Every person should know, what is the Church?

Every person should know, what is the Church?

 

What is the Church? Many people think of Church as a building where Christians gather for worship on a Sunday. The Church (ἐκκλησία ekklēsia) is a unique entity revealed and ordained by God and came into existence at the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers. The true meaning of "ekklēsia" is the "called out ones." Jesus started building His Church by calling out people to repentance and turn to Him. Jesus said, "... I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus is the One who is building the Church. 

 

The Church, a group of people who are called out and set apart for the glory of God. God's view of the Church is seen as described by apostle Paul, "but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). The job of the Church is to keep herself holy and "proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous light." Apostle Paul writes, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14). The Church submits to Christ's authority as He is the Head of the Church. The relationship between Christ and the Church is likened to a bridegroom and a bride. "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). The Holy Spirit is sanctifying the Church as a bride for the marriage. Paul also writes, "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:27). The Church was born on the day of Pentecost will be taken up to heaven at the Rapture. The Church will be presented as a bride for the Bridegroom Jesus Christ. "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7).

 

The Beginning of the Church

 

There is no concept of the Church in the Old Testament. It was a mystery until it was revealed later in the New Testament. Sometimes people wrongly equate the Old Testament Israel with the Church in the New Testament. John the Baptist rightly understood this and acknowledged he was not part of the Church. He calls himself the friend of the bridegroom (Jesus) but not the bride. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled (John 3:29). Jesus also said, "The law and the prophets were until John" (Luke 16:16).

 

Later, Jesus told His disciples that He must go to the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit to them. "Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7-8).

 

Later, after His death, burial, and resurrection, "He (Jesus) was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:2-3). Just before his ascension, Jesus said to His disciples, "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). Just like He promised, after seven days after His ascension, "when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4). Thus, the Church was formally born with the anointing and the visible presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

 The Church will be raptured before the whole world will be plunged into the great tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. The Holy Spirit also the Restrainer who dwells in a believer will be taken out of the way at the Rapture. The apostle Paul writes, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:7-8). Paul describes, after the Church is raptured, then the Antichrist will be revealed. After the Church is taken out of the way, the focus will go back to the Jewish people to fulfill Daniel's seventieth week for seven years.

 

 

Message to the Church while awaiting the Rapture

 

 

The message to the Church is as follows:

 

·       Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).

·       To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).

·       And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star (Rev. 2:26-28).

·       He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Rev. 3:5).

·       He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name (Rev. 3:12).

·       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 (Rev. 3:21).

 

Dear reader, we are now in the church age. Have you repented of your sins and asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? It is a terrible thing to be left behind when Christ comes for His bride the Church at the Rapture. The world will experience unimaginable hardship on this earth under the Antichrist. Don't trust your good works. Bible says "...we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). The only righteousness that is valid before God is Christ's righteousness by removing our unrighteousness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

 

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Do you want to know what will happen next in the Middle East?

 

Will there be peace in the Middle East? Who is going to win the Israel Palestinian conflict? When the tensions go high between Israel and Arab nations, people want to know what will happen next. 

 

I want to explain what is going to happen in the Middle East. I am not writing what will happen in the future because I am a prophet.  "I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet" (Amos 7:14). I am writing the future because I study the prophets. Some of the things I am writing here may seem preposterous to a few people.

 

 

 

Before 1948, when some pastors preached from the Bible that God will bring back the nation of Israel, many scoffed at them. For almost 1900 years, there was no nation Israel, said the unbelievers. Scoffers questioned how a nation could come back that has gone out of existence for 1900 years. For man, it is impossible, but for God, all things are possible. In fact, God can bring a nation in one day just like the prophet Isaiah foretold:

 

 "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?

 Can a land be born in one day?

 Can a nation be brought forth all at once?

 As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons” (Isaiah 66:8).

 

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day. The prophecy came to fulfillment, and the nation Israel was born in one day. And the rest is history. 

 

This should make the reader curious after seeing the fulfillment of a prophecy written during 750 BC. There are several prophecies concerning Israel that are yet to be fulfilled. 

 In the last days, the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, and the temple sacrifices restored. Looking at the TV screens and watching the tensions flaring up in the Temple Mount recently, it appears, rebuilding the Jewish temple is an impossible task. 

 With all the details in my head, someday I will write a book, but for now, I should keep this short. 

 According to the Bible, we are now living in the "Church Age". When the rapture happens, all the truly born-again, born by the spirit Christians, both living and dead, will be taken out of this world with a glorified body.  

 The Apostle Paul writes, 

"… the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

 As millions of people disappear into thin air at the rapture, the corrupt mainstream media will convince the people left behind as some radiation or an alien invasion that caused the people to disappear. There will be lawlessness and turmoil in a scale the world has never seen. Out of the chaos, an insignificant leader emerges into the center stage and usurps power over many nations. The Bible calls this leader the Antichrist. 

 

The Antichrist will sign peace treaties with many nations and Israel for seven years (one week of years). It's ironic that Israel rejected their Messiah (the Christ) but accepts the Antichrist. By this time, Israel will have its temple rebuilt and the sacrificial system restored. The Antichrist will break his covenant in the middle of the seven-year treaty and halts the sacrifices in the temple. He enters the temple and declares himself as god. He begins persecuting the Jewish people in order to annihilate them. 

 

The next three and half years is the great tribulation. The great tribulation is a time of unprecedented suffering, especially for the Jewish people. It is also called the "Jacob's trouble." Many of them will flee to Petra. The Antichrist and his armies will ravage Israel. As the prophet Joel describes, they "have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it" (Joel 3:3). If you think the holocaust was the biggest tragedy for the Jewish people, six million Jewish people were killed, it will be nothing compared to what is going to happen during the time of the Antichrist. It is estimated that one in three Jews were killed during the holocaust. In the great tribulation, two out of three Jews will be killed. When the nation Israel goes through the tribulation, they realize their great sin of crucifying their Christ (Messiah) and accepting the Antichrist. The prophet Zechariah wrote,

"In the whole land, declares the Lord,

two thirds shall be cut off and perish,

and one third shall be left alive.

And I will put this third into the fire,

and refine them as one refines silver,

and test them as gold is tested.

They will call upon my name,

and I will answer them.

I will say, 'They are my people';

and they will say, 'The Lord is my God" (Zechariah 13:8-9).

 

Until the Church is raptured, and Israel goes through the tribulation, a partial hardening has come upon the Jewish people. When they repent and call for their Messiah, whom they crucified, then all Israel will be saved. The Apostle Paul writes,

"... a partial hardening has come upon Israel,

until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,       

"The Deliverer will come from Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";

 "and this will be my covenant with them

when I take away their sins" (Romans 11:25-27).

 

At the end of the seven-year tribulation period, Jesus Christ will come back and destroy Antichrist and establish his kingdom. When the Prince of Peace comes, there will be peace in Jerusalem.  Until then, there will be no peace. There will be no peace without the Prince of Peace. 

 

Dear reader, if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the next event that happens is the rapture. If you only have a religion and not a relationship, you will be left behind and will suffer through the tribulation. If you really understand the tribulation, you do not want to be there or do not want your loved one to be left behind. 

 

Jesus said ..., "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Those who reject Jesus Christ will be thrown into the lake of fire. 

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The Church of Satan and the Fallen Star

The Holy Bible describes about the stars in the firmament extensively. "There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory" ( 1 Corinthians 15:41). Each star is different, and each symbolizes something significant. Apostle John writes what he hears from Jesus in the Island of Patmos, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" ( Revelation 22:16). Jesus is called the "bright and morning star" in the scriptures. He is called the "Root of David," and He is also called the "Son of David." 

 

When Jesus was born, wise men from the East came, "saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:2). It is a specific star that they saw out of millions and millions of stars. The star they saw represented "the bright and morning star." 

 

The Old Testament Prophet Daniel writes, "Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). If you are a soul winner, you will be like a star forever and ever. 

 

Like school mascots representing their school, with time, religions, businesses, countries have their symbolism. Many of you may have seen the star of David on the flag of Israel and many Jewish monuments. The Star of David is a generally recognized symbol of modern Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a six-pointed star, the compound of two equilateral triangles. (You won't find this description in the Bible or Talmud).

 

Similarly, Satan and its evil forces also have stars. The prophet Amos describes, "You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves" (Amos 5:26). 

 

We read in Acts 7:43, "You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' (Acts 7:43).

 

In the book of Revelation, Satan is seen as a star fallen from heaven. "Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit" (Revelation 9:1).

 

The church of Satan has officially adopted the five-pointed star as its official symbol. The official emblem of the Church of Satan, consisting of the head of a goat transfixed upon a reversed pentagram flanked by the Hebrew letters of the word "Leviathan (לִוְיָתָן), can be seen that on the Church of Satan's website. 

 

There is a genuine "bright and morning Star," there is a counterfeit five-pointed star, also called "Sigil of Baphomet."

Stay away from all occult and satanic symbols and practices. 

 

 ***

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When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box

 Lately, I was spending more time with my kids and playing board games with them. When we play Monopoly, it is a serious business.  I mean serious business. All of us come up with the best strategies to win the game. When you own many properties and build houses and hotels, you feel like you achieved a great deal. Sometimes when the game runs for hours, we keep the game alive untouched and continue the next day.  Because no one wants to give up and loose until the game is over. Here comes the sad part, when the game is over, all the titles, money, houses, and hotels go back to the box.

Our life on earth is like a Monopoly Game. When our time on earth is over, we have to leave everything behind. Our bodies are made out of the dust, "and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7).   Moses prays to God in Psalm 90, "You return man to dust...You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers." A wise person will understand the brevity of life, especially when compared with eternity, and live for the glory of God. We will also pray like Moses, Lord, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

Sooner or later, everyone has to depart this earth. When the time comes, will we say like Apostle Paul,  "...the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing" ( 2 Timothy 4:6-8).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

When I tear down my tent on this earth, all I want is to hear my Master say "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23).

 

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Who is Jesus Christ?

Who is Jesus Christ? Even Jesus asked his disciples the same question, as this is the ultimate question one should answer, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13). Your eternal life depends on how you answer this question. 

 

Islam calls Jesus a mere prophet, less important than the prophet Mohammed. Hindus consider him as a guru (a moral teacher) or as one of the millions of gods they worship. 

 

Once, I attended a party. The host, who is a Christian, when addressing the guests, told his Hindu friends, you should at least consider Jesus as a teacher. Although his intentions were good, I was shocked to hear that. What good is it going to do if his friends believe Jesus as a mere teacher? In fact, it will stop them from thinking about Jesus beyond a guru. 

The disciples answered Jesus and said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (Matthew 16:14). These are all typical Jewish answers from antiquity. People come up with all kinds of answers these days.

 

Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).  

 

Jesus replied, "And I tell you, you are Peter (Πέτρος Petros ), and (καί kai; but/and)  on this Rock (πέτρα petra) I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Now the important question is, what is the Rock upon which Jesus is going to build His Church? Clearly, Jesus was using a play on words here. Simon, you are a Petros (a piece of Rock), but upon this Petra (a boulder, a feminine usage of a much bigger rock, or cliff), I will build my Church. Logically if you think, Jesus asked a direct question, "But who do you say that I am?" After he got a correct response from Peter, Jesus said, upon this (response) Rock, I will build my Church. 

 

The response Peter gave is, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16). This is the response on which God is going to build his Church. When you are saved, you become a part of His Church. How are you saved? "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved... ( Acts 16:31). "...If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). The saved are the members of the Church. Whether the response about Jesus or Jesus himself is the Rock does not make much difference, as the response acknowledges Jesus is the Son of the Living God. 

 

Some people erroneously think that Jesus told Peter that Jesus is building his Church upon Peter (Petros -a piece of Rock). Thus, some Roman Catholics believe Peter was the first Pope. 

 

Paul writes about pre-incarnate Christ, "...For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). Clearly, the Rock is the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old Testament. "You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth..." (Deuteronomy 32:18). Psalmist writes about God as "He only is my rock and my salvation..." (Ps. 28:1, Ps. 62:2).

 

How are you going to answer the question Jesus asked? Are you going to say, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God?"  

 

If you cannot say that, you are calling him a liar. Apostle John writes, "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:22-23).

 

 

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.  

     On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

 

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