3/23/26

The differences between the early church and the church of today are many. The individual members of the church are to live for Christ and do so in a way that builds up His bride.

You can do a lot of hateful things to me and I will take it. However, if you give my wife, my bride, a hard time, you should expect me to be there very quickly in her defense.

The church is the family of Christ, after my bride, my next order of protection is my family. God blessed me with three children by birth. One who went to heaven before I had the privilege of physically meeting him/her. He also blessed me with two children through marriage, and so far, one grandchild. I need to make it clear that I will fight for all of them. Then I have an extended family and the same goes for them as well.

When I was 15 I was adopted into the family of Christ and God has revealed to me that I should be just as protective of my church family as I am of my physical family. After all, I will spend eternity with the church in heaven.

Paul in the closing of his letter to the Romans mentions two people who took the protection of the church family this seriously. Romans 16:3-4 NASB95 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

Prisca and Aquila show us how we should be protective of the church. Not so much in fighting those who attack it, but instead, in a way of offering ourselves as a sacrificial atonement in the place of the church.

Saying if you want to attack Christ church then take me, but leave His church my family alone.

This is not the attitude of most people today. Instead of standing in the gap protecting those in the church who are under attack, we offer up the church, rather than ourselves.

Rather than take the attack upon ourselves we will join in on the attack of the church. This is not how it should be! Christ gave Himself for His Church. Prisca and Aquila, offered up their neck in place of Paul and all the churches of the Gentiles.

What are you willing to give up as an atoning sacrifice to protect the church?

Or will you step out of the way of the attack and join in at the tail end of the line, that is charging after Christ Bride and your family?

Let's live for Christ and fight for the church!

Love Bro. Scott