Grassroots Christianity

Recently I read a powerful testimony of a Ukrainian physicist turned pastor and church planter in the Charisma Online Magazine. Valeriy Reshetinsky survived the horrific state persecution of the 70's and remembers the secret church meetings, beatings from state hired thugs and waiting five years just to get his own Bible. He also remembers a prophecy given back in those days about how communism was going to end in his Russian country and that someday the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be preached in stadiums across his homeland.

Valeriy has lived to see that day. He now pastors a 2,500 member church in Kiev that has mothered another 150 churches in the Ukraine.

His plea to Americans? He states, "Please don't allow the United States to become like Western Europe. Don't allow it to become secular. Please keep America a Christian nation."

That begs the question - how can we do that? How can we contribute to keeping America from slipping into the chasm of Godlessness the way Western Europe has? Well some would argue that we are there right now, but having visited Europe, I can assure you that we are not - not yet anyway. But we are heading down that same path for sure.

Here's what I believe we must do:

1. Pray. We still have the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." As we often say around here - if we don't pray we won't have anything. Only through prayer will things change.

2. Go Grass Roots. Each and every believer must be intent on reaching one life at a time. There is much nonsense being taught today about Christians taking over the government and institutions of higher learning, etc. This is both un-scriptural and non-productive. Jesus has called us to make disciples one life at a time. Until every Christian makes it their business to not only witness to unbelievers, but then disciple them we will never see a change in our nation.

3. Rely On The Holy Spirit. We don't need to hear the 'prophetic' voice today near as much as we need to get back to listening to the Third Person of the trinity. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. The Book of Acts is filled with stories of how the fledgling church grew and did the miraculous because they listened daily to the Spirit of God. Churches that would espouse themselves to be New Testament churches must begin to emphasize the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or we are in danger of not seeing the Fire of God passed down to the next generation. Jesus told us that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit was primarily for the purpose of reaching the lost. It's time to toss human engineered growth and fall on our faces before a Holy God.

4. Love. After the greatest command of loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, Jesus gave us the second greatest commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. There are many ways to show the love of Jesus Christ in everyday living. Last week I was trying to get off of the highway and apparently got in the way of someone in a bigger hurry than I was. This guy pulled up beside me and gave me the 'business' for a moment. After he pulled past me I saw the Christian fish symbol on the back of his truck. I looked over at my twelve year old daughter who was sitting next to me and said, "Ni-ice". Glad it was me that saw that outburst and not someone who didn't yet know Jesus. Actions like that contribute to the belief of many that having Jesus makes no difference in your life. I still cling to a little theology I learned as a child, "If you're saved and you know then your life will surely show it..." We must move out of the zone of the typical, and begin to show the love of Jesus in greater measure to the world around us.

Let's resolve to make a difference today in our world!