Lost In Church?

Lost In Church? We have often heard that the people in the world are lost without Christ. But these days, many of us Christians are ourselves lost ~ lost in church. Lost in our journeys with the Lord, wandering in our own wildernesses and religious circles. The world at large is lost, and so is the church! This may seem highly impossible, but this is exactly what Jesus said would happen in Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Looking closely at these verses, we will find that many of these "lost" people are not just ordinary church members sitting in the church pews every week but they are the leaders and the ministers in the church! They are not just a small isolated few individuals, but a large group of people! Jesus said many would be involved! If many of these Christian leaders are lost and going astray, many of their members and followers will be lost too. The apostle Peter revealed this lost condition of the church in 2 Peter 2:1-2: But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. Many of them will deny the Lord, and will be denied by the Lord Himself! They may think that they have the spiritual gifts such as prophesying, casting out demons and working miracles, done even in the name of Jesus, but they are lawless in the sight of God, practicing lawlessness! What is lawlessness? It is summed up in just one word "unloving" - not loving God and others! Jesus again said in Matthew 24:12: And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. The love of many Christians will grow cold. And many will be indifferent or lukewarm towards God and others. Many will lose their zeal and passion to seek God and to do His will! How does our love for God or others grow cold? The moment we embrace things of the world more than the things of God! The moment we esteem ourselves and our interests above those of others! The moment we start worshipping money instead of God! The moment we stop seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness! But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5) We are living in very difficult times. The world climate may be in terrible crisis and condition but much worse is the condition and crisis of human hearts. For people will love only themselves, and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will not consider what is holy and what is not. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their own friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasures rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Many Christians do not have close friends. If they do, their friends would be those they can exploit, take advantage of, use or misuse. And people like these are numerous among us! And we may be one of them. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14) Without obeying this one law, we become lawless, and practice lawlessness! Many Christians working inside the church and outside the church are lawless in God's eyes! We don't have agape love. God is not impressed with our sermons, our signs and wonders, our prophecies etc. Others look at the outside, God looks at the inside - the heart factor! "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) God looks at the heart, but man always chooses to look somewhere else. In fact, man still chooses to look at the outward appearances. Hollywood and Bollywood have entered the church arenas. Many churches have become show business! Many pastors and preachers have become entertainers and guru stars themselves. Most music in the churches today no longer draws men to God and God to men. The worship teams are performers, and the congregations have become the audiences, enjoying or not enjoying what they see, hear or feel! It is now all about how we feel and not how God will feel! Our preferences of likes and dislikes will determine how the church services will be conducted. In praise and worship, biblically speaking, God is the Audience of One, and we are the worshippers! And God desires true worshippers! Our utmost desire is to please Him and not ourselves! Today, many people do not wish to listen to sound and wholesome teachings. They will follow their own desires, looking for preachers and teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth of God, chasing after myths and false teachings, and compromising with the standards and values of the world. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) People love to look at other people either to admire, compare or criticize! And Christians are no exceptions! We love the visuals, the sounds and the razzle-dazzles! Sometimes, we secretly "worship" eloquent preachers and inspirational teachers, admiring them for their spiritual giftings and pulpit showmanship. We are called to worship the invisible God! But we choose to worship the visible! We love doing church, and going through the religious motions and activities! That's why Jesus would say that He does not know many of us. Many of us are known in our churches and congregations, but we may be unknown nobodies in God's eyes! The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." (Isaiah 29:13-14) Many of us are far away from God! Many of us have lost the joy of our salvation, lost our faith in God, lost our trust in God and in man, lost our pursuit of holiness, lost our desires to do good, lost our passions to win souls, lost our love for God and others, and eventually we lost ourselves! Remember the story of the Israelites! They are God's chosen people, yet many of them strayed away from God even though God was with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week! And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. (Exodus 13:21) God called His people stiff-necked, rebellious! They were like sheep who have gone astray, each turning to his own way! In fact, all of the Israelites died in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb and Joshua. Only their children and children's children entered into the Promised Land! That's why we must remain refreshed and renewed in our relationship with God. God is our Father, and we are His children! We cannot afford to be dull of hearing, having hardened hearts! We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."' (Acts 28:26-27) Judas Iscariot was with Jesus for 3½ years. He was the perfect example of one who is lost in church! He was personally chosen by Jesus Himself to be one of His 12 apostles! Very privileged and honored. He was in the same company with Jesus. He ate, slept, worked and journeyed with the Lord! He was the Lord's treasurer! Jesus entrusted him with all His finances! Judas had heard the best sermons spoken directly out of the mouth of Jesus! He saw the miracles, signs and wonders that Jesus did! He witnessed and experienced divine love as Jesus reached out and touched the multitudes! Judas also tasted the goodness of the Lord as Jesus washed his feet. He knew what true servanthood was! But in the end, he chose otherwise. He traded the life of a beloved Friend for 30 pieces of silver! He betrayed Christ! That's the saddest part of the gospel story when Judas committed suicide after all the damages were done! I believe Jesus had forgiven him. On the cross, Christ prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." I believe the pronoun "them" includes Judas. Though Jesus had forgiven him, but Judas just couldn't forgive himself! Like Judas, will we betray the Lord? or will we deny Him like Peter? or will we run away from knowing Him like the other apostles? Peter denied knowing the Lord thrice but he came to his senses and repented. The Lord forgave him, and reaffirmed him! Like Peter, we must know our own hearts and spiritual conditions. The worst thing we can do is to pretend that we are alright when we are not. The sick must see a doctor, and the lost must find the way home! We cannot afford to go on doing the same things week in and week out! We must turn back and return to God! Like the prodigal son who was lost, we must realize our own wretchedness and go back to the Father in repentance! Before God the Father, we must be transparent. God sees and knows all things! He will forgive, He will restore! Never let our pride and ego prevent us from approaching God! And we may taste His amazing grace again! Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found Was blind, but now I see. Written on: 11 July 2007

Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown

Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown

By J. Lee Grady, Editor of Charisma.
Three prominent charismatic ministries have suffered huge setbacks
this month. What does this mean for our movement?
Foreclosure. Eviction. Bailouts. We're hearing those terms a lot
these days, and not just in the newspaper's business section. In the last two weeks three charismatic churches that once enjoyed huge popularity have fallen on hard times.

Brother William Lau writes:
Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdownwas written by no less an authority on the Charismatic Movement than J. Lee Grady, Editor of Charisma. The article is shocking in its import although not surprising. What is happening to the Charismatic Renewal Movement?
While I may not be in agreement with Mr. Grady on other issues, I would like to comment on his article.
When the Charismatic Movement was born over forty years ago, it was in reaction to a form of evangelicalism which at that time among other things taught believers the virtues of self-denial, suffering for Christ, and even poverty. It promoted austerity both inwardly in the spirit and outwardly as a lifestyle. One result of this teaching was that some believers did not experience joy and “abundant life.”
The ground was thus fertile for the advent of a teaching that promised an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit which would result in unspeakable joy, power through the Spirit for an overcoming life, and fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God. It taught that through the Holy Spirit believers would be enabled to become effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What was the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit?
The primary purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit was to empower believers to witness for Christ and to proclaim the Kingdom of God effectively. It was to impart power to believers to fulfill the Great Commission before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As clear as this purpose was according to Acts 1:8, it was in the end neglected for the most part by the Charismatic Movement. How did this come to pass?
There is a trait of human beings that is manifest time and time again. Whenever we move to an extreme position, there will inevitably be a reaction. That reaction will be in the opposite direction. Unfortunately the backlash can take us all the way to the very opposite extreme. That is what has happened to the Charismatic Movement.
As an example of this, over 500 years ago Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation reacted to Roman Catholicism which erred at the time by teaching a form of justification by works. We are now taught correctly from Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. However, Protestantism eventually went to the opposite extreme of teaching that once we are saved by faith in Christ, we are not required to obey the Lord with any good works at all---despite the admonition in James 2:14-20. Some have aptly labeled this the gospel of “cheap grace.” We have gone from salvation by works all the way to salvation by doing nothing except a public confession with no outward evidence whatsoever of saving faith---from one extreme to the other.

What happened to the Charismatic Renewal Movement
This very same thing has occurred to a large extent within the mainstream Charismatic Movement. In reacting to the self-denial and asceticism once taught by mainstream evangelicalism, charismatic teaching has drifted steadily to the opposite extreme. The emphasis has become primarily directed toward securing God’s blessings for our spiritual and material comfort here on earth.
While it is true that God wants to restore His people’s lives on earth and to provide for their physical needs, there has developed a definite imbalance in the teaching. Even though it is taught that like Abraham we are “blessed to be a blessing,” the emphasis is almost always on how to secure God’s blessing for oneself and far less on being a blessing. The original promise to Abraham from God is found in Genesis 12.
Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
And so we scour God’s word and listen to many good teachings on how to secure the Lord’s blessings in their various forms for us and our loved ones---how to become “successful” in this life. After we are sufficiently blessed and restored, then we can be a blessing to others. What is wrong with that?

The heart is deceitful beyond all things
Firstly, “the heart is deceitful beyond all things and beyond cure”
(Lamentations 17:9). When we start out our walk with the Lord by focusing exclusively on what He can do for us beyond eternal life and the forgiveness of sins, our priorities can go astray, however gradually. Our priorities should be to obey and please Him in everything that we do because we love and fear Him.
But instead we are slowly led to the motivation of obeying and pleasing Him for the sake of receiving blessings from Him on earth. It is the “seed” theology of giving in order to get back here on earth. We have become unbalanced and forgotten the admonitions from Paul and Peter: Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

When will enough be enough?
Secondly, when will we reach the point of being sufficiently blessed, encouraged and restored so that we can devote full or more attention to being a blessing to “all peoples on earth”? Few are the believers who have been taught to pursue God’s blessings zealously and then who can change direction and their focus to devoting energy for dispensing blessings for the sake of the advance of the Kingdom of God on earth. Once one has been given a specific motivation and focus, it is not easy to change.
For some believers, enough is never enough. They want “all that God has for them” on earth. Yes, they have learned to give generously, but for the primary purpose of getting and enjoying more.

We are blessed in order to become a vehicle of the gospel
Thirdly, the original promise to Abraham that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” referred specifically to the coming of his seed---Jesus Christ---through whom redemption and the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed to all nations (Genesis 22:17; Galatians 3:8,16). Abraham would be a blessing by being the obedient vehicle through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ would later be given to the world.
Therefore we are to be a blessing by being the vehicles through whom Jesus Christ will be proclaimed to all peoples as the only Savior and the only way to the Father. We are to be a blessing as agents of the Great Commission given by Christ to the Church.. But how many of us are actively involved in preaching the gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission? The answer is very few, although we are thankful that some do indeed give very generously for the work of evangelism and missions. But most charismatic believers instead invest their time and energy in learning about what God can do for them.
Unfortunately, this kind of “learning” (as designed by the teachers) can take a lifetime, leaving precious little time and energy to accomplish the works commanded by Jesus Christ to His disciples in order that He might return for His Second Coming. When will the learning be complete? For the many who have learned how to just sit and receive, it likely will never be finished.
Ironically, this is good for the success and popularity of the teachers whom they so avidly follow.

The Old Testament is but a shadow
Fourthly, many of the earthly blessings cited by charismatic ministries which teach about the “successful Christian life” are taken from the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 28 is an especially good example of this. The Old Testament, however, is but a shadow of what is to be fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Thus the flavor and tone of the Old Testament contrast noticeably from that of the New Testament. The Old Testament can be compared to the letter while the New Testament to the spirit. It can only be by the spirit that we can properly interpret and understand the purpose behind the letter. Does the New Testament place more emphasis on material and spiritual blessings in this life, or on the eternal blessings in the next? Does the New Testament focus on the benefits of faith in this life, or on having faith in Christ which leads to a life of holiness and good works pleasing to the Lord? The answer is clear to those who know the Scriptures.

The primary blessing is spiritual
Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The primary blessing that we are to receive as New Testament believers is spiritual: the promise of the Spirit and spiritual blessings that He brings.
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Here the apostle Paul describes the Holy Spirit as “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” Indeed, that is the greatest blessing---not the real estate known as the land of Israel as promised to Abraham, or any other earthly blessing for that matter---but the guarantee of our inheritance in heaven above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit
The purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit should be for disciples to know the Lord intimately so that they will love Him more, live a holy life in the fear of God, and serve Him obediently. Its purpose should be for disciples to have power to become effective witnesses of Christ Jesus so as to fulfill the Great Commission. Then they will hear His words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! …Come and share your master’s happiness!” This is what disciples of Jesus Christ should live for and look forward to.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit upon which charismatic believers place much emphasis are, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 12, for building up the body of Christ. But what is the purpose of building up the body? Along with the five-fold ministry, the gifts help to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4.12). Unfortunately, most charismatic
teachings do not equip God’s people for works of service leading to the fulfillment of the Great Commission, but instead position them to receive more blessings from God on earth.. Again, we note the imbalance within the contemporary charismatic Church..
The Holy Spirit should stir our hearts not just to ask what God can do for us, but what we can do for God.

A suspect foundation
Finally, “your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6) Whenever there is a weakness in the foundation of a building, the entire structure is in danger of collapse as more and more weight is put on the suspect foundation over time. In the same way, the imbalance that has characterized the Charismatic Movement since its near inception is now threatening the entire structure and may bring down the entire Movement. When the Movement returns to the fear of God in spirit and in truth, then it may survive. Or God may decide to demolish the entire structure and then to rebuild on a scriptural foundation---we are given the Holy Spirit in order that we might be empowered to be effective witnesses of Jesus Christ to the world in our lives, in our words, and in our works of supernatural power.
But what about our earthly needs?
Jesus taught us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

As J. Lee Grady concluded his article:
“All of us should be trembling. God requires holiness in His
house and truth in the mouths of His servants. He is loving and patient with our mistakes and weaknesses, but eventually, if there is no repentance after continual correction, His discipline is severe. He will not be mocked.

Romans 11:22 says:
‘Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell,
severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off’ (NASB).
...I pray the fear of God will grip our hearts until we cleanse our
defiled pulpits. Let’s examine our hearts and our ministries. Let’s
throw out the wood, hay and stubble and build on a sure and tested foundation.
It is the only way to survive the meltdown."

Christian One Liners

Christian One Liners
Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.
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Some people are kind, polite, and
sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.
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Many folks want to serve God,
but only as advisors.
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It is easier to preach ten sermons
than it is to live one.
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The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.
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When you get to your wit's end,
you'll find God lives there.
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People are funny; they want the front
of the bus, the middle of the road, and
the back of the church.
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Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.
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Quit griping about your church;
if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
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If the church wants a better preacher,
it only needs to pray for the one it has.
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God Himself does not propose to judge
a man until he is dead. So why should you?
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Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
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Peace starts with a smile.
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I don't know why some people
change churches; what difference does
it make which one you stay home from?
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A lot of church members who are singing
'Standing on the Promises'
are just sitting on the premises.
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We were called to be witnesses,
not lawyers or judges.
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Be ye fishers of men. You catch
them - He'll clean them.
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Coincidence is when God
chooses to remain anonymous.
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Don't put a question mark
where God put a period.
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Don't wait for 6 strong men
to take you to church.
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Forbidden fruits create many jams.
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God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.
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God grades on the cross, not the curve.
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God loves everyone, but probably prefers
'fruit of the spirit' over a 'religious nut!'
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God promises a safe landing,


not a calm passage.
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He who angers you, controls you!
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If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!
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Prayer:

Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

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The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.
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The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.
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We don't change the message,
the message changes us.
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You can tell how big a person is
by what it takes to discourage him.
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The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.
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If this e-mail blessed you in a profound
way today my Dear Friend, PLEASE pass
this along to bless them today,
tomorrow and ALWAYS!
May God and His Son bless you
from today on out!
I bet someone will LOVE it
just as much as you did.