Wednesday, 1 July 2015

The Origins Of The Fundamental Christian Church

By Dorthy Lloyd


People sometimes get funny ideas about the formation of the Christian church. Especially in the United States, we tend to think that the Catholic church came first, and that Henry VIII started the Protestant church so that he could get a divorce. All churches, apart from the Catholics, are just versions of protestantism, such as the Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, etc. In reality, the fundamental Christian church was the first-ever church to follow Christ.

The Catholics got their start in the 2 AD, while the Christian fundamentalists gathered for the first time about six weeks after the Resurrection. Back then, it consisted mostly of Jews, Gentiles and a handful of others. The Apostle Luke wrote the Book of Acts somewhere around 80 AD to document the beginnings of Christianity and the spread of the gospels to the Roman Empire.

According to the Book of Acts, it is possible to define the exact moment the Christian church was formed. On the first Feast of Pentecost after Christ ascended into heaven, the 12 apostles and around 124 other followers, including Jesus' mother and brothers, gathered in one place. Without warning, a strong wind came and filled the entire building. Above every head were tongues of fire. Everyone there was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking with other tongues, meaning in other languages.

This moment became known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it happens to everyone who gets baptized in water as a Christian. The rite of baptism signifies publicly that the subject has turned their back on sin, that they believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that he died for our sins. It is not enough to believe; demons believe. If you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you have to be born again through water.

The acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit is what separates fundamentalists from other Christians. Some people go their entire lives thinking that the Holy Ghost referred to Jesus after the Resurrection and that he left the planet when he ascended into heaven.

This is a mistaken view. In the Book of John (Chapter 14, verses 15 to 18). Here, Jesus says that the Father will send down a helper, who will abide with us forever. That inexplicable, overwhelming sadness that you feel when you visit a church and you have not been baptized, that is the Holy Spirit, gently reminding you that you are a sinner and not right with God.

When you are praising your Maker in church, singing, dancing and waving your arms about like a football fan or like you're at a rock concert, that buzz of electricity that fills the room is the Holy Spirit. When your pastor touches you on the shoulder when you're immersed in prayer and the power is so strong that you fall over, that, too, is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not abandon his children when he ascended into heaven. God delivered on his promise, as he always does. He sent us a helper to guide, love and protect those who love him and obey his principles. Whenever two or more people are gathered in the name of the Lord, he is there.




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