As part of our series on Church Growth God has placed it on my heart that we deviate, temporarily for one more week and stick with the topic of “REVIVAL” within the Body of Christ, after which we will return to alternating between the Church Growth and Proverbs postings.

The last of the questions posed in the introduction to this revival mini-series was the following. Has God given up on the American Church? If so, why? If not, would He ever give up on a portion of the Body of Christ, the American Church?

God has not now, nor would He ever, give up on the American Church. For that matter God would never give up on any portion of the Body of Christ or even one single Believer in Christ until the day of His Second Coming. God continually works within the spirit, soul, heart, and mind of each Believer, then those Believers as a collective group known as the Body until His Will and Purpose is accomplished or until an individual has completely renounce Christ. God will continually move His people toward His Will and Purpose to the degree and at the speed their freewill will allow Him to do so for God works within the freewill system He created.

As an individual and as a Body we need to study Revelation Chapter 2 and 3, very thoroughly and slowly. We need to learn about, become intimately acquainted with, begin to recognize, begin to pray for the loveless, the persecuted, the compromising, the corrupt, the dead, the faithful, and the lukewarm church. We must be willing to recognize our place among them as a person, congregation, spiritual square (community), and Body seeking God’s face for forgiveness and revival.

As you read through chapters two and three from the Book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ I will leave you with a thought or two after the Scripture addresses each church. Please note the Scripture is in bold font and my notes are in italic font.

Revelation 2–3 (NKJV) (Jesus speaking)

The Loveless Church

2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

It is possible to mix many godly works with ungodly actions. We can spend far too much time around the things of God and not embrace our love relationship with God and each other as Believers in Christ. There are those individuals who even need to return to the very basics of their relationship with Christ from which they have slipped.

The Persecuted Church

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’

It is our responsibility to be faithful to Christ until our death, whether we are suffering persecution or not, whether we die by the hand of persecution of not. Apathy is a killer and thus for many individuals persecution will keep their faith stronger than peace and ease – the church has always grown through persecution and the American Church is suffering some forms of persecution today.

The Compromising Church

¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³ “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The compromises to the gods of a people’s society, the American Church’s greatest sin, they have compromised the Truths of God’s Word in order to blend in “peacefully” some would say, more aptly stated, apathic-ally with their society.

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ¹⁹ “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²² Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

²⁷ ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him the morning star.

²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

We do not like to think about the fact that within American there are many corrupt churches, but they are very many of them. Their motive is the service of self, the service of the leader or leaders not the service of Christ and His people. They manipulate, attempt to control, and misuse their membership for which God will one day see they pay.

The Dead Church

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. ³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ⁴ You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

⁶ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Those congregation in which God’s spirit cannot be found or barely dwells. Once dead can someone be revived? If you are in a dead church do not remain until your spirit is dead.

The Faithful Church

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: ⁸ “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹ Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹ Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

¹³ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

To remain faithful when all around you, within your congregation, within your square (community) or within your country are falling away is a monumental task only possible through the strength of our Lord Jesus, the Christ. Yet, to remain faithful, to persevere, to continue with God regardless in the face of anything and everything is what we must do – it is our greatest form of worship and God makes His love for those faithful individuals known.

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²² “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

Beware to the apathic, to the self-reliant, to those individuals who call themselves saved yet are indifferent to the things of God, the lukewarm, the spiritual blind – to God you are vomit – yet, God in His infinite mercy and grace still wants back on the throne of your life. Listen to His chastisement and rebuke, wake up, remove your blinders, and come back to a meaningful relationship with Jesus.

The following three statements will end each posting, I hunger for your feedback on all three.

Father…

"Complete the reformation."

I want to hear your thoughts on the above statement. What comes to your spirit, your heart, your mind, when you hear the words, “Complete the Reformation” – what does it mean to you?

Son…

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “revival” in one way as, “restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract).”

That is exactly what God wants to do, restore the force that Christianity once was in America, making it a viable leading force in America again thus restoring its validity, and use that force and validity to effect His change on this Great Nation. God has a contract with every Believer upon which He will not falter. God had, and has, a contract with this Nation, “One Nation Under God” a nation formed under the guidance of God, a contract that He intends to see to it is upheld.

Holy Ghost…

This what I hear God saying to His Body, “Revival will come through a purity of faith.”

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.