Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

• Romans 8:29

This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

• Isaiah 49:8

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

• Luke 4:18-19

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

• Revelation 22:17

“This is the community God had in mind before time itself began (see Romans 8:29). We cannot understand the Church without seeing her as part of the sweeping story the Bible tells, and we cannot be faithful Christians without affirming God’s central role for the Church—the living body of Christ. The Church is a reclamation project, reestablishing God’s rule in the midst of a world still mostly under Satan’s sway.
“The church always has the same identifying marks.
“Foremost among the marks of the church is the preaching of the word. …
“The second mark of the Church, as all confession will agree, is the administration of the sacraments. …
“The third mark is the exercise of discipline. …
“Genuine community also characterizes the Church. …
“Evangelism always has to be a primary call in the Church. …
“The Church is one because all true Christians, while we participate in different confessing congregations, are part of one body. …”

• Charles Colson (with Harold Fickett), The Faith

Chuck Colson speaks on a variety of bullet points regarding the Church, but notice that he capitalizes the word “Church.”  He is not discussing an individual church, but the Church that will be the bride of Christ.

But in his bullet points, he gives hints as to which churches come closest to what the true church should be.  The church should be grounded in the Word of God.  The true church should observe at least the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, of some kind.  There should be discipline and genuine community should be characterized by the church.  Evangelism is a must.

Ummm.  Wait?  Evangelism is a four-letter word in most churches, and they wonder why their church is dying?  I tried to establish true evangelism in a church about twenty years ago, and there was such a profound flashback against it (thinking that relationship evangelism was better – that evangelism where you never mention the name of Jesus or it might offend someone – and yes, I know that is not relationship evangelism, but it is how it got interpreted).  Evangelism became advertising events in the local papers that no one ever reads.

Oops!  Sorry, did I really write that?

But, regardless of what church you belong to, if you are a true believer, you are part of the true Church.  And sometimes, I have had genuine community when I went to a Bible study at a friend’s house, one that was not associated with any denomination.  You find Church when you find other true believers.

Lord, show me what are the foundations of “the Faith.” It is important to be a member of a church, for accountability and community.  But the saving Grace of Jesus Christ comes with membership in the true Church, and having friends in that Church gives us a wonderful source of understanding, face-to-face discussion of the Word of God.  And that might even take place in a Sunday school class in one of those not so perfect churches.  In Your name I pray.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.