The resurrected, relevant Church

By Reni M. Valenzuela

Bereft of resurrection power (Holy Spirit) which was initially poured out on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), at the time when the disciples was officially instituted and commissioned as a corporate Body of Christ, no such religious group may be considered a full-fledged, legit Christian church – unless it someday yields (fully) to the lordship of Jesus Christ and be filled with Him.

In like manner that elderlies in priority lanes are the first to be served so that they can avail their senior discounts/benefits, resurrected Christian churches are first in action (supposedly), BUT to serve mankind and society — not to avail anything for themselves or to establish a religion and thereby imprison themselves in sheer religiosity and empty rites and tricks. Resurrection is about God’s power and victory, life renewal and service to people.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

“I Am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” – John 11:25

The President cannot be more apt in his message to Filipinos for this year’s Lenten Season. He sermonized the other day: “As we reflect on the love and selflessness of Jesus Christ, may we also find ways to serve others with the same compassion and grace, spreading love and understanding in our communities.” 

The Church doesn’t just proclaim what Christ did. The Church is what Christ is doing in society (as He once did) like He is flesh and blood living among us today. Thus, churches that confine their Christianity just within walls of their respective, exclusive, elite, parochial world (or “logo”) are far from being true.

Christians do more than religious stuffs to manifest Christianity. But shall we let the unbelieving, churchless people of the world act more like Christians than we do? Note that there would have been no Parable of the Good Samaritan if the Samaritan did not go out and saw, had compassion on and helped the robbed, beaten man on the roadside who was left half dead by his attackers (Luke 10:27-38).

But, alas, we quickly howl over the news of dogs that were physically abused because we care more about cruelty to animals than cruelty to humans. How deafening was our silence during those dark years when our countrymen were being butchered left and right, almost daily, in broad daylight (extrajudicially) — in the name of a “drug war.” Yet we call ourselves Christians. Be true to your Lenten message, dear BBM.

A war is about to break out in the West Philippine Sea and these churches remain silent. They would not even call (until now) their congregations to gather together for prayer and fasting, to intercede on the matter — so that China or the gods of Beijing would come to their senses. “…It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer…” – Matthew 21:13.

“…Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” – Ephesians 5:14.

Abraham Lincoln did not consider himself a part of any particular church, but he was a firm believer of God, defender of the oppressed, fighter for justice and righteousness, and an advocate of Bible truths. He probably lived a Christian life much better than many of the so-called “servants of God” during his tenure as president of his country — even at this juncture (should I say) if he is put side by side with wolves and charlatans, and mere talkers that abound in churches today, much less in big, mega churches. Lincoln confirmed, “That I am not a member of any church is true, but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures.”

“As God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellowmen.” – Jose Rizal

Any socially irrelevant religious group is not a Christian church, but a mere religion governed by mere religious, ambitious BS people or Bogus Saints who treat idol “godgets” as Bible. They might have started right as churches, but they have sadly fallen victim to celestial shamming and duplicity, and spiritual blindness — courtesy of state-of-the-art devils.

The followers of Jesus, as recorded in the Book of Acts and church history (for early Christians), were no passive onlookers to the evils around them, to government corruption and atrocities of their time. Worse, wala pang internet at social media noon. They were people of God, faithful to the heavenly call to build God’s Kingdom, not “Quiboloy Kingdom”  (or “logo”). They have proven themselves to be God’s army, and one that is no army for the fearful, apathetic, deceitful, quack, heartless, selfish and self-motivated.

Churches need two modern Martins to function as the true Church nowadays; a Martin Luther to expose, rebuke and correct doctrinal errors and impious, pretentious, religious practices inside the Temple; and a Martin Luther King to stand up to injustices, crookedness in society, perpetrated by authorities and the blind among the populace, no less.

Jesus was never detached/cold from what was happening around Him when He walked on the face of earth. He proclaimed the truth, ministered to the needy, cared for the poor, and was the voice for the downtrodden and oppressed which earned the ire of impostors in the halls power, and which ultimately caused Him to be charged falsely and sentenced/crucified unjustly in the hilly, cursed spot which, in Aramaic, is called Golgotha, “the place of a skull.”

Jesus preached and advocated peace and love, but never did He compromise truth, justice, and righteousness. He spoke the Word boldly without fear or favor, and minced no words. He called a spade a spade in opposing the phoney-baloney religious order/government of His time. He lambasted the hypocritical Pharisees and high-ranking crooked, ruthless leaders, “You brood of vipers… hypocrites!” (Matthew 23).

The church can’t be socially and politically irrelevant, and separated from the state, scripturally. But separated from politics and entanglements of politicians, the church should be and ought to be.

This is not to say, however, that religious leaders cannot run for public office during elections if they are led by God, but they have to do it without politicizing the Church.  Funny, though. The reality is once these itching ministers get there, they do nothing — or they do nothing for God and the lowly. Their presence in the political world are hardly (or never) felt and noticed as they were/are led just by their personal ambitions and delusions. Futile. Despicable.

Heaven is aloft. Politics is terrestrial. And the Church is eminent, above and beyond the mundane. This being the design, however, certain “holy” personalities have the insatiable bent to muddle the divine order and downgrade the Church by messing up with the world they do not belong to.

The Church has an indispensable mandate to shepherd souls and render guidance to the people and government. Without the Church, the whole country would have long converted into a biblical Dead Sea.

Your church (whatever or wherever you belong to) must exist as a resurrected, relevant Body of Christ on the planet — or it is not a church at all, but a mere human club engaged in religious aerobics, with all sorts of purposes and “logo” objectives, except (truly) to advance the cause of Heaven — to bless God, people and the world. 

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:4

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” – Matthew 5:16.

Email: renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com