Kingdom Truth - What is the Kingdom of Heaven in the Bible?
Chapter 4, Part 2 (continued)
The Church Follows the Steps of the
"Congregation" of the Old Testament
(2) The List of Sins (continued)
Lovers of pleasure. It also appears once in the New Testament. "Love" has the meaning of "tender affection" and is the same love in "lovers of money''. In the church, there are those who are enslaved by their appetite for good food! They are the ones described in the Scriptures as: "..whose god is their appetite!" (Phil. 3:19) "For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites." (Rom.16:18) May God have mercy upon us so that we will not be greedy Epicureans! Rather, we should be like what Paul said, "I buffet my body and make it my slave" (1 Cor.9:27).
"Rather than God lovers." When the church is completely self centered, what position could the gracious Lord hold? The believers' love has all been lavished on themselves, so what is left for the Lord? Furthermore, some churches have cast the Lord outdoors (just as the church of Laodicea). His head is drenched with dew and His locks (hair) with the damp of night (Song 5:2)! Even so, He is unwilling to leave the church and is standing continually outside the church door knocking. He also promises."If anyone hears My voice and opens the door. I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20) May the Chinese churches hear the kind voice of the gracious Lord and open their doors. May the individuals open wide their hearts. May they forsake the sins caused by one's "own self' and welcome the Lord into the church. Then there will be hope for the Chinese churches to shoulder the mission entrusted to the Kingdom of Preparation!
Holding to a form of godliness although they have denied Its power. The original meaning of godliness is to honor God in one's thinking and living. So, it is interdependent with "loving God". If there is no love for God, there cannot be godliness! In the last days, the "self' reigns in some churches and the devil is the co-regent. Since the devil participates in the governing of churches, they cannot exhibit a bit of godliness. But they want to present themselves as godly to save face for themselves. However, it just kills them to be truly godly. A compromise was struck: to hold on to a form of godliness. They go through the motions but the power of godliness is discarded. There is a pulpit but no message from God is heard. There are prayer meetings, but God's power is never manifested. There is the gospel but the hearts of the nonbelievers are never pierced. There is admonition but the believers are not built up. Some missionary organizations would only spend twenty to thirty percent of the donations on mission work and pocket the rest themselves! They dare to play with fire in the presence of God who is a consuming fire without fearing of God's final judgment!
Captivate weak women. In the last days, even a form of godliness gets thrown out by some people in the churches. They go all the way! They publicly transgress God's commandment, abandon their wedded wives and cohabit with wanton women and even claim it's God's will! It was said that when meals were served on a certain flight, one of the passengers noticed that another passenger was fasting. Upon inquiry, it turned out that he is a member of the Satan's church. The purpose of fasting is to pray to Satan to ask him to destroy the marriages of Christian leaders so that they cannot testify for the Lord! No wonder the problems of divorce and elopement among Christian leaders have intensified day by day. May God have mercy on them! When the enemy is attacking us wave after wave, how can we sleep like a baby? The gracious Lord has warned us: "Keep watching and praying" and now is the time!
When I finished writing this section on the twenty sins of the Kingdom of Preparation in the last days, my heart became very grave. I could not help asking the Lord, "Did You shed Your tears?" Now I understand why the eyes of our gracious Lord have turned from the church to the overcomers -- because He is completely disappointed by the church in the last days! Fortunately, there are overcomers in the church. Thank God for what He said: "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne". The overcomers in the church would fight a glorious battle for the Lord!
Chapter 4, Part 2
Shepherd His Sheep
