“Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:23-24 NKJV)

What church did Jesus promote?

Recently, I listened to a religious commentator who answered questions from his audience. One person asked, “What church did Jesus promote?” I thought that was a very interesting question. I can understand why the person asked because there are so many different churches. In most large cities, you see them everywhere, even next to each other. The simple answer is found in the verse at the top, which says God does not dwell in temples made by hands.

So, what exactly is the church?

According to the New Testament, the name of a city served as an identification for the churches there as a whole. “Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia, and is used in the New Testament to identify the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It literally means “assembly,” “congregation,” or “meeting.” Another term was used in the Old Testament to refer to experiences such as “the day of the assembly,” “the Lord’s congregation,” or “meeting before the Lord.” In the New Testament, no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building, or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.” The term always referred to the Christian assembly, and in the New Testament, it was used for both the local community of believers and the overall collection of Christians.

Therefore

 The church is never a building or type of denomination, the church is a group or congregation of fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ. So, the answer to what church did Jesus promote is simple—it’s all of them!

“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:5 ESV)

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matt. 18:20 ESV)

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28 ESV) 

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24 ESV)

Jesus declared: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18 ESV). And that is a wonderful promise!

“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Prov. 21:23 ESV)

The above promise is golden to those who obey it. It simply says that if you don’t say anything you will stay out of trouble. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But in practice this is very hard to do, especially if you are angry.

I should have kept my mouth shut!

A few days ago, I stopped by a local store to buy something. The clerk, an older woman, asked me what I was looking for. She had it. I then told her where I had previously purchased the product online. As soon as she heard the name of the place, she launched a verbal attack on the business and told me they were terrible, sold only inferior products, and no one should ever purchase anything from them. I told her I had bought many items from them without issues. And she said I was totally ignorant and didn’t understand like she did, and I should be better educated. As her voice raised, so did mine. The conversation went back and forth and escalated as each of us responded to the other. Pretty soon we were shouting at each other, and there was nothing I could do but turn and leave. Afterwards, after calming down and revisiting our conversation in my mind, I realized I could have avoided the entire problem early on by simply remaining quiet. I did not have to respond to her negative comments, period. If I had only kept my mouth shut, I would have completely avoided trouble. I then tried to look at the issue from her side. I then realized she obviously cared about her products and did believe the online place was inferior, and they were ripping off people with poor substitutes, which was why she was angry with them. So the next day, I stopped into the store again to speak with her. I told her I was sorry for my behavior the previous day, which was rude and despicable. I told her I realized she obviously cares passionately about her products, and that is to be commended. When she heard this, she puddled up and said a few kind words. We parted as friends. 

There are some other promises and commands in God’s Word that are very helpful to remember.

A fool who keeps quiet will seem wise  

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” (Prov. 17:28 ESV)

Don’t curse those who persecute you  

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” (Rom. 22:14 ESV)

The mouths of fools pour out folly  

“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” (Prov. 15:2 ESV)

Restrain your words with understanding 

“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Prov. 17:27 ESV)

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)

God made you wonderfully!

So many people have negative self-identity issues. Maybe they grew up with criticism from their family. Or maybe they compared themselves to the models used in advertising and did not compare favorably. So many young people are unhappy with themselves, so they have expressed their unhappiness in many different, sometimes dangerous ways, resulting in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Some even go so far as to reject the gender they were born with and go to great lengths to identify with the opposite sex, as unisex, or as none at all. All this confusion is because they don’t understand how special they are, just as God created them.

You are born a winner!

On the day you were conceived over a million of your “brothers and sisters” raced to reach your mother’s egg. And you got there first! You won! That’s right, you were truly the winner that day! And you are still a winner today! (Psalm 139:15 NKJV) 

God skillfully made you in secret

“My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” (Psalm 139:16 NKJV)

Therefore

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalms 139:17-18 NKJV)

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Prov. 13:20 ESV)

It’s truly wonderful to have good friends!

It’s fun to visit with them and talk about things you have in common that you both care about. If you’re down, they can encourage you. If they’re down, you encourage them. It’s a mutual exchange. True friends are the ones you can count on when you need some help. If your car breaks down, you can call them, and they will be there. And if you face a tragedy such as death in your family, they’re the first to show up to be with you. Friends have the power to negatively or positively change your life. That’s why it’s important to select good ones!

When I was a youth director many years ago, there was a nice young man who used to come to our events. He was enthusiastic, happy, and full of life. We always loved having him around, and everyone loved him. But one summer, he fell into a group of young men who were full of mischief. They started taking him to parties, where he discovered liquor and the lifestyle that goes with it. They mocked God, the Bible, and his earlier faith. Soon, we didn’t see him anymore. When we called to invite him, he didn’t come. He continued to go downhill, and if one of our group saw him, they said he was not the same person. He avoided all his old friends and only hung out with his new ones. One day, we heard the awful news that he had committed suicide. This is the power of bad (negative) friendships and where they can lead! They will entangle you in a snare.

“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” (Prov. 22:24-25 ESV)

The Bible has a lot to say about good and bad friendships, here are are a few passages about the pros and cons of good and bad friendships.

Bad friends spread strife

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” (Prov.16:28 ESV)

Bad friends aren’t faithful

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9 ESV)

Good friends encourage each other to love and do good works

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV)

Good Friends use their gifts to serve one another

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.” (Prov. 11:25-26 ESV)

I really love the above promise because it’s a win-win for everybody. When you bless others, you get enriched in return. Some people call it the law of reciprocity—those you do something nice to will be predisposed to do something nice for you in return. Another passage puts it this way: you reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7).

The big success secret

One of my favorite conference speakers was the late great Zig Ziglar. He was fun to listen to. He was animated, enthusiastic, and passionate about everything he spoke about. He said the big secret to becoming successful at anything you do is to do everything you can to make others successful. He said that if you did this, you would automatically become successful as a result. It is the biblical principle of sowing and reaping at work; you always get yourself exactly what you do to others. He was so right! The verse below makes it clear with the command:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 ESV)

Do to others what you wish they would do to you

The following verse tells you exactly what to do in a clear and concise manner. Just think what the world would be like if everyone did this.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 7:12 ESV) 

Do as God would do

There was a bracelet that Christians used to wear with the initials WWJD to remind them: What would Jesus do? And they were to apply that question to everything they did. Basically, we are to imitate God as beloved children in the same way children normally imitate their parents. It’s as simple as that. And, yes, it would make a big difference in a lot of things we do. 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Eph. 5:1 ESV)

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14)

Jesus said a lot of things would happen before He returned. One of the final things is that the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world just before His return. In today's world, we have so many more tools at our disposal that we can use to do this. For instance, you read repeatedly about people who have millions of followers on social media, but it is usually for other things rather than promoting Christ. But it could easily be used to promote the gospel. Even though most don't have millions following them, most have a pretty good number of family and friends. Plus, there are all the other forms of sharing information—some old, some new—such as letter writing, phone calls, texting, email, or just plain speaking to people you come in contact with. We all can work in some way or other to promote the gospel and be a part of Jesus’s command to go and share it with everyone.

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark. 15:16 ESV)

How will they know without someone preaching?

You may be the only connection through which some people you know will hear the gospel. They may not attend church or have born-again friends, so you may be the one God wishes to use to reach them with the good news. Don’t neglect sharing with them, it may even be God’s assignment for you.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom. 10:14 ESV)

And Jesus is with you

 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19:20 ESV)

The Holy Spirit will give you power to be witnesses to the end of the earth

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

You can say, “Here I am! Send me”

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isa. 6:8 ESV)

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23 NIV)

Even though I work to post different promise topics daily, there are some that bear repeating because they are life changing. And I have new people coming on, and I want them to understand and apply them, too. Also, some things are to be repeated as reminders, so they become established. The apostle Peter said this: “Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.  (2 Peter 1:12-13 NLT). Understanding that we have three parts made up of spirit, soul, and body is one of those life-changers. 

We are three parts

According to the above passage we are made up of three distinct parts, spirit, soul and body.

• 1.     Spirit: You cannot see or feel this part of yourself. Like God, it is invisible. Inside each one of us is our own spirit which is the part of us that gets transformed when we become "born again". Jesus explained this truth to Nicodemus in John 3:1-12.

Made brand new and perfect!

You become a new creatures by Jesus, (2 Cor. 5:17), your spirit becomes instantly brand new and perfect, (1 John 4:17, 1 Cor. 6:17, Eph. 4:24)

“But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.” (Job 32:8 ESV) 

“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Eccles. 12:7 ESV) 

“For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11 ESV)

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Rom. 8:10 ESV)

• 2.     Soul: The seat of your thoughts, affections, and reasonings.

Your mind is not transformed instantly as your spirit is, when you receive Christ. You must continually work daily to bring your thinking into alignment with God's Word, which is a lifelong process (Phil 1:6). This continual process "renews your mind" and enables you to "prove (demonstrate) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (Prov. 23:7a NASB)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2 NKJV)

This process, or lack of it, explains why some born again Christians continue to struggle with fear, sin, and addictions, even though they are actually redeemed. The better you get at "transforming your mind" and bringing it into agreement with God's Word, the more victorious you will be in life and as a Christian.

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:5 NASB)

• 3.     Body: Your physical self. Your body, the third part of you is the easiest part to understand because you can see and feel your human body. If I ask you how you feel you can easily know and tell me. If I ask you if you are cold or warm, you can easily answer.

This part of you, (your body) is not transformed when you become a Christian. If you are fat, skinny, tall, young, or old, when you are born again, you will be that way afterwords. The Bible calls your body "the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), and also only temporary as in "jars of clay" (2 Cor. 4:7). We are told to take care of our bodies and someday they will die and our spirits will leave them (2 Cor. 5:6).

There will eventually come a day at the appearing of Jesus that our bodies, too, will be transformed and we will then have brand new transformed ones, (2 Cor. 5:3).

Therefore 

The Bible says, "as long as we are in this earthly tent" (your body), you must work to do everything you can do to serve God faithfully until He returns, (Heb. 3:14-18).

You must study your Bible to discover God's truths (2 Tim. 2:15) and apply them to your thinking to transform your mind (Rom. 12:2).

You must pray for and about things (spirit), (1 Thes. 5:16-18).

God will do it!

And, finally, the next verse following today's promise about your spirit, soul, and body says that God Himself, will make it happen for you. “He will do it”, because He is “faithful!”

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes. 5:24 NIV)

And, that too, is an amazing and wonderful promise!

“Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically” (Rom. 12:11)

When I was a child, I often heard myself described as enthusiastic. I suppose that was because I usually threw myself into every task I had to do cheerfully. This was true even concerning things I disliked doing; I just dove into each task with energy and a smile until it was completed. As I grew older, I noticed I was generally happier than others who weren’t enthusiastic about things. Enthusiastic workers not only seemed happier, but they usually got things done faster and better. I found that a good attitude, driven by enthusiasm, was a winning combination.

This helped me a lot as I grew up

I was never without a job, and I never had to look for one; people usually asked me to work for them. Often, it was because I had noticed that something needed to be done, and I just jumped into action enthusiastically without being asked. On our honeymoon, for instance, Susan and I stopped at a music store somewhere in California. It was a madhouse—full of people—and there was only one worker to help people with what they needed, and he also had to check them out at the register. I noticed a mother and her young son looking at the guitars on the racks but not knowing what to get. I walked over and asked a few questions and then picked out a guitar for them that was perfect according to his size, skill level, and at the right price the mother could afford—they went to the counter and purchased the guitar. I then helped someone else find the right kind of guitar strings they needed. And then I helped someone else find something else, and I continued to help people until all had been served. The man at the register said, “Who are you, and do you want a job?” I laughed and told him I was on my honeymoon, just passing through, and I was just glad to help. This is the power of enthusiasm!

What is enthusiasm?

The word enthusiasm is an interesting word. When you look it up in the dictionary, it defines enthusiasm as “a strong excitement of feeling, an energetic interest in a particular subject or activity, and an eagerness to be involved in it.” Some synonyms are eagerness, excitement, fervor, zest, and zeal. And this describes how I normally try to behave. But this kind of natural enthusiasm, as helpful as it is, isn’t as powerful as the original Greek definition, which has to do with passion for God rather than passionate or eager interest in general. The Greek word for enthusiasm is éntheos, which literally means “having God within you.” By the beginning of the 18th century, however, the word began to be used to describe having strong feelings or an interest in secular matters. Too bad!

Why does it matter?

The true meaning of the word enthusiasm, literally meaning “Having God within you” is wonderful and powerful and will make a huge difference in everything you do in life when applied. Simply put, applied enthusiasm empowers you to achieve what God has placed you on earth to do! Now that’s good news! If you want to be successful, be enthusiastic for God!

Therefore

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” (Col. 3:23 KJV)

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 NIV)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess 5:16-18 ESV)

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” (Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

Many years ago, I spoke with a newly married couple about their plans for the future. They told me they were deeply concerned about global threats as well as the other scary things looming on the horizon. Therefore, they had made a decision not to have children because they couldn’t bare subjecting them to such a terrible and scary future. That’s been over 50 years ago now, and yes, many threats have come and gone, and they are alone with no heirs. All because of fear!

it’s no accident!

Don’t worry or fear for your children/grandchildren because the world they are facing is evil, scary, destructive, or even anti-God! The age they were born in is no accident and is part of God’s divine plan for the time He has placed them in (see Acts 17:26).

Planned by God

Throughout history God has created and called people to live in the exact moment in time they were in. Their lives weren’t a coincidence or an accident. Each were placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

Examples throughout the Bible

·      He created Daniel to handle the lions den.

·      He created Moses to handle Pharaoh.

·      He created the three Hebrew children to handle the fiery furnace.

·      He created Joseph to handle being sold into slavery.

·      He created David to handle Goliath.

·      He created Esther to handle Haman.

It’s still true today!

He knows that your offspring can handle whatever challenges they will face in their lives, and He has created them specifically for it!

Don’t be frightened

Be happy that God chose you to parent their generation who may be facing some huge challenges in the future that will certainly come their way.

Rise up to the challenge and prepare them!

1.     Teach them to remain hopeful and not to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world.

2.     Train them up in the authority of God’s Word.

3.     Train them to understand that God will help them do something about whatever they are faced with.

4.     Teach them to walk by faith, moment by moment, in God's power, knowing that He is in control.

Therefore

Don’t let your fears steal the greatness God has placed within your children. Work hard to raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers, and Josephs to become strong soldiers for Him! He's raising up an army to drive back the darkness and make Himself known throughout the earth. Even though it may be difficult to imagine your children as anything besides little ones that you need to protect from anything that could be hard on them, they were born for such a time as this! (see Esther 4:13-14).

Trust God about that!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Eph. 3:20 BLT)