Dear Editors and friends,

Please freely print this weeks Penny Pulpit Column in your papers, bulletins, emails, bloggs and twitters .  Thank you for this consideration.
Pastor Ed Rice,  Good Samaritan Baptist Church, Dresden NY 14441

These Baptist Penny Pulpits are an asset to many Missionaries and young Christians, Please Use the FORWARD below.

Msg #1201 Get Your Light into a Candlestick

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” The messages that Jesus Christ gave to seven Churches teach much about Him and about us. The Church at Ephesus was not a Catholic or Universal Church, it was a local Church. Christ established only local autonomous Churches and never established a Catholic one or an invisible one like the Protestant invented after they left their mother Church. Each local Church had an angel in it. Now don't get all charismatic and crazy, this angel was a messenger or preacher and we call him the Pastor. Christ's message was sent to the Pastor / messenger and he delivered it to the local Church. The seven messengers, which are the Pastors, are represented by the stars from the previous chapter and notice that Christ has them in his right hand. Notice also that He is walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven churches. Jesus, holding the pastor in his hand, is walking in the midst of the local church where two or three are gathered together in his name. That is the definition of the ecclesia and why Jesus clarified with the same words, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” If you have not put your light into a local candlestick you are not being obedient. When one gets saved they become part of the family of God, but you are not part of the church until you unite with a local body of believers, two or three or more gathered with an angel. Get to Church this year.

An Essay for week #01, Sun, January 1, 2012

Posted at http://www.GSBaptistChurch.com