10.11.07 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

I just got this email from our friend Ed Waken who will be here next weekend. It was a word he shared with the Valley Life network of house churches...and so we'll share it with ours as well:

Only the Offense Can Score

I'm on my way to watch Game 1 of the National League Championship series this afternoon with my son (Go D-Backs). Baseball is a war between two teams. In baseball, you can only score runs if you are batting - if you are on offense. You cannot score runs when you are on defense in baseball. The object is to get on offense and stay on offense to score as many runs as possible.

The Church is also in a war but the stakes are much higher than runs scored. Souls are what are at stake in this spiritual battle. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 these words, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against her." There are many things to learn from this passage, but the most important to me is that the church is on the offensive all the time. Jesus said that the 'gates' of hell will not win over the church. Gates are a defensive weapon, not offensive. The police do not storm a violent situation with gates. The church is to be on the move towards the gates of hell. Once there, we are to reach in behind the gates to pull out souls for the Kingdom of God.

For too long the church has been on the defense. Sitting in churches, learning, learning, learning, never to engage the gates of hell where the battle is raging.

So today, think about your being part of the Church and your responsibility is to always be on the offense for the Kingdom of God. That is the only way we can win souls for Jesus.

Ed Waken

A good word, aptly spoken.

Press on,

Mike

Read the rest of this week's UPdate HERE