“Pray Against the Wickedness in My Church”
By: M.E. Townsend
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from truth and shall be turned to fables [lies].” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Although I did not understand the magnitude of the statement, I clearly heard the voice of the Holy Spirit saying “Pray Against the Wickedness in My Church.” I knew, or thought I knew the depth of the wickedness and began to pray -
A year has past and I realize there is a 500-pound gorilla in the living room and his presence must be acknowledged; no longer can it be ignored.
“But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of man.”
Matthew 15:9
Man often moves within the framework of his own folly. Darkness following darkness. The depraved disobedience of man is at times incomprehensible. Driven by his arrogance and pride, the man of God all too often enlightens the undiscerning with a new doctrine, a new revelation from the Word. “Vanity, Vanity” says Solomon.
From walking the labyrinth, to being slain in the spirit people eagerly follow the newest revelation or teaching. From holy laughter to the emergent church, universalism to contemplative/centering prayer, thousands are soaking in the glory, while waiting for their miracle and struggling to have their best life now. However, man has not remembered, perhaps he never knew:
“The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It has been already of old time, which was before us.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
Each new theological doctrine is seemingly more erroneous than the one before. Grabbing at the seeker of truth with tentacles of beguiling half-truths and vain deceit, these new theologies strangle the voice of truth leaving many broken and bewildered. Thousands move away from Biblical truth rushing into diabolical deception and darkness, obscured reality and doctrines of demons, yet voices are silent. – Few voices are heard sounding the clarion call to repent.
“Your prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity [sin] to turn away the captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes for banishment.” Lamentations 2:14
Ray Stedman spoke eloquently –
“In this regard, the institutional church is essentially a nursery for
overgrown spiritual babes. Because it has habituated God’s people
into being passive receivers, it has stunted their spiritual
development and kept them in spiritual infancy.”
In its desire to gather the lost, the church has forgotten its first love. It has exchanged persecution for the paradigm church, repentance for refreshing and its agenda to get inside the mind of the church moves forward as it markets the church. The church has become more seeker friendly, the sinner more confused and the message more mystical. The words of Paul, the teachings of Peter and John are seemingly forgotten as the church of the twenty-first century moves further away from truth, and closer to New Age philosophies, promoting teachings found in the Alpha Course, The Shack and Cleansing Stream to name a few.
“Therefore, My people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” Isaiah 5:13
How have those who love God, who attend church, who seek to be closer to Him – how have they been misled by the many false teachers and false apostles who fill our airways and many of our pulpits with heresy and lies? How could so many turn from a seeker into a soaker? The scripture tells us what we must do if we are to escape being deceived:
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” 2Timothy 2:15-
In addition, Paul spoke nobly of the Bereans, who received the word of God with great eagerness, but who carefully searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was truth.
Solomon, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit admonishes us in Proverbs 7:1: “Keep My Words and lay up My commandments with thee.”
God spoke the following words to Israel. Sadly, these words apply to much of the church today.
“Hear the Word of the LORD, you children of Israel for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” Hosea 4:1
How can this be? We run from meeting to conference. We read the latest book, listen to radio or watch ‘Christian’ television. But, how often do we be ‘still and know that He is God’? How often do we meditate on His word? How often do we follow the example of the Bereans and search the scripture to see if what we are hearing is the Truth of God or the treachery of men? How often do we sit quietly, Bible in hand and say to the LORD:
“Speak LORD for Your child is listening?”
Remember, there is a way, which seems right to a man. We pray, we sing, we cry out for more, but we do not repent. We refuse to acknowledge our sinfulness, yet expect, albeit demand that God move in our circumstances, reminding Him in our arrogance that ‘His’ reputation is at stake.
We sing ‘’let Your fire fall’’ but we have forgotten:
“And the LORD said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still, small voice” 1 Kings 19:11-12
We seek the messenger rather than the message, feelings rather than faith, rejuvenating rather than repentance and exhort the Holy Spirit to move on our behalf, for after all, we are His children!
John, writing the Revelation of Jesus the Christ recorded:
“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come upon you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:2-3
“…when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8
