The Church

The word church was introduced by the Greeks. The Greek word for church is “ekklesia” which means “called out ones” and “sent out ones”. The concept of church was adopted and used by the Roman Empire during their reign that’s why it was the most established and most powerful earthly kingdom.

“Called out ones” in the context of the Roman Empire, means that Julius Caesar handpicks or chooses people to become his “church” and then he trains them to adopt his attitude, purpose, will, vision and lifestyle (i.e., from the way Caesar thinks, speaks and dresses up) everything about him! In other words, he fills that person with himself.

When he sends a person to colonize a country, he does not have to go to that place to colonize it. That person he sent was more than enough to colonize it because that was Cesar himself and not the person. Caesar never goes to a country to colonize it, he just sends his church or his “sent ones”. The equivalent of the church before in the Roman Empire is the Senate today or the cabinet secretaries in the Philippines. In this country, the President does not have to go to different provinces or cities or parts of the country to execute his will or his program as the President sends his cabinet secretaries.

When Jesus Christ came, he asked one of his trusted disciples, the would-be church, Peter….

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

(Matthew 13-16:18)

Jesus was not saying to Peter to build the church after his Name. But he was saying in the statement that he was the Christ and not a prophet. Christ means the King. Therefore, since he is a King, he has the right to build his church or his cabinet members. A prophet has no right to have a church or cabinet members but only a King or a President. The word “church” was introduced by the Greeks but the concept originated from God himself because he knew that he would use that word to his own people. God first allowed Caesar to use this word to make it easier for the people of God to understand the “church” concept prior to his coming.

So, when Jesus Christ came, he rebuilt his church or his representatives. The church of Jesus Christ is a powerful church that he promised that even the gates of Hades (Death) will not prevail over it (See Matt 16:18). Prior to the coming of the church, death has the most power here on earth, but upon the arrival of the church, death was trampled down that’s why the bible says…

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

(1 Corinthians 15:55)

The church has also the power to bind circumstances here on earth. When Jesus said, “Whatever you bind on earth, shall be bound on heaven…” it means that “whatever it permits in heaven shall be permitted in heaven and whatever it does not permit in heaven, it shall not be permitted in heaven.” Circumstances here on earth are fully subjected to the church. Not the church to the circumstances.

The church is the image and the likeness of God Himself. God molds his church according to his image and his likeness just like Caesar did to his cabinet members. Take note that when God sends his church to colonize this planet earth (colonize means to transform this planet earth into the heavenly state) he does not have to do it by himself. The church is more than enough to execute his will here on earth. But, when God sends his church to transform this planet earth into the heavenly state, they need to be filled with God Himself. That is why the bible says…

“Be filled with the Holy Spirit”

Ephesians 5:18

“Being filled with the Holy Spirit” means be filled with His everything (vision, character and ability) so that when you see the church, you see God himself. Jesus said…

“Anyone who sees me, sees the Father.”

John 14:9

He was not only referring to the person of God but to the character and ability of God. So as a church, you can say also to the people “anyone who sees me, sees God.” We are not referring to the person of God but we are referring to the character and ability of God.

The church also demonstrates the variety of wisdom of God. This means that the church must do what Jesus did during his time. Jesus Christ had a lot of ideas in performing miracles. He performed no two miracles… that is, no two the same miracles during his time! No repetition of miracles implies that in different occasions and places and circumstances, he had a lot of ideas. He countered troubles with various methods. He solved problems with unlimited solutions. He answered questions with different answers. And that is called supreme wisdom. He showed different colors of his life to different kinds of people. So, when people meet him, they are not bored. And that should be the church! And that is called the “glorious church”! Glorious means the “state of glory”. “Operating in glory” means operating in the complete character and ability of God.

There are many so-called “Church” today, but are they the true church of Jesus Christ? Is it a glorious church operating in glory? Are they displaying the variety of the wisdom of God? Are they representing God or representing their own organization? The church is the hope of the whole creation as stated in the book of Romans:

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.”

Romans 8:19

The church is the only representative of the kingdom of God. If you are a church and you don’t know the kingdom, you are not a church at all. This is because the church is called out by the King and sent out by the King. “Called out” connotes that God himself equips his people or representatives about his government and about his will and intent. And so, if you do not know about the government of God, how can you say that you are called out by God and that you are the church?

The church is not a religious word. It is a legal word. When you say ‘religious’, anyone could introduce and use that word. But when you say it is ‘legal’, it may only be introduced and used by the authority or the government. Therefore, the word church is a truly powerful word.

The church of the kingdom is too much for the problems in this world. They are the trouble-shooters sent by the government of God. The church and the kingdom is an “inseparable word”. It means that they are one. The kingdom without the church will not execute God’s will here on earth and the church without the kingdom cannot execute God’s will on earth.

This is the sleeping giant now but when this awakes, even Satan will tremble. How we wish the church will finally be awakened.