As we were ministering to the homeless last night, I thought of all the peoples in the City neglected by the church, not just the homeless, but the mentally tormented, the addicts, the elderly and shut ins -yet these peoples are not forgotten by the Lord.
Last night I was crying before the Lord for the need is so large yet so few are moved with true compassion. He had reminded me early as I was driving home from downtown of how He has said there will be a day when those who had been clothed for the wedding, will have their garments removed and they shall be placed up the way wards and servants.
As I was weeping before Him, He showed that many like those we have been ministering are a hidden remnant army of Heaven, waiting to be awoke for the last days – that of those who the religious have forsaken He shall revive, restore to their created purpose and place in them the Fire of His Glory. For many look to those who appear to be “righteous & Holy” as pleasing towards the Lord, yet the fragrance of their prideful religion is a stench to His nostrils.
Many in the modern day church believe that by building huge “houses of worship” and filling them with great performers and most advanced technological gadgets of the day, we shall disciple a huge amount of workers – Yet history goes against that thinking, for the past 100 years the church as evolved with the modern world, they have allowed the power of God’s Word to be replaced with modern ingenuity and we have been left with a powerless people – powerless not because the Lord has not desired to empower them with His presence – they are powerless for they have grown dependent upon their wisdom, their knowledge, their way and have rejected the ways of the Lord.
The church in a large part has become broken in the Spiritual things, though it appears wealthy in the modern sense – it has turned from the style of discipleship which birthed the world changers of Jesus day and attempted to better the very style He has prescribed in His Word.
They see themselves as rich because all the money they bring in and can spend on modern amenities – Yet the Lord says “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”. (Rev 3:17)
First of all, making disciples is not an easy process. It is trying, it is messy, it is slow, tedious and even painful at times. It is all these things because it is relational (something that can not be gained from those who believe they can mainly disciple from a pulpit).
We read part of the instruction that Jesus gave us and what it involves in that we are to go and make disciples of all nations. Then we are to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We are to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. All this adds up to the means to multiply people who enjoy God’s grace and extend His Glory around the world.
Now, according to Jesus, disciple making involves going. It involves intentionally taking the gospel to the people where they live, work and play. Disciple making is not a call for others to come to us, in a building, to hear the gospel but a command for us to go to others to share the gospel. It is a command for us to be gospel-living, gospel-speaking people at every moment and in every context where we find ourselves.
We disciple true disciples by leading them by hand in to the high-ways and by-ways – not by mere instruction – but by walking the walk with them – walking thru those neighborhoods where the modern day church dare not go – walking into the trauma centers – walking into the bars – walking into the nursing homes – walking into the prisons – and breathing out the gospel message. Christ first led the way, showing the disciples how to minister – then He said go, do what you’ve seen me do.
Many of the modern day church leaders if they were to lead the church to where they were taught, it would be but back to the halls ways of religion, the seminaries where they were taught by the those who dared not go themselves – being taught the business structure of church, the non-offensive politically correct art of “church” – not the hands on laboring structure of the Kingdom!
I recently came out from underneath a leadership who believed they had come out from the religious church structure only to find that they are attempting to build their own. Dis-regarding the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in the call to go out, they teach “gather” them in that “our” elite might minister too them. Sadly they have continued to attempt to build like minded leaders to advance their name, dis regarding the call to go out and reach the lost, disc regarding the Lord’s call to feed the hungry.
I praise Yeshua for His faithfulness to call out too His own, for during the whole process, many of the trained leaders, having had a true and revelationary encounter with the Lord have been drawn away from such religious foolishness and have gone out to spread the Good News.
Now the truth is, it has cost those who have dared to truly follow the Lord, even as Jesus said it would – false accusations, back biting even being told that they are walking away from God’s calling. In reality they are walking directly into the purposes of God for their lives.
God is calling for a re-aligning of the Bride back too her foundational setting!
Give me the Bible and the opportunity to speak of its power, sharing the testimony of how thru it, Holy Ghost has transformed and continues to transform my life – mix with with the testimonies of others, coat in the power and authority of heaven via the anointing of Holy Ghost and you will see a people being reached with the truth – yet this is not for me alone – this is the opportunity for every believer who has been set free to do – going out and sharing the power of the gospel to lost.
If we were to strip these modern churches of all the fancy gadgets and turn them back to the preaching of the Word of God in truth and purity – if we were to remove the performance based worship, speaking and theatrical style church services back to that which the Lord taught us, we would see a church that is impacting the very culture that surrounds it rather than the church being impacted by the culture!
Time is short, the Father has told Holy Ghost to ramp up the shaking – the earth itself is crying out for the Lords return. Holy Ghost is empowering those who desire the true gospel with a last days out-pouring of anointing, dreams and visions – the time for the religious modern day church to repent and turn back to the foundational teachings is short.
You have heard the Word and heard the call – the decision is now before you – follow Jesus and His Word in His truthful authority & anointed power or continue to sit in the comforts of religion listening to those ear tickling, watered down – self help, powerless messages. Today the alarm is being blown before you, those who take up the cause of Christ, their cross and His Kingdom shall see their rewards, they shall be empowered from on High with supernatural peace and strength to push forward the Kingdom of God.
There is a gospel starved generation out side the walls of religious conformity- Are you radical enough to say no more to religion and start living, breathing and walking in the power of His name? For the true radical disciples of Christ have a fire burning inside to transfer the message of truth into others lives, that they in return become set a blazed with the passion of Christ to go out and do the same!
Give me ten such individuals, who have denied themselves, turned from religion and rejected the modern day powerless doctrines of individualism and conformity which leads to a life of religious compromise.
Yes Lord, show me ten such radical Kingdom citizens who have been baptized in the fires of Yeshua’s passion for the lost and forsaken, those filled with His fire filled passion for His Bride- for then I will show you a city being transformed, who shall then see the Spirit birthing out a people who shall transform a State, who then shall see the Spirit birthing out a people who shall transform whole nations for the Glory, Honor and Praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in return Glorifies the Father!
The choice is set before you today friends – follow man or follow Christ!
IHS,
Russ Welch