But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
- Hebrews 12:22-24
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
…
I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- Revelation 7:9, 14
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
- Ephesians 2:11-13
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
- Colossians 1:18
Colossians 1:15-20 ” The description of Christ is written in the form of an early Christian hymn. Paul detailed the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ by describing him as the “image” or exact replica of God himself …. Paul disputed the Colossian heresy by proclaiming Christ is God himself, not simply an emanation or angelic being. Because of this, all creation is under his power and authority. Christ has always been preeminent or in “first.””
- Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Patty Comber, Pauline Epistles contributor)
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
- Apostle’s Creed
The Message
The Holy Catholic Church is not the Roman Catholic Church. I read a fellow blogger some time ago who described it as the Church with a Capital “C.”
From the Scriptures above, the Holy Catholic Church, or the Universal Church, is the church of true believers. We will one day be the Church Triumphant. At the End Times, the Church will become the bride of Christ as He gathers us together in Heaven.
But what of the church of today?
The Presbyterian church commissioned a PUP report, Purity, Unity, and Peace. The pastor of our church at the time asked if we could ever have all three. The group said that it was possible, but I cast the dissenting vote. As long as we have a sin nature, purity and unity are mutually exclusive and peace is fleeting.
I heard a long time ago that there was only one out of three people in the pews in those days that was a true believer. With people leaving the church, could it be that the statistics have improved? Maybe not. Another blogger said that it might be as bad as one out of ten now.
But to be perfectly honest, it is God that decides who is in the Book of Life. That’s above my paygrade. Some people who talk of Jesus all the time may be told by God that He never knew them.
But on a positive note, when we get to Heaven, those pretenders will be gone. Everyone that is there are those who truly trust in Jesus with their very lives.
And the collection of those true believers is the Holy Catholic Church.
And now let us sing.
Here is The Church’s One Foundation sung by Stacey of Stacey Plays Hymns.
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
We believe in You. We trust You. We believe that You will return for Your Church. You give us Hope in that the Church at that point will be Pure, Unified and Universal, and we will be at Peace. Thank You, Lord.
In Thy name we pray,
Amen
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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