JESUS IS BUILDING HIS CHURCH
Jesus IS building His Church as He said He would. Today. Amidst the deep darkness of this world.
But where is it and what does it look like? How do we know it when we see it? Are we looking in the right places?
HEARTS
The first thing is to know that it is being built in the hearts of individuals. The heart is; “the center and seat of spiritual life, ‘the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors.’” https://biblehub.com/greek/2588.htm
Because of Adam’s sin, our hearts are inherently turned away from God. Satan is ruling over us even if we think we are ruling ourselves.
ALL THINGS NEW
However, when we are born again and become part of Jesus’ Church, we receive a new heart and are to become a new person. Literally. As Paul writes “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Cor. 5:17 nkjv
“All things.” Nothing is exempt.
Do we believe that?
RADICAL
Jesus invites us to be members of His Church, but it’s a revolutionary, lifelong commitment that sets us apart from others because our hearts, that is, our “passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors,” are radically different from theirs.
Normal Christianity is radical and that’s how we’ll know it when we see it. And we’re most likely to find it in places where it costs something.
Is it possible that God is preparing a refiner’s fire to purify our hearts as He builds a more genuine Mt. 16:18 Church in these Last Days?
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
Oct. 27, 2021
CLICK HERE for a printable pdf.