The Pilgrim Church

The Lord of the church has always had apostles, dedicated warriors, and a remnant of genuine believers. I love reading of such men and women, and I just found a book that is filled with their stories. It is entitled The Pilgrim Church and tells their testimonies from the first century to 1930 AD. Dave Hunt wrote the forward for the reprinted edition, it was first printed in 1931. Not many years after Pentecost, doctrines contrary to the Word of God found their way into circles within the church but were soundly rejected by the Pilgrim churches. The Lord commended the Church of Ephesus for rejecting the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate." (Revelation 2:6) By the time of the Pergamos church this doctrine had been received because the Lord said, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." (Revelation 2:15) The Nicolaitane crowd was now entrenched.

One such unwavering pilgrim was Basil Malof. Born in Latvia, he was the son of a Godly Baptist minister and was converted at fifteen years of age. After being called to preach, he attended the college that was established by Spurgeon in London, England. He then went to Russia and began a fruitful ministry there. After reading the story of John Knox and his intercessory prayer life, Basil said, "If John Knox can claim all Scotland, cannot I claim all Russia?" He translated his favorite hymn and led congregations in singing it until their singing would reach into the heavenlies. The words are beautiful: "Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring, For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much."

God’s church is the seat of His authority in this world. The word church is mentioned one hundred and seventeen times in the New Testament. By the Holy Ghost, Luke stated in the Book of Acts, "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." (Acts 20:28) Jesus said, ".Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) Luke called the church a "flock." The gifts are in the church, His authority is in the church, ". and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47b)

Another important word is temple, which is also named one hundred and seventeen times in the New Testament. The believer is the temple where the Holy Spirit takes up residence. The Spirit does not abide in the church, but in the temples of saints and they bring that presence into the church. The church may be small or large, a house or a cathedral, but it is not His church until the Lord walks "in the midst of the . candlesticks." (Revelation 1:13) We must learn that the Pilgrim church is the Spirit-led church that is ordered by nothing less than the infallible Word of God and a sovereign work of His Spirit.

The book, The Pilgrim Church, shows how every effort to stamp out the true-blue believers never succeeded. The more of them that were martyred, the more they grew. Almost every corner of our earth at one time or another has been greatly affected by the faithful believers. Countries, now totally given to the Moslem religion, were once bastions of the church. Constantinople, now present Istanbul, Turkey, was the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire and was alternately swayed by a dead church system and then at times a great return to truth and revival. The Anabaptists, United Brethren, Hussites, Waldenses, and Albigenses, plus thousands of individual churches, have played a part in keeping a Pilgrim church alive in every century from the apostles until the present. The gates of Hell have not prevailed and will not prevail. In His sermon at His Olivet discourse, Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) The church will have the last Word.

The Lord Jesus Christ is still searching the world for a people and for His church and, when He finds it, He walks in the midst of that church. The seven letters to the seven churches were His last written instructions to His church. He promised to return for His bride and that promise is alive and well right now. To the church of brotherly love, Philadelphia, He said, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10)