We live in a world where everything has turned upside down and what was once considered wrong is now celebrated as right and the things that where morally right are now condemned. I wonder if we are the generation of men who are ready to stand up and make the necessary sacrifices that protect our children, strengthen our family and bring glory to the Kingdom of God or are we the generation of men who will sit idly by and wax cold as everything crumbles around us?
The crises in our homes, communities and world are real and the challenges set before us are epic. We have seen the pervasiveness of the enemy infiltrate our homes, communities and covertly slip into our churches. We have become saddened, shocked and even angered as those dear to us have been snatched away by the false promises and bright lights of deception. In these challenging times, God is calling upon men to stand up! We can no longer be on the defense. To win this satanic battle we must be on the offense.
As men, we are not perfect, but that should not discourage or dissuade us, we must understand how we have been called, anointed, and appointed to be the protectors and providers of our families; leaders within our churches; and a light in our communities. To defeat the attacks against the institution of the family, to protect the unborn, to lift up God in the public square, we must stand up and be what our Lord and Savior has called each of us to be – His vessel, His example, His instrument.
The Word of God gives us example after example of men of all backgrounds that God used to change a culture and move whole nations to bow before our heavenly father. Consider within our own movement, the great heritage of world changers. These godly men and women blazoned new trails of revival throughout the 20th century. We are blessed in these present times to have leaders within our midst who are boldly bringing forth the prophetic voice of God. Yet, in such troubling times, we must replace the armor of survival with the weapons of revival. A mighty army must be raised up to put the prophetic voice into action, to march into the midst of the enemy’s camp and reclaim what has been stolen from us.
Such an effort can only be accomplished if we truly seek the face of God and not just the favor of God. Strong character, integrity, and transparency must be at the core of our beings. We have no time to compete with others rather we must be about our Father’s business. And this begins in the home. Too many of our homes are broken because the most sacred of places has been replaced with a 60” television that gives you hundreds of channels of entertainment. This sacred place competes computer screens that reveal the dark immoral places throughout the internet. Dust must be brushed off the Bible, cushions must be placed back on the floor, and men must fall down on their knees before God and build their altar for Him. When we do this and then bring our family into this sacred place, then we can truly stand up and fight the fight with anointing and victory on our lips.
Just look out your window and what do you see? Our communities are crippled. The continuous erosion of the family, immoral lifestyles, and the waning of moral influence have numbed the masses. Your prophetic voice must move from your home and into the public square. This is a clarion call for men to stand up and stand on the front lines. To shake, stir up, and re-awaken the Spirit of Christ. We as an elected and chosen people have the ability to build upon the Holy Writ with a Holy Ghost boldness that is needed in this hour.
We cannot continue business as usual, attending church when we feel like it. Praying only when a crisis arises in one’s life. Sitting on the pew rather then doing the work of ministry because scripture tells us it will be to our own undoing.
The only detrimental obstacle facing the church today is us. There was a time when society looked to the church to be the moral agent. Sadly, there is a rising perception that the church is inept, benign, and irrelevant. When people need help today with personal issues, family problems, and moral guidance, they turn to self-help groups, support groups, and to the government. Yet, with 86% of Americans claiming to be Christian and profess believing in God,[1] we have so little affect on culture, politics, crime, and immorality.
This is the challenge that is facing the apostolic church today. The hope we have resides in the Truth of God’s Word and we have been called for such a time as this. Called to be the genuine article. We must be Godly role models to our children, church and communities. We can only transform our homes and communities by standing up, rolling up our sleeves and demonstrating moral fortitude and the grace of Christ through our actions and attitudes.
The apostolic church has been positioned for this most important moment in history. The torch that was ignited on the Day of Pentecost has been passed down through the ages and fueled by Holy Ghost passion and sacrifice. The flames that burnt brightly during the Azusa Street revivals and brought forth the truth of His Word into the 20th century has dimmed to just a flicker in these recent times. Each of us are being called to be the torchbearers for this present day. We have a responsibility backed up by the anointing to light up this dark world with the Spirit of Christ as evidenced in our lives. Let’s truly stand up and be the men God has called us each to be!
[1] http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/ARIS_Report.pdf