Empty Pews? Roadblocks to Breakthrough!

It is no secret that over the past few years church attendance has dropped dramatically. As the economy has soured so has the attitudes of many Christians. Once promised great wealth and success more Christians are finding themselves on the brink of despair as they struggle to survive. The reality is that for years they have been sold on the idea that all they had to do is give faithfully and their worries would be the thing of the past. Some of them were sold on the idea through prophecy and when things started to fall apart at home they felt betrayed by leadership. Completely unprepared to suffer through hardship because of what they were taught more Christians are throwing in the towel and giving up on church altogether.

Unfortunately, for many ministries more and more people have become aware of the ongoing exploitation of God's faithful.  Promises of breakthrough for a price. The endless dangling of monetary gain if we are to invest just once more in this eternal lottery. One day we will hit the big time but what happens when it never comes. My friends we have bought into the Capitalistic gospel instead of how life really works.  See life really works like this: You work hard, get an education and develop your talents.  For many of us financial principles were never taught to us except for giving our tithe into a basket. You do realize of course that many people become wealthy that never give into a church basket but become successful through hard work and entrepreneurship. Like Jesus said for the children of this world are in their generation are wiser than the children of light. Luke 16:8
Don't get me wrong God blesses givers but you must be willing to get a secular education to get a good job now or days. Most companies won't even look at you if you don't have a bachelors degree. There are more people with less education occupying your basic jobs and because of the shortage, companies have set the bar real high. This is not a mystery or problem that can be solved by throwing money into a basket. I thought I would tell you the truth.  Most people in ministry now or days have to work regular jobs. The economy has changed the rules of the game. So don't sit back and hope that things are going to change real soon because it may be years and in the meantime your family will be lacking or you will have to become more overbearing to get people to tithe in your congregation who have their own families to think about. Which brings me to my next point.

Christians want to receive all kinds of ministry but they don't want to be a blessing to those who are working hard to keep the lights on. Things aren't free you know. I know many legit ministers who can't pay their bills but still make it their job to feed the homeless, reach the broken and do missions work. I thought it would only be fair to present both sides. Yes, there may be ministries who exploit people but there are people out there who are genuinely are working in God's harvest fields and who are good ground. If you don't sow your seed in good ground don't be surprised if your field is empty and your pockets. Obedience is key to breakthrough not just giving. Back to my original subject.

Not only are more people becoming aware of the financial exploitation in Christendom but they are also experiencing the lack of genuine care that leadership has for them. They know they are just dollar signs sitting on the pew because as soon as they are gone they are forgotten. No phone calls or how are you doing. No prayer going up just a barrage of gossip behind their backs. I know this to be true because I have sat behind closed doors in many leadership meetings to witness this spiritual cannibalism. Honestly, I can tell you that I have received more hate e-mails from Pastors than sinners. Their reason for telling me off was I decided to exercise my free will and attend another church. I didn't find feasting on the flesh of other Christians very appetizing that is why I left. Let's be honest, sheep can bite and leave real wounds in people. As long as we keep ignoring these things and pretend they are not happening we will never make the necessary changes to make things right. I will be the first to admit that I got quite tired from the nonsense and took a break from church life because of the above issues.

For the first time in 30 years I joined the unchurched and really got to process my Christianity.  I got to rub shoulders with those who have left the church establishment years ago. Many of the people out there got tired of trying to fit in to the church cliques, or were too offended to come back after they got wounded or even lost their way and backslid. A huge percentage of the people out there never find their way back because people forget about them as soon as they leave the church. They are no longer relevant or fueling the machine. They are castaways on the island of isolation. There the devil gets his way, keeping them out of reach of rescue while they lose hope in God. Have we forgotten the heart of Jesus in this matter? Where is the one?

If spiritual child abandonment and rejection was a crime there would be many people in church in jail.  Our own hurt in leadership sometimes causes us to hurt others and continue the cycle in our own ministries. We don't talk about it but when we get offended instead of going to that person in love we write them off.  The truth is people just want to experience the unconditional love of God from His people. What they really want is to know is that they will be cared about even if they don't give, go to your church or believe differently than you do. They want to know that the relationship they have with you isn't about your ministry or their service to your personal dream. People are looking for genuine transparent relationships outside of the four walls who aren't afraid of intimacy in God. When we make our ministries more about others instead of making it about ourselves we will see church attendance grow again. People know when your motive is only to recruit them and make them part of your team. Love has to be the purpose and motive behind everything we do. So don't blame people for leaving your ministry when clearly you were the reason they left. Then on the other hand...

If you are offended with church and leadership you are not in a good place. You will not grow in your walk watching YouTube videos from your favorite preachers. I know that because I tried it. I was literally drying up on the vine. We must stay in fellowship with other believers and find ways to stay on fire. We need to leave the comfort of our offended walls and remember that there is people out there who need Jesus. We will be accountable for burying the talents God gave us. We will be responsible for the oil God gave us and we will stand before him for ignoring the plight of humanity. Matthew 25 We all get hurt and we need to remember that if anyone had the right to stay away from humanity it was God but instead he came to lay down His life for us fully knowing how barbaric we were and that he would have to die for us. He was betrayed, rejected, humiliated, gossiped about, hated and all He did was love people. Then to add insult to injury only weeks after everyone is singing his praises they were shouting, "Crucify Him!" Thank God he didn't throw in the towel because His love towards those haters really paid off. I was one of them how about you? Yes love is risky but it can have huge payoffs...just ask Jesus.

One more thing...don't just brush this off. If you were an insensitive jerk go to that person and make it right. You might as well face them now because I highly doubt our Father is going to let us get away with avoiding them in heaven if we go there that is. We Christians are so good at preaching forgiveness of sins but trying to get a Christian to say they are sorry well...it is like pulling teeth. Go ahead, you have nothing to lose than to call all the people you are hurt with or send them an e-mail and love them expecting nothing in return. Jesus said, Love your enemies... I mean those other Christians. It will help you move on and possibly get that breakthrough you have been needing. Not because of giving but because of your obedience to LOVE. Unforgiveness and offense are sometimes the biggest roadblocks in our walk with God keeping us from the very thing we are crying out for BREAKTHROUGH! The next time you see the basket put your heart in there and give it to someone who needs Him.

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:5-6

If you find this article helpful or would like to leave a comment or visit our website:
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
Facebook: School Of Impartation and Living

Engage God!

Engage: To attract and hold by influence or power

Not so long ago I was at a church service and the guest speaker was encouraging people to come to the altar to pray over their loved ones.  Strangely, many people continued to sit motionless on the chairs.  It was almost like they didn't hear what they were being asked to do. Again the invitation was given but only a few people came up.  The rest remained in their seats the rest of the night. It was literally like pulling teeth to get anyone to leave their comfort zone. As I was at the altar the Lord started to speak to me about this problem. 

First, we here in America have gotten used to coming to church and have everything happen behind the pulpit. Like the children of Israel we have sent Moses up the mountain to encounter God while we stay behind and build the golden calf. Our expectancy level only goes as far as believing God for a good sermon for the day. On the other hand, the only thing that is expected from the congregation in most cases is their tithe money and that is all. Honestly, I have seen more enthusiasm at a football game than I have seen in many churches.  At least at a football game people cheer and get into the game.  In some churches we can't even get people to stand up and praise God.  We have a lot to thank God about. He choose us to live life abundantly and be filled with His amazing unconditional love.  Unfortunately, many people don't receive this abundant life because they never engage God.  They never go beyond listening to the Pastor speak to hearing the Holy Ghost reveal himself through scripture, getting filled with His Presence, being touched in their bodies or being set free from their bondage.  They walk into church depressed, hurting, sick, addicted, unsaved and leave the same way they came in. This is religion.

I believe that God is about to change all of that. There is nothing more powerful than a group of believers coming into unity, with expectancy, ready to engage God so they can receive what they are believing for. If those believers love each other deeply than expect God to show himself mighty in them. As God starts to move on His people and they start to respond to the love of God be sure that every person that comes within that atmosphere will be changed forever.  As God's people ascend the mountain with Moses unafraid and unabated asking for God to show them His glory...will He not do it? My God this is how Pentecost was poured out.  A group of believers who prayed in unity, loved each other, were willing to lay their life down for the gospel and waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit. It was these empowered witnesses that received the Pentecostal fire. My friends, we already have this Holy Ghost fire and all we have to do is rekindle it at the altar of our hearts.

To rekindle this fire, we just need to engage God in our loving adoration.  He seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  All of heaven will stop to listen to just one thankful heart. It was always those who declared the Divinity of Christ who caused Jesus to pay attention. Jesus, son of David have mercy on Me was the cry of every desperate soul.  They would then throw themselves at the feet of Jesus and worship Him. My friends, if we are ever to get passed our mundane traditions then we must be willing to let go of our religious pride. We must be willing to leave that chair, go to the altar, weep, worship, pray or anything else that the Spirit of God moves upon us to do. If you are willing to do this...you will leave changed. Engage God!

Go: The Apostolic Mandate

I saw the front doors of the church open with light piercing the gloom. I heard God say to me only those who obey the Apostolic mandate of this hour will be able to keep their doors open and those who don't will struggle until they finally close their doors. What is this Apostolic mandate? If you look at the parable of the last supper Luke 14:15-24 The King had sent out an invitation and many had made excuses not to come to his supper. So he sent his servants to invite those who had yet not been invited.
Luke 14:22-24 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
Here are the three specifics of this last days mandate:
Only those who GO will know the supernatural demonstration of My Spirit. As you go out in power in boldness I will confirm my word through signs and wonders. Highways and Hedges  are those places my church has neglected such as the inner cities, city streets, prisons, hospitals, convalescent homes and the like. It is time for my church to go where it hasn't gone before; even the furthest corners of the earth. Compel is the urgency of heaven to fill My house. So fill My house; don't worry about what they look like, what they smell like or what they do; for I will raise a great and mighty army out of these. Even now I myself have been visiting those in prisons, in bars, in their rooms and even in those dark places. Why? I've had to go myself because you have not been obedient to GO.

If you find this article helpful or would like to leave a comment or visit our website:
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com

Facebook: School Of Impartation and Living

Trampling Unbelief In The Gate

Prophetic Word:
For years men and women who have sat in the gate of influence in the church have kept back the move of God! They have questioned my ability to open the windows of heaven over them and refused to believe the Word of the Lord through His servants. As a result the people of God have starved behind four walls. They have fearfully stayed within the walls of containment and mediocrity. For years they have missed out on the harvest which also holds prosperity for God's people. In this next season unbelief  will be trampled down in the gate and the outcasts of society or the unknown, unsung heroes will lead the way into plundering the enemy's camp! They will realize that all that the people of God have needed was just outside the walls all along! This new discovery will cause a movement that the church has not seen in a long time. Their hunger will drive them to follow those whose testimonies declare victory in the most dire of circumstances. No one will be able to stop this forward motion and those who doubted will not partake of the plunder.  I will cause my people to move into enemy territory and the footsteps of a few will sound like many. They will learn to share with one another the things that I give them. Great boldness and courage will be the mark of these End Time Saints! They will not fear what the enemy can do because I will walk with them in even a greater dimension. They will no longer consider the weakness of the flesh but the strength of their God!

2 Kings 7: 3-4 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? ⁴ If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also.

In this next season it will be the outcasts that will lead the way out of containment and famine. It will not be the church superstars but the unknown men and women who have spent time like Esther preparing themselves in the oil of My presence not considering their weaknesses; boldly moving towards the promises of God. They will see no other option than to plunder the enemy's camp. Have you ever felt like these lepers in this passage. Like no matter which way you go there is no positive outcome to your circumstance. There they were sitting at the gate of indecision, going hungry when they come to the conclusion that doing nothing will get them no where. Then they come up with a dangerous proposition. "Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die." Their solution was to go to the enemy's camp. I don't know about you but if I'm going hungry my first thought would not be to go and raid the enemy's camp. Yet they took the risk of going anyways.

2 Kings 7:5-6 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. ⁶ For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”
Earlier in the chapter Elisha had prophesied about the turnaround of events that were about to take place and a guard had mocked him. He was trampled underfoot for not believing the Word of the Lord by the people who were running to their new found provision.

Like all prophetic words in order to activate them one must step out in faith to receive them.  It's going to require that we take some risks. We can not allow ourselves to be immobilized by fear or indecision. We must step out into the realm of faith to gain access to God's blessing. If God give us something and we don't act on it someone else will. In this next move, God will use whoever is bold enough to believe Him! He does care about degrees or ordinations or the approval of men. His kingdom is not run that way. He will take two loaves and five fish to feed the masses. He will use what little you have and bring multiplication to much needed provision if you will just be concerned with feeding God's sheep who are faint from following Him. God will even use your own brokenness to pour you out and distribute you that you might become bread to the hungry. Don't count yourself out. The four lepers didn't. All they knew was that they were hungry and knew they had nothing to lose. Some of us need to stop making excuses and consider not the weakness of the flesh but the strength of our God. It's time to plunder the enemy's camp!

When the word of the Lord comes to a church it can be the greatest blessing or greatest danger because just like this city that was under captivity and famine; the word always brings two choices…to believe or not to believe…to act or not to act.

    The prophetic promise that came to bring a breakthrough can be stopped through unbelief. What if they would have hesitated, procrastinated in believing? Unbelief is disobedience to the Word of the Lord to your life. Be bold and step over into your time of fulfillment!

     Miracles are always released by acting upon faith.  Jesus said, “Come” and Peter got out of the boat.  Jesus said, stretch out your hand and the withered hand was healed.  Go wash in the pool of Siloam and the man did and he could see. Pick up your mat and the man got up.  The point is there has to be a corresponding action to the word of the Lord in faith for a miracle. So the city had a choice to believe the word of the Lord or continue in famine and accept their captivity.

          
My friends there is a gate that everyone stands at daily and we are the gatekeepers. Let's look at the gate.

     Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
         Keep watch over the door of my lips.

    
Proverbs 21:22-23 A wise man scales the city of the mighty, 
      And brings down the trusted stronghold. 
       ²³ Whoever guards his mouth and tongue 
      Keeps his soul from troubles.

In the old times keeping the gates guarded was important part of keeping the city fortified. It may seem that our gate is very small compared to the size of that city; but in the book of James it gives this perspective.

James 3:3-5 "Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. ⁴ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. ⁵ Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.: We will either boast in the greatness of our God or talk about the greatness of our circumstances.

Faith will not consider the circumstance it is experiencing, the personal limitation its dealing with or the physical condition its facing. It will believe contrary to what is sees.

Romans 4:18-22 Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

    
Ecclesiastes 11:4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.

Scripture: 2 Kings 7: 19-20 Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” 
And he had said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” ²⁰ And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.

      

    What is the word that stands at the gate of your mouth? 

Mark 11:23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. By his confession of unbelief he slammed the windows of heaven shut over his life. Understand if you choose not to believe it will not keep others from receiving. Will we trample underfoot the words of unbelief or stay in a fortified city of famine and captivity? Who’s the gatekeeper in your life?  Is it your friends, your kids, your unbelief, your spouse, your circumstances or your own confession? Trample underfoot unbelief by confessing, agreeing and acting in faith with God’s promises.

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:8-37

Has your prophetic dream died?

    The Shunammite woman received her prophetic promise because she made place for the Lord in her life through inviting the man of God to stay with her. Prophetic destiny is birthed in the place where we have made room for God and it is sustained by intimacy. Sometimes it seems that we don’t even ask for a word from God or a dream when all of the sudden it seems that dream has died. The woman was wise in being a doorkeeper and saying, “It is well.”  Elisha did not allow Gehazi to speak to anyone on to restore the promise so that no one could speak into the situation.

    If we allow ourselves to go back into the bedchamber and put our eyes to God’s eyes, our mouth to His mouth, and allow his hands to be our hands we will see our promise came back to life again.  It will only happen in a place of intimacy and prayer.

2 Kings 7:5-6 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. ⁶ For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!”

Earlier in the chapter Elisha had prophesied about the turnaround of events that were about to take place and a guard had mocked him. He was trampled underfoot for not believing the Word of the Lord by the people who were running to their new found provision.

Like all prophetic words in order to activate them one must step out in faith to receive them.  It's going to require that we take some risks. We cannot allow ourselves to be immobilized by fear or indecision. We must step out into the realm of faith to gain access to God's blessing. If God give us something and we don't act on it someone else will. In this next move, God will use whoever is bold enough to believe Him! He does care about degrees or ordinations or the approval of men. His kingdom is not run that way. He will take two loaves and five fish to feed the masses. He will use what little you have and bring multiplication to much needed provision if you will just be concerned with feeding God's sheep who are faint from following Him. God will even use your own brokenness to pour you out and distribute you that you might become bread to the hungry. Don't count yourself out. The four lepers didn't. All they knew was that they were hungry and knew they had nothing to lose. Some of us need to stop making excuses and consider not the weakness of the flesh but the strength of our God. It's time to plunder the enemy's camp!

If you find this article helpful or would like to leave a comment or visit our website:
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
Facebook: School Of Impartation and Living