Hi Friends,

This past Sunday, our pastor spoke of the early teachings of the church as being the foundation on which we should build our lives. The teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the first century taught truths (the Bible) which seem to be counter to the modern church of today.  Our pastor wants our church to be like the church of the first century, filled with people who are continually being conformed to the image of God.  Through the teachings of Christ and the Epistles, we are being transformed into his likeness.  The Lord is creating  in us a greater desire for his presence and a hunger for His Word.  

The process of transforming us is referred to as sanctification. It is an ongoing process in which every believer is responsible for himself.  It is the Lord’s will that we grow and mature in the knowledge of God.  But it takes commitment and effort to spend time studying the Word of God, praying for insight and revelation, and having the willingness to change our habits and our  thinking.  The worldly beliefs and cultural influences that have shaped us, must certainly change if we are to conform to God’s image and to his will.  

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2  

We as believers, should allow God to use whatever is necessary to re-align our hearts, our thoughts, and our behaviors, with his perfect will.  By reading the Word of God and with help of the Holy Spirit, we can see more clearly to judge our motives, actions and thoughts.  

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”  James 1:22-25

After listening to the pastor’s instruction on the topic, I did a search on the “first principles
of the church.”  I thought you might enjoy reading this “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles to the Nations –The Didache”    It is believed that before the scriptures were readily available this condensed teaching was used to train disciples in the essential teachings of Jesus and his apostles.

Historically the church underwent a major shift in doctrine when the Roman Emperor Constantine became a believer.  He brought his military mindset, and the “Hellenized” viewpoint (which means Greek religion, culture and philosophy) into the Church.  The church was no longer persecuted.  It began to prosper as it took on a new look.  Being influenced by the Roman government, the Church underwent a fundamental change. The Church now had people coming into the faith, not with repentant hearts, but with an opportunity for political gain, prestige and wealth, others came to avoid persecution. The Church entered into a  dark time.  The formerly persecuted Church became the persecutor.  People were forced to be baptized, or were killed.  The Church took on a worldly perspective. Coming to the Lord was no longer the great life threatening decision it was before.  The Church was filled with new pagan people who were not committed to God’s ways, for they were not true believers.  Their children were baptized into the faith as infants, so they were unable to make a commitment on their own. The pagans did not give up their traditions easily.  So they brought in their symbols, holidays, traditions, and culture into the Church. The teachings of Jesus were replaced with cultural traditions and pagan philosophies that had a “Christian make-over.” 

Today we see that the idea of mixing the world’s culture into the church continues.  Even the most basic teaching of man’s need to turn to the Lord in repentance, and the need for salvation has suffered.  Reaching the lost is no longer a priority.  

This is a common rationale:  

If Jesus died for everyone, then the whole world is saved.  No one has to do anything.  Salvation and heaven are automatic, with the exception of someone doing something “really bad,” like murder, or renouncing his faith.  In which case, the person goes to hell.  But anything short of that, the person would just go to purgatory, where he would wait for a family member to  offer prayers on his behalf, or until his penance was complete.

This is a perfect example of worldly and false doctrine taking precedence over the Word of God.  The fear of God is removed.  The fear of hell is removed.  The teaching on purgatory offers nothing but a safety net with a hole in it.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  Hosea 4:6  

We need to know the Word of God, the Bible.  We also need to know the one who is called the “Word of God,” Jesus the Messiah.  

“So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31-32

We are to be separate from the world, to be different from the world.  But the church has compromised with the world and taken on its culture, so that it no longer conforms to the teachings of Christ but has become a powerless entity.  The Lord’s power is only available to those who hold to his ways and renounce their  loyalties to the world view.  Our culture stands against God.  If we stand with the world, then we are standing against God.

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  James 4:4

“Do not love the world, or anything in the world, for if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.”  1 John 2:15-16

This morning in prayer the Lord gave me a vision that I believe dove-tails with what I have already written above.  I would like to share it with you. 

The Extension Cord

I saw a brown extension cord that was loosely laid–not bundled or tied.  It was not twisted or kinked, although it looked well used.  It was simply available and ready to use again.

I believe that this extension cord really speaks of our purpose in fulfilling God’s plan on this earth.  An extension cord allows the power that comes from a wall outlet or generator to flow through its length and provide power to something that is at a distance from the outlet.  

As believers, we are to be connected to the source of power, and that is God himself.  He is Almighty God.  He is powerful, and his ways are perfect.  He wants us to be a conduit of his power, his healing, salvation, peace and provision to the rest of the world.  He wants us to be his hands and feet on this earth, to give a cup of water in his name.

He wants us to reach people that are at a distance from him.  So many are going their own way and doing their own thing.  They do not realize that they need a savior.  They need to know him while living on this earth.  A time will come when they will stand before God, and if their names are not written in the Book of Life, they will go to hell.

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

It is imperative that we reach those who are lost, for we want no one to suffer in hell, separated from the love of God for all eternity.

So we are the extension cord that brings life and light to those who will receive the Lord through our message of the gospel of peace.  This is our very purpose.  It is what is called the “Great Commision.”  It is not just for a few, but for all of us who are believers.  We are all to share the gospel, to be a bridge, or an extension cord to connect someone who is far away from the Lord to invite him to draw close, and to know Him.  

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

So the Lord would have all of us share the gospel.  We are told to go, so we need to deny ourselves, deny our comforts, deny our fears, and simply go where, and to whom, the Lord sends us.  Everyone needs to know the Lord.  If we have love for people, we will open our mouths and the Lord will speak through us.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what will a man profit if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’”  Matthew 16:24-26

We know that to share the gospel with people takes the love of God, but it also takes boldness, holy boldness.  Before the disciples were baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit they were in the upper room with the door locked.  But after they were “clothed with power from on high,” they spoke boldly and proclaimed the “wonders of God,” in the many languages that were present in Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost.

Jesus knew that they needed his power to be able to proclaim the gospel and to overcome any obstacles to fulfilling the Great Commission.  That is why the disciples were told to stay in Jerusalem until they were to receive what the Lord had promised: His Holy Spirit.

The gospel of Luke reads:

 “He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’”  Luke 24:46-49

Paul wanted the gospel not to rest simply on words, but with a show of power, so that people would believe with resolve.    

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”  1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Paul knew there would be opposition to his preaching.  There would be naysayers, who would try to persuade a new believer to doubt, or second guess his belief in the Lord.  However, when someone sees a miracle and experiences the power of God for himself, he then is more secure in his faith, for he will not easily deny that what he saw was done by the power of God.  

“And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.”  Mark 16:20

The Lord baptizes us with fire and the Holy Spirit so that we also will have the power to witness, to share the gospel, to perform miracles, signs and wonders.  The Church should be working miracles.  But the American church seems to be falling short in this area.  We are not growing exponentially like other parts of the world.  What has gone wrong?

I believe that the word is “compromise.”  If we compromise with the world we will have no power.  If we water down the gospel or preach a social gospel, the Lord will not be in it.   I see churches saying things like:  “We are a friendly church with a friendly gospel.”   “We have “killer worship!” “We have great coffee and great fellowship.”  “We welcome all lifestyles.”

These churches who advertise like this are “seeker friendly.”  They are doing whatever seems to work to get people in the door.  Jesus never spoke like this.  He told the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.”   He told the rich young ruler, “Go and sell everything that you have, give to the poor and come follow me.”  He didn’t say, “Just name it and claim it!”  He did not give a “bless me” message.  He did not teach a prosperity gospel.  Today leaders of some churches are not building the kingdom of God, but are building their own little kingdoms with satellite churches carrying their branding.  Like Starbucks and McDonalds, they want their branding, their messages and their churches to have the same look, the same sound, the same style in teaching and in programs, so that they create an image that everyone will recognize.   This is their attempt at making a name for themselves and so that they are seen as “successful” in the eyes of the world.  They want to build a larger church, not so that people are saved and are set free of the bondages of sin.  No, it is so that their coffers will be filled to overflowing.  Some do it so that their denomination will reward them with honor and invite them to join the inner circles of influence.  

If you remember, the people on the plain of Shinar were tower builders doing much the same thing, wanting to create a name for themselves:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.  As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building.  The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.  That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world.  From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:1-9

The American church is not keeping and attracting people like elsewhere in the world.  I believe it is due to the image that the church has.  People will tell you that the church is filled with hypocrites.  People want peace; they want to be healed; they want to be loved.  But their experience at a “socially relevant” church may be instead, rejection, pain, and disillusionment. If the Church is all about making a name for themselves, they are no different than the world.  If there is no power in the Church what can the Church offer? Coffee, killer worship, powerless prayers, and “self-help” messages?

The church has become like the world. But not all churches are like this, Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!   There should be healing, miracles, and worship that is in Spirit and in Truth.  There should be godly fellowship and ministries to the poor and the sick, and deliverance for those who are oppressed and possessed.  It is time for the church to move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord wants to use us as an extension cord, to carry his divine power, love and mercy to reach those who have distanced themselves from God. We are to be his hands and feet, taking his message of salvation to the lost. We are to carry the power of God for divine healing, deliverance and provision. We are to yield ourselves to God so that he might direct his power through us, bringing glory to his name. That is what Jesus did. He brought glory to the Father, and as his disciples, we are to follow his lead. Can we surrender to his will and serve him wholeheartedly? Can we deny ourselves and just let him lead?

I remember years ago, the Lord showed me a couple dancing in each other’s arms.   I heard his voice say to me, “Will you let me lead?”  I knew right away that I was obviously doing my own thing and not following his lead.  Another time he said to me, “I keep my angels around you but you go your own way.”  I have asked the Lord to help me to know his will and submit to him fully.  I try to remember when there is a decision to make to say, “Not my will be yours be done.”  But there are times when I fall short and I wish I had just said, “Yes, Lord.”   So let’s all pray that as believers we will say, “Yes, Lord…

“Not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22:44  

This is what the Lord wants: our full devotion, holding nothing back, just surrendering ourselves to him.

We all need to be connected to the Lord, to hear his voice and to follow him.  Eternity is a long time and hell is a place to avoid.  Please share this message and the gospel with those you love, for I believe the time is short.  The Lord is returning.  We need to be ready!  Come Lord Jesus! Maranatha!