The Church is a special place it is different from all the places in the world. In the Holy Bible, Jacob said: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Genesis 28:16-17 “How lovely is your tabernacle, O Lord of Hosts” Psalm 84:1
The First Church The first Church started on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples while they were all praying together in the Upper Room. Many people became Christians that day and the Church continues today. In the Holy Bible, the Book of Acts tells us what the people of the first Church did and how the Holy Spirit blessed them. (Acts 2:40-47)
The Church is preparing us for Heaven. Throughout the Old Testament, God prepared man in conceivable ways (ways they could understand) to accept His presence among the people, these are the symbols of the church in the Old Testament:
For us, the Church is a shelter and a dwelling place to protect from the storms of the world. "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You" Psalm 84:4 Going to Church
There are three short, beautiful psalms from the Agpeya...
In the Church
“But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy. In fear of Your I will worship towards Your holy temple" (Psalm 5:7). Dressing for Church
Behavior in Church
Our fathers the Apostles also taught us about the importance of going to the church to receive blessings. They said at the beginning of our day -on our way to work or school- we should stop by the church, pray and receive blessing from the church, the house of God! The church - as the house of God- is a place where He dwells, listens to us, and communicates with us! When King Solomon built the temple for the Lord, he prayed saying:
"Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive." (1Kings 29-30) Later on, the Lord said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually." (1 Kings 9:3) God declared the His Name will be in His house, the church. His eyes will always be on it, and His heart is there too! That is why we pray the same prayer King Solomon prayed at the consecration of every new church to ask God to keep His name, eyes, and heart in His church and to remind ourselves with His promise that He may hear our prayers when we pray in the church, listen to our supplications, and forgive our sins.
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