Finding the Right Perspective (Seeing the Real Need)

The following is a quote by a Christian who is a leader in an action organization:

"As you know, I believe the Church is the last line of defense in the battle for the soul of America, and this Summit is designed to further equip Christians to stand their ground. This is a great opportunity for you to encourage members of your congregation, especially your Culture Impact Teams, to attend and become informed about the most current and pressing issues facing our nation as we approach this historic election. I need not remind you that America's future and the values that we hold dear hang in the balance."

This organization, as do many other Christian action and culture impact groups, does many good works. They also provide good information concerning issues that Christians are facing in government and society. Although these organizations do good works and provide needed information, they fall short in recognizing and addressing one of the most pressing needs that Christians and our nation faces. Only when they have their eyes opened to this need will they find the right perspective from which to address the problems in this country or the world.

What is the core, bottom line need in which they are falling short? The greater need is the restoration of the Church. It is the Church that Jesus ordained to be the solution to the ills of society. There is a place for government, humanitarian, and social endeavors in God’s plan, but it is the Church that Jesus Christ birthed and left on earth to carry on His work. It is the Church that is to be salt and light to the world. It is the Church that is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and live under the rule of God. The main problem that all Christians and their various organizations need to recognize and address is that the overall Church in her present state cannot fully accomplish God’s intended purposes. Why? The Church, as a whole, is not the salt and light that God intends for her to be. She is not seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and she is definitely not living under His rule. She is in desperate need of restoration and needs to repent and return to God and His biblical pattern for her. She, like the Church at Ephesus, is to be commended for her good works, but many parts of the Church need to repent and return to their first love.

Any group that does not recognize and address this core bottom-line need will not be able to bring about the change they so desire in this or any other nation. The irony of it all is that, in many cases, these groups are calling on an un-restored Church to help them fix problems that exist because the Church has not been what she is supposed to be. Some groups are in existence because of the present state of the Church, yet they are calling on the Church to help them do what they are doing. How ironic can it be?

These groups often end up leaning more on the arm of the flesh (reasoning and political action) than upon the truth and power of God. They become politically motivated and aligned with a political party to some degree or other. One of the main reasons that they become politically motivated is that they are working in an environment in which the Church is not functioning as Jesus Christ intends. Therefore, people who see and want to do something about various issues often end up forming an organization. Whether the political action is intentional or inadvertent, it nevertheless becomes a reality. Their leaders may be subtle in their approach, but it is obvious when one looks closely that their agenda is largely political.

Christian summit meetings and other action events may have their place in God's work, but they will not accomplish, or fully accomplish, what is needed to defend or save the soul of America. Many Christians start up or are involved in ministries that promote action events because they see real needs, and they want others to see those needs and become involved. I commend them on that. Those mentioned above see that the soul of America is at stake, and they are absolutely correct! The real need, however, greatly transcends any action emphasis that these and other such groups presently emphasize. They may at times actually touch on the greater need, but their vision has not yet become clear enough for it to become their major focus.

Christian action groups work to enlist Christians to address the issues their particular group sees as important. In the United States, they are often motivated by what they see as negative things taking place in our country. They work to enlist members of the Church to do things that will save our country. The main problem is that, for the most part, the Christians they are trying to enlist need restoration and come from churches that need restoration. A natural example would be asking your neighbor to bring his shovel to help you dig a hole, when the neighbor does not know how to use a shovel properly and, on top of that, his shovel is broken.

Many Christian action groups also have a political agenda, and even though they talk about and do other things, they usually always end up focusing on political action. Many of them are really promoting the Republican Party presently. The specific Summit referred to above is focused on our upcoming election. They will inform people about some important issues facing our country, and they may influence some people to vote Republican, or what they call conservative, or for Christian values. They will accomplish some good works, but, in the long run, this type of action is not going to bring about the changes that are needed, no matter how often they use examples like William Wilberforce. The recent movie, Amazing Grace, was a pretty good movie, but it missed the main point about Wilberforce and his friends. It emphasized their political action to the exclusion of their years of praying and crying out to God. This group and other similar groups are missing the truth that the Church is in need of restoration and that no political group will be able to do what this country really needs. Many will object to my next statement and provide all kinds of arguments, but the truth is that we are no better off as a country now, after electing a Republican President and adding some conservative Supreme Court Justices, than we were before this President came into office. Many parts of the Church are even more divided from each other and, in many ways, more carnal. The nation can not be anything but worse off, not because of government, but because of the lack of salt and light from the Church.

The Church restored is the first, last, and only line of defense for this nation or any nation. Therefore, the first great need is for the Church to be restored herself. Action groups have been around for decades, and things are worse now than ever before, even though they may list some good accomplishments. Thank God for any good that is accomplished, but we have to come together and do what is needed to restore the Church or there are going to be unimaginable devilish storms (not only weather related), no matter how many Christians get involved in any number of political action or culture impact groups.

These action groups do not need to disband; they need to wake up and see the whole picture. They need to see beyond what they are doing. They need to see that their groups cannot bring the needed change without the Church, but depending on the Church in her present state is like building your house on sand. The Church cannot fully do what is needed until the Church is restored, and neither can any Christian action or culture impact group. They are asking the un-restored Church to do more than it is able to do in its present condition.

Some groups, if not this one, are asking churches and Christians to do things that keep them from being and doing what God wants them to be and do. Many in these groups talk about Christians having a limited view and needing a world view, but they themselves need to see from God's perspective; they need to see that if the Church is not restored, nothing they accomplish will last in the long run. Charisma magazine can be included in this group. Those involved in Charisma need to wake up and see that the Church as a whole needs to be restored; they often write or publish things that distract Christians from where their focus should be. Yes, they also do a lot of good, and thank God for it, but what a phenomenal difference they and other groups could make if they understood the real need and truly sought God for wisdom and direction.

Where and how do we begin? Second Chronicles 7:14-15 is a good place, and how about postured on our knees or our faces, recognizing and admitting that there is a problem and that we have need of restoration, individually and corporately. We must humble ourselves in repentance of missing the mark, of practicing wicked ways and losing our first love; we must pray, asking in deep humility for God’s forgiveness and restoration. Then we must seek His face; seek intimate, ongoing personal relationship with our loving Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, in prayer, worship, and study of His Word, knowing it thoroughly, as it washes us clean. We must make a decision to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus, not someone else’s agenda that would distract us from what God wants. We ask for the Helper, whom Jesus sent to guide us into all truth. Then God will hear from heaven, will forgive our sin, and heal our land. Verse 15 of 2 Chronicles 7 says: “Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.”

I encourage all Christians to ask God for a revelation of Ephesians 4:13-16 and 5:26-27. I also encourage all Christians to pray for those verses to become a reality and to have faith in God that their prayers will be answered.
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Ephesians 4:13-16 NKJV:
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 5:26-27 NKJV:
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.