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Hello my name is Jerral Campfield and this web site is dedicated to Moral Recognition Therapy using Biblical principles. Please come back often to join me in understanding Gods hands are outstretched still to forgive. |
Don't fall away or be deceived! |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 20 August 2021 |
A massive falling away from the faith will be a mark of churches devoid of supernatural power. Matthew 24:4-13 New King James Version 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, [b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. It's time for a dramatic shift from seeker-sensitive churches to remnant-sensitive churches in our nation. There is an army of supernaturally minded followers of Jesus looking for their tribe, and there are few churches that pass the test. Revelation 7:9 A Multitude from the Great Tribulation After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, All that is natural or done in human power isn't bad by default. Mankind, whether Christian or not, can do much good simply by, well, doing good. We can feed the hungry, serve sacrificially, give extravagantly, smile, hug, encourage, befriend and do much good for mankind. In the church realm we can pray for the sick, visit shut-ins, teach the Bible, pass out gospel tracts, attend small groups and much more that doesn't necessarily require the power of God to accomplish. Of course, when we add God's power to any of the above, the impact is dramatically different. Naturally Driven Churches Abound When church-shopping, if people were honest, they would commonly admit they are looking for a variety of things. Topping the lists of many in search of a new church home are good children's and youth ministries, dynamic and skillful worship, excellent teaching, the ability to develop new relationships and a welcoming environment. In fact, church growth strategies tend to be natural versus supernatural as they focus on how we can meet the demands of the customers (current and potential church members). An article on the Smart Church Management website titled 7 Keys to Church Growth zeroes in on what is humanly achievable. 1. Know where the Church is going. 2. Create an inviting atmosphere. 3. Create a welcoming Spirit. 4. Care for Church members. 5. Provide opportunities to serve. 6. Proper managing of finances 7. Enjoying the ride. Again, all that is humanly possible isn't unbiblical or inappropriate. Natural methods, secular strategies and ideals found in the business world can, at times, be applied in the spiritual world. Some of the keys to church growth mentioned include creating an inviting atmosphere, creating a welcoming experience, care for church members and providing opportunities to serve. There's not a thing wrong with any of this, except that what matters most wasn't mentioned. Nurturing the supernatural manifestation of the presence of God didn't make the list. Naturally driven churches abound from coast to coast in this nation. You'll hear a lot about great coffee, vibrant community and programs for the entire family. In fact, many err on the side of caution by downplaying the supernatural. The risk of alienating visitors or conservative members is too high to allow it. Tragically, the risk of alienating God isn't often considered. Crisis Will Overwhelm the Naturally Minded You'll know a supernatural church when crisis hits. Supernaturally driven believers will respond radically differently to crisis than those who aren't living, walking, praying and governing in the Spirit. Without developing a history in God that's marked by fervent intercession, intense devotion, great faith and openness to the moving of the Holy Spirit, people will default to what makes sense in the natural realm. Without a supernatural mindset, it will be impossible to respond to crisis as God intends. Natural strategies won't work. Panic will set in. Fear will dominate. This will be followed up by lost faith and angry fists raised to heaven. A failure to live in the otherworldly, supernatural place of signs, wonders and miracles will result in a devastating lack of spiritual tools in people's toolbelts when they are most needed. The church's failure to equip people in the Holy Spirit is more eternally costly than we can imagine. Satan is raging, and there is no natural response that will slow him down. A powerless church births powerless Christians who are primed to be easily devoured by the hounds of hell. The Demise of the Seeker-Sensitive Church If we put on our marketing hats, it makes sense to target the largest segment of society. Coke, Nike, Disney and other companies want their products or services enjoyed by as many people as possible. Pastors want people in the seats. The quickest way to make that happen, one would presume, is to target the largest segment of those who are most prone to visit. Seekers are everywhere and some will show up on Sunday morning if the services are welcoming, comfortable and definitely not weird. Eliminate the supernatural and they may come.
This strategy must end. The end-time church is a church on fire, not a comfortable living room where we can put up our feet, eat some snacks and watch the show. The Holy Spirit isn't drawing seekers into a tepid environment. That like giving people money to come to Church, Or giving entertainment. God is not looking to ease people into a new life in Christ. God is calling all to the cross, to full surrender and right into the furnace of His presence. When seekers are introduced to God in a way that's naturally understandable, the dive into the often bizarre, intense, all-consuming activity of the Holy Spirit is nonsensical to them. Such an experience becomes unnecessary if they, after all, have already "said yes" to Jesus in a costless, comfortable environment. Hearing God's voice, dreams, visions, encounters, being baptized in the Holy Spirit, spiritual warfare, casting out demons, moving in the gifts of the Spirit and so much more becomes unnecessary to those who "got saved" in a comfortable, nonthreatening, naturally driven church. Church on Fire Arise! The end-time church is a remnant church. It's time we stop appealing to the general population to build kingdoms of man and start calling in those who are ready to make a total surrender and advance the kingdom of God. The remnant firebrands are desperately looking for their home base. They want to find their fellow soldiers who are ready to move ahead with precision against the wickedness in our nation. They aren't looking for churches with trendy youth ministries, the best coffee shops or even great worship or teaching. The remnant is looking for the fire of the Holy Spirit. They want to know if intercession drives the ministry. A specific, world-changing, divine vision is crucial. The pursuit of the wonders of God is paramount. An extremely prophetic atmosphere is nonnegotiable. Great faith and extreme devotion to the Word of God are critical. These end-time warriors refuse to play games, and they won't stand for lesser things getting in the way of the greater mission. Coffee, friendships and programs become laughable as foundations to build on. The time is now for a massive reset to come to the church. We have Ichabod churches dotting our nation and many others that do have a heartbeat yet refuse to dive into the depths of the fire. We need an Acts 2 church that is volcanic, supernatural and radiating in immeasurable power. How does this happen? Become remnant-sensitive. Gather in those who are ready to lay it all down and contend with tears for God to move. Pastors must shift dramatically and refuse, ever again, to make decisions based on how the people will respond. The idolatry of filled pews must be repented of. The fear of offending the tithers must cease. The focus on keeping everybody happy can't continue. We need the supernatural church to arise in these dire end-times. Without a prophetic mantle and the ability to advance in extreme Holy Spirit power, we have no hope. However, if we start training people in the fire and advance as a burning end-time army, kingdoms of darkness will shatter. And finally, we won't have to function as time-share salespeople, giving gifts and promising all sorts of benefits to those mildly interested in God if they sign on the dotted line. The seekers will witness undeniable supernatural power and the Holy Spirit will overwhelm them as they hit their knees and cry, "Holy!" As you pastor for the past 13 year we have adopted the theme as DNA. Divinely called to Nurture all apostles for Christ and we are seeing people dedicated to growing in their relationship with the Lord for which we say thank you Lord. We have seen people come and go and only God knows the reason, yes I personal know the reason some left and it is for the simple reason they do not want to get closer to the Lord and are very uncomfortable with who they are as being created by God. We get what we want and many want more of the Holy Spirits power that the reason we have been spending time in Acts 1 and 2 the last 2 months. It is the Holy Spirit that draws us to want to know the Lord and it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us for service. I know Jim Lowell who is going to be ministering the next few Sunday knows the Power of the Holy Spirit and we will be praying for all of you who are present that the Spirit of God will refresh and illuminate you to higher heights and greater depths. Pray for us that God will give us traveling mercy and favor wherever we might be. Ginny was asked to come and be with our Granddaughter Fe Max’s wife while she has her baby. So it is going to be a very special time for us. I will be giving devotions at 6 am and 5 pm as often as possible, just to let other know about the Love of God to take away our sins. |
Copyright 2005 Jerral Campfield, All rights reserved.
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