The church. The church is the “kingdom which shall never be destroyed” that “shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44). Jesus said, “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Mighty nations have fallen since the church began, but the Lord’s people continue to grow. The church has endured persecution, calamities, and poverty. It has weathered doctrinal and personal divisions. At times it seemed as if the church would die, but it never did and never will.
The Word. “The word of the Lord endures forever” (I Pet. 1:25). Men have tried to get rid of it. Jehoiakim cut a Bible scroll to pieces and burned it (Jer. 36). Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king that Daniel predicted, raided Jerusalem and burned copies of the law. Atheists have attacked it, governments have confiscated it, and modernists have ridiculed it, but the Bible is still here. It is still read by millions every day. There is nothing the enemies of God can do to remove the Bible from the earth.
The home. God created male and female for the purpose of a man and woman becoming one flesh in marriage and bringing children unto the world (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18-24). Satan has waged relentless war against marriage and the family for the last one hundred years. Sometimes it looks like he is winning. But he will never succeed. Jesus said men and women will be getting married when He returns (Matt. 24:37-39). Hollywood can mock “traditional” marriage all it wants and governments can pass laws to change it, but this arrangement will always be here.
The creation. God created the universe out of nothing (Gen 1:1; Heb. 11:3). Some day He will destroy it into nothing (II Pet. 3:10). Human beings can abuse this planet but they will not destroy it. It is the height of arrogance for politicians and scientists to accuse people of endangering the future of earth while they pretend to save the planet with the gospel of climate change. God promised just after the flood, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22). Governments and the media try to scare people with constant warnings about COVID and climate change so that they can control them. But the God of heaven sustains His creation.
The soul. Jesus said men can kill the body but not the soul. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10;28). Why should we fear what men can do to us? They can only harm the body. They cannot even touch must less kill the soul. We have a spirit that will live forever because it is not made of flesh which is dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19). We should take courage and comfort in that fact. The body will return to the dust, but the spirit will return to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7).
Kerry
West End Church of Christ bulletin for August 22, 2021
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