The Blood-Bought Church

He bought my freedom with his blood - His sinless innocent blood. He presented it to me as a gift - a priceless gift - borne on a heart of unconditional love. I asked Him, "What does this mean? Do I belong to you now? Shall I pack my bags and go with you?"

"No, Child," he said, "this means you are delivered from the penalties of your sins. They were many but I paid the price required, and I paid it in full. As to your belonging to me, yes, you belong to me, and I belong to you. But - don't pack your bags yet. In the days and seasons to come, when you have acquired understanding, you will lay up labors of love that will glorify me. And these I will cherish. In the meantime, I want you to hold fast to your new-found faith and learn of me. And please, share your light and your joy with others. Tell them I have loved them as I have loved you and that I want them to be free too..."

Then He was gone - and I set out to learn...

The foundation of the church was laid by the Apostles and the Prophets, but the Spirit of Holiness bears the blood of Jesus Christ. It is for the cleansing of the sanctuary and the souls of saint and sinner, rich and poor, sick and whole, young and old, teacher and student, pastor and parishoner. It is not for sale. It is not for barter. It is not for worldly gain. Touch it with greed or unholy intent and you will die...

The blood flows through the blood-bought Church. It anoints its portals (comings and goings of the saints) and opens its windows (opens the visions). This is not a brick church. It is not a stone church. It is not a wooden church. It is a blood-bought church, built of souls that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. It is not yet a perfect Church. It is only as perfect as its leaders have allowed it to be. It is only as effective as its leaders have allowed it to be. It is only as powerful as its leaders have allowed it to be.

Today it appears to be crumbling, it is in disrepair, neglected and even shunned. But, contrary to those that deny the power of His blood and the power of His name, I have this to shout:

His blood has not lost its power.

The name of Jesus has not lost its power.

The anointed old hymns still have power to convict, though men of lesser anointing have lost their vision of repentance.

By their decree the Spirit of Holiness has been replaced. The Church now offers politically correct faux pas teachings. The looming darkness of this compromise has been neither rebuked, nor dispelled by the light of truth, and because darkness and light cannot co-exist, the Spirit of Holiness has departed the Temple.

All that's left is the deepening darkness, stale bread and soured wine...

God help us all - the Church is left most desolate without the Blood, the Faith, the Holiness and the Name that is above every other name. She has no power, she has  no truth, no conviction and no repentance. She is orphaned. She has no fire to warm her heart, no zeal for a holy cause. She is filled with dead men for God is not acquainted with  forgiveness without sacrifice...

Who then can save us??? You have to be kidding!!!

Go you hypocrites. Go you white-washed tombs. Take your dead mens bones and go far-far-away from me...

You need to re-read the 19th chapter of Exodus. God commanded that the people wash themselves and their clothes before coming into His presence. He commanded reverence, obedience and respect in the presence of His Holiness. And the people stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai trembling with fear of the awesome and fiery God. Then He spoke to them and they trembled even more. Finally, they couldn't take it anymore. They asked Moses to tell them what God said so they wouldn't have to endure the earth-shattering soundwaves of His voice. I wonder - do people tremble with fear these days when they enter the Sanctuary and come into the presence of the Holy God?

Perhaps - in a few remote places on this planet. I have cast the shoes off my feet in one I know in a little town called Keysville, Virginia. It is about four hours from where I live so I don't get to visit often. But when I do, I'm compelled to remove my shoes until I leave. There is one other I have entered only once, ten or more years ago, filled with the same power and presence of the Holy Spirit. It was the chapel of a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. I fell prone with my face to the floor as soon as I reached the altar. Apparently, Spirit-filled saints, or even one Spirit-filled saint, perhaps a chaplain, a nurse, a candy-striper or a doctor came there daily to pray. All I know is, His Glory came down and the place was filled with His Presence. Why can't such presence be found in all our churches? I will tell you why:

Not all sanctuaries are recognized as the Holy Sanctuary. They are not doused with daily and intimate prayers of intercession, joyful praise, obeiscent worship and thanksgiving. They are not entered into with reverance, they are not respected as sacred. Nor will you find any corporate or widespread faith of God. By and large these sanctuaries are gathering halls where any and all attempts by the Spirit to minister are quenched and restricted by service schedules and religious rituals, controlled by those that are content with one hour of God on Sunday. 

Now read the Lord's message to the Church of Laodicea - the final state of apostasy  (Rev. 3:14-22).

It is a sad day when the Spirit of the Lord leaves the Sanctuary. It is a day when truth leaves as well. It is a day that will live in spiritual infamy, a day when wolves come to the Church door, hungry for prey. They come from among men, some weak and some strong, having dressed themselves in sheep's clothing. In no time at all they have hijacked the Gospel and taken hostage foolish men and careless women in broad daylight.

The Laodicean Church of apostasy fills our pulpits with lukewarm indifference.  Jesus warned us about this end-times state of the Church. He warned that these lukewarm Laodiceans would be spit out of His mouth, rejected and cast into outer darkness. But those that endure to the end - those that cling to the Spirit and the truth unto the day of His coming, He said, shall be saved.

The Philadelphia Church, the blood-bought Church, is a remnant today.
Though she stretches around the globe in the hearts and lives of millions, most of the Philadelphia Church has already passed into eternity. The saints that remain and hold fast are in peril of a deadly contamination through the liberal power-grab of the Laodicean Church. But God is not mocked. He never will be. The light of His Holiness has not dimmed and He is not lost. He can still be found in the glow of seeking hearts. These are hearts that yearn for the Spirit and the truth, like a deer panting for the water.

He knows who we are and He knows the content of our heart. Though the world mock and scorn and call us hateful names, though Satan spreads his sugar-coated lies before our face and in our face, if we call upon the Name of the Lord He will come in the Spirit of Holiness to wash, to cleanse, to save and to keep until it is time to pack our bags...