Monday; October 16

Do we find ourselves lamenting how bad things have gotten?  While this can be discouraging when it comes to individual behavior, it is awful tempting to look at the Christian church as a whole (and even our individual congregations in particular) and be distressed by the folly we see.  What hope can we have for the future when things are as bleak as they are in the present?
While there might be some logic in this negativism, it is important to remember that since the Lord’s church is made up of people there have always been problems.  One of the first great churches (Jerusalem) watched as two of their members were struck dead for lying.  The church in Corinth struggled with everything from overt immorality to idolatry to chaotic worship.  A church leader by the name of Diotrephes was so full of himself that he refused to accept the authority and teaching of the Apostle John.  Do our churches have problems – yes – but, that is nothing new to Christianity!  
When Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the true King of believers Jesus reminded him that his statement would be the foundation upon which Christianity would be built and that “… the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 18:16).  This observation assures us that nothing – not apostasy, not hard times, not even the passing of generations – would destroy the Lord’s kingdom!
We should do everything we can to defend the purity of the Lord’s church, but we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus is greater than any enemy.   Even if that adversary is His own people struggling with their own ungodliness!
Think About It!

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