ONCE IN THE FAITH IS NOT FOREVER IN THE FAITH
THE CHURCH MUST WAKE UP!
MAY YOU NOT LOSE YOUR CROWN: MAY YOU KEEP YOUR BODY UNDER
THE ALTAR OF JESUS IS NOT A PLACE FOR JESTERS
WE MUST AVOID REPLACING THE FAN AND THE FIRE WITH FUN
SPIRITUAL SLUMBER IS A RISK
WARNING IS NOT AN ENEMY, BUT A FRIEND.
SIN NOT CONFESSED IS NOT ENTITLED TO BE FORGIVEN.
FAITH HAS NO FUTURE WITHOUT GOOD CONSCIENCE
GOD DOES NOT CONDEMN YOU FOR FALLING INTO SIN, BUT HE REBUKES YOU AND EXPECTS YOU TO TURN
SELF EXAMINATION IS THE BEST FORM OF EXAMINATION.
A CHURCH THAT DOES NOT FIGHT INIQUITY WILL SOON BECOME A FALLEN CHURCH
UNTIL INIQUITY IS FOUND IN YOU, SATAN CAN NOT HAVE A HOLD IN YOUR LIFE
SIN BED ALWAYS END AS SICK BED
– Bishop David Abioye on “PROPHETIC WARNING TO THE END TIME CHURCH” || SHILOH 2023 – Day 4 Hour of Visitation || REDEEMED TO FLOURISH IN HARD TIMES || 8th December 2023 || Second Word Session || Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota ||
In this Second Word Session, I have the privilege that I quite appreciate from God’s Servant for the opportunity to bring it up and it is captioned ‘PROPHETIC WARNING TO THE END TIME CHURCH’ Strange teaching, somebody may be wondering, but very important and timely…and let me begin by saying, warning is not your enemy but your friend. Church Gist. If you look at the dashboard of your vehicle, you see a lot of indicators. If your tire is going down, they give you warning, you don’t get angry with it, you comply with it. The fuel gauge is showing one-quarter, if you are wise, stop in the next filling station otherwise, you will be put to shame. A few days ago, one of our vehicles was on the road in a hurry to carry out an assignment and suddenly, the shock absorber went down. Meanwhile, it’s been showing indication, ‘Check it’, it was not checked. There was disappointment.
When you ignore warning, you end in danger. Prophetic warning is not meant to scare us but to save us. Ezekiel 3:18. So, the warning is to save us, especially in these last days. A lot of danger is around the Church, but unfortunately, the Church is sleeping. Many evils are pressing on the Church and the Church is dancing. Sin is pressing so hard on the Church and the preachers are jumping. Church Gist. Too many evil is creeping into the Church unawares. We are replacing the fire with fun. The hearts of men don’t burn again like it used to burn. People don’t weep again in repentance when altar call is made. A lot of alternatives have been brought into the Church. Forms, taking the place of power, religion, taking the place of spirituality. The Church is prophetically warned by this Word, that it’s time for us to wake up because the next thing to sleep, is death.
A lot of evil is filtering into the Church. The Altar of Jesus is getting polluted. We must wake up. We have today, a lot of funfair even on the Altar. We have brought in jesters to create fun to people when we have the Joy in the Holy Ghost that can stir up our souls. Church Gist. The Church must wake up. We must avoid replacing the fire and the fan with fun. As we are hearing this, please, let’s be sober in our hearts and return back to our source.
We will be examining the 7 Churches in Revelation which is a typical example of the Church of the end time. Church planting started in the first Church. Those 7 Churches were remarkable but years after, they were becoming cold and so the warning was sent to them in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3. But before we do that, let’s quickly take 3 reasons why we need this warning. Church Gist. Everybody needs it including my privileged self talking to you. Every Church needs it. Every pastor needs it. Every Church leader and Church worker and member needs warning so we can stay strong and make it to the end. You have commenced the race. It is not enough to receive the Faith, it is important to keep the Faith. If you watch it, scriptures kept (saying) ‘Keep the Faith, maintain the Faith’ because once in the Faith, is not forever in the Faith. Matthew 19:30.
– Your place in the Faith, no one shall take! I thought you said Amen to that.
If I say ‘You have 10 million’ your voice will be louder than that.
– I said you will not lose eternity!
– You will not miss eternity!
After all these running, if you and I, God forbid, if any of us miss Heaven, then your race is in vain. Paul said ‘I keep my body under lest I become a misfit and my place be lost’
– You crown, no one shall take.
– Your place, no one shall take.
Why This Prophetic Warning?
1: It is to sound an alarm on the risk of spiritual slumber. One thing that is hitting hard on the Church today is spiritual slumber. It’s a risk. Joel 2:1. Romans 11:8. How amazing it is, from the Altar today, beginning, pastors have reduced revelation to information and as a priest, so the followers. Matthew 13:24,25. Church Gist. Every Church is planted with good seeds, but while the leaders and the members sleep, the enemy comes to plant tares. We must stay awake to keep the enemy away. Satan has no power to do anything to the Church until he sends God’s people to sleep.
– Say with me, ‘I’m awake’. Say it again ‘I’m awake’
Quick examples.
Samson slept on the lap of Delilah. He lost the grace. He lost the power. He lost the vision. Judges 16:16-19.
Saul slumbered to the extent that all the weapons were lost. 1 Samuel 26:7,8. The weapons of war were lost. David went in there, all of them slept.
Satan has started stealing in the Church because many are sleeping. Every time I hear that a child dies, a middle-aged person dies, accident is occurring to a member, I wake up. Church Gist. It’s a wake up call because until we go to sleep, the enemy cannot go to work. Every time you see things going down around your life, it’s an indication that slumber has taken place, has taken over.
We saw David also, the mighty. He went to slumber. 2 Samuel 11:1,2. When men, kings, ought to go to war, David stayed back in his house and there, spiritual slumber. He was walking on the veranda in the evening time and he saw a woman bathing. Church Gist. When you don’t go to war, you will see a woman bathing. See, these things are very clear. If your eyes are not engaged in spiritual things, it will be engaged in seeing negative things. An idle hand, they say, is satan’s workshop. Give no place to the devil through spiritual slumber.
2: To awaken the Church to vigilance against the wiles and deception of the devil. Ephesians 5:14. 2 Corinthians 2:11. He doesn’t come when you stay awake. He keeps off. 1 Peter 5:8. You can not be vigilant without soberness. Church Gist. The Church of our time is the Church that is over excited and you know, when you are over excited, you miss seeing what you should see. Soberness must be combined with vigilance. When you are over excited, you become careless.
I’ve seen pictures of some soldiers and police, drop their guns and go to drink and somebody took the gun. We are looting our weapons of war in the Church because of slumber. Amos 6:1. Hosea 7:8-10. Church Gist. The Church of Jesus that should be vibrant everywhere is losing strength to the extent that sinners come to Church and they infiltrate the Church with their sins. Liars come to Church and they teach men, brethren, how to lie. When in those days, you come to Church, you lie, you die.
The Bible tells us about the first Church. It says ‘They did not move close to them. Everyone feared them’ It was a no nonsense Church. Acts 5:13. Church Gist. Not like the compromising ones that we have today. 1 Corinthians 10:12.
3: To maintain the purity of our faith, the conscience of our faith. 1 Timothy 1:19,20. Our conscience is the security of our faith.
– You will not make shipwreck of your faith. Let me hear your Amen again.
Faith has no future without good conscience. The healthiness of our faith is in good conscience that is tied to it. One thing that is been observed in these 7 Churches, except 2 of them is a call for repentance. It keeps our faith alive. Repentance puts us on our toes. It doesn’t make us feel we are experts. Church Gist. Repentance gives us a feeling that we are growing, like the teaching we had yesterday, in sanctification, which is required to keep ourselves spiritually fit. The scriptures tell us the reason why repentance is pertinent. Matthew 24:12,13. We are also given some warnings in the letter of Paul to Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:1,2. 2 Timothy 3:2,5. We’ve heard that a lot on this Shiloh ground this Year.
‘Iniquity shall abound’. Now, iniquity is the height of sin. Bible Scholars makes us understand 3 categories.
The first kind of sin is err, to make mistakes. There are things that just occur, you didn’t plan, it occurred. Some sin came around you. You quickly repent of it and then, there is a fall into temptation. Church Gist. Out of pressure, you fell into temptation. That call for repentance. But, iniquity means lawlessness. Things that people do because they have lost their conscience. Otherwise, how can a man say he is married to a man? Lawlessness. His conscience is dead and that’s what the Church must watch against. The reason for repentance is to quickly reverse us to our spiritual state whenever we make a mistake.
Perfection is not a state, it is a process. So, when the Scripture tells us to be perfect, it simply means for us to keep improving, to keep moving. You don’t remain on the same spot spiritually. You are making progress. Church Gist. You used to lie yesterday but you decided that you will not lie again. That’s perfection. You used to steal, it says ‘let him that stole, steal no more’ Ephesians 4:28. You used to fight, fought everybody, including your wife and your husband. But, you decided that by the help of God and in repentance, it will not happen to you again.
What is repentance?
Repentance means to soberly express deep remorse whenever you fall into sin. God does not condemn you for falling into sin but He rebukes you and expects you to turn. I didn’t say God does not condemn sin but He doesn’t condemn you. Church Gist. Particularly, when you come before Him remorsefully, sometimes, with tears. It’s alright to cry when you do wrong and repent before your Father.
We saw in Joel chapter 2, long passage. It says ‘Let them come with repentance. Let them come with broken hearts. Let them come weeping between the Porch and the Altar’ and that’s one thing that is missing in the Church today. A man pursues after another man’s wife and you know what people say? ‘It’s because his wife is not around’ We make explanations. Somebody lies, he says ‘It’s a slip of tongue’ when he ought to repent. Church Gist. We have used confessions, ‘I’m a child of righteousness’ to cover our sins. Sin is sin. There is no method you can use to cover it and it doesn’t matter who commits it, sin is sin. Sin has no category of ‘committers’ of it. That you are a big man, find out from David. When he sinned, a word came to him, ‘David, you are dead, gone’ and immediately, soberly, he repented of his sins. Proverbs 28:13.
– Say ‘I receive mercy’
– Somebody say ‘I receive mercy’
Repentance is not once and for all practice but once and again practice. 1 John 1:6-10. Sins unconfessed is not entitled to be forgiven and if it is not forgiven, you have lost your stand with God.
– Somebody say ‘I receive cleansing.
– Say it again ‘I receive cleansing’ ‘By the blood of Jesus, I receive cleansing’
– Whatever will put a gap between you and God, by the blood of Jesus, it is hereby removed.
Isaiah 59:1,2.
– Sin will not separate you from God.
– Say a loud Amen!
Matthew 6:12-13, and so we saw how Jesus led us to pray. That is an aspect of prayer we don’t pray as much. Jesus taught us this Prayer. Church Gist. He knew what it meant for temptation to come. He was tempted at all points, yet without sin.
Quickly, let’s examine the state of these Churches so we can be able to apply the warnings that were given to them to us.
The first Church that was being warned is the Church of Ephesus. Revelation 2:1-7. Every one of us seated here, examine yourself when you first knew Jesus, how zealous you are (were). You never miss Church, you never miss prayer meetings, you never miss soul winning. But, what is your state now? Pastors who are here, you know how you were driving the Church towards growth, in soul winning, in intercession. Ask yourself now, what is the state of the Church now? Nobody plans to fall, but, by the deception of the enemy, sometimes, people fall. Church Gist. You need to examine yourself. Where did I fall? Self examination, the best examination. Where did I fall? Even at this Shiloh ground, a lot of us, we need to sit down, take our paper, our pen, ‘Where did I fall? What did I use to do spiritually that I’m not doing again?’ The midnight prayer you used to pray, you are no longer praying it. The service unit you belong to before, you are no longer there. They have followed you up. You gave different excuses until they were tired of you.
It says ‘Repent’ Repent means to turn away. Away from evil, back to God. First love is first works. 1 John 3:18. The danger of not repenting – Revelation 2:5.
– May your candlestick not be taken away from you.
I thought somebody is saying Amen to that.
If I say ‘May your money not be taken away from you’ your prayer will be louder. But the candlestick, which brought to you the blessing is the one I’m praying about.
– I said your candlestick shall not be taken away from you!
The Second Church: The Church of Smyrna. This Church was commended for not toying with sin but their problem was the problem of ignorance. They claimed they know when they don’t know. Revelation 2:8-10. We need to get back to Word feast. What sustains the Church is the Word. The Word, filled with knowledge, exploding, empowered and exploits.
Number three Church: Church of Pergamos. Revelation 2:12-17. Now, when Israel kept themselves in Number 23, Balaam and Balak couldn’t curse them. Numbers 23:21. They did all they could to curse them, they couldn’t curse them. So, in chapter 25, they flooded their camp with harlots. Fornication, which people have counted to be a very common thing now. Young people want to marry, they want to know themselves. Fornication flooded the camp and you know what happened? 22,000 people were destroyed. Until iniquity is found in you, satan cannot have a hold in your life. Church Gist. A Church that does not fight iniquity will soon become a fallen Church…and you know what God said? He said ‘I will soon come back and I will lay you on the bed’ Sin bed always end as sick bed. Toy with sin, you become a toy in the hand of the enemy. If you wear unholy garment, satan will show interest in you as it happened to Joshua the high priest. No exemption. Whether you are a member or a pastor. Once you wear the garment of sin, satan’s interest will be on you. Repent, that is the instruction, repent.
Then we have number 4 Church: The Church of Thyatira. Revelation 2’18-23. You know, few can destroy much. A few, one sinner, spoileth much good. Don’t call any sin small. Church Gist. It is not big things that make people fall. It is small things. The small things we ignore. God is patient but will not wait forever. He said to the children of Israel, ‘This 10 times you have committed sin. This 10 times. I will not spare you again’
– May none of us reach the gauge where we will not be able to return.
Satan will tell you, ‘But you did it yesterday, nothing happened to you. Go and do it again’ He is pushing you gradually.
The Church of Sardis is number 5 Church. Revelation 3:1-6. 1 Timothy 5:6. You are dead. Religion has taken the place of spirituality. We still speak in tongues but the tongues are now powerless. Church Gist. We make noise in our intercession but Heaven is not open to us. When in those days, people pray with soberness in their hearts and before they speak, Heaven has answered.
– What remains with us shall not die!
– The Church of Jesus in our time shall not die!
(The) call for repentance is constant!
Number 6: The Church of Philadelphia. Commended, but in the end, was warned as well. What was the warning to the Church of Philadelphia? Revelation 3:11. Hold your faith. It doesn’t matter who is toying with faith. Hold your faith. Don’t join them. ‘Wide is the gate that leads to destruction. Narrow is the gate that leads to Heaven’ Follow that narrow path. Church Gist. Don’t look to your right or your left. Don’t ask ‘Who is joining me?’ Be on your way there. Few, God is not after multitude. He destroyed a whole multitude in the days of Noah. He destroyed multitudes in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, except the Righteous. Don’t join them in stealing. Don’t join them in lying. Don’t join them in adultery, in fornication. ‘Now that I’ve waited. I’m now 40. Nobody is talking to me. I think I need to also enjoy myself’ You should rather say ‘I need to suffer myself’ Don’t join them!
Revelation 3:11. Sin is targeting your crown. It is not about the pleasure, it is about the crown. Sin targeted Joseph to take the crown from him but Joseph refused. He got the crown eventually.
– There is a crown waiting for you and I in Heaven. None of us will miss it.
Oh! I thought you are saying Amen to that.
Finally, we have the Church of the Laodicean. Careless Church. But God concluded by talking to them in Revelation 3:19. Zeal is one of the cures for coldness. When you are zealous, you become too hot for the devil to handle. Church Gist. Many believers have become cold. It’s easier to touch what is cold than to touch what is hot. When you are hot, satan can not hurt. You need to become hot in your pursuit of God on a daily basis no matter how many years.
At the Shiloh Prayer Hour this morning, God’s Servant was analyzing to us, people who stayed long, many years and still fell.
– You will not fall.
– I said you will not fall.
– You will run the race to the end.
The danger of not repenting is that God turns away from you. David repented, God came back to him. Saul did not repent, he ended in destruction. Church Gist. Do not at any time keep an unrepentant sin in your heart and be quick at doing that ‘Lord, I’m sorry for that statement. Lord, I’m sorry for that behaviour. Lord, I’m sorry’ Somebody is touching you carelessly in your sensitive part. You say ‘Haha, I don’t like it’ You like it. If you don’t like it you will speak with red eyes. You will run like Joseph ran. ‘Lord, I’m sorry’
Now, listen to me. Even when you are tempted in your heart, you need to repent because thoughts grow into actions if you don’t cut it there. Thoughts are potential actions, you need to quickly stop it.
Ahab was a very wicked King. He repented and the Lord said ‘See how he humbled himself’ 1 Kings 21:27-29. Church Gist. Repentance will always attract mercy and mercy will bring the blood to cleanse you and I. Let’s be humble. We just heard about humility. Let’s be humble to repent.
David was humble. He fell on his face and said ‘Lord, forgive me’ He wrote Psalm 51 in forgiveness. Psalm 51:11,12 and God said ‘David, you will not die’ 2 Samuel 12:13. Instant repentance will bring instant forgiveness and instant forgiveness will lead to instant renewal and instant renewal will lead to continuity in the Faith. Church Gist. God will not condemn you for falling, but He will condemn you for remaining in the fall to sin. Don’t stay there, jump up quickly. You came to Shiloh this year, maybe there is something you have been doing, quickly repent. Make up your mind. Among the prayers you are praying at Shiloh, it is not just for material things. Material things will die. Pray for your soul because your soul will bring back to you everything you may have lost.
– Somebody say a loud Amen!
Shortly, we will rise to pray and if there is anything you need to pray for, recall. I’m not saying try to look for evil deeds. Your conscience is talking to you now. Church Gist. Your conscience is telling you about what you did before and if there is no such thing, you need to pray ‘Lord, lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil. Rescue me, Lord. I will not be part of the people that will fall. Give me your power Lord. Give me your engracement Lord’
I’d like somebody to rise to your feet and pray that prayer right now. It’s a choice you have to make. Iniquities are multiplying every day. You have to make a choice that you will not be a victim. Engage the mystery of righteousness to tackle the mystery of iniquity.
— Prayers —
Thank you, mighty Father. In Jesus precious name we have prayed.
– By the blood of Jesus, we receive a cleansing from our sins in Jesus precious name.
#BishopDavidAbioye
#LFCWorldwide
#Shiloh2023
#RedeemedToFlourishInHardTimes
#Day4HourofVisitation
#8thDecember2023
#ChurchGist
