Month: July 2012

Turning Up the Heat on the Lukewarm Church

Posted on by Finding True Christianity

It bewilders me how we, for whom Christ was crucified, whom He saved from eternal damnation, whom He  filled with His Spirit, adopted as His own, and whom He’ll share His throne as His bride and companion in the world to come – yes, I’m bewildered at how cavalier and nonchalant we are. And, yet, I too, find myself resting comfortably, at ease, as though all is well in our world. Oh, how I wish we could see more clearly into the spirit realm. The apostle Paul admitted that he, only through squinted eyes, peered into this other world, so vaguely, as through darkened glass. Yet, he laboured and prayed unceasingly for the early church. He took Christ at His word when He said, “Think not there are yet, four months before harvest. Look on the fields, they are white for harvest” (Jn 4:35). Indeed, Christ is pleading with us to pray for labourers for the harvest, as he wishes none to perish (Matt 9:39; 2 Pet 3:9). And through the history of Christ’s body on earth, there have been those who have been earnest in prayer and in deed. But for us, especially in the developed world, He tells us that because of our lukewarmness, He’ll spit us out like putrid water, unfit for drinking.

I am jarred and shaken by this pronouncement. Not only because of our own selfishness, as if warned that if we don’t love each other, we’ll be punished, but by the stark and glaring truth of our carnality, worldliness and prayerlessness. Yet I know that that is not who we really are. We have been born anew with the Spirit of the living God now indwelling us. But we’ve become deceived. I am compelled to look deeper into this ruinously dire situation. I’m certain that if we could see into the spirit realm and see the warring between God’s angels and the forces of darkness taking place to save souls from hell, we would be on our knees taking part in the fight as Moses did while Joshua fought on, “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.” (Ex 17:11). The problem is we don’t see the reality or seriousness of the real world. As alluded earlier, we are being lulled into disaster, much like those who were dancing and singing before the sinking of the Titanic. Really, the Church needs to wake up.

Unfortunately for us, Satan has devised and implemented his most effective strategy yet – making us so comfortable, we don’t feel the need to pray, we don’t feel the need to rely on God and we’ve  become so self-absorbed, we don’t care about the suffering of others. We’ve bought into the lie that we need money. Money has become our new god, much like the Israelites worshipped foreign gods bringing God’s wrath upon themselves.

Radical change is needed. But you need to ask yourself if you’re ready for radical change. If not, your eternal state or position is in jeopardy. Here are a few ideas I believe we could implement now to avoid the spew later.

The List
  1. Sell what you don’t need and give it to the poor
  2. Avoid sanctimonious, over-paid and materialistic pastors and priests
  3. Seek pastors who are gifted by Christ
  4. Be Holy Spirit directed, not program and project directed
  5. Devote yourselves to prayer, praise and worship
  6. Meet weekly with others for prayer, praise and studying God’s word
  7. Expect answers to your prayers
  8. Discover and exercise your spiritual gifts.
  9. Get rid of your possessions that may hinder your walk with Christ.
  10. Study, memorize and believe God’s Word –  put on the FULL armor of God.
  11. Seek and learn humility, brokenness and self-denial.
  12. Give yourself wholly to Christ – detest lukewarmness – love God with ALL your heart, mind and soul
I admit, for many, this list looks really radical, but it’s radical change that’s needed to change the Church. Imagine how this would change you, your family and your life.
If you believe this is what’s needed for the body of Christ to wake up, pass this post on by clicking on the share icons below.

Why We Need To Be Led By The Spirit

Posted on by Finding True Christianity

1. We need to be led by the Spirit because The King of Kings demands our obedience.

God who is Spirit must not only be worshipped in word, but also in deed.

 

2. We need to be led by the Spirit for the sake of the lost.

Our God is patient wishing all to come to repentance, but not all are ready or open to the Word of God. In this we need His guidance. It is only when we are sensitive to the voice of God speaking through our own spirit to our minds that we can be directed to the ones around us at the right time and place.

3. We need to be led by the Spirit in order to effectively be His body on earth.

He came to heal the sick, free those in spiritual bondage and prepare His church, His body on earth and bride after He returns. We don’t see healings in our midst and freeing the demonically bound because we are not open vessels for His use.

4. We need to be led by His Spirit to exercise the gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one
for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to
another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of
spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of
tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually as He wills.”

5. We need to be led by the Spirit to be able to discern between truth and deception,

As well as correct doctrine, and correctly understand His Word.


6. We need to be led by the Spirit to alleviate suffering in the world.

If the body of Christ on earth today was truly led by His Spirit, they wouldn’t be spending His resources on themselves in buying nicer cars, bigger homes, designer labelled clothes, make-up, hair styling, newest techy toys, bigger TVs and the list keeps growing. Many of God’s children are dying of treatable diseases and malnutrition, while walking without shoes, working for pennies a day instead of going to school and learning how to read God’s Word. Churches throughout the developing world can’t afford places of worship or hymnals or bibles.

7. We need to be led by the Spirit to manifest the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

 

Hindrances to our being led by the Spirit

 

1. Too busy or too lazy to pray long and hard and to spend time reading God’s word. When we devote ourselves to prayer, we become desirous to spend time in God’s Word, then we become sensitive to His Spirit, hearing what He’s telling us. We also become obedient when we are sensitive to His Spirit. Then we are finally being “led by His Spirit”.

2. Too caught up with self to be sensitive to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to our mind through our spirit, but if we always listen to our flesh, in all its cravings and desires, we become dulled to our own spirit and the Holy Spirit within us.

3. Too worldly to free up time and energy to pray, fast, study God’s Word or to go where He would lead us or do what He bids us. Our lifestyles mimic those of the world. We work at our jobs longer than necessary because we want to be like those of the world. If God’s people would learn to live with just what they need, they wouldn’t need to work at their jobs as long and could devote themselves to the things of God.

4. Most church leaders do not lead by example. The body of Christ is luke warm because we are like a flock of sheep with sleeping shepherds. They don’t teach on being led by the Spirit because they themselves are not. They only teach what they believe will maintain the status quo. They don’t want to cause ripples that might get them labelled as too radical. Most of today’s pastors are intellectually trained. They can read Greek and Hebrew, are steeped in higher biblical criticism, readily quote other theologians, consider themselves to be experts in their field of theology, but few are led by the Holy Spirit. They don’t preach or practice what is needed for the Church to become HOT for Christ, but instead continue to lull us into luke warm apathy.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ” Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. – Rom 8:15-17

Especially in these last days, we need to wake up. The Church is in one of its most dire conditions since it’s inception when the Holy Spirit fell on believers after Christ’s assension. We’re like a jumbo jet flying with the pilot fast asleep. Indeed, we are the lukewarm church as depicted in the seventh message to the churches of Christ’s revelation to John. But throughout history, there have always been His overcomers – those who were Hot for their savior. May we also take up our shield of faith and sword of the Spirit and become the saints of God we are called to be.