Be Strong in the Lord
Thank God! After more than a year of planning and construction, the church¡¦s building project is finally complete. We are now waiting for the relevant government departments to do their final inspections and issue an occupancy permit. I hope the brothers and sisters will continue to pray earnestly and keep watch for the church, and to ask God for His refuge so that we may experience Him more.
If one
asks, ¡§With what attitude should we enter our new hall?¡¨ the writer believes
that it is to ¡§be strong in the Lord¡¨. The Bible encouraged those who work for
God to ¡§be strong¡¨ on many occasions. Before he departed the world, David
encouraged Solomon to be strong and courageous in building the temple of God (1
Chronicles 22:12, 28:10, 20), for his son was young in years, timid and
inexperienced, and the task of construction of the temple was great (1
Chronicles 29:1). Through the prophet Haggai, God exhorted the exiled and
returned Jews to be strong and rebuild His temple, for they were frightened by
the enemies all around them. God encouraged them three separate times to be
strong and do the work. ¡§But now be
strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of
Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares
the Lord, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty.¡¨ (Haggai
2:4) After Moses¡¦ death, Joshua was grieved with the loss of an elder and a
leader, and terrified by the burden of the command he was assuming. It was then
that God encouraged him three times to be strong (Joshua 1:6-9). Today, our
church has also been blessed by the Lord¡¦s selection and disposition to have
this opportunity to build a temple in His name. Now we are preparing to enter
No. 5 Rd., this battleground of the spiritual struggle to bear witness for Him.
God wants us to be strong and courageous as well.
Facing the challenges ahead, we do not attempt to be strong
ourselves through human wisdom, courage or method. Rather, we are strong and do
our work through God, and by relying on His almighty power and promise. From
the aforementioned personages we realize that to stand up and work in strength,
there are the following four ingredients:
1.
We must be strong
because of God¡¦s selection. ¡§Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build
a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." (1 Chronicles 28:10)
2.
We must be strong because God is with us. ¡§¡K. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be
discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:9)
3. We must be
strong because we will be receiving a spiritual inheritance, and also lead
others to be given spiritual blessings. "Be
strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land.¡¨
(Joshua 1:6) Just like Joshua and the Israelites, the church must engage in the
spiritual battle, and lead others to know our Saviour Jesus Christ and depart
from sin and the authority of Satan, so that people through their faith will
have everlasting life as their inheritance.
4. We must be strong because we have God¡¦s promise. "Be
strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I
swore to their forefathers to give them.¡¨ (Joshua 1:6) Because of the promise
of the creator of heaven and earth, the everlasting, true Lord, we can be at
peace and bear witness courageously for Him even though we will face
difficulties of many kinds.
If
one asks further, ¡§With what attitude should a believer prepare to enter
heaven?¡¨ the writer believes it is still to ¡§be strong¡¨ because of God¡¦s
selection, God¡¦s presence, God¡¦s promise, and in order that one¡¦s self and
others may receive the everlasting inheritance. Just as Paul admonished the
church, ¡§Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.¡¨ (Ephesians
6:10)
By:
Daniel To