Will the Church Survive? Here’s What God Showed Me
And I also say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18 KJV)
Let me share with you what the Lord revealed to me when I asked this question in my heart nearly 20 years ago. I’ll also share what led me to ask this question, as some of you may have asked or are still asking the same or similar questions.
I was in my home country, Cameroon, visiting a congregation when I heard heart-wrenching news. A prophet had been invited from a neighboring country, who was giving accurate words of knowledge during the meetings. Then I learned what he was doing behind the scenes during his three-day prophetic meeting—engaging in sexual relations with sisters who came to “minister to him”—bring food, etc. Even more shocking, the pastor of the church was aware of it but excused it as a mere weakness of the prophet. If I had been a young Christian, I might have lost faith in Christianity, pastors, and prophets. Thank God I had grown enough to understand the complexities within the church.
When I heard this, I asked myself, “Will the church survive like this?” And almost immediately, God gave me His answer. It was so clear that I still remember it vividly, even 20 years later. Here is what He impressed upon me:
- I, Jesus, will build My Church, not your Senior Pastor, Apostle, Bishop, General Overseer, or Prophet. Jesus is building His Church, and He will succeed. His success is not dependent on human weakness but on His divine power. So, you can be sure that the Church will be built, even if a thousand apostles, prophets, or pastors fail.
- I have My Church within their church. This shook me deeply. As humans, when we look at the Church, whether local or global, we often think of everyone who gathers in a particular congregation. But listen closely: not everyone within those walls belongs to God, and not every preacher on the pulpit is sent by God. When God looks at the Church, He sees His true people in the midst of what we call the church—His Church is within our churches.
- Christ’s Church, contrary to what we might see, is shining brighter and brighter, increasing in glory. You might not notice it, but God is raising up people who might not be on TV or in pulpits. The Spirit of God is working powerfully among His people, building a glorious Church. If you open your eyes, you will see the astonishing glory already at work, and one of these days, there will be an outburst of the latter glory, fulfilling God’s Word of revealing His glory before this age passes.
In summary, the Church will not only survive, but it will thrive and flourish.
Brethren, what is happening today in God’s Church is unlike anything since the days of Jesus. It exceeds what the early Church experienced. For instance, today, there are more christians across multiple continents operating in apostolic and prophetic graces than the early Church ever saw. If you think the early Church was wonderful, wait until you see what God is doing now.
Why am I sharing this with you? God wants you to be excited, not discouraged or depressed, about what is happening in the Church and the world. The best days of the Church are now, and the greatest days are yet to come! So, rejoice in the Lord!
Meditate
When Jesus said, “I will build my Church” in Matthew 16:18, what did He mean by the term “Church” (Greek: ekklesia)?
Apply the Word
Have you asked yourself the same question? Before you criticize ministers who stumble, remember that God is compassionate toward your own weaknesses and continues to walk with you despite everything you know about yourself. God is amazing—He can work out His plans and purposes in the midst of our mistakes and weaknesses. However, He calls us to fear Him, turn away from evil, grow into maturity, and fulfill His purposes.
Pray
Ask the Lord to have mercy on us and grant us His promised grace to abound, even as iniquity increases.
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