Church -aka- Christians United

 
I would like to start by saying I am a Christian. I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I have received the gift of salvation from the strong arm of God, and I try my best to be a good neighbor to the needy, and love my neighbor, those who do likewise. I see one name for Christ's people in the Bible, and that name is "Christian". I see it three times:

(1)Acts 11:25-26 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

(2)Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

(3)1Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.


That is what I am, "Christian". That is all. I have no "religious" labels before or after "Christian". Must we all? There truly is only one name for Christs people in the Bible. Together, we are the bride of Christ, the general assembly of the Church of God, which is people, not buildings made of wood or stone. The gospel truth is, Christians themselves are as a living building, a building not made by the hands of men but the hand of God, a building that cannot be moved, not even with a nuclear bomb.

A good first step would be for all Christians to understand the Church of God is not a building made by the hands of men, but the hand of God. That we, the children of God, are as a living building. This is not to say Christians are wrong to assemble in buildings made by the hands of men. Let us assemble, let us gather, but let us not think so highly of buildings made by the hands of men, but let us unite in one body, knowing...

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The general assembly of the one and only true Church of God, the bride of Christ.
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The gospel truth is, the bride of Christ, the general assembly of his Church is not a building made of wood or stone, not a building made by the hands of men, but the hand of God. Starting here and on to make the point that people are the Church, not buildings, the writer of Hebrews said to his fellow first century saints they had come to the heavenly Jerusalem, into the city of the living God, as the general assembly of Christ's Church...

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

There is a building, not made by the hands of men, but the hand of God. This building has a great cornerstone, foundations, pillars, and gates. Jesus is the "chief cornerstone", and the wall has 12 foundations, which are the 12 Apostles, and there are 12 gates, which are the people of the 12 tribes of Israel. This constitutes the holy city of God, a spiritual Kingdom, the kingdom of God. The bride of Christ is the general assembly of His Church, A holy city of God, a holy name written on the people, "New Jerusalem", the general assembly of his Church.

Jesus preached for about 3 1/2 years, then commanded His Apostles to take over, and they were out day and night for about 40 years preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God unto the ends of the earth, to every creature under heaven before they were all murdered. So of course, Christ laid the great and strong cornerstone, and the Apostles built upon this rock sure foundations. The household of God truly was built on "the foundation of the apostles", that is to say the Apostles are as foundation stones, and that is exactly what they are called in the book of Revelation, their names being written in the 12 foundation stones.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

This is the symbolic structure as presented in the great book of symbols, and again, the Apostles are named as foundations, as their names are written in the twelve foundations...

Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Now this New Jerusalem spoken of in the great book of symbols which is a testimony of Jesus Christ pertaining to things that were before John began to write, things that were as he was writing, and things that were to come, This New Jerusalem was realized and spoken of in metaphor in the first century as being a mother of us all, the bride of Christ, the general assembly of his Church, seeds of the groom and his bride, born again, born of spirit, not of flesh, born into a great promise...

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which engendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.
Gal 4:25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

So now that the chief cornerstone has been laid, and the foundations are sure, our duty is to love God and our neighbor, and to be a good neighbor to those in need, that they may hear the call of the Good Shepherd, and come to him, entering into the kingdom of God, and God may dwell with them and within them. Glory to God in the highest, the abode of God is here with us, and the King, He reigns! Yes, right now, and forever, Christ Jesus has built a spiritual building, not made by the hands of men with wood or stone, but with the very hand of God. YOU Christian are the Church, a temple for God to dwell in:

2Co 6:16 And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God, even as God said, "I will" dwell in them and "walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Lev. 26:12; Ezek. 37:27 )

Jesus said to His Apostles...

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Jesus told his Apostles that because he would live, they would live. The Apostles had heard His words, they had his commandments, but the world at that time did not. And so it is, if a man will hear his words and keep his words, what was preached to us by Messiah and His Apostles, The Father and Son and Holy Spirit will then make their abode in you. That would make you an abode of God, a Church of God, and maybe even a pillar in the living temple of the living God...

Rev 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Rev 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Outside the bride is where the wickedness is, yes, outside the one and only true Church of God is all this:

Rev 22:15 But outside are the dogs and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone loving a lie, and making it.

You don't have to stay outside. The gates are open. The Good Shepherd calls his sheep. They hear his voice. They come to Him. Always always always! You may come out of darkness and into the light. You can enter into the kingdom of God. It's not too late, and you don't have to wait. You must pray to our Father in heaven, confess your sins, each one, realizing them and admitting them, be sorry, say your sorry, and stop doing that.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

We who are free of the curse of the law are not free to break the law. Blessed are they that do his commandments.


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Part Two - "Church"
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Do you think various churches could find a common ground by agreeing to unite having a single purpose, to simply love God and their neighbor? Imagine that. The greatest reformation since Martin Luther it would be. With God, I know we all could all find that common ground, with God.

Now imagine the body of Christ finding that common ground and unity; loving God and their neighbor. Who is a neighbor to the needy? The one who will help. That one is the children of God, loving God and their neighbor. We are the ones who make the world a better place. We are the light of the world.

We are as one body having many parts. These parts are living parts, not buildings made of wood or stone. The gospel truth is, attending a Church building once a week is not a precept to enter into the kingdom of God.


We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to give to God what belongs to God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to find rest, or to have Sabbath with God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to please God, to spend time with God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to obtain salvation from God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to learn about God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to lead a sinner to repentance.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to have fellowship with other Christians.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to meet other Christians.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to feed the poor.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to worship God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to sing to God.
We don't have to go to a Church building once a week to pray to God.


If you have a relative who is a Christian, a regular Church goer, and that Christian relative has a sister who is sick and lonely all the time, and that relative went to their sister's home once a week instead of that Church building, I am 100% sure God would be more happy about that relative going to their sister than going to that Church building.

If you have kids who go to school five days a week, then off to practice sports on the sixth day of their week, and on the seventh day of their week you wake them up from their rest and rush them off to arrive at a Church building on time, certainly on time and not a minute late, I am 100% sure God would rather you let them rest peacefully at home with their loved ones. Maybe you could teach them about God yourself, and sing to God together right there in your own home.

There's no place like home.

If on the way to Church you seen a person who appeared to be in great distress, and you stopped to help that person, even spending hours doing so, I am 100% sure God would be more happy with that than you passing that person in need to arrive at Church on time, to sit all snug in your Sunday best, gold cross around your neck, all happy and clappy.

The divisions of the Christian Churches, all those denominations do divide up the giving of all Christians to their individual Churches in a way that does the very least to all people outside any one single Church denomination.

And that leads me to this next point I would like to make. I wanted to speak a little about the modern day Christian tithing doctrine. Did you know:

1. Abraham never tithed on his own personal property or livestock.
2. Jacob wouldn’t tithe until God blessed him first.
3. Only Levite priests could collect tithes, and there are no Levite priests today.
4. Only food products from the land were titheable.
5. Money was never a titheable commodity.
6. Early Christian converts were never asked to tithe anything to the Church.
7. Tithing in the Church first appeared centuries after completion of the Bible.

Levites were as keepers of the gates of Israel, and would enter the gates to live and feast. They were poor. They depended on the house of Israel for food. Yehovah himself declared to care for them. Tithing was all about caring for the needy, food and drink, blessings the house of Israel had received from God, good crops, many animal births, and such. Not only did they feed the dedicated Levites, they fed all the needy within their gates:

Deu 14:29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

Deu 18:1 The priests, the Levites, all the tribe of Levi shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat fire offerings of Jehovah, even His inheritance.
Deu 18:2 And he shall have no inheritance among his brothers. Jehovah Himself is his inheritance, as He has spoken to him.

Deu 26:12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

Deu 26:13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:

Some may say to me "Well, even if so, we must give offerings to preachers for there to be Churches". And to those I would answer; Where two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, God will surely be with you. Our gates reach far and wide in every direction! Well beyond walls made by the hands of men! Assemble, gather, but do not think so highly of a building. May your best efforts go towards reaching out to the needy within and well beyond those walls, doing deeds of mercy.

The body of Christ does not carry a little money bag anymore. Things have changed. We are richer than many a nation combined, and the kingdom of God does grow, as many continue to press into the far reaching but narrow gates each day.

Just look at the grand buildings of the Mormon! Look at the grand buildings of the Catholic! Look at the grand buildings of the Protestant! Some remindful of Herod's temple in Jerusalem, the walls having gold between each stone. Now look at the man, bent over, begging at their gates, and within their gates, but was sent away empty handed. This is not about one man. This is about all the children of God, also the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, the sick, the injured, the broken, those with heavy burden.

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"Come to me everyone who is carrying a heavy load, I will set that right. Your sins, all of them, are wiped out, I can do that. I am re- birth, I am life. Eat me, drink me, I am your food. And finally, do not be afraid, I have overcome the whole universe." - Jesus
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Feeding a poor hungry person with 5 bucks every week is better than giving 10% of all your income every week to a building fund. Remember. The Sabbath was made for man, not God, and the intention of the Sabbath was for man to have rest on the seventh day after six days of labor, for man to rest and have time to spend with God.

Will all the Christian Churches ever unite in giving like the house of Israel did? I feel it in all my being that's what God wants all Christians to do. I do feel there is a call from God for a certain unity of the body of Christ, a reformation. Hear this call:

The way things are set in place now, the divisions of the Christian Churches, all those denominations do divide up the giving of all Christians to their individual Churches in a way that does the very least to all people outside any one single Church denomination.

As politicians are expected to do, we Christians are expected to set aside our differences when it comes to the well being of millions of people. If Christians all over the world, from every label above the door, could unite in giving into one united account, an international Christian humanitarian organization, we could do so much more to spread our helping hands to the needy.

Large sums of money are best used for the good of many, the money wisely going to where the most people may benefit. To find that is to look in every direction. The only way this practice will work is if all Christian Churches unite in giving, having a single purpose for the benefit of many.

Christian Churches, May the many benefit from the tithes, and the few from the offerings. Tithes for the needy, offerings for the Church buildings. So much more good could be done all over the world if Christians united in giving in this manner. (Less decking the walls with gold though.)

Will it ever work? I pray to God so, that the name of Christ is glorified in all parts of the world, bringing relief to the needy, more and more as time goes by, to the glory of God. "Christians United" sounds good to me! If you like the sound of that, pray.

Shine on Christian, love your neighbor, and together, we can do it. We can make the world a better place, just you and me. We are the world. We are the children of God. We are as kings of the earth dear Christian.


Hear a tale of a certain rich man.