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Bible Study Title: Three Articles that help explain Israel The Invisible Church As the Bible describes the church, it becomes clear that the church is both what we see and what we cannot see. Church. The word paints a picture. You see the building in which you worship. It may be a small, white-frame building set on a hill in the quiet countryside. Or it may be a large, stone structure occupying a street corner in a busy city. It’s not unusual for us to think of a building when we think of church. Worship is an important part of our lives, and that worship takes place in a building we love, whether it is fancy or plain. But that is not the way the word church is used in the Bible. In Scripture, church most often refers to people and not to buildings. The church is invisible In the New Testament the word ecclesia is often translated as church. Ecclesia refers to a group of people who have been called together. It is an assembly. Yet even that definition does not fully explain what the church is. As the Bible describes the church, it becomes clear that the church is both what we see and what we cannot see. The church is both visible and invisible. Why would we call a church invisible? You can see a building. You can see the people who gather in that building. Yet we do speak of the church as invisible in the Apostles’ Creed when we confess “I believe in the holy Christian church, the communion of saints.” Sometimes people mistakenly use the term saint to refer to a person who does an abundance of good deeds, someone who helps others. But the Bible uses the term to describe simply a believer. We even distinguish between believers who have been called home to heaven and those who still battle in this world. We speak of saints triumphant and saints militant. The apostle Peter describes these believers as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). Together all believers form the holy Christian church, a “spiritual house” made up of living stones chosen by God. When the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, we become part of this structure. The Lord Jesus can see the faith in our hearts. We, however, can only see the fruits of faith and not the faith itself. Because we cannot see faith, the church is invisible to our eyes. The prophet Elijah did not recognize that there were still seven thousand believers in Israel (1 Kings 19:8-18). He thought that he was the only believer left. Likewise, we cannot always tell whether a person is a believer or an unbeliever. As the Bible describes the church, it becomes clear that the church is both what we see and what we cannot see. Although the church may be invisible to us, the Lord sees his church clearly. “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Timothy 2:19). At the same time each person knows what is in his or her heart. Trusting in the promises the Lord gives us, we know that we belong to that communion of saints, the church of God. Characteristics of the invisible church This invisible gathering of all believers is not limited by geography. The apostle John reminds us that believers come from different places and “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9). In addition, the church is not limited by time. All believers who have lived, are now living, and will live until Jesus returns at the end of time—all these believers are part of this church. The church, the body of all believers, is invisible, and it is also universal. Once again we confess this fact in the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in the holy Christian church.” The first people who used this confession of faith said, “I believe in the holy catholic church.” The word catholic originally had no denominational connotation. It simply meant universal. When catholic became associated with a particular organization, the word Christian was substituted to prevent confusion. In the Apostles’ Creed we confess that we believe that the Lord gathers together everyone whose faith is in Jesus Christ as the Savior. People believe in many things. We say that we believe in our team, in our country, and in people who are dear to us. Likewise, many people believe in some religious figure other than Christ. God’s invisible church gathers together only those people who confess Jesus as their Savior. We distinguish ourselves from the followers of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and every other religion. We confess that Jesus Christ is true man and true God. We believe that Christ is sinless and perfect and that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As the Bible describes the church, it becomes clear that the church is both what we see and what we cannot see. In a world that suggests that it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe, it becomes important to remember that the invisible church gathers together all believers in Christ. Without faith in Jesus we cannot be saved. Without Jesus we have no part in the communion of saints, the gathering of all believers. Jesus makes that clear when he says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). People die. Church buildings may fall apart. Congregations may disband. But the invisible church continues. The Lord has promised that there will always be true believers who are kept faithful by the power of God. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27,28). What a comfort it is to know that the Holy Spirit, who calls us to faith, also preserves us in that faith through the gospel in Word and sacraments! It is easy to become attached to a congregation. It is in that fellowship that we listen to the good news of Jesus proclaimed. There we hear that our sins are forgiven. In our congregation we draw close to Jesus as we receive the sacrament of his body and blood. Likewise the building in which a congregation worships may be a special place. It may be the same structure in which we were baptized, confirmed, and married. It reminds us of all the blessings God has showered upon us. But we are part of something that is even more valuable, the holy Christian church. Our triune God has brought us together with people we may never see or know on this side of eternity. Through faith the Lord has made us a part of the congregation of all believers. Right now we are not able to see this church in its entirety. Yet what is invisible to our eyes now will be seen when the Lord returns in glory. What a joy it will be to see all believers from every part of the world and from all times! The day will come when we will gather together and praise the God of grace who gives us membership in his family, the invisible church. That church is not really invisible. It is only invisible to us. God sees it clearly. James Korthals, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin, is a member at David’s Star, Jackson. Peter's Picture of the Church 1 Peter 2:4-10 The word "temple" in our modern society usually describes a large, beautiful building which is used for the worship of some god. The use of such temples goes back thousands of years. Peter used it to paint a beautiful word picture of Jesus and his church in 2:4-8. Made up of living stones Jesus is pictured in many ways in John's gospel. Peter adds his own picture here, when he writes, "The Lord Jesus is the living stone" (v. 4). In verse 6 he gives the original source for this statement (Isaiah 28:16), where God said, "Look! I'm laying a stone in Zion [another name for Israel], a very special cornerstone of great value, and the person who believes in him will never be disappointed." In the ancient world the cornerstone was more than a stone on which was carved the date of construction. The cornerstone determined the length, the width, and the height of the building, so that the whole building depended on that cornerstone. That is the picture Peter uses to describe the church in verse 5a, where he says, "And since you are living stones, as you come to him you are built up into a spiritual temple," of which Jesus is the cornerstone. The church is built on Jesus, and around Jesus, the cornerstone. And it is made up of people who are like Jesus--perfectly holy beings in God's sight. That is the way God sees every person who truly believes in Jesus as his or her Savior, because our God-given faith makes us new creatures who are perfectly holy in God's sight, and every such person "will never be disappointed" on Judgment Day. Then Peter explains in verse 7, "This means that he's of great value to you people who believe in him, but for those who don't believe in him, 'the stone which the builders [the Jewish nation as a whole] decided was no good, is the very one which has become the cornerstone'; and 'the stone which will make people stumble, and the rock which will make them fall.' "How clear Peter makes it that Jesus is the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation. We are now a holy group of priests Next Peter uses a new metaphor in verse 5 when he says that the believers who come to Jesus as living stones "are built up into a spiritual temple, to be a holy group of priests, who offer up spiritual sacrifices which God is happy to receive." He continues in verses 9,10, "There was a time when you were no people at all, but now you are God's people. You who never knew God's mercy have now received his mercy." Praise the Lord! Peter is reminding us that there was a time when we were all outsiders, so far as God is concerned, unbelievers who had never heard of the triune God. But now that we have heard the good news and have come to believe it, we are God's people, while the Jews, as a nation, have rejected their Messiah and are outsiders. Now you must take note of the fact that every believer is a priest whose principal occupation it is to offer spiritual sacrifices to our triune God each day of our lives. Yes, from morning to evening we offer our God our thanks and praises for the undeserved love he has shown us by sending first his Son to atone for all our sins, and then his Holy Spirit who has brought us to believe the good news that all our sins are forgiven by Jesus' death on the cross, so that we are now God's children who are perfectly holy in God's sight. Our task as priests is to also bring him our other sacrifices. First there are our time and our talents which we spend carrying out the different tasks we can do as members of our congregations. In some cases we may give our Lord all of our time and talents to serve as pastors, teachers, missionaries, or church office workers. All of us, whether we are active workers or not, can offer the Lord a portion of our financial resources, which represent the value of our time spent in some gainful occupation. And of course the temple in which we serve is known to us as the church, the whole body of believers. The picture of the church that Peter gives us here is perhaps the most complete picture to be found anywhere in the Bible. Julian Anderson is a retired pastor and seminary professor living in Naples, Florida. Samuel: A Judge in Israel Concentrating on the Lord is daunting when dangers clamor for attention. Think back 300 years before Samuel. Following the death of those who carved a Jewish homeland out of Canaan, “another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). To awaken his spiritually-anesthetized people, God enlisted neighboring nations to harass, enslave, and terrorize Israel. Slapped to consciousness, God’s people recognized their sin, pleaded for forgiveness, and prayed for relief. God then raised up leaders—judges—who with the Lord’s power pushed back the oppressors. Moral and spiritual health flourished. But “when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers . . .” (Judges 2:19). Repenting to God This cycle of godlessness, oppression, repentance, freedom, upright living, and a return to godlessness repeated itself until Samuel. Remember Eli and his sons? 1 Samuel 7 brings us to a repentance and freedom section of that cycle and to Samuel as Israel’s final judge. The Ark of the Covenant remained in the border town of Kiriath-Jearim for 20 years after the Philistines captured it and then returned it to stem a Lord-induced plague. During those two decades “all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord” (7:2). To confirm that renaissance of faith, Samuel summoned his countrymen to a spiritually essential, but politically provocative, act—national purification and rededication. Israel was not a free country. Philistine overlords kept close watch. When their surveillance noticed huge numbers of Israelites staging at Mizpah (literally, “look out point”), their early-warning alarms wailed. Mizpah was a military gem mounted in hills about eight miles north of Jerusalem. Soon the sound of Philistine marching boots, the clank of armor, and the bellow of war trumpets echoed off Mizpah. “When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid . . .” (7:7). No doubt. Concentrating on the Lord is daunting when dangers (dare we add personal problems or financial difficulties) clamor for attention. Victory through God Samuel, however, urged Israel to fasten on God. “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us” (7:8). Strength was not in their military might, but in the Lord’s omnipotence. God confirmed that. With Israeli knees bent in prayer and without an Israeli sword unsheathed, God’s deafening thunder routed the Philistine army. Panicked, the troops stumbled south toward safety. Their backs made easy targets. The Philistine losses that day did not completely free Israel. We await Saul and David to accomplish that. Israel, however, did enjoy a season of peace with Philistia and, as a fringe benefit, with the Amorites. Concentrating on the Lord is daunting when dangers clamor for attention. To mark the victory, Samuel set up a monument called Ebenezer (“stone of help”). Ebenezer stones (church cornerstones, wedding anniversaries, birthdays) remind us, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” But our most conclusive proof that there’s always an upside in our downside world is Jesus, “the stone the builders rejected [that] has become the capstone” (1 Peter 2:7). James A. Aderman is pastor at Fairview, Milwaukee.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 205.
#2. To: SJN (#0)
"And so the escalation-cum-provocation-cum false flag is complete. There was a time when shooting down a foreign jet over one's territory was considered self-defense. But not when the one doing the defending is perpetual media bogeyman Syria, which "unnamed sources say" kills hundreds, nay thousands of its own people daily, usually in round, soundbitey numbers." Anything starting out to explain the Jewish Homeland fostered by the 1916 Sykes Picot Agreement, augmented by the Churchill 1921 Cairo Conference, furthered by the Balfour declaration 1926 , and cemented with the POTUS LBJ calling back the fighters to the USS Saratoga to leave the USS Liberty at the mercy of Israeli full on attack.... Anything starting out with: 'As the Bible describes' is full on bat shite crazyland.....;}
I have no doubt that anything to do with the Gospel is "crazyland" to you. You have planks over your eyes and your heart is stone cold. May our Lord and Savior have mercy on you.
You have planks over your eyes and your heart is stone cold. Jimmy's mad at God...Because the Free Will he's given man has been abused (by listening too much to the whispers of Satan). Thus, Jimmy's (ironically) agree to do Satan's bidding. As "revenge". If THAT isn't crazy, what is?? May our Lord and Savior have mercy on you. That depends on Jimmy humbling hilsef, doesn't it?
JM's resistance of the beast you worship is truly the work of the Lord. Jesus, afterall, was a rebel.
So...It's your contention that God is to blame for JM's rejection of God...and worship of Satan? Wanna clarify?
No God, no Satan. One can't exist without the other. So when is God going to do domething about this Satan person? Waiting...waiting...waiting...
I guess God doesn't think this would be as interesting a place without ole Satan here to mix things up a little.
Will you pass The Almighty's test and humble yourself? Or succumb to your nature and the lies of Satan? The REALLY "interesting" place will be God's Heaven - and its unimaginable glory. The OTHER place - not so much. Imagine spending ALL Eternity with THE worst of human elements.
How exactly do you know what are the lies of Satan? He doesn't exactly go around and give press conferences to publicize his activities.
Please... THIS may be THE most important 47 minutes of your mortal life.....It's NOT the same ol'. Give this testimony and vivid descriptive "preview" of Hell a chance. Be patience and hear this man out. NO profit. NO motive. NO pontification. Just a man's nightmare for 23 minutes....
What kind of twisted mind do you have to think I would want and enjoy living somebody else's nightmare for even 23 seconds,never mind 23 minutes? Or that I would even waste 23 minutes of my life to hear a cult spiel?
Or that I would even waste 23 minutes of my life to hear a cult spiel? The 23 GAZILLION HOURS you've wasted engaging the gay-statist nightmare named "yu-klown" on a dopey forum called Liberty Post seemed to be important enough to you, so what do I know? Oh, I just remembered why I gave it a shot - I care about your eternal soul and thought you might consider 23 MORE minutes wouldn't exactly break the camel's back. My bad. The guy's nightmare (for some) is far more intimate and personal account of the wrong side God, but here is the short of it (14 & 15 being part of the dream/nightmare): Revelation 20 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. When you get bored of the usual political banter that won't really matter real soon, give that 23 minutes a serious look.
You don't know much if you think I would be interested in that brainwashing,or that I wouldn't feel insulted because you want to "save my soul". What's wrong with my soul? How is yours any better? Worry about saving your own soul and leave me out of this crap.
Lots sneaky. For one you would tell little kids that two men have a right to be " married". Confusing them and possibly fucking them up. You are as leftist as any liberal on that one.
No,I wouldn't. What part of "It's not any of my business what consenting adults do in their private lives." that you don't understand? You are as leftist as any liberal on that one. Wrong,once again! YOU and those like you are on the left on this one,because homosexuals were either jailed or locked away in mental institutions in communist countries.
Pete: "What part of "It's not any of my business what consenting adults do in their private lives." that you don't understand?" Promoting/demanding "gay marriage" through legislative coercion and the courts has ZIP to do with privacy issues of consenting adults. What are you missing about this kind of fascism, Pete?
The whole part were people you claim to be fascists are pushing for the same individual rights everyone else has. You see so little demand for individual freedoms from fascists.
You see so little demand for individual freedoms from fascists. What you ignore is that the homosexual minority, are demanding that the Government mandate that the homosexual be not only allowed to marry, but to be married in any Christian church. They are demanding that the Government insert their rules in to religion! The designs of these homosexuals is more than being allowed "equality" in the public sphere. They are demanding that churches and religious organizations be compelled to turn their backs on Gospel teachings in order to accommodate their deviant behavior which is against the very underpinnings of Religion and it's FREEDOM from STATE. The whole movement is less about being free to "do whomever" and more about perverting the religion and using the state to do it. So who then is the fascist?
There are lies,and there are damn lies. What I quoted above falls into the "damn lie" category,and I have no doubt you heard this at church. The plain FACT of the matter is NOBODY has the authority in this country to tell a church who they have to allow to attend their services,or to whom they MUST provide services. Freedom of Religion is a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. It is as un-Constitutional for the government to tell a religious institution that the MUST provide wedding oaths and ceremonies to homosexuals as it is for the government to tell homosexuals that they don't have the same right as other citizens to marry the adult of their choice, Now,no agent of the GOVERNMENT can refuse to marry homosexuals,and that is also the way it's supposed to be.
I actually have no problem with a civil marriage between same sex people at city hall. But you are sadly mistaken if you think that is where it ends.
I do. And anyone attempting to implement such policy should be destroyed.
TC came up with some interesting stats on the other forum. Of all the states that "legalized" gay "marriage" a very minute portion of the gay population has taken advantage of said laws. I pinged TC as well, maybe if he is not in a surly position today he will answer:)
Hopefully, you actually care about my post on it since I just spent 20 minutes searching for it. Probably will get zero comments on it over here for my trouble. Assuming the law school's own estimate that 3% of the population is gay, the U.S. population of 330 million yields 9.9 million homosexuals. And in all the states where gay marriage was legalized, they have only performed 77,000 marriages which is only 154,000 married homosexuals (we'll ignore that some of these are re-marriages). So 154,000/9,900,000 = .0151515. So even among gay people, only 1.5% have actually gotten married over the course of 8 years. Just something to keep in mind the next time you hear about Adam and Steve who have supposedly been together for 30 years. (In most cases, these people are just what we would otherwise call roommates and co-owners of a home. They aren't actually monogamous and never were. At least one of them is cheating on the "spouse".)
Thank you TC!
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