Insouciance. The Current Status of the American Church

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Acts 20:28-30

Insouciance = a lighthearted lack of concern or relaxed and happy, with no feelings of worry or guilt. Our self indulgence and denial of the ‘unseen’ can lead to apathy and indifference to the raging spiritual warfare around us. Our pride in our own intelligence and experiences will lead us into being easily manipulated by the enemies of God (those listed in Ephesians 6:12). Spiritual leaders with little life experience with the spiritual realms — are easy prey and a big hindrance to the Body of Christ as they usually deny the dangers of our enemy and also the very spiritual gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. Why is this happening? Those of academic standing and in positions of power want to dismiss those with spiritual gifts within their spiritual circles. Why? A desire for control and from a lack of acknowledgement of their own personal spiritual experience. Most academic circles belittle and dismiss spiritual encounters. If you don’t have the discernment from the Holy Spirit (gift of discerning of spirits – 1 Corinthians 12:10) how will you know the truth of what you are actually encountering? Have you been lulled into a self satisfying stupor, unaware of the schemes of the enemy around you? Do you clamp your hands over your ears when you hear something you don’t want to believe or know? Or do you take it to the Holy Spirit for explanation?

Where are you in the measurement of your own personal insouciance? 

Enter God’s provision. He has given gifts to the Body. Read carefully. 

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Ephesians 4:11-14

Please show me the scripture where it states that the prophets no longer exist in the Body? Or that there is no need for all of these equipping roles to be present within the Body of Christ? What does the prophet provide to the Body of Christ? How does the prophet role equip the Body of Christ? Because the modern American institutional church has basically done away with all the roles within the local congregation except for the last two (shepherds and teachers) the Body has never become truly spiritually mature in the way it needs to. Where are the prophets in each gathering of the Body …teaching and helping the members interface and learn about the Holy Spirit in deeper ways. Where are the prophets helping members recognize the Voice of God within the individuals in their company?

Can you hear Him? Is His Voice clear and plain within you? Can you discern the Truths He is bringing to your mind and heart? Where are the prophets to help equip you in these things? Be aware most real prophets do NOT use the ‘title’ of prophet. The enemy has so infiltrated the Church and society that has maligned the title as crazy — most in the Body can’t get passed the title to realize that God has given them (those individuals) for their own spiritual education into maturity.

Have you encountered someone who might fit the description of prophet? What exactly is that role? How can you know whether or not that person is worth listening to? Are you personally friends with any prophets? They actually are more common than people think. Many don’t even know their own ‘calling’. This is why we need older more seasoned spiritually mature elders to disciple the next generations in these gifts and roles.