HIS CHURCH – PART 3
MATHEW 16:18 - And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it(NIV)
God established His Church for a purpose. Like every of His creation, there is a purpose and plan for His Church which would be fulfilled with or without any man. So, we should count it an opportunity and privilege to be counted worthy to be used in the building of His Church. That is why He stated categorically in Matt. 16:18 that His Church would march on and the gate of Hell would not prevail over it. This tells me that no matter how much the devil himself or any of his agents in human form, demons or principalities try, they would always fail. His Church has come to stay. Hallelujah.
The essence of the existence of His Church is that it might fulfil the mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ as written in Isa. 61:1-3. For any congregation that is part of His Church to march on, the Spirit of the Lord must be upon the Church. The bible makes it clear in 2 Cor. 3: 16 that “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. His Spirit gives life to a Church. When His Spirit is in a Church, the Church thrives, prospers and does well physically and spiritually. I pray that His Spirit would not depart from Jesus Sanctuary in Jesus name. My prayer also is that His Spirit would not depart from you and your home in Jesus name.
As seen in Isa. 61: 1 - 3, the Church can only fulfil her purpose when it is filled with His anointing. The bible says in Isa.10:27 that “and it shall come to pass in that day, that His burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and His yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” (KJV). One of the roles of His Church is to brake and destroy every yokes in the life of His children in that congregation. Yoke can only be broken by the power that comes with His anointing. That is why I am confident that if anyone is operating under any yoke today, that yoke shall be broken through His anointing in Jesus name.
Again, another role that the Church is expected to fulfil is to proclaim the good news for the poor. Beloved, the mandate given to His Church is to proclaim the good news to all, particularly the poor. When the bible talks about the poor, it does not necessarily mean poor in terms of monetary value alone. If you are always sick and unwell, it means that you are poor in health. If you have problem communicating with the Holy Spirit or problem standing in His presence, then you are poor spiritually. Or if you are always having problems in relating with people, then you are poor socially. Of course, if you are unable to meet your financial obligations and the basic necessity of life, then you are poor monetarily. Whichever poverty that may be operating in your life, I have good news for you today. The word of the Lord says in Mathew 5: 3 that “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (NIV). Also, in James 2: 5 the bible says “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? (NIV). What a wonderful promise and assurance.
Beloved, are you weary and discouraged because the word call you poor? I have good news for you. The owner of His Church, the King of kings and the Lord of lords has you as part of His plan for His Church. This mean that just as His Church would march on and the gates of hell cannot prevail over it, you would also march on and the gate of hell would not prevail over you in Jesus name.
The Lord would visit you today and you would march on unhindered in Jesus name.
Shalom
Dr. Yinka Okude
Parish Pastor
RCCG Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
HYMN: Lead Us Heavenly Father Lead Us Hymn