3/26/26

Joshua 12:24 NASB95 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.

Scripture lists 31 kings in the area that Israel would possess west of the Jordan. As these kings were concerned with their own and no one else's they all lost their own. Now I know that even if they were joined together they would not prevail against the Lord and His people. However, this shows us that an inward focus will bring about defeat.

Jesus warns of this. Matthew 12:25-26 NASB95 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

This is a problem today as many people in the church are more concerned with getting others to agree with them than bringing people into the kingdom. We should never compromise on Scripture but instead of fighting over our minor disagreements we should focus on uniting for the kingdom. We can discuss these minor disagreements and not let them be our focus. There are people who won't answer a question straight in hopes of going into a church to change them. People are dying and going to hell and many in the church are concerned with the type of music and the thermostat.

Listen to this: local individual churches die, but the body of Christ will be in heaven.

Local churches are God's plan and people are required to join them and serve in them. However, their focus should be on building up the Church that will be in heaven. Not the church that will die.

If all the local churches focus on the Church they won't be losing ground.

The individual tribes had land in Israel, and each had leaders but there needed to be one leader. That is God. As long as they focused on Him things were good. When they sought only their desires the kingdoms took an earthly king. Then they split and had two kings. Then they were conquered and no longer had their land.

Individual churches die when they are concerned about themselves and not Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

There are numerous churches in our town. I pray you will be part of the Church, join a local church, fellowship in it, and focus on the Kingdom of God. Then Satan won't see a bunch of little churches that he seeks to kill. He, instead, will see the Church and flee.

Adrian Rogers once said there are no little churches for each is an outpost of God.

If the little church focuses on God then this is the case.

The world and Satan need to know that when you attack the local church the whole army of the Church and heavenly host will descend and destroy you.

A letter from Outpost Middlefork Road Baptist Church.

Love Bro. Scott