Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Agreed! as our Lord Christ said, "...and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

The disagreement is, of course, whether the Church will continue as one that is "militant and a remnant" or one that is "triumphant (at peace) and predominant" ON THIS EARTH before Christ returns. I hold to the former choice. grin For me, the Church shall and is victorious in that Christ's prophetic promise IS being fulfilled even today and shall continue to be fulfilled unto the end of the age, after which He will immediately return to inaugurate the eschaton of all things. "Victory" does NOT necessitate the idea of "quantity", i.e., the mass population of the earth will be converted and thus bringing in an end to the turmoil and antagonism (war) that exists between the world and God's elect (the Church) but rather in its application in regard to the Church in this age one of "quality" and "perfection", i.e., completeness (all the elect shall be called, gathered in and redeemed" in Christ as His glorious body. Peace is already owned by those who are truly in Christ Jesus; a peace that passes all understanding and of which the world cannot and shall never know. (cp. Matt 10:34; Lk 12:51; and Lk 7:50: 10:5; Jh 14:27: 16:33; Acts 10:36)

In His grace,
That makes an important starting point. I oftencome across A-Mills who devote their lives to teaching that cultural failure is not only possible but the only possibility and build fantastic schemes from the Scriptures in support.

Better I recon to take care and rememeber that in the dark days of the first century the church was structured constitionally with Christ enthroned in heaven and the Holy Spirit ministering on earth. Just as it is today.

H