The Church will survive

[Sam]

On another forum someone expressed concern about some of the elders going on to their reward and what will happen after they leave.

A couple of weeks ago I visited a church a little less than an hour from here and signed a young man's application for credentials with The Church of Jesus Christ. He had on a clergy collar. I personally don't wear one of these but have no problem with someone who does. He read his Scriptures from an iPad. I have no problem with this. I wish I had one. It is the Word of God whatever the medium. He preached a good message, quoting from the Word and using applications/examples from the Bible.

I believe God's Church is alive and well. He is building up His Church just like He said He would do. It's His Church and He'll take care of it.

[Sam]

Someone said, "When an elder dies it is like a library has been burned to the ground."

[Lafon]

Originally Posted by Sam

I believe God's Church is alive and well. He is building up His Church just like He said He would do. It's His Church and He'll take care of it.

Yes, Sam, I agree... God's Church will survive because it is His Body - "...the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" - (Ephesians 1:22-23).

With that being said, there remains yet something of extreme importance that God will do with regards to the preparation of meeting with His Bride, the Church, and it is that which the apostle Paul tells us that He will do:

"...Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. - (Ephesians 5:25-27)

By the very fact Paul has explicitly asserted that He will sanctify (i.e., make holy, or purify) the Church before He receives it to Himself at the time of His return, alerts us to the fact that, at present, it is not entirely as free of those things which blemish or tarnish it's purity as it ought to be! In other words, there are yet certain elements of false doctrines being proclaimed in its midst which must be identified and eradicated! That is the most pressing order of business we must be about the task of doing, but I am not persuaded that we are doing that! Woe unto us if we don't, and He must do it instead!

[bbyrd009]

Even that is changing; as that knowledge is now much more accessible--the Bible is becoming more transparent every day. Sites like biblecc are powerful engines for parsing the Bible, and I have followed the church from the Baptist pulpits to...well, to here, and other, unorthodox places, via people's hearts. The Vine cannot be fatally poisoned, and the true Church will only overcome.

[Sam]

Two songs that seem to demonstrate what I believe about the church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE5sz78r3kI

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swfB-9nLuLs

[bbyrd009]

Amen to that. If you'll allow me, Armaggedon (or a type) is a war being fought right now, for the center of you, in everyone (on the hill where the Believers gather, from the waters); and you can feel a battle forming, right now. The current world unrest is just the material manifestation of it.

[bbyrd009]

Yup; nice. Not my kind of music, but yay! lyrics I can get behind.
(I'm more of a "Talking Heads" guy, for my spiritual music : )

[bbyrd009]

make that above the waters; why can't I edit?

[bbyrd009]

I see a simultaneous Awakening to meet it...you can be the voice of a revolution.

[RandyWayne]

First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
and so you're back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed my stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me