From: Beverly French [frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2004 6:06 AM
To: Heritage
Subject: April 25th Greetings

"But rather, you have come to...the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven..."  Hebrews 12: 22-23

The church, (Ekklesia, a calling out of).  The church is an assembly of called out ones.  "For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself." Acts  2:39 The church is not a physical building nor is it a specific denomination. Both of those are man's conception.  What is it then?

The church is called the body of Christ:
"So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Romans 12:5

"Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it."
1 Corinthians 12:27

"And He (God) put all things in subjection under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body..." Ephesians 1:22-23

"And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ."  Ephesians 4:11-12

Christ, the Head of the church; His body:
I repeat: "And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church."  Ephesians 1:22

"But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ."  Ephesians 4:15

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church; and He is Saviour of the body."  Ephesians 5:23

"He is also head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything."  Colossians 1:18

In Acts we see the beginnings of the Church and how it began to grown on that Day of Pentecost: "So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls."  Acts 2:41

"...And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being
saved."  Acts l:47    (Please do read all of Chapter 2 and be blessed!)

"But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."  Acts 4:4

"All the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number."  Acts 5:14

In Antioch, "And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord." Acts 11:21

In Acts 13:2, "...The Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul
(Paul) for the work to which I have called them.'"

And so began Paul's ministry first to the Jews and then to the gentiles. Under his preaching many were added to the church.  The care and firm establishment of the church was Paul's deep concern as we see in the letters he wrote to the churches.  He taught, encouraged, admonished and warned. The warnings began in Acts as we see in the following and we must continue to heed them today:

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock...I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.  Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears."  Acts 20:28-31

We see the same things continuing in this present time in history.  So let us keep our eye on our Lord always, trusting the One who is able to keep that which we have committed to Him!  As members of Christ's body we are one with each other. So let us join as one heart giving praise and thanksgiving to our only wise and loving Father who through Jesus has reconciled us to Himself.  Oh what grace!!  To Him be the glory now and forever.  Amen.