August 18, 2009

• Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  After commending the church in Smyrna and encouraging them to remain faithful through persecution, Jesus brings rebukes to the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira:

  And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.
  
  18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
  

  –Revelation 2:12-29

  In the third chapter of his second epistle Peter warns us of that false teachers similar to those in Pergamum and Thyatira will come into our midst:

  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (KJV)

  Holy Father,

  We can leave no room for compromise or corrupt teaching in Your Holy Church. You have set apart the bride of Christ to be pure and blameless. You have made it clear to us Your call to us is a call to holiness. You call us to be pure in our doctrine and practice. We are to have no other gods but You. You sent Your only Son Jesus. We can only know You through Him. He has said He is the way, the truth and the life. We are to follow no other way but Your way. We are to hold to no other truth but Your truth. We have no life apart from Your life. We cannot live the life You call us to live apart from Your life. We are to hold to no other gospels but Your Gospel for there is no good news for sinful men apart from Your Gospel.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  Thank You that You have warned us about false teachers, so we might not be surprised when we see them in our midst. Today You are giving us opportunity to confess and repent of our sin of permitting these false teachers to go unchecked and have free reign among Your flock, those sheep You have purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. O, Holy Father, forgive us for turning a blind eye to these false teachers, these wolves in sheep's clothing, who have come among the flock to attempt to deceive and manipulate and to steal, kill and destroy those sheep Your Son died for.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  We confess for the sake of outward unity and for the sake of keeping the peace, we have often allowed these false teachers, which Peter calls  "natural brute beasts" or "irrational animals, creatures of instinct" (ESV) to have their way in the church rather than keeping rooted in Your way, which is the way of holiness. Forgive us, Holy God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who teach any gospel contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ are "accursed" and yet how often do we welcome them into our midst! Forgive us, Holy God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  These false teachers have forsaken the right way; they have gone astray. Father, have mercy on them. May You bring them back to Your way. May You make it clear to Your children those teachers who have Your anointing. Just because men and women teach in Your Name doesn't meant they are sent from You. For the sake of Your Name, for the sake of Your Church, show these teachers for who they really are. There has been too much compromise. The truth slides into error. A little leaven is mixed in and soon no one really takes notice. Give us eyes to see those who are Yours and those who are opposed to Your Gospel.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  Forgive us for allowing these false shepherds in our midst. Help us to put on Your whole armor to fight them and to remain in vigilant in prayer. Help us to continue to look to You and lift up praise to You as a weapon against Your enemies. We are grieved for the souls of these men and women but we cannot extend fellowship to those who teach error, falsehood and lies, we cannot have fellowship with any who seek to corrupt and distort and tear down the sufficiency of Christ, because those who do so have removed themselves from fellowship with You so we have no basis for fellowship with them in and through Your Son.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  As we have allowed sheep to be enticed and deceived by these false shepherds, many unsteady sheep have also gone astray. Holy Father, forgive us. Merciful God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on these souls. Good Shepherd, bring them back to Your good and right way, the only way, which is through the Lord Jesus Christ. By Your grace, as it so pleases You to do so, may You use to lead them back.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  Forgive us for allowing unsteady sheep to be enticed and lead astray by these false teachers. Help us call them back to You with a clear proclamation of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Give them ears to hear Your voice and bring them back into Your flock. Help them to run from the voice of strangers and to hear only Your voice.

  Forgive us as we have allowed these natural brute beasts to come in as blots and blemishes upon Your Holy Name and Your Bride.

  Forgive us as we have allowed these natural brute beasts to serve their leaven to us and many of us have eaten it without checking their teaching against Your Holy Word. Give us discernment, Holy Spirit; lead us into all truth.

  Forgive us as we have allowed these natural brute beasts to serve their leaven to us and many of us have eaten it and grieved Your Spirit as we have done so. Give us discernment to know the true bread from the false leaven and to spit out the false. Lead us to Your true bread.

  Forgive us as we have not continued to feed the sheep with Your living bread. How can we do so when we continue to eat leaven?

  Forgive us as we have allowed these natural brute beasts to be wells without water to us and many of us have drank there without checking their teaching against Your Holy Word. Give us discernment, Holy Spirit; lead us into all truth.

  Forgive us as we have allowed these natural brute beasts to be wells without water to us and many of us have drank there and grieved Your Holy Spirit as we have done so. Give us discernment to know the living water from the strange waters. Lead us to Your living waters.

  Forgive us as we have not continued to feed the sheep with Your living water. How can we do so when we continue to drink from wells without water?

  Forgive us as we have not lifted up Jesus Christ and Him crucified as we have ought. Give us boldness to do so.

  Forgive us for not caring for and guarding Your sheep as we ought. Each one is precious to You.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  There are false gospels of licentiousness as well as legalism preached in churches today. Those teachings are not of You. Your Gospel is a Gospel of freedom leading to holy living. We confess we have been apathetic and lethargic and have sat back and allowed this to happen. Forgive us, O Lord God. Have mercy on us and on Your Church for Jesus' sake. You have set us apart for You. You have chosen us that we might be holy and without blame before You in love. You have done these things to the praise of Your glorious grace. But so long as false teachers continue to have their way, Your glory in us is obscured. Give us a zeal for You and Your Gospel and Your Holy Word and Your truth. Deliver us from these false teachers. Restore us to the glory that You have intended for us. We are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture. You are our Shepherd. Come to us, Good Shepherd, deliver us from these false shepherds. We ask this for Your Holy Name's sake, that You might receive all the praise, honor and glory due Your Name, for Yours in the Name that is above all other names. Be glorified in us, in Your Church, in Your bride. You are able to do exceedingly above all that we can ask or imagine. O, we know that what we ask today is exceedingly above all we can ask or imagine, but we know You are able do it and we know that You want to do it. Restore us, revive us, return us to the glory You have intended for us. Wash us with water so we might be without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish and be the pure, chaste Holy bride of Christ, a glorious Church to You, our Redeemer and Lord. Amen.

  Forgive us for allowing natural brute beasts in our midst!

  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
  

  –Ephesians 3:20-21
  

  Please add your prayers here for the purity of the Church as His Spirit leads you...

  • 12:15 PM
  • 1 Comment