The Holy Spirit Wants to Burn Up Corrupting Values in Church Culture
My wife is a praying woman. She has an incredible grace to draw forth wisdom and counsel from the Spirit of God. A few years ago, prolific utterances began to flow from her vessel whenever we’d pray together. I began recording and transcribing them.
My new book, Cleansing the Temple, was birthed this way.
One day when we were praying together, three Scriptures flashed before her that instantly bore witness with both of us. They were Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 8 with Simon the sorcerer and Acts 19 with the burning of the magic books. As with the burning of the magic books in Acts 19, the Holy Spirit revealed His desire to burn up the corrupting values in church culture today that are restricting the true manifestation of the glory of God.
When judgment fell on Ananias and Sapphira, the fear of the Lord also fell on both the church and the world (Acts 5). It had a polarizing effect on those who heard of it. Today when many pastors are toning down on the demands of Christ and the workings of the Holy Spirit to spike up the numbers of church members, we need to see that there was a certain exclusivity and distinct dividing line at work in the early church. Notice the effect:
“But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both” (Acts 5:13-14, MSG).
As a result, the glory and power of God increased and multitudes continued to come to the Lord. Sincere repentance was the fruit of it all.
This is a necessary work that must be done today for the church to be cleansed of its iniquities and impurities. Holiness and the fear of the Lord must be restored in the church as a result of these judgments. This work must be done before the Lord returns for His glorious church.
The book touches on many other aspects of judgment and glory, but this is the central issue.
This is a real word from the Lord for this hour. It will prepare the church for the tumultuous decade of the ’20s that’s just a few months away.
I hope you will get a copy of the book and buy one for your pastor and local elders, too.
Every minister should get a copy. This will be a great resource for years to come. Proceeds and royalties from the book will be used to support mission works in poor nations. {eoa}
Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, has authored several books with an emphasis on helping to restore the true spirit of Christianity in the church today. His recent release, Cleansing the Temple, will help prepare the church for the tumultuous ’20s decade that is just ahead of us. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook and @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.
