| Isaiah 43;19 declares: "Behold, I will do a | | | | over. A megashift of spiritual power into the |
| new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall | | | | hands of ordinary people is about to |
| you not know it? I will even make a road in | | | | overwhelm the world and put it into vastly |
| the wilderness and rivers in the desert."A | | | | better shape. Prepare yourself to take part |
| new thing? Try this one on for size: Just as | | | | in a total makeover of Planet Earth!"It went |
| the Apostle Paul brought the Good News to the | | | | on to say: "You are about to discover a new |
| Greeks, today's latch key kids will bring it | | | | world where...* Over a billion non-Christians |
| to the GEEKS!Here's what I mean. Does anybody | | | | may become highly active Christians in the |
| remember those radical Jesus Freaks of the | | | | next dozen years.* A whole new form of |
| 60s and 70s? They're still around. They | | | | Christianity promises to bring a far greater |
| became the pot-bellied Baby-Boomers we know | | | | impact than the Protestant Reformation.* |
| and love today. These people seem to have | | | | Millions of ordinary people are doing |
| become more conservative with age (having | | | | miracles.* God has brought hundreds ofpeople |
| children of one's own will cause that | | | | back from the dead, mostly in the last 15 |
| transformation). After all, many who were | | | | years. These are not near-death experiences, |
| once yesterday's liberals are today's | | | | but real resurrections of actual corpses. |
| conservatives. They scorn the vulgar videos | | | | (NOTE: It's true. In the last decade, 52 |
| and movies of today's youth and turn in | | | | countries report dead being raised and |
| disgust from the their nasty grunge clothes, | | | | diseases miraculously cured.)"New book tells |
| pierced noses, and tattoos. These Boomers | | | | all: "Megashift" not only documents a wide |
| can't stand the in-yo-face vulgarity and | | | | range of miracles, but also spotlights |
| arrogance of today's young no-commitment | | | | hundreds of thousands of house-church teams |
| "slackers."To you pastors out there, I hate | | | | around the globe that are producing a new |
| to break it to you, but these kids are the | | | | culture of responsible freedom. In these |
| new recruits. These young people ARE the new | | | | teams, people are allowed to speak and |
| Church. I call them the Omega | | | | interact. They often form deep friendships, |
| Warriors.Together, we Boomers must get over | | | | dump their heaviest problems, turn into free |
| something that is much more than a generation | | | | and powerful spearheads of worldwide change, |
| gap. It's the most paradigm of paradigm | | | | and get connected with God and man in ways |
| shifts because there is a total | | | | that almost defy description. This is a |
| misunderstanding of these newbies on the part | | | | "Megashift" away from spectator |
| of today's "organized Church." The Boomers | | | | religion.Funniest thing, in the early 90's, |
| must come to recognize the hidden sorrows | | | | Rutz was sharing this vision and, when some |
| faced by today's "latch-key" kids . . . the | | | | men from my church attended a meeting of his, |
| heart-rending despair of their broken homes | | | | they laughed at his odd notions. Many did the |
| and the poor parental skills under which they | | | | same.Now, we're buying his books.A GROWING |
| were subjected as we've together discovered | | | | OPPORTUNITY: 8% CHURCH GROWTH PER YEAR!My |
| that TV makes a terrible surrogate parent. | | | | home town boasts a community growth rate of |
| This is the stuff of their lives that makes | | | | about 3% annually; the local college, about |
| them "act that way."Christians, gone are the | | | | 7% per year. This is for perspective. One |
| days of the "one-talking-to-many" mediums, | | | | item mentioned in Megashift was this: "There |
| the talking heads of today's Baby-Boomer | | | | is a hidden world that already has 707 |
| Christianity. We are entering a one-to-one | | | | million evangelical/charismatic Christians |
| digital medium. These kids want to interact. | | | | who are growing by an incredible 8% a year. |
| They desire interdependency. They want to | | | | In the center of this shockwave are roughly |
| collaborate and dialogue with others. Common | | | | 100 million in informal networks of committed |
| interests are drawing these kids into common | | | | circles who run their own show without |
| communities. One quick glance at their | | | | buildings, paid pastors, or sermons. |
| Internet chat rooms makes this extremely | | | | "Megashift" is a startling introduction to |
| evident. They'll discuss anything. They WANT | | | | that surge of grass roots power and love, |
| to commune.SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHINGCan we | | | | which is forming the culture you will soon |
| discern the spiritual side of all the | | | | live in."It appears God is using the rank and |
| apparent nonsense they force us to deal with? | | | | file, willing Believers across the globe, |
| What can God do with so big a mess? Consider | | | | more and more these days, and OUTSIDE the |
| that the idea of connecting to one another in | | | | friendly confines of Churchianity at that! |
| another space is inherently spiritual. The | | | | Rutz mentioned having met a 7-year old boy in |
| notion of a "covenant network" of allied | | | | India who died at age 5. The boy had scars |
| individuals is certainly Christian. And, | | | | from where he was burned by a power line. On |
| perhaps for the first time in human history, | | | | the emergency room table for two hours, |
| the Body of Christ can be perceived as being | | | | doctors could not revive him. The hospital |
| truly global, totally possible, and walking | | | | contacted a church which called a 60-year old |
| in more agreement than we ever imagined. How | | | | Indian woman to pray for the boy. She was |
| is this being made possible? By way of the | | | | illiterate; an "untouchable"; the lowest of |
| Internet.Nobody's better at negotiating The | | | | the low in the Indian caste system. She |
| 'Net than today's youth."It is important to | | | | prayed until 4 AM. The boy was alive with no |
| fulfill the great commission by getting the | | | | brain damage or any other physical problems. |
| saving Gospel message to the people who need | | | | When Rutz asked the woman if she had ever |
| it most," claims Mark Harpt, President of the | | | | done this before, she replied that she had |
| World Wide Christian Web. He continues, "The | | | | been involved in sixteen resurrections!"The |
| amount of ignorance about the truth of God is | | | | Church, as we have it set up now...is really |
| staggering, especially in countries that | | | | not set up to handle it all so God is |
| produce the greatest technological advances. | | | | empowering people to work through small |
| These people need God and wireless Internet | | | | teams, house churches particularly, school |
| technology is a great way to let them know | | | | churches, business churches and so |
| that the God who created the universe wants | | | | forth...small teams where people are able to |
| to enter into a special relationship with | | | | interact and work with each other...kind of |
| them if they will allow it."Sadly, many of | | | | like the early New Testament idea of going |
| today's Church leaders - some of whom were | | | | house to house...," Rutz said.Are you ready? |
| yesterday's radical Jesus Freaks - have | | | | Church leaders, is your Church infrastructure |
| largely missed what is happening right under | | | | in place, or are you expecting these young |
| their noses because they see the lowly | | | | people to come to Church, learn the prayers |
| computer as nothing more than a glorified | | | | and hymns and when to say 'Amen" and listen |
| office machine at best, a tool of the devil | | | | while you teach them where to sit, how to |
| at worst. True, the predictions regarding the | | | | act...and expect them to do so for the next |
| information highway may seem like so much | | | | 70 years?Sorry, but as one who has spent many |
| hype today, but the wise Christian leader | | | | years with teens and collegians in ministry, |
| will prayerfully consider its impact in | | | | these young lions gotta roar!Me? I contend |
| regard to tomorrow. Though computers may | | | | that, not only are these pierced 'n tattooed, |
| hardly seem to be of any significance where | | | | navel-flashing, latch-key kids our latest raw |
| the future of the Church is concerned, the | | | | recruits but that America's corporate offices |
| way the Church utilizes this tool may totally | | | | are going to be the place of another huge |
| change Christianity on planet Earth as we | | | | move of God as well. Such things HAVE to be |
| know it. I can attest that it has totally | | | | so because we spend so much time there. Is |
| revolutionized my own personal ministry as | | | | the Church going to meet them where they're |
| I'd rather broadcast the Word of God to | | | | at, or cling to its pews - those medieval |
| millions with the click of a button than | | | | torcher devices - with both hands, serving |
| preach to a group of 12 or so. When I DO | | | | the Institution rather than the Institutor? |
| minister to live human beings, I ALWAYS | | | | Just as Aquila and Priscilla were there, |
| return with a list of email addresses.The new | | | | strategically in place to greet the Apostle |
| millennium is a watershed moment in Church | | | | Paul after his Damascus Road conversion, will |
| history. The Internet will soon impact the | | | | you be there for these kids when they need |
| growth of the Church at a staggering rate and | | | | you to be? Again, I'm NOT talking about |
| at a global level. The question is, will YOU | | | | greeting them at the door of a church |
| be part of it? Some may say, "We're miles | | | | building - I may be talking about going to |
| ahead of the game at First Church! We have | | | | their campus, joining forces with other |
| our own website...." Wrong! Again, for anyone | | | | denominations and pooling funds for a youth |
| to find that website, THEY must be looking | | | | event (we organized one that included 26 |
| for YOU.The Church MUST make every effort to | | | | churches, 9 bands and over 1,000 kids) or |
| go to THEM!SPIRITUAL CONSUMERS OR SPIRITUAL | | | | starting a Coffee Shop Bible study where they |
| PRODUCERS?Last Wednesday night, I was almost | | | | can relax and be themselves.Anything to show |
| late for my Coffee Studio Bible study. Why? I | | | | them that you LOVE (spelled T-I-M-E) them.I |
| saw a commercial for NBC's Dateline with | | | | met with 30 people around a campfire a few |
| Stone Phillips in which a ministry team was | | | | weeks ago here at my home in the woods. We |
| performing an exorcism in a condo in North | | | | cooked steaks and chicken and sang with |
| Carolina. Yes, we taped it for later but we | | | | guitars. We prayed about revival, too. |
| watched it, too. When I finally joined the | | | | People, we were BEING the Church and no less |
| Coffee Studio group, some had been watching | | | | than 5 denominations were represented there. |
| the same program there and had caught the | | | | This past weekend, we knocked on doors |
| show as well. Early in the program, Phillips | | | | throughout the county and prayed for people |
| made the statement, "As many as 10,000 | | | | at their doorsteps - Lutheran alongside |
| exorcisms take place annually in the USA, | | | | Baptist alongside Pentecostal alongside |
| most by evangelical Christians." (I'm | | | | Church of the Nazarene. Eleven denominations |
| performing one this Saturday. We had one last | | | | in all, taking our town by storm for the |
| month at a Bed & Breakfast, too, an | | | | third time (we're going out again in |
| Englishman. Man, I am REALLY enjoying | | | | mid-September)[as i re-read this dated |
| Christianity, you?)Regardless of one's stance | | | | article, we hare about to go out our fourth |
| on demons and exorcisms, on that same video | | | | time and have already prayed at 30,000 |
| cassette, a friend included a segment from | | | | doorsteps]. Though it may appear that Satan |
| the 700 Club, a Pat Robertson interview with | | | | has strategically managed to make workaholics |
| author James Rutz about his new book, | | | | out of us and has systematically drawn |
| "Megashift." When my wife and I watched it, I | | | | millions of mommies out of their homes in an |
| was spellbound. After listening to Rutz, I | | | | effort to join the workforce, thereby |
| ran upstairs to read what I could about his | | | | creating legions of latch-key kids, the TRUTH |
| book on-line, my wife following close behind. | | | | is that our God WILL get His Church back (I'm |
| I found this quote, "If you read one | | | | not talking buildings, folks). God WILL have |
| 'Christian book' this year, make it | | | | His way. Satan ALWAYS shoots himself in the |
| 'Megashift' by Jim Rutz." -- Joseph Farah, | | | | foot.Be a part of this upcoming revival. It's |
| founder of WorldNetDailyAnother book review | | | | not going to look like anything any of us |
| read as follows: "The 1700-year nightmare is | | | | have ever seen. |