THE CHURCH

Acts 2:47

Morning Meditation 4/10/2015

"Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

The church is the body of Christ of which He is the head. When our Lord made first mention of the Church He promised that it would never succumb to Satan. He said He would build the Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). We should notice that the first time Jesus mentions the church, He intimates that "the gates of hell" would be a deadly enemy to the Church. Satan has fought the church over the centuries. He first tried to destroy it from without and it seemed to make it stronger. Today I think that he is using his most effective strategy, he has joined the church. The Church is suffering from a watered down version of the gospel and it is clearly seen in the kind of fruit it produces. Let's look at some of the things that the Church can expect in the last days.

THE CHURCH LOOKS FOR HIM

He said, "I will come again." This is found in John 14:1-3, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Then we find the angels message to the Church after His ascension in Acts 1:11, "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Then in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." We are waiting and longing for the day when He comes to gather His people. Next,

THE CHURCH EXPECTS TO BE CAUGHT UP BY HIM

This is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

This is what is commonly taught as the rapture. While the word rapture is not found in Scripture, the words "caught up" are. We will be caught up to meet Him.

THE CHURCH EXPECTS TO BE MADE LIKE HIM

Philippians 3:20-21, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

The word "conversation" most of the time in the New Testament means, "manner of life.." The word "conversation" here translates a different word. The word is "politeuma"

and means, "the administration of civil affairs or of a commonwealth." This is where we get our word "politic." This means that while we are in the world, we are not of the world. Colossians 1:12-13 says, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

We are in a spiritual kingdom now. This kingdom will never end. Next,

THE CHURCH EXPECTS TO REIGN WITH HIM

Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

Paul brings this out in 1 Corinthians 6:2, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"

The Church is not in the world to judge the world. We are here to get the gospel out to the uttermost parts of the earth. It is for sure that the Church has a glorious and eternal future. 1 Corinthians 15:19, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Our hope extends into eternity.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White