“What I Love About the Church” – Special Guest Writer

Posted at July 27, 2010

Keith Kasarjian is our guest writer for the Preacher’s Pen today. Take a moment and enjoy Keith’s thoughts. Keith bio information is contained below the article.

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I LOVE THY KINGDOM LORD

by Keith Kasarjian

I could not agree more with these words, written long ago by Timothy Dwight. In the ecumenical times in which we live, those of us who do love the church of our Lord need to stand up and be counted. There are those who seek to minimize the church by saying, "I can go to Heaven without being a member." There are those who seek to blur the distinctive nature of the kingdom by proposing, "One is as good as another." And still there are those whose absence of love for the kingdom is painfully obvious by their lack of activity in and support of the church of our Lord.

If do we do, in fact, love the kingdom of God, let us not become timid or intimidated by the aforementioned. Instead, let us rise up as the children of God and publicly proclaim our love for His church.

I love thy kingdom Lord because you have allowed me to be a member of it. I realize I have not earned the privilege nor do I deserve to be a member of the church of our Lord. I know it is only through the grace of Almighty that my sins can be forgiven. I am fully aware that without the blood of Jesus I am still outside of Christ and most miserable. My realization of these things makes me love and appreciate, even more, the Lord’s church.

1 John 3:1 says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…" How can anyone feel anything but gratitude for blessing of being adopted as a child of God.

I love thy kingdom Lord because it is your body. That the church is the body of Christ is one of the most plainly taught doctrines in all of scripture.[Col.1:24, Eph.1:22,23, 1 Cor.12:27] This fact has at least two major implications for the Christian. (1) I am to be an active member of the church. 1 Corinthians 12:14-27 teaches that every Christian is a member of the body of Christ, and, as such, each member must pull his load and play his part. When members are not active as they should be, the body does not function as it was intended to. (2) I am not to malign the church. "Church-bashing" has become popular among some brethren, but not among those who realize that the church is the body of Christ! When one sees the church as it really is, they recognize that when they malign and criticize the church they strike a blow against the body of our Savior! May no such charge ever be brought against us!

I love thy kingdom Lord because of the price you paid for it. We usually place a value on something based on the price we pay for it. For example, if we pay $1,000 for a watch we believe it to be valuable. Are you aware of the price paid for the church? Acts 20:28 says, "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." What a high price! How precious the church must be! When people come to appreciate the price paid for the church they do not minimize it or think it to be no better than a man-made institution. Instead, they love it, serve in it, and seek the best for it.

Can we honestly say, based on our attitudes and actions, that we really love the kingdom of our Lord?

Keith Kasarjian

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About Keith Kasarjian:

Keith has been married to Kim for 20 years and has 3 children – Molly, Kyle, and Blake. Keith has preached for 20 years for churches in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. He earned the B.A. from Faulkner University and an M.B.S. from Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver.

Keith has taught in Bear Valley extensions in Kentucky, Ukraine, Tanzania, Uganda, and Panama and is the coordinator for the extension in Nigeria. He has done additional mission work in Scotland, Russia, Canada, Greece, Armenia, South Africa, Cambodia, and Zambia. His writings have been published in periodicals such as Gospel Advocate, Words of Truth, and The Gospel Journal.

Keith is a scuba diver, a marathon runner, and a private pilot who also enjoys camping with his family, golf, most anything outdoors, fitness, investing, and cooking.

Keith is also available for speaking opportunities. You may contact him at his email address by clicking here.

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Personal Note:

I appreciate Keith’s thoughts regarding his love for the church. I met Keith for the first time at WVCYC several years. Keith did an excellent job working with the youth and speaking to them about the Bible. His lessons were challenging and very applicable to their lives. Since then, I have heard Keith speak again and he does an excellent work. Thanks Keith for taking a moment to write for the Preacher’s Pen.

Just some thoughts…

Chris

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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