailed. Jesus Christ died to overturn the curse of the Adamic Law (Genesis 2:15-17) – the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Consequently, Paul wrote “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1Corinthians 15:22)”. Take note, the Adamic death has to do with spiritual death, not physical. So Jesus Christ resurrected back to life offering the law of the Spirit (Romans 8:2; 1Corinthians 15:45). The Gospel is the law of the Spirit, the good news of the New Covenant. See 2Corinthians 3:5-9.
Not that we (Paul and his co-workers) are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter (Mosaic Law) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.
See Romans 8:1-4“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life (the New Covenant or the Gospel) has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Adamic Law, Genesis 2:15-17). For God has done what the law (Mosaic Law, Galatians 2:15-21), weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us …”
Let’s be real, because of God’s grace, Christians ought to focus on the grace of God made available through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are not saved by faith just so we may continue in our sinful ways (see Romans 6:10-12) but to be the light and salt of the world. Christians ought to live according to the grace and Words of Jesus Christ.
Formerly, we too were lost and were doomed to die without salvation. It was only and still is, by the grace of God that we now have salvation and eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus. Hence, the unavoidable physical death of all humanity no longer reigns over us because Jesus Christ said, “Whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24)”.
I do not mean that Christians have overcome physical death; rather, our existence would no longer be halted by physical death, for we would eternally be in the presence of God.
To be “light and salt” means we should exemplify the Christian standard of living by faith and in obedience to the Words of Jesus Christ. The Bible never spoke of Christians being perfect in themselves, but rather perfection through faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9, 12).
Simply said, Christians should not be an oxymoron to the confession of faith. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone, and so does everything else in life. So Jesus Christ said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Christians should not have a life of duality. Worshipping God when with Christian people, but in their day-to-day, professional or business lives, they are no different from people who worshipped money and power, just to enrich themselves with unrighteous wealth instead of true riches. Jesus Christ said, “If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:11-13)
Money isn’t the enemy of Christianity. It’s simply a means for trade. Scripture said “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He (God) has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
The love of money is no different from Idolatry. The apostle Paul said “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossions 3:5)
Moreover, the unbelieving world is not the enemy of Christianity; rather, they are the focus of the Gospel. Therefore, the outreach of every Christian.
A restaurant, no matter how good its aesthetics are, would soon lose its appeal if the food turned out to be not so good or bad. Similarly, Christianity should not leave a bad taste on people, thereby losing its appeal to the lost. But the truth of the matter is, it isn’t Christianity in the real sense that has lost its focus but pretenders to Christianity destroying the Gospel of Christ.
Consequently, the real and true enemy of Christianity has to be the wolves in sheep’s clothing. The apostle Paul spoke of such people as “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power … (2Timothy 3:5)” Make no mistake, by “power”, Paul was talking about the faith, the Gospel, the Scripture itself, which alone has the power to transform people for Christ Jesus. Wolves in sheep’s clothing have no regard for God’s Word and the Lord’s sheep (Acts 20:29-30; John 10:12).
Hence, Paul in the succeeding verses went on to say, “But as for you (Timothy), continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whomyou learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I charge you (Timothy) in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you (Timothy), always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2Timothy 3:14 – 4:5)
The same Christian mandate holds true today. We ought to be perfectly correct as we teach God’s Word. No compromise, no modification, always remain true to the Scripture. Otherwise, we fall into the same mold – having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.
Paul addressing the problem within the church of Corinth said: “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1Corinthians 5:6-8)
Christians, for the good of our ranks, should be willing to cleanse out the rotten ones. In reality, within each Christian congregation gathering each week, there are not many rotten ones, but those few rotten ones are just so poisonous that they can easily misdirect the many to agree with their agendas and doings.
Termites, once detected in the house, should be remedied at once. Delays or dilly-dally after detection could cause the whole house to be damaged later. Restoration of a hugely damaged house is more costly than rebuilding a new ones. Similarly, Christians should never have second thoughts about addressing the termites or rotten ones within their congregation – fast and quick.
See Paul’s instruction to Timothy, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especiallythose who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall notmuzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” (1Timothy 5:17-20)
Compromises or ignoring wrongs within the church were never recommended in Scripture. Do not say “The church is a place for sinners”, that is a misrepresentation of God’s word regarding the church. Rather the church is the assembly of repentant sinners that have been transformed by God’s grace.
Jesus Christ, before sending out the apostles to preach about the kingdom of heaven, the Gospel, said: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).” The religious people of Jesus’ day, the spiritual leaders of Old Covenant Israel, were the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Just as it was then, it remains the same today. We also have wolves in sheep’s clothing from within supposedly Christian institutions.
I do not mean the whole organized Christian congregation but within their midst. However, it must be recognized we also have true people of God within their ranks. Let everyone be reminded of Jesus’s words, saying, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Seek the Scripture. Always let the Scripture be the guiding truth in decision-making. Do not be afraid to start anew once God’s truth has been compromised. Leave and start your journey through the guidance of God’s word.
Again, Paul warned: “Pay careful attention to yourselves (Christian elders of Ephesus) and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:28-30)
The danger within the Christian community has always been from within their ranks. Learn from the Old Testament stories of Israel. Every time Israel has fallen out of the Scripture and turned to the ways of the world, it was then that Israel became apostate. They sought to do things not according to the guidance of the Word of God, but according to the pattern of ungodly people.
Historically, all Christian congregations almost always have a remarkable and humble beginning. They have a simple idea of establishing a place for gathering together; that is, to worship, care for one another, and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, with time, each Christian community has the same tale to tell – deterioration from within their ranks.
Perhaps, history was simply repeating itself. Like Israel, Christians have sought charismatic leaders – leaders who appear to stand above the rest. Forgetting that the true Christian leader, being a true follower of Jesus Christ, should imitate his/her Master. Jesus Christ never appeared above the rest in terms of appearance but always by His teaching and Word.
Let’s be real. Stop calling a congregation a church if it has a mix of seekers still contemplating renouncing his/her old ways. All Jesus Christ said about such people was “You are not far from the kingdom of heaven”. Go read Mark 12:28-34.
But in contrast, Zacchaeus, having been found and befriended by Jesus Christ, offered to undo his mistake, giving away his wealth to repay those whom he had defrauded (surely, as a taxman, he had wronged many). The Lord Jesus declared said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he (Zacchaeus) also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Go read Luke 19:1-10.
Christianity is all about total surrender to Christ Jesus our Lord. Recognizing our wrongs, shortcomings, and our need of Christ Jesus for salvation and everything else in life. Joining a weekly worship service without experiencing any of the above does not make a person Christian.
Let us call a spade, a spade. The church ain’t the institution, nor was it the building where people gather each week. Rather, the church is God’s people, redeemed by His grace. They are the body of Christ, with Christ alone being the Head of His church.
Concerning the church, Paul said, “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:5)
To the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6)
Now see 1Corinthians 3:5-8, Paul used agricultural and architectural language to describe the church: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”
Stop saying “I’m a member of this or that church”, for there is no church that was/is built by man but by Christ Jesus alone. Jesus Christ declared before Peter, saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.”
Forget not what Jesus Christ had said to the Samaritan woman concerning God’s true temple or the place for worship. See John 4:21-24.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming,and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’”
Let’s be real. Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus tell His disciples to collect money for the building of a worship center or building. Rather, Jesus Christ asked them to preach the Gospel of the kingdom.
Let’s be real. Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus tell His disciples to gather all believers into one building. Rather, the first-century church gathered in their homes and houses. It’s doable then, more so now. No parking problems. No costly buildings to build and maintain.
Let’s be real. Jesus Christ offered His life to release His people from the bondage of regulations, shackles, restrictions, and the like. All Jesus Christ demands from us Christians is a true confession of faith to His Lordship and salvation offered. Living a life of faith, trusting His Word and promise – that is the true essence of true Christian worship, in spirit and truth.
Let’s be real. Only Jesus Christ holds the key to God’s kingdom and His church. No application for church membership. No regulations for church membership. No human-developed confessions are needed. Rather Christians became members of God’s house – the church – through faith in Christ Jesus alone. See Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him (Jesus Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our (the church’s) inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”
We need not second guess Paul’s mention of the Church’s inheritance. See Ephesians 5:5 “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
In conclusion, allow me to remind everyone of God’s Word. To be real, always remember, that the Scripture said, “For we (Paul and Christian workers) are God’s fellow workers. You (the church) are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it (the foundation that Paul laid; that is, Christ Jesus). Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Christ Jesus is the sole foundation of God’s church. Hence, there are no numerous churches, but all true Christians are members of the body of Jesus Christ – His church or assembly.
Blessings!
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Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture 