| There's another "move of God" that's sweeping | | | | seeking US!IS THERE ANY HOPE?Americans say |
| the nations. Have you noticed? Very few of | | | | they want revival! A poll conducted by Public |
| those I've spoken with actually have. There are | | | | Agenda, a secular think tank, showed that most |
| others who don't necessarily view it as being a | | | | Americans feel society would improve if people |
| literal "movement" because it's not quite as | | | | were more devout. 69% of the 1,507 U.S. adults |
| defined as they like. Not to mention those who | | | | polled in Nov. '00 agreed that "religion is the best |
| don't particularly approve of God "moving" in this | | | | way to strengthen moral behavior and family |
| direction. But as one British minister said to me | | | | values." 74% agreed that "it is a bad idea for |
| several years ago, addressing all the controversies | | | | families to raise children without any religion." |
| revolving around every new thing God has done | | | | (Source: Tribune News Service, 01/10/01)Brennan |
| since Genesis, "There's never been a tidy move | | | | Manning, author of "Ragamuffin Gospel," says, |
| of God."Never.Just as the Egyptian magicians | | | | "Too many people are living in a house of fear |
| were able to mimic Moses when his rod was | | | | and not in a house of love. In the past, churches |
| turned into a snake, Satan is STILL duplicating and | | | | have been wounders of the healers, not healers |
| infiltrating whenever possible, muddying up the | | | | of the wounded." He explains, "Our huffing and |
| purity of the flowing river of God, deceiving "even | | | | puffing to impress God and our thrashing about to |
| the elect" of Christ's Kingdom. And successfully | | | | fix ourselves while hiding in our pettiness and |
| dissuading many a curious onlooker from diving in | | | | wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a |
| as a result of the disjointedness of The Body of | | | | flat denial of the Gospel of grace." |
| Christ.What is this move of God? It's the incredible | | | | It's been said that Christianity is the #1 cause of |
| mass exodus, the numbers of people who are | | | | atheism. We, ourselves, are to blame for this |
| leaving organized Christianity at an alarming rate, | | | | churchless faith phenomenon, resulting from years |
| and the ministers who are either leaving the faith, | | | | of misdirected church teachings and traditions. In |
| or are ceasing to believe in the inerrancy of God's | | | | its current state, we just don't stand up to the |
| Word (in a moment well see if these are really | | | | scrutiny of our critics. Only God Himself can get |
| men of God at all). Fact is, what most theologians | | | | us out of the mess we've gotten ourselves into. |
| and church people see as a horrific trend, may | | | | But that ALONE should inspire great hope within |
| well be a mighty move of God's Spirit. And when | | | | us all!NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH?Many years |
| the wind of the Spirit begins to blow, Wisdom | | | | ago, a man visted my hometown of Arlington, |
| cries out for us to adjust our sails. Let me | | | | Texas and was going about sharing what he |
| explain.Very simply, Jesus wants His Church back. | | | | referred to as "a revelation on the Church." |
| It's His Bride. Sadly, this lovely young woman has | | | | Though he was way ahead of his time, the vision |
| been made a prostitute with Religion as its Master. | | | | he shared for "how to have Church" was actually |
| She was never intended to be structured, | | | | nothing more than what 80% of the Church was |
| organized, or institutionalized. She's an organism, | | | | already practicing throughout the third world ... the |
| not an organization. A living, breathing entity, not a | | | | ONLY places where Christianity is currently |
| cyborg to be programmed by a pious, human | | | | flourishing, and amidst persecution at that! Though |
| chain-of-command. Just as Christianity was once | | | | all listened politely, behind his back he was mocked |
| seen as a radical move among Judaism, I see this | | | | and belittled. And I held their coats, just as Saul |
| "Churchless Christianity" phenomenon as a move | | | | did when they stoned Stephen, the first Christian |
| of God within the Church itself.THE FACTSPeople | | | | martyr. By the way, this man was James Rutz, |
| are leaving organized churches in Biblical | | | | author of the hot, new book, MegaShift. Read it |
| proportions; at a rate of 53,000 a week in Europe | | | | and you'll see why it's so hot! we laughed at him |
| and North America combined (the U.S. lost 57,500 | | | | back then.In his book, Rutz chronicled more than |
| in the entire Vietnam War, to put that number in | | | | a week in the life of his Church for the rest of us |
| perspective). As a whole, Christians lose 7,600 a | | | | to enjoy. Fascinating and fun! Regrettably, though |
| day to other religions or irreligion. I hear from | | | | I've never journaled Church activities, his |
| these people all the time by eMail.Incidentally, | | | | description reminded me so much of what I've |
| several years ago a leading Bible seminary sent | | | | experienced many times in the years since.He |
| 12,000 letters to pastors of various denominations | | | | writes: What does the Church of Jesus Christ, our |
| and asked one question: "Do you believe that the | | | | current part of the Kingdom of God, REALLY |
| Bible is the infallible word of God?" The results of | | | | need to look like in order to delight her |
| the survey were startling: 85% of the | | | | Bridegroom? Let's imagine a "helicopter's view" |
| Presbyterian USA pastors said NO; 85% of the | | | | ofdaily life together as TRUE brothers and sisters |
| Methodist pastors said NO; 85% of the Episcopal | | | | in Christ. What would the Holy Spirit and a family |
| pastors said NO; 55% of the Baptist pastors said | | | | of believers living in obedience to His Word look |
| NO; 45% of the Catholic priests said NO. (Source: | | | | like today? What does the Church today, walking |
| Warner A. Bonner, )These are our "leaders," | | | | in God's presence and full of grace, look like? How |
| folks.Be concerned. Be very concerned.Christian | | | | can we recognize the Life of Christ, alive again |
| Researcher, George Barna says of the American | | | | today in His Body, the Church?It looks amazingly |
| Church, "...new research supports our contention | | | | similar to the Life of Jesus in His physical body |
| that the structure of the American church is | | | | 2000 years ago!" |
| already undergoing radical change. If you add up | | | | Here are 21st century nurses, restaurant |
| the proportion of people who will call the | | | | workers, contractors, engineers, teachers, |
| cyberchurch their 'church home', those who will | | | | business owners and managers, carpetcleaners |
| align with an independent house church and | | | | and secretaries - clothed in the garb of the |
| individuals who will be steadfastly unchurched, | | | | teaching and Life of Jesus; a Church that was |
| within the next 15 years a majority of Americans | | | | formed from His victorious death (Gen 2:21-22; |
| will be completely isolated from the traditional | | | | Rev 5:9; Eph 2:11-22; 5:22-32).This is typical, natural |
| church format." (There are many church | | | | Life in the Spirit of Christ. This is a touch of the |
| organizations well able to support existing | | | | Life God's Family is MEANT to have - where |
| ministries of each genre rather than attempt to | | | | Truth touches individuals specifically in its |
| launch their own from scratch. Hint. Hint.)According | | | | gatherings. Meetings are filled with openness, |
| to a study released 12/23/01 by the Pew | | | | faith-filled confession of sin, teaching, training, and |
| Internet and American Life Project, while | | | | praise in response to all that is currently happening. |
| Americans flocked to their synogogues and | | | | Disciples bring songs they've written, praise |
| churches after 9/11/01, one out of four adult | | | | they're brimming with, chapters from books that |
| American Internet users, roughly 28 million, have | | | | have elevated or challenged them, video-teaching |
| sought out religious or spiritual information online | | | | tapes that have been a catalyst for growth in |
| since that infamous day. I can attest to this.More | | | | them, and ten thousand other possibilities. God's |
| than 3 million U.S. adults find religious information | | | | Family is gathered, circled in barns, parks, hotels |
| online EVERY DAY, up from 2 million last year. | | | | conference rooms, living room, apartment |
| That's more than use the Internet for gambling, | | | | clubhouses, gymnasiums, or stadiums. Every |
| banking or trading stocks! Sixty-nine per cent of | | | | barrier between God's Children is destroyed...This |
| those engaged in religious activities online search | | | | is The Church, the ekklesia (the "called out ones"), |
| for educationalor reference material, 50% | | | | as expressed from Acts 2 to Acts 2002. There's |
| research other faiths, and 35% seek spiritual | | | | real Life here. Accountability. Horizontal as well as |
| advice through eMail. Forty-one percent said they | | | | vertical relationship. Face to face, and by any |
| sent or received eMail prayer requests. Seven | | | | OTHER means available. Anopportunity to truly |
| percent made contributions online (unfortunately, I | | | | become "brothers and sisters"; the family of God. |
| cannot attest to this stat).As a man with an | | | | And an opportunity to expand the servant-base, |
| eMinistry, I don't see this "Church Exodus" as | | | | empowering people so that even MORE disciples |
| being a bad thingat all, for I've witnessed the fruit | | | | would be trained and equipped for making MORE |
| of CyberChurch and it's quite bountiful! No, I'm not | | | | disciples. THAT is the Great Commission, after |
| advocating that we stop face to face fellowship. | | | | all.There's power here, too, as the family walks in |
| Perish the thought! We need each other. We are | | | | agreement. Power in prayer. Power to heal and |
| a Body fitly joined. But for those who need | | | | deliver those who are oppressed. Power in |
| specialized attention - and the statistics reveal | | | | miracles. And it draws people unto itself as "many |
| there are MANY, including the shut-in, the | | | | will come and see and put their trust in the |
| handicapped, the shift worker, the spiritually | | | | Lord."BELIEVERS ONLYQuite a few who receive |
| shipwrecked - I liken CyberChurch to Christ | | | | the eMail broadcasts of "Your Town For Jesus" |
| reaching the masses from town to town, in fields | | | | from t.e.a.m. ministries are of the "Believers Only" |
| and on beaches, in the market, or wherever | | | | crowd, not belonging to any organized Church |
| people gathered who would listen. Even if they | | | | body for any number of reasons. Some actually |
| must gather electronically.The Lord could have | | | | refer to me as their "Pastor." Some even call me |
| erected a church building after the Sermon on the | | | | "Father." (Please, just call me "Michael." God does.) |
| Mount but He chose to minister while making | | | | I've even been "accused" of being a "prophet." If |
| disciples in preparation for the harvest to come | | | | you're one of these - or want to be - please |
| (no farmer harvests his crop without a barn or a | | | | listen: though you may not attend organized |
| silo in which to put the harvest - otherwise, it rots | | | | services held in a building with stained glass |
| on the ground). The Western Church must learn | | | | windows, you DO require SOME sort of Christian |
| to use today's information technologies in | | | | fellowship. Iron sharpens iron. "Do not forsake the |
| conjunction with our postmodern orientation, to | | | | assembling of yourselves together" still applies, |
| serve the greatest number of unchurched people | | | | even if your only form of regular gathering is |
| possible in the most nontraditional and | | | | here, on your computer. Bottom line: all God really |
| non-threatening ways. In other words, like Moses | | | | requires is your heart-felt availiability in order to |
| with his staff, God used what Moses had on hand | | | | open the door for miracles in someone else's life... |
| at the moment, coupled with Mo's willing spirit. In | | | | in person or not.Your worship of God is not to be |
| the third world Church, they use things such as | | | | limited to the Sunday sing-along. Nor is it about |
| wind currents to send Scripture-laden balloons | | | | being entertained or "being fed" (Jesus said His |
| across borders. They use flowing rivers to send | | | | food was in DOING the will of the Father). |
| the Gospel downstream in bottles. They get | | | | Worship is a lifestyle. To what do you give the |
| creative with what's available. Little is much in the | | | | majority of your time, energy, money? Careful, |
| hands of God. What do WE have available?The | | | | for this may have inadvertently become your |
| lowly computer is just one option.It's simply naive | | | | God. Though church |
| to expect our local professional ministers to do | | | | attendance as we know it in the West is not |
| the job or to expect the unchurched to "come to | | | | biblically required (for the Church was never |
| church." After all, shepherds don't produce sheep; | | | | intended to be a building or an orgaization); Church |
| sheep produce sheep. It's pure fantasy to believe | | | | existence is mandatory.In other words, BE the |
| the world could be won by Christian TV, radio, or | | | | Church, don't merely GO to church. The real |
| music either. The Christian entertainment world is | | | | SERVICE of the Church occurs AFTER the |
| a ghetto into which the mainstream rarely strays. | | | | Church service.Need pastoral counseling and |
| I didn't, before I was saved. Did you? What | | | | prayer? Write or IM me at Every blessing! |
| arrogance to think that THEY should come | | | | |