What a Church Really Is

Many Christians still believe that the church is a place they go to where they can pray, listen to the Word being preached and worship God. Some even believe that they have to go to this certain place to be in God's presence. Well, before I go any further let us have a look at exactly what the word "church" means.

Throughout the New Testament the Greek word used for "church" is "ekklēsia" which means; the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting; a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly (Thayer's Greek Lexicon Dictionary). So this clearly means that the church is not a place or building people go to, but instead it is the gathering of the people at any place.

My next statement will probably have people up in arms, calling me blasphemous, but I will say it anyway: If you believe in your heart that the place or building you go to is the only place where you can be in the presence of the Lord, you are actually putting your faith in wood and brick and this means you are committing idolatry. Yes, by believing this you are in effect viewing a building as an image of holiness. Remember, God searches the heart.

Let us go to Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (KJV)

So… according to Jesus Christ… if my wife, my sister, a friend and I get together at my place in His Name… then that gathering is a local church. I was one time called before a local church council of one pastor, three elders and two deacons, because of my believing in the Word that came from Jesus' mouth. They told me to stop believing that the Lord is in the presence of just two people. The pastor especially insisted that that is not "the way things work". They also insisted that to be able to enter heaven you must "belong to a church" and that God is only in our presence when we are gathered at the building which was sanctified as God's house.

Oh and I was also told that the body is not God's temple as stated in 1Corinthians 6:19 - "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (KJV). They believe the church building is the temple of the Lord. Needless to say, my wife and I never returned to that "church" again. I mean these so-called men of God, as they say, shamelessly and blatantly contradict the Word of God.

Well one could say I had a taste of Mark 13:9. (I'll leave that for you to read up on).

So in closing I say that contrary to traditional and cultural belief, the true church has nothing to do with a building. The true church is the gathering of two or more believers in Christ at any given place or time to fellowship and learn more about our Father through His Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

Worshipping God in Spirit

This is a truth which is misunderstood by some and also totally reject by many.

Jesus said in John 4:23-24 - "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (KJV)

Note that Jesus Christ says “true worshippers” will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. He also goes on to explain that God is a Spirit and we “MUST” worship him in spirit and truth.

Let’s take the word “Spirit”. We all know a spirit is unseen so if God’s true worshippers are to worship Him in spirit, it must mean that it’s supposed to be unseen worship that is meant to be internal; in thought and in heart. According to Christ Himself this is how God wants us to worship him. God is not interested in external gestures, ceremonies and rituals.

So then if we “must” worship God in spirit, does it mean we must not worship Him externally? I’ll leave that for you to decide. I personally choose to worship our Father the way he wants to be worshipped which is internally. And how do I worship him in truth? By obeying God’s word which is the Truth to the best of my ability.

Sadly I know of many people who believe that you must externally show that you worship God. These people also believe that anyone should be able to give you just one look and know that you are a Christian. This is a classic case of man teaching doctrines of men and not keeping to the commands of God. This is exactly one of the ways in which we have many falling away from faith and becoming religious instead, still believing that they are sticking to the teachings of Christ.

So exam yourself… are you a true worshipper or are you more concerned about an external show of religion?

Fruits of the Flesh

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are quite clearly highlighted in Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]." (Amplified Bible)

What I will now highlight here are the fruits of the flesh. Now I know Scripture does highlight them, but I will attempt to make it easy for all to easily understand what they are which quite simply is the opposite of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. So I guess we could also call them the fruits of Satan. I also believe highlighting them clearly could help us recognize when Satan is trying to use or tempt us. So by recognizing the “symptoms” of the flesh trying to surface, we could more easily learn to control our behaviour, thus helping us and especially new converts to better walk in the Spirit.

The fruits of the flesh are:

§  Hatred §  Bad moods §  Impatience §  Anger §  Double mindedness §  Unfaithfulness §  Being merciless §  Self pity §  Lust §  Immorality §  Unfairness §  Being judgmental

§  Negative attitudes §  Harshness toward others §  Over indulgence §  Greed §  Over confidence §  Pride §  Unforgiving attitude §  A loud personality §  Idolatry §  Rebellion §  Racist attitude or thoughts §  Jealousy

Note that not all the fruits of the flesh are listed here, but the list does give a clear and basic outline as to what to watch out for when the enemy comes knocking. We all know this yet sometimes we still slip up. That just shows how quickly and subtly the Satan can take control.

I know I’ll be making this sound simple, but all we need to do is submit to the Holy Spirit and we will automatically start bearing good fruit.

The Importance of Reading Your Bible Daily

I am pretty sure we have all already heard preachers and many other people encourage and sometimes urge us to all read our bibles daily. But not all of them ever explained exactly why we as Christians need to do this. I will now attempt to explain exactly why the daily reading of Scripture is so important.

John 6:35 - And Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (KJV)

Here Jesus Christ says that He is the bread of life. Now let’s look at:-

Matthew 4:4 - But he answered and said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (KJV)

Now here Jesus says that we as, reborn spiritual beings, shall not physically live on bread alone, but also spiritually on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Now in the first chapter of the book of John we read that the Word (God’s Word) became flesh: John 1:14 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (KJV). So then obviously Jesus Christ is the Word of God.

Now if Jesus is the Word and also the Bread (spiritual bread) then just as we all need physical bread (food) daily, we also need the spiritual bread (Word of God) daily or else we become malnourished. And needless to say, we all know the Holy Bible is the Word of God. So it means if we do not take in (read) our bibles daily we in a sense become spiritually malnourished.

In the same way if we don’t rely on our Bread (Jesus) daily then we die spiritually just as we would die physically if we went for days without eating food and drinking water due to malnourishment. So then if the daily intake of food makes us grow stronger physically, then the daily intake of the Word of God (Holy Bible) will make us grow stronger spiritually.

So therefore we need to read our bibles daily so we can gain a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and of our Heavenly Father and also mature in His Word (grow in Christ).

Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (KJV)

In the verse above Jesus Christ says that we should take up our crosses daily, so it could be concluded that if we are to carry our crosses daily, we will also need to eat and drink the bread and waters of life daily so that we will have the strength to carry our crosses.

I beg you please to understand that I am in no way claiming that reading your bible daily will get you into heaven. I am merely stating that it will help you grow spiritually.

Tithes and Offerings in the New Testament Church

The issue of tithes and offerings is another issue of concern faced by members of the church today. Quite sadly we have congregation members being manipulated into tithing using the following verses from the Old Testament:

Malachi 3:8-9 - "Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation." (ASV)

I personally found myself in a church where this exact verse was used to scare the congregation members into giving their full tithes or they “will be cursed”. No one spoke out against this teaching and everyone just accepted this statement as fact. Why?... Because it was taken out of the bible, so it had to be truth.

Now as one teacher once told me, I now say unto you; challenge everything you see happening in the church today against what is written in the New Testament. The verses above (Malachi 3:8-9) were obviously taken from the Old Testament... needless to say; we live in the New Testament.

So what does the New Testament say?

2Corinthians 9:7 - "Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]." (AMP)

So according to the New Testament we do not have to fear being cursed for not giving tithes. We are given the freedom in Christ to give as our hearts desire and not out of necessity as those living under the Law. So it should be taught in churches then that if you feel like giving a full tithe then good for! And if you don’t feel like giving it then... Good for you also! Keep in mind though:

2Corinthians 9:6 - "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (KJV)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving tithes, but when it becomes a necessity as part of your “membership” to a certain congregation, then you might want to start evaluating your position. Also if you start seeing tithing as a part of what is necessary for your salvation, then you are in serious spiritual trouble. For then you will be trying to work (or pay) your way into heaven and scripture is very clear that we are not saved by works, but by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8).

Verses Omitted from the NIV and Good News Bibles

Many of us are unaware that most modern bible translations have key verses omitted from them. Personally I think it is very important that we as Christians ensure that we use translations or rather versions that include all verses such as the KJV (1611) and the Amplified Bibles.

Since discovering that most modern versions have either missing verses from them or some verses were altered during the translation process that they actually changed the context of what was originally stated, I decided to only use the KJV (1611) and AMP when I do bible studies.

So what is the importance of having a bible that does not have any verses missing from them? Because Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 - "…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (KJV)

Notice that He said “every word”. That being said let me give a list of verses that have been omitted in both the NIV (New International Version) and the GNB (Good News Bible).

Mat 17:21 Mat 18:11 Mat 23:14 Mar 7:16 Mar 9:44 Mar 9:46 Mar 11:26 Mar 15:28 Luk 17:36

Luk 23:17 Joh 5:4 Joh 7:53 Act 8:37 Act 15:34 Act 24:7 Act 28:29 Rom 16:24

Please note that the NIV may have more verses missing from it other than what is listed here. I can only certainly say that these are all the omitted verses from the GNB translation.

One example of how the wording was changed that actually changed the context of a verse is:

Matthew 7:12 - "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (KJV)

Matthew 7:12 - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (NIV)

Matthew 7:12 - "So then, whatever you desire that others would do to and for you, even so do also to and for them, for this is (sums up) the Law and the Prophets." (Amplified Bible)

If you live by what the NIV says, then it would mean that if someone slaps you on the right cheek then you should slap that person right back the same way. That’s what it means to “do to others what you would have them do to you…” and it directly goes against Matthew 5:39 - "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (KJV)

The KJV and the AMP on the other hand means that you should treat others the way you would want them to treat you. So it’s quite clear that the two different bible versions of the same verse actually mean two different things.

So as always the decision lies with you regarding whether you want to know the whole truth or just a shortened version that also has a slightly different meaning. Remember though:-

Galatians 5:9 - "A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump [it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church]." (Amplified Bible)

Father Christmas in the Christian Home

Most people are not aware that they pull their children away from faith in Christ with the promotion of believing in Santa Clause.

Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, instead it has become all about a guy named Saint Nicholas.

We teach our children that they should ask Father Christmas for whatever it is that they want as a gift and if you were good for that year, Father Christmas will give it to them on Christmas day. Now let us look at what Scriptures says...

John 14:13 - "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (KJV)

John 16:23 - "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you."  (KJV)

Well looking at the above versus is it not clear that we are instead supposed to teach our children that whatever they want, they should ask our Father in Jesus’ name and not ask or write a letter to father Christmas?

By teaching our children to believe in Father Christmas we are in fact doing two things:

1)    Teaching our children idolatry

2)    Making them lose faith in Jesus Christ

What did Jesus say about making children lose faith in Him? This is what He said...
Matthew 18:6 - "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea." (Amplified Bible)

So there we have it. We bring judgement upon ourselves by teaching our children to believe in this mythical Father Christmas. We are replacing Jesus Christ with a Father Christmas on Christmas day.

Oh and by the way, we shouldn’t even be calling him “Father” Christmas because we are then going against another command of our Lord: Matthew 23:9 - "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." (KJV)

 

Is Drinking of Alcohol a Sin?

This has been and still is a question many Christians today ask themselves, but are too afraid of asking straight out to either their spiritual leaders or fellow Christians. Now before I give a simple Yes or No let’s have a look at what the Holy Bible really says.

Romans 14:17 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (NIV)
In this verse above Paul makes it very clear that what you eat or drink does not determine whether you enter God’s Kingdom or not. But let us carry on...

Colossians 2:20-21 - "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!?" (NIV)
Here once again Paul asks the question why we still listen to rules and hold to principals of this world that forbids us to touch or taste certain things and foods. The context of this verse alone tells us that if we hold to these rules, we make Christ’s death on the cross in vain.

1Timothy 3:8 - "Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." (NIV)
Here we find Paul giving instruction for deacons (who are also fellow Christians so it applies to everyone) not to drink too much wine. He does not say do not drink wine at all. Instead here he implies that we should control the amount of alcohol we consume and that we should not be addicted to wine (alcoholics).

Titus 2:3 - "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good." (NIV)
Again here it is instructed that we must not be addicted to wine.

Now let us have a look at what our Lord Jesus Christ taught about things we eat...

Matthew 15:11 - "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." (KJV)
Does Jesus Christ not make it very clear to us here that no matter what we eat or drink, it does not defile us or make us unclean? So then why do we have pastors and other spiritual leaders teaching a different message? Does that not go against the teaching of Christ?

But does this now mean we can just go around having an occasional glass or two in the presence of our fellow Christians without even considering whether they think the consumption of alcohol is sinful or not?... NO! In doing this you could cause yourself to become a stumbling block for those who are weaker in faith than yourself as Paul states in Romans 14:13-15 - "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." (NIV)

Furthermore there is a very fine line between exercising your liberty in Christ and abusing this liberty to satisfy the desires of the flesh. This is stated in Galatians 5:13 - "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (NIV)

An example of this abuse in freedom in Christ is when I was one day asked if drinking was a sin and I explained to this person that drinking in itself is no sin, but getting drunk is indeed sinful. This person then went ahead and had a few drinks and when questioned by others who have come to know her as a Christian, her response was that drinking was only a sin if you believed it is, which is quite true... But this person failed to listen to the fact that I stressed that drinking too much was a sin and not to use her freedom as an excuse to get drunk and also not to allow this freedom to become a stumbling block for others. She then got drunk and continued to drink abusively thereafter, still claiming that she was committing no sin.

So did this make me the cause of her backsliding? NO. All I done was tell her the truth for if I did not tell her the truth then I would be lying and by that I would be wilfully sinning. So I can’t stress enough that there is a fine line between drinking in moderation and drinking too much. If you were a recovering alcoholic, I would still explain the truth as written in the Holy bible, but I would advise you not to drink as this was a weakness and you could easily fall back into this addiction.

So in answer to the question as to whether drinking of alcohol is a sin my answer is NO, but drinking too much and getting drunk definitely is sinful.

 

 

 

Outward Appearances

Why are we as Christians (Believers in Jesus Christ) so concerned about outward appearance?

I am amazed at the mindsets of those claiming to belong to Christ. Some believe that women MUST wear skirts (not just at church gatherings but also at home) and that they must not cut their hair at all. What is sad is that they believe if they do not observe this, they will burn in hell.

Now I know that my attention will immediately be taken to Deuteronomy 22:5 regarding women wearing skirts which states: “ The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” (KJV)

My response to this is very simple... Brothers and sisters please understand that we are no longer living in the Old Testament or by the Law of Moses. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to fulfil this Law (Mat 5:17) so that we won’t have to and to set us free in Him!!! If we continue to believe that the wearing of certain clothing according to their design will either get us into or keep us out of the Kingdom of Heaven, then we are definitely putting ourselves under a curse and damnation...

Don’t believe me? Then read Galatians 3:10 which states: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (NIV)

Now regarding the cutting of hair, I know for certain that my attention will once again be taken to 1Corinthians 11:6 – “If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.” (NIV)

FIRST OF ALL, Paul does not state here that “IT IS a disgrace for a woman to cut her hair”, instead he says “IF IT IS a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved, she should cover her head”. This means that if according to our customs it is disgraceful for a woman to cut her hair then her head should be covered. But then again we should not be observing any customs or traditions of this world, because then we would be trying to please man and not God for customs/traditions are all manmade.

Furthermore if the above explanation does not “satisfy” you then just read a bit further in 1Corinthians 11:13 (Taken from the Amplified Bible) “Consider for yourselves; is it proper and decent [according to your customs] for a woman to offer prayer to God [publicly] with her head uncovered?” Here Paul clearly states that we should judge for ourselves and that he does not state 1Corinthians 11:6 as a command.

Even in the Old Testament it is stated that God does not look on the outward appearance of man in 1Samuel 16:7 – “But the LORD said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (KJV)

So then my brothers and sisters, who are we to look on the outward appearance of man if our Heavenly Father himself does not even do this? Are we not supposed to look at everything through the eyes of our Lord? How can we claim that His Spirit dwells in us yet we look at outward appearances with judgement and not with love since the Spirit of God is love?

The compulsory wearing of skirts and the belief of a woman not cutting her hair are just two examples of external observance or of Christians looking at the outward appearance of man. Other examples include the belief that men must wear suits and ties in assemblies, men must have shaved beards, men must not have long hair (Samson comes to mind), the belief that other people must be able to see that one is religious and many others.

So ask yourself, “Am I really as close to Jesus Christ as I think I am?” Is your heart in the right place? Jesus said in Matthew 15:8 “These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.” (AMP). Do not let this verse apply to you.