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Date Posted: 17:41:42 03/07/03 Fri
Author: Janiece Stephens
Subject: Baptized by Fire (are we?)

Someone wrote to that a movement of this kind sounds like a prophet standing outside of the Church preaching some kind of "raw" form of truth. I wasn't able to understand whether or not she was condoning this but I fell in love with this analogy anyway. I don't see anything wrong with the rawest form of truth. I believe that it can be a refreshment. Certainly, when John came out of the wilderness covered with his cloack of camel's hair, he brought with him a "raw" form of truth. Unfortuanately, many Jews tended to shy away from him. Most likely, many Christians would today also (if they didn't know he was John the Baptist.) The problem with this is, the same Jews who shied away from John kept their distance from Christ. I am afraid that same proportion would hold true today. I know you realize that the majority of God-fearing Jews rejected Christ. Such a number invovled the learned religious scholars who knew and studied the prophecies.

*God save us today from such blindness. Please, Lord allow that I am wrong and that a modern version of pharisees aren't leading us away from your truth!

Understand when I speak of pharisees I am not talking about those religious leaders who do not believe in Christ but I am talking about a form of intellectualism that takes our focus off of the much needed truths of Christianity and redirects our aim to the social aspect of religion and to the nitpiecking blames of non-Christians. I am talking about the very people who make sure our Churches have the most beautiful stained glass windows, the nicest pews in town, the most famous of Ministers with their Ph. Ds, and their very own television broadcast. Now there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but I'm fed up with this age of Churchism that has required our attention to be turned upon these things as if they are the pivot points for our Churches. Where are the John the Baptists who lead the way for a Christ to baptize us in FIRE?!!! When was the last time you stood in a service in fear and trembling as the presence of the Lord shed his countenance up you? If it was recent I envy you.

*God bring us another John the Baptist, another Paul, another Peter to hold us in accountability. It is no longer enough for me to stand with a Church who has forgotten our mark. Reintroduce your whole body of believers to your power, I pray. Annoint us once again that we may burn with your presence.

Our average present level of functioning as Church IS NOT ENOUGH! I want more! I seek more! Oh to be in that upper room on the Day of Pentecost. Think about 122 Christians praying for days on end. Think about the Presence the Lord blessed them with. Our upper room days aren't over though. We must continue, now more than ever. The last days are upon us I fear. There are too many unsaved out there and too many in our Churches that pull us in the wrong direction. Its time to pull together and awaken out of sleep. We must be the beacon that Christ shines through. We must not have non-Christians call the Church hypocrits and allow it to be the Truth. Join me in my effort wherever you are I pray. Run to your prayer closets... seek a manifestation of the Spirit upon your lives and upon the whole of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that we will start bearing the fruit of our salvation as those of the earliest Church did! God be with you.

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