Which Church and Where Is It ?

Which Church and Where Is It ?

Jesus Christ said
"I will BUILD My church..."(Matt 16:18)

James understood that there was a church
to be built among the Gentiles:
"After this I will return and will BUILD again
the tabernacle of David..."(Acts 15:15-16)

Paul instructs us further
in this building process of the church
"According to the grace of God
which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation,
and another builds thereon
But let every man TAKE HEED
HOW HE BUILDS thereupon"(1Cor 3:10)

This most stern warning is given to us
because Paul is not speaking of properly
laying or building with bricks and mortar,
but with the LIVES of precious people,
"...YE ARE God's building" (Verse 9)

"Jesus answered and said unto them,
Destroy this TEMPLE,
and in three days I will raise it up
Then said the Jews,
Forty and six years was this temple in building,
and will you rear it up in three days?
But He spake of the TEMPLE OF HIS BODY"(John 2:19-21)

"For we know that if our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a BUILDING of God,
an house NOT MADE WITH HANDS (2Cor 5:1)

"Know you not that
YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD,
and that the Spirit of God
dwells IN YOU?" (1Cor 3:16)

That's because,

"God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth,
DWELLS NOT IN TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS" (Acts 17:24)

No, God does not "dwell"
in temples and buildings made with hands,
but SATAN does "DWELL" in carnal churches
made with hands (Rev 2:13)

The Depths of Satan is found IN THE CHURCH

He doesn't attack the Church
from without, but from within:

Where do we find "Satan’s seat (throne)?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:13)

Where do we find "where Satan dwells?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:13)

Where do we find "the doctrine of Balaam?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:14)

Where do we find them who
"say they are apostles (of Christ) and are not?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:2)

Where do we find them
who have "left their first love?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:4)

Where do we find them which
"say they are (spiritual) Jews and are not,
but are the synagogue of Satan?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:9 & 3:9)

Where do we find
"them that hold the doctrine
of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I (Jesus) hate?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:15)

Where do we find "that woman Jezebel,
which calls herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants
to commit fornication and to eat things
sacrificed unto idols?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 2:19)

Where do we find them that
"have a name that you live, and are dead?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH

Where do we find them that
"are wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH (Rev 3:17)

And were do we find "the DEPTHS of Satan?"
Why, IN THE CHURCH, of course Rev 2:24)


THE CHURCH OF GOD IN PRIVATE HOUSES

There was a transition period
where the disciples still went up to the temple,
but God’s intimate dealings would now be found
in more humble surroundings

When the Holy Spirit was poured out
on the first Saints of Jesus,
it was not in a synagogue, but in a house:

"And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the HOUSE
where they were sitting" (Acts 2:1-2)

Church services were held in houses:

"Likewise greet the church
that is in their house" (Rom 16:5)

"The churches of Asia salute you
Aquila and Priscilla salute you
much in the Lord, with the church
that is in their house" (1 Cor 16:19)

"Salute the brethren
which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,
and the church which is in his house(Col 4:15)

"Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ,
and Timothy our brother,
unto Philemon our dearly beloved,
and fellow labourer,
and to our beloved Apphia,
and Archippus our fellowsoldier,
and to the church in your house"(Philemon 1-2)

When we come to the famous Jerusalem Conference
in the fifteenth chapter of Acts, we read
that Paul and Barnabas were
"…being brought on their way by the CHURCH…"(Acts 15:3)

This is the Church of Jesus Christ,
not the church of the synagogue system

Notice that in this conference
their determination was to not force
the Law of Moses on new Gentile converts:

"Then pleased it the apostles and elders,
with THE WHOLE CHURCH…" (Acts 15:22)

The High Priests did not attend this conference

This was the first "Policy Binding Counsel"
of the Church of Jesus Christ,
consisting of only those who believed,
who formulated policy which would be binding
on the whole church

The Jews had "synagogues"—church buildings

The newly converted Christians came out of
those synagogue church buildings
and their doctrines, and met in homes

Why?

Mostly because Christ was not taught
or tolerated in these synagogues

In order to worship and follow
the teachings of Jesus Christ,
it became necessary to "come out of her"...
the synagogue system of religion

Therefore...

Come out from among them
and be ye separate and I will receive thee

Jer 6:2
I have likened the daughter of Zion
to a comely and delicate woman

Isa 51:16
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and
I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand,
that I may plant the heavens,
and lay the foundations of the earth,
and say unto Zion, Thou art my people


William Wilbur
http://myspace.com/water_spirit_blood