Maybe I should apologize in advance for writing such a thing as this. Or maybe not, because I believe this is what God would say to American Christians about who we are, compared to the glorious Church that Jesus gave Himself for.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
We need to know our enemy if we hope to succeed in the battle in the heavenlies. (See recent posts) Paul writes, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” * That is a sobering reality.
Today’s church is naïve about that, but this isn’t child’s play and fake swords won’t work. It is actual warfare with life-and-death consequences. Eternal consequences.
ALL OR NOTHING
Jesus left us with an unalterable, all-or-nothing mission mandate that is rooted in the eternal purpose of God, which is that He be glorified as we chose Him over Satan as our god. It puts us at odds with the spirit of the world that Satan presently rules and makes us mortal enemies.
It is impossible to fulfill His plan without total allegiance to Him. No aspect of our life escapes its demands. Jesus said, “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” Luke 14:33 niv See https://biblia.com/bible/esv/luke/14/25-34
God made the way clear in His Word, and His Spirit constantly interprets and applies it to the saints. The measures of Abundant Life that we enjoy, and of our success in carrying out the mission, is only limited by the measure to which we surrender to His rule and receive His enabling.
Satan and his minions will oppose us every step of the way. Deception has been their main strategy from the beginning of man’s sin, and maybe the greatest deception is to believe that today’s religious institutions and practices truly represent the Church that Jesus intends.
FANTASYLAND
While Satan’s “gates of hell” cannot stand up against the Mt. 16:18 Church, much of the church of today is of little threat to him. He mocks our fantasy that we are the Church that Jesus envisioned. Our religious institutions and their people “enable” each other in that lie.
Continued
*Eph. 6:12 niv
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
December 30, 2021
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