snithers

The Church God’s community of the chosen TONYE S. Snithers The Church: God’s community of the chosen Copyright © 2016 TONYE .S. Snithers, Published 2016 SNITON-IMAGES P.O.BOX 37 UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION RUMUOLUMENI, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE. 07033477614 tonyesopakari@yahoo.com tsnithers07@gmail.com All right reserved, please do NOT publish any part of this book, in quotation, teaching, referencing, in publications, electronic media, mechanical, photocopy, stored, retrieval system, recorded or in any way without any proper permission of the publisher, except as provided by the Nigerian copyright law. Unless otherwise, all scripture quotation are taken from the e-version of Holy Bible, NIV, Message Bible, KJV, BBE, DARBY, RSV, DRV and ASV. Used by permission. Library of Congress cataloguing-in-publication data: an application to register this book for cataloguing has been submitted to the library of congress. International Standard Book Number: 978-978-956- 085-1 ISBN 978-978-956- 085-1 Dedication To my wonderful family & friends, the community of a Agape Baptist Church, Rumuolumeni, to the boy I love, Tamuno-emi B.V. Pokubo, and the faithful in Jesus Christ. Table of Contents Dedication…………………………………………………………………………….iii Forward…………………………………………………………………………………….v Comments ………………………………………………………………………………vi Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………vii Preface…………………………………………………………………………………….. vii Introduction…………………………………………………………………. 3 CHAPTER ONE: THE UNIQUE COMMUNITY…………………………………………………… 17 CHAPTER TWO: THE HEALING COMMUNITY………………………………………………… 24 CHAPTER THREE: THE DISCIPLINED COMMUNITY…………………………………………… 30 CHAPTER FOUR: THE PRUNING COMMUNITY………………………………………………… 39 CHAPTER FIVE: THE REDEMPTIVE COMMUNITY ………………………………………….47 CHAPTER SIX: THE COMMUNITY OF VICTORY OVER FEARS AND DOUBTS………………………………………………….. 53 CHAPTER SEVEN: THE COMMUNITY EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT …………………………………………………… 61 Forward The book, The Church: God’s community of the chosen involves from the experiential heart and mind of God’s servant in the edge of the 21st century. This book has come to us as a time that the church needs to refocus upon God initial calling. It is one of the tools prepared by the gracious God to reach out to you in a time such as this. Tonye S. Snithers in this book vividly by graphically presents God’s truth in a manner so unique, down-to-earth expressions and heart-cutting message to the church and individuals. He does this through seven handy chapters covering: the unique community, the Healing community, the disciplined community, the pruning community, the redemptive community of victory over fear and doubt, and the community empowered by the Holy Spirit. I recommend this book you hold right now. It will add value to your worldview about the church and attitude toward the church. Ken Enyubara, Ph.D registrar Baptist College of Theology Obinze Owerri Imo State. Ken1966000@gmail.com|revkenyubara@yahoo.com 08060141123/08159993707 Comments Pastor Tonye S. Snithers’ revelations on the church as the centripetal force and the redemptive path of the world are quite incisive and thought-provoking. It is a new dimension on our thought streams on the real role of the church as God’s overall agenda of the world. His ultimate advocacy is that we should all rethink our ways and retrace our steps to the church of Jesus Christ where lies the succour of our worries and anxieties in a very ephemeral life span. Happy reading! Prince (Barr.) Telema .P. Berembo The church as the writer puts it is a redemptive and correcting community, a clinic or hospital where the sick in soul seek Jesus for cure. It is a place for all classes of people. Those who seek Jesus must believe that He exist, the Author of our faith and He rewards diligent acts of faith. However, after we are redeemed and made whole, we must deal with the issue of sin because Jesus died for the church in order to make the church holy, and to present the church to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but blameless (Ephesians 5:26-27). As you come to Jesus, you will never remain the same. The book is written in simple language, God bless you as you read on. REV. Maclean Onisoya Redemption Baptist church, Minikpiti, Port Harcourt ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I sincerely appreciate God for His grace through the Holy Spirit who has inspired me to script down this work. Not forgetting my Mum Elveria Sunday whose consistent prayer has help me move forward in life, the family of Mr. & Dcns. (Mrs.) Belema Pokubo for your support and encouragement. I am using this medium to express my profound gratitude to Prince (Barr.) Telema Berembo for your patience in making possible this book comes to reality as well as your encouragement, you’re the best. I am so trilled each moment with the family of Agape Baptist Church and what God does, using every member in making sure I become what God want me to be, this book would have not been written or published without you all. Thank you Rev’d & Mrs. Opirite .F. Amachree, Dcn. & Mrs. Ilaba Iwo George, Dcns. Ineba T. Berembo, Miss. Mark Jane for reading and correcting, Rev’d & Mrs. Onisoya Maclean of Redemption Baptist Church, for your encouragement. To you Mr. & Mrs. Pretuboye .S. Snithers, Onengiye-Ofori Kio, Chief & Mrs. Ibiba Inengi, Mrs. Inengiba Jack for believing in me and your trust in God for me. The lecturers and staff of Baptist college of Theology, Rev’d & Rev’d (Mrs) T. Miller, Rev’d Ken Enyubara the power house of encouragement, Rev’d John Nnoje, Rev’d John Enyinaya (rector BCT Obinze-Owerri), Rev’d Silent Ajoku, Rev’d Japheth Amadi and Rev’d Samuel Ajoki my great friend and every student of BACOTHO, you inspired me a lot and I am blessed because you all, and to everyone who humanly inspired me the list goes on Thank you. Preface Sunday to Sunday men and women, youths and teenager as well as children and babies flock the buildings of their denominations to make a worship service unto God as a community. This gathering is known and called church, which is instituted by the Redeemer and Saviour Christ Jesus the One who was slew on the cross at Calvary, yet resurrected three days after his burial, and ascended to heaven after He has given authority to the Church (His disciples). This act (His life, death and resurrection) made Him different from every other man either living or dead, be prophets, kings and heroes that had ever trod the surface of the planet earth or beyond. Centuries before his birth Jesus Christ was named -WONDERFUL COUNCILOR, MARVELOUS KING, ALMIGHTY GOD, PRINCE OF PEACE, also His reign would be forever, neither will it know end (Isaiah 9:6). I tell you the truth, there had been other so called religions, the likes of Judaism, Buddhism and a lot other “isms” including African tradition were in operation before the first coming of Jesus Christ. To a great reality, because the Church is a structure from God, it is rapidly eating up the world with the truth and its truth and the churches truth is incomparable to the world’s truth, which is full of lies and deceit. Friends, be prepared, for the end will come and the promise of Christ Jesus will come to fulfilment, you can only find artificial of any original that is in existence. That which is not in existence has no photocopy so the truth remains no matter the odd news we hear about the church everyday as caused by the evil one who is trying to work against and defraud the church of Jesus Christ, God’s word will forever remain. We must understand that our ‘Sunday-to-Sunday’ fellowshipping is but a mere knowledge, however studying and upgrading ourselves of the already released manifestation and power in God’s word keeps our potentials functional. This book is written to inform us about the place of the church in this world. TONYE .S. Snithers 2016 INTRODUCTION I have been in the church for some years now even up to the time of writing of this piece of work (The Church: God’s Community Of The Chosen) to place before anyone who may come in contact with, to know that I have never seen any other community like the church. I have seen and heard about other religious organizations who so many times condemned the activities of the church and later returned to the church because they could find no comfort or peace of mind over there at their so-called religious organization where they had belonged, but subsequently repented from their old ways to gain access to God through the founder of the church, Jesus Christ whom they had spitefully discussed. In the year 2013 l was astonished at the information I stumbled into through the internet, about a Muslim scholar Resa Aslan (JESUS GOES TOP) who wrote a book about Jesus Christ (the founder of the church) titled “Jesus is my hero”. Why write such a book as a Muslim man someone asked; he said all the prophets seem the same but Jesus made the deference. I have also heard about several cases about people who in their lives once doubted the church and the Founder and His Deity, as well as the existence of the God. But later reconciled to the existence and wrote several books, amongst them are atheists like, Antony Flew a legendary British philosopher and atheist, who announced in 2004 that he has accepted the existence of a God – (source: www.biola.edu/philchristi), C. S. Lewis a famous writer and later became a preacher who authored books including Mere Christianity and many other Christian books. Francis Collins is a medical doctor and geneticist best known for leading the Human Genome Project that mapped the entire human genome, he wrote the book The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. He is currently the Director of the National Institutes of Health United States. Allan Sandage graduated from the University of Illinois in 1948, with a dual major in physics and mathematics, and a minor in philosophy, he received his PhD in astronomy in 1953 yyet, another journalist Lee Strobel the author of “The Case for Christ.” In the Africa someone has even claim to be Jesus Christ and have deceived many to follow them, such people like Olufumilayo Immanuel Odumosu (jesu of oyingbo) (source: www. Nairaland.com) The founder of the church is the one who can make any individual free from all kinds of bondage, be it physical or spiritual and Jesus Christ is His name. According to John, Jesus said “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me…” John 14:6, we ought to diligently view and study how the Bible describes God’s dealings with the ancient Jewish people and the early Christian church. It tells us about the great gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled Jewish prophecies of the Messiah. It tells us about the salvation He accomplished through His death on the cross, His triumph over death in the resurrection, and His promised return to earth to rapture His saints. In the 1820s, a student challenged his professor called SERMON Greenleaf (the principal founder of Harvard law school United States) about the case of Jesus Christ, to prove if truly He resurrected. After much research and the trails were successfully proved, he wrote a book titled, An Examination Of The Testimony Of The Four Evangelists By The Rules Of Evidence Administered In The Court Of Justice. And who are these four evangelist Greenleaf was referring to, the Apostles; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In which he emphatically stated: “it was IMPOSSIBLE that the apostles could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had not JESUS CHRIST ACTUALLY RISEN FROM THE DEAD…” (P.29 of the mentioned book title, above) Greenleaf concluded that according to the jurisdiction of legal evidence, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the best supported event in all history! And not only that, Dr. Greenleaf was so convinced by the overwhelming evidence, has no other choice than to commit his life to Christ Jesus and remained a Christian. WHAT THEN IS THE CHURCH? Is your understanding of church based on buildings, programs, worship music, missions, pastors, fund-raising, corporate structure, scheduling, and age-level ministries? The New Testament perspective of church does not deal with any of these. The New Testament word for church does, however, refer to an assembly, a gathering, and on one occasion, a mob. This word also indicates that those in the group come together for a common purpose. The word translated church comes from ekklesia (transliterated from the Greek language) and is phonetically pronounced ek-klay-see′-ah. This word is formed from two Greek words: ek (meaning “from” or “out of”) coupled with a derivative of ka-leo (which means “to call, invite, or name”). Thus, the basic meaning of ekklesiais is “to call out of” or, with relation to a group of people, the “called out ones.” Thus, it is understandable that ekklesia has been translated as “congregation” or “assembly” or “company” although these words dilute the core or original meaning of the word ekklesia (church) which has a greater emphasis on people being “called out” by God instead of mere meeting together. Although some dictionaries have these definitions for the church as well; The church as a building used for public Christian worship The church as a particular Christian organization, The church as an organized Christian religion as a political or social force (Source: oxford dictionary of current English third edition) Le Petite Laurousse a French Dictionary defined the church as a society or organization founded by Jesus Christ or a Christian community. But none of them could give a proper definition of what the church truly is. The first appearance of the word “Church” is recorded in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus Christ said to one of His disciple; “And I say also unto thee; that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the key of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (KJV) The explanation to this scripture unveils the place of the stone (rock) in which the church is to be built on (which is already built and active), it is understood that stone in the Greek word and Peter sound similar. But Jesus was talking based on the Divine revelation that Peter received “… flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven...” (Matt. 16:17). That on this Divine revelation the church will be built and not on Peter even if he became the leader of the first church or as many believers have it in mind. And secondly In Matthew 18:17, Jesus also used ekklesia when He taught His disciples how to restore unrepentant believers. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church (ekklesia). And if he refuses to listen even to the church (ekklesia), let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. - Matthew 18:15-17, Here the church stands as a point to resolving dispute between brothers, which includes friends and neighbours, the church is a community with Divine revelation, a body of which divine mysteries are revealed to believers, cannot be just an organization or an ordinary place where we can do anything we choose to do, nor can it be just a building as the above dictionaries may have defined it neither as the people of the world (unbelievers) might call it. But a community of God’s chosen “But ye are a chosen generation…” – (1 peter 2:8). The church is the revelation of God in a personal and special form or manner to humanity, since the general revelation from God through Adam was thwarted by the introduction of sin from the fall of Adam. This scripture in Matthew 18:19 was Jesus’ response based on the answer provided by Apostle Peter on his perceived revelation of who the Master Jesus is. Here Jesus made it known that Peter’s response is a product of divine revelation (Matt. 16:17) “… flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in Heaven…” and declared that He will lead (establish) the church using divine revelation (upon this rock I will build my church) not on Peter as many believers claim to have understood the very scripture, but upon the “Divine revelation” Peter has received. Therefore the church is God’s divine revelation, a community where divine secretes (divine mysteries) is revealed to the believers in Christ Jesus, to enable them gain mastery over the challenges posed by the enemy and truly live the fulfilled life that is promised while still on earth. … And I will give unto thee the key of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven … Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Matthew 16:18b; 3 John 1:2 This key of the kingdom of heaven signify divine mysteries, which cannot be explained or understood with the use of ordinary human intelligence But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (-1 cor. 2:13) They look foolish to the ordinary man. Based on this truth one is obliged to affirm the words of the Master Jesus Christ I will give unto the church divine secrets, so you can be in charge (whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven) of the circumstance in life and start enjoying eternal life while on earth. The church is not just a place but a community of the regenerated people, whose heart has been renewed and awaiting unto the coming King Christ Jesus. It is a community with the greatest population of helpers, Hebrew 12:22 affirmed to this very truth and it reads thus; “… you have come to Mount Zion (the church), to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.” Now we can agree that the church is neither a building, nor is it a forum where people come to showcase fashion and swage, rather it is the city of the living God where believers command authority and meant turn the world to the desire of God through the message of hope from Jesus Christ. HOW DO WE CHRISTIANS KNOW THE CHURCH? A comparison of scriptural description of the end-time with recent happenings around the world suggests that we are in the end days. Society is now characterized by a flood of “churches” as much as the prophets with claims of professing Jesus and performing signs and wonders, and magic as well, but in following injunctions of the scripture as stated in 1 John 4:1-2 “Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.” (KJV) In the same manner we can identify the church as; an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting - Acts 2:46, although not because they are gathered that made them a church, but the practice thereof. It is a company of believers, or of those whose hope is on the eternal salvation through Jesus Christ alone, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake - Psalm 111:1. Those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body (Christ Jesus) Eph. 1:22-23 The whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth. – John 10:16 The assembly of faithful Christians already dead and are received into heaven. – Hebrews 12:22 The church is a heavenly name better still call its spiritual name as the “assembly or community for Christ Jesus”. For our understanding, Jesus Christ was never a Christian but his followers, for the word Christian was mentioned first in the land of Antioch and appeared in the book of Acts because the people of that community see Jesus in the believers then Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven. …and it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the CHURCH, and taught much people. And the disciples were called CHRISTIAN first in Antioch.” - Acts 11:26 Jesus Christ is the founder of the CHURCH and the church he gave power from heaven and wisdom to perform, that whatsoever change the church needs to make on earth in His name it will be made possible if only it will be asked (John 14:13), knowing that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow. This is the reason the church can also determine the future of its community, locality, state, country and the world at large, because the power of changing and making better the world as God posited is in the hands of the church. WHAT ARE THE IMAGES OF THE CHURCH? The Flock of God: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; - 1Pet 5:2 Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God’s church, which he acquired with his own blood.- Acts 20:28 Any one born into the life of the church becomes part of the church community and therefore needs attention from the shepherd for grooming. And as a sheep you must at all time follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The People (community) of God: And he will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of fathers to their children, and wrongdoers to the way of righteousness; to make ready a people whose hearts have been turned to the Lord. - Luke 1:17(BBE) So I say, has God put his people on one side? Let there be no such thought. For I am of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin .God has not put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? How he says words to God against Israel, Lord, they have put your prophets to death, and made waste your altars, and now I am the last, and they are searching for me to take away my life. But what answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent to Baal. -Romans 11:1-4 (BBE) The people of God are those who never give a damn of what mortals says about them or their God, but have unwavering faith to believing the One Truth God even until their last breath, because God has selected them for Himself. The House (family) of God: For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. - 2 Cor. 5:1(ASV) … this will make clear to you what behaviour is right for men in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of what is truth. – 1 Timothy 3:15 (BBE) The house of God is the only place where truth is found, no matter how man seems to hide the truth from his fellow men (even right in the church); we can’t hide it from God. For God is Truth and the church is He’s beloved. The chosen of God: To whom coming, a living stone, cast away indeed as worthless by men, but with God chosen, precious, -1 Peter 2:4(DARBY) But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. -1Pet 2:4, 9-10 In the following chapters we shall be discussing the uniqueness of the community of Christ (the Church) to the believer. Faith inspires a man with true courage; nor will any thing help more to the establishing of the heart in shaking times, than a firm belief of the power, and mercy, and promise of God. In all our trust in the Lord, and our praises of him, let us especially look at his everlasting mercy to sinners through Jesus Christ. Never was an army so destroyed as that of the enemy. Thus God often makes wicked people destroy one another. And never was a victory celebrated with more solemn thanksgivings.