Confront The Stronghold
From The Message: Once Is Not Enough
Newton’s first law states that an object at rest will stay at rest until another force acts upon it. Although that’s a physical principle, it applies spiritually more than we may realize.
Many would describe the modern church as passive and comfortable, scared of confrontation. The truth is unless a force acts upon something that is stagnant, then there will be no movement. If there is no rain then inevitably there will be no harvest. A comfortable Church and a powerful Church are mutually exclusive, they cannot coexist. If we want to become who God has called us to be, there are some things we must get out of our way, some things that are blocking us from living in the fullness of God that He has called us to.
But how do you know what needs to get out of your life? How do you know the moments where you’ll have to step your of comfort zone? The truth is that the voice you listen to will determine what is permissible in your life. The voice of the world and the flesh will tell you to avoid what challenges you, that comfortability will lead to peace. The voice of God on the other hand, always calls you higher, challenging you to pick up your cross and deny your flesh. If you wish to be powerful then there is a cost associated with it.
In some countries the government cannot make a decision unless they first consult the church; in some countries the government couldn’t care less about what the church is doing. This discrepancy is almost directly correlated with how much the local churches are willing to step out and confront the culture. Nothing will change unless we decide to make the change; whatever we’re not challenging we are accepting.
This all begs the question: what are we going to do about it? Will you bow to the standards of society or will you step out in the face of adversity? The choice is yours.
• Whatever you’re not challenging you’re accepting
• We need to be discontent with the things God is discontent with
• The voice you listen to will determine what you permit; the voice of God always calls you higher
