Meaning Church Portraying Remnant Illuminating Love which is God!

Pioneer Memorial Church here at Andrews University

Just by saying or viewing the word “Church” makes me think of Pioneer Memorial Church, located here within the campus of Andrews University. “Different people, different perspectives, different world views, different understanding but with cross-sectional similarities, all in all unique since creation because God is love: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth with diversity, purpose and uniqueness.” I guess that just clearly portrayed and explained why the first thing that came to mind is in fact the first thing that came to mind: my perspective… Anyways, I’m pretty sure you’re perspective or understand may vary in different aspects but also convey a similar interpretation. As described in Wikipedia, Church is a religious institution. It is a building used for religious activities, particularly Christian worship services. Also, it identifies a group of people or worshipers referred to as Christians or followers of Jesus Christ. As stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19 within the Holy Bible, the church is “the” temple of God: the human body is in fact God’s temple or Church. Or in other words in a much more general perspective narrowed down into simple straight path, the Church is God’s temple and sanctuary. But how can you and I “see” the meaning behind Church with the word “Church”?

As a Christian, it is clearly understood that our trinity God abides within the Church. One word, “relationship…” The Church signifies, portrays, illuminates and illustrates the relationship between God, humanity and the rest of His creation based on God’s principality and character: love, which is God Himself. This relationship toward the human race was established back at creation when God breathed the breath of life into the dust to form Adam the first human being, as stated in Genesis 2:7.  Wikipedia describes the word spirit as breath. So in this  scenario, the breath of God was in fact referring to the spirit of God. Think of it from this angle of my perspective, from the moment Adam was alive this relationship was established between God and humanity. From the moment God created the dogs, cats, rivers, dust, trees, sun, moon, etc.., this relationship was established. Thus explaining how God is “omnipresent, omnipotent, and everlasting: the beginning, present and never-ending: analogically stated in Hebrews 4:12.” And so applied to the rest of God’s creation (universally speaking). This breath was in fact God Himself initiating this relationship within His creation (abiding within them) while “they” the created leaving apart and outside of God within “His” creation (which is in fact God Himself). Additional proof to this statement would be the fact that God can read our thoughts, minds and hearts as stated in 1 Samuel 16: 7, Mathew 9:4, 12:23, Luke 6:8, 9:47, Psalm 139:2, and especially John 2:25. Does that mean that God can control each and every one of us like robots or puppets? Yes He can but that would absolutely go against His principality and Character: which is love. Or in other words, If God had done that, than He’s not love! Thus saying that he would have gone against Himself (which cannot happen because God is simply the same, in the beginning, today and for the rest of eternity). Because God is love and loves us, He gave each and every one of us (including the angels: explaining why iniquity was found within Lucifer at the first place) the power of choice. He never forced everyone to obey Him but offers us all the power to “choose” whether to follow Him or not (not meaning satan).  John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the light was the light of men.” Or in other words simply speaking in general perspective, in the beginning God was that word, and still is today and the rest of eternity: He never changed and still will never… That would mean that God is “life” and life is of God as portrayed within John 1:4. Or in other words, that “relationship” between God and His creation is in fact the Church. Then why do people (men who desire sin: including satan and his angels) who rejected this relationship are still found with “life” and are not found “without life: the wages of sin, death” from the moment iniquity was found within them? Well, they are still alive simply because God is “love”. Or in other words because God is love, God The Son Jesus Christ had to reestablish that relationship that was lost on the cross (plan of salvation) as stated in John 3:16. But what about Lucifer or satan, does that mean that applied to satan? Answer: No! Absolutely not, God already gave the “time” for Lucifer to repent and He did not as stated in Revelation 2:21. Let us not forget that the wages of sin is death as stated within Romans 6:23, within The Holy Bible: The Word of God, who is the beginning, the present and the future: everlasting. Stepping back out of this deep hole of explanation into our track of general perspective, this relationship is in fact established at the very first place or beginning simply because God is love.

Viewing this scenario from a much broader, wider and universal perspective, this relationship between God and His creation describes and best illustrate His Community. Or in other words, His Community is in fact the Church: His creation (Church being singular simply because they, the creation are united in Love which is God). His community (universal: earthly, heavenly, etc…) is based on His principality and character: love. Or in other words, this community of love describe how God is perfect and righteous in love: within this multi-dimensional relationship based on love: which is love. Thus while "trying" my best to describe and portray love’s fullest capacity of being love, “I cannot” simply because God is perfect, righteous, The creator, and above genius: which is love. Luke 17:21 “Neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Here within this passage, Jesus clearly stated that His Kingdom, His Community is within us: due to the fact that He, the breath of life, the life, is already within us as stated within 1 John 4:4. But does that mean this relationship is already established within us and we are automatically saved from the wages of sin: death? Well, this “relationship” is already established within us but God cannot force us to be automatically acceptable and be of total submission to this relationship simply because God is love. Yes, because He’s love He gave us all (creation) the power of choice to simply “choose” to accept or reject this relationship: which is based on love. But remember that the opposite of love (the Law of God or God’s character) is sin: and it’s wages is death as stated within Romans 6:23.

Those who choose to incline onto this relationship, are in fact incline with God through Jesus Christ. One word that certainly best describe, illuminate and portray them here within planet earth, “Remnant.” Or in other words, here on planet earth those who choose this relationship through Jesus Christ, follow Him which is the light unto this world truly and fully according to His example, and are in fact the Remnant as stated within Isaiah 10:21. Those are the saints or followers of Jesus Christ who will in fact inherit and enter God’s heavenly community of love as stated within 1 Corinthians 6:9. Also they prepared the way of Jesus Christ in order for the sacrifice to take place and the restoration of that relationship which was previously broken: as stated in Revelation 12. Thus saying that they fully shortly portray this relationship and God’s community of love while being here on earth awaiting Jesus Christ’s second coming. Or in other words, they are the followers of Jesus Christ which fully and truly follow Jesus Christ’s example or footsteps: which He Himself is the light to this dark gloomy sinful world. Revelation chapter twelve illuminate this community of love based on their relationship

Simply summarizing from a much general sophisticated perspective, the Church is in fact a sacred place where God abides. The Church is God’s creation, those created in His Image, His earthly, heavenly and universal community, and united through Him who abided, abides and still will abide in them, love. Or in other words, the “Church” as so to speak was established in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.

Generally portraying from information technology's simple perspective, think of the "church" as  zillion series of hosts, nodes, routers, switches, hubs, cables, etc.., within God's Universal Area Network while God Himself being the Network Administrator, main server,  and the source to the entire network itself: while the packets of information which are meant to be sent to and forth the source and network administrator Himself is in prayer. Thus briefly explaining how God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and eternal, etc... While “trying” to explain His complexity, righteousness, everlasting and perfection which cannot be explained by any “created” to love’s fullest capacity of being love, but from an understandable perspective from his created (you and me), this is my perspective toward God's "Church". But the question here is that, "are you and I willing to accept God's relationship and the sole true purpose of the  Church that He created you and I to be?" Remember, "TIME IS UNKNOWN, JESUS CHRIST'S SECOND COMING IS UNKNOWN, ETERNAL LIFE IS REAL AND THE POWER OF CHOICE IS YOURS..."