So God blessed the seventh day and made it HOLY (Genesis 2:3).
*side eye suspicious face*
Could He reallllllyyyy have given us any more of an obvious clue? Sunday was a day full of surprises, because what God had in store forus was almost scary, when He says ‘holy’ don’t think He doesn’t mean it!
“Wake up! It’s time to wake up!” Micheal diligently shouted from the corridor. And so day two began, at the not-so-early hour of 8am, and what better way to start the day than with a prayer walk? Slowly rubbing the sleep from our eyes, willing ourselves out of bed – many of us wondering what a prayer walk could actually entail – in not so speedily a time, we eventually made our way out of the villa to the corner of Calle Virgen de Fatima (Virgin of Fatima Street).
A short note on FORGIVENESS
Then came Peter to him, and said, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?”
Jesus said unto him, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
It is human nature to hold grudges. Even the most Christ-like of us struggle to defy our human inclination to seek revenge or reparation. It is essential to understand that Jesus’ mandate (Matthew 18:21-22) is not that we forgive four-hundred-and-ninety times. That is an awfully strenuous act. In fact, it is his mandate that we open ourselves to forgive as often as we are wronged.
Whether it is the first, or the thousandth time, we are to forgive with grace, and that grace can only come from God. God is asking for unlimited forgiveness. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and He lives with and within us. There should, therefore, be no limit on our willingness to forgive our fellow human.
But the point of forgiveness is not to mend the bridges between humans. Forgiveness has the wonderful effect of bringing peace to us. When we forgive, we are not burdened by the load of revenge and grudge. Forgiveness allows us to move past our grudge rather than being stagnated by it.
If our God can forgive us for our sins every time we transgress, it is only fair that we, at least, try to do so too. Our mission in this life is to run the race like God would. What Would Jesus Do? We are asked to be perfect (Matthew 5:48), but in our sinful nature, all we can do is try to live a life that is worthy of being like Jesus Christ. So, again, if God is willing to forgive us numerous times, how much more should we be eager to do the same? (Ephesians 4:32) Forgiveness is the purest form of love that we can show each other. It frees us, mends bridges and puts us in right standing with man and God.
Forgiveness comes from a position of strength and is a healer. Conversely, holding a grudge is equivalent to letting the devil live rent-free in your life. That is not the tenant you want to accommodate. Holding a grudge drains us of our happiness and peace.
Remember that we are all human. And while we all strive for perfection, humans are flawed and have been since the Garden of Eden when Eve allowed the devil to tempt her. So, it is a great leap forward to forgive someone when wronged and it is the only way we can achieve freedom.
Life is short. Love all unconditionally and forgive those who hurt you and find peace with all men.
I’ve never felt more compelled to write a piece than I feel about this particular one. Preaching a sermon several weeks ago led me into a deep study, and during that study the Holy Spirit ministered a seemingly simple phrase to me. He said,
For Chrismas, OGGM and volunteers went out to give gifts and spread the news of Jesus Christ to the homeless! Find out what happened
Future: Hello my name is Future, what’s up Present? I know you haven’t met me yet, but I’m pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Sorry to intrude in your life and all, but I couldn’t help myself. You see… I’m not sure how much you know about me, but to make things easier, I am you, but I have already been here before, right where you are now…
Present: It sucks right?
Future: (laughs) That’s what I thought too.
Present: I mean, things aren’t that bad, they’re just not exactly how I want them to be. (Pause) Like, I know that I’m destined for greatness and that God has this amazing plan for my life but at the moment I can’t see how it’s going to happen.
Future: Yep, I know how you feel, and I want to help you a little bit, but before I carry on I want to introduce you to our old friend Past.
Present: Hey Past, long time.
Past: You always say that, I know you all too well Present, you always like to be ‘in the moment’ … whatever that means.
*Present gives Past a fake smile*
Future: Anyway… how’s it going?
Past: Well you know, same old, nothing that hasn’t happened before.
Future: I and Present were just talking about life and God’s plan.
Past: Ah! That explains why Present is in a mood. You’re forever failing to see the good in a situation or how much power you have.
Present: Excuse me?!
Past: You fail to see how fortunate you are, if you don’t like something you can change it. If you want something just go and get it.
Present: It’s easier said than done mate.
Past: At least it can be done. My life is set in stone, it is what it is, and Future’s life is based on the decisions that you make today. I can’t control the course of my life, once upon a time you decided that for me. Now I’m stuck with those decisions; good and bad.
Present: You don’t know how it feels to be me, the uncertainty I have to live with, not knowing what lies a head, not knowing my future.
Past: This is what I don’t understand about you! You always want Future when Future is in the Future… well a part from today of course, but I’m always with you! It seems like you couldn’t care less, you’ll trade me instantly for Future. This is why you’re never content. You keep forgetting about me.
Present: But you’re yesterday’s news, been there done that. I don’t want to dwell in the past.
Past: No one told you to, that’s my job, all I’m saying is don’t forget about me, learn from me, seek wisdom from me. Do not forget where you came from and what the Lord has done for you and those before you. Why do you think the Lord calls Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? He is a God of generations. The same yesterday, today and forever. If He did it before He can do it again. The Bible, being the oldest book with the latest news, is God’s past, but still His present and future.
Present: But God is perfect, some of my past is best forgotten.
Future: Erm … I kind of have to disagree with you there. Sometimes the past can reveal something significant about your future. Correct me if I’m wrong Past, but there was a time in primary school where Present, you were being bullied, which lead you to start an anti-bullying campaign in secondary school because you saw that people were still being bullied. So many people have benefited from that, both while you were there and countless people in the Present since the years you left. Although the past can be painful, all things work out for good, for those who love the Lord. The past can fuel your passions for the future. There is something powerful about empathy, not just feeling sorry for someone, but truly understanding them and their situation.
Past: Mmh that’s true, that’s what makes Jesus so amazing, Hebrews 4:15 says:
* “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin.”
I love the end, “yet He did not sin!” He knows exactly what you’re going through now, the hardships, the temptation, but He remained blameless because He was yielded to the Father! If Jesus did sin He would not have been able to say “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Enabling Paul to say:
* “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me”. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Future: Wow … Jesus man. To go back to what I was saying before, I believe you should come to peace with Past, don’t forget him. I even believe that if you look closely at Past, your character, interests, and so on, you may see glimpses of me, Future. There was good in Past, even in the bad there was still good that came out of it.
Present: True …
Future: It says in Jeremiah 29:11:
* “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Trust me when I say He has! And it reminds me of Job 8:7:
* “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be” (NIV), another version says “And though you started with little, you will end with much.” (NLT)
Past: Listen, I know we’ve had a rocky relationship, but just know that I’m always here for you, Okay?
*Present smiles at Past*
Future: Aww, this is what I like to see.
Present: Erm … you knew this was going to happen…
Future: Yeah, but I still like to … Present don’t start before we have a problem.
*They all laugh*
Past: Present your phone is ringing.
Present: Ooo, I have to go guys!
Past: Why?
Present and Future: Destiny is calling!
*Present and Future start bickering*
Present: Don’t ever do that again.
Future: One minute you want to be me and the next you don’t, make up your mind!
*Conversation fades*
#MCOG (My Celebration of Gospel) is OGGM’s night of Music and poetry! We use it to celebrate the gospel of Jesus Christ This was the 2nd Installment of the concert To find out more about OGGM
As Christians, there is often a lot of focus on ‘following rules’ and doing things religiously, often leading us into the checklist mind-set; mentally ticking off boxes to give yourself that self-satisfying pat on the back. Unfortunately, this can often do more harm than good, helping us to tip-toe into neglecting an intimate and real relationship with God.
Consider it this way. How often do you set yourself a godly standard, fail, then beat yourself up about it. Not only that, but then stroking your ego by telling yourself that ‘well, at least I feel guilty … that must mean there’s still some good in me’. The problem with this is that, as Romans 3:20 says, ‘by the deeds of the law, there shall be no flesh justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.’ Romans 7: 18 continues by saying
‘For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for the will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.’
These passages stand to remind us that in actual fact, we are incapable of reaching true union with God if we merely follow prescribed rules. Instead, we should strive for a deeper relationship and an intimate understanding of who He is. When you are intimate with God you are better able to understand His desires, His power and what He wants for/from you. It is only from this honest communion that He will give you the Holy Spirit to enable you to live righteously.
Of course, it’s all well and good telling you to consider change whilst offering no assistance, so here are a few ways to deepen your relationship with God that I personally have found useful:
This seems like such a small thing to do but is very impactful. When you start your day off with gospel, you are inviting God into your day and asking Him to walk with you. By setting your mind on the things of God in the morning, you are empowering yourself for the day ahead.
The first thing that should enter your mind in the morning is God and He is the first person you should converse with. Once you do this, anything else you do throughout the day becomes easier because you have strengthened yourself. Besides, if you happen to be so busy you don’t get a chance to get on your knees and pray that morning, at least you would have communicated with God in some form.
2. Go on ‘dates’ with God.
Set time aside in your diary for Him, be it weekly or bi-weekly, take 2-4 hours to just sit in His presence and be with Him. It doesn’t have to be constantly praying for 4 hours, but you can study the word for an hour, pray for an hour, listen to Him speak for an hour, worship, or honestly just sit in silence and shut the world outside off. God is peaceful, and if you struggle with the rest, just create the space for Him to at least talk to you. The list is endless.
30 minutes of prayer daily is good, don’t get me wrong, but long, impactful sessions are necessary to really build a bond with Him. Consider the amount of time you spend with you best friend. Would your relationship stand its ups and downs if you weren’t so involved in each other’s lives?
3. Study His word.
The bible holds the answer to virtually any question or problem you might be going through. We often spend so much time worrying and searching for answers or moaning that God is not speaking to us when all we need to do is read the word. To understand God deeper, to know His plans for you, how he wants you to relate with Him, how He wants you to relate with others etc. you need to read your bible. What people also fail to realise is that when you study the word for yourself you won’t have to rely so much on what other people claim God says about you or how He wants you to live, because you already know the will of the one who created you from His own words.
Hebrews 4:12 says
‘For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’
There will be things in the bible that will challenge you and convict you, but ultimately, it is a weapon of warfare that you can’t neglect. It has active meaning and is current and relevant today and will continue to be even 200 years from now.
4. Go to his house (church).
If you were in a romantic relationship, it would be odd if you never made the effort to visit the person. The same applies to staying away from God’s house. Paul urges us in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together but to exhort ourselves. Nowhere in the bible does God say that we do not need to come together, rather, most of the New Testament is addressed to the church as a body as opposed to individuals, and Paul constantly urges us to remain as one body. God says that
‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there’ (Matthew 18:20)
therefore, we know that God is in the church so if you are seeking Him, it would make sense that the church would be a good place to start.
Saying you can’t go to church because of sinners is like saying you can’t go to the gym because of fat people
Whilst it is true that those in the church are not perfect and do make mistakes, in Mark 2:17 Jesus makes it clear that it’s not those who are healthy that need a doctor, but those who are sick. God’s house is for sinners who want to change. Saying you can’t go to church because of sinners is like saying you can’t go to the gym because of fat people or the hospital because of sick people. You’re just as sick as them and even if you’re not, you should be able to bear with the afflictions of your brethren rather than condemn them as hypocrites. The church is to edify and strengthen you. Do not forsake it.
Whilst there are a lot more tips that can help create intimacy with God, these are just a few, but most importantly, if you have the desire to become intimate with Him and you ask Him to help you, I guarantee you all the other things will to fall into place. The more time you spend with Him, the more the eyes of your understanding will be opened, and the desire to please the one you love will teach you what is right or wrong.
“The context of grace is weakness”
I heard this phrase in a random clip of a sermon a few weeks back and it’s recently come back to my mind. Mr Preacher was preaching at a well-known Pentecostal ministry in America . One of the criticisms people had levelled at the church was that it had become religious; prioritising tradition over an actual authentic service to God. In other words, so long as you looked the part in your shiny suit or modest dress Sunday morning, your Monday to Friday issues were tucked safely away since they weren’t on display.
The problem with this is obvious; those with overt sins risk being ostracised and condemned, whilst those who look the part often end up being given a platform. And so because you know you’re struggling you hide and put on a mask. This is by no means limited to one church, I think you will find it has been indicative of us all at one point or another. We’ve all chosen religious “devotion” over authenticity somewhere along the line.
When people think of religion today in a secular context, they probably think the following: bible-basher, judgemental churchgoer, homophobic, “holier than thou” amongst other names. However, within scripture, religion has a completely different meaning. Religion, the one that pleases God, is characterised by looking after the vulnerable especially when the world teaches to look after yourself first. Unfortunately, the vulnerable have often been hurt by the very people who ought to have been a place of refuge for them, and so what often materialises from these situations is a life out of control or life enshrouded by pretence.
the vulnerable have often been hurt by the very people who ought to have been a place of refuge for them
It’s no surprise then that people end up living so much lower than their created value and purpose. Instead of being restored they end up being rejected. What religious tradition often then does is dismisses one’s experience and gives you a prescriptive, dogmatic way to change or risk being castaway. Banished. Forgotten. So then the message of grace in this environment almost becomes so much more alien, almost a like a foreign language.
“having a form of Godliness but denying its power” 2 Timothy 3:5a
Often times the scripture is used to advocate for the preaching of the gospel with power and demonstration (i.e. miracles, signs and wonders). But God showed me that the power is not just to demonstrate Him, but to BE like Him in truth, because sometimes our godly acts are actually void of godliness; they’re performance driven rather than person driven whereas authentic godliness is based solely on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
sometimes our godly acts are actually void of godliness; they’re performance driven rather than person driven
If you read the previous verses in the chapter you would see the character traits of the people having a form of godliness e.g. unthankful, unloving, and proud. If you focus so much on the external (having the look of a good, godly person) then you will never have the power to actually be the good, godly person. And in doing so people will not want to know and ultimately surrender to the God you claim to represent – no matter your godly acts.
Let’s go back to the first statement made by Mr Preacher.
“The context for grace is weakness”
I have struggled extremely this year in ways many may know but in ways a lot of other people won’t know. My whole identity has been under constant assault from a variety of different weapons. Weapons of self-destruction. If the weapons of our warfare as believers are mighty for pulling down strongholds, then one of the enemy’s most successful tactics is to deploy our own weapons against us. Instead of using the Word to build myself up, I began to use it to tear me down. And the more I tried, the more I felt I failed.
one of the enemy’s most successful tactics is to deploy our own weapons against us
I realised that I had been religious. I had tried so hard to change. I’ve called people, opened up (very very slowly) and then given myself prescriptive lists to try and overcome things. None of it has worked. I thought I knew what grace meant. I could tell you what it meant in Greek and the scriptures it comes up in, but I was leaning on my own finite strength to get me out of a pit.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” 2 Corinthians 12:9
To us, weakness is not attractive. It never has been (perhaps it’s why most men try to portray themselves as strong – and why I’m still single haha), but the Holy Spirit has told me the opposite; weakness is attractive. It’s attractive to the power of God.
Let’s look at Jesus as our example.
Philippians 2 talks about the humility of Jesus. His obedience to the Father was a decision made based upon his mind governed by the thoughts of the Father concerning Him – that he was indeed the very expression of God. Many of us think that humility is trying not to think highly of ourselves but rather, it’s about thinking of ourselves less.
Jesus, the highest of all, thought highly of himself because the Father thought highly of Him and so no other opinion mattered – not even his own as a man. Humility is therefore submitting to God’s thoughts about us, causing us to think less of ourselves and more about how dependent we are on Him for everything.
Here’s some closing statements that might help you accept your weakness as an opportunity to draw nearer to God, take the mask off and expose your true self to Him:
1. God is not surprised.
Often times when I’ve been in cycles of sin (especially after “repenting” the night before) I’ve felt that God is shocked. That this one is too much for God. That God wasn’t expecting me to fail…again. This one simple truth has helped me – God is the Beginning and the End (Rev 21:6) and with Him there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). He knows you and me from the end and has plans to bring us there with Him for all eternity.
2. Grace is not surplus.
With the religious mind-set I had, I thought grace was only there to initially save me and then cover my excess sins, the times when I mess up etc. In other words, I could do things myself and grace would get me over the line. But grace, the extension of God’s mercy and loving-kindness, is an everyday necessity. As we humble ourselves we begin to see more and more of our need for God. Hebrews 4:16 reads: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. Our time of need is every moment of every single day.
3. God is not scared.
When you expose yourself to God He isn’t going to run away. Some of us have been vulnerable to people before and have been neglected because of it. We then, understandably, adopt this attitude with God. The truth is that He has been running towards you, even when you were far off, rebellious and religious. When we take off the mask, because of God’s love, you are “precious and honoured in His sight” (Isaiah 43:4).
If you want to change in whatever way, it does not come from a place of relying on your own strength – it comes from the grace of God. It also doesn’t come from a place of masking your feelings and struggles. Who are you trying to fool? God can’t give strength to a person who thinks they’re strong and God can’t give grace to a mannequin. Be you.
So if you are struggling in any particular place in your life, you’re not alone. There are a lot of us. But you’re at the perfect place to receive power from God to be the person He sees you to be. The person He values so much and has a specific plan and purpose for.
Do you want to come to my church?
This is often an earnest question that you have probably been asked at some stage, or if you are so bold, have asked someone you know. Now, the answer to the question should be simple and binary; yes or no. However, the truth – and the depressing truth at that- is that in the current ‘church climate’, the answer to this question really must now depend on whether you are receiving a genuine invitation to a church, or the many bodies that call themselves churches. In truth, the person extending you the invite could be inviting you to a movement, a group of believers, a weird personality cult or even a company.
The sad truth is that it is becoming increasingly hard to decipher what ‘church’ is. Those that know and study the Word of Truth increasingly feel like Elijah in the bible. To Elijah, it appeared that he was alone in preaching the whole counsel of God. Today it is the same; most churches do not preach all that is found in the Word of God. So then we are often ill-equipped in making these decisions. With church increasingly social, and with peoples’ life so deeply interwoven into the tapestry that is the church, it is hard to separate yourself from a church that you are not at peace with, and one that does not match the biblical portrait that God paints – even if you know what it is. This article may help, however, it is the spirit of God that will guide us in all truth (John 16:13)
There are many places to start, but perhaps it might be helpful to get some things out of the way. These are things I hear frequently and which, although felt sincerely, are sincerely wrong.
What follows this is a list of accomplishments that people may attribute to the church. They may say: we have brought people off the streets; we have removed people from gangs; we have helped people go through rehabilitation; we have built orphanages and helped families. People who read this list as necessarily legitimising the validity of a church are wrong. Now it is true that God accomplishes much of his work through people, however, taking note of that order is important. God uses people. It is God that that did these things, not the people. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun and generates no light on its own accord, it is in the same way that God uses ‘believers’ and ‘non-believes’ to accomplish His purposes.
Here is what is important. If God will use a donkey or birds (1 Kings 17, John:12-14), then He can use anyone and anything. It is God’s commitment to saving souls that saves souls, and not our intellect and wise planning. It is God that controls every single part of salvation (Ephesians 2:8, John 12:32, Revelations 7:10). It is his doing that people make it through rehabilitation, his doing that people are brought out of gangs. This means God’s use of a body does not legitimise their position as a church. Although these acts may be a helpful indication, nevertheless, a church must be judged by how closely it adheres to the biblical portrait of church and leadership that God paints, and the fruits said believers who go to the church display (1 Corinthians 12:13), Galatians 1:1-2: Ephesians 1:22-23, Acts 2:42-47, Matthew 7:15-20). This is important because what people often do is think that, so long as ‘good’ things are happening there, it must be a church in which God is working. We are not to trust our sight, but instead, the blueprints as laid bare in the Bible for every believer to judge for his/herself.
Churches don’t change lives. God changes lives THROUGH churches. It may seem pedantic, but confusion about this order leads to churches that breed confusion.
This is something that is often said. With the mixing of churches and business, some churches have adopted a certain franchising mentality to church growth. This also leads to members confusing the body of Christ (which is the global body of true believers) to their particular local church or in many cases, their international, mega, super, world domination movement. It makes them scared to visit other churches, talk to members of other churches, or in some cases become friends with people that don’t worship at their church or submit to their Bishop.
In this vein, churches seek legitimacy not in how closely they adhere to the Bible portrait of church painted by God, but instead, to their growing number of members and the perceived power of their Bishop.
Over many years, pastors have erroneously equated congregational growth with church growth. The former is simply an increase in the population of the weekly assembly, whereas the latter is evangelism of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who otherwise would have been lost – and maturity and growth in the relationship with God through Christ. These churches seek legitimacy, advancing the argument that, a following with so many committed members worldwide cannot be corrupt, right? I mean if so many people say it, it must be true right?
These modern-day preachers have blurred the meaning of church by radically pursuing the building of stadium-like “worship facilities” and “anointing sons and daughters” to extend their “apostolic influence” – all as monuments to their greatness. As I’ve said in the past, often times megachurch pastors end up “trading members” as opposed to growing the church with new souls. What God calls church is clearly laid out in (Acts 2:42).
Jesus declared that He would build a Church that Hell could not conquer (Matthew 16:18). He didn’t say He’d build a building – He spoke of a living Body. Still, no man can glory that he is the “sheep herder-in-chief” for a region – only God is responsible for the growth of His Body (1 Corinthians 3:7-8).
Just because your pastor boasts that “we are 1 church in 32 locations”, or he has a network of “sons and daughters” who have “submitted under his covering”, does not mean that he is a church planter. In fact, often he is nothing more than a franchiser. Think about it: McDonald’s sells franchises by charging a fee for a franchiser to rightfully represent themselves as an official representative of the franchise. That was a mouthful.
The result of this kind of argument is that genuine believers get lost in the superstructure that is their international movement. They begin to equate the department they are in, to Christian service. Worrying about the choir, ‘will pastor like this song?’, working out how close they are to the next rung of leadership whilst missing the whole point of fellowship. It is hard to recognise this because as described, it is often a superstructure and many can become lost in it.
The word ‘church’ as rendered in the New Testament, comes from the Greek term ekklesia which is formed from two Greek words meaning “an assembly” and “to call out” or “called out ones.” This means the New Testament church is a body of believers who have been called out from the world by God, to live as His people under the authority of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23).
This group of believers, or “the body of Christ”, began in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost through the work of the Holy Spirit, and will continue to be formed until the day of the rapture of the church.
What is the purpose of a church?
The purpose of the church is two-fold. The church comes together (assembles) for the purpose of bringing each member to spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:13).
The church reaches out (scatters) to spread the love of Christ and the gospel message to unbelievers in the world (Matthew 28:18-20). This is the Great Commission; to go out into the world and make disciples. So, the purpose of the church is to minister to believers and unbelievers.
The church, both in the universal and local sense, is important because it is the primary vehicle through which God carries out His purposes on earth. The church is the body of Christ—His heart, His mouth, His hands, and feet—reaching out to the world: (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Thinking about leaving a cult or a church that is not right for you? Here are some helpful links:
https://careynieuwhof.com/5-ways-for-a-church-member-to-leave-a-church-well/
https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/ask-roger/how-do-i-know-when-it-s-time-to-leave-a-church.html
It is important to note that, though no church is perfect, some churches are simply not churches. We are all ultimately imperfect people trying to do perfect work, and so we will always get things wrong. We must cut our leadership base. This being said, there is a large difference between a church that is growing and maturing, and structures built on dubious foundations. It is by applying the Word as guided by the Spirit that we have any hope. It should be noted that the Devil’s primary ploy in our age is deception; presenting the appearance of Godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5).
