The Church Defined

The Church Defined # 7 House of Prayer For the Audio Version, click here:  House of Prayer Matthew 21:12  - "'And He said to them, It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (NKJV) God’s design and desire for the church, is that it be "a house of prayer for all nations."  (Mark 11:17) . The only instance where Jesus was outraged, was when He found the temple had become a business center, instead of a place of prayer as God intended for it to be. When Jesus drove the money changers and those who sold merchandise out of the temple that day, the disciples remembered the words written in Psalm 69:9 , “For zeal for your house has consumed me,” (ESV).  The importance of prayer was understood, and revived by the early church, for we read in Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:42 , that the disciples devoted themselves continually to prayer. They prayed before choosing the twelfth disciple, they ...

The Church Defined #6 - Power from on High For the Audio Version, click here:  Power from on High Acts 1:8 , " But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NKJV) These are the words of Jesus to his disciples before He ascended into heaven. As the disciples tarried in prayer with one accord, the Holy Spirit came upon them with power just as Jesus promised. The Acts of the Apostles is the really the record of the Acts of the Holy Spirit that was manifested through the disciples of Jesus. It was this dynamic power of the Holy Spirit working in them, that emboldened them to preach the word, endowed them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, enabled them to perform miraculous signs and wonders, which resulted in thousands being added to the church, and the gospel being preached to the ends of the world. The church, more than ever befor...

The Church Defined #5 - Church Under Attack (For the Audio Version, click on this link:  Church Under Attack Matthew 16:18 , “… I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (NKJV) All through history, the church of God has been under constant attack. These assaults came in the form of opposition, rejection, imprisonments, persecution and death. The global church at this juncture is challenged with an intrusion like we’ve never encountered before.  Paul admonishes the church at Ephesus this way in Ephesians 6:12-13 , “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (NKJV) We as a church, must realize that we are in a spiritual battle, and God...

The Church Defined # 3 - One Body For the Audio Version, click on this link:  One Body    Romans 12:5, "In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other." (GW) The analogy of the human body that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 12 , best describes the way the body of Christ was meant to function. It is the smooth, co-operative and combined working of every part of the human body that makes it so incredible. So also, in the Body of Christ, we may look different, hail from diverse backgrounds, have distinct callings and possess varied gifts. Nonetheless, having partaken of the one baptism, having the same Spirit of God at work in and through us, there is no place for disunity. Therefore, each one’s grief or joy should be shared by everyone else. One Body also implies that we complement, not compete with one other. This unity applies to every local church, and to the church at ...

The Church Defined # 4 - I Will Build My Church (For the Audio Version, click on this link:  I Will Build My Church Matthew 16:18 , "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…" (ESV) When Peter made the astounding confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” Jesus affirmed that this was a divine revelation to him from God the Father. (Matthew 16:16-17) . Jesus also declared to His disciples that this confession was indeed the foundation on which the church would be built. When Jesus said, “On this rock,” we know that Peter’s name meant ‘rock’, but we also know that Jesus Christ Himself was the spiritual rock (1 Corinthians 10:4) .  Take note that Jesus asserted that He alone would build the church. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 3:8,9 , the Apostle Paul clearly explains this truth, that all those who labor for the Kingdom of God are just “God’s fellow-workers.” As the Lord alone is the builder of the church, fro...

The Church Defined #2 - The Body of Christ (For the Audio Version, click on this link:  The Body of Christ We read in 1 Corinthians 12:27 , “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” (NKJV) In 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 , the Apostle Paul explains in detail, that the church is the Body of Christ. Just like our human body has many members, so also the body of Christ comprises of many members. Every one of us are blessed to be one such member of His body, the church. For the Body of Christ to operate effectively, we must realize that each one of us has an important role to play. No one is inferior and no one is superior. We need each other, and are called to support one another, genuinely care for each other and esteem others better than ourselves.   Most importantly, as the Body of Christ, we represent Him, so may we function in such a way that Jesus Christ will be honored through each of our lives.    Here's the link to the...

The Church Defined # 1 - The Head of the Church (For the Audio Version, click on this link:  The Head of the Church In Colossians 1:18 , the Apostle Paul says about Jesus: “He is also the Head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that He would have first place in everything.” (GW). Also, we read in Ephesians 5:23 : “…Christ is the Head of the church. It is His body, and He is its Saviour."  (GW) Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the church, as He is from the beginning, is the Saviour of the church and is the first to come back to life. The church is His body, and belongs only to Him. Therefore, He alone has the authority to rule over His body. May we render to Him the pre-eminence that is due to Him, and Him alone. Here's the link to the other devotions:  Church Defined The Life Transforming WORD - by Esther Collins