An Oasis in the Dry Land

by Pastor Gary Taylor - Community Baptist Church, Somerset, NJ

The land is dry. Life is being dried out through the onslaught of the concerted effort of the enemy to kill, steal and destroy. Too many people, especially youth, are being deceived and destroyed by the things that the world offers. Too few are looking to Jesus, too many are looking to the world.

But in the midst of the dry land there is an oasis, a place for renewal and filling of the Spirit. In September, in Frenchtown, the Lord will do a mighty work. Men and women, children and youth, musicians and workers, all that have a love for Jesus come together to bring a flood of renewal to the land. John 7:38, “Out of you will flow streams of living water”.  When the people of God come together in praise and worship of Him, these living waters become a mighty stream that will bring spiritual cleansing and revival to the hearts of multitudes of people. Revelation Generation is used by God to change hearts and save souls.

As a pastor, I struggle with how to reach people with saving message of Jesus Christ. It is great when they come to you, to the church, with a desire to know Jesus, to experience His grace. But this is not the Biblical model. That model is to “go” into the world. Events like Revelation Generation reach out to a communityof people who may not come to the church but have dry spirits that the Living Water can revive. Jesus uses those people who perform and support the event to touch the hearts of many who would never enter a church building. I can testify of many youth who have participated in these events whose lives have been dramatically changed by the Holy Spirit.

Revelation Generation is a powerful spiritual experience that results in profound spiritual change in the lives of many people, both old and young. Its leaders have a deep commitment to Jesus, it is bathed in prayer and Jesus is glorified. Truly it is a needed oasis in this dry land.

 

The Message is Sacred but the Method is Not Sacred!

by Pastor Phil Maxwell – Gateway Baptist Church


The Word of God is eternal, unchanging, and relevant to every person in every culture and every generation throughout the history of man. A message that interprets God’s Word in a way that is not relevant to all cultures throughout all ages is not an accurate presentation of God’s Word. A message that is preached from a pulpit in a wealthy area in the USA should also be able to be presented in a poverty stricken area in Africa. A message that was preached last century should be just as relevant this century. The acid test is whether the message is universal in its application. Church leaders need to be diligent in protecting the Gospel message from being changed by current social trends.
 
On the other hand people often confuse church methods, traditions, robes, hymns, musical instruments, dress codes, etc with the message of Christ. Culture is constantly changing and the church’s presentation needs to change with the culture to remain relevant to the generation it is supposed to reach. The way people dress, their hairstyles, music preferences, musical instruments, etc have absolutely nothing to do with the Gospel or the Word of God. Some people think that it is holy to dress in a style that is 50 years out of fashion, yet they don’t realize that 60 years ago they would have been considered outrageously modern. When the piano replaced the organ there was an outcry that pianos were not a holy instrument, but now there is an outcry because “holy” pianos are being replaced by “unholy” electrical instruments. Some think that Wesley’s old hymns are holy, unaware that he used melodies of songs that were being sung in the pubs of his day. We face the same illogical response today, that modern songs are considered by some as irreverent while old hymns are holy. Church leaders need to distinguish between church culture and the unchanging message of God.

The church needs to make a concerted effort to reach this next generation or there will be no church tomorrow! Church culture and God’s Word are not one and the same. Church methods need to adjust for the church to fulfill its calling to reach the current culture with the unchanging message of Christ. The message is sacred but the method is not sacred. As Paul the Apostle puts it, “I become all things to all men that I might win them.”
 

 
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