Water, Water Everywhere

This next vision I received several years ago, but I believe that God wants me to share it with you now.  It is about sin in the church.  That is, the church at large, not a specific church.  This is a hard message, and I hope and pray that it will be received well, and taken to prayer.  

It is imperative that people understand, that God wants to bring revival to our church and to our nation.  We cannot afford to be unconcerned about this message.  It must be taken seriously if we want God's manifest presence in our churches.  We need the Holy Spirit to do a work in our country, in our government, in our schools, and in the workplace.  God promises to pour out His Spirit, but we must pray, fast and seek his face.

The Vision of Water (Sin)  in the Church

As I was entering the church, by the office entrance, I noticed the ceiling was leaking like a colander.  The water was coming through the recessed lighting fixtures.  I started walking around the church.  Everywhere I went there were leaks in the ceiling.  The toilets were all backed up.  I even found a small closet with a bathtub, filled with dirty water.

I went to the office to inform someone of the problem.  I found one of the secretaries and told her of the toilets and leaky ceilings.  She said nothing.  I noticed that she wore an especially light, delicate, floral print dress, with bare legs and bare feet.

We went to the women's room.  There was urine all over the floor.  She went into the toilet stall.  As I waited for her to come out, I continued to describe the condition of the bathroom to her.  "There is a veritable pond of urine along the back wall and last stall!" 

The secretary came out of the stall and didn't wash her hands.  She walked through the urine on the floor.  I asked her, "Aren't you going to wash?  Shouldn't you wash your feet?  There was no response - She just ignored me and walked out of the room into the hall.

Again, I spoke to her, "You need to wash your feet to kill the germs."  Again there was no response.  She continued on her way.  Next I saw a pastor and approached him.  I told him that there were leaks in the ceiling everywhere.  I told him I put a bucket and towel down on the floor in one spot.  Then I took him by the hand, and opened the same bathroom door, for him to see.  I told him about the standing water in the bathtub in the small closet.  Again there was no response.

When I mentioned that the ceiling in the entry was badly leaking, he finally answered me with, "Oh, now that's bad."

I asked him if he would like me to make a punch list of the things needing attention.  And he looked at me with a blank expression for at least a full minute.  I realized he was either paralyzed, unable to act, didn't understand or didn't appreciate the magnitude of the problem.

Now this is what I believe the interpretation to be:

I believe that God is pointing out a problem in the Church, the body of Christ, the American church.  There is sin in the church, and there is no fear of God.  I believe that it is because we have become like one of the early churches.  There is a false teaching  that many Christians have embraced, which I believe can close the door to the Kingdom of God for them.  The enemy has sown this lie using scripture to support it, so to those for whom it appeals, it is the "truth."  

I believe this to be the very lie:  "Once saved always saved."

Jude spoke of men who supported this lie.  "For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."  (Jude verse 4)  

A note on this verse from the Full Life Study Bible (NIV):  "Jude denounces certain persons who teach that salvation by grace allows professed believers to indulge in serious sin and yet not be condemned by God.  They may have taught that God will freely forgive those who continually engage in sexual lust, or that those who presently live in moral filth are eternally secure if they have trusted in Christ at some time in the past (cf. To 5:20; 6:1-2).  They preached pardon for sin but not the imperative of holiness."

This lie gives believers a safety net with a hole in it.  They believe that they are saved even though they may live together outside of marriage, they habitually get drunk with friends; they slander individuals, as well as whole races of people; they enjoy gossip, lie frequently and abuse their children physically or verbally.

This lie holds them in bondage, blinded to the truth.  They see no need to repent.  I have heard this argument many times over:  "God knew all things before the beginning of time, and God knew that I would do this, so he already paid for my sin, past, present and future.  I don't need to ask for forgiveness because I'm already forgiven."

I am amazed how this lie is perpetuated.  It accommodates our flesh rather nicely.  In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he tells the believers to "live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."  Gal. 6:16

He then goes on to say, "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."    Gal. 6:19-21

In Revelations, the Lord says,  "It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death." Rev. 21:6-8

For years now, our intercessory prayer groups have been calling for the church to wake up, to be on fire for God, to no longer be lukewarm, and satisfied with mediocrity.  I believe that this lie is the primary cause of complacency.  Complacency exists where there is no fear of God.  "My people perish for lack of knowledge."  Hosea 4:6

Well, that's the truth.  So let's keep praying and seeking God on behalf of the church and those around us.  If we want to see revival, but we must do our part:

"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land."  2Chronicles 7:14