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Triumph of
the Church
by Rev.
Myrl Eddings
Looking
back, I’m reminded of the many times God has delivered me out of difficult
circumstances. A particular experience occurred when I had an episode of epidermic spots
(tinea versicolar). They were not fatal, but
as a young man were certainly not desirable. I asked for prayer at the church I was
attending and went my way. About three months
had elapsed as one particular day I was taking a shower.
A voice spoke to me and asked me “where are your spots?” I looked down to realize that my skin’s
complexion had instantly returned to normal.
Another
time I had the privilege of starting a church. During
service one night, the Spirit of the Lord was moving in a great way. As church continued, a vehicle came by and threw
bricks through the windows and shot out the glass. God
saw fit that no one was hurt and the service was not even disrupted. The following church night the same group called
the local police to see if our band of ‘radicals’ might be stopped from having
services there. When nothing could be done
legally against us, the landlord was charged with being a public nuisance. Reporters soon gathered outside to see what was
happening.
Other
such persecutions have arisen over the years, but through it all, the Lord has been by my
side. At times when it seems that God should
have given up on me, he has been faithful through every hardship. Many are the believers
who have suffered for the sake of the gospel. Even
Jesus warned us that men would kill his followers and think that they do God a service
(John 16:2). I believe this very prophecy was
fulfilled, along with other occasions, on September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers and
Pentagon were attacked by religious extremists. The name of Jesus is controversial. “God” is accepted because He can be
disguised as any type of deity. Yet Jesus
said he is the door to the sheepfold (John 10:7).
Many validate non-Christian religions, not recognizing Jesus as the one true
Savior of the world.
Someone
will raise a standard and show Christ to be the Messiah and perform His works. God has
promised to raise up a people to be His Church. We
don’t have to do anything on our own, because the Lord Himself has guaranteed the
establishment and survival of a chosen people for His sake. All that is required is to get
aboard. The Lord said He would
make His people the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). We can see this evidenced
on television that is broadcast around the world. In the past, those in the United States
who sought to worship God in Spirit were scorned – often publicly. Today the same demographic is tolerated in our
society. The full gospel is now recognized
and published in over 400 languages because the Scripture is being fulfilled.
I
marvel at the unbelief existent in the body of Christ today. Jesus healed and delivered
wherever he went. He also made provision for
himself and his followers with the colt, the coin-swallowing fish, and the feeding of the
multitudes. God’s benefits are
all-purpose. He is concerned with our complete welfare, even though we undergo trials
along the way. Jesus did come to give us
abundant life (John 10:10). With pure living and balanced blessings, we can properly shine
a light before the world. There is an
opposition against our prosperity by the devil, who certainly would like to see the people
of God defeated and demoralized. We should be
an example to the world by living how we preach, and in turn be victorious in all things. This is surely the will of the Lord. Gratefully, with God we have everything we will
ever need.
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