Even though it saddens me that many church leaders and pastors continue to be passive and indifferent toward the wisdom and counsel of God for their churches in this hour, I’m thankful for the hunger and excitement I see from the remnant saints.
Although I honor true church leaders and pastors, and Ephesians 4:11 ministry gifts, there are still far too many across our nation who wouldn’t recognize the cruciform wisdom of God if it were written on a neon sign lit up in front of them. Furthermore, too many wouldn’t recognize the Holy Ghost if He walked into their church wearing red shoes, a red suit and a red hat. They are ignorant of His ways. We long to help them, but due to their pride, many are unteachable and won’t listen.
The Best Thing Pastors and Church Leaders Can Do
Pastors and church leaders, the greatest thing you can do is get out of the way of what the Lord wants to do in your churches. Let go and let God. Let the Holy Ghost move and manifest Himself! Not only are there to be times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord as His coming draws near, but a restoration must happen before He returns. There must be a restoration of character, power and authority.
We Are Headed for Reformation
Just as it was before Jesus died when He cleansed the temple in preparation for the establishment of the New Covenant, even so it is now for the preparation of the coming reformation. Let’s face it, the church needs radical cleansing and radical change in how it’s led and how it’s run.
Provocative questions: How did 3,000 new converts move from Acts 2:41 to 42?
From being saved and baptized to continuing steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers?
What part did apostolic leadership play in this transition? How did they lead? How did they run the church in Jerusalem? Without buildings, without budgets, without paid staff and without a head pastor, how was the early church able to function and disciple a harvest of 3,000 new people, and then two chapters later another 5,000?
I share these things in my latest Heartburn video on our Holy Fire Ministries YouTube channel.
The Coming Crisis
Here, I have more thought-provoking questions.
What if churches today lost their buildings? Could they still function as churches? If there were war, or a great crisis or severe persecution against the church, as there very well could be in the near future in America, could they still function as churches?
Could churches continue to gather as a body and family in fellowship, teaching and in caring for one another without a large facility? Would the saints throughout a city or region stay connected? Are our connections based on a physical facility or simply on relationship with the Lord and one another? Or would the loss of a building mean the essential loss of the church?
Do You See Why We Need a Reformation?
More questions.
What if a large church lost its budget, or paid staff or senior pastor? Would there still be shepherds to care for the sheep? Or would there be hirelings looking for professional “ministry” elsewhere?
What if a church lost its denominational affiliation? Would it cease to exist? What if a nondenominational church dropped its seeker-friendly philosophy, in-vogue style of “doing church,” or its various programs that attract people, would it still exist as a church? How much dependence have we placed on these things?
I am not saying all of these various amenities are not helpful and useful, but can the church exist without them? If not, then we may have an inflexible wineskin that cannot contain the potent new wine of the Spirit, especially in light of a national crisis.
Thank you for allowing me to think out loud here. There is a lot to consider in these unsettled times in which we live today. {eoa}
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