True Ownership of the Church: A Divine Right
Psalm 83:12
Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
The enemy of the church is still saying that today! He who owns the church controls the church, and I’m afraid that many churches have sold out to the man-made religions of compliance, complacency, and compromise. Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” During the transitional period where the days of the law were coming to an end, and where the days of grace were beginning, there was great “violence” in the kingdom—a power struggle, if you will.
Much of the world is deceived today as a result of this violence, caused by the prince of the power of the air, who has offered every imaginable counterfeit religion known to man in an effort to try to prohibit the message of grace from being heard. Satan knows that if he can just keep people from crossing over into grace, he’s got them! He doesn’t mind if you have the Ten Commandments memorized by heart, nor does he mind if you try to abide by them all. What he does mind is when you place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, plus nothing and minus nothing!
Jesus also said in Matthew 16:18, “…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Never forget that the true church belongs to Jesus! When we realize that it’s not the pulpit committee, the deacon board, Aunt Susie in the grave, the one with the most tenure, the one with seniority, the one with a perfect Sunday School attendance, or the most generous donor that owns the church, but Jesus Christ Himself, then we are able to move with Heaven’s authority, bombarding the gates of hell!
Do not allow anyone besides Christ to take your church into possession, for it’s no one’s right but His! It is amazing to me as a pastor to observe just how easy it is to feel like you’re being pressured to say and do certain things, even when no one has really said or done anything that would indicate they were expecting you to do so. I have come to realize that it’s none other than the enemy, who realizes the power of influence yields a certain measure of control. Pastors, we MUST keep our guards up at all times to ensure that the only influence we respond to is that of the Word and the Spirit!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
The enemy of the church is still saying that today! He who owns the church controls the church, and I’m afraid that many churches have sold out to the man-made religions of compliance, complacency, and compromise. Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” During the transitional period where the days of the law were coming to an end, and where the days of grace were beginning, there was great “violence” in the kingdom—a power struggle, if you will.
Much of the world is deceived today as a result of this violence, caused by the prince of the power of the air, who has offered every imaginable counterfeit religion known to man in an effort to try to prohibit the message of grace from being heard. Satan knows that if he can just keep people from crossing over into grace, he’s got them! He doesn’t mind if you have the Ten Commandments memorized by heart, nor does he mind if you try to abide by them all. What he does mind is when you place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, plus nothing and minus nothing!
Jesus also said in Matthew 16:18, “…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Never forget that the true church belongs to Jesus! When we realize that it’s not the pulpit committee, the deacon board, Aunt Susie in the grave, the one with the most tenure, the one with seniority, the one with a perfect Sunday School attendance, or the most generous donor that owns the church, but Jesus Christ Himself, then we are able to move with Heaven’s authority, bombarding the gates of hell!
Do not allow anyone besides Christ to take your church into possession, for it’s no one’s right but His! It is amazing to me as a pastor to observe just how easy it is to feel like you’re being pressured to say and do certain things, even when no one has really said or done anything that would indicate they were expecting you to do so. I have come to realize that it’s none other than the enemy, who realizes the power of influence yields a certain measure of control. Pastors, we MUST keep our guards up at all times to ensure that the only influence we respond to is that of the Word and the Spirit!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill