A great robbery has taken place within the Christian church--not in any one denomination, but in varying degrees within all churches. It is amazing that it has been so long undetected.
The first articles stolen were the Christmas gifts. Love, joy and peace were tampered with, the thief leaving in their place a divisive and contentious spirit.
Some pages of the Bible disappeared. By vain arguments and humanistic theological doctrines, divine revelation and miracles were explained away. The simple gospel message was neglected but because the Bible was not often read, folks didn't notice that their very faith was being eroded. For example, the top of the page containing John 3 was torn off eliminating the necessity for conversion--the greatest of all miracles. As good deeds became the criteria for winning eternal life, the church became like all other religions. In fact, she even believed she was one of them!
When the sinners' penitent bench was stolen, the people began to feel so self-righteous that holy communion became a routine sacrament without repentance. References to the blood of Jesus disappeared from many sermons and hymn books, the thief quoting Jesus' words "It is finished" as an excuse to forget the whole bloody mess!
A few offering plates were stolen, the thief screaming that the church was interested only in money. The ordinance of tithing ceased, but few noticed the loss of church funds because zeal for missions had waned after the altar candles had been snuffed out.
The gifts of prophecy, speaking in tongues and healing vanished, the thief whispering that these were only for the early church. Folks did not realize they were telling God to get lost.
After this, the thief began to take people captive to himself. With no requirement for holy living, it was easy to convince folks in the pew that wealth and pleasures could bring happiness. Blatant sexual sins entered the church body. Some folks said they were bored and began to look elsewhere in search of supernatural power.
A well-planned and well-executed robbery is difficult to detect and, when discovered, the thief cannot be identified. This thief was clever, but some of the people who had been playing with the occult were the first to spot him. This happened when they found there was a greater power than that with which they were tampering. As they began to connect their power with the devil, or Satan, and the higher power with that of the resurrected Christ, they knew they had found the elusive thief. By this time, however, the thief had also stolen the deliverance ministry from the church to ensure his own freedom!
Like a mighty giant awakening from a deep sleep, a repentant and renewed church is today rising up throughout the world, a church who knows the power and authority Jesus Christ has given her (Luke 9:1). She is reminding Satan that Jesus said the very gates of hell cannot prevail against her (Matt.16:18).
Although the thief has always tried to steal the church from Jesus Christ, he has never been successful and he never will. Each attempt only strengthens and unifies her as she rediscovers the reality of the power of her risen Lord!
© 1999, Doreen Palmer