WE NEED A PRESENT DAY REFORMATION IN OUR CHURCHES!- From Dean

After being part of the street ministry on Alvarado street for the past several years, I've heard many times from believers say, "I could never do what you guys and gals do down town." Or "It's not my gift etc..." Whenever I hear people say things like that I think, do you really believe the promises of our Lord and Savior. In Philippians 4:13 it says that I (we the believer) can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (us). I think that our fear of man has paralyzed us into unbelief in the promises of Jesus. In Jeremiah 1:5-6 God tells Jeremiah that He knew him before He formed him in the belly, and sanctified him in the womb, and ordained him as a prophet to the nations. Yet Jeremiah in verse 6 says "Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak for I am a child." 7 God tells him to not say that he is just a child, but go to all that I shall send you, and whatsoever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. 

Just as God knew Jeremiah before the belly, He also knew us and gives us the same promises. He commands us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Why then don't we believe His promise, that He'd be with us always. And not to fear man. Why do we still fear when God commands us not to fear? Why do we continue to be shaken with the things of this world? He tells us to be in the world, but not of the world. What I'm getting at is this, the gospel that is being taught in many of today's churches, is lukewarm at best. There's little or no conviction in the message as well as little accountability to our walk as Christians. 

Church discipline is almost non existent. We had a pastor stand in for our pastor this weekend and he taught on Revelation regarding the church of Philadelphia and the Laodicean church. At the end of his message he asked, what church are we? I thought to myself, we'd be vommitted out of his mouth. Now that may offend many, but if were being honest and examined ourself to the scriptures, we'd see that we were vomit and repent and get busy to the things of God. Jesus tells them in Rev. 3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." May we all learn from the scriptures the entire truth and stop settling for the watered down version of His Holy Word. I pray that GOD would raise up men today such as Luther and others to bring about a new present day Reformation. Now that would bring about true revival!

C.T. Studd (British Missionary who served in China, India and Africa between 1860-1931) said "We Christians too often substiture prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism... To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God. Quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. ENLIST!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
Dean