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STAND & COMFORT Newsletter November 3, 2001 The Last 40 Years: I could have made this title read, "Today's problems are only preparation for tomorrow's." What I mean can start to be explained by a description of the church in the 1950s: "Johnny, tuck your shirt in! Susie, get in the car. Finish your coffee, dear, and don't spill any on your tie. We're going to be late for church if we don't hurry," Mom said as she rushed out the door. Johnny tucked in his shirt as he hurried out, the tail of it still hanging beneath the back of his suitcoat. Dad placed his empty coffee cup in the sink as a car door slammed shut outside. I well remember the teaching and the warnings about other denominations in the mid- to late fifties. I was a teenager then. When I took out a new date, I would ask almost right off where she went to church. Every time I had a new girlfriend, I knew I would hear Grandma's question, "Is she Catholic?" or "Does she go to the Villa [a Catholic girl's high school]"? I even remember going through the Bible with one Protestant girl to teach her about my faith, even though I didn't really understand what I was doing. I just had to somehow appease the fact that I was Catholic and she was Lutheran. Fear and guilt were everywhere. It's funny. Grandma never asked me if my male friends were Catholic. I remember sneaking into a Methodist church with some friends once, and the terrible fear afterwards. Oh my, how times have changed. Religion played a major part of a teen's life in those days. Society was gentle and had rules, and manners were a priority backed up by a stick Dad kept in the closet. Oh my, how things have changed. Day and weeks and then years passed, and the status quo seemed to continue. The problems of the day passed, and new problems arose and new decisions had to be made concerning career, college, marriage, etc. The only thing that seemed to remain unquestioned was religious practice. Family traditions and beliefs prevailed and they were not to be interfered with or contradicted . . . . until . . . . Something began to happen in the 1960s, when the teen was now an adult. All of a sudden the rules began to change. Spiritually, things seemed to be blowing in the wind, pointing to a time of radical change. Yet there was an unsureness about just what those changes would be. Many questions arose, but the answers seemed to verify current changes as Scriptural and at the same time introduce more changes on the immediate horizon. We have seen various movements hit the Church over the past 40-50 years. Previous to 1960, there were other movements, but they spit and sputtered while trying to get their agendas off the ground. It wasn't until the 1960s that doctrines, such as the New Order of the Latter Rain, began to find acceptance through what was called a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit. We have been here to see the rise of a global, apostate church that finally got its engines running somewhat smoothly in the 1960s. It was during the 1960s that the actual implementation of the global church agenda began. It was in the 1960s that many had to change their convictions about religion, either through peer pressure, an increasing spiritual hunger in one's sphere, or the experience of something spiritual, personally or through others. Suddenly, change came, and it picked up speed as new movements came forth, each sprouting its own system of intricate networks and branches. The basic and main purpose of these movements has been to: 1. Break down denominational walls by setting aside doctrine 2. Demonstrate the kingdom of God and unity 3. Bring in the Kingdom of God We have had 40 years of intense spiritual change, and here are SOME of the changes we've all had to deal with over the past 40 years: 1830-1960 Revival of the Pentecostal experience (Edward Irving to Latter Rain in the late 1940s) It was in 1992 that the prophetic word came forth that God was redefining and restructuring His Church. The message was that God was doing a "new" thing. All that had come before was only preparation, setting the outline of that restructuring. The supposed complicated form of Christianity would be torn down and the "Spirit would bring about freedom" to worship as one felt. Great revival was promised and millions would come into "the Kingdom," necessitating this restructuring of the Church to handle the saved numbers. From 1995 to the present, all of this was filtered into church planting and cell churches, undergirded by tranformational theology and headed by the apostles and prophets. But this is only a drop in the bucket of the unbelievable number of changes, and shifts, and branching out that occurred while the Church was redefined and those changes demonstrated through signs and wonders. If we outlined them all or stacked up all the writings concerning these changes, how many pages would it take? 50? 1000? 1,000,000+? I believe it would be 1,000,000+. If one printed out all the changes of the last 40 years that have redefined and restructured the Church, it would probably create a stack of paper that would become the eighth wonder of the world. On top of this, the mind cannot even begin to fathom the interconnectedness and purpose of all of this change: uniting the "body of Christ" and ushering in the Kingdom of God in a visible way before Christ can return. The very purpose for the tearing down of walls and doctrine to unify the body is to bring about the return of Christ, because Christ supposedly cannot return until the body is unified. As you read the above list, you probably said to yourself, "Hey, he forgot to mention this" or "Whoops! He left out that." I was being kind because I didn't want this newsletter to be 1,000,000+ pages long <G>. It is phenomenal that for 2,000 years the Church survived on the simple gospel, and all of a sudden, we're told that the Church and the gospel it contended for is insufficient for this day and age. Besides being mind-boggling passing through these past 40 years, and especially the last 10, I have wondered if people have dealt with all the hurts and sorrows and sadness that the revival has caused in their lives. I know that during the 90s, many divisions were caused by confrontations over doctrine. These confrontations brought about a separation of the ways between those who did not believe this was a "move of God" and those who did. Families, long personal friendships, church affiliations and good ministries suffered and were torn by divisions and disagreements and separation. I remember hearing from or talking to many people who were driven to tears over what was happening - literally - especially in the first five years of the revival. Most said the sorrow and agony over these disruptions lasted for about two or three weeks, and then they would face the fact that they had not and would not compromise God's word by continuing to fellowship with those who wandered off after the signs and wonders. Many cried their way through these changes and the loss of friends following uscriptural practices. From what I have observed during the past year, I think the basic groundwork for apostasy has neared its peak. Christians have at least some comprehension of what HAS BEEN happening for the past decade. For example, the 1960s mixing of Catholic Charismatics and Protestant Pentecostals was just the first aspect of the agenda. After the initial mixing, the two were pulled together and solidified as one by Promise Keepers, March for Jesus, and national and international conferences held in large arenas and stadiums. The initial bringing about of unity through the tearing down of walls implemented and, for the most part, accomplished its immediate purpose. Today, it's strongly evident that there is major division in the Church. The swirling winds of doctrine have blown many from pillar to post. Discussion forums on the internet appear to be "stalemated," with both sides speaking to closed, unbending ears. Some forums have closed because moderators did not find them beneficial anymore; they only gave a platform for false doctrines. In other words, people have pretty much decided where they want to be and who they want to follow. I believe there are possibly a precious few who are still willing to forsake wrong doctrine if talked to long enough, but I don't believe that number is very large at all. That does not mean that warnings of the apostasy and all it entails should not go out. I don't mean to say that nothing else will come up or that there will be nothing new, because there is much to happen yet. But I think the basic foundation has been laid for wherever this is going. As far as influencing Christians against being deceived into a false agenda or for walking in the truth, I think the situation is to the point where many are also beyond reach. Many who have stood against the redefining of the Church have told me that is how they are feeling. There is much frustration over the issue. I have noticed a few other researchers, and those with what I consider important web sites, come to these same conclusions. It is not a matter, though, of changing what we are doing. It is a matter of stabilizing our hearts concerning where we have been and what we have come through, and checking our hearts to make sure we've dealt with any personal damage we've suffered through the battering winds of revival - unforgiveness, hurts, sadness, sorrow, frustrations, loss of churches and friends. Why have these things happened to you over the past decade? Because you made a choice to follow Jesus wherever He goes. You chose to allow Him to work in you according to the truth of His word: Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. There are those who have accepted the sharp thrust of His word and made decisions to follow Him according to His word, and there are those who have not. That's a fact and there's no changing it. I truly believe God has spoken to every heart and some have listened and some have not. It is not God who has caused division and sorrow and pain and hurt, though He is Sovereign over all that is happening. Don't blame Him. If it weren't for Him being faithful, there would be no Church left. He has been faithful and true according to His word: Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, Face it. Even though the revivalists don't think so, Jesus has been redefined, and so has the Holy Ghost. The Church has been redefined and restructured. Get over your hurts and sorrows and pain and resentments and unforgiveness - IF you still have them: Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Maybe you've reacted in the opposite way. Maybe in your anger you've become arrogant and prideful, and justify these sins because self-righteousness has set in. Maybe you have the attitude of the self-righteous Pharisee Jesus spoke of: Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Either way, God wants us to be holy in ALL that we do and say. You made your choice to follow Jesus, but remember the ultimate call of that choice: to be conformed to the image of the Lamb (Romans 8:28-30). I've heard people cry, and seen the pain revival has caused, and I've also noticed the pride and arrogance and self-righteousness of some who are fighting the apostasy. Those things need to be repented for. Paul knew how to handle his anger at the sin that invaded the body of Christ. I'm sure the sun never went down on his anger. Face what has happened as fact, pray for those you have concern for, and present God's word to them if you have the opportunity to do so. Through it all, maintain the fruit of the Spirit in your life: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Having said all of that, I will say this. I have also seen those with an honest heart towards the Lord whose concern is for the souls of the Christians who have wandered off after fables. They have spoken firmly, but they have done it in the love of the Spirit. Remember, yesterday's problems were only preparation for today. The apostasy came in little by little, advancing day by day, and we have adjusted to it as it evolved. Each day it has gotten greater, but that is advantageous for us in that we've been able to adjust to it at the same pace. What happened yesterday was there to make you stronger to face today. So let's make sure sure our hearts are right and walk in the perseverance the Lord has formed in us: Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ========== This newsletter will be sent out whenever I think there is something the body of Christ needs to consider, to build it up, to give it encouragement or comfort in hard times. To sign up for this newsletter, email Ed at edju@velocity.net |