Friends for as long as I can remember, there's been Churches of many denominations just about on every corner, every city, and in every state, here and world wide. There is reported to be approximately 33,000 to 34,000 and even more. From what I am able to research and learn is there are 41,000 Christian denominations. Wow, there are a lot of different denominations and pretty much 41,000 different beliefs. Wow I am blown away at the number of Churches. Out of all of this it scares me to know these facts. So many denominations so many differents beliefs.
As we were researching all of this we found different estimates.
Some say there are 33,000 another 41,000 another 55,000, Wow!
So we have, according to Barrett's Encyclopedia:
- a denomination is defined as existing within a specific country
- there are 33,000+ total of these "Christian denominations" in 238 total countries
- Independents (about 22000)
- Protestants (about 9000)
- "Marginals" (about 1600)
- Orthodox (781)
- Roman Catholics (242)
- Anglicans (168)
NASB --- Matthew 22:1-14 ----
22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
22:3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
22:4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, `Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are {all} butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.'"
22:5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,
22:6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
22:7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.
22:8 "Then he *said to his slaves, `The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
22:9 `Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find {there,} invite to the wedding feast.'
22:10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
22:11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,
22:12 and he *said to him, `Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless.
22:13 "Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
22:14 "For many are called, but few {are} chosen."
KJV --- Matthew 22:1-14 ---- 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
22:3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
22:6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
22:7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
22:8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
I am not a master of all knowledge and there are times I don't use wisdom. But thanks to the Holy Ghost or Spirit, He tells me what I am to type and preach. And at times I might have missed what was being said.
The Master sent out his servant to gather those fit for the wedding. He was not talking about the Bride or Church. He was referring to Actual Guests who had been invited. When we talk about this we are not only talking about Spiritual Israel alone but also Gentiles. God is calling and has been calling for years sending out invitations to Jews and Gentiles for many years. Jesus was sent for the Jews and the lost house of Israel. Remember He, (Jesus), is the chief cornerstone the builders rejected. They rejected and despised Him (Jesus) they, His own people crucified Him. As the rejection of Jesus grew, God the Father opened the way for the gentiles.
NASB John 1:11-15
1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name,
1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1:15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, `He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"
KJV John1:11-15 --- 15 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Jesus had 12 disciples and one was of satan. (Another one was chosen later to replace Judas).
These were mere Disciples -- What is a disciple ????
Full Definition of DISCIPLE 1: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as
a : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts. these were 12 men that Jesus had chosen.
Later they would become Apostles. What is a Apostle????
Definition of apostle (n) a promoter of idea or cause: somebody who tries to persuade others to share an idea or cause.prominent Christian, especially one who is responsible for first converting a people.
The original 12 Disciples and Apostles by name.
NASB Mark3:16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
3:17 and James, the {son} of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, "Sons of Thunder);"
3:18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and Jamesthe son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot;
3:19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. who would be replaced by Mattathias
Then later came Paul the Apostle. He was not of the original 12 or the Seventy sent out.
There is no mention of any other denomination or Churches .There were not nor has there ever been mentioned or wrote about in the Bible of a church named after any of these Men of God. But there is two things that are recorded.
NASB Acts 11:25-26 ---25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;
11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
NASB Acts 15:9 --- For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
The Church of God is the only one mentioned till well after 100 A.D and it is mentioned 12 times through out the new testament. All others whether you want to believe it or not ARE WORLD CHURCHES.
Have you ever taken the time just to stop for a min and wonder why you affiliate .
1 af·fil·i·ate : to closely connect (something or yourself) with or to something (such as a program or organization) as a member or partner.
Do you affiliate yourself with Baptist, Catholic,Pentecostal, Methodist , Presbyterian, Full Gospel ,Lutheran and so on, because your family were part of any of the above. Folks again I say have you ever reseached the back ground of your affiliation????
Do you know that All other Chuches with exception of the TRUE CHURCH of GOD came out of or branched off of the Holy Roman Catholic Church
God gave me a job to do in 1982, it is not to judge you or condemn you. All I can do is reach out to all with the truth of Gods word. I can lead you and bring you to the trough, but can't make you drink there of or eat there in.
I want you all the look at this last thing
God's word says to study to show thyself approved. Folks if you are not reading, seeking and searching, You are not obeying the word of God.
Are you going to put your salvation and eternal life in what man teaches. Or God's word that leads to every lasting life.
Not All who say "Lord, Lord". Not all who profess with their mouth...
Jude 1:4
In verse 4, Jude gives a few general points about false teachers. The literal translation of the first part is, "For certain men have wormed their way in." They slithered in like snakes without others being aware, on the sly. God, however, marked them out as enemies a long time ago; He knows they are there. This agrees with Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:1). There, God allowed the adversary to sow the tares among the wheat, but He left them in the field for a reason. Paul says in I Corinthians 11:19 that they are left to show "who are approved" and who is not. Over time, God's enemies are shown in stark contrast to His true children.
Jude calls these false teachers "ungodly" or impious. The word "ungodly" crops up six times in thebook of Jude, making it a significant word in the epistle. It means "irreverent" or "impious." People who are ungodly are not afraid to contravene God's way because they do not have the fear of God. They simply do what they feel like doing. They have nothing in common with God. Nevertheless, we should be careful not to think of them as "extreme" because, as II Corinthians 11:13-15 says, satan transforms his ministers into angels of light. They look good on the outside, but on the inside they are ungodly. Their externals may be deceiving, but their fruits give them away.
NASB Acts 20:28-30 --- 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
NASB 1 Corinthians 1-2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
NASB Matthew 7:21-23 --- 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven {will enter.}
7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
7:23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
KJV Matthew 7:21-23 --- 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Pay close attention. Take heed for yourself. There is One Church, One Word, One Gospel.
