Gospel Defense and the Offense of the Cross

[JohnD]

Matthew 16:18 (AV)
18 And I say also 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.

The underscored is a bit or ironic rabbinic exaggeration in that the gates of hell could not withstand an assault by the Church Christ builds... as though emptying out hell was an objective. It's not. Just so we are clear. Human choice is what is at stake. Most answers to why? are answered by the fact that God has made the human ability to choose his way paramount. And for his way to even be a choice, there has to be the human ability not to choose his way. Heaven or hell are the ultimate consequences for human choice.

But many misinterpret Matthew 16:18b to mean there will never be opposition or assaults or evil from the other side or that they could ever prevail. This is not the case! The verse is referring to the deliberate, militant assault and aggressive stance of the Church against evil not the other way around. "Gates" are not an assault weapon but a defense mechanism.

Hell prevails every day when the Church is inept, ineffectual, inactive, unassertive. 

Hell prevails enough these days to have chased Christian principles out of the public square to be walled up in church buildings only and maybe homes that aren't plugged in to the multitude of distractions... Look around. 

Perhaps it's me, but I noted on Sundays the scarcity of Christian shows on TV lately. In my 55 years it's gone from strict Sunday blue laws to scarcity of Church on TV. 

Chiefest reason why this is, the cross of Christ offends the hell out of people. And the hell in them fuels their backlash / retaliation / preemptive strikes against the Gospel. And believers are first of all intimidated, scared... under trained, uninformed as to why we believe what we believe so the simplest cultist can easily twist the average Christian into a doctrinal pretzel... which is the biggest reason why believers pretend not to be home when cults come knocking.

So... business as usual... not so good a plan after all, no?

 

 

 

 

[Your closest friendnt]

On 6/25/2016 at 7:54 AM, JohnD said:

Matthew 16:18 (AV)
18 And I say also 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.

The underscored is a bit or ironic rabbinic exaggeration in that the gates of hell could not withstand an assault by the Church Christ builds... as though emptying out hell was an objective. It's not. Just so we are clear. Human choice is what is at stake. Most answers to why? are answered by the fact that God has made the human ability to choose his way paramount. And for his way to even be a choice, there has to be the human ability not to choose his way. Heaven or hell are the ultimate consequences for human choice.

But many misinterpret Matthew 16:18b to mean there will never be opposition or assaults or evil from the other side or that they could ever prevail. This is not the case! The verse is referring to the deliberate, militant assault and aggressive stance of the Church against evil not the other way around. "Gates" are not an assault weapon but a defense mechanism.

Hell prevails every day when the Church is inept, ineffectual, inactive, unassertive. 

Hell prevails enough these days to have chased Christian principles out of the public square to be walled up in church buildings only and maybe homes that aren't plugged in to the multitude of distractions... Look around. 

Perhaps it's me, but I noted on Sundays the scarcity of Christian shows on TV lately. In my 55 years it's gone from strict Sunday blue laws to scarcity of Church on TV. 

Chiefest reason why this is, the cross of Christ offends the hell out of people. And the hell in them fuels their backlash / retaliation / preemptive strikes against the Gospel. And believers are first of all intimidated, scared... under trained, uninformed as to why we believe what we believe so the simplest cultist can easily twist the average Christian into a doctrinal pretzel... which is the biggest reason why believers pretend not to be home when cults come knocking.

So... business as usual... not so good a plan after all, no?

 

 

 

 

Most of the time people make reference to the Gates of Hell as the use of force, even as a military force, but the fact in my opinion is war is not just of forces fighting in  an open battle field, that too, 

But we also have the minds behind every thing, the strategy, the trickery, the enticement, the deceiving games, causing fighting within.

The Church of Jesus Christ will survive also the fighting within, it is own Gates. 

[Larry 2]

On 6/25/2016 at 5:54 AM, JohnD said:

Perhaps it's me, but I noted on Sundays the scarcity of Christian shows on TV lately. In my 55 years it's gone from strict Sunday blue laws to scarcity of Church on TV. 

Who is being talked of here? Those of the Church?

2 Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

Is this the abomination of desolation?

2 Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 

Is this the Church withholding the antichrist until his time?

2 Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Now this “withholdeth” is also interpreted as, holding him back, letteth as we read in 2 Th 2:7, and restraining in many versions of the Bible.

 

Taken out of the way? Where will the Church be taken?

2 Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings JohnD...

    So basically what your saying is that there are many who simply do not "step up to the plate" right? By being silent or as you say"pretend not to be at home" is the same as being unsupportive,ineffective & unproductive,,,,,I agree that remaining uniformed and ignorant is as bad as complacency & tolerance .....When I was a babe I had a friend that used to tell me not ever be a "lazy Christian"......we should always be learning ,growing and busy in the harvest field.....the laborers are few

    It is a sad day when the Christian doesn't answer the door when a "cultist" comes a knocking,it is an opportunity for those "ministry moments" we have in every day life,,,,,another opportunity to tell someone that Jesus Loves them,an opportunity to spread the Gospel,,,,,                                                    With love-in Christ,Kwik