Life is Meant to be Challenging
The “easy believism” gospel message that is so popular today is not true. This is the belief that we can have spiritual power and prosperity and be pleasing to God in this life without sacrifice and suffering. Those who embrace this popular message will live a life of whining and self-pity and will not really grow in their understanding of God and His ways. It’s a self-focused gospel message and its teaching will cause many to “fall away” during the times of deep tribulation.
In the wilderness, Israel lived a wandering lifestyle that God had led them into for a season of time. They were on their way to being restored, but they continually responded in a negative way. They developed a victim mentality and constantly grumbled about their state of discomfort. They had sunk into a maintenance mentality, trying to stay alive, rather than a victory mentality of ruling and reigning with God. They seemed to believe that when they entered the Promised Land that all fighting would cease and their worries would disappear. They had no idea that they were the weapon in God’s hands that would establish the rule of God on earth. This sounds like much of the contemporary church.
EVIL SEED SOWN IN FERTILE SOIL
The Kingdom of God has indeed come among men but not for the immediate purpose of shattering evil in the world. It is like a farmer sowing seed; for it is working quietly and secretly among people. It does not force itself upon them, for it must be willingly received. Eventually, both a harvest of wrath and a harvest of salvation will take place at the end of the age. However, until then, the evil one is intent upon weakening and rendering impotent the good seed of God’s Kingdom impotent by sowing bad seeds in its midst. Warrior leadership must recognize that an evil remnant continues to exist in the midst of God’s people. Shortly however, a great tribulation that is coming will cause a visible separation between those who are truly people of God and those who are “wannabees” but are not willing to submit in total repentance.
Believers have not been put on this earth simply to be saved and then to sit around living life as usual. We are being presented with the opportunity that Jesus offered His disciples: making an eternal impact for the Kingdom of God and becoming a warrior-spirited soldier in His Army. If believers decide for greatness, it will cost everything they have and are, for they may even have to give up their very lives. The choice is momentous, but amazingly, it is for every believer to make.