June 2019
by Seth Halpern, Editor Even though the percentage of Americans who identify as Christian has slipped in recent decades, the number still represents a majority of Americans. Yet, there is no doubt that most of these people do not attend church regularly and even fewer are fully committed to the faith with which they claim to identify. That is an obvious conclusion based on the fact that most of our local churches (with a few exceptions) are struggling to fill their seats with regular attenders much less committed ones. There are certainly those people who should attend church but don’t as there are people who do attend that shouldn’t. The last part of that statement may seem harsh but the reality, as I see it, is that many
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who attend do so for unbiblical motives. They are not “going to church” because of a reason greater than themselves, but for many “selfish” benefits. Please keep reading for clarification. I am not intending to stand in judgement of people who have yet to understand who God is and what salvation looks like. Rather, I’m referring to those who actually oppose the Gospel and hurt the ekklesia (the Greek word for church or assembly). People who are honestly and sincerely “seeking” God can certainly find Him in a church that
preaches the truth of the Gospel where its members are displaying sacrificial love. I’m referring to those who have no interest in growing in the love and will of God and in the image of Christ. Let’s step back for a minute and define exactly what the church is and is not. The church is usually thought of and referred to as the building or location where Christians attend traditionally on Sunday morning (although other times are now popular as well).. According to God’s Word, the church is a people not a
"...the church is a people not a place. The people of God, His children,ARE the Church."
The Pro-Life Case in 250 Words
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Assemblyman
James Gallagher
Update
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place. The people of God, His children, ARE the Church. So, rather than being somewhere you go, or even something you do, it is something you are. To be the church means to be a family of believers in Jesus Christ, who walk through life (good and bad) together. That’s the way it looks in the book of Acts. Defined that way, we can assume that the church is something much more that the place that people go on Sunday morning (as mentioned above) but also can refer to groups of believers that meet to worship, learn, and share spiritual gifts. These can be home groups, ministry activities and other situations that bring true believers in Christ together for fellowship or
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