"CHURCH OF CHRIST" OR "CHURCH OF MAN !"

     The news media from time to time report on some so-called Christian church involved in some scandal or another. From the Catholic Church priest child abuse scandal to Jim Jones' Peoples Temple Church in Guyana, with the cyanide laced Kool-aid and all the fundamental christian churches in between, church has been given a bad name.
     The Christian church was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. The church came to fruition on the day of Pentecost when the Apostle Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, gave his classic sermon as recorded in the 2nd chapter of the New Testament book of Acts of the Apostles. We are told that 3,000 souls were added to the Church in response.
      The "Church" literally means "The called out" and is composed of those who have heard the Gospel message and responded to that message by believing that message, repenting of their sin, confessing their belief that Jesus is the Messiah  who died for their sins and rose again and by being immersed in baptism. At it's inception, the intent was for there to be one, unified church. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Ephesus....

"I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity  of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as you also were called in ONE hope of your calling. " (Ephesians 4: 1 - 4....Emphasis Mine) 

Over the years, for one reason or another, different beliefs and divisions arose among the membership. Another name for division is "denomination." 
     When you have a free moment, Google "Church" and "Christian Church" and see how many hits you get. Are all of these churches teaching the same things that were taught by Jesus and later by the Apostles and their disciples in the first century? We use essentially the same Bible composed of the same sixty-six books. So why are there so many different christian churches? These divisions are clearly not what was intended.
     So with so many choices, which is the church that was instituted by the Lord? How can you tell what the true church is?
     The answer is that you look to the Bible to see which church is the true church. Does the church submit itself to the authority of the Bible? Does the church teach and practice what is clearly taught and practiced in the Bible? If a church does not submit itself to the authority of the Bible and if a church teaches anything other than what is clearly taught in the Bible it is NOT the church of Christ but rather a church of Man.  

      (Acts 17: 11) Now these (The Bereans) were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 

...It is important for me to emphasize when I say "church of Christ" I am NOT referring to any particular denomination but rather am using the term as a descriptive term to denote the church that was established by Jesus, the Christ, in the first century.


      I therefore urge all of you to give serious consideration to learning what the Gospel truly is. Then I urge all of you to obey the Gospel and be added to the church of Christ, today. If you have any questions or want to learn more read the Bible, the Gospel of John and Acts of the Apostles. Also, do not hesitate to ask. I stand ready to assist in any way I can! God bless you!