I NEED REVIVAL

 I have for some time, watched as the powers that be in our nation and in the church of turn the Word of God for profit.

To profit themselves.To profit their congregations.To build upon shaky foundations that will not stand, allowing people to find solace in a false understanding of who God is and what His purpose is.

I have watched as the Word of God has been watered down to bring people to a Jesus that is unrecognizable. Definitely not the Jesus of Scripture. Maybe that is the reason I am feeling this fire to write........I watched it happen. I haven't done anything.
We have become so fearful of not getting people into church that we have abandoned the very foundations and truths of the Word to embrace a call to the masses in an effort to get them inside the church. Once there, we dare not offend them with such words as "sin" or "Hell" for fear they will leave. The church of Jesus Christ is not predicated or built on nickels and noses.

 In Matthew 16, Jesus makes the statement concerning him being the Messiah...."Upon this rock (or this truth) I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail."
We have wrestled the church from the hands of Jesus to build it according to what the world wants. God help us!
We no longer hold to truth. Truth is a catch word, a photo op, an opportunity to say what ever it takes to get people to back their cause and their agenda.
My friends, there is only one cause. The Kingdom of God. As to the agenda, there is only God's agenda.

I know that even as I write these words, some will read them and consider me to be an angry man. Maybe for the most part I am angry. But my anger comes from knowing myself and understanding that it is so easy to slide over into a "JESUS FOR ALL PEOPLE" mentality. Jesus for all is not the Jesus we read in the Bible. He did not lessen the way to the Father by excusing people and their sins. He spoke plainly and sternly about the way to the Father. "I am the way, the truth and the life...no one comes to the Father but by me." We open the door to everyone to come to Jesus and remain the way you are, lest we offend someone. As Bonhoeffer wrote "We have created Cheap Grace! Come and have your sins forgiven, without changing your lifestyle at all."

We have taken a Jesus who loves and turned him into a Jesus who excuses everything. A Jesus who is tolerant and open to suggestion. We, who were created in the image of God, have now created a God in the image of us. God help us.

I watched a clip from YouTube on a prayer that was prayed at a political rally  in which the man praying finished his prayer with the following words...."In the name of Jesus who died against the forces of injustice, Amen." Jesus did not die because of injustice. Jesus died for my sin. End of statement. He died to pay the price for the sins of the world, once and for all time.

I can no longer stand by and say nothing.
I can no longer be a pharisee and hold everyone accountable except for myself.
We have become fat and bloated on self esteem and have lost sight of our wretchedness.
Like the church of Laodicea, we cry, "I am rich and have need of nothing."
God looks at us and says, "You are wretched, poor and blind."

Now is the time for revival.
Now is the time to return to the Lord.

Michael B.