CELEBRATING HIS LIFE MINISTRIES

“THE REAL SIGN WE ARE IN THE LAST DAYS”
(A Prophetic Perspective - by Al Thomas)

AS OF THIS DATE MUCH OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH STILL HAS IT’S GRAVE CLOTHES ON. LET’S PULL BACK THE STONE SO WE CAN SEE INSIDE THE TOMB. WATCH OUT THOUGH, ‘SHE STILL STINKETH’ (John 11:39).

I was re-reading an issue of On Mission magazine: The United States is the third largest unchurched nation in the world. Only China and India are larger. North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. Seven out of ten people in North America do not know Christ. More than 70 percent of all churches in the United Sates are remaining at the same level or declining. Half of all churches last year did not add one member through conversion growth. While the U.S. population grew by 11.4 percent over the last 10 years, church growth declined by 9.5 percent. You may say, “Al, you’ve got to be positive, not negative. Encourage people; don’t talk about things that make people feel bad.” Folks, I am an encourager. But wanting to see people saved is the most encouraging thing in the world (Luke 15:7). Encourage I will, but tell the truth I must: Too many have lost a burden for the lost…

1. MANY IN THE AMERICAN CHURCH HAVE A TWISTED THEOLOGY…

In the eighties we had the ‘me generation’. Now we have the ‘me church’. Many ‘church going people’ are more concerned about themselves instead of the lost. When we have a ‘move’ of the Holy Spirit, most become more interested in the ‘move’ rather than ‘taking that move into the harvest.’ Many want ‘a word from God’ but have no desire to share the Word to the lost. Today, there are countless conferences around the country designed to ‘Help you hear from God’ or to ‘Launch you into your potential’ or ‘How you can move in the gifts God has for you’ etc. I have nothing against these meetings, I minister in them! But if the early church leaders could see us today they would ask: ‘Why are you enjoying the desert (giftings) and ignoring the meat (evangelism)?’ How about some conferences on , ‘How to Reach the Lost?’ or ‘How to Reach Your Neighbor for Christ?’ We have more bibles, books, devotionals and Christian music than ever before. We have ka-zillions of Christian web sites and thousands of sermon resources. Any minister can go on line today and get endless sermons without ever opening his bible. (Sorry, the anointing is not guaranteed with the sermon). Folks, it’s not about us. It’s about the lost (Matt. 11:18; Luke 15:4, 19:10). We’ve got to take our head out of the sand.

2. THE REAL SIGN WE ARE IN THE LAST DAYS… Although there are many, Jesus zeroed in on one more than any other. “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). Four times, just in Matthew 24, Jesus mentioned the danger of believers in the last days being deceived. What are many believers deceived about? They are deceived about the real purpose for the church: To bring people to Christ. At this point in history we need to recall Jesus asking Peter (three times) “Do you love Me?” In John 14:21 Jesus said, “Anyone who obeys My commandments, is the one who loves Me.” What are the commandments? He gave many, but the top three are: Love God, love your neighbor and go into the entire world and preach the gospel. This proves our love for Jesus.

3. WHAT WE CAN DO… Pray for Church leaders. Every minister’s number one priority should be making disciples and teaching them how to save the lost (Matt. 28: 19, 20; Mark 16:15). Some make an effort in this direction but quit if they do not see results right away, but people misunderstand that this is where the devil will fight the hardest. Thank God there are some wonderful, sacrificial believers who are doing the real work of the Gospel. They have thrown themselves into the heart and purpose of God: Winning souls. Yes, seek the gifts (1 Cor. 14:1) but seek souls above everything! At the first Pentecost, after people where filled with Spirit, people where saved… That is what Pentecost is really all about, POWER TO WIN THE LOST. People say, "I don’t have a burden." Folks, the flesh never wants to serve God. Hell is real. We don’t need to pray for more prophets or apostles…we need to pray for laborers for the harvest (Luke 10:2), that people will catch a burden for the lost and receive revelation on how to go about it successfully. I know people have problems and God will help us but the biggest problem anyone will ever have is to miss heaven. Please pray for the American church and its leaders. Don’t pray for them to have a vision of heaven, but of hell. The Devil’s greatest deception is for Christians to be dulled in their hearts for the lost... Some may not like to hear this, some may get upset at me and accuse me of being negative, but it needs to be shouted from the roof tops…and if we don’t, one day multitudes will say:

“THE HARVEST IS PAST, THE SUMMER IS ENDED, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED” Jer. 8:20