The Reduction of Christianity!

The American Church is "RIPE" for Revival!

At the time of the writing of this post, I am celebrating 32 years as a Credentialed minister.  Twenty four of those years have been as a Senior Pastor.  This longevity of ministry in one particular type of ministry has provided me with some insight into the climate and condition of the American Church, from a Pastoral perspective.  I am so very excited to genuinely believe in my heart that the American Church is "RIPE' for revival..............Genuine Revival!  REFORMATION" type renewal and revival!
Not just a period of enjoyed spiritual vim and vigor, but "

Believe it or not, I am in the minority among those who study the spiritual climate and condition of the American Church.  Many believe that when speaking of the terms of "revival" and "renewal," they can only be referenced in application to the American Church in a limited manner.  "Pockets" of revival perhaps, on a localized limited scale, is the best that some say we will ever see again in this Country.  However, I am of the opinion that based upon two spiritual factors, in fact two-contrary factors, the Church in America is about to have "REFORMATION" explode upon the spiritual landscape and within our churches!  Entire communities are seeing the joining of "forces" between once rivaled churches for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ!  Outpourings of the Holy Spirit are showing up in traditionally non-Spirit Filled churches, and even largely within entire denominations.  God is up to something really, REALLY grand right now!

Those two opposing factors I refer to are this:  1) The kairos {καιρός}of God.  That is, this "PARTICULAR" time in which we find ourselves living in, right now, within the calendar of God.  Kairos is one of the Greek words for time.  Unlike chronos which speaks of consecutive-linear chronological time, kairos speaks of the "correct" time or proper time.  We may think of it as the "right time" for a certain thing to happen or transpire!  Right now, within the Kingdom of God, we have entered the "kairos" of God for American Renewal and Revival!  2) Is what I have labeled as the "Christian-Reduction" factor.  This is the unfortunate factor that identifies the fact that for much of the Christian Church in America, the reality of what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus has been severely "reduced" from what Christ originally intended it to be, and what the Early Church practiced it as.  In short, the "Christianity" of the American Church has largely been reduced to a mentality of "what Christianity can do for me!"   Many Christian Believers within the American Church live week to week "drawing from the well" of benefits and blessings of being a Follower of Jesus, with little or no thought as to what this same faith may require of them!  "How can my faith in Christ make life easier and help me through the hardness of this life?...........has largely replaced,........"Take up your cross and Follow me!"

Please understand,..........There are ENORMOUS benefits and blessings to serving Christ!  In fact I pray for those blessings from time to time to come into mine and my families lives.  Rescue and survival, are the initial necessary elements of our conversion!  However, when the continued sum totality of our Christian life and discipleship is solely for our blessing or survival, then we have "MISSED" the necessary element of what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus!  God blesses, YES!  But serving Christ means "replicating" the character and life-qualities of Christ, including SACRIFICE and SERVICE!  Not fun, not popular, and doesn't sell many books, but nevertheless ......TRUE!  Many of us have been so "mesmerized" by a "Consumerist-Christianity" that we fail to see that witnessing, sharing Christ, helping others, healing the sick, strengthening and enabling by the power of the Holy Spirit are NOT just activities that we do,...................They are WHO WE ARE!

Oh Lord,.....Here our prayer and once again send...REVIVAL!

Sunday after Sunday, week after week, Believers "slide" up to the table of God's goodness only to feast on those blessings, and give little or no thought to what is NOW expected of us since we have FILLED ourselves with His Word and Spirit!  Pastors plead for helpers!  Communities go untouched!  Lives go unchanged!  The hungry (physically/spiritually/emotionally/relationally) go unfed!  We are SATISFIED, BLESSED, AND guaranteed to make it through ONE-MORE-WEEK, but the "Cause of Christ" is forgotten about yet again ONE MORE WEEK!  Thank God He provides!  thank God He saves!  Thank God He heals!  thank God we can take EVERY need to Him in prayer and expect He will meet those needs!  Yes, thank God for ALL His blessings,.................BUT WE ARE BLESSED, SO WE CAN BE A BLESSING!  Brothers and Sisters, this world and those in it have suffered enough of the CURSES that satan and sin brings upon them!  It is time for those of us with the power to BLESS through CHRIST,.................to begin to.................BLESS!  This will only happen when we stop "reducing" Christianity, and start living up to the standard of Christ, as the Holy Spirit enables us!  As a minister of the Most High God, I call Myself and ALL of  Us as His Followers, to REPENTANCE!