Here is another good one, thought!
> NOTE: Darren Smith runs an extensive ministry to the homeless
> in Galveston, Texas - and is currently speaking with Andrew
> Strom throughout the Southern states.
>
> FIVE POINTS of REVOLUTION
> -by Darren Smith.
>
> After much prayer, I have decided to release these points of revolution.
> I pray that you will pray over them and let God show you what to
> do. Time is short, we must act now.
>
> 1. We must return to the pure faith that Christ ordained for us to
> follow. Man has complicated faith to the point it is hard to find true
> faith on this earth. We have far too many man-made doctrines that
> lead us away from true simple faith. We have sought after knowledge
> to the point that knowledge has taken place above Christ. From this,
> the simple relational Gospel has been lost and replaced by systems
> of religion that are only designed to build themselves.
>
> More people are concerned with their doctrine than carrying out the
> work of Christ on this earth. We have very educated people who
> have a great head knowledge of Christ but lack the heart knowledge
> that fruits of the Spirit flow from. These doctors of Theology put on
> a show week after week, letting their preaching skills dazzle the
> people, but their fruit never shines forth. Let's get real. How many
> of these men would preach if their salary was taken away?
>
> From these halls of religion, men echo a self-centered gospel that
> really is no gospel at all, it brings forth no fruit. Today's church has
> become a business simply put, putting out products to enrich itself.
> It has become a Babylonian institution that only a revolution can
> change. We must stop feeding the monster.
>
> Pure simple faith is Loving God and Loving our neighbor. Do we
> love God if we don't obey His commands? Jesus said that we don't.
> If we are not doing the things Christ said, we are not in obedience.
> Jesus taught us to live a life of simplicity building relationships
> and making disciples, not building lavish buildings and a comfortable
> life for our self. Are we loving our neighbor when we overlook his
> needs? Would God rather us use our money to build temples and
> ministry payrolls or to feed the hungry and take care of widows and
> orphans? Would HE rather us buy the system's books and tapes
> or spend our money spreading the Gospel to the lost? Shouldn't
> our resources go to the work of the ministry? This will anger those
> that are changing money in the name of the Lord and making
> ministry a business. But it must be said, not only said but shouted.
>
> 2. We must examine our life by the Light of the Word. We cannot
> examine ourselves by the doctrine of religion - only the Word of
> God. Men build doctrines that are to be more accepted by the
> world. Take for instance the prosperity message plaguing the
> body today. It's designed to make you feel better about yourself
> and the life you live. The people who are in leadership prosper by
> design, those that follow pay the bill, but worse a false sense of
> hope is sent out to people who simply can only be helped by the
> simple truth. If you examine yourself by this doctrine or any other
> manmade doctrine you cannot get a clear picture of where you
> need to be or what you should be doing. Look at this simple
> principle in 2 Cor 13:5 - "Test yourself to see if you are in the faith."
> See if Christ is in you. That's a simple test so why not so it? Do I
> love God? Am I keeping His commands? Do I love my neighbor?
> If so, how do I show it through my actions? Am I taking care of
> widows and orphans, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked? If
> not, am I obeying Christ? Am I forgiving? Without forgiving you
> cannot be forgiven. Why is this not taught today?
>
> Am I kind, patient? Or am I full of envy and pride? In 1Cor 13:4-8
> you can give yourself a simple test. Take out the word "love" and
> place your name there and see if it fits. If Christ is in you, you
> have the ability through Him to be all these things. Doctrines of
> man give us excuses not to go deeper into relationship with Christ.
> They teach us how to put up a facade of holiness, like how we look
> or act on the outside, or rituals that we find comfort in - like church
> attendance and tithing to the church. Christ asks for childlike
> faith, simplicity in loving Him and our neighbor - a daily relationship.
> You can't get this from religion, only from relationship. If you're not
> passing the test, ask the Lord what you must do to pass and HE
> will guide you. Religion will give you a list of things to do and a list
> not to do. Christ will give you life and peace.
>
> 3. You must become temporary residents or travelers in this world.
> We have put our roots down in a world that we are only passing
> through, to the point that the culture has overtaken faith. 1 Peter 2:11.
> Peter tells us to be aliens to this world and to abstain from fleshly
> desires that war against us. What are these things that war against
> us? The very culture of self that we live in today - from sexual
> perversion to self-centered greed, to the attitude that we deserve
> anything we want. This culture has brought down basic values and
> destroyed the family in this nation. Just like Lot in Sodom, we have
> grown so comfortable with the life it provides us we don't even care
> about the sin around us. We have adjusted our religion to fit the
> culture. We are at a point where nothing shocks us anymore, but
> as long as we can keep our comforts it's OK. We love this world
> and the things it affords us so much, we have missed the narrow
> path and are trying to turn a deaf ear to the warnings of God for us to repent.
>
> As much as I know this will make a lot of people mad, I must add
> this point. Our national pride as Americans has helped us down
> this road as well. We feel we are God's own nation even as we
> have become more and more against God. Blinded by rhetoric
> and blind patriotism we have let this country sink to an all-time low.
> From abortion to gay marriage, we flaunt our rebellion before God
> and then claim to be God's nation. If anyone dare say anything
> about it, you are attacked for being anti-American and an extremist.
>
> Well, I have news for you, Jesus himself was an extremist and views
> on religion and government put Him on trial and the cross. Can you
> make the point realistically that we are a Godly nation? I think not.
> We must be willing to become aliens to this world and its ways.
> The American dream is not from God. God wants us to be citizens
> of the Kingdom of God and live accordingly. This means that we
> are going to have to make some hard choices about what to do in
> this world, some that will have very tough consequences to our flesh.
>
> We must come out of Babylon and every one of her systems. This
> means letting go of life as we know it and embracing the cross of
> Christ. This will cause you to take stands that will be totally
> counter-culture and revolutionary and most people in your life will
> not understand. Don't forget that Jesus said that he would cause
> division. As you pull away from this world, most will question your
> actions and critics will tear at your every idea. If you are a traveler
> here, it really doesn't matter.
>
> 4. Repentance and transparency are a must. We must get real
> with ourselves and with others around us. Every time we cover up
> sin and shortcomings we give our enemy weapons to use against
> us. This is why true relationship in the body of Christ is so important.
> We need to be able to minister out of our heart, and if we are not
> clean, we become poison instead of healing. Some of the most
> unforgiving and meanest people I have ever met I met in church.
> I know men who stand and teach God's Word before others, that
> are full of hate and unforgiveness. True relationship exposes these
> issues and gives a chance for repentance to take place. I know
> men that claim to love God but are racist and because of the facade
> the modern church has built, they teach Sunday after Sunday with
> this hate in their heart.
>
> How can anyone help you if they are not open about their own
> struggles? How can a man preach against adultery and have that
> very thing in his own heart? We must get clean and open in the
> Body to see the fullness of Christ in His Body.
>
> It is from our weakness He is able to use us and we all have our
> own areas that we have failed, and only through His love and grace
> are we able to gain victory. I believe in being transparent and
> sometimes I am told that I am too open about my life and struggles,
> but I know if it is hidden, that the enemy will use it to destroy me.
> I have preached meetings that when I asked everyone to raise
> their hand if they have hidden sin such as porn and adultery in their
> life that every man in the place raised their hand. At this I asked
> them to come forward and repent and confess before God and man -
> so they could be set free.
>
> Hidden sin kills your spirit and robs you of your God-given destiny.
> It must be dealt with. We must plant New Testament Fellowships
> that teach these truths and put them into action so people can be
> free. This level of openness is not comfortable, for we will all have
> to admit that we have faults and problems. This will cause us to
> have to deal with marital problems instead of running to divorce
> court. We will have to be accountable for our actions and live
> life without any excuses.
>
> 5. Absolute commitment to the cause of Christ. We must be willing
> to lay down our life for Christ. This is easy to say but hard to put
> in practice. Most believers say that they are willing to die for Christ,
> but live a life that says just the opposite. Most will not put off their
> self in even the simplest things in life such as giving from their
> abundance to further the cause, much less taking time from their
> life to serve. Many ask me how we left a comfortable home in the
> country to live and serve in the inner city among the addicts and
> prostitutes and homeless. I tell them God sent me here, I had
> no choice in the matter. I'm not special, I just simply told the Lord,
> I give you my life! Many sing these words over and over in songs,
> but in reality they don't give Him anything that costs them time or money.
>
> Think about how silly it is to say you would die for Christ but you're
> not willing to give up anything of your own for Him. There are very
> few people committed to the cause of Christ to the point of giving
> their life, even though this is what He requires.
>
> If you can't be faithful in giving in your daily life, you will not give
> your life. If you can rest on the excuses of not having time or
> enough money to help, you can rest on the excuse that you're not
> called to this level. Let's go even deeper. If you can rest with the
> condition of this nation and the church, then you are not a
> revolutionary and there is no need for you to read any more of this
> letter. But, if you can't rest in the excuses or in the condition of
> this land, it is time for you to take action even at risk to your life.
>
> In closing, I would like to share a few thoughts with you about
> revolutions and revolutionaries. Many people are fascinated with
> people who will risk it all for their cause and because of this they
> will stay just close enough to watch and take credit for being a part
> if anything they think is good happens. But as soon as the battle
> gets too hot, they turn and run and deny they had any part. For the
> most part it is a lonely road that the revolutionary walks. Most of
> the time there is nothing to show that they are winning, the isolation
> takes a toll on them and at times they question if the fight is worth
> it at all.
>
> In our case, the fight is worth it because it is the Lord's. Many
> times, the change that is brought about is long after the revolutionary
> has given his life in obscurity on a forgotten battlefield. Then
> someone will stumble onto the cause and the passion that he held
> for it and stories from his time will inspire the next revolutionary to
> pick up the cause and lose his life for it's sake. Many times then,
> the man who gave it all and died in a forgotten battle will become
> known and many who are not willing to pay the price will sit around
> and tell stories of this great man who gave his life. But it is the one
> that is inspired to take action that carries the battle forth without
> any regard to his own life. We must be willing to die on our own
> forgotten battlefield in this revolution for it is not ours, it is the Lord's.
> The battle lines are clearly drawn, it's time to choose our side and
> commit our life. Are you ready?
>
> -Darren Smith,
> www.streetscapeministries.com
> www.revivalstreet.com
> www.unitethefight.com
>
> --
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