church is beautiful word

Because the gates of Hades tried for centuries to corrupt and destroy the church even in the name of Jesus people were killed. True believers were tortured and killed.

"For true and righteous are His judgments, for He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication . . . " (2a)

The earth was corrupted. Let alone the body of believers was mixed and corrupted by Satan's attack. Even the whole EARTH was corrupted by this fornication of unfaithfulness and deception of the corrupted religious organization.

She is called the harlot because Christ does not recognize her as His bride.
Yet Christians are inadvertently mixed up with and in her in history.

So God calls for "My people" to come OUT of her so as to not share in her crimes and coming righteous judgment.

" And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues; For her sins have accumulated up to heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousnesses." [sic] (Rev. 18:4,5)

But the wife has come out of degradation and rejoices that the marriage of Christ and the overcoming critical mass of overcomers has come. She has made herself ready to join with Christ as a proper wife and not as a fornicating harlot falsely bearing His name while corrupting the earth.

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the MARRIAGE of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses [sic] [or righteous deeds] of the saints.

And he said to me, Write, Blessed are they who are called to the marriage dinner of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God." (Rev. 19:6-9)

In spite of the pitiful and tragic outcome of the Devil's attack against the church from within and from without to corrupt and destroy her, the vindication is coming.
The wedding day of Christ vindicating the Wife and putting to shame the Harlot.
His people are called OUT of her not to partake of her coming judgment.

" . . . Come out of her My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues." (Rev. 18:4)

Again I apologise for interrupting you pleasuring your ego as you copy/paste from your church leader’s latest ministry, but can I ask you this …

Are all Christian denominations included in your OP description?
And if not then how do you decide which ones aren’t?

Above I wrote about "many denominations" as containing good and true teaching.
Highlighted in black this time.

A denomination is a self professed division in the church. There are many of us caught in denominations. Many of them contain good and true teaching, genuine Christ loving saints, dedicated and consecrated workers and servants of Christ.

@divegeester


I don't think I have copied or pasted once yet in this thread.
Belief in the Lord's promises is not egoism or arrogance. It is belief in the Lord's word.

People say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
You sure behave like an old dog, re-cycling the same old tricks.

Did you ever answer the question which denomination was the church in Jerusalem?

Did you ever answer the question which denomination was the church in Antioch?

Did you ever answer the question which denomination was the church in Corinth?

Yes or No?
If Yes, where?

If you answer with silence, probably No.

While you're at it you can also answer for these churches?

The seven churches in Asia in Revelation chapters two and three - which denomination were they of?

In Galatians it mentions "churches of Galatia". Which denomination were the "churches of Galatia"?

Which denomination were "the churches of Judea" ?

Which denomination was "the church of the Thessalonians" ?

Divegeester also likes to give the impression that for a church to have "leaders"
is of a negative thing. Surely, if there are "leaders" he is suspicious of "leaders" in general.

In the Christian church those who are examples to the flock in their living are those who take the lead. They are leaders because their living is an example. And they should be imitated in their faith and healthy manner of living.

"Remember the ones leading you, who have spoken to you the word of God; considering the issue of their manner of life, imitate their faith." (Heb. 13:7)

The New Testament tells the Christians to regard highly those whose elders in the local assembly also who "serve well." Does Divegeester think it is impossible for spiritually older brothers to serve well and inspire imitation of their manner of a life of faith?

"Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and teaching." (First Timothy 5:17)

I am sorry if Divegeester had no one whose faith he could imitate or whose life he could well consider.

Again church is such a beautiful word in the New Testament.

When the NT says God gave gifts to men it is speaking of men and women given to for the building up of the church. And to teach the saints of the church to do what they do. - built up the church.

"Therefore the Scripture says, Having ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave GIFTS TO MEN." (Eph. 4:8 my emphasis)

The "gifts to men" are PEOPLE worked on by Christ to be constituted gifts by virtue of the Christ that has been worked into them. His death and resurrection was also for this - the giving of gifts for training the believers to do the work of the ministering of Christ to one another and to the receiver of the good news.

"(Now this, "He ascended," what is it except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

He who descended, He is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.)

And He Himself gave some as apostles [a gifts to men]
and some as prophets [again as more gifts to men]
and some as evangelists [as more gifts to men]
and some as shepherds and teachers [ even MORE gifts to men!]

For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ." (See Ephesians 4:8-12)

Christ gave gifts to men - Christ serving and Christ filled gifts to perfect the believers that with them they would all embark on the building up of the Body of Christ. The church is the Body of Christ.

" . . . the church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all." (1:23)

@medullah

On the other hand the word Congregation is beautiful.

Spelling corrections:

"But if I delay, I wrote that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15)


There seven churches in the book of Revelation. Each named for a city.
Most had problems. Most needed some exhortation or even rebuke form Jesus.

But they were all in God's eyes golden lampstands. There nature was of God - gold. Christ was in their midst as a priest supplying oil that they may shine. He was there walking in the midst of the lampstands as an priest trimming their wicks and supplying the oil.

They were there shinning the truth in the dark night as golden lampstands.
In each church there was a call for those who have an ear to be overcomers and to overcome whatever surrounding problems were in that church.

The church is such a positive entity - the pillar and base the truth.
Even with their problems churches there were golden shinning lampstands testifying the truth of the Gospel.

From all of them there was the call for participants to overcome and receive some reward for doing so.

Read it. Revelation chapters two and three.

@sonship said
@divegeester
I don't thinkI have copied or pasted once yet in this thread.

@divegeester

What reason do you give for the spiritual shallowness of your church life?

@sonship said
@divegeester
What reason do you give for the spiritual shallowness of your church life?

@divegeester

I do enjoy it when you don’t want to answer questions.

@sonship said
@divegeester

I do enjoy it when you don’t want to answer questions.

Is your pride in being an enjoying sadist the reason why you project your own sick mind onto God?

@divegeester

What on earth are you on about?

Believing in the precious promises of God is not taking on a egotistical "superior mindset."
Its just trust and faith in God.

Which denomination did you say the church in Jerusalem was ?
Which denomination did you say the church in Philippi was ?