Our God Reigns

No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD. (Proverbs 21:30)

Beloved,

      On June 28, 2015, Time Magazine published an article by Mark Oppenheimer stating that in light of the recent Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage it is time to end tax-exempt status for churches. And Oppenheimer is not alone. There has been a loud cry throughout our nation for the church to “get in line” with the new American ideology or face continued scrutiny and persecution.

      The end of tax-exempt status would cripple many churches that would suffer in their budgets and may lose their building due to failure to pay property tax. The wisdom of the age continues to grow aggressively against religious liberty calling for a new tolerance where people must accept all ideologies as equal. The world’s wisdom will only continue to assault the church, but we shall not fear.

      There is no wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel that can avail against the Lord. There is nothing that can thwart the plans of the Lord. The church does not need tax-exempt status to survive. The church does not need public acceptance to survive. Jesus Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We should not fear, but trust how God is going to use our current political climate for his glory. We,

Rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Our country may take away certain freedoms, but it cannot take away our hope. Our hope will never put us to shame. Our hope will never disappoint.

      Let us take heart to know that church will not fail. The gospel will never be thwarted. Many believed Jesus failed as he gave up his spirit and breathed his last that dark day on Calvary’s cross, but God vindicated his Son through the resurrection from the dead. Jesus was, is and will always be victorious. No worldly wisdom, no worldly counsel, and no worldly understanding can stand against the Lord. Take hope our God reigns.