'Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place—unless you repent.' Revelation 2:5Transformation is always marked with three things: [1] repentance [2] decreased crime rate and [3] increased welfare.
If revival only happens in one church denomination, it is not a transformation. It is a transformation, though, if revival happens in one city and the crime rate decreases.
The key to transformation is the church’s repentance. We have to know that a nation’s restoration is God’s work. When we unite, a restoration will happen, because that is the time when God comes to restore us. (2 Chronicles 7:14) - God will be there and fight for us. No one is able to restore a nation other than God.
If churches are not united, we can’t change a nation. The churches which have understood this concept will respond to this call. It’s our duty to enlighten churches which have not understood this concept. We have to enlighten the churches: from one city to other cities, from one church to other churches, so that repentance can happen and the denomination which considers itself as the best denomination will be able to unite with the body of Christ.
The most effective tool to unite the churches is prayer. Through prayer, God will lead the churches to forgive and pray for each other – and as a result reconciliation and repentance will happen. So prayer is the tool that binds us.
Church’s repentance is marked by a paradigm change: that churches are not just the buildings.
There are two points for the unity of the body of Christ for the glory of Christ. First, the servants of God are willing to sit together and humble themselves and pray and fast so that God will visit them and make all the leaders and congregation turn from their wicked ways. Second, when we pray to seek God’s face (the phase when God listens our prayers) and forgive each other, restoration will happen. What does it mean? It means transformation will happen if there are unity, humility, prayer & fasting.
If churches unite, God will be there. If God is there, He will restore. It means that transformation will be followed by souls’ repentance. It means there will be great harvest. We have to prepare the barns and the harvesters as many as possible.
Human programs will enable a church to grow, even though it will not be a healthy way. According to data, transformation happens not because of a program, but because of God’s visitation.
The period before year 2000 was the era of local church. After year 2000 is the era of the Kingdom of God. We can’t have a feeling that our church is the best church. We have to repent from this kind of feeling. These days we are entering the Kingdom of God’s era. If we understand this concept, we will see other brothers and sisters from different churches with different perspective.
If we are talking about the growth of local church, the measurement is the number of congregation in the church. Sometimes we make a mistake in applying God’s will. If we are talking about the growth of perfect Kingdom of God, the measurement is community’s transformation, city’s transformation and nation’s transformation.
If churches want to please God and be blessed, they need to enter and stay focused on transformation inside the era of the Kingdom of God. The movement era in God’s church nowadays is “super team” where churches can’t work alone – God is moving his servants from many denominations to become a solid team who can be used as transformers. Churches will be prepared as transformers who will transform the nations and become a blessing for many nations.
Essence:
If churches are not united, they can’t change a nation.
Points to achieve the unity of the body for Christ’s glory are:
1. God’s servants want to sit together, humble themselves and fast so that God’s visitation will happen and the leaders and congregation will turn away from their wicked ways.
2. We pray to God to seek His face [this is the phase when God listens to our prayers] and then forgive others. Restoration will happen afterwards.
In order to make transformation happen, there must be unity, humility and fasting and prayer.
Reflection:
How is our relationship with other churches in the city? Is it good and close? Is there any distrust and jealousy?
Commitment:
To make transformation happens in my nation; I will build a relationship, work and unite with other body of Christ.
Taken from the book “Transformation Journey” By Dr. Ir. Niko Njotorahardjo & Iman Santoso Ph.D(From the Transform World Movement See: http://transform-world.net/
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2 comments:
This is good kitty.
Repentance is the starting key. Just note repentance means one acknowledges that they are not good enough in the eyes of God, a sinner giving God the finger. Its a criticism ! Which is good. In a world that looks like happy happy joy when its dying and cancerous in self and eternally in the eyes of God, we need to call on the Spirit to do what Jesus has promised:
John 16:8-11
...the Spirit will convict the world of sin, judgement and righteousness...
Before progress can be made, we need to acknowledge ""sin"" (might = any us and them mentality) that divides and turns our eyes from Jesus. Usually the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. This isn't necessarily talking about sexual things. Lust is any extreme inordinate desire- food, ego, church, sport, happiness, anything apart from true satisfaction or contentment in Christ.
In our churches these things usually manifest in prejudice. For example we create leaders, when God says He is the only leader. John 8:12. Well say we're protecting the flock by suppressing critical individuals, when what we're doing is justifying our position and prejudice.
Some think we are better than others in being married or secure and put others down or slander others, labelling them 'emotional' or weak, as if that is a negative thing, or whatever, when they are in fact a human being like anyone else, not 'emotional' but a human being -Adama- made in the image of God, equal in every way to them in the eyes og God.
It reflects a sortof autism in people, typical of psychopathic business managers- so common. So one can't thrive, or have a relationship, marriage or public acceptance. These people advertise lust, as they make their 'blessed' and superior status in material and worldly eyes, the sign of faith and closeness to God. This is prosperity doctrine in its worst form. It is also a case of lowering others to make oneself look greater as a leader or authority. It is extreme sin in the worst form.
It is the antithesis of God's love. You will find this to be the overarching paradigm of the world and now even the church. Its funny how these people claim others are sinful when they react to this paradigm, also claiming they are not gentle when oppressed by seeming neo-noughties-pharisees.
Then you have the normals, the robots. These crazy people think that God is some type of deistic machine. With their positivist bent and bibliolatory, they put Jesus in their box, distant and disempowered, and place themselves in it too. While God knocks on their box, the spring seems to be broken and they don't even pop up as the jokers that they are. This might be like Revelation Laodicea that shuts God out, or Ephesus where they think they are ok !
These lack faith and are not relational. These are the safe Christians that love legalism, system, rules, organisations and beaurocracy. We're ok they say ! But none of us is ok. Providence is no excuse for sin ! Repentance of all is necessary, because we all fall short of God's glory- His Love, our hearts don't yearn for our maker or His presence. Our lips don't sing praise for the only thing- the blood of Christ and His mediation, that saves us from the second death, and the anger of God that we so deserve.
They think that they are a superior form of Christian. While good management theory in negative phenomena like 'groupthink' show and the gospels indicate that God's ways are not our ways. These broken jack in the box people think they are the real deal, are accepted as the real deal because of some administrative nouce. Yet they oppose God, with their great reputations and positive thinking.
These think they are good at relationships, but infact people see them as being semi-false and contrived, unable to really empathise with a world that makes God mourn, cry and even send His son to die for.
Let's transform Melbourne,starting with the superior Christians who mock God's eye and heart for the World. (John 3:16)
Then we can truly love each other without this us and them- leader and lacky, disciple and disciplee- Jesus is our only saviour and teacher and friend, we are only His disciples.
ps 1. Its good you found that line about programs- I read this too somewhere. The same idea is in a book on basic Theology- I'll try to find it. Programs are generally there to prove some administrative ego- it ""can be"" a very worldly thing. People start defending position and office, rather than Christ. It takes our eyes off the prize.
ps 2. one danger in this business is the emphasis on churches. Its not about churches. Jesus says I will build my church. But theres a good article by Timmins on the weakness in our all too common angle on this, check it out:
http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/25_3_PDFs/timmons.pdf
That statement should be in the hearts of every christian so that it will always be a reminder to us that we are only saved by 'grace' And by constant communion in prayer with God will be the only way that this world can change it's un-Righteous laws. As we are called children of God we must show it to a nation that is in need of Hope,Change and Joy in a future that looks very bleak indeed. Only through the Holy Spirit can we gain strength to Unite together in All denominations. For as we know??God the Father loves us all who believe in His Son Jesus. I in prayer already bout it, I long to see this come about for Our City of Melbourne, and I know it will happen. Mark;10:27, "....:for with God all things are possible.
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