Jesus said in John 4:24 and I quote “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” He said further in verse 23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
In Matthew 18: 20, Jesus said “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” From this saying of Jesus, it is clear therefore that Jesus must be present in a gathering, before that gathering can be called a church; even if it is a gathering of just two or three, provided Jesus is in their midst. And the two or three gathered together must be those who worship Jesus in spirit and in truth. Unfortunately, the devil in these last days has bewitched many to have a wrong concept of what a church is. The devil makes people to believe that any gathering of people, where the name of
Jesus is being mentioned or worshipped is a church. This is not true; otherwise Apostle Paul would not have warned the worshippers of the church in Corinth to beware of another Jesus or another spirit or another gospel as written in 2Corinthians 11 :4; otherwise Jesus would not have warned the true church in Philadelphia to stay clear of the “synagogue of Satan” which say they are Jews but are not, but do lie as written in Revelation 3 :9 and I quote “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Otherwise that evil spirit would not have told the seven sons of Sceva, who were using the name of Jesus to cast him out- “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” Acts 19: 13- 15.
The purpose of this publication therefore is to have a clear spiritual understanding by the Spirit of truth as to what a true church is, whose worship and services are acceptable to God. There are so many scriptural references that are written by the Holy Spirit, which define a true church. When Solomon finished the building of the house of the Lord, the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him in 2 Chronicles 7: 12, 16 and I quote: ‘And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” From this bible text, we can now have an idea of what a true church is.
From this chapter of the bible, a true church can therefore, be defined as a place or a house of the Lord chosen and sanctified by God, where His name shall forever be, and because his name is there; His eyes and His heart shall also be there perpetually. It is defined as a house of spiritual sacrifice, acceptable to God. Remember, Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my name, He is there in their midst. Jesus can only be in the midst of a gathering of two or three who are sanctified, because He, Himself was sanctified. And what else can sanctify the people of God other than the truth as written in John 17:17 and I quote “Sanctify them through the truth: Thy word is truth.” And we know that the name of Jesus is THE TRUTH. It means therefore that Jesus can only be in the midst of two or three who are gathered together in His name, the Truth. In 1Timothy 3:15, Paul referred to the house of God, as the Church of the living God, and as the pillar and ground of Truth. Any gathering therefore, which is not a pillar and ground of Truth is not a church of the living God, but a harlot/false church, a synagogue of Satan, because Jesus Christ is not in their midst. It is another Jesus that is being preached. It is another gospel that is being propagated; it is another spirit that is operating there.
“Church,” is now being misinterpreted by believers and unbelievers alike as any gathering of people where the name of Jesus is mentioned or worshipped.
The children of Israel, the people of God, were in bondage in Egypt and for four hundred and thirty years (430) years, they were serving the Egyptians and their King, Pharaoh, and at the same time serving the gods of the land of Egypt. They could not give the God of heaven acceptable worship and service. God, by His mighty hand, and with great signs and wonders dealt with King Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the gods of the land, so that they could let the children of Israel, His people, come out of their land and out of bondage to serve Him-Exodus 9:1. “Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me’’. Therefore the word Church comes from a Greek word known as Ekklesia which means “Called Out.” A true church is the gathering of the people of God who have been called out to give God acceptable worship and service. In Matthew 2:15, the Lord spoke by the Prophet saying “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” If God call His son out of Egypt, then a true church is the “called out” of Egypt, which shall be explained in the next publication.
Note: A true church built by Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God is the one built upon the truth, which Christ referred to, as This Rock. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. A true church is the one given the keys of the kingdom of heaven Matthew 16: 18-19.
A true church is also described by Jesus as the narrow way church, which leads their congregation into eternal life but unfortunately, only few find it, as written in Matthew 7 :14 and I quote “ Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto eternal life, and few there be that find it.”
