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