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What about the pathetic state of the Christian church in these last days?
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2/10/2009 8:33:23 AM
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What the Christian Church IS:
Before we can examine the "condition" of the church of the last days, we need to define what the church "is" and what it "is not". Why? Because many reading this blog have never heard the truth about what constitutes the Christian church in the first place! Allot people are confused as to what the church is, and it's purpose. The reasons for the confusion is the that the most prevalent sources of the definition of the Christian church comes from how the (20th & 21th century) media defines it; how Hollywood movies and TV define it; and the polluted definition provided by the sickly church of the last days itself! Even many Christians do not know what the church is!
The Christian Church: a universal living organism that spans 2,000+ years, encompasses most of the earth's geographical regions, and infiltrates denominational lines in the Christian communities that define themselves as Christians.
The TRUE Christian Church is made up of many people who share a common spiritual experience referred to as being "born again" believers in Jesus Christ. This re-birth is 100% spiritual in nature and encompasses drastic changes to a person's mind, body, soul and spirit. This experience totally eradicates sin and its effects on the human condition. Instantaneously, sin is replaced with righteousness and God is inseparably linked to the spirit of a person forming a completely new species of mankind then the former make-up of the individual. A Christian is one who is now an interrelated part of all other Christians and God. This interrelationship is what constitutes the Christian Church. Each individual Christian is part of a greater whole that form a unifying living entity that is the Church of Jesus Christ. This new entity, as we shall see, is referred to in the Bible as The Body of Christ, The Bride of Christ, The Body of Believers and The Church.
What the Christian Church IS NOT:
The Christian Church is not a building or religion!
- It is not a building
- It is not a denomination
- It is not headed by the pope or any other earthling
- It is not a belief system or group of doctrines
- It is not limited to the currently living
- It is not limited by time or space
- It is not physical in nature
- It cannot be altered, limited or destroyed
What the Bible says about the Church:
The bible defines the church in the following verses as a spiritual organism as described above. We will look at some of these verses as they address certain aspects of the church's essence. We will look at a very few of the many verses relating to the church's makeup as there are way too many for the purposes of this blog.
Mathew 16: 13-19
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? So they said, Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
This is the first reference of the church in the bible. It is spoken of by Jesus Himself and explains a few basic principles about how the church would be created and what it will be capable of doing. At this point in time in the life of Jesus, there was much confusion as to who Jesus was and what was His purpose for coming to earth. Jesus was nearing the end of His ministry here on earth and was facing the cross. He wanted some comfort from His disciples and desired to have affirmation that His message was getting across. He was not doubting His effectiveness but rather, as a human, He longed for understanding as do all humans with emotional intimacy needs. Ironically, He already knew the answers He would receive to these questions as He is God and not just a man. That fact is evidenced by His response to Peter as to where Peter's answer of truth originated from.
- But who do you say that I am? - a direct question to His disciples
- You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. - Peter's answer demonstrates a believe system that transcends all worldly logic. He had no earthly reason to believe such a thing as it goes beyond human nature or ability of comprehension, yet he "knew" it as truth!
- Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Jesus informed Simon (Son of Jonah) that his declaration was one of true faith; one that would one day make him a true believer (Christian). But that day would be in the short term future as Jesus had not died at this point to pay for his sins which is a prerequisite for the salvation (born-again) experience. However, Jesus does reveal a universal truth about saving faith. It does not come from man but has its origins in God!
- I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church - This statement has lead to much confusion. It is responsible for dividing denominations and religions in the future due to its misunderstanding. It would give birth to the Catholic religion with its head as the pope. The pope being a direct leader of a "church" as they wrongly assume, Peter was given direct leadership of the church in this verse. Jesus was NOT saying Peter would be the head of Jesus' church! Jesus will always be the head of His church! The reasons for the confusions in this reference are two-fold. First, up till this point the disciple's name was Simon son of Jonah. That was the way people were identified in those days in Israel. There was no such thing as last names so they were identified by who there farther was. Simon's father was Jonah, hence, Simon son of Jonah! But Jesus was giving Simon a new name to reflect his new Father (God)! The second reason for the misunderstanding is the translation of the bible from the Greek to English. There is not a mistake in translation here, but rather an issue with the languages themselves. In Greek the word Peter was petros but it has a meaning: small rock (pebble). The word "rock" in the verse is petra which means big rock, boulder or mountain! Jesus was literally saying your new name will be "Peter" (a pebble) and on this "rock" (a mountain of stone, solid foundation) I will build my church!
So what does this reference mean? What Jesus was saying here is that on the Faith of declaration that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of The Living God, He would build His Church! You need a solid foundation to build on if you want your building to stand the storms of nature and erosion they produce. Jesus as a carpenter used this simple analogy to define a complex spiritual principle about what the church is! It is a building made out of humans who share once underlying principle and belief, a foundational requirement if you will, that Jesus is Lord! Peter, the small pebble of an example of that kind of supernatural belief was the first to vocalize it. He was not the head of the church because of his proclamation but rather an example of what that proclamation would do for all who would make it after Jesus' death.
- and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it - Here Jesus is eluding to the Power and Authority His church would have. Nothing, not even Hells forces themselves would be able to knock it down! The Church is a building that's walls can withstand the worst that nature, life, and even Satanic powers could not move from their solid foundation which is The Truth; Jesus Himself! (See John 14:6)
- And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. - Here Jesus goes on to declare the Power and Authority He gives to His Church against every created being both on earth and in Heaven! Even over Time and Space! The Church is more than the "E" in Einstein's E=MC
Ephesians 1:13 - The Church as a Vessel for Holy Spirit
In Him (God) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
1 Corinthians 12:27 - The Church as Jesus' Body
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. In Him (God) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Ephesians 5:31-32 - The Church as the Bride of Christ
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Here the Apostil Paul is quoting from the old testament about marriage and makes a remarkable statement about the Church. He compares marriage of a husband to a wife to that of the union of Jesus and His Church! The comparison is true in that a perfect husband would give his life for his bride out of love so Jesus gave His life for His Church! Additionally, since humans marry humans as they are of like kind, so Christ and His Church are of like kinds - Jesus is God and the Church is indwelt by God Himself! With mankind: "the two shall become one flesh", with God and Church: "The two shall become one Spirit"! Actually, God created marriage as an example for us of what His ultimate purpose for creating man was: to be united to Himself! That's why marriage is a sacred and holy communion.
What the Bible says about the Church of the Last Days:
 So now that we have defined the word Church in terms of what it "is" and what it "is not", what does the bible have to say about the Church in the Last Days? Does the bible shed any light as to the condition of the church in the days before Jesus returns to reclaim this world as His own? Does it have any advice for us as to our place in the church and what we should do in these last days? Of course it does!
The only reference we will look at is from the book of Revelations where Jesus Himself addresses His Church in the Last Days. In Revelations Chapters 2 and 3, Jesus gives a message to the church for each age of its life from its birth shortly after his death on the cross, to its last days on earth at the return of Christ when He will be united to it in a glorified way for all eternity! He will literally change the church at His return into an eternal body of believers who will have a new spiritual body like His own. Our physical bodies will be transformed and we will be eternal, spiritual beings who can take on physical form at will. We will be able to transverse the universe and heaven in a blink of an eye, yet sit down on the seashore of the earth and do some fishing and eat fish. We will not require food as we will be spiritual in nature but it will be possible to eat with mankind on earth who are not spiritual. We will be like Him! (See 1 John 3:2)
In the Revelations chapter 2 and 3, Jesus gives a message to the church for each of its ages in the last 2000 years. He divides the life of the church into (7) church ages. To each of these church ages, he tells them what they did good, what they did wrong and what they should do to improve. The first church age was the period from the apostles till a few hundred years AD. The last church age is our age, the Last days. The interesting point is that there was only one church age in which Jesus had nothing bad to say. It was the church age right before our own! It was the church age that included the pilgrims coming to this land to find religious freedom and established the United States. It was also the time when Martin Luther wrote his thesis on what the church was suppose to be and the protestant reformation that followed. It was the church age that spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the known world!
Ironically, The only church age that Jesus had nothing to say that they did good was the very next church age - OURS! The church of the Last Days:
Revelation 3:14-21 - The Church of the Last Days
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothingand do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Jesus introduces Himself to the church of our day with some interesting terms: Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God. Here we see a timely message to church that is doing nothing right! Our church age has been marked by division, heresy, demoralization, lack of authority both internally and to the world and in affective communication of the gospel. We have seen changes such as preachers who no longer preach about sin, hell or judgment! Preaches who perform gay marriages -- an outright abomination to God! Churches ordaining women as ministers and pastors. We have seen drastic drops in missions to the world and ministries to the poor. We no longer educate our fellow new Christians in doctrine and teach them how to be mature Christians. In fact, most Christians never reach any maturity level even after years, even decades, as a Christian! We have become so much like the world that you can not tell a Christian from a non-Christian. We are money mad and want to build bigger buildings but don't care for spiritual building. We fail the world by avoiding controversial subjects. But look at Jesus introductory self revelations:
- Jesus as the Amen! - final authority! Amen is used at the end of a prayer or teaching to emphasis its truth and immutability! Its finality!
- Jesus as the Faithful and True Witness - He is Faithful in that He still loves His Church, will do what is best for His Church, Reward and Punish His Church and will not forsake His Church! True Witness shows that He is the final authority on every subject the church faces or makes decisions about. He is the the only reference of Truth! Every teaching or decision falls or stands based on His revelations of Truth as given in His word the bible!
- Jesus as the Beginning of the creation of God - He made all things! The universe and mankind are His by ownership as He is their creator! If I build a house or write a blog or paint a picture it is mine; i.e. copyrighted! Well that is only true to the extent that I am His! He Made me just as I made a poem! But Jesus is the Creator and owner of it all! Including, but not limited to Wall Street, Oil in the earth, Global Climate, Marriage yep even the Space Station! In Fact He owns cancer, AIDS and the blood pumping through our veins. Not only does he own the universe and heaven because He created them, but He owns knew things every day as He continues to create! He is ever creating hence the "Beginning" of the creation -- He never "Finishes" creating!
After identifying Himself as the Sole-Authority of Ownership and Right and Wrong, He addresses the church:
- I know your works -- Makes sense since He Knows everything! This is a reminder to the church that He knows what we do behind closed doors! We can not hide from Him and are foolish to think He is unaware or unconcerned with our choices as a church.
- that you are neither cold nor hot -- We are nether doing good things or bad things. We are lackadaisical in our functioning! We will give in to peer pressure and pressure from the non-believing (lost and dying) world! If they world says gay marriage is OK, we agree with it because we don't want to appear confrontational or politically incorrect! How Stupid! In fact, we rarely ever take a stance on anything as a body! We love to tell everyone love is the answer. We have changed the Gospel of Jesus to a gospel of acceptance in the name of love and non-aggression. However, Jesus Himself said He did not come to bring Peace, but a sword! (See Matthew 10:34)
- because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth - Literally, we make Him Sick! His response to our condition is an inclination to puke us up! He wrenches with pain in His gut at the very thought of our condition! He wants' us warring against evil in our world but we want to just sit on the grass and pick daises! He has given us a sword (the bible) that can never be defeated and we are still defeated by our fears of rejections.
- you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing - Oh we think we are rich! We don't care if anyone else goes to hell, we got ours! "I got me me" is our motto! or "live and let die"! We are selfish beyond belief, we bitch and moan about any inconvenience we most face and laugh at others who face the same issues. While people are starving to death in our streets, we spend our days eating steak! We have road rage because folks cut us off on our way to church! Yet the church is not a building it is made up of all Christians and, as a result, we are not islands unto ourselves. Our lives are integrated into the cultures in which we live. For good or bad, we must share the gospel or pay the cost of an angry God!
- do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - "The blind leading the blind, they both fall in the ditch!" We are totally naked before Him! He sees us! And He is warning us that we are in great peril! We are wretched (sinful and desolate), miserable (Product of God's Spirit living in us) because of our sins and spiritual laziness! We are poor in knowledge and suffer because we don't even know who or what we are! If we knew we were the heirs of the entire creation and equipped with power to overcome every adversity we could be victorious and happy but we choose ignorance as we well know knowledge increases responsibility - something we dread as the plague! We are blind to the fact that the battles have already been won for us on Calvary! We are blind to the millions of God's Holy angels who are charged with our wellbeing! We are drifting about with no direction as we scurry about out everyday mundane existence! We are naked as a jay bird since we have laid aside our garments of holiness and put on our fashionable sin-saturated egos. Our nature is like maggots eating anything in their surroundings living on germs instead of manna from heaven!
- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich - True wealth comes from God! Only He can provide for our every need and is more than willing to take control of these necessities so we can enjoy life to the fullest! He came to give us a full and meaningful life but we rather roll around in the garbage of sin!
- white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed - He wishes to cloth us in His Holiness and give us Honor which we could not imagine! But we are too preoccupied with self to see Him and His rewards! We are like porn stars playing around with our genitals exposed in front of all creation --- while Satan laughs in God's face at His "failure" in redemption! God forbid! But He is not finished! The shame we bring to Our Lord will be corrected, Rest Assured!
- and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see - Wash your face in the Living Water! Clean the dirt out of your eyes and see! Stop looking at the world through a fog of confusion and shame! He can remove the muck and help you see clearly!
- As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. - Be warned, God is not marked whatever you reap, the same shall you sow! What true father let's their disobedient child go unpunished? You think if we know that a spoiled child needs discipline that God is dumber than us and won't figure that out? How stupid! Rest assured your sins will find you out! As Christians we are dead to sins. They no longer can send us to hell. But we do not have any future with the things that were sending us there before we accepted His truth and Hi death in our place for these very sins we enjoy! He died for us because of these sins. How tragic our state and spoiled we have become! Beware! God will punish us --- fortunately, as a loving Father and not with wrath as He will poor out on the lost!
- Therefore be zealous and repent. - Repent? Isn't it ironic that the very message we are suppose to tell others, Jesus has to tell us? It was our repentance that saved us in the first place and here we are in need of it again. Shame on us!
- Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. - This has been the most misunderstood verse in the area of missions. It is used often as a message of hope to lost people about the free gift of salvation. Understandably so as it is written for sinners. But this is not for the lost! Ironically, it is for the church! Jesus is outside our door knocking to be invited into His own Church! It is not him knocking at the heart of a lost person here, but rather Him knocking at His own door! We are his Home but we made Him feel like an outcast of the family! If that does not bring tears to your eyes and a lump in your throat, then you must be dead and not a Christian! How can we not run to the door on our knees begging Him to come back to us as our Lord and Master! He who died for our sins in agony, He who loved us so much that He suffered a pain worst then death: separation from His Father and ours in the grave for 3 days! We will never know the extent of that pain He endured for us! Love unbelievable! CHURCH, PLEASE LET HIM IN!
- To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. - I remember the joy and pride I felt as a child when my dad would let me sit on his lap and steer the car as we drove in town. Oh can you imaging the joy it will be to sit with Him on His thrown in Heaven when the lion lays down with the lamb and peace is restored to all of creation? Even so, Come Lord Jesus!
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Summary
We are being
warned! God is showing us what His purpose for this
world entails. As we get closer and closer to the end,
the world has become more and more sinful! And
unfortunately, this condition will worsen till He
returns and redeems us from ourselves. Don't let sin,
self or Satan who has invaded our planet separate you
from the free gift of salvation that Jesus extends to
you in His invitation to be born-again:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes
in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe
is condemned already, because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)
Are You Ready? If not get ready, "Repent
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand"!
Click to Read:
Luke 13:3;
Ephesians 2:8-9;
Romans 10:8-13;
Acts2:38
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