Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Is Jesus Christ the Only Way to God the Father?

Question:

Is Jesus Christ the only Way to God the Father? Do all ministers who profess to be Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father? If any ministers do not believe that Jesus is the only Way to God the Father, are they called of God?


Answer from a follower:

[quote = Is Jesus Christ the only Way to God the Father? ]

Jesus Christ is the ONLY Way to the Father. John 14:6-7 NKJV: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

[quote = Do all ministers who profess to be Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father? ]

Not all ministers who profess to be Christians are faithful followers of Jesus Christ, nor are they teaching/leading/directing others to the Father through Jesus Christ alone. They are walking and leading others in a broad path that leads to destruction.

Matt. 7:13-14 AMP: Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

[quote: If any ministers do not believe that Jesus is the only Way to God the Father, are they called of God? ]

It may be possible for someone to have been called of God and to have either "died on the vine" because of a lack of submitting to the call or disobedience, or to have turned away because of sin, or they may have fallen into deception so that their ministry is no longer based in the truth of God and, thus, would no longer be valid. But I really have to answer, "No, they are not called of God" because, if they do not believe Jesus is the only Way to the Father, then they don't understand the Atonement and have not been born again.

The very next thing that Jesus instructs following the narrow gate passage in Matt. 7 is the warning (vv. 15-16), "Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?" No, they don't.

It would be good to have a complete and thorough study of Jeremiah 23. "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD" (v. 1).

Will You Open Your Eyes to See the Need for Restoration?


I will keep on saying as long as God allows and the need is relevant that the overall Church is in need of restoration. The Lord put three words together in my mind and heart many years ago. Those three words are "Restoration, Revival and Awakening." I am not a restoration minister, but I am a spokesman for God saying that His Church needs to repent, and return to Him and His Word. I minister restoration because that is a great need. The Church or a significant remnant portion of the Church must be restored before she can fully accomplish what the Lord wants His Church to do.

On His return Jesus Christ will do what only He can do, but until His return we are to work toward being and doing all that He assigned His Church to do. Revival without restoration will do some good but also some harm, and it will not last. There must be a remnant Church that is restored to Jesus Christ and the Word. The Word gives us the pattern for the Church that Jesus Christ is building. The Word rightly divided gives us the pattern for all things needed.

Most parts of the present day Church are patterned after a mixture of the Word and man's words. This past week I asked some people to tell me what restoration of the Church means to them. Unless people have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, they will be tempted to give an answer that mixes truth with man's opinions and words. Many would have some right answers but would put it in a Baptist context, a Methodist context, a Non-Denominational context, a Pentecostal context, a Charismatic context, and so on. Some Baptists would say it has to be Independent Baptist; it definitely cannot be Southern Baptist.

I point out these things not to criticize or humiliate, but as a God-given, heartfelt plea for eyes, ears, and hearts to open. A Christian Black woman who was led of the Spirit to start attending our Wednesday night and Saturday morning gatherings was just telling me about an upcoming meeting for her Church and denomination. She wondered if we should go and maybe a door would be open to say something about restoration. I will seek God, but the chances are pretty good that no one will listen presently. Are you listening? A reaction might be, "Who are you to ask." I am a nobody prophet of God, out in the wilderness, looking for anyone with ears to hear and eyes to see. My main way of getting the message out is through prayer and writing. I speak to the few who want to hear personally, and they are beginning to understand that they must pray and fast. I am writing much of what God speaks to me in the wilderness so that someday someone may find it and be used of God to reach many people.

Just a few moments ago, I took a break from writing this because my son called to tell me that his school's former athletic director had died. I knew the man, and he was not that old; he had to retire early because of his sickness. He was a baseball coach and had to retire just before winning something like 300 or 400 games. There are milestones that people aspire to, but what is really important is whether we know the Lord and are fulfilling His will and purposes for us? The need for restoration affects all of us whether we are in the United States, Vietnam, Germany, or any place on this earth.

There will be godly restoration, or there will be devilish storms beyond imagination. The storms will not all be concerning weather. Almost immediately after I preached this for the first time, Hurricane Katrina took place, but that is not the only way that devilish storms occur. A few years earlier, I preached that mothers would be crying, and almost immediately, the Columbine school shootings took place, but that was not the end of things. I drove to Arkansas and back on the Friday and Saturday after September 11, 2001. I listened to the radio about people praying, etc. I saw flags flying on the streets of small towns, but I also saw Christians acting in the flesh. On Sunday morning, I preached that people in Church, government, and everywhere were doing certain things, but no real change for the most part would take place in the lives of people. I am sure that some were forever changed but, as a whole, most were not.

What will cause you to wake up and get serious about the need for restoration?

Restore the Church in the United States to Jesus Christ and His Word and save the United States! Restore the Church in the nations to Jesus Christ and His Word and save the nations. For those critical spirits, I understand that Jesus is the only Savior, but He has decided to work in and through His Church that He is building. His Church has no place for us to add our plans or take away His plans. His Church needs to be restored and get about His business united in faith and love!

The Proper Response to a Sense of Urgency

God is looking for people who will wake up, get serious and move with urgency. God can use our urgency, but we must do things His way.

Jesus did make a whip of cords and drove the sheep, oxen and money changers out of the temple, but it doesn't say He actually hit anyone. Only one gospel mentions the whip. His main weapon was the same He used against the devil; He used the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I know all of the rest, turning over tables, etc. The point is that our main or only offensive weapon is the Word of God and we must use it only with love. Love does not mean we only whisper and smile, but it does mean that we never let our old nature get involved, and we do not out-shout or humiliate people.

We are even to love our human enemies and this is not after we have beaten them up, but while we are engaging them. I am not talking about physical war, but fighting a war in defense of the gospel. We are no good to God, His kingdom, and His Church unless we are broken and contrite and stay that way. Repentance and humility accompanied by truth in love will win the day. Even if we know and speak only truth, Jesus cannot really use us unless we speak truth in love. Actually, we hurt our Lord’s cause if we speak truth that is not spoken in love. I will not play games, but I will address things in truth and love. Our opinions and private interpretations are always a hindrance. Opinions and private interpretations are two of the main culprits that have produced an immature and divided Church, but not moving in love when we speak truth is also a culprit.

We have lost opportunities to influence and change not only lost people but confused believers by our actions. Let’s repent and never make that mistake again. The old saying that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me is an absolute lie. Bruises and breaks from sticks and stones will heal, but wounds from words spoken, especially from a brother or friend, can harm people for life.

If we want to win some victories, take some ground, and occupy until He comes, we must unite in faith and love and do things our Lord's Way. There are some on both sides of the issues who try to find opportunities just to spout off. They would quickly pass over something that even Jesus Himself could say and ignore it just to spout off and engage someone. There are others who really want to follow the Lord and accomplish great and mighty things for Him and in His name. Stay true, stay faithful, stay patient, wait on the Lord: He is at work. He is looking for faithful and loyal disciples all over this earth.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Testimony of a Friend

Note: Nancy Williams is a long-time friend and former congregant in the local church we pastor. I am honoring her request that this be posted on our site.
___________________________

Pastor Wayne Wilson was my pastor for a number of years, and even though I have traveled around the country and now live in another state, we have remained friends, and he continues to minister to my family and me. If I have any spiritual maturity, it has been influenced greatly by the ministry, wisdom, and pastoral care of Wayne Wilson.

I had recognized Pastor Wilson’s pastoral call and his deep devotion to the Lord Jesus for many years. He was known for being a man of prayer and always pointed people to Jesus and the Word of God. Although I knew there was something different about him, I did not really understand until about 10 years ago when God began opening my eyes and my understanding. Yes, he was a pastor, but he was also much more. I didn’t really know a lot about prophets at that time, except that they were serious-minded and saw beyond what most people see, as witnessed by the prophets in the Bible. That certainly described him.
The prophet was also listed in the gifts Jesus gave to His Church (Eph. 4:11), so I knew they were for the New Testament Church. I started reading and studying because I was witnessing the power and anointing of God that was on him growing and becoming more bold and more urgent. As my belief that he was a called prophet grew, I realized that he was one of only a few whom I knew had paid the price in truly laying down his life, who really heard from the Spirit of the Lord on behalf of the Church, who knows the Word, who has godly personal character and integrity, and who has given himself to spending and being spent for the cause of maturing and restoring the Church before it is too late.

Today, I can say with all confidence, in my mind and spirit, that Pastor Wayne Wilson holds the office of a true prophet of God. I say this after many years of wondering, watching, listening, studying, weeping, praying, and crying out to God that I must hear from Him on the matter. I needed God’s confirmation that Wayne Wilson was a true prophet of God who was called to prepare the church for coming end time events as I believed he was. I needed to hear from God, first of all, because what he was saying was many times against the grain of what I was hearing from most other preachers and so-called "prophets," and second of all, whether I was really supposed to support him in ministry as I had been sensing the call to do.

On October 30, 2006, at about 9 PM, I had an encounter with God while reading an online book by the late Art Katz. I don’t know about some of his other teachings, but God used one of the chapters in that book to touch my heart profoundly. It was called The Prophetic Call: True and False Prophets. I sent Pastor Wayne the following email telling him of my experience.
God is faithful, and He has been so gracious to me! I have never seen a more clear portrait drawn of a man than what I experienced this evening while reading an ebook by Art Katz. Paragraph after paragraph, the picture came into focus as I recalled teachings, conversations, Scriptures, articles I had edited, and glimpses of a heart that only God can form. I saw the characteristics of a true prophet of our Lord, and I saw a man with a face that I recognized, with ALL of the characteristics identified in the article. By God’s grace, my heart is settled, and I am humbled that God would deal so gently with me to confirm His will and His man, and to ease any doubts that what I heard was the voice of God. I am also so very humbled that I have been permitted to be involved in what God is doing through you as a true prophet of God.

I believe I understand now, as much as is possible, what this ministry is about— the true, prophetic move of God. God really opened my eyes to a lot this evening. God, please give me the ability now to write what is in my spirit [and perform it].
For almost two years now, I have been using my God-given gifts to help Pastor Wayne with a website and getting his writings online, while trying to apply to myself and my own life all that he has been saying—repent, draw closer in intimate relationship with God, cry out to God in prayer, know the Word, love others, go the way of the cross, the Kingdom, deny self, take up your cross and follow after Jesus! I have glimpsed, in a very small way, what he sees ahead—the urgency, and what he feels—the rejection, the concern, the questioning about whether there is more that can be done so people will hear, in the same heart-felt spirit that Jesus had when He cried, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how I have longed ... but you were not willing (Matt. 23:37).

There are many people in our generation who are being called prophets who are, in reality, wolves in sheep’s clothing, false prophets who are out to fleece the sheep. There are also sincere and genuine, God-loving Christians being called prophets who are simply moving in the gift of prophecy; they are not prophets. This has brought great confusion and distraction to the body of Christ, especially in America. There is a world of difference between these three groups of people—1) the office of a true called-out prophet, 2) someone with the true gift of prophecy, and 3) the false prophet.

How does one tell the difference between these three groups of people?

True prophets, as Jesus said in Matthew 23, are often killed or stoned; they are not popular because they do not speak a popular message. Many of them live in relative obscurity because they do not like calling attention to themselves and are therefore, for the most part, unknown. They know Jesus intimately and His Word thoroughly. They are often crying out to God in tears for the Church. They are calling for repentance and a return to God’s way of doing things. They weep for a lost and dying world and for a Church that is lukewarm and divided. Their hearts and minds are on restoring to God all that is His.

The true gift of prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit to exhort, edify, and comfort the Church and will always line up with or lead one to the Word of God. The true word of prophecy is clear and concise, not disjointed and obscure. Its fruit is maturity.

The (self-appointed) false prophet (wolf in sheep’s clothing) will prophesy great swelling words that people want to hear, and they usually have a large following. Their appeal is often worldly (1 John 2:16). People practically throw their money at them, hoping that God will see and honor them with a fulfillment of the word that was spoken, usually for riches. My daughter and I attended a meeting with one of the well-known "prophets" not long ago. I whispered to her well into the service, When is he going to talk about repentance and the cross? Regretfully, it never happened, but the offering was taken up in buckets after he reminded everyone of the prophet’s reward!

I am sure that false prophet left the building in a limousine, while true called-out prophets are on their knees in the wilderness crying out to God to have mercy on us. True prophets are seeing people leave them or not even respond because of hard sayings of truth. They, the few true prophets, are in good company, for the Word says that many left Jesus because of His hard sayings and walked with Him no more.

When are we going to wake up and start hearing? What is it going to take? The warnings are coming forth, the enemy is at the door, but who is listening! Let's listen to the prophets while we sit at the feet of Jesus. Let’s not become prophet-followers, but remain always Jesus-followers; true prophets will always point us back to Jesus (that’s a clue to recognizing them). God has always spoken through His called-out prophets. Why are pastors not reaching out to them asking, What is God saying? What am I to do? Please teach me! Please prepare me for what is ahead so that I can help to prepare others! Why are we as individuals not doing the same thing?

Again, I ask: Instead of seeking out those ministers who will bring in people and their money, why are pastors of churches, the shepherds of God’s flocks, not seeking out the prophets to help them lead the Church? True prophets will help pastors build mature disciples.
It was [God] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:11-16 NIV) [brackets added]
These are serious questions, and I could list many more that we should be asking ourselves, as the clock is ticking. I was often told by my mother when I was growing up that a word to the wise is sufficient. Those words carried a very subtle threat that if I did not listen, there would be consequences. I believe that is still a valid principle today.

Psalm 107:43 AMP: Whoso is wise [if there be any truly wise] will observe and heed these things; and they will diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord.

Nancy Williams
A servant of Jesus

Monday, July 14, 2008

Restoration and Holiness

Some Christians are not aware of or even interested in holiness, while others want it so much they almost want to call down fire from heaven on people. Real holiness is nothing more or less than Christ living in and through His body. If you are a member of His body, then you are called to have Christ formed within you. When Christ is formed within you, you will be holy as God is holy in your attitudes and conduct. When you see others whose attitudes and conduct are unholy, your heart will grieve because of your love and compassion, and you will want to give your life to bring Christ to them. The only fire you will want to fall on them is the fire of the Holy Spirit.

The longing of my heart is to see the restoration, revival, and awakening of the Church, the bride of Christ. You may be thinking, “You speak often about the restoration of the Church, but what does that mean? What does the Church need to be restored to?”

Among other things, restoration means returning to our first love—Jesus Christ—and His Word. It means repenting of our indifference toward God and others, and our sloth in doing the first works—prayer and intimate time with the Lord and His Word. It means remembering the costly grace that Jesus freely gave and returning to a passionate commitment of love toward God and those whom He loves. It means rightly dividing God’s Word in a way that we are sanctified by its truth and set apart to the Lord for His purposes and to carry on His work. It means being one with God and each other. When this kind of restoration takes place in the Church, we are well on our way to true revival and awakening. I strongly encourage an in depth study of Jesus’ messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, as well as studying the habits and character of the early church in the Acts of the Apostles.

There will not be restoration, revival, and awakening within the Church without holiness. There will not be holiness without godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). Holiness is motivated by love and comes about as self dies and Christ is formed within. John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Some people preach holiness and then leave people trying to obtain it by works, either consciously or subconsciously. Others preach love but do not preach holiness. The pendulum swings from cheap grace to harsh judgment and/or legalistic holiness. We must beware and teach others to beware of extremes, both fleshly and satanic.

Christians must be discerning of those in the Church who use the correct Scriptures and key words—such as remnant, restoration, and holiness—but who don't have our Lord's heart. They may not be deceitful in their intent, but they may be zealous beyond their maturity in the things of the Lord. The Holy Spirit must Captain the ship. He is the only one who will get the Church on course and keep her on course. [Note that the emphasis of this statement is on the truth that we must get on course before we can be kept on course. For more about this, read the message “Humility, Truth, and Unity” found on our website.]

The Holy Spirit works through the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers written about in Ephesians 4:11, but it is difficult today to find those ministers who are spiritually balanced and mature, both in character and truth. They do exist, but they are usually unknown and in obscurity because they will not compromise for the sake of prominence and notoriety. The devil likes it that way! More often, we find ministers who have some truth of God but lack the character of Christ, or others who have character but are lacking in the truth. When I speak of having truth, I am speaking of the whole counsel of God without the addition of man’s leaven. Truth sanctifies, but man’s leaven contaminates. These things are changing, but it will take time.

We need people who will have ears to hear and eyes to see as a result of walking in the Spirit. There are times when it is appropriate to have a season of prayer and fasting, but we need mature disciples who have prayer and fasting as an ongoing part of their life in Christ Jesus. This is a necessity, in addition to the continual study of the entire Bible. When this takes place and is led by the Lord, restoration, revival, and awakening are not far away. We are looking for awakening that does not fizzle out after a period of time but builds momentum until Jesus returns, even if it has to pass from generation to generation.

There are many Christians who know that God has called them, but they are frustrated. They keep looking for something to satisfy their longing, be it another church, movement, writer, or a speaker of the prophetic. I have an answer, but it will not make the flesh happy. Rather than looking for an exciting church or one that lets you release your ministry, ask God to give you biblical revelation of His kingdom and His Church. Ask Him to reveal a true prophet of the Lord to you, and when you find him, use your gifts to help accomplish what God wants done. Then your ministry will bear lasting fruit.

The work of God that is needed is bigger than any of us and requires sacrifice. It is more than finding and settling into a particular local church and becoming an active member. It is more than being on staff! It can include that, but it is much more. Thousands upon thousands of Christians are part of active churches that are not being or accomplishing what Jesus intended when He said that He would build His Church. We are so used to thinking of Church as various modern-day churches model it. As I encouraged above, we must go back to the Word to find the true pattern and then pay the price to follow that pattern. It will take restoration, and it will require holiness, but it will pay eternal dividends.

I am asking you to apply what I am saying to yourself first before applying it to others. We must have hearts to Hear truth and then humble ourselves to be doers of truth. Can you imagine that some people would not help Moses, Jeremiah, David, Paul, John, Peter, and even Jesus because they had been offended by their hard sayings? It did happen. Can you imagine the blessings they missed? We must bow our knees in humility and then cry out to God for His will to be done. When that happens, we will work with whom He chooses and not with those we choose. Within that kind of submission and dying to self is holiness that will bring restoration, revival, and great awakening. When we become a part of accomplishing what God needs accomplished we will find true joy and fulfillment.

Monday, July 7, 2008

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.
______________________

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.