Jim – Page 55 – Bible Truth 4u

What is the Church?

What is the CHURCH? When did it begin? Where did the Church start?
It is never mentioned in the Old Testament.
Church or Churches is found 115x in the New Testament.
114x Greek word ‘ekklesia’ which means a calling out/a religious congregation/assembly/church.
1x Greek word ‘hierosulos’ and should have been translated temple. Acts 19:37
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
By definition and practice it’s an assembly of people to worship (a) God.
A CHRISTIAN Church is an assembly to worship Christ.
• Only mentioned 3x in the Gospels:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
This is a prophecy of Christ founding the Church.
Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
(Could/Should have been translated Temple)
Not mentioned in Mark, Luke or John
1st mention of CHURCH is in Acts 2:47, CHURCHES in Acts 9:31.
SO WHERE DID THE CHURCH BEGIN?
Reading Acts 2:47; 5:11,42 We see that the Church began in Jerusalem, consisting of Believing Jews, meeting in the Temple and different houses.
Saul (Acts 8:1-3) was able to carry on a persecution against the Church (Believing Jews) when they met in the Temple or houses. And because of him the Church grew and spread. And proof of growth is in Acts 9:31, where we read “Then had the CHURCHES rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria …”
Looking at all the references in Scripture will help us define the Church.
Acts 7:38 Should NOT have been translated CHURCH. This is just the ASSEMBLY of the Children of Israel lead by Moses out of Egypt.

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Church Part 2

From Acts
11:22 “… the church which was in Jerusalem:…”
11:26 “…they assembled themselves with the church, … And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
12:1 “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth [his] hands to vex certain of the church.”
12:5 “Peter … kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”
13:1 “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch…”

The above referred to Jewish assembles. Below refers to Gentile assembles (which include some Jews) founded by Paul.

14:23 “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting…”
14:27 “And when they were come, and had gathered the church together,…”
15:3-4 “And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria,… And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church,…”
15:22 “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men …”
15:41 “And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.”
16:5 “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”
18:22 “And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, ”
20:17-28 “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.”, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, … hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,…”

And Romans give us an insight to what the church is:
16:1 “… the church which is at Cenchrea:”
16:4-5 “…all the churches of the Gentiles.”, “Likewise greet the church that is in their house … of Achaia …”
16:16 “… The churches of Christ salute you.”
16:23 “Gaius mine host, and of the whole church …”
16:27 “… and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.”

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Church Part 3

And from Galatians
1:2 “… unto the churches of Galatia:”
1:13 “… I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:”
1:22 “… the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:”
And from Ephesians
1:22 “… the head over all things to the church,”
3:10 “… might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,”
3:21 “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,…”
5:23-25 “… even as Christ is the head of the church: ”, “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,”, “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
5:27 “… a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,…”
5:29 “… even as the Lord the church:”
5:32 “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
And from Philippians
3:6 “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church;…”
4:15 “… when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me …”
And from Colossians
1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church:”
1:24 “ … afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:”
4:15-16 “Salute the brethren … and the church which is in his house.”, “… cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans;…”
And from Thessalonians (1-2)
1:1 “… unto the church of the Thessalonians”
2:14 “… became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea …”
1:1 “… the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus …:”
1:4 “… glory in you in the churches of God for your patience …”
And from Timothy (1-2)
3:5 “… how shall he take care of the church of God?”
3:15 “…to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, ”
5:16 “… and let not the church be charged;…”
4:22 “… unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians,…”
And from Titus
3:15 “…to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians,”
And from Philemon
1:2 “… and to the church in thy house:”
And from Hebrews
2:12 “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church ”
12:23 “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,…”
And from James
5:14 “… let him call for the elders of the church;…”
And from Peter
5:13 “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with [you],…”
And from John (3)
1:6 “Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church:…”
1:9-10 “I wrote unto the church: …”, “…forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”

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The Children of Lot

Read about LOT in Genesis 11-19. The story of his family is in Genesis 19.
To Summarize:
19:1 Two angels visit Lot
19:12 Tell him to Gather his family, sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?
19:14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters.
But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
19:15 Angels grab their hands and lead them out of city.
19:29 God destroyed the cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah.
19:30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, … He and his two daughters lived in a cave
Lot had Son’s, Son-In-Laws and Daughters! But only two survived.
19:36 The daughters get their father drunk and commit sin with him and bear sons.

It would appear that Lot had more than two daughters.
Perhaps Sons, Daughters-in-law, Daughters and Sons-in -law who did not have faith and did not believe him and they perished in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

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⇛ also see Lot’s Wife

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Lot

The story of Lot begins in Genesis 11:27 and ends with 2 Peter 2:7.
His name occurs some 20 times.
Just to Summarize:
He is the Nephew of Abram.
Moved from Ur to Canaan with his grandfather (and Uncle Abram).
Abram left Canaan and Lot went with him.
Quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s, causing a separation.
Lot chose chose the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar (Sodom and Gomorrah.
Lot gets captured by four waring Kings.
Abraham has to rescue him.
Two Angels warn Lot to take his family and Leave Sodom.
Lot, wife and two daughters flee Sodom.
Lot’s wife disobeys and turns to a pillar of Salt.
Lot gets drunk and sins with his daughters.
The Lord Jesus referred to Lot in Luke 17:28-32 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.
And finally: 2 Peter 2:7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

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⇛ also see The Children of Lot

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ACTS 5

Satan Attacks
30 AD
I. Attack from within
II. Continued Growth
III. Attack from without

1-11 The Big Lie. Consider today, how many tell lies and lose their church fellowship.
1 Ananias and Sapphira
2 They kept some of the money. Consider why this was wrong.
3 Satan was the cause of the lie, greed.
4-6 Results of the lie.
7-10 The wife continues the lie.
11 Great fear came upon ALL the Jewish church.
12-16 The church grew. Signs, wonders, healings and teaching the word cause growth.
17-18 High Priest (Jewish) and Sadducees had to do something to stop this.
19-21 God intervenes. Back to preaching in the Temple.
22-25 Discover the Jail cell empty.
26-28 Go get them, again. Listen STOP preaching.
29-32 Obey God not men.
33 We need to slay them.
34-39 Warning from one of their own, If this be of God, you cannot stop it.
40-42 Beat them command them to stop. Let them go.
They left, rejoiced and ceased NOT to teach and preach.

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ACTS 6

    DEACONS  
    34 AD

ORGANIZATION
6:1-2 The Problem.
People being neglected.
6:3-6 The Solution. Deuteronomy 1:13
More workers needed
Honest Report, Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.
Chose 7
6:7 The Results.
Word of God increased
6:8-14 Stephen stands out.
He’s charged by false witnesses
Blasphemy against Moses
Blasphemy against God
Blasphemy against the Law
Blasphemy against the Temple
Declaring that Jesus would destroy the Temple
That Mosaic costumes would be changed
6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

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ACTS 7

STEPHEN 34 AD
7:1-53 Stephen’s reply to the Charges:
2-8 Obedience God and Abraham
9-16 God’s care Joseph to Egypt
17-22 God’s care Birth of Moses
23-29 Rejection Flight of Moses
30-34 Deliverer Call of Moses
35-43 Rejection Israel’s Idolatry
44-50 Change Accepted – Temple built
51-53 Rejection Prophets persecuted

7:54-60 Stephen Killed
54 Jewish leaders really upset
55-56 Stephen replies to their anger
57-60 They kill him by stoning
And Saul watched

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Would the Lord Jesus…

Part of an article from Scott Morefield at Townhall.com Sept 2021

…Far more prevalent, and even encouraged by the media and powers-that-be, are Christian arguments from the left that focus on vaccines and mask use as something that ‘Jesus would have done.’ Most notably of late, Saddleback Church pastor and author Rick Warren: “The Bible says ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”, Warren said in March in a video that recently gained widespread attention on social media. “The most practical way right now you can love your neighbor as yourself, wear a mask. Okay? And to not wear one basically says, ‘I don’t care about you,’ or ‘I don’t even care about your fears.’”

So, according to Warren and others with that mindset, one must “wear a mask” in order to properly love our neighbor. Nevermind that there is a preponderance of perfectly valid scientific and data-based evidence that masking DOES NOT WORK to stop the spread of Covid-19 or any other highly contagious respiratory virus, you should just wear one anyway so your ‘neighbor’ knows you care about them. Nevermind that universal masking creates a false sense of security that everyone is ‘safe’ from contracting or spreading Covid and that this false sense of security quite likely made a lot of people unnecessarily sick over the past year and a half, the feelz dictates we mask up because our ‘neighbor’ might be a media-induced hypochondriac deceived into thinking that masks work and the risk of Covid is much higher than it actually is.

Obviously, you can see where this is going. It’s what happens when someone with influence over others interprets and applies a Biblical passage or concept unilaterally to a highly charged modern political issue while ignoring all nuance and dismissing other ways of interpretation. Sadly, such tactics have always been part of the toolboxes of religious demagogues hellbent on imposing ‘their way or the highway’ on their followers.

In truth, Jesus commanded us to love the Lord first with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, then to love our neighbors as ourselves. How then are we to love the Lord with our minds if we dismiss data and evidence on a topic that goes against our presuppositions or a prevailing narrative? How are we to ‘love’ our neighbors while at the same time bearing false witness to them? Is our duty to make them “feel better” or to tell them the truth? What would Jesus have done? In an age where masking has become a talisman, even an idol of sorts to people desperate to find something, anything that ‘controls’ something that is ultimately proving to be uncontrollable, would the Son of God have given people comfort by lying to them or by telling them the truth?

No, I don’t believe Jesus Christ would have put on a mask any more than I think he would have pretended a blood sacrifice to a graven image would have brought rain during a time of drought. And when at all possible, you shouldn’t either.

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Who are You?

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) – Unique (except to Twins) It belongs to just you!
Twins come from the same fertilized egg and share the same genetic blueprint.
DNA is like a genetic fingerprint: no one on earth has exactly the same DNA. Even the DNA of identical twins is not completely identical Although each organism’s DNA is unique, all DNA is composed of the same nitrogen-based molecules. Genomes contain all the vital genetic solutions discovered by our ancestors in response to all the environmental challenges that they had successfully overcome since creation. To a standard DNA test, twins are indistinguishable. But any forensics expert will tell you that there is at least one surefire way to tell them apart: identical twins do not have matching fingerprints.

Finger Prints – Unique! They belong to just you!
Each person’s fingerprints are unique, which is why they have long been used as a way to identify individuals. Surprisingly little is known about the factors that influence a person’s fingerprint patterns. Like many other complex traits, studies suggest that both genetic and environmental factors play a role. Your fingerprints also stay the same from the time you’re born until death. Their uniqueness and lasting quality make fingerprints one of the best ways to identify a person. Prints from palms, toes and feet are also unique; however, these are used less often for identification, so identification focuses on prints from the fingers and thumbs.

Another thing that makes a person unique is our Body, Soul and Spirit.
Spirit – every human is born with a Body, Soul and Spirit. The Body we can see. The Soul is the life of that Body. The Spirit is DEAD (not in communication with God). It’s only when one is saved, born again, does the Spirit come alive (in communication with God) Ephesians 2:1.

Yes, God created YOU a unique person. The purpose is so you can dwell with Him for all eternity! 1 Corinthians 2:9.

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