The Church

The church, what is it?  Is it a building?  Is it a denomination?  Is a set of traditions?  Is it a religion?  What exactly is a church?

In the Bible the word “church” is ekklesia which means, “called out ones” or an assembly of people.  Therefore, the church is an assembly of people who are called out for a certain purpose.  Buildings, denominations, traditions of men, or religion have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Biblical definition of “church”.  An authentic, Biblically sound modern day church is a living breathing Holy Spirit powered organism of PEOPLE who gather together to worship the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.  A church building then becomes a place for people to gather together for fellowship, teaching, communion, and prayer (Acts 2.42).

A church can be in a person’s home, at a gym, in a building, or at the beach, or on a mountain, or in a swamp, or in a cave, or in a high rise, or on a playground, or in a war zone or…fill in the blank.  The point is that “church” can occur anywhere at anytime.  The key ingredient is the presence of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.  Where He is there is “church”.

There is absolutely no place for denominations, traditions of men, or religion.  All of those ideas come from fallen men who desire to control others and put God in a box.

Consider, Jesus spent 3.5 years in almost constant fellowship with His disciples.  They developed a deep and personal relationship with one another.  The glue and the glitter that made those relationships so worthy was and still is Jesus Christ.

If this is true, and I believe it is, then church should become the best part of the week.  Church should become a vital part of our existence on earth.  Our relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another can become something beyond what we imagine.  But it will only happen when we truly come to understand what “church” is.

Ask yourself: If you go to church, why do you?  If you don’t go to church, why do you not?  Is church boring?  Is it monotonous?  Is it stifling?  When the word “church” comes up in your mind, what do you think?  OH NOOOO!!!, or I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN

Think about it.

Rants and raves.

Since when do you decide who takes care of me?  Since when do you decide what kind of food I eat?  Since when do you decide what kind of car I drive?  Since when do you decide how I earn my living? Since when do you decide what is best for me?  Please tell me who made you my boss?  Why do you tell me it’s raining while you piss on my leg?  What exactly are you scared of?  What, about my independence, scares you?  Why must you meddle in my business?  Why do you think the best end for me is to be enslaved to your best interests?  What makes you better than me? 

In case you have forgotten, your blood and my blood is red.  You breathe the same air I do.  You brush your teeth like I do.  You get tired like I do.  You have a brain like mine.  Why do you think you must bend my will to that of some “greater good”?  Why do you attack me when I point out your faults? 

Why do you fear the things that you fear?  Why do you get scared of whatever it is that scares you?  Honestly, do you really believe that you have all the answers?  What do you do when your ideas fail?  When you are alone and no one is around, how do you handle your failure?  How do you justify your grand ideas of success against the bitter pill of failure?  What will you do when all is exhausted?  What will you do when every door has closed? 

You may think you know what time it is but you have no idea of who runs the clock.  WAKE UP and see the trap that you are helping to set.  Time is a precious thing and it is running out.  There will come a day when even you will bow to the knee of a terrible slave master. 

May you see the light of the glory of Jesus Christ.  May you see the FREEDOM that only He can provide.  May you see the big picture and get in the game.  It is bigger than you sir, far bigger than you could ever imagine. 

I.R.S. guys, Pharisees, and Jesus.

In Luke 5.27-32, Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him and recounts the response of the Pharisees when Jesus dines with “sinners”.  Matthew agrees to follow Jesus and then invites him to his house for a big party.  So Jesus willingly goes to Matthew’s house.  Matthew was a tax collector and was hated by the Jews; just think I.R.S. and you have Matthew Levi.  In addition to Jesus, Matthew has invited other of his friends including tax collectors (more I.R.S. guys), prostitutes, drunks, addicts, swindlers etc.  The Bible calls them “other people”. 

So try to picture Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, perfect sinless humanity “reclining at the table” with these people.  For perspective, imagine Jesus today going to an ex-con’s house and hanging out with bikers, more ex-cons, prostitutes, drunks, drug addicts, low life’s, sleazy professionals, swindling C.E.O.s and other forms of “odd man out” and you have the picture of Luke 5.29.

Now picture some guys who are well meaning, well versed in the law, and live by a high moral standard.  They see Jesus in Matthew’s home along with his unsavory friends.  And immediately, perhaps without even realizing it, the Pharisees become pompous, legalistic, cold, calculating bigots.

They condemn Jesus and his choice of friends.  And Jesus in response tells them “it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5.31-32). 

Matthew knew that he needed what Jesus had to offer.  He was so excited about it that he invited his friends to meet Jesus.  The Pharisees were confident in their knowledge of the law.  But knowledge of God’s law (the Bible) without action expressed in love is useless and no good.

Think of the church today.  Are you and I a friend of the ex-con showing them Jesus, or are you and I a friend of the Pharisee who means well, but misses the point?    

Is Jesus Christ a Socialist?

I was listening to a radio interview today.  I will not name the program, the host, or the person being interviewed; because seriously, who cares.  But I will give my opinion on the topic which is this:  “Is Jesus Christ a socialist?”  The saying goes that the two most volatile subjects too discuss are religion and politics. Yet this question combines what many consider religion and a political ideology.

From the outset I DO NOT think Jesus Christ is a socialist nor do I think Jesus Christ “fits” into any political party, republican or otherwise.  According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is THE ruling party in and of Himself.  Read Joshua 5.13-15 and the point becomes clear that God is God and men are men, and when men try to make God fit a political mold; well, it’s just a big waste of time.  I grow weary of people on the radio, television, and in publications who try to make Jesus a socialist based solely on the good things He did while on the earth.  These people take the risen Lord Jesus Christ and use Him as some kind of poster boy to promote political agenda’s.  It is a disgrace to His Holy Majesty. 

The miracles, acts of kindness, and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6,7) were performed and taught for specific reasons.  None of this was meant as a model for governments to adopt.  The miracles were a sign for Israel that the long awaited Messiah had arrived and the Sermon on the Mount was Jesus preparing Israel for His millennial kingdom over which He would reign supreme.  But then Israel rejected the Messiah and the kingdom has been postponed for nearly 2000 years.

I can hear the questions now, “so mark, are you saying that we are not to carry out acts of kindness and live by the principles of the Sermon on the Mount?  Are we not to feed and clothe the poor etc..”  And in response I would say, “Absolutely, we are to help people in need, practice acts of kindness, show mercy and love”; but all of that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with politics.  Go read the book of James and 1 John (there are lots more) which lays out plain and simple the kind of life a Christian is to live. 

Now understand this is not my support for any political party it is simply my response to the question, “Is Jesus Christ a socialist?”

Just to clear the air on my political views:  I am a constitutional conservative who carry’s a gun, believes in the freedom of speech, supports the rule of law, supports the checks and balances of the government as set up by the constitution, and believes in the individual freedoms of American CITIZENS. 

But first and foremost I believe in the rule of law as spoken by the Holy Spirit and recorded by the Apostles of the New Testament.     

ALL the social ills of this world WILL NOT AND CANNOT be solved by well meaning Christians who preach a social gospel.  Sorry it just aint happening until Jesus Christ, the only TRUE Benevolent Dictator returns and makes it so. 

In the meantime PLEASE stop boring me to tears trying to put Jesus into a man made political box.