Awaken Pt2
For more messages and resources by Cameron Conway visit https://conwaychristianresources.com
So how should we be acting now knowing this. Like I said in the eyes of the world we are the enemy. Maybe we should start acting like it. This is an unusual statement I know but it’s one worth considering. Lets look at what Jesus said in John 15:19
”If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”
We are not part of the world anymore, we are the lights in the darkness. Isn’t that the words of our King? Now back to what I was getting at. We the church should be the aggressors, not the world. We should be on the offensive attacking the gates of the enemy. Not hiding behind our own gates. We should be the ones taking ground and pillaging the harvest. Not the ones hiding in caves eating moss. We are the children of the Most High God, Sons and joint heirs with the King of the Universe. It’s time we stand up and take what is ours. In movies the plot goes; the bad guys come to invade the good kingdom and the whole movie is the good guys resisting to the invaders to restore the peace they had before. I think for far too long the church of Jesus Christ has taken the mentality of defending the castle from the invaders of the world and other false gods. We believe that by “turtleing” the world will come to us with open arms begging for salvation. We have become so obsessed with the status quo that we are afraid of loosing all we have, in order to get the lost or even to have our own hearts cleansed by the power of Holy Spirit. We are locked in “a permanent quasi-comatose damage control obsession.” Where what we have already is good enough. We don’t have revival because we are content to live without it. The sick stay sick because we are content with their suffering, as long as they don’t cough on us. We are content with the world going to hell, because we don’t want the responsibility. We laugh at the world on fire and we refuse to put out the profane fire. We gloat at the torrents of sin destroying the world and scoffingly say, “God you do something about it, because I wont. I could get some soot or ash on me and I don’t want to stain these new carpets.” Our refusal to look outside our individual churches has crippled our ability to touch the world. We pray a minute here and there for revival, but refuse to take any real action, and then we get frustrated when God doesn’t answer in 30 minutes or less. We have more faith and patience for Pizza Hut than we do with the King of kings.
What was the last thing Jesus said to use before he ascended? Was it, hide in the mountains until I come? Or was it, build churches until all men know me? No, Jesus our Savior says it very clearly, so clearly that some people try and take it out of the Bible, here in Mark 16:15-20
“15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Just look at the first word He says, “GO” not plan, not plot, not try, not sympathize, He said ‘GO, into ALL the world” not just the inner city, not just where the Whites are, not just your tribe, not just your nation. He said ALL the World. And those apostles went to the nations and within 40 years the gospel of the kingdom proceeded from Ethiopia to Brittan and from Spain to India. And now He commands us to PREACH the GOSPEL, not our opinions of dispensational tribulationism and the reflecting influences of flying pigs. No, we are to preach the gospel, the simple saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Which doesn’t get any simpler than Romans 10:8-11
“8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
That’s it, what is so frightening about these 3 verses? What is it in us and our lives that shutters and shakes at the possibility of speaking these verses to an unbeliever? Personally, it was these very words in the book of Romans, that pushed me over the edge into the Kingdom God 10 years ago. Where are the preachers? Where are the proclaimers of the Gospel? Where are the evangelists? Where are the prophets? Where are the Sent Ones (literal translation for apostle)? Are we so obsessed with our 21st century Apostles that we forget all the ones that have come before them, the teachers, the shepherds, the proclaimers, the watchmen. Where are they? Where are we? Jesus himself made His ways so simple that only a child could grasp it. Why then do we keep silent, why do we hide in church buildings. Why do we chase after the newest author at the book store and ignore the Author of our lives?
We have all the tools, power and authority; why are we hiding? Why are we waiting for something to happen? I believe it’s time to stand up for our God and our faith for ourselves. But what does that look like? We all have our own microcosm of what it could look like or what it should look like based on our limited interpretation of something we can’t really grasp or even acknowledge with our intellect. We preach the Kingdom of God, yet remain clueless to what it actually is. Ask most people what the Kingdom of God is and they will speak in a foreign dialect I call Christianese. They will say, “the kingdom of God is inside us.”, or “it is peace love an joy in the Holy Ghost”. We answer as such because deep down we really don’t know. We don’t know how to truly verbalize the Kingdom of God, so we tie together a couple of sentence fragments we heard at church. Oblivious to any real physical demonstration of the Kingdom (literally the territory or people over whom a king rules), have we forgotten:
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power
Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
We have intertwined the “kingdom” with each of our individual churches. Which is a presumptuous and wrong statement. The church is the means to spread the Kingdom, which is His power to set the captives free, to heal the sick, and raise the physically and spiritually dead. His authority over the devil (or Lucy the Loser as I prefer to call him). His authority over our greatest enemy, sin, and the death that follows it where ever it goes. His salvation to all mankind either Jew or Greek, free or slave, civilized or barbarian. The Kingdom is the domain of the King here on earth today. Have we forgotten the Lords Prayer where Jesus says “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is Heaven. This is the revelation of the Kingdom, it is the physical manifestation of His power, sovereignty, will, and authority. And it is here now! Not tomorrow, not 7 years from now, the kingdom is here now, it is here now. Not in the sweet bye and bye, it is here NOW! Jesus said 2000 years ago in Matthew 10:7 ”And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And again in Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” And also in Luke 10:9And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. And most importantly here in Luke 17:20-21
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
IT IS HERE! Right now, today and 2000 years ago, within each and every one of us. We are the temples (the literal containers) of the Holy Spirit and we are the walking territory of the King of kings. Ever expanding, never receding, bowing only to our Savior. Ambassadors of the Eternal One, warriors of Love and Peace fighting not with swords but hearts, lips and hands. Willfully bound to follow the commandments of Jesus Christ. I dare you to read Matthew 10:7 “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And then look upon Luke 9:2 “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” The same power and authority rests upon us, once we are washed from our sins and filled with the power and presence of the Trinity. I challenge you to read the book of Acts and ask “why not me? Why not now?” Let us all write our lives in 29th chapter of Acts. The nations and our nation are in our grasps. Will we go out of our homes? Will we venture out of our churches and cell groups? Will we pray as those who ushered in the Welsh and Hebridean Revivals? Will we be the kindling fire for Revival, nay a Revolution. Will we stand? Will we pray? And will we march upon our knees?
To be continued
For more messages and resources by Cameron Conway visit https://conwaychristianresources.com
