the Lamb's Wife

The Church is God's image of love. It consists of all born-again, saved Christians around the world. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, which is not conformed to this world (to worldly society and its values). Everyone who is born again and thus automatically becomes part of the Church (Church with big "C", which is above any denomination or organization), receives the Holy Spirit, who leads him to the knowledge of God's unchanging truth and is experiencing life in peace and love of Christ.

   Jesus spoke of love and unity among Christians as a witness to the world:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"

(John 13: 34–35).

THE CHURCH AND ITS BRIEF HISTORY

Jej vznik popisuje udalosť z časti Skutky Apoštolov 2: 1-13, kedy bol na Letnice zoslaný Duch Svätý, ktorého nám zasľúbil Pán Ježiš po jeho zmŕtvychvstaní a odchode do nebeského kráľovstva aby zasadol po Božej pravici. Táto udalosť sa odohrala v Jeruzaleme. Nasledujúce verše ukazujú čo sa po vyliati Svätého Ducha udialo:

„Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved“ (Acts 2: 41- 47).

Zealous disciples of Jesus after his crucifixion quickly began to spread this gospel (good news of salvation) to the whole world. Early Church was significantly different from the current one. They were simple and sincere loving Christians who remained in prayer every day and teaching the Word of God. They faithfuly studied Scripture and were willing to lay down their lives for their faith. They were labeled as a sect and endured persecution, prison, executions, burning at the stake, and many other tribulations and sufferings. Allegedly they taught false doctrines which threatened the whole hierarchical society. They preached love, unity and brotherhood, but it was not accepted by the "leaders" of this world, because they wanted to maintain their power. In the 4th century during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great Christianity became the state religion. Constantine was only a half Christian and he stayed half sun worshiper as his sun cult predecessors. He declared that he is Christian and demanded to stop killing Christians. Thus the persecution ceased for some time, but the church started to be penetrated with many pagan customs and traditions. Instead of  the Church of God it has become a secular church, which eventually moved into a position of  persecution and killing Christians in later centuries. (MORE INFO IS BELOW - THE LAMB’S WIFE AND THE HARLOT) 
 

VARIOUS IMAGES OF THE CHURCH

Kingdom of God

It is a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of peace of the King Jesus Christ. He is a good and righteous Lord, who never oppresses His subjects. 

„But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you“  (Matthew 6: 33).

Herd

God's people are as a flock whose Shepherd is Jesus himself. He takes care of his flock (and keeps it alive and protects against the dangers).

„I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd“

(John 10: 11-16).

Vine

Church represents branches, shoots that grow from the vine representing Jesus Christ. This image speaks of a close communion with God, but also about a spiritual education (trimming), without which it can not bring fruit. 

„I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you...“ (verse 1-3) (John 15: 1-8).

Jesus' bride

The Church is the bride and Jesus Christ is the groom. Between them is firm mutual personal relationship and commitment. The bride is prepared by the Holy Spirit on the bridegroom's arrival.

„Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God“

(Revelation 19: 7-9).

Body

Christ is the head and the body of God's people, who are the so-called limbs. Every believer has a place prepared by the Holy Spirit and there he should faithfully carry out his ministry. Each service whether visible or invisible, is important. Jesus is the head of the Church and wants His Church to be united and subject to his direction.  

„Now ye are the body of Christ..“ (vers 27) (1. Corinth. 12: 1-31).

TASK OF THE CHURCH

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16: 15-16).

The most important task of the Church is to spread the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. Christians are like parts of one body. They need each other and hold together. Each is designed for a different service (Eph. 4: 11-12). They complement each other with their spiritual gifts. The Church has to carry the weak and not to turn its back on Christians, who pass through a crisis of faith or have any spiritual weakness. They often need patience and mercy. "Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (Romans 15: 7). If there is our brother in any sin, we have to help him and encourage him: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6: 1–2).

 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3: 12–13).
 

THE CHURCH HAS NO TEMPORAL POWER

 New Testament Christian churches that the Apostle Paul established on his missionary journeys, always had more elders. It is said of them as elders (Acts 20: 17) or guardians (Acts 20: 28) of the church. It was not a hierarchy. They took responsibility for the Church together with all Christians in their city.

 
  From the 4th century the Church merged with secular power and gradually tried to dominate it. But Jesus' intention was different:

  Jesus said: „My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence“ (John 18: 36).

  Sincere Christians never strived that the Church had temporal power. They rejected such efforts and because of that they went through persecution. It is they who formed and form the true Church.
 

THE LAMB’S WIFE AND THE HARLOT

  We live in a world that is heavily influenced by the faith in God. However, how many of us keep his Biblical laws? How many of us love him by heart and not only by words? These are just questions that bother many christians and sometimes even the gentiles. In the Bible we can read about a bride of Jesus (Church) but also about the harlot. Who or what forms this Church? This description is about life of the early Church and about the barbarities of Rome, which burned and killed millions of Christians for their so called heresy and for their denial of the supreme authority of papacy.

Všetko sa to začalo po Ježišovom ukrižovaní. V roku 70 po Kristovi bol  rímskymi jednotkami  zničený Jeruzalem. Kresťania, ktorí sa rozhodli šíriť Ježišovo evanjelium, čo v preklade znamená "radostná správa", ušli do okolitých krajín, pretože verne čítali Písmo a vedeli čo má prísť. Tí, ktorí odmietli prijať Ježiša ako Božieho Syna (Biblia píše o nich ako o farizejoch a zákonníkoch), ostali s bojovným duchom v Jeruzaleme kde nakoniec bola preliata krv pre ich nevieru. Tým, že mnohí Židia odmietli prijať Novú Zmluvu spečatenú Kristovou obeťou, preniesli na seba kliatbu. Môžeme to vidieť v priebehu celej histórie ako Židia a moslimské národy trpia. Kresťania, ktorí uverili slovám Pána Ježiša boli zachránení pred smrťou a dostali úlohu šíriť toto Kristovo evanjelium do celého sveta.  Prvá Cirkev, ktorú tvorili prostí a jednoduchí ľudia sa vyznačovala obrovskou čistotou života. Ich autoritou bolo Božie Písmo, ktoré písali ľudia pod vplyvom Ducha Svätého. Túto čistotu si Cirkev zachovala až do roku 313 n.l. keď bol vydaní milánsky edikt. Kresťanstvo bolo uznané ako štátne náboženstvo. Rímsko-katolícka cirkev sa stala odpadlíckou cirkvou (neviestkou), pretože sa dopustila nevery voči Kristovi, tým že jej láska ku Kristovi sa obrátila na lásku ku svetu. Do Cirkvi prenikla modloslužba (uctievanie Panny Márii, sôch, obrazov, pohanské tradície a sviatky, presunutie soboty na nedeľu,...), svetská moc a rímsko-katolícka cirkev sa spojila s pohanmi. Dokonca aj dnes mnohé protestantské denominácie napodobňujú Rím v spojenectve so svetskými vládami. Našťastie stále ostali verní služobníci evanjelia ako boli Valdenskí, Albigeni, Viklef, Ján Hus, slávny nemecký reformátor Martin Luther a mnohí ďalší až po dnešných kresťanov, ktorí sa nespojili s Rímom a svetskou cirkvou. Tí boli naďalej prenasledovaní za "kacírstvo". Niektorí z nich sa museli skrývať v lesoch a na odľahlých miestach aby mohli konať bohoslužby a odolávať tlaku sveta. "Rím vzal ľuďom Bibliu a vyžadoval od všetkých, aby prijali jeho učenie. Úlohou reformácie bolo vrátiť ľuďom Božie slovo" (E.G.W). Až do 18. storočia bola Biblia často krát zakázanou knihou, ktorú mohli mať v rukách len predstavitelia rímskej cirkvi na udržanie ich moci a ľudu v nevedomosti. Rímska pýcha a svetskosť nemala hraníc. Honosné kostoly, chrámy, zlaté predmety, maľby, sochy a k tomu všetkému zarábanie na bludných odpustkoch. Sklon prispôsobovať sa svetu dnes preniká do všetkých denominácií. Robert Antinks vykreslil obraz duchovného úpadku takto: "Skutočne spravodliví ľudia sa strácajú a nik si s tým nerobí starosti. Dnešní kresťania milujúci svet, prispôsobujú sa mu, usilujú sa o osobné pohodlie a túžia po tom, aby mali úctu a vážnosť. Pán ich povolal, aby trpeli s Kristom, no oni sa desia aj tej najmenšej urážky... Odpadlíctvo, odpadlíctvo, odpadlíctvo je vytesané nad vchodom každého kostola. Keby si uvedomovali, keby to cítili, bola by ešte nádej, ale beda, oni len volajú: ,Sme bohatí, máme všetkého dosť, nič nepotrebujeme".

  Ľudia v dnešnej dobe stratili spojenie s ich dlho zhovievajúcim Stvoriteľom univerza. Odklonili sa od Božieho zámeru a plánu a rozhodli sa pre rebéliu voči Bohu a jeho Slovu. "Ale to vedz, že v posledných dňoch nastanú nebezpečné časy. Lebo to budú ľudia, ktorí budú milovať seba, milovať peniaze, chlúbiví, pyšní, rúhaví, rodičom neposlušní, nevďační, bohaprázdni, bez lásky, nesmierliví, pomluvační, nezdržanliví, divokí, nemilujúci dobrého, zradní, náhli, nadutí, viacej milujúci rozkoše ako milujúci Boha, ktorí majú tvárnosť pobožnosti, ktorí však jej moc zapreli. A tých sa stráň" (2. List Timotejovi 3: 1-5). "Tým, že sa Cirkev prispôsobuje svetským zvykom, nevedie svet ku Kristovi, ale postupne splýva so svetom." (E.G.W). Vo svete sa prebúdza duch doby a duch antikrista. "Vtedy keby vám niekto povedal: Hľa, tu je Kristus! alebo: Tu!, neverte! Lebo povstanú falošní kristovia (mesiáši) a falošní proroci a dajú veliké znamenia a budú robiť zázraky, takže by zviedli v blud, keby bolo možné, aj vyvolených" (Matúš 24: 23-24).

Cirkev je na zemi preto, aby ľudia nachádzali cestu ku Kristovi a skutočné obrátenie. Nie je vyhradenou skupinou pre určitý druh ľudí. Je pozvaním pre každého, kto hľadá pravdu. Je pomocou porozumieť Písmu a oporou v premene života, ktorý pre človeka pripravil Kristus.