The Christian and The Church

Back on May 21, 2007 I started this blog to talk about the Christian Church and my faith and to find an answer to “What is the Christian Church?”. A way if you will to exercise my faith during a time of rejection and possible apostasy and bitterness. It has been therapeutic and helpful to ask the question what is the church and to find answers such as;

I. We are the true temples, each believer, NOT the brick and mortar buildings but each person that calls on Jesus’ name as Lord and Saviour are the true holy ground.

1Corinthians 6:19

II. As believer’s and recipients of Gods favour we are chosen to outreach daily and be true to Gods saving grace by allowing all Gods children the ability to learn and grow in the word and to do it in truth as opposed to tradition.

Matthew 20:16

III. We are not God therefore we have NO right to judge another person under any circumstances, in fact even Jesus did not judge anyone but reserved it for end times. However that does not disallow us from having an opinion. Jesus said it best those without sin cast the first stone.

John 7:53-8:11

IV. We are conduits for Gods love and we are to follow Jesus and have Christian values but in this broken world the word values gets mixed up in manmade rules and interpretations. Allow me to help you clarify ten Christian values and there biblical roots.

1 Peter 2:17

Ten Biblical Moral Values

1) Worship only the Lord God – Mark 12:28-30

2) Respect all people – Mark 12:31

3) Be Humble and Serve – Matthew 20:20-28

4) Do Not Lie – The 8^th Commandment Exodus 20:16

5) Live a Moral Life - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Jesus gave a list of verbs that are considered immoral uses of the body: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, arrogance and foolishness. The apostle Paul gave a similar list - Galatians 5:19-21. Church folk often think of morality in terms of sexual sins, but according to Jesus, sins such as slander, greed, deceit, and arrogance are equally immoral.

Biblical resources: Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 5:27-28, 15:18-19, Mark 7:20-22, 10:11-12, Romans 13:11-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:16-26, Ephesians 5:1-7, Colossians 3:5-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-9,

6) Give Generously of both your time and Money – 1 John 3:16-18

7) Don’t be a Hypocrite Practice what you Preach – Matthew 7:5

8) Do not Judge or be Self-Righteous – Romans 3:10-18

9) Don’t hold Grudges but Forgive – Matthew 6:12

10) Exercise your faith and help other Christians in their ministry’s of spreading and honoring Gods word – Matthew 5:41-42

V. We cannot pick and choose what parts of the Bible we should follow and what parts we should ignore.

James 2:10

VI. We should pray for others daily.

Job 1:5, 42:8

VII. We are to Evangelize the World in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Matthew 28:18-20

My prayer is a revival that is second to no other and that God will pour His spirit out on all flesh and unite those of us who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour despite any minor theological differences.

In the name of Jesus, AMEN.

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

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All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar

What is the Christian Church...?

What is the Christian Church…?

Who leads the Church?

• The Pastor
• The Chairman of the Board
• The Board
• The Congregation

These are all wrong because the answer should be; God leads the church but really the question we need to ask is;

What in reality, not tradition is the actual Christian Church?

1 Corinthians 6:19 (New American Standard Bible)

19. Or ^(A)do you not know that ^(B)your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that ^(C)you are not your own?

Cross references:

1. 1 Corinthians 6:19 : 1 Cor 6:3
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19 : John 2:21; 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16
3. 1 Corinthians 6:19 : Rom 14:7

So if we are not our own then the church is not owned either since all that we produce is not our own but that of God. That is if we profess Christianity and the acceptance of Christ as our Saviour we are no longer our own but bought and paid for by God. So we are no longer free but slaves to the purpose and will of God.

So it is God’s purpose that we are here NOT to JUDGE but to spread the gospel message of salvation, hope, peace, understanding, mercy, grace, compassion and Love of all these the greatest is Love.

Is this not what JESUS taught us?

That Love is the reason God offered us redemption through the price and saving grace of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death upon the cross.

So why do some within the Christian Church (all denominations that profess Jesus Christ) choose to judge and in the act of judging cause apostasy. Through selective measures of;

• membership
• tradition
• quenching the spirit
• worship
• relationship
• leadership

The answers to these questions lie in the heart of the matter and also in the fact that the church is not a collective but each individual is in him/herself an actual temple dedicated to the Lord we exalt above all.

So then the tradition of the brick and mortar building is not sacred but the people who fill these buildings are sacred as assigned by God Himself. If someone is turned away who is in reality accepted by God then were does that leave you who would turn him/her away in the eyes of God. Does Jesus not say “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

• Do you make God an enemy by the act of creating an apostate

• Who are you to question God’s authority when it is He you apparently worship

• Do you believe you are right and on what basis that your church is more of an authority then the actual temple God created, which is each believer

So in truth as each believer is the actual temple of God then we as believers are responsible for our own relationship with God and our actions. Actions such as spiritual disciplines of;

• Prayer
• Scripture memorization
• Charity
• Evangelizing
• Meditation
• Fasting
• Study
• Service
• Solitude
• Stewardship
• Relationship

So then where does the traditional brick and mortar church fit into all this?

• A place of gathering
• A place of fellowship
• A place of corporate worship
• A place of sharing and breaking of bread together
• A place of teaching
• A place of learning
• A place of healing

The traditional brick and mortar church is not meant to be any of these which in so many cases it has become;

• A place of judgement
• A place of gossip
• A place of slander
• A place of social status
• A place of ownership
• A place of exclusion
• A place of Apostasy

The church we read about in Acts is one of;

• Unity
• Sharing
• Giving
• Victory

Together we can take back the church from those that use it for their own means that contaminate the beauty of what it should be.

How can we do this?

• By prayer
• By supplication
• By accepting God’s power through the Holy Spirit
• By casting out unclean spirits
• By proper leadership

Remember that ignorance is a disease that has every aspect of society trapped, but with the realization of the internet and the ability to share information at speeds previously undreamed of we can overcome traditional ignorance in our brick and mortar churches.

Responsibility without maturity is disaster; power without respect is dangerous…

May...

The Lord bless and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Try a Bible Quiz and test your knowledge

click here ---> BIBLE QUIZ <--- click here

Subscribe in a reader

All posts by M.A.C. © Bruce W. Moar