The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Historical Disaster, continued

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24,25)

As we have stated, our emphasis on victorious discipleship and trusting in the Lord is not to deny the medical and psychologic assistance needed by the people of the large nations of today. There are factors in modern cultures that create suicidal depression, anger, fear, frustration, insecurity, and a host of other mental and emotional illnesses. The individual suffering from childhood molestation or some other emotional trauma is not always psychologically strong enough to take up his or her cross and follow Jesus. He or she must be healed first, in many instances.

We must make provision for the psychologic healing of numerous American Christians. We must also keep in mind that the Christian churches are not primarily hospitals but the moral light of the world. We are to bring people to health and then teach them to become disciples of Jesus. God is forming an army today. Armies always need hospitals but their purpose is to win wars.

The Great Commission commands us to make disciples of the nations. A disciple is someone who turns away from the world and his own life, takes up his personal cross, and follows the Lord Jesus wherever He goes. How many Christian churches in the United States of America are practicing and preaching discipleship according to the words of the Lord in the Gospel accounts?

If we are not practicing and preaching true discipleship then we ourselves are not obeying the Lord. If we are not obeying the Lord we are in no position to attack the secular nations because of moral behavior we find particularly distasteful.

No amount of proclaiming the "pretribulation rapture" of the believers can produce one molecule of growth of Christ in the hearer. In addition to our unscriptural message we emphasize the building of churches and the construction of denominational kingdoms. Some kind of structure may be necessary at times as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission, but we must always keep in mind that the organizing of Christians and the building of churches and denominations are not the stated efforts or goals of the Great Commission.

The desire to organize, to build, to govern, to exercise preeminence, to control, to compete, to excel, to accumulate power and wealth is not holy and is as powerful in the immature Christians as it is in the non-Christians.

If an individual is not walking in daily trust in the Lord and is not being transformed into the moral image of Jesus, then his church membership will avail him nothing in the Day of the Lord.

After a generation or two, once-fiery groups become mausoleums filled with relics. The Life and revelation of God are found in other places.

One can look back through the wilderness of history and see the road God has taken. The prior organizations are still in place, repeating activities that once had been inspired by the Spirit of God but now are little more than the religious striving of the fallen nature of man.

To be continued.