Where is the Church of God?

The Church of Jesus Christ has come so far from the Church of Acts, where apostles worked works and believed in God, and held no loyalty to anything but their God.

It seems that Christians nowdays are willing to go back to the Old Testament to justify their lifestyles. How do I say this?

A few days ago, I got an email from a person I know that goes to a large Church of our faith near Sacramento. It was something political, against Obama, talking about how he must be the AntiChrist. I replied to all that mentioned something to the effect of "The AntiChrist will be someone whom even the elect will be deceived by". Someone that I sent that to, begun writing me back, telling me how I should support my government no matter what it does, because we are fighting against evildoers and our country is a rightous one, etc etc etc.

I wrote back to her and told her that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but he would rather that they turn from their ways. She replied that it was hard to reconcile the OT to that kind of logic. A few days ago, my own parents said something of the same thing.

Why have Christians turned away from the fundamentals of Christ? Where is the Church of God? Why do supposedly Christian people think that it's okay to send the heathen to hell for all eternity? We don't live in the Old Testament anymore. We live in the New Testament... and Jesus said to the woman who was condemned, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone". Yet Christians nowdays want the vengeful God of the OT, not the merciful God of the NT. They themselves sit at ease in Zion and think that they have their salvation locked up.

Their definition of Revival is... "everyone getting the holy ghost, and the church rises up, and votes out all the liberals, and we run this nation as a CHRISTIAN nation just like it's founders intended". The Church of Jesus Christ is not anything like that. The countries of this world, including this one, are under the control of the devil, according to the Bible. God GAVE that power and glory of the countries to satan, they are delivered to him until the time comes. Why do we want to pretend that we are doing God's work by killing muslims? There is a wave of revival going on in Iran right now... sure, Christians are murdered and persecuted there, but people are getting saved too! Why do we want to bring the power of God down to be used to kill humans, when God would rather have them saved?

I remember in the Bible, John and James, who wanted Jesus to destroy Samaritians with fire because they wouldn't allow Jesus to pass through. Jesus said that "the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them". Christians nowdays are not worthy of that title. If you aren't "Christ like"... you aren't "Christian". That's what Christian means. So if you are willing to give a pass to killing people just because they are muslim, then you are not Christian. If you label innocents as "collateral damage", then you are not Christian. If you want to continue wars against anyone because they threaten your way of life, you are not Christian. If you want to be Christian, you should seperate yourself from this world, not be "entangled" in the bondages and the affairs of this life.

I'm obviously not talking about going off to live in a commune. I'm talking about actually having a Christian attitude, an attitude that is Christ like. Forget the OT, and what it says about Israel's extermination of wicked races. We don't live in that time anymore, we live under God's mercy... and if you aren't willing to display God's mercies, you aren't willing to receive God's mercy. Ponder that for a while.

Where is the church of Jesus Christ? Where are his followers? Where are those that are willing to stand up for what is right? They are few.

A powerful passage, and a key to Revival

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible:
Acts 4:²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
²²For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
²³And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
²⁴And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
²⁵Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
²⁶The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
²⁷For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
²⁸For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
²⁹And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
³⁰By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

Why do I love this passage? Because of the results that it got:

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
³² And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

A story of Amazing Revival. But how did this happen? Lets dissect the elements:
Verse 21: Threats from the authorities. This is what Jesus had endured. And they stated to the authorities that they weren't going to stop preaching Jesus. And yes... preaching JESUS is the key.
Verse 23: They told their fellowship about the coming persecution.
Verses 24-26: Quoting the word, the prophecy of David in the 2nd Psalm. You have to have the word of God if you want Revival.
Verses 27-28: Bringing the word to bear on your situation. Showing that the word applies to you, now.
Verses 29-30: These are the kickers. The Apostles do what Hezekiah did. Remove themselves from the situation, humble themselves and show that they are not involved, but that they are simple tools in the hands of their God. The authorities are not opposing THEM, they are opposing GOD. And what's more, is that the Apostles take it for granted that they aren't going to back down, aren't going to shirk... they simply ask for BOLDNESS in speaking the word, and GOD'S POWER: Not for themselves, not for their egos, not for anything except for God's glory. And of course that all this would be done in the name of JESUS, the name above all other names.

The proof is in the pudding. What happened? The place was shaken. The requests were honored. EVERYONE was filled with the Holy Ghost. The word of God was spoken with BOLDNESS. Everyone had unity. Great Grace was upon them all. Miracles and signs and wonders were done!

This is one of the most powerful prayers in the Bible. And I think the key is all in verses 29-30.