|
The 60s and 70's were troubled times in the United States. The dreamers of the country, John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, were assassinated. The sexual revolution, Vietnam and watergate ate away the fabric of moral conviction and self-respect in American society. Meanwhile, God was raising up people who knew Jesus was the only real way to live. Disheartened with empty secular materialism, bankrupt religion ritual, tradition and prejudice, many in the churchs of Christ searched the Scriptures for a renewed vision of Jesus' church should be. Suddenly the 70s blossomed with soul winning workshops, schooling of preaching, and bus ministries. This period also saw unrest on the U.S. campuses give birth to dynamic campus ministries. Their emphasis on Jesus and the Bible captured the imigination of disillusioned yoth across the nation. However, when put to the test of criticm, purity, humility and conviction, these various effort failed Jesus' call for unity and commitment. it was at this that God raised up the International Church's of Christ to start a movement that has spread around the world to every major city in only 12 years. Begining in 1979 with a small church of 30 in Boston, Massaschusetts, God grew the Boston Church of Christ to a Sunday attendance approaching 5,00 at the famed Boston Garden, the latest church to ever meet in skeptical New England. One of the leaders at that time gave a powerful, distinctive message was simply calling people back to the original message of Jesus: That you must be a disciple of Jesus to have a relationship with God and therefore, to be a Christian, and that Christ's church is made up of disciples only. Thousands of marriages and broken homes have been healed. People enslaved by Alcohol, drugs, abuse and violence have been transformed as they have totally committed thier lives to following Jesus. Hypocrites have repented and hatred,jealousy, greed and immorality have been replaced with love,patience, and joy with a purpose. Disciples are multiplying around the globe everyday day without advertising, televangelism and church buildings- they just preach the Word. The challenge of the church history from the first century until now for the modern disciple is: to always remain true to Christ, the Bible and his purpose, until people from "every tribe and language and people and nation" have been redeemed (Revelation 5:9) For those of us in God's modern movement, we "cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 420) as we press on with our radical, "foolish" efforts to preach Christ where he is not known. Gamaliel's words should ever echo in our minds. If we were ever to slip into weak imitation of true Christianity, we would soon repeat history, walking the doomed path of tradition and eventual apostasy. May we never find ourselves fighting God, but fighting together for him. With his power we will see the world evangilized in our generation ( Matthew 28:19-20). And to God be the glory! God_bless you friends, personal associates and dear loved ones, reading through this series gives you a better perspective of not just me personally, but to all disciples of Christ. Thank you for reading. Thomas Richmond Prayerwarrior.
|