The word “church” is interesting in that it can have  various meanings depending on the context.

We can go “to church,” which is a common way of referring to gathering in a building for worship. Sometimes, the church means the building itself.

The church can refer to the people gathered together for worship and instruction. It is often a mixed bag of believers and non-believers. Some people don’t yet know Jesus but are seeking truth. Some people claim the name “Christian” for any number of reasons but don’t have a relationship with Christ.

This gathering is called the visible church. It’s what the world sees as the church.

Then, there are all true believers worldwide. They can differ in theology and practice, but the Holy Spirit seals them all. They can vary by denomination, affiliation, and confession. This is the invisible church, the true church.

In North America, at least, a Christian can be a member of the invisible church, part of a visible church, and meet in a church building.

Some advocate that Church gatherings be comprised only of true believers. This begs the question, “Who decides whether someone is a believer or not?” Only God knows our true hearts; you and I cannot know the state of someone else’s salvation.

We can get some hints from their conduct and the fruit of their lives. We can get clues from what they profess to believe.

When we get to glory, I think we will be surprised by the absence of some people we expected to see and the presence of some we didn’t. There won’t be any mistakes. Jesus knows his own.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He, who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10:7-16

Our role isn’t to decide who is and isn’t a believer. We are called to love and minister to everyone and let God do the sorting.

Sheep and goats can be present on any given Sunday (or at special times like Christmas and Easter). Let’s welcome and love them all.

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

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© 2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

For Christmas, some years ago, a dear friend gave  me a reprint of a book from the mid-1890s. It is a recipe book of sorts, and it tells how to make everything from common household cleaners to medication to explosives. 

The recipes and information are fascinating, although I don’t think I’ll try most of them. Many of the processes are highly dangerous.

One of the things I learned how to make was called Prince Rupert’s Drops or Prince Rupert’s Tears. According to one source, “The drops are named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, who brought them to England in 1660, although they were reportedly being produced in the Netherlands earlier in the 17th century and had probably been known to glassmakers for much longer.”

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. The tears are made by letting drops of molten glass fall into a tub of cold water. The glass hits the water and cools, creating beautiful tear-shaped drops. They are hard, clear, and have a small glass tail on them.

Amazingly, when you hold a drop and break off its tail, it explodes into fine powder, and the explosion can be felt in your hand. I suspect that a vacuum must be formed when the glass hits the water, and when air is let in, the drop can’t handle the pressure change.

At first, the recipe was simply one of those interesting but useless pieces of trivia that can catch my attention occasionally. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what an apt metaphor for life it was.

Our hearts can be as beautiful as Prince Rupert’s Tears and just as fragile.

We go through life with hearts that are hard and empty. An event will occur that shatters our hearts, and we’re left holding nothing but dust. The impact of the brokenness rocks our world. At that moment, many of us realize that we need a relationship with Jesus.

Fortunately, we serve the God who mends the brokenhearted. When we encounter them, we can share the reason for our hope and joy.

…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect 1  Peter 3:15

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:3

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

Until next time, if your heart is breaking, turn to the one who can heal it. If you know someone with a broken heart, tell them about Jesus.

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

__________________________________________ 

Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format.

Subscribe today: https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1 

For an archive of many back issues, visit our website at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com.

© 2024 Gleanings From the Word, K.F. “Kevin” Corbin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.