So many people have asked the question, “Why are there so many churches (physical buildings), according to them, littered here and there especially in a nation like Nigeria?” Their claim may look legitimate as we have seen the rise of so many false prophets and ministers starting churches and dragging the name of Christ into the mud. We have also heard of certain corrupt practices and non-biblical methods employed by some which have made people have very little faith in the church system.
For a person like me who is not a traditional churchman but a firm believer that the gospel must be preached regardless of how and must be radically approached, I recently came to understand the wisdom of God as to why there are many churches around.
God Wants All Men Saved
God desires to have all men saved and come to know Him for themselves. The truth about that statement however is that the devil who is the god of this world is working tirelessly to block such access to the gospel. This enemy often blinds the heart of people and use several means to hinder them. This is where God’s wisdom comes into play. He positions several gateways, i.e. different church denominations and non-denominational ministries around to bring souls into salvation.
God’s Strategy
Regardless of denominations and beliefs, God places churches strategically to ensure that no soul is missed. This strategy can be seen even in the Old Testament.
Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also, you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.
I Kings 19:15-17 NKJV
Because God would not want any soul to escape salvation, He has set up churches regardless of denomination in such a way that if Church A misses a soul, Church B won’t. If Churches A and B miss the same soul, God has several churches and outreaches that will not miss such a fellow. So God is willing to plant even a small house church as a part of this principle to ensure that as many souls as possible are saved.
God is not using this strategy only with physical churches but also with online churches, and radio and TV outreaches broadcasting into different nations of the earth. Thank God because through so many of those Christian TV, Radio, and Internet ministries, many have come to found Christ as the Lord and Savior. You can not fault God, He is still working in our world today.
Why Are So Many Still Unsaved?
But one may ask, why with so many churches and outreaches out there many people are still unsaved? The truth is that people still have choices to make. God will not force anything down their throat, He is still patiently waiting for those people to choose Him. Regardless of their choice, God’s will is not for them to perish but that they should come to repentance and find peace and joy in the loving arms of Jesus Christ.
Then comes the next big problem, we are not doing enough. Most churches and outreaches are weak in evangelism and pay limited attention to mission outreaches. We are so church-conditioned that we forget that there are souls out there needing salvation. We have left our streets in the hands of satan who have multiplied centers of wickedness around. As you may notice, the devil can put several immoral bars and centers in a particular location and no one will complain about why there are so many of them. Even the devil is counting on the fact that if one of those immoral centers misses a soul the other ones will catch that fellow.
What Must We Do?
This is why we must be engaged in street evangelism and get out there more. We can do more out there than inside. While we should take our time to see that Christians grow within the four walls of the church, we must also see to it that others are called in. It is time for us to wake again and snatch the souls out of the claws of the evil one. They will most likely not come into our church buildings, but we must obey the command of Jesus to go into the world and make them His disciples. Let us go into the streets, the highways, and marketplaces to share with them the good news of salvation. We must use the internet, Radio, and TV optimally as well. The time is now or never, the end is near already. Let us fulfill the joy of our God as we bring more souls to His kingdom.
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