Comments by Joan Boney:
From the time I was born in 1937, until I was approximately 15-years-old, I would go to church with my aunt when we visited the town where she lived. That didn't happen often since she lived across the state in my early years.
When I was about 15-years-old I went forward at Church of Christ and was baptized because I didn't want to go to hell.
Church of Christ taught they were the only church and my favorite aunt went to Church of Christ so I was sure that was true.
After I was baptized, I could eat the cracker they passed around on Sundays and I could drink the small glass of grape juice.
But I always dreaded this part of the service for they said you had to examine yourself before you ate this and drank this and I didn't know how to examine myself to see if I was worthy.
Many years later, God showed me The Lord's Supper has nothing to do with crackers and grape juice but The Lord's Supper is the eating and drinking of the Word of God.
I Cor. 11:27-29 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
(The "bread" and the "cup" of the Lord pertains to the Bible, and eating and drinking the scriptures, examining yourself by those scriptures and making appropriate changes to your life as you read the Bible.)
28 But let a man examine himself (as he reads Bible), and so let him eat of that bread (the scriptures), and drink of that cup (examining himself by The Word of God) .
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
28 But let a man examine himself (as he reads Bible), and so let him eat of that bread (the scriptures), and drink of that cup (examining himself by The Word of God) .
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
Partaking of the Lord's Supper is the eating and the drinking of The Word of God.
***
After I was baptized, I thought I was a Christian, although my life didn't change at all.
One day, a young man, whose father was an elder in Church of Christ, asked me to go for a car ride with him after church. In the car, he tried to convince me to have sex with him. I did not do this and I left the car as soon as possible.
(How can an elder's son be like this? I wondered. This should not be happening in the church.)
Requirement for an elder in the church according to the Bible:
(In the Bible, elder and bishop are the same office and these two words are used interchangeably.)
I Timothy 3
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
This was my first experience with sin inside the church. And in experiencing ungodliness in the churches and seeing that ungodliness even as a young person who was taking church rather seriously.
***
Jesus will judge the apostate churches and congregations when HE returns:
II Thess. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of HIS mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of HIS coming:
***
When Jesus returns, HE will gather the elect of God to Himself.
Jesus raises the dead in Christ first.
I Thess. 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede / go before) them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede / go before) them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
***
Then Jesus gathers the elect of God from this present earth to take them into the new heavens and new earth which God has prepared for HIS people.
Mt. 24:31. And HE shall send HIS angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together HIS elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
To be continued ...