1. We are presently in a worldwide revival even though many Christians don’t recognize it. It is unlike any other revival in the past. This one is a silent revival. It is largely unobserved and quietly unfolding under the church radar. For all intents and purposes, it is a stealth revival whose emphasis is not about “coming in” but a “coming out”. It is a revival of subtraction not addition.
This revival has not been proceeded by hype, sensational movements or spiritual fanfare but simply by the “still, small voice” of His spirit speaking in the hearts of His people one at a time. In large part, it is happening quietly in the hearts of individuals who have grown sick and tired of church business as usual and long for spiritual renewal, biblical authenticity and a restoration of their first love with Him.
Claiming to belong to God’s last day’s remnant yet choosing to remain in churchianity is
tantamount to spiritual rebellion against God’s specific warning to come out. Staying in the system built by man, regardless of what name you give it, how contemporary it is or how enthusiastic its followers are, makes God's warning meaningless, irrelevant and impotent.
The remnant and churchianity are as incompatible as oil and water. You are either “in" or “out” – There is no “in between”, compromise or one foot in and one foot out. Denial, defiance and dismissal are not acceptable alternatives. Those in the remnant have come out. PERIOD!
This, in large part, is what makes the remnant the remnant.
2. This one almost goes without saying. The remnant instinctively understands that they are in the minority and always will be. This is precisely why they are referred to as a remnant. Though their numbers are increasing as the exodus from churchianity gains momentum, they will always be the “few” in comparison to the vast throngs in churchianity.
However, we need to underscore an important clarification about God’s last day’s remnant. When we speak about this band of believers, we are not referring to a mysterious group of super-saints or smug elitists. Neither are they a band of end-time nutcases, glory-hounds or conspiracy freaks. They are not a marginally insignificant fringe group of malcontents, chronic complainers, or anti-church crusaders with a vendetta against the church. The remnant shuns such comparisons and any sense of smug superiority is anathema to them.
Simply stated, they are a remnant of faithful believers scattered throughout the earth who hunger and thirst for their first love. They have come from many races, nationalities, social statuses, and Christian backgrounds. They one thing they share in common is a longing for biblical authenticity and a return to our simplicity in Christ. Their eyes are wide open and they are clearly hearing what the Spirit is saying to His church. Like the remnant of Elijah’s day, they too have come out of the spiritual corruption and manmade Baals of their day.
They are not affiliated with any denomination, any sensational movement, self-promoting ministry, church fad, contemporary church growth strategy or name brand ministry. They are not rallying under the banner of some church celebrity, innovative formula, culturally correct theology or church growth strategy. In fact, these are precisely what they have come out of and rejected!
It should also be pointed out that many claim to be in God’s last day’s remnant who actually have nothing to do with God’s last day’s remnant. The following points in this series will help clarify this.
3. Those of the remnant recognize the reality that responding to God’s call to “come out of her” is a process. They also know that leaving churchianity behind is not a simple decision. Neither is it something that happens overnight. No one gets up one morning and suddenly decides to just make a clean break from churchianity without first undergoing a long and sometimes painful process of rending, self-reflection and re-evaluation. It is seldom a smooth or seamless transition. It is typically a long, gradual process. It is often problematic, fitful and, at times, fraught with self-doubt, agonizing questions and second-guessing.
For the overwhelming majority, the exodus from churchanity is neither quick nor easy.
Everyone is at a different level of maturity, experience and Biblical awareness and because of this the process of coming out of her varies from one believer to the next. Often, that process takes longer for those who have been steeped in churchianity the longest. It takes time to clear away the cobwebs of confusion. It takes time to unpeel the many layers of church conditioning and indoctrination that have held sway for centuries.
It takes determination and spiritual grit to fight your way through the subtle conspiracy of silence that threatens anyone who dares to question church leadership or their cherished church traditions. It takes spiritual conviction and courage to withstand the hailstorm of condemnation, censorship and intimidation that inevitably comes from church leadership and fellow believers for no longer idolizing their sacred church cows. And yes, it takes the washing of the “water of the word” to scrub away the years of accumulative brainwashing.
4. Let us be absolutely clear about this; those who have heard this call are not leaving with half-baked convictions, a wrong spirit or a root of bitterness against the established church. They are not leaving with a chip on their shoulders or a sense of victimhood either. Furthermore, the decision to join the remnant in their exodus from churchianity isn't because they are seeking a likeminded sanctuary for chronic complainers, a safe haven to nurse their grievances or a welcoming band of clueless rebels without a cause.
The first step in leaving requires each of us to examine the motives of our heart. It means that you search your heart and make sure that when you shut the door behind you, you leave with a "right spirit" and "clean heart". You make sure you are responding to His voice and not the rebellious voices in your head.
While no one leaves churchianity with a fully formed understanding of the long term implications of that decision or what it will cost them, they are leaving with heir eyes wide open and a basic understanding of the biblical, experiential, and historical basis for doing so. Their decision is not made in haste, the heat of rebellion or executed in the fog of confusion and uncertainty. Neither is it a byproduct of a lukewarm spirit, a disgruntled mindset or spiritual deception.
First and foremost, our leaving churchianity behind doesn't mean that we are running from something but to something - namely Him. We are leaving because we want to find more biblical authenticity and relevance. We are leaving not because of a lack of faith but to preserve their faith. But most of all we are leaving to find more of Jesus not less.
5. Having to stand alone is the plight of many in God’s remnant. For most it is a temporary rite of passage; for some, it means that they will be spending a long time sitting with Elijah in his cave. Maybe this is where you are at now. Maybe you have felt alone, abandoned and rejected at times. Maybe you don’t have a church you can trust any longer? Maybe your former church friends have cut you off because of your convictions? Maybe it’s just you who is staying faithful to the truth?
This is how Elijah felt as he sat in his wilderness cave nursing his self‑pity and loneliness. He also looked at an adulterous nation before him and felt like he was the only faithful one left. But God gently reproved him with the revelation that there were still 7,000 faithful Israelites who, like him, had not bowed their knees to Baal. What’s so interesting is the fact that this prophet of God was absolutely clueless that a faithful remnant even existed. He didn’t know who they were or where they were. What is so amazing about this story is the fact that 7,000 Israelites were still faithfully clinging to the truth in the midst of such deep spiritual perversion. Elijah didn’t underestimate their numbers - He didn’t even know that they existed!
I have asked myself who this group of anonymous Israelites were? There was nothing sensational, spectacular or hype-worthy to show they even existed. What seems to stand out above all is the reality of just how anonymous and ordinary they must have been even though they were living in plain view. Even though Ahab and Jezebel reigned over a corrupt nation, Baal worship dominated the religious scene and false prophets and an adulterous priesthood represented the religious leadership, these anonymous few still went about their daily routines in quietness, humility and obscurity ‑ so much so that they even existed under Elijah’s prophetic radar.
Maybe those who lived around them saw them as individuals of little consequence but God saw each of them as faithful servants who had taken a private stand in the integrity of their own hearts to sanctify themselves from the errors of their day. They had chosen to walk by faith, to trust in God and to quietly go about their daily rhythms as farmers, mothers, vine dressers, shepherds and shop keepers with their ears tuned to what God was saying in the midst of the darkness that surrounded them. They were not participating in the spiritual compromises of their day because they had quietly removed themselves. They were not listening to the prophetic hype of the prophets of Baal or looking to an adulterous priesthood for direction. Their focus was fixed on God and His word.
Likewise, there is a quiet remnant of believers scattered throughout the kingdoms of this world who are hidden in the midst of spiritual perversion. Just like the anonymous remnant of Elijah’s day, the present remnant has quietly chosen to come out of the man-made corruption and compromise of churchanity. You may feel alone in your private convictions concerning what you have been hearing from the Spirit of God but rest assured that you are not alone and you have not been abandoned. There are many others out there belonging to the remnant and they are hearing the same Spirit you are hearing because they also have the ears to hear.
6. One of the definitive features of contemporary churchianity can be summed up with the word “HYPE”. Hype saturates much of contemporary worship, self-promoting ministries, ear-tickling preaching, emotional hoopla, Christian entertainers, feel-good services, innovative evangelism programs, prophetic wannabes, trendy slogans and key words and much more. But God’s last day’s remnant is totally fed up with hype, half-truths and deception.
They are no longer buying into the latest church “happening”, the latest church fad or the latest sensational movement. They are no longer interested in the next must-read best seller, must-implement church growth strategy, Christian rock concert, dynamic conference, must-attend seminar, must-listen to song, the latest must-do program, must have success formula or must-experience experience. Innovative oxcarts and sensationalism of any kind no longer impress them or captivates their attention. They are sick and tired of anyone with a great new idea about how the church should be done, evangelism should be done or worship should be done.
They are done with the never-ending merry-go-round of church hype regardless of where the hype originated, who’s “hyping” the hype or what the hype is all about - whether it’s signs & wonders hype, best-seller hype, church celebrity hype, apostolic hype, prophetic hype, social media hype, prayer hype, NAR hype, “Word of Faith” hype, fad hype, program hype or worship hype. They have absolutely no interest in plasma screens, laser lights, smoke machines, fire tunnels, gold dust, dance troops, or chicken feathers. They are fed up silly church antics, extra-biblical experiences and the constant round of church dog-and-pony-shows which have no foundation in the word of God.
They don’t want their ears tickled by motivational drivel, or self-empowerment teachings. They long want to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth without tampering, compromise or manipulation. They don’t need the scriptural truth to be doctored, embellished or enhanced to accommodate anyone’s sensitivities. They don’t need the word watered down, toned down or dumbed down. Furthermore, they don’t give a rats rear concerning political correctness, cultural correctness, progressiveness or “wokeness” when it comes to the truth.
Not only have they become sensitive to the presence of hype but they have also become sensitized to the dynamics of emotional deception which hype often produces. They see through the emotional deception that so many get caught up in today when it comes to sensational movements, ear-tickling and extra-biblical experiences. Many in the remnant have personally experienced emotional deception in their past and understand that the tears, the ecstatic laughter, the emotional passion and the “rock concert” excitement is not the fruit of Christian maturity or even sound teaching but is based upon the sand of fleeting feelings and the self-consuming dynamics of herd hysteria.
Just to clear, they are not against feelings or emotions but emotions over the wrong things, emotional deception and empty emotionalism. They realize that God would rather have an ounce of faith than a ton of excitement when it comes to obedience to His word and what He is speaking to His people.
7. The remnant often has to learn the hard way that "casting your pearls before swine" doesn't work. For the masses in churchianity it will always be business as usual, playing church as usual and going through the religious motions as usual. It doesn't matter whether we're talking about the denominational church or the contemporary attempts to make the church trendy, accommodating or relevant.
Be assured that the masses in churchianity won’t get it. They don’t have ears to hear no matter who proclaims what God is saying. So don’t entertain any unrealistic hopes or expectations that they will get it or even be receptive to what God is saying beyond mere lip-service. As far as the masses are concerned, nothing substantial can be expected beyond a further hardening of their hearts and resistance to the message.
The remnant often has to learn the hard way that "casting your pearls before swine" doesn't work. For the masses in churchianity it will always be business as usual, playing church as usual and going through the religious motions as usual. It doesn't matter whether we're talking about the denominational church or the contemporary attempts to make the church trendy, accommodating or relevant.
The remnant is learning that it is not only naïve to think that you can reform churchanity from within, but it is the height of folly to presume so. You can no more heal dead religion or manmade churchanity by staying within the system than you can reform a barrel of rotten apples by keeping a few healthy ones inside. Not only will the rotten one’s keep on thinking they are wholesome fruit but they will inevitably start calling the healthy apples the rotten ones.
There are no known cures for the systemic corruption of churchianity. She is irreparably broken and no amount of human tampering or ingenuity will ever fix that. There are no antidotes. There are no spiritual vaccination programs. Reformations won’t heal her; revivals won’t heal her and your best efforts and good intentions won’t heal her. Church growth strategies won’t heal her, a new church name won’t heal her and getting a new formula for making churchianity great again won’t heal her.
Churchanity has tried every remedy and placebo they can think of and none has worked. They tried to doctor it reformations, revivals, innovative formulas, church growth strategies, self-help programs, injections of emotional adrenalin and feel-good theology. All of her efforts have failed and will continue to do so. In fact, their efforts to rehabilitate churchianity have amounted to little more than rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Furthermore, there will be no internal healings or reformations so don’t expect any.
“Coming out from among her” is the only effective solution. IF God had an effective cure, He would have applied it long ago. Remaining within in the hope that our healthy presence will somehow heal the disease is as futile as injecting live cells into a corpse in the hopes that it will somehow revive it. God does not say, “stay in her My people and try to be a positive force for change”; “work within the system to make it better”, “Be a beacon of light to those in darkness.” Neither does he say to make excuses, go into denial or look the other way. NO! He says, “Come out of her My people!”, “Get Out!”, “Flee”, “Escape Churchanity and don’t look back!”
8. Unlike multitudes today, God's last day's remnant does not crave attention, stardom or a fan following from an adoring crowd. They are content with their anonymity. In fact, what is happening among the remnant is largely undetected by the church radar or prophetic wannabes. Like the anonymous remnant of Elijah’s time, they were content to mind their own business and go about their and daily rythimes in faithful perseverance and obscurity without the slightest desire to be recognized, glamorized or praised by men.
What’s more, as soon as the remnant senses the slightest whiff of self-promotion, spiritual posturing, opportunism, self-serving ambition or grandstanding they will smell a rat and be turned off. Grandstanding and self-promotion is as repellant to us leprosy. His remnant has developed an acute sensitivity to spiritual “B.S.” and they can no longer be conned, manipulated or deceived.
A heightened sense of spiritual discernment is a hallmark of the remnant. The ability to smell a rat is also a strong indication of Christian maturity. This ability takes time to nurture but its potential is resident within all true believers. Paul showcased it well when he spoke of those who were mature “who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use (practice or experience) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)
Many of the remnant have experienced enough spiritual “con jobs” and spiritual snake-oil salesmen in their past to instinctively discern when someone is a phony or trying to con them. They know a spiritual scam and a scam-artist when they see them. They know when someone is promoting the prosperity scam, “Word of Faith” scam, “NAR” scam, “Purpose Driven” scam, “Church growth strategy” scam, the "Torah" scam, prophetic scam, special revelation scam or some Toronto like scam. When it comes to a scam or a scam-artist they will know it.
Once they get a whiff of self-serving motives the remnant will be turned off. It makes little difference what the con-artists are promoting - themselves, some innovative "how-to", a new church growth strategy, a new self-help program or their latest seminar. IT makes no difference how well-known they are, how many followers they have, how popular their ministry is, how many bestsellers they have sold or how creatively they have advertised themselves. If they are with the slightest whiff of “Lord, Lord haven’t we done great things in Your name?” stench of self-promotion they lose their credibility and effectiveness. Sometimes, even when the message is right on, self-promotion can undermine its potential effectiveness.
9. The effectiveness of what the Spirit is speaking to His remnant does not depend upon any man-made efforts or human hype to promote or enhance what He is saying. While churchianity and the world will often use hype and sensationalism to gain followers His remnant is not called to promote ourselves as the latest thing. God rejects such tactics.
God does not depend upon our promotional skills, marketing expertise, persuasiveness, militant posturing, theatrics, charisma or persuasiveness to speak to the hearts of men in this hour. He doesn’t depend upon staged conferences, remnant seminars or a series of titillating books on the remnant. He doesn't need worship teams, dance troops, flag wavers, church skits, comedians, entertainers, church ''specials" or fund-raising drives either. He doesn't need self-promoting showboats who love their titles, offices and positions to endorse what He is quietly doing. What the “still small voice of God” is saying will be heard by those with ears to hear without the aid of any promotional assistance, grand-standing, sensationalism, drama, arm-twisting or emotional hysteria. God taught us a timeless lesson that relates to what I am saying when Elijah was sulking in his wilderness cave. He told Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain. There the Lord put on a spectacular demonstration. He passed by Elijah and a “great wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (a delicate whispering) – I Kings 19:9-18)
God was teaching Elijah that His message doesn’t depend upon drama, sensationalism or dramatic displays of power to communicate effectively to those with ears to hear. He would speak to them with His “still small voice” of counsel and confirmation of the truth. This speaks directly to God’s remnant today because it is “not about might nor power says the Lord but by My Spirit.” God does not need us making a spiritual fuss, drawing attention to ourselves, stirring up excitement, promoting our “new thing”, thumping our chests, reinventing ourselves or starting a new church. He doesn’t want us jumping on some promotional bandwagon of any kind. He doesn’t need our marketing skills, special seminars, celebrity endorsements, militant theatrics, conspiracy theories or a litany of motivational slogans.
The remnant doesn’t need to lean on marketing expertise, church growth strategies or spiritual posturing. The remnants responsibility is simply to “plant or to water” - God will give the increase. It was said of Jesus that “His voice was not heard in the streets”. The meaning is that Jesus was never guilty of self-promotion and He doesn’t want us doing it either. He knew His sheep would hear His voice. He also knew that the vast herds of goats just wouldn’t get it. He is speaking to His church today. The Spirit of God is speaking to His remnant with His “still small voice”.
10. Those that are hearing His call to come out from all of the spiritual nonsense in churchianity can expect to become a pariah in the eyes of fellow churchgoers. They can expect to be blackballed and blacklisted as those who are “Unwanted – Dead or Alive.” They will often be marginalized, criticized, ostracized, condemned, and labeled because of the stand they have taken. The age-old tactic of killing the messenger to silence the message is often employed by labeling them as bitter malcontents, radical, contentious, backslidden, sowers of discord, unforgiving, unloving and church haters.
The remnant can find a safe haven in God. They can take comfort in the fact that this has always been the case for those who have boldly stood for their convictions and the defense and confirmation of the gospel. The prophets experienced the same rejection as well - So did Jesus, the apostles, the reformers and many more throughout church history who stood alone in their convictions. In fact, in times past we would have been tried as heretics, summarily executed, burned at the stake, sadistically tortured, imprisoned and exiled by the religious authorities for our high crimes against Churchianity.
When it comes to what others think about them, the remnant seldom cares anymore. Many "old-timers" in the remnant have become Teflon coated when it comes to criticism. Regardless of the source or the nature of the criticism they have become bulletproof when it comes to shaking the confidence in the stand they have taken. As Paul once said about his critics, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment.”
Certainly, they each have their moments of weakness, weariness and discouragement like Elijah but they have not joined the eternal cult of victimhood and entitlement. I too have found myself sitting in the cave with Elijah on occasion nursing the same self-pity and despondency with Jezebel breathing down my neck. But then, His “still small voice speaks” and I arise and go forth once more. I am far more concerned with what God thinks than what man thinks.
No longer caring about what others think about me is not the result of arrogance, cold-heartedness or callous indifference. It is merely the sober acceptance of the inevitable repercussions of being in God’s remnant. It is very much akin to finally coming to terms with the futility of “casting your pearls before swine.” No watchman worth his salt can afford to be intimidated by church critics. I no longer care about the insidious conspiracy of silence that prevails in most churches or the fear of ministerial threats, censorship or condemnation.
11. The remnant is coming to an accurate, biblical understanding of what the “CHURCH” and “OUR GATHERING TOGETHER” really means.
CHURCH:
Scripturally speaking, the church is a “state of being” not a place where we go.
The word “church” (Gr. ekklésia) in the New Testament never refers to a building or physical location. It fundamentally means “assembly, gathering, meeting or congregation”. Nowhere in the New Testament is the church referred to as a building we go to or an address we look for. When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, he wasn’t addressing the First Church of Philippi on the corner of Broadway & Main. He was addressing a community of believers scattered throughout the city of Philippi. The early Christians knew no such thing as a designated place being “church.” That would have been a completely foreign concept to early Christians. ‘The idea of “Going to church” isn’t even a New Testament concept.
This is not simply a matter of semantics or quibbling about terms and definitions. It’s about the essential nature of the New Testament church – not what we have fabricated it to be through the centuries. The “church” was simply a community of believers who lived out their Christian lifestyle through their normal, daily rhythms in the midst of the communities in which they lived. They met in the natural, familiar, everyday setting of homes to fellowship, eat together, interact and build each other up or they simply gathered together in public settings in the midst of unbelievers like they did in the open air of Solomon's porch surrounding the temple in Jerusalem.
Church was never meant to be a building we go to on a set day in order to be “in” church. I don’t have to go to a specific location to be “in church” No more than I go to a specific place at a specific time to be, Bill Kimball. I am Bill Kimball 24/7, not just for a few artificial hours during the week when I cloister myself in a holy room removed from society. We were meant to be the church each day, every day, everywhere we went because “WE ARE THE CHURCH!”. The sad truth is that the majority of committed churchgoers find their spiritual identity far more in "going to church" than in "going to Jesus".
OUR GATHERING TOGETHER:
The remnant reject the dogmatic claims of those who staunchly defend churchanity by habitually pointing to Paul’s exhortation to “Forsake not the gathering of ourselves together” when defending their assertion that believers must go to a church, faithfully attend a church or be members of a church. Supporters of churchianity see this verse as a divine imperative and habitually point to it as an infallible proof-text in support their argument. The use of this “go to” verse to silence critics of churchianity ignore the serious flaws in their argument.
1. First on all, it does not specify where this gathering together is supposed to take place. Since the early church for the first 300 years didn’t meet in church buildings or in temples made with hands, just where were the saints supposed to gather together? We know that they met in houses and in the open-air colonnade called “Solomon’s Porch” surrounding the outer walls of the temple complex for teaching but nothing is said or implied that it was to be a meeting in a temple, synagogue, cathedral or officially designated church structure. So, trying to defend the mandatory necessity to gather in a church building is little more than a house of cards. Our “gathering” could be in a home, a jungle clearing, the marketplace, a coffee-shop, a garage, a park or by the seashore for that matter.
2. Secondly, this verse says nothing about what we should be doing when we gather together. Those who staunchly defend the building-oriented model of the church would have you believe that our gathering together would generally include an opening prayer, a staged worship service, church announcements, taking up a tithe offering, a lecture style
sermon to a passive audience and occasionally an altar call or communion service. But none of this is found in the N.T. as church service requirements. I won’t even get into all the manmade liturgies and religious rituals we have added on over the centuries. In fact, if early Christians were to attend one of our typical services, they would be dumbfounded about what we called church.
If we are really going to be honest, their desire to gather in the typical church, with the typical rituals and formats means that we are to gather together to practice many of the same pagan practices borrowed from pagan temple worship centuries ago.
Acts 2:42 & 46 is the seminal verse describing the nature of that gathering together; “And they continued steadfastly together in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in breaking of bread (eating meals together), and in prayers….So they continued in the temple (“Solomon’s Porch” - not the temple building itself because it was strictly off limits to anyone but the Levitical Priesthood), and breaking bread from house to house…” Their meeting seemed to be organic and fluid and not restricted to a set place at a set time on a set day. Rather than being a weekly, staged spectator event, the early church was largely spontaneous, interactive and participatory. (See I Cor. 14:26) It was about quality not quantity.
3. The third major flaw with this verse concerns the actual number of those who are gathering together. Just how many people have to gather together to constitute a true, authentic, bona fide church gathering? Those who try to use this verse as a proof-text to establish our need to attend a church building packed with people are in error. Are we to gather in the 1,000’s, 100’s, or 20’s to constitute a legitimate gathering together? Would 250 be enough? How about 100? Would 50 make the cut? How about 37, 23, 14, 0r 7? The only place I can find where a number is used in conjunction with our gathering together is when Jesus stated, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” - (Matt. 13:20) Our gathering together doesn’t get any better than that whether it includes only 2 or 3 or 34.
12. Though we are told in no uncertain terms to “come out” He doesn't tell us where to go. He has purposely left that part of the call to come out open-ended for a specific reason. This is the scary part of coming out of churchianity.
For those accustomed to being told where to go and what we should do this might be frightening. Unlike churchianity, God’s call to come out doesn’t depend upon a set of spiritual steps, innovative “how-to's” and formulas. There are no guidelines, seminars or bestsellers to tell us where to go. There is nothing rigid and systematized about it because it depends upon faith that doesn’t walk by sight or lean to our own understanding. What It does depend upon is a fundamental recalibration of our spiritual senses to listen to Him and wait upon Him.. Rather than a "paint-by-the-numbers" solution, it depends upon each of us tuning in to His “still small voice”, the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of God’s unadulterated word.
He has left the “post-churchianity” destination purposely vague and indeterminate because He wants a radical change of direction that only He can provide. He wants us to focus upon Him and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Maybe He will lead some to a time of solitude in the wilderness where He has led so many in the past. Maybe He will require a quiet time in Elijah’s cave learning to hear His “Still small voice” and humbly reflect on the lessons He is revealing to us?
Maybe He will lead some of us to put any kind of gathering together on hold for a season. Maybe He wants some to stand alone for a long time. Maybe it will be just you and your spouse. Maybe He will lead you to a small gathering of likeminded believers who will endeavor to maintain the simplicity found in Acts 2:42?
But one thing is sure. We are following in the same pioneering steps of Father Abraham in his quest to find that heavenly city made without hands. Like him, we have come out of our old familiar surroundings even though, like him, we don’t know “where we are going.” - (Hebrews 11:8) We are truly strangers in a strange land. We are pilgrims, outcasts and spiritual refugees making our way back home.
He is calling us out for a reason and to a destination. IT is not so much to a “where” but to a “Who”. He never brings us out to turn around and abandon us. If you have heard Hs call to come out of her He has a destination for you and He knows how to guide you there if you trust in Him. You can also rest assured that He will never leave you or forsake you in doing so.