I believe with all of my heart that we are living in the perilous times that Paul wrote about to his spiritual son, Timothy. We are living in a day of continuous fear of terror attacks, sexual perversion, disrespect towards authority, and haters of them that attempt to live righteous lives. The end time prophesies are literally being played out right before our eyes. With all of the signs and events unfolding today, I believe that it is time for the real church to stand up!
I personally had the great privilege to be raised in a Christian home and attending church was a regular routine in my life. When I was a young teenager and surrendered my life to Christ’s calling, I determined that I did not want to live my life at a lower level than what Jesus offered me. I have seen many believers live and struggle in areas where Jesus had promised and offered them victory. Also, I have seen church after church and ministry after ministry operate in perpetual weakness and forfeit the power that was promised to them. We as believers must wake up, recognize the hour in which we are living, see the needs of lost humanity, and operate in the true power of God.
I believe it is time for believers to re-define normal Christian living. Most would agree that normal Christian living would be defined as a peaceful and loving lifestyle. I believe we would say that you need to be a good citizen, be a faithful employee, pay your taxes, read your Bible, and attend church. I agree that all of these items are a must. We have to walk on land before we can walk on water. But, I don’t believe that this is actual “normal” Christian living. We must compare our normal to the word of God’s normal. When I read the history of the early disciples, I observe that their normal was different than our normal. Jesus said that signs and wonders would follow them that believe. These signs included casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead, and demonstrating the power of Jesus in the streets. The early disciples went house to house and city to city turning the world upside down with the power of the gospel message.
Unfortunately, when I observe the most churches in America, I mostly see a powerless church preaching a powerless gospel. It is time for the real church to please stand up! It is time for believers to forsake the world, run after Jesus, and begin to operate in the true power that has been promised us. The power of the Holy Ghost is not only to feel Him in a church service but to allow Him to flow through us to impact a lost and hurting world. Most churches and believers put on their Christian face on Sundays. They pick up their dusty Bible that they haven’t read all week and take it to church. They put on their praise for a few minutes and glance at their watch several times during service. Many believers just merely attend church out of routine and to ease their guilty conscience. It is time for us to shift from attending church and become the church. True Christian living takes place between Sundays!
Let us get busy about our Father’s business. Let’s take the Great Commission personally (as it was intended) and turn this world upside down. Are you ready for the Real Church to Stand Up?
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