Category: CHURCH

Don’t know who the author of this is, copied it off a floating Email,  BUT it is well worth repeating here.

Why go to Church?

If you’re spiritually alive, you’re going to love this!
If you’re spiritually dead, you won’t want to read it.
If you’re spiritually curious, there is still hope!

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
“I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the Letters to the Editor column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

When you are DOWN to nothing… God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!
Thank God for our physical AND spiritual nourishment!

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Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Ephesians 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:4-6 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Ephesians 5:4-12  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 5:23,30,32 ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Colossians 1:24-26 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful

Nowhere else in scripture is the BODY of Christ, the Church, mentioned. Not in the Old Testament. Not in the four Gospels. Not in Hebrews, James, John, Jude, Peter or Revelation.

Only in the Epistles written by Paul, to the Churches that he founded, is the Body of Christ mentioned.

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Many a sermon has been preached on this subject. Always pointing out that the Bride is the Church (Believers) and the Bridegroom is Christ. Now it is interesting that the term “Bride of Christ” is never used in the scripture. The word “BRIDE” is found in 5 verses in the New Testament, so let’s look at these:

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

If you put this verse back into context, it is John the Baptist answer to the Jews asking him if he were the Christ. It would appear that the Bridegroom he speaks of is Christ (Jesus whom he had baptized). But who is the Bride? So let’s look elsewhere the Bride and Bridegroom are mentioned. They are all in the Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John.

Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the brideshall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

The text (Chapter 18) appears to be speaking about events near or at the end of the seven years of Tribulation. The Bridegroom, Christ (established in John 3:29) is done speaking, and so is the Bride. But who or what is the Bride? 

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a brideadorned for her husband.

The text (Chapter 21) is at the end of the seven year Tribulation and the start of Eternity. Of course the Husband is the Bridegroom: Christ. And the Bride, could it be the holy city, new Jerusalem?

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

In the same text we find a further description of the Bride, she’s the Lamb’s wife. We find the answer to that in the following Text:

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

In the last text where the Bride is mentioned in in Revelation 22:17.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The Spirit mentioned is the Holy Spirit.  See Luke 11:13, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, and 1 Thessalonians 4:8. The Holy Spirit is mentioned many or times in scripture, usually by Spirit. Part of the Godhead; God, Son and Spirit.

In conclusion it would appear that the Bridegroom is Christ and the Bride is the new Jerusalem, a city for the Jews which Christ will rule from (a continuance of David’s throne). A fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham and all Jews. ISAIAH 62  Jerusalem, the Bride

An interesting side note. It appears in Isaiah 54:5-6 that Israel is called the wife of God. Speaking to Israel the Lord says:

Isaiah 54:5-6  For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

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