Reclaiming Authentic Christianity: Do It Again!

Several years ago a thought came to me about the power of the prefix “re”, (see Revival And Restoration). I was seeking the Lord for insight into what many prophetic voices had been sharing regarding the coming New Year beginning with Rosh Hashanah 2016. Many were speaking speaking similar words that captured my attention. Word like reset, rebuild, reboot, and refresh. The Lord emphasized to me at that time there is power in the prefix “re.” It’s origin is Latin and means “again, back.” It means to “do something again; return to previous a condition.”  

I was watching a movie “Miracles from Heaven” on Christmas Day 2016. It was based on a true story of a young girl named Annabel who had a near death experience and was later cured of an incurable disease. What touched me the most is when Annabel’s doctor reviews her medical files after the accident, and said it looks like her digestive system had been regenerated. Annabel’s mother almost gave up her faith, but Annabel never lost her faith and eventually experienced a divine visitation from God.

The Hebrew word for visitation is paqad, and indicates a time when God breaks into human history in order to bless or to punish individuals or nations. This visitation always changes the destiny of the person or nation, whether they are ready for it or not. In fact, very few people are ready for a visitation from God.

I began to think of the many words in the Scripture used to define God infinite grace and willingness to do something again. Of the many words, three of the most prominent that comes to mind is redeem, reconcile and restore. God’s big idea and method of salvaging what had been lost after the fall through Christ’s death is to redeem mankind through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Eph. 1:7). He gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen (Gal. 1:4-5). We have been crucified with Christ and no longer live in the flesh, but Christ lives in every believer. The life we now live in the body, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for humanity (Gal. 2:20).

This year after observing much of the decline in America and the church, my thoughts turn to the need to reclaim authentic Christianity and return to the Christlike standards espoused in the Scriptures. As believers we are instructed in Romans 12:2 not to follow the pattern or example of the ideals and opinions of the culture which I will elaborate on in my next post.

Before ending I’d like to provide Merriam Webster’s definition of reclaim. Reclaim is to rescue from a undesirable state; reform; also to restore to a previous state. In times past God has reformed and revived His church through awakenings. A function of the doma or or “grace gifts” given by Christ in Ephesians 4:11-13 so that God’s people will be thoroughly equipped to minister, and build up the body of Christ unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until we stand mature in His teachings and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed, our Liberating King. until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, so that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. In this present time, this restoration is part of the preparation of the Bride of Christ. Where there is reformation, transformation will be evident.

When I talk about reclaiming authentic Christianity (God’s original purpose), I’m referring to restoring God’s idea of Christianity or Christlike character and principles for living on earth in light of eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:11 that says, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, without the possibility that mankind will find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” 

The Amplified version renders it this way, “He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

God’s original plan after the creation of mankind was for them to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)  Fill the earth with godly offspring. God has always sought godly offspring. “Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. (Mal. 2:15 NIV)

This world cannot satisfy the longing we have in our hearts for the life God intended for humanity. Acts 17:26-27 (ESV) says that God, “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

In the original post I shared my thoughts on the importance of reclaiming authentic Christianity and Christlikeness during this time of chaos and upheaval. I want to stir your hearts and encourage you to renew your minds to God’s will for His people. God has used people to shape the history and doctrines of the Church. God used them to preserve and expound the truths of the Gospel and the Word of God so that we would know how to live this earthly life as Kingdom citizens.

The grace of God was manifested during these times in greater measure. It’s encouraging to learn how the Lord worked in, through, and by them for His glory and the good of mankind by the grace of God that was manifested in them for His glory. They all had the common conviction to serve their generation well. I am a firm believer that we are about to see Him do it again!

Notes:

1. All scriptures are take from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)