The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ can only get stronger.  Christ said  in Matthew 16[18]  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Christ builds His Church and does not promise to build ours. The Lord’s Church does not need any help or sympathy and can never be handed over to Satan in defeat.  It can neither be dented or embarrassed by scandals or deceptions nor will it expand an inch through carnal clever strategic marketing ploys.  It needs no whitewashing or special intelligent advocacy to convince great intellectuals.  It can withstand all persecutions, heresies and mishaps... yet the applause and approval of men does not progress its cause.  The Holy Spirit is its sole building agent ... every other noble effort is a mere pretence...that profits nothing.

Selected verses of the hymn by Samuel J. Stone (written circa1866) remind us after May 21 2011 that saints have over the centuries had to deal with scorn, heresies, false sons, schisms and even more direct oppression... but the Church still marches on ...undefeatable and ever going stronger. 

Indeed these are her best times as soon “the night of weeping shall be the morn of song”.

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Samuel J. Stone 1866