THE CHURCH. .
Picking up from last time, Jesus had something very different in mind than what we typically see in America today when He established the Church and returned to the Father to build it in the hearts of men.
The issue is not the organized church or its leaders, it is we who claim to be His disciples. We are satisfied with a low-cost Happy Meal even if someone else already paid for a gourmet banquet that is set for us.
UNBELIEF
Unbelief is as real for us in leaving our place of imagined safety as it was for Israel in entering Canaan. The promised land was (is) there for the taking but with the condition that they (we) must believe and obey. That’s all.
Unbelief means that we, like Israel, don’t trust God to do what He said He would do.
We believe that His way is the only way to eventually get to heaven but refuse to believe that it’s the only way to abundant life now. We don’t trust Him to fill our soul with meaning, value, purpose, and security as we find our identity in Him.
We continue to believe the lie that we can be our own god and decide for ourselves what makes life good, so we continue to passionately seek stuff, wealth, power, position, good looks, the approval of others – or whatever one thinks would make life good for them.
Even in our weariness we resist the thoughts of taking His Mt. 11:28-30 yoke upon us and of dying to ourself (our. . . self) and taking up our cross daily to follow Him. (Luke 9:23-26).
BELIEVING
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb. 11:6 niv
The Mt. 16:18 Church that Jesus is building includes only those who believe. Do we believe that?
Maybe it’s not as tricky as some might think.
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
August 11, 2021
CLICK HERE for a printable pdf.