In Psalm 122:1 David said, “I was glad when they said
to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the
Lord.’” The house of the Lord in
David’s day was the Tabernacle. It would be
Solomon’s responsibility to build
the Temple
where God would put His presence. It is interesting to me that there
was only
one Tabernacle, and later on, one Temple.
I know of no one who would claim that there were many tabernacles or
many
temples where one could go to the one of his choice.
In Isaiah chapter 2, the prophet speaks of a time when
the Lord’s house would be established. In 1 Timothy
3:15, we learn that
the house of God is “the church of the living God.”
Isaiah did not speak of the
“houses” of the Lord. Neither did Paul say that the
“houses” of God are the
“churches”
of the living God. Jesus stated in Matthew
16:18,
“…I will build my church…,”
not “churches.”
Did any Israelite ever talk about “going to the temple
of your choice?” Why then, since Jesus, Paul and others spoke
of the one body,
one church and one house, do we hear some today talk about
“going to the church
of your choice?” It is God who gives the choice, and He only
gave one church,
thus one choice. The attitude of “many churches” is
of man, not of God.
What
Do You Think of "Them"?
By Ernest S. Underwood
Acts 2
is a marvelous chapter in the Bible. Here is recorded the first Gospel
sermon
after the resurrection of Christ. Peter, one of the spokesmen, preached
the
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. So convincing were his Holy
Spirit
inspired words that the multitudes were compelled to cry out,
“What shall we
do?” Peter told them in plain, simple and understandable
language what they
must do. About three thousand believed and obeyed the commands that
Peter gave.
But, what about the rest of those in that great audience? What do you
think of
them? They heard the same message, but did not respond in a positive
way. Why?
Don’t you wish you knew what they were thinking? I do!
However, the only thing
that we are told, and that by implication, is that they did not gladly
receive
the Holy Spirit inspired words of Peter. Did they have other interests,
another
agenda? Whatever it was, they did not obey the commands stated by
Peter, and
thus, were not saved. Neither were they added to the Lord’s
church.
That same message is there for all today. Have you
gladly received and obeyed it, or are you like those others on that
day, still
in your sins? Do you really want to be like “them?”
