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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF YESTERDAY
AND THAT OF TODAY?
It is the 272nd message.
The things of God are what belong to God and the things of man are what belong to man (1 Corinthians 2/11). The church is only an assembly of the members of the body of Christ. That is why it is said: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12/27). The church yesterday was the Lord, the holy spirit, the fear, obedience and the fraternal love that were in the honour of the people assembled (church) while that of today, it is more the love of materials, ones future in the flesh, tribalism, rivalries, jealousy, man’s glory, and witchcraft that are more in honour. The church yesterday was taught, edified, conducted and dominated by the Holy Spirit while today the church (gathering place) is taught and conducted by the domination of the letter and the love of material, we talk today instead of the assembly or the church of man and not of God. But the Lord Jesus Christ knew that in his church, it is the Holy Spirit who was to teach, bring to your remembrance and coordinate. That is why he says: “But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14/26). He also says of the Holy Spirit: “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16/14).
Because without the Holy Spirit, we cannot talk of the children of God, and without the children of God, we cannot talk of the church of God, because if someone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his (Romans 8/9) and only all those who are guided by the spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8/14). Therefore yesterday, the gospel announced was neither coming from the bible schools nor from man but by the revelation of the Holy Spirit that is why Apostle Paul says: “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1/11-12) and this gospel was Christ himself and not Paul that is why he says: “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord,...” (2 Corinthians 4/5). Therefore, the people who were hearing Christ preaching, received him, were baptised in him and put on Christ as it is said: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3/27).
Because the people who received Christ walked and lived according to him and it is this life of Christ which made that they should be called in Antioch for the first time “christians” that is; living as Christ (Acts 11/26). Therefore, all those who were eating the body or the member of Christ were becoming one body or one member with him and all the churches or assemblies of Christ. That is why it is said: “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one another” (Romans 12/5). Where people were gathered in the spirit, thought, feeling and life of Jesus Christ and there, was the assembly or church of God. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ says: “where two or three are assembled in my name, I am in the middle of them”. In addition, the Lord Jesus is the supreme chief and the body of the church as it is said: “And he put all things under his feet and gave as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1/22-23).
Being assembled in his name, he is in us and in the middle of us like the head of the church as it is said: “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1/18). In the church or assembly of the Lord, he is the one adding people who are to be saved as it is said: “praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2/47). Because yesterday, when the word of God arrived somewhere, the people who received it were assembling somewhere to edify themselves and there, was the church of Christ carrying the name of the town or neighbourhood. That is why 2 Corinthians 1/1 says: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth,...”. Or again: “We want you to know brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 8/1). In the same way, it is said: “and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1/2).
Because the name of the church or assembly of God was coming from the name of the town as it is said: “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch” (Acts 11/22). 1 Thessalonians 1/1 also says: “Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ...”. Yesterday, in the church of God, the Lord was present because the people were gathering in his name, having fear of him, prostrating in front of him and living themselves to be guided by him. That is even why it is said: “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (Acts 9/31). The church yesterday was the body or member of Christ up to a point where if the church was touched, it is the Lord that was touched. That is why when Saul destroyed the church of Jerusalem, he was called by the Lord Jesus who told him: “...Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9/4). And Saul who became Apostle Paul said of himself: “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15/9). Because all the churches or assemblies of God have the same gospel, feeling, thought, the same spirit and the same universal life because it is one person who has called them to him, who has gathered them, who posses them, and this assembly let herself control by him and this person is the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth.
The church of today is only men gathered for their own honour, in the love of material, rivalries, jealousy, mocking, the research of his neighbour’s respect, man’s glory and sorcery dominating their hearts and in the middle of them to a point where majority of the men gathered are carriers of animal spirit (witches). Today, when a person has money, he buys chairs, musical instruments, and look for a hall where people will come to gather without a veritable knowledge of Christ, nor to receive, to fear and to become him. You find in these churches that those directing laws are rich people who sometimes are considered in the first place. Others think that the church is a building. For others, it is a denomination. I take in an example of the religious denomination called catholic... Catholic is not the church like I hear people say today. In human language, this was to be called catholic congregation and not catholic church, and what was to be called the church is what they call parish. That is why you see examples everywhere like “Saint Nicholas Parish”, “Christ the king parish”, “Saint Peter and Paul parish”. The same for the protestant congregation, we call protestant church and what was to be called church is called parish. There are many but I limit myself at that level. That is why when you meet a person; he will say to you that he is from the catholic church, protestant... But what ignorance! Dear blind, it is the church of God and not of man because it is said: “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss” (1 Corinthians 16/19).
For others, when the house where people gather to listen to the word of God is small, it must not be called the church, but rather small church “eglisette” because according to them, the church is a building that is why these ones will ask to you: “what is that church which is in the living house?” while Apostle Paul rent a house where he was receiving people who were coming to listen to the gospel of God as it is said: “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28/30-31). And sometimes, it was in a school (Acts 19/9-10). In the church of today, some people are taken to be founders while they are only donators of names of association which is taken as church where you find that the husband is apostle and the wife pastor, sometimes having forces (power) of satan to operate miracles and prodigies in prayers of deliverance. The church of today has become an enterprise, source of rapid and easy money, source of glory and respect. Because they posses great buildings of luxury called church that they have equipped with musical instruments of all type, but their hearts, feelings and thoughts are bewitched by evil, jealousy, hates, rivalries, corruption, mocking, false image, sorcery... but the Almighty God says: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But the justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5/23-24).
CHAMPI Apostle not behalf of man, nor by a man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. God’s power is the knowledge. To know, avoid sin and to be free from the eternal death. (John 8/32)