Open Letter to The Backslider

Dear Blacksilder

After a powerful mid-week sermon, which was televised on your popular Tv and radio station, my secretary gave me this strange looking envelope and upon opening it I saw you your letter.

Your story is very interesting and unique, first and foremost you have never been a subject of my preaching. The  scenarios I use in my sermons may look similar. It is never intended to humiliate you but to  show God’s  amazing love to his children. As the Bible say’s “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. “2 Corinthians 5:17. You became a new creation and not even my junior pastors nor I can change that.

The problem now is how you can maintain your salvation, through the process of salvation is filled with long suffering and self control. It’s a continuous process not a one off event the Bible says in Philippians 2:12-13 “12So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”

Stories in the Bible of Paul and Barnabas etc. show us how these Christians came out of adversity and became pillars in our faith. They never let society define for them their salvation.

Even though you have become a new creation your pass holds consequence and that is a scar you must learn to live with through your Christian life. With the help of the Holy Spirit you would navigate through it. Whatever you did  cannot be erased from the minds of society but it does not mean the blood of Jesus has not washed it away.

As a Sunday school popular hymn goes ” have you been to Jesus for the cleansing blood? Are you washed in the Blood of the lamp? Are your garments spotless are they white as snow? are you washed in the blood of the lamp? Are fully trusting  in His grace this hour?

If you lose sight of the grace of the almighty then you will lose sight of mercies of the almighty that you have gained through salvation.

Have read the book screw tapes  by C. S Lewis, there is a story of a young devil who has been assigned a new Christian to help him backslid, now his supervisor the senior devil gives him an advice which I feel is similar to your story. The old devil tells the new devil that, to make a young Christian loss his salvation he must let him see the hypocrisy in the church. He must always let the Christian think that everyone is talking about his past and let him feel like he has become a hypocrite just like the other old Christians living in the Church. He must also let the past sins of the new Christian haunt each day so he doubts himself of his salvation.

The story goes to show that salvation is not about  others but rather the relationship you nurture with Jesus Christ. Never allow someone’s actions to hinder you from becoming what you have decided to become through the help of the Holy spirit.

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:6), and we are “like living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Therefore as members of his holy nation we must be connected with each other through worships, and songs. The Church though may still not be perfect will allow you to have a connection with others like you holding each other’s hands and journeying through the Christian lifestyle.

Becoming a Christian means you have to place all your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, now you have become a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). For a church body to function properly, all of its “body parts” need to be present and working (1 Corinthians 12:14–20). You are a unique member of this body and without your function the church will never become whole.

Josh Moody a Christian blogger said you must not stop coming to Church because it honors God. The church is the body for which God gave his blood (Acts 20:28). To be a regular, serving, contributing, giving, involved part of the church honors Jesus. It says to everyone and everything – the spiritual realm and the human – that Christ is higher, greater, better, more wonderful than absolutely all that there is. You story tells millions of the Love Jesus has to all mankind. When you come to church, and gather around the proclamation of the gospel through his Word, you are partaking in the “heavenly Jerusalem” and are telling everyone how much Jesus is worth (Hebrews 12:22).

Collins do let my actions or inactions allow to stop worshiping and serving God, remember the Son of God was shamed so you can lift your head in glory, he was beaten so you can be healed, he died so your sins will be forgiven and arose again for your victory to all mankind.

Come to my office on Sunday and I will show you thousand of letters from people who watched the program you mentioned in your letter and see  how you story is encouraging thousand more believe to stay strong in the faith.

Your Pastor

Bishop Rev. Dr Stay Faithful

P.S

I did not deliver you Jesus  Christ did on the cross over thousand years ago and he also save you.  AMEN

Homology of the Church

Richard Owen in 1843 define homology as “the same organ in different animals under every variety of form and function” i.e. Organs in two species are homologous if the same structure was present in their last ancestor an example organs as disparate as the wing of bats, the seals flippers a cats limbs and human arm have common underlying anatomy which was present in their last ancestor and so therefore are homologous as forelimbs. This is the biological definition of homology[1].

This article will looks at the etymological understanding of the word and it’s important to the organic meaning of the church and most importantly the Christian faith.

Homology is derived from the Greek word homologos where homo mean agreeing, equivalent and logos means word or relation, combing the words I arrive at a more simplistic meaning which is the equivalent word or relation of the ekklesia (church).

The canons of the scriptures all have an underlining relationship which is derived from a common ancestor who is Christ, both old and new testament are the affirmation of Christ’s kingship as the sovereign God, thus the declaration by Simeon “³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.[2]”  and Anna “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem[3].” Jesus Christ is the homological connection between all Christians, worldwide. Doctrines does not make a church, liturgical ceremonies is not the foundation of the church neither is the Pentecostal or charismatic existentialism the sign of a church’s strong spiritual ability or presence.

Matthew 16:18 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.

 

In Matthew 7 vs. 21 Jesus Christ gives an analogy of those who are truly His followers by indicating that they are those who build their house upon the rock. A wise church is the one whose has built its foundation upon the rock. This rock was never Peter, he was a building or church like how you and I are today. The rock on which the church is built is “Jesus Christ the son of the living God[4]“. Paul puts it in a simple tone “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.[5]”

We can build a church upon philosophies, myth and on any other thing, it will look grand and massive, it may be awe inspiring but as David said “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.[6]” without Christ there will be no refuge, either the church becomes a place where sin is taken lightly and materialism is increased therefore salvation is missing or legalism is so much that members live hypocritical lives in other to save face with each other.

Sadly modern day church is facing this great challenge where men are made demi-gods of the almighty, i.e. You have accepted that you worship God but your bishop, pastor, prophet or whoever is in authority his now the most powerful entity whom all actions are done in accordance to their commands, so you have all the terminologies, the one liners and the gimmicks. Revivals are as rampant as day and night, when I have a financial trouble there is a revival for that, when I need to travel abroad there is a revival for that, when I need a husband there is a revival for that, when I need the anointing there is a revival for that.

These revivals mainly focus on men who come to download what is in their spirit to the members, so you have become a puppet (gigo- garbage in garbage out), when will you do your own downloading. Today the foundation is not important only the body. Christ warns us about this type of foundation which breaks under pressure and lose its beauty. When the foundation is Christ the church becomes as Isaiah puts it:

“² Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. ³ Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.⁴ The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. ⁵ No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected.[7]

When the Church is in Christ wisdom and righteousness reigns, Love and mercy is abundantly received, joy and peace lives among all men and the words power is now evident in the lives of all those who yield to its instructions, trials and tribulations will arise, the wicked will scheme and plan and yet they not succeed this is the power of the foundation found in Christ.

Peters divine revelation of which Jesus is the homological bases for all faith in God and without Christ every other god is a dead god. The Christ is definitely the same today yesterday and forever.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

 

The ideal of salvation is based upon the concept where a person or group of people are under a rulership or an authority where they have been put under bondage, tyranny and they constantly live in fear of death, imprisonment, and hardship. These people have no hope of freeing themselves from this bondage because there is no place for them to turn.

Now in the wake of hopelessness these people are waken one day with an option, this option is this there is a new king and master in another land whose people are living in hope and prosperity. Naturally everyone would like to go to this free happy land flowing with milk and honey, but this journey is impossible because the tyranny king would kill you before you get there.

How can this journey be possible? Unless the new king enters into the old country and conquers the old king. Consequently like every good king who cares about every person as his own creation comes into the old land to conquer the king but he comes in a disguise of a commoner who lives in the old land. He then begins to teach the citizens of the old Country the truth about freedom, peace and prosperity on the other land which they the people in the old nation are seeking, but there were the publicans who were common citizens but have been given power by the old king to lord over their own people with the same tyrannical rule he uses, they recognize this king and decides to kill him. The new king gets wind of their plot to assassinate him so he gives those who believe in him as the king of the new land a sign of his coming back into old country as a conquering king to kill all those who rule with the king.

The new king leaves the old land, after his departure this fellow begin to give diverging views about is doctrines of freedom, peace, love and prosperity, the fellow who did this was paid by the old king to mislead the people who believe in the new country and are faithfully willing to die for this new king. This paid man gather large following who were misled by their new leader, by telling them to see the new king as a means to an end, an end of power and prosperity which is provide by the old king in the old country.

In the old country those who are willing to follow the new king will fetish faith and hope believe that there is no way to be save from the rule of the old king without accepting and living according to the ways of the new king which he taught his followers. How did the current citizens of the old country come to believe that the conquering king, who’s coming to destroy the old country, once came into the old country? The new king’s first followers chronicled all his words in the annals of the coming king. This book has existed for thousands of years yet the old king paid people to say this book was a work of delusional men, who had not reasonable proof for their believe in the new king.

When the new king comes to destroy and build a new land the only thing that can save those in the old country if you accepted him and believed in him and only him as the coming king because in the time of war those who believed him will still support and follow him even when he has not reached the old country but is coming from the borders and the old kings legions seem to overwhelm the new king army.

Brothers and Sisters there is a siege coming and those who will be saved from the sword of judgment of the new king are those who believe on the name of Jesus Christ for he his the only way, truth and light. Therefore the church of Christ has only one king and he his Jesus Christ, for he is the only rock upon which all denominations are build and if you lose sight of his sole ownership of the church and believe that some holy spirit fill man of God be can save you then you are greatly mistaken, the church belongs to Christ and he alone owns the copy rights to salvation, reconciliation and healing with God.

My final thoughts are these the only rock on which you should base your faith in upon Jesus Christ the conquering King and master of the universe, he owns the rights to your redemption from sin and his the only one who can save you from the coming judgment and hell.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

10:36 GMT

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[1] www.wikipedia.com/homology date 14th March, 2013

[2] Luk. 2 vs. 32

[3] Luk 2 vs. 38

[4] Mat. 16 vs 16

[5] 1 Cor 3:11

[6] Psalm 18:2

[7] Isaiah 32:2-5