Christianity in the United States is in trouble. We all feel it. Something is wrong and we can't quite put our finger on it. Many respond by blaming our ills on the Word of Faith, liberals, the emergent church, and the cults. They are not the problem. We have to stop blaming everyone else and look to ourselves. What can we do?
#1 We need to stop.
Once we realize that a problem exists, we need to stop what we're doing. We cannot go any further. We must quit what we are doing. The problem is, when anyone tries to suggest that there is a problem, people consider it an attack and experience a leap of faith and go on the offensive. We need to stop reading the commentaries and quit the mindset, "well, I was taught this..." or "I was never taught that."
#2 We need to unlearn what we have learned.
I know this sounds Buddhist. We need to stop living our parent's faith or the faith of others. Many people inherit the faith of the previous generation, but never make it their own. I am not suggesting that we repaint the Christian faith or even go back to vintage Christianity. What I am saying as that we need to abandon the cliches and catch phrases and consider what we believe.
#3 We need to go back.
The church needs o go back to the Scripture. We need to reread the entire Bible straight from Genesis to Revelation. We need to read it for ourselves. We need to stop reading books about the Bible, or hearing sermons on the Bible but to actually read it. Jesus told the disciples on the road to Eumaeus all the verses that pertained to him. (Matthew 24:27) We need to read the Bible with Christ in mind. We need to read the Bible with thoughts on God's plan for history. We need to know the Bible. We don't need to know about the Bible, but know what it says.
#4 We need to believe the Bible. We need to live the Bible. We need to confess our sins and obey the Bible, even the parts we don't like. If we obey the Bible completely, things will happen. I want to see this. I want revival. I fear we don't really want it because we put limitations on God. If we trust and obey, things will change. The question is, will we?
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