When Jesus was establishing the Church, He had a conversation with Peter, see Matthew 16:15-18NIV.
In other words, Jesus was saying “On you, my authoritative believer, and my inspired proclaimer of the gospel, I will build my church.” Do you realize the triumphant authority of this promise? It says our missions are not ultimately dependent on human initiative or human wisdom or human perseverance. It is ultimately dependent on the power and wisdom and faithfulness of the risen and living Christ to keep this promise. This, however, does not excuse us from contributing or being part of a church family or a ministry. After all, Jesus told us to share the gospel. We are designed to be in community and are called to join God’s mission to take His Word to the world. However, our mindset can damage the ministry that God has prepared for us and so we must be mindful of our relationship and commitment to Christ.
Our buildings or web presences are not the church that Jesus built, they are meeting places where the church family chooses to meet. It is a home where tears are shed, laughter is heard, prayers are said, and God is praised. It is the place where mature and new Christians alike gather to worship and grow in their relationship with God. Just like the Military Christian Fellowship, it is the jumping off point for us to take the Gospel to our community.
Pray for yourself and your present ministry setting. Ask God to give you the wisdom, courage and desire to be engaged. Join us and pray for our military family using the issues highlighted in this month’s Shield as your guide. Help us reach the lost in our military family. But, ensure you are committed to Jesus, not just on the occasional Sunday but every day. We need our ministries to be places where we can grow and to encourage others but more importantly, we need Jesus and we need to tell others what Jesus means to this world.
Use the Shield February 2019 edition for specific individuals and issues to bring before God. You can also download the Shield to pray through the month of February.
Blessings
Anton Topilnyckyj