ONLINE WORLDWIDE SACRED ASSEMBLY- Day 9 THE CRISIS OF THE SICK CHURCH There is an epidemic of false doctrine that is being taught from many pulpits around the world today that is endangering men’s souls. This is a dangerous epidemic because the average person in the pew does not know that the message from the pulpit is not the truth. These poor trusting souls go to church looking for spiritual food, but are being fed poison. Instead of being lead to green pastures and still waters, they are being lead off a cliff. The distress that this must be causing a holy God is simply immeasurable! My mentor, the late Dr. Stephen Olford was a pastor who prayed fervently for a revival to sweep this nation. He said essentially that we must recognize that the church is desperately wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked before God. Since the time Dr. Olford went to glory nearly ten years ago, the situation in the church has grown much worse. I submit that the church is far worse than wretched and miserable. She is sick with a cancer, and what is worse, she seems to be completely unaware of her diagnosis. Her cancerous growth was caused by ingesting poison. She has been force fed poisonous false doctrines by her pastor. We desperately need to intercede for these poor trusting people who are in such sick churches. This poison is damaging their souls and denying them the abundant life that comes from being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. We must also be aware of these false teachings so that we can minister to these people as they look elsewhere for spiritual food. For that reason, I have listed four of these false doctrines. 1. DEAD COMMANDMENTS DOCTRINE: This teaching says that the Ten Commandments are dead and should be put in a coffin because we are no longer under the law, but instead under grace. This doctrine gives an excuse for living an immoral lifestyle. According to Church Father Irenaeus, this was the doctrine of the pleasure loving Nicolaitans, which is the very doctrine that Jesus hated! (Rev. 2:6). In defense of the Commandments, they are an embodiment of God’s moral law which is an expression of His moral character. Since God’s character is eternal, then laws based on His character are eternal. Therefore, the commandments are not dead. 2. HYPER-GRACE DOCTRINE: This doctrine has been used over the millennia as an excuse for a licentious lifestyle. It says that by God’s grace, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin. This is simply untrue. A careful reading of 1 John 1 the shows that our sins are continuously forgiven if and only if we ‘walk in the light.’ John says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Jesus has no fellowship with someone who lives licentiously. Apostle Jude spoke against this doctrine saying, “…some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago…” (Jude 3,4). 3. UNBALANCED PROSPERITY MESSAGE: I will defend the good news of prosperity with every fiber of my being, however the prosperity message that I is being taught today is unbalanced and therefore untrue, because it omits man’s responsibility. For example, in the Deuteronomic Covenant, God promises that He will command a blessing on everything that concerns us if we live RIGHTEOUSLY. Similarly, in Jesus taught “Seek first the kingdom of God and His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33). The unbalanced prosperity doctrine promises prosperity despite one’s immoral lifestyle. 4. DEIFICATION OF MAN: No one would admit teaching the deification of man, but when a church is more concerned with being pleasing to man than it is with being pleasing to God, its priorities are misplaced. It has deified man. This is the error of the “seeker friendly” gospel. Having life more abundantly does not come from having more stuff. Life abundantly comes from having more God. The essence of these doctrines is that man does not need to govern his lifestyle. Therefore, I submit that these are “doctrines of demons.” The Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy concerning this. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…” (1 Tim 4:1). Friends, this is serious! In a vision, God showed me the sudden destruction of the churches that have grown large by building on the soft sand of false doctrine. Concurrently, there will be a sudden growth of the small churches that are built on the solid rock of the truth of God’s word. Revivalist Steve Hill had a dream that confirmed this vision which is described in his book “Spiritual Avalanche,” published by Charisma House. Friends, we need to pray for the sin sick church. “Father God, we cannot imagine how much it grieves you to see your bride so grievously ill. We desperately intercede for those who are being force fed the poison of false teachings. We pray that they take the counsel Jesus gave the Laodicean church in which He says, “I counsel for you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent…” (Rev 3:18-19). “Father God, we pray that you call your people out of these sick churches and place them in ministries that teach the solid rock of the truth of Your word. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.” Prayer warriors, in charity, would you post a prayer in the comment box at the bottom of this post please? I feel so grieved for the sick church. Many people that we know and love are in such churches. Please prepare to join me in fasting and prayer for revival on September 11, 2013. Please join me again tomorrow for “Eleven days Ablaze” as we continue to pray for revival in ourselves, our churches and our nations in our ONLINE WORLDWIDE SACRED ASSEMBLY. God bless you dearest revival seekers! Sincerely, Dr. Cheryl Rickards President, Warrior Bride International charismamag/spirit/spiritual-growth/17093-the-7-great-lies-in-the-church-today
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 00:41:25 +0000