I've noticed a trend in the church today. A trend that has had dire consequences to those who have chosen to move away from the elementary teachings of Christ. Many have fallen away from the truth. In an effort to become relevant the church has changed and removed any terminology that they may consider offensive or non accepting. Some have gone as far as accept sinful practices in efforts to boost membership and come off less judgmental but at what price? In churches that have chosen to share or spin a more positive gospel have blossomed over the years leaving a remnant of churches who refuse to water down anything to struggle in the shadow of these megachurches. In all honesty there is no way of knowing what the these Christians are doing behind closed doors. There is no accountability or close personal relationships in these megachurches. Some are like attending a Christian concert. More and more the cross diminishes in the flood lights and smoke machines as masses are taken up with the new superstars of Christendom.
Even in prophetic circles the words given are only positive rarely exposing areas that God wants to deal with or bring conviction. Meetings have been given over to experience rather than biblical sound doctrine. Widely accepted practices that are not in the bible are rarely questioned. Instead of hearing about what was preached about from God's Word many Christians come back from their meetings boasting from their latest experience. Sadly, we have become experience oriented instead of biblical oriented. What I mean is that we have exalted experience over soundness of God's Word. This imbalance is what James talks about. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. Deception comes when we stay out of God's Word and forget that our purpose is to become like Him.
We need to become like Him so the world may want Him. The truth is people want Jesus not us. Our flesh is a joke. We can only hide our awful attitudes and motives for so long before someone notices that we aren't like Jesus at all. Our marriage, family and finances are more of a witness to this world than raising the dead. The gifts of the spirit are awesome but without the character of Christ we will be left pleading with God like the people in Matthew 7:21-23 Lord, Lord didn't we in your name? God is more interested in us being more like Him than ministering for him. We are the ones who want to minister for Him. After all, who doesn't want to be the next Christian superstar for Jesus? What if God called you to total obscurity would you still minister for Him? Would you be content working a regular job and just ministering for Jesus in the market place?
I'm afraid we have enticed the masses and set up schools for ministry just so people can think that one day they too can have a mega ministry and never have to worry about their finances again. It has become a lucrative business. The truth is, most Christians don't even know their bible or what they are supposed to be doing with their lives. Some sell all they have, just to do what they could have done back at home, with time spent with the Holy Spirit. I think deep inside we want somebody to approve us so we can feel credible and legitimate but a piece of paper will never do that. It is the power of God that makes us credible to this world but not without the character to back it up.
The other day I was crying out to God and saying, "I just want to know your heart and mind." While time spent in worship brings revelation of who God is; I also need the correction of the bible to keep me rooted and grounded. Think of a balloon. The things of the spirit are like the balloon and character like the string that keeps it from floating away. God's hand has to firmly keep us from getting into absurd nonsense that has nothing to do with God's mission or purpose. If the manifestation has no exhortation, edification or comfort it has no place in the meetings. Drunkenness in the Holy Spirit should be accompanied with boldness to preach and do something for God not so you can have a laughing party. If you haven't noticed Jesus spent most of His time teaching and preaching as compared to walking in power. Without proper teaching God's church can get into error. We have the Corinthian church as a prime example of people who walked in power but had issues with sin, had meetings that were totally out of order and favored spiritual gifts over love.
One last thing, a real move of God will never steer you away from the bible. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." How did He fulfill it? By obeying it in love. Love is our ultimate act of obedience. There is a reason the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 is in the middle of 12 and 14. Love and God's Word must be in the center of any spiritual gift we practice or any church meeting we have. Real revival must always move us towards God's Word. In the most beautiful revival ever recorded in biblical history and eight year old discovers this key in the following passage. Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:11-13 Revival never moves away from God's word.
Jesus walked in revival and he never toned down his message, never tried to become relevant, he never went to bible college, or got the approval of men. He lived to love. His life matched His message and the power He walked in was proof that God had sent him. In order to walk like Him we must also take heed to message, method, character, and motive. Revival is sustained in this way. Beware of any so called movement that encourages you to move away from Christ's teachings or biblical foundational truths. It will never end well. I don't care what kind of results you think you are getting, how many people you think you are helping or how many people are attending. These are not indicators of God's approval on your ministry. The cross of Christ and the call to deny ourselves must never cease from church teachings. To do so will only breed Christians who are fleshly and full of self. Self is the most hideous attributes of humanity. You can never love others if you are full of self. It's root of every kind of sin. It is up to us to pick up the cross everyday as we look to Him the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
Even in prophetic circles the words given are only positive rarely exposing areas that God wants to deal with or bring conviction. Meetings have been given over to experience rather than biblical sound doctrine. Widely accepted practices that are not in the bible are rarely questioned. Instead of hearing about what was preached about from God's Word many Christians come back from their meetings boasting from their latest experience. Sadly, we have become experience oriented instead of biblical oriented. What I mean is that we have exalted experience over soundness of God's Word. This imbalance is what James talks about. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. Deception comes when we stay out of God's Word and forget that our purpose is to become like Him.
We need to become like Him so the world may want Him. The truth is people want Jesus not us. Our flesh is a joke. We can only hide our awful attitudes and motives for so long before someone notices that we aren't like Jesus at all. Our marriage, family and finances are more of a witness to this world than raising the dead. The gifts of the spirit are awesome but without the character of Christ we will be left pleading with God like the people in Matthew 7:21-23 Lord, Lord didn't we in your name? God is more interested in us being more like Him than ministering for him. We are the ones who want to minister for Him. After all, who doesn't want to be the next Christian superstar for Jesus? What if God called you to total obscurity would you still minister for Him? Would you be content working a regular job and just ministering for Jesus in the market place?
I'm afraid we have enticed the masses and set up schools for ministry just so people can think that one day they too can have a mega ministry and never have to worry about their finances again. It has become a lucrative business. The truth is, most Christians don't even know their bible or what they are supposed to be doing with their lives. Some sell all they have, just to do what they could have done back at home, with time spent with the Holy Spirit. I think deep inside we want somebody to approve us so we can feel credible and legitimate but a piece of paper will never do that. It is the power of God that makes us credible to this world but not without the character to back it up.
The other day I was crying out to God and saying, "I just want to know your heart and mind." While time spent in worship brings revelation of who God is; I also need the correction of the bible to keep me rooted and grounded. Think of a balloon. The things of the spirit are like the balloon and character like the string that keeps it from floating away. God's hand has to firmly keep us from getting into absurd nonsense that has nothing to do with God's mission or purpose. If the manifestation has no exhortation, edification or comfort it has no place in the meetings. Drunkenness in the Holy Spirit should be accompanied with boldness to preach and do something for God not so you can have a laughing party. If you haven't noticed Jesus spent most of His time teaching and preaching as compared to walking in power. Without proper teaching God's church can get into error. We have the Corinthian church as a prime example of people who walked in power but had issues with sin, had meetings that were totally out of order and favored spiritual gifts over love.
One last thing, a real move of God will never steer you away from the bible. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." How did He fulfill it? By obeying it in love. Love is our ultimate act of obedience. There is a reason the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 is in the middle of 12 and 14. Love and God's Word must be in the center of any spiritual gift we practice or any church meeting we have. Real revival must always move us towards God's Word. In the most beautiful revival ever recorded in biblical history and eight year old discovers this key in the following passage. Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:11-13 Revival never moves away from God's word.
Jesus walked in revival and he never toned down his message, never tried to become relevant, he never went to bible college, or got the approval of men. He lived to love. His life matched His message and the power He walked in was proof that God had sent him. In order to walk like Him we must also take heed to message, method, character, and motive. Revival is sustained in this way. Beware of any so called movement that encourages you to move away from Christ's teachings or biblical foundational truths. It will never end well. I don't care what kind of results you think you are getting, how many people you think you are helping or how many people are attending. These are not indicators of God's approval on your ministry. The cross of Christ and the call to deny ourselves must never cease from church teachings. To do so will only breed Christians who are fleshly and full of self. Self is the most hideous attributes of humanity. You can never love others if you are full of self. It's root of every kind of sin. It is up to us to pick up the cross everyday as we look to Him the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
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