A Powerful Church
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)
I found great consolation and rediscovered hope when I ran across the familiar words our Lord expressed to His disciple and friend, Peter, in our key verse for today. In one single line, the Lord reminded me that no matter what happens, the Church remains relevant and essential as an agency for change in the world.
He reminded me that church is the primary, God-ordained conduit for reconciliation and redemption on earth for Christians. My prayer, for you who is reading this today, is that you, too, would be comforted and reassured in your heart and in your spirit, that even amidst the uncertainty of a pandemic, and the endless evils that keep reappearing in our world, Christ’s Church is still a powerful church.
In Matthew 16:17, Jesus says, “…Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” He continues into today’s vocal verse, “And upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against.”
I believe these words are instructive, for within them they contain the answer to the question that the world is after regarding the relevance of the Church. It should not be viewed as out-of-date, religious congregations that are not in touch with reality. No, we should view it as a powerful Church, full of God’s faithful followers, willing to do whatever it takes to point others to Him and give people hope through the message of Jesus Christ. Do you see the difference?
I hope you’ll take more time to read through Matthew chapter 16, and as you do, you’ll be reminded, just like I was, that the church is still relevant, it’s still powerful, and it’s still the tool God wants to use to bring change to this dark and sin-filled world.
I found great consolation and rediscovered hope when I ran across the familiar words our Lord expressed to His disciple and friend, Peter, in our key verse for today. In one single line, the Lord reminded me that no matter what happens, the Church remains relevant and essential as an agency for change in the world.
He reminded me that church is the primary, God-ordained conduit for reconciliation and redemption on earth for Christians. My prayer, for you who is reading this today, is that you, too, would be comforted and reassured in your heart and in your spirit, that even amidst the uncertainty of a pandemic, and the endless evils that keep reappearing in our world, Christ’s Church is still a powerful church.
In Matthew 16:17, Jesus says, “…Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” He continues into today’s vocal verse, “And upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against.”
I believe these words are instructive, for within them they contain the answer to the question that the world is after regarding the relevance of the Church. It should not be viewed as out-of-date, religious congregations that are not in touch with reality. No, we should view it as a powerful Church, full of God’s faithful followers, willing to do whatever it takes to point others to Him and give people hope through the message of Jesus Christ. Do you see the difference?
I hope you’ll take more time to read through Matthew chapter 16, and as you do, you’ll be reminded, just like I was, that the church is still relevant, it’s still powerful, and it’s still the tool God wants to use to bring change to this dark and sin-filled world.
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