Dedicated to helping the church in America find their purpose, define their mission and reach their community. Vol. 4
May/June 2015
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No. 3
Editorial Outreach, Inc. Acquires The American Church Magazine! By Steve Hewitt
Article Good Riddance to Nominal Christians?
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By Thom Schultz
Reviving the Small Church Why is “Discipleship” an Imperative for the Small Church?
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No Longer Church As Usual Can You See It?
By Church Hoppers
By Tim Kurtz
Why Should a Christian Go To Church? By Steve Hewitt Editor-in-Chief
Steve Hewitt - steve@ccmag.com
By Michael Henderson
Church Hoppers Simplicity for Ministers
Cover Story Give Me One Reason
Contributing Editors Thom Schultz Tim Kurtz Michael Henderson
Copy Editor Gina Hewitt
© Copyright 2015 by The American Church Magazine. All Rights Reserved Written materials submitted to The American Church Magazine become the property of The American Church Magazine upon receipt and may not necessarily be returned. The American Church Magazine reserves the right to make any changes to materials submitted for publication that are deemed necessary for editorial purposes. The content of this publication may not be copied in any way, shape or form without the express permission of The American Church Magazine. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or employees of The American Church Magazine.
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The American Church Magazine®
May / June 2015
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Editorial
Outreach, Inc. Acquires The American Church Magazine! I have been in talks with Outreach, Inc. for over eight months, but we have finally ironed out the deal! Let me explain why I sold the magazine to Outreach, and what it means for our future. I created The American Church Magazine in order to have an outlet for ideas and articles pertaining to the church. On our own, we have reached about 10,000 readers. But I know we can do more, and with the help of Outreach Inc., we can take the magazine to a new level. Outreach has the ability to provide us the staff, support and services to surpass in all of the areas where I believe we have been unable to grow! What does it mean for the future of The American Church Magazine? First of all, Kevin Cross will continue to serve as Editor, and I will still be here as Editor in Chief! I sold Christian Computing Magazine as well, and am looking forward to working with The American Church MagazineÂŽ
Outreach as they provide new tools and abilities to use social media, better databases and mail clients. If you can’t tell yet, I am very excited about working with Outreach to make both of these magazines increase in the scope of their ministries. Great days are in store for both publications!
Together We Serve Him,
Steve Hewitt steve@ccmag.com
May / June2015
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Give Me One Reason Why Should a Christian Go To Church?
By Steve Hewitt
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s you probably know by now, more and more people are dropping out of church. The statistics tell us there are two reasons for this. First, the number of people that are not affiliated with any religion (including Christianity) has increased to 20% of all Americans. And, over the last few years, that number has been increasing by 2% a year. In addition, statistics are showing that more and more people who claim to be Christians, are stating they are “done” with the church.
A 2014 study suggests that 1.2 million church goers will leave the church in 2015. That means around 3,500 Christians A DAY, many who have spent decades sitting in our pews, listening to our sermons, doctrines and teachings, will decide to not come back. Have they denounced their beliefs? No. Have they stated they have turned away from Christianity? No. Thom Schultz of Group Publishing has given them the title of the “dones”, The American Church Magazine®
those that have simply stated they are “done” with church. If you are a church leader, I am sure you do not like the intro paragraphs to this article. I cannot validate the statistics, but I believe they are correct. I have done my own personal research and have interviewed hundreds of people who tell me they are Christians and love our Lord but have walked away from the church.
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I know that a recent survey which shows Christianity is in decline also shows that evangelicals showed a slight increase. But, compared to the overall population growth in America, it is still a decline. So, my question to The American Church Magazine readers this last month was to ask them to give me one reason why these people should be in church next Sunday. I asked them to limit their answer to only one, so I could get a better grasp on what our readers felt was the most important reason. Before I tell you the results of my question that our readers sent in, let me tell you my results of my interviews with those that have left the church. First, they honestly do believe they are Christians, and I agree with them. For some church leaders, they feel that if you are a Christian, you must be in church. If you are not in church, you are not a Christian. I would ask you to consider several things. Only 12%-14% of America is attending church services two times a month. However, 60% of Americans say they pray on a daily basis. 50% purchase books at a Christian bookstore. 35% of non-church attendees are listening to Christian music, and 25% (almost twice the number of those that say they attend a church just two services a month) state they read the Bible on a daily basis. So why have they decided to walk away from church? They have been hurt by a judgement that they seemed to believe was unfair. For example, 50% of Americans have gone through a divorce. Many are victims yet feel the judgement of the church upon their backs. Many left because of a scandal by church leaders that they loved and trusted or they went through a painful church split. Many left because they felt they were supporting a building or salaries and that their time and money was not being used for real ministry within their community. And many left because church attendance became a chore instead of a joy. They weren’t listened too, and felt their voice didn’t matter. However, I believe the number one reason they left is because they lost connection. They might have been very active in their church and then moved to a new town where no one knew them. Or their church experience was centered on connecting to a pastor or preacher, and when he/she left, they lost their connection and dropped out. Now, it is to THESE people that we need to apply the responses to my question. And, frankly, I The American Church Magazine®
have to tell you that I didn’t like the number one reason most of our readers gave. They quoted Hebrews 10:25, stated it was a commandment to attend church, and that should be enough. I have preached Hebrews 10 before, and always felt that it wasn’t about a commandment to attend and support a church, but rather an instruction to help spur each other on to loving others and to accomplish good deeds, and that not giving up on meeting together is a great way to help accomplish that goal. If we are coming across as disgruntled church leaders who are angry because our congregations in America are being disobedient, I am not sure we are going to draw many back to church attendance, or help them become connected. The second most popular response was one that I think is the best. God calls us to live in community. Many quoted various scriptures about the body, and how we need to be connected in order to benefit from the rest of the body. As one stated, “A thumb needs the rest of the body to function”. Some stated it this way, “We are family”, and families need to stay connected.
“A 2014 study suggests that 1.2 million church goers will leave the church in 2015.” I not only agree that this is the best response, but it also should lead us to take a better look at how we do church, to ensure that we are indeed giving our membership an opportunity to connect with others. In many churches, members are asked to attend, told when to stand, when to sit, when to sing and then when to listen. We preach our sermons and then ask them to stand and leave, all without giving them a chance to ask a question or give a comment. Many churches that seem to be growing in numbers have found a way to connect members with others into small groups. What do they do in these small groups? Everywhere I go, many simply
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use their time meeting in homes in small groups to connect, to pray for each other, and they use this time to allow people to ask questions about Sunday’s sermon! I resigned as pastor of the church I had started a few years ago, moved to Harrisonville Missouri, and purchased land last year where we plan to build our home and office and set up a pastor retreat center. I have been a pastor for 30 of my 60 years on this earth. I know my Bible. When I sit through a sermon, I rarely learn anything new specific to doctrine, but I have been attending different churches each week throughout the year in order to gain some knowledge about what churches are doing these days. However, the last few months, I have been attending a local church which I plan to join. And, I have sent off an email to the person in charge of setting up small groups, asking them to help my family connect with others. Why? It isn’t the weekly worship service that I need. It isn’t to learn more about doctrine that I crave. It isn’t to hear entertaining or emotionally moving sermons that I desire. I need connection with other Christians! I need to be able to share my prayer requests with others on a personal basis. I need to lIft up the needs of others in prayer as well, and I need to be able to connect in order to encourage and minister WITH A MAJORITY OF ALL SPENDING HAPPENING ELECTRONICALLY WHY RISK MISSING OUT ON ENCOURAGING A LARGE PORTION OF YOUR CONGREGATION TO GIVE? MEMBERS ARE MOST LIKELY TO TITHE WHEN THEY CAN DO SO CONVENIENTLY.
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with others. I attend a church and I attend a worship service, because I love my Lord. But I join a church, embrace a church, commit to a specific church, because I need to be connected to a body of other believers. I need a Christian family. I need people to embrace me when I am down, and I need an opportunity to join with others in ministry, prayer and fellowship. I believe we need to look at the structures of our churches and guarantee the opportunity for people to connect with OTHER people (not the church staff). We need to build upon fellowship, connection, and community if we want to keep our churches from falling into decline. Our message needs to be, “We NEED you to join us because we are community, we are family, we are a body and YOU are a part.” I hope as you connect with Christians that are unchurched, you will go the route of inviting them to connect, not commanding them to obey. Thanks for everyone that responded! You help shape my thoughts and opinions as I continue to explore the American church!
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The American Church Magazine®
May / June 2015
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Article
Good Riddance to Nominal Christians? By Thom Schultz
C
hristian shrinkage. Is that bad news or good news? Well, it depends, it seems. The Pew Research Center’s new study shows that the proportion of Americans who identify as Christian has declined by nearly 8 percent since 2007. That’s significant and historical. And the decline is felt across all Christian sectors–Catholic, mainline Protestant, and evangelical Protestant. What’s more, those who identify with no religion have increased by almost 7 percent. They now occupy nearly 23 percent of the general population, and 36 percent of the younger population. You’d think this news would concern those who care about the American church. But some denominational officials have actually been feverishly trying to put a happy face on the Pew report. Take a look at some of the quotes from these writers over the past week: • “It is good news for the church.” • “Christianity isn’t normal anymore, and that’s good news.” • “Christianity isn’t collapsing; it’s being clarified.” • “Americans whose Christianity was nominal—in name only—are casting aside The American Church Magazine®
the name. They are now aligning publicly with what they’ve actually not believed all along.” • “The numerical decline . . . is more of a purifying bloodletting.” • “Fakers who don’t go to church are just giving up the pretense.” • “Good riddance to them.” Some of these church leaders are not only applauding the decline of those who identify as Christian, they’re also denying the slump in actual church attendance. One of them wrote, “Churches aren’t emptying,” while failing to mention that his own large evangelical denomination has seen several straight years of declining attendance and baptisms. I realize they may not wish to alarm or demoralize the troops. But to deny what is happening in
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most churches is disingenuous to those who are feeling the pain. To them, it’s akin to politicians who try to sugar-coat a deep national recession and widespread unemployment. It’s insulting to hear “our economy is strong” when the people know better from first-hand experience. Pelvic autonomy? So, why are these officials contorting themselves to spin the data? Some are afraid that admitting any erosion might lead to changing the status quo. One of them wrote, “Some will say that the decline in self-identified Christians is a sign that the church should jettison its more unpopular teachings. And in our day, these teachings are almost always those dealing with pelvic autonomy.” He’s not the first one to resist someone who would challenge him to throw the first stone. Remember, Jesus did not ask the religious leaders to abandon the law. But he did advocate for change. Not in God’s message, but in the religious leaders’ methodology and their arrogance. Understanding the shifts The Pew report points to significant, rapid changes in the religious landscape. For those who love the Body of Christ, this is not a time to gloat about “purifying,” or bidding “good riddance” to “nominal” Christians. One denominational spokesman wrote, “Evangelical Christianity is growing in America.” It is true that the Pew report mentioned that evangelicals, while declining as a percentage of the U.S. public, “probably have grown in absolute numbers as the overall U.S. population has continued to expand.” Hardly a sign of robust expansion. But it does provoke a question. How can the evangelical population maintain its position while almost all of the evangelical denominations currently report losses? First, look closely at Pew’s actual poll question: “As far as your present religion, what denomination or church, if any, do you identify with most closely?” Notice, the question does not refer to attendance or membership or involvement. It asks which “you identify with most closely.” Respondents may identify with a certain denomination, but not participate in the church’s activities. So, is this part of the significant shift that the Pew numbers are revealing? This would coincide with the new research just completed by sociologist Josh Packard. Dr. Packard discovered a large and growing The American Church Magazine®
multitude of Americans that we now call the Dones. They’re done with church. Many of them were very active in their congregations, but they’re done with the organized church. They’re not done with God. And the evangelicals among them may not be done with identifying with evangelicalism. They’re just done with the institutional church. In his new book Church Refugees, Dr. Packard explains why they left. Honest answers Dr. Packard is not a denominational mouthpiece. He’s an actual sociologist and researcher looking for honest answers about America’s shifting religious landscape. He’s talking with the real people who are reflected in the Pew study’s trends. The church can learn something here. This is a time for soul-searching, and actually talking with the sheep who have wandered from the flock. It’s a time for listening–rather than carelessly guessing why they left. It’s a time for loving the lost sheep–rather than calling them disparaging names. It’s a time to ask how to be more effective and faithful as the Body of Christ, rather than celebrating the shrinkage.
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Reviving the Small Church
Why is “Discipleship” an Imperative for the Small Church? By Michael Henderson
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iscipleship has always been an imperative for the church. Jesus Himself, spent three plus years with the twelve in order for them to become intimately related to him as He taught them the truths of God, even revealing to them mysteries about the kingdom of heaven, that until that time, were unknown or not entirely understood . Although we have Jesus’ practice of modeling some exceptionally strong terms in the gospels. From what discipleship really is, it is often overlooked in my new book “The Sifted Generation” I expound on it the church for what it really means. But one thing in the following way: is certain; Jesus knew that in order for His followers Now it happened as they journeyed on to have a strong and enduring faith it must include the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I close personal interactions with Him. However, in will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus our efforts to convey its importance it seems that said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of no matter how we slice and dice it the concept of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has total commitment to Christ and the discipleship of nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to anothers is often ignored. Many excuses are proffered, other, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me like “I am not qualified” or, “I just do not have time” first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, or, “that’s the pastor’s job” or the Christian will just “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go assume somebody else will do it. But in reality all of and preach the kingdom of God.” And anothus should be taking part in this important task. But er also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me before it can happen we first must become disciples first go and bid them farewell who are at my ourselves. That is where we will start. house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is Excuses are not new fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:57-62) Jesus spoke of the meaning of discipleship in The American Church Magazine®
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They’re “spiritual but not religious.” They’re eager to talk about God, but done sitting through sermons. Want to reach young adults? Start a conversation. They’re looking to participate, not to be an audience. So let them ask hard questions. Grapple with tough stuff. Discover how God is reaching out to them. And Lifetree Café is all about conversation. Relaxing around tables, Lifetree participants hear inspiring stories, tell their own stories…and draw closer to God and each other. On college campuses, at coffee shops, and even in churches, life-changing conversations are underway. When you’re ready to connect, connect with us. We’ll help you provide tested, ready-to-go, hour-long guided conversations that let young adults experience God in a fresh, new way. Call 877-476-8703 or visit Discover.LifetreeCafe.com to learn more. “ D o i n g l i f e . D o i n g g o o d .”
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*Projected 2025 church attendance from George Barna’s Revolution
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In this amazing and radical passage Jesus emphasizes three things, Trust, Expediency, and Readiness. [In this edition, I will only speak of two, Trust and Readiness.] Trust Luke 9:57-58 – “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Following Christ would take complete trust in Him as the provider for our lives and that of our families. In the passage Jesus tells the man a true believer must be willing to take their eyes off of the immediate comforts and securities we have become so accustomed to and in obedience follow Him. No greater example could have been left for us to emulate than that which He modeled in unmitigated devotion to the Father. He was a living example of the type of trust we must all have as He trusted no man to meet His daily needs but the Father only. There was no set place sporting a soft mattress, a warm pillow, and comfortable blankets He could look forward to on a daily basis. Like the lilies of the field, He had to daily trust the Father to provide them. To be a true disciple of Jesus means we too must have that type of trusting faith in Him; one which believes that somehow, someway He will provide our needs, both physical and spiritual. Remember, Jesus had no place to lay His head, but through the things He suffered He learned obedience and in return the Father met all of His earthly needs.
him and his family and he knew me and mine. We were rarely ever apart if it were possible to just hang out. After I surrendered my heart to Christ God put a strong burden on my heart for his soul. I approached him with the gospel on many occasions. But repeatedly he said, “I do believe but I am just not ready to take the steps in surrender. I am not ready to live that life.” As we grew apart and went our separate ways, I found out Joe had become a very heavy drug user and dealer. Later I was heartbroken to hear he was shot to death in his own front yard. Joe wanted to do what God required, he wanted to follow, but he was never ready to surrender. I think that’s the crux of what Jesus is telling us in this passage. The man came to Jesus and said He would follow Him but he had other things to do first. He was never really ready to follow Christ. He had taken the first step to follow—he had grasped the plow’s handles and looked straight at the Lord, and said, “I will follow,” but then he let go and said, “But let me first go back…” And looking back is where his real heart was. In Genesis 19 the Lord brought judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them completely. But He had mercy on Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family who dwelt there. Having showed them mercy they were told to leave and never look back. Lot’s wife was not ready, she looked back and was immediately turned into a pillar of salt (see Gen. 19:26). What is clear from the Lord’s teaching is that being a disciple of Christ means relying upon Jesus to continually provide for us when the call to “get up and go” in His name comes. We must put Him first above all other duties, and live in readiness to take the plow at any given time, never looking back.1 For the small church, discipleship is not just something that we could do, but rather, because we have small numbers, it is something we must do to multiply. Discipleship is imperative for growth; but more importantly, it is what Jesus desires for all in His church.
Readiness Luke 9:61-62 – In the final strokes of the passage a man called out to Jesus saying, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” Jesus’ reply falls completely in line with His previous responses, He states, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Here we have what we may think is an unusual rebuttal to the idea of simply letting a person tell his family and possibly some visiting friends, that he must leave for a time in response to an invitation to follow the Lord. It 1 – Michael Henderson, The Sifted Generation, sounds like the responsible thing to do. Most would agree that it’s always a good idea to let those close Tested, Tried, and Found True, (Bloomington: Westto you know of your future plans and whereabouts. bow Press a Division of Thomas Nelson and ZonderBut in this case Jesus disagrees. Why? Let’s answer van; pp. 34, 38-40 April 2015 that with a short story. After I became a believer the one person I wanted to share my joy with was my best friend Joe (not his real name). Joe and I left no stone unturned. I knew The American Church Magazine®
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Church Hoppers
!
Simplicity for Ministers By Church Hoppers
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implicity can be defined as making things easier, removing all rules, limiting the guidelines, or eliminating all complications. But simplicity is balance and agreement toward a specific cause. Balance and agreement are the processes that allow things to evolve and recreate themselves. The human body, nature, and even outer space will work toward balance and agreement, with the result reverting to the simplicity of its primary function. No matter how chaotic, everything seeks to rebalance itself to simplicity. Take a human, created to encompass the physical, emotional and spiritual being, one working in conjunction with the other. Each area has an effect on the balance and imbalance of one another. In a human body there are three vital parts created to balance the systems that result in wholeness and agreement. The first vital part is body balance. The body wants four things that establish balance and health: oxygen, water, sleep, and food. Each of these is imperative to create a stable body of health. The American Church Magazine速
The struggles are in four areas: people never really breathe deep enough to energize, hydrate themselves with water to lubricate, they lack sleep or rest needed for regeneration, and have poor eating habits. First oxygen will energize the body to recreate the needed cells to live. Without oxygen, the body begins to degenerate very quickly. Additionally, the body is 80% water, and water intake determines how well things are lubricated. Water will cool, lubricate and extract waste so the body can function with ease. Next sleep, or rest, regenerates the brain, so it can function at its full capacity. Sleep allows the body to reset and recuperate to a fully functioning system each day. Sleep deprivation will have adverse effects on the brain. Lastly, both poor eating habits and starvation determine how many miles the body will go in life.
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Food is the fuel that keeps the body running well and balanced. Lack of one or any of the four vital parts will cause the body to react in a manner that will force imbalance. When the body is physically unbalanced, it results in the body over compensating for the denial of other things. A human body can go approximately four minutes without oxygen, approximately 100 hours without water, approximately 250 hours without sleep and approximately 1,000 hours without food before death becomes potential. The body naturally seeks balance to live. If denied one or more of these necessities, then the body will find a way to balance itself, even though it may destroy itself doing so. The second vital part is the emotional balance. Emotionally, many people live in a “pill society” to numb the consequences of the past, reality of the present, and fear of the future.
“Spiritual balance is the pursuit of God and His creation that answers the longing questions deep inside of mankind.”
ism, and pantheism, to name a few, are proof that non-believers are “searching for a god that they can cognitively reason or empirically experience.” The search is healthy and brings balance, if the pursuit is to find the answer about God, but if the pursuit is to prove God does not exist, then it brings imbalance and complexity. It is the same as Christians who are always looking for Satan in movies, music, government, and even in their own assembly. In the pursuit for joy, Satan is found in everything, then imbalance takes place and complexity takes control. The complexity is determining if Satan interfered or if God said “no.” Satan usually gets the blame and the philosophy creates a life of battling with an enemy that is not concerned specifically with individual lives, because he is not omnipresent or omniscience. Spiritual balance is the pursuit of God and His creation that answers the longing questions deep inside of mankind. The answer is found in this statement: “If there is a God, a supreme being, then He will find me if I pursue Him because He is God.” When things are out of balance and agreement, chaos has temporarily taken over. What is so amazing is that chaotic things are normal, and ultimately the system of balance and agreement will reset. Chaotic things interfere with balances: a common cold in the body, a hurricane in nature, and an asteroid in outer space. However, the result is natural evolution that will revert to balance and agreement with its surroundings. In the physical, emotional and spiritual part of the body, balance and agreement are what make the body operate in a healthy manner. Balance and agreement bring simplicity to its cause, and the function it was created to do. After any difficult time such as sickness, disease, or depression, the body will revert to balance and agreement, which is simplicity.
Emotional health can be secured in three areas that will produce balance in the human psyche. First self-discovery is the key to identity. Knowing the person inside, and his value to this world, is the key to self-discovery. Self-discovery gives significance and security, which are the most stabilizing foundation in the human psyche. Secondly, conversation is the expression of those things that attack identity. Talking about those things that build up inside is beneficial so expression can relieve depression. Finally, meditation is a calming agent to know, understand, and develop wisdom of how to deal with those attacks. MedThe Church Hoppers is a coaching company than itating allows the mind to defrag all the thoughts can help you revitalize your church by building baland emotions that clog the reasoning process and ance through systems, business and marketing. release added tension of self-condemnation. The third vital part is the spiritual balance. Follow: Tweeter: @churchhoppers Spiritually, people are in search of something that Facebook: Church Hoppers brings answers to deep questions about God’s exContact: Web: churchhoppers.org Email: info@churchhoppers.org istence. Many non-Christians are in search of God, and trying to prove God does not exist. The variety of viewpoints of God through agnosticism, atheThe American Church Magazine®
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No Longer Church As Usual
Can You See It? By Tim Kurtz
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ecently there has been a big to-do about the Pew Research report regarding the ‘dones’. Pundits, both secular and religious are weighing in on what they believe the report implies. I heard one secular new commentator say that if there is a war on Christianity – Christianity is losing. Some of my ministry peers believe this report documents ‘the great falling away’ that precedes the second coming of Christ (2Thessalonians 2:3). I personally believe they are both wrong. And I understand, that to some reading this, I may be just another voice giving an opinion. I do not believe that Christianity is in decline, nor do I believe that we are seeing the great falling away. As I have stated in several of my earlier writings, the church as we know it is in transition. The Pew Report only highlights the surface changes taking place in the religious landscape. The problem as I see it, is that many do not see the changes, or they simply ignore them. What are some of these changes? The American Church Magazine®
• More and more people are tired of religious gamesmanship. It appears the church is acquiescing to world standards more than it takes a stand against unrighteousness. • They are tired of the political infighting too often seen in the church world. • People are questioning long held religious beliefs. In many respects, more people are becoming like the Bereans who searched
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the scriptures daily to see if what they are being told is true (Acts 17:11). • People are growing tired of ‘performance based’ church. The desire for interaction and relationships is becoming a growing trend. • In many church systems, leadership has lost its ability to lead because they have compromised Biblical values. They preach popculture, ear-tingling messages that massage the emotions more than challenge the spirit. They avoid sensitive topics in order to maintain the body count in their church necessary for survival. There are more things I could cite, including changing views on giving, how we deal with the changing laws of the land that are trying to silence the church, and the clear, but unspoken, competition between churches. These are some of the things we will be forced to confront in the near future. So why is it that many are missing the transition taking place in the church? Why is it that when God does something in the earth, many religious leaders don’t see it? My personal belief is that we are so immersed in our religious systems, that when we are confronted with new challenges, we label it as ‘evil’ and spend more time fighting it than trying to understand it. I believe the Lord is speaking to His Church. Our church comfort zones have blinded us to what He is saying. His voice promises to shake both the earth and heaven. It is not a falling away that is taking place, it is the voice of the Lord shaking heaven and earth so that whatever cannot be shaken will remain (Hebrews 12:25-27). The net result will be a stronger more powerful church. God is speaking – but are we listening? Fresh revelation never fits into the current status quo. Fresh revelation often challenges our religious psyche and forces us to rethink patterns and belief systems. True revelation often produces conflicts. Those who have a vested interest in the current traditions and religious
system are many times the most vocal against the new revelation. It was the religious leaders who resisted Jesus and the apostles (John 11:47-48; Acts 14:1-4). Jesus made it clear that there was one thing that had the power to stop or greatly hinder new truth – human tradition (Mark 7:123). To some, fresh revelation is no more than ‘religious information’. These individuals often have a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. They ‘take it’ if they receive some personal benefit, but ‘leave it’ if they have to leave familiarity. Like many of us, we forget that God does not give suggestions. He expects us to obey His Word. Our comfort is not His motivation – the accomplishment of His will is. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy (Acts 2:17-18) In the last days, God promised that He would pour out His Spirit upon ALL flesh. The evidence will be dreams, visions and prophecy. Some of the prophetic utterances is the release of fresh insight into the purposes of God for this season. Pouring out His Spirit is God speaking His purpose for the His Church. His purpose has already been revealed in scripture (Genesis 1:28; Ephesians 3:10-11), however, it will be released as we are able to handle it. What we consider ‘fresh revelation’ is in fact the unveiling of God’s already established will for this generation. The problem is that we often become so enamored with the last revelation that we become blinded to any new truth. Again, fresh revelation that is new to us has always been in the mind of God. He desires “…to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9). Our carnal nature, our traditions, our fear of losing
“The church as we know it will not look the same within ten years. I believe we are witnessing shift that will change the way we do church in America.”
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our position in the church, and Satan often blind us from seeing what God is saying. God will never stop revealing His purposes and His will. You must decide if you will hear and obey. The church as we know it will not look the same within ten years. I believe we are witnessing shift that will change the way we do church in America. It is the New Testament Church. It is the church we see demonstrated in scripture. It is a church that is governed by elders, developed by ministry gifts and where the believers primarily gather in homes rather than dedicated buildings (Acts 2:46; 14:23; Ephesians 4:11-12). It is a church where the Kingdom Mandate is a lifestyle (Genesis 1:28). This type of church has always been in the mind of God, even though to us it may seem to be new. Only loyalty to traditions of men will delay this transition. For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit (1Corinthians 2:14 Bible in Basic English). Fresh revelation regarding the structure of the
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New Testament Church is being released by God through apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:5). I am one of many with a mandate to release this revelation in the earth. Only you can determine how you will respond to what God is speaking. Jesus is still building His Church –His way in the 21st century. Studies like the Pew Report will come and go. We must see what they are saying through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul prayed that your eyes will be open to see all that God is doing in the earth today (Ephesians 1:17-20). Are you committed to obeying God at all cost? I believe you are. Yes, the revelation being released in the earth regarding the Church may be new to some of you, but rest assured that God has your best interest in his heart. How will you respond? Facebook: The Center for New Testament Church Development Website: www.ntcdonline.org Twitter: timkurtz712
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