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5 Profane Things That Has entered The Church

Five hideous profanation that has entered the church


The Church should not be confused with large and small beautiful cathedrals, temples, or terbanacles where we gather together often times for fellowship. 
Rather, the church is the body of Christ. The assembly or the gathering of believers in Christ Jesus. 

Hebrews 12:22-23.
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

A brief study of the book of Acts shows that multitude became a member of the church of Christ not because of any other gospel, but because the gospel (The message of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) of Christ was preached unto them by the apostles; the gospel which is always accompanied with mighty signs and wonders. 

Acts 4:31
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 5:14 -15
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

From the above verses, obvious is it that the apostles prayed, speak with boldness, healed the sick and as a result of this many people were added to the church of Christ.

However these days entirely, otherwise is the case, for the devil has introduced various sacrilegious acts to the church. And unknowingly for the church, just in a bid to bring crowd or more members to itself has embraced them.
The following are therefore some of the hideous profanities that has creepily entered into the church:

1. SELF-DENOMINATIONAL PRAISE  


This is perhaps the greatest disease that has crept into the church (Knowingly). It is a demonic tool that is meant and is actively performing the role of division in the church (the body of Christ). People from various denominations are not endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit again:
 
“making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” Ephesians 4: 3.

Denominational Praise such as “My/Our denomination/Church is the most bible believing and teaching church, “The most praying denomination”, The best teachers and preachers of the word, etc. 
As sweet as the words are, little do we know of its belittling, and dissociative power, and its greater negative influence on the unity of the church. 
As a result of this, we see churches creating demarcations or having nothing to do with other churches; some even went as far as disallowing their members to marry from another denomination.

Self-denominational praise majorly would I conclude by suggesting that “the Motive underneath is plainly and mainly to bring crowd to the church/denomination. A deceiving tool of the devil in the heart of the church.


2. COMEDY GOES TO CHURCH

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16”

I have resolved not to say the days when men rejoice in the Spirit with overwhelming happiness and joy has disappeared into the thing air of no return, of course not, but I recognized a lessened development due to the prevalence of comedy in the church assemblies. 

The experience of a hollow and longing heart that is often filled with joy divine after a profound study of the word, soul raising praises and prayers is no longer embraced, reason being a disparaging believe that; people will tends to forget their sorrows through comedy. 
Saddening is it to see and to know that the alter of God; the place of the presence is being profane by the presence of jokers and fun makers who are called upon just to make jokes, fun, and comics so as to make people laugh. 
To make matters worse, some even go as far as making jokes, comics and fun from the Word of God. 
Why would churches allows comedic activities in the church of God; I would be partial by suggesting alone that “it is to make people laugh, or to forget their sorrows and to improve their health”; but without hesitant and doubt, I would rightly say it is to bring crowd the church.

3. BUYING AND SELLING

John 2:13-16
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

Creepily, and unknowingly, the church has stylishly embraced some form of buying and selling, most especially during worship hours and many see it as a normal thing without any big deal. 
A malady that our Lord Jesus Christ frowns a lot about. 

If not buying and Selling; what then should we call this?:
 A crusade where white handkerchief, anointing oil, holy water etc. are being sold (Mostly at higher prices) for people to get healing or different kind of miracles. 
It makes me think whether Jesus ever collected a penny from anyone in return for a miracle. A worship session where the preacher’s books and others’ are being sold; you see people exchanging money with the ushers in other to buy a tape or calendar etc. especially, when the worship experience is still ongoing.   

The truth is, this acts in worship distracts true worship experience. (Worshiping God in Spirit and in truth).

5 Wordly Things that has entered the church 


4. DISGUISED MIRACLES
Indisputably, the place of miracles, signs and wonders cannot be overemphasized in the building of the body of Christ. 
It showcases the divine presence, and the availability of the movement of the power of God. Through miracles many people were being added to the church: 

Acts 5:12-16 
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.
13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.
14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.
16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Addition to the church (the body of Christ) some of these days are premised on falsehood; a disguised or pretending kind of miracle, actualized through a payment to some set of actors who after receiving the doom of their life acted accordingly, by pretending to be blind, lame, mute, deaf, sick, demon possessed etc.; of which after the laying on of hand of the falsely anointed and empowered minister; plunged out of the pretense estate to normalcy.
This has now begun to cunningly become the other of the day. Painfully, the undiscerned and veiled church members also burst into joy and awe, praising their pastor and his god.   
Finally, among many other things, yet the greatest of all, which I presumed to be the reason for this sacrilegious act, is mainly to draw crowd to the church, followed by such personal effects as fame, popularity, riches and wealth etc.  

5. PROSPERITY GOSPEL


The truth indeed is that, the bible never goes against believers having riches and becoming prosperous even in this present world. And it is never in the wish of anybody to be a failure or live in abject poverty. 
Consequently, I had naught against the gospel called prosperity other this; “it has so much penetrated into the church that the minister of this end time age had also been shifting their focus from the real thing which has greater eternal value to the less”. 
The real thing simply is "the message of the cross", the graceful gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (The message of the death and resurrection of Christ).

2 Timothy 4: 2-4
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
A revealed lukewarm church:
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked ---.

The Laodecean Church, a very rich church thought since they have riches wealth and power, then, they have need of nothing again. 
To them, riches bring satisfaction, it helps to see, it covered their nakedness, it banishes miserableness, it brings confidence etc. 
However, otherwise is the case when our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten them, making them to see that their misplaced priority in riches and wealth rather brings about wretchedness, miserableness, poor, blindness, and nakedness. 
They simply don't understand the joy therein in possessing nothing. 

Suggestively, considering the foregoing; prosperity gospel, beneficial as it may be, brings about a disease I called “Tyranny of things”: Things are tyrant because of their dispossessing nature. 
Right inside every man is a central shrine that only God dwells. However, the acute desires of men only to possess or have, or perhaps the acute fixation of man’s mind on worldly things rather than the things of God has in one way or the other quenched the thirsty soul of men for God, thereby taking the central shrine which belongs to God, that is, dispossessing God of His central position in man’s heart.  

Hence, the true experience of joy divine, unwavering assurance of eternal security and salvation, and a lively hope that often accompany a sincere worship experience is often times missing.
In churches where prosperity message is embraced, the only prayer (majorly) is that of possessing riches, being prosperous and successful. 
There is neglect on the side of praying for mission work, missionaries, the country, the unbelievers, ministers of God etc. 
Just as before, I can haply say among many other things “Prosperity and success gospel also necessitate crowding the church and this cannot bring a true experience of salvation.

What then is the way out?
Without any profound theological analysis, I shall shortly suggest that:
The church should “go back to the laydown foundation” of the apostles as recorded in the epistles. 
The true foundation of radical evangelism, unity of faith and of the spirit, love for the body of Christ and the lost souls.
To the ministers who are seriously bent on increasing membership in churches would I say should neglect worldly varieties and focus on the true teachings of Christ. 
As touching signs and wonders, they should be patient, humble and obedient mostly to the leading of the spirit. What God has wrought in the life of the generals of the past and the few present ones, He would do again.

Philippians 2: 8-9.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.

Conclusion 

Conclusively, for a true worship experience to take place, for the joy define to be restored, for the message of the gospel of Christ to quickly spread, for true miracles signs and wonders to take place; the church of God must look inwardly and rid of herself these sacrilegious acts that has so much entangled her; following the true steps and paths that has been laid down by the apostles. 


READ MORE: A BIBLICAL REVIEW OF JESUS DECENT INTO HADES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS