The Worst Thing that Can Happen to a Church

Most of us who have been Christians for a little bit have seen churches split, pastors become controlling, leadership dismissed for ungodly sexual conduct, arrests due to mismanagement of church funds and likewise, apostles, prophets, and pastors who served God honorably having premature deaths. I have lost great friends through tragedies through the years. Nothing really prepares us for these things. They become death blows to any church especially when scandals happen around or come through spiritual leaders.

However, none of the above examples compares with God's judgement upon the churches in nations. For we can all agree that whilst these incidences are tragic, devastating and disappointing, they are not the worst thing that can happen to a living church. I have seen churches move past seemingly impossible odds to thrive (at least according to man's standards).

The worst thing that can ever happen to a church is for it to lose it's lamp stand.

"Revelation 2:4-5 But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Remember

therefore from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming

to you swiftly, and will move your lampstand out of it's place, unless you repent. "

Tomi Arayomi explains in his book Eat Sleep Prophecy Repeat "that a church that loses its lamp stand is no longer a church, it's a social gathering. The lamp stand represents the illumination of the prophetic insight and revelation that makes the institution of the church the bright beacon it is in the earth today. I implores churches all over the world that you can lose your building, your quarterly budget, your charity status, your speakers, your microphones, your keyboardist, your worship leader, you can even lose your pastor and survive but at all costs, you must preserve your lampstand".

When churches lose their lamp stand, they enter into a dark age, leaving the world to light the way. I have given prophetic words and other well known prophets have released similar warnings that as we enter the year 2023 - we are also in a New Era of the Holy Spirit. Churches that do not follow the move of the Spirit and continue with schedules, agenda's, workshops, seminar's, conferences dictated by a Board of Director rather than by the Holy Spirit will be shut down. We shall see more church closings than any time in history. The Spirit of the Lord has made it clear to me and other prophetic voices that the graces of yesterday are gone and there is a sternness and an urgency in the Spirit that nothing less will be tolerated.

The Bible tells us in Revelation 19:10:

I fell down before His feet to worship Him. He said to me, "Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.

We can often like the Apostle John encounter God in a powerful and glorious way and easily fall into his error of worshipping the moment, the angel, the fire, that we miss the meaning. The Bible says 'the testimony of Jesus' or 'marturia' meaning the 'evidence' of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.

Every single believer should be united in our corporate ability to hear the voice of God. The intention of Jesus in sending the Holy Spirit was so that every single person could have this testimony or evidence. "The evidence or proof that Jesus is in a room is not the manifestation of tongues, but the manifestation of prophecy! When people start prophesying, Jesus is in the room!" (Tomi Arayomi- I will put a link to this book at the end of the blog. I highly recommend it.)

Let's take a look at 1 Corinthians 14:23-25. I love the Voice Translation of these verses.

23 Imagine what would happen if the entire church gathered together speaking in different languages, one foreign to the next. Then people who have never heard of such a thing or unbelieving people walk up on all that’s going on. Would they not think each and every one of you were raving lunatics? 24 But let’s say an outsider or unbeliever walks in on a different scene: all are speaking for God with great power and insight in a language they know. What then? Well, the outsider would come under the conviction of his own sins and be called to accountability by the words of all the prophets. 25 The very secrets of his heart would be revealed, and right there—mystified—he would fall on his face in worship to God, proclaiming all the while that God most certainly dwells among you.

The disciples were not born again in the Book of Acts. They were born again in the Book of John when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into them. The manifestation of tongues is the evidence that prophecy, revelation (dreams & visions), interpretation and words of knowledge live in you and are waiting to get of you. Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians 14:5-6 that the greater one is he who prophecies rather than the one who is speaking or praying in tongues.

Let's take a look: 1 Corinthians 14:5-6 NKJV

5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; [a]for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. 6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

"Tongues are encoded revelations, words of knowledge and doctrines waiting for you to decode the mystery and release them as a sound of distinction." Prophet Aryomi continues "The reason the assembly is not being built up is nothing to do with our evangelism programs nor our night vigils or prayer movements! The reason the assembly is not growing is because prophecy is no longer the fundamental part of our services. We gather to speak in tongues, to preach, to take offerings but the singular purpose of coming to the houses of God out to be to hear from the God of the house a now and Rhema (living) Word that transcends sermonizing. The Church as an institution becomes redundant when it omits the prophetic. Revelation is the very foundation and capstone on which the New Testament Church is composed".

Let me back that statement up Scripturally: 1 Corinthians 14: 1-5 NIV

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

Matthew 16:17-18 Amplified Version

17 Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.18 And I say to you that you are [a]Peter, and on this [b]rock I will build My church; and the [c]gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ].

For a church- for a pastor- to feed his flock without revelation is like going to school and having no textbooks. If the Holy Spirit is not present, then we are just reading the Word. We need to read the Word with the God who wrote the Word. In John 16:14, Jesus says:

“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you. Message Translation

Revelation gives the church the advantage over every secular system and worldly institution in the earth. It is a unique privilege that we have the ability to access revelation in order to engage a dying world that desperately needs a touch from God. He doesn't just want to speak through leaders and prophets.

John 10:27 says 'My sheep hear My voice! God wants to speak to everyone one of us daily. In the natural it is quite impossible to have a relationship in which we don't have communication. Every one of us has spiritual senses and can learn to discern the voice of the Lord. Imagine having such intimate communication with Your Heavenly Father 24/7 that through the Holy Spirit you can encourage people wherever you go and let me assure you from experience that one word from the Holy Spirit can penetrate someone's heart in a way that all the preaching in the world never could.

My greatest passion is to teach believers how to discern the voice of their Shepherd and to grow in the spiritual gifts each and every one of us has. You don't want to miss the masterclass that I'm preparing on this subject matter. Please take the time to submit a contact form with your name, email and phone number.

We will be leaving Wix as I'm excited to announce that a new and beautiful website is being built that will support more of the resources and material we desire to offer. We want 2023, to be your best year yet. I know that for those who are sold out lovers of Jesus it will be a year of acceleration and blessing in the midst of the chaos in the world. We will also have the ability to separate your contact information so that you only receive from us the material that interests you. I pray this blog blesses you and be sure to come back as my next post will be a video testimony on my trip to Houston where I prayed and saw blind eyes open. That's right. I'm still excited and simultaneously humbled by the experience. He wants everyone to focus on maturing so that wherever you go signs and wonders follows you. We are to be preparing for the greater works that is coming. Your obedience and His power = the impossible becomes possible.

If you are church leader or are interested in us working with your church on teaching and activating spiritual gifts; be sure to fill out a contact form and it would be our honor.

If you would like to read the book- here is the link: I look forward to your comments and questions.