In this sermon, the preacher expresses his concern about the direction of the church today. He believes that the church is not shining a light in the world as it should. He criticizes the abundance of books in Christian bookstores that seem to be motivated by money rather than a genuine desire to spread the message of Christ. The preacher emphasizes the need for the church to return to the simple message of the cross and for Christians to fully identify their lives with Christ. He also warns against false teachings and encourages believers to study the scriptures and seek the truth.

But it's wonderful to be with you again. It's wonderful to have time in the Word of God and I've got something in my heart this morning that I would like to share with you. Might take a few weeks, but there are things in my heart that distress me. I'm going to speak to you this morning about where is the church going, what's happening to the church. Jesus said to his disciples that you are going to be the light of the world, the light of the world, a light that will shine in the midst of a dying world, of a sinful world. Where is the church going today? I believe that there are so many, so many preachers, men of God, servants of the Lord, who want just to make Christians happy and content. But I want you to open your Bibles with me in the book of Timothy, to Timothy chapter 2. I don't believe that the church today is shining a light in the world like it should. And I'm not going to refrain myself today from saying some things that probably might disturb you. But I believe that I need to talk things that are in my heart. And I'm not going to give you a negative image or picture of the church. But I believe that Christians must hear and must see and must understand where is the church going today? What is happening to the church? Why are Christians walking in defeat? Why is the church full of sin? Why is there so many divorce and separation in the church today? Why are the youth struggling to live a holy life? Why does the church need to organize and to get young people together so that they don't run into the world? Why are not the youth staying in church and being strong and happy to serve the Lord? There are many questions that are not answered in the church. So many situations that Christians are facing, but we are not having a solution. So we read in the book of Timothy chapter 3 or chapter 4, excuse me, chapter 4 verse 3, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Or in other words, error. Or in other words, deception. Lies. Christians are sitting in churches today and swallowing anything, everything, anything that they hear. They don't spend their time going into scripture and finding scriptural basis to prove what they have been hearing. And there are so many preachers today that invent techniques and principles that are bringing Christians nowhere. Not close to a victorious life, to a mature life. So many promises that preachers are giving to God's people. If you just have to do one thing, and then the Lord is going to shower his blessings upon you. All sorts of false teachings bringing the Christians into deception. And I believe that somehow the people of God must be aware. They must know. They must hear. They must stand up. They must go in scripture. They must go and find out what they hear. Is it the truth? Or are we going to swallow anything and everything and at any time and become emotional? Sometimes I hear Christians, I see Christians hearing some gospel, some messages, jumping in their seats, laughing, being happy and joyful about what they hear. It's as if God is coming down from heaven speaking to them. But then when I listen to what they are hearing, I ask myself, where does that come from? Where does it come from? So easy to take a few verses of scripture and then making a sermon out of it. We are living in 2007. Last year was 2006 and next year will be 2008. I've heard so many promises in 2006. Preachers taking from the Bible and proving to Christians that the year 2006 is a year where Christians take dominion and authority, prosperity. The law of six. I have no fear in my heart today to denounce that this is false teaching. And this year is 2007, the year of the open door, where the Lord will shower his blessings in such a way that the church has never seen before. 2007 is nearing to an end and 2008 is starting. What is going to be next? Where are they going to look for scripture about the number eight? Where they are going to conclude that 2008 might be the year for, I don't know what, but some miraculous divine intervention of God for the church. These are fables. Nothing more than fables. Nothing more than manipulation. Nothing more than emotions. Nothing more. And it's so easy to go in scripture and find out some scriptures and make a sermon to manipulate Christians. Sweet, compromising, emotional, diluted gospel. These are the qualifications that I will put on certain sermons and teachings that you hear from preachers. And I believe that it's time for Christians to stand up and say no. I'm not going to hear and be received. These prosperity teachings are nothing more than deception. Nothing more than deception. That's why today I would like to speak to you a little bit about the blessings of God and the true promises of God. The true promises of God and the true blessings of God according to scripture. It's important for the people of God to understand the real promises of God spoken from the old covenant, spoken to Abraham, spoken to Isaac, spoken in the scripture today of the new covenant. And I believe that the church has got the right to hear the true promises of God. I've got the right to inherit the true blessings of God and not deceitful things and not running after wrong promises, false ones. I heard an article, I read an article a few weeks back about a man who was writing about the state of the church. And I was very much encouraged because I believe there are more men of God that needs to rise up and talk about the state of the church. And not just be satisfied and flow with the river. It's amazing that when Jesus Christ came into this earth, he went against the flow. He never experienced people that would come to him and congratulate him for what he said. But Jesus Christ was the most open man on earth when he taught about what God wanted him to talk. And I don't believe today in the last days that we are living that man of God, true man of God will be famous. Jesus became famous for what he did on the cross. But he was not famous for what he preached. Because when he preached, there was opposition, persecution. They wanted to kill him and finish with him. That's why it is very dangerous today to seek for famous men. Because famous men, according to scripture, will not, for famous men, will not carry true gospel. And those who will carry the true gospel are those who will be spoken about, not by just congratulating them for what they have said, but being opposed and persecuted. That's how they will be known. That's how the disciples of Jesus were known. That's how the apostles of the early church were known. That's how a man called Paul was known in scripture. A controversial man, a man who spoke the truth against the flow of what people believed. That's why Christians must rise up and stand up and not just go by feeling and go by emotions. Because this is, can be very tricky, very tricky, dangerous to live today in the church. That's why we need to be very sensitive and be sure that our lives are founded on the true spirit of the gospel. The true spirit of the gospel. And stop just listening to people making promises. I feel sick in my heart when I hear people promising Christians so many things. So many things because we live in the year 2007 or because they give something or because of such and such a reason. I'm distressed in my heart. It makes me feel sick. And I believe it's a time for the Christians to understand that true gospel, the true gospel of Jesus Christ is nothing to be linked with your emotions and your feelings. Nothing. That's why I would like to speak to you a little bit about the true promises of God. What did God promise? What did he promise? Certainly not what many preachers are preaching today. Promising things that God did not promise. Promising things that God did not promise. It's amazing. You know when you talk about, when you look at the promise that God made to Abraham, he just promised Jesus. God promised to Abraham, the Savior, Jesus Christ, that he would be the father of many nations. You, me, those who would believe in Christ. There's nothing, there's no feeling in that. There's no emotions in that. There's nothing that I can touch with that. It's my spiritual life. It's eternal life. It's a spiritual promise. Open your Bibles with me in the book of Genesis chapter 12. Genesis chapter 12 verse 1. Now the Lord hath said to Abraham, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Now you know my dear brothers and sisters, you can read that in the natural. You can read these scriptures in the natural and find out that somehow God blessed Abraham with many, many material things. But that's not the essence of what God promised here. But it's so easy to use the word blessing linked to something material or something that we can touch. But when we look at this scripture, this is a spiritual blessing. Abraham would still be known until the last day because he's the father of faith. And he's not going to be known because he had great possessions. But Abraham will be known as the father of faith. That's why he's being said, I will bless you. And when God said to Abraham, you will be the father of many nations, he dared to believe. He dared to believe in a promise that he would not see in the natural. Because if you look in the book of Galatians, chapter 3, verse 13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. Do you read the same thing? That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. Here we see the apostle Paul linking linking the life of Abraham, the faith of Abraham to the new covenant. That was the purpose of God's blessing upon his life. That's what God was aiming at. The church, the new covenant, you and I. Because you and I have believed the promise of God to Abraham has been accomplished. And thus our blessing. Can you see? So Abraham is a blessed man, not in terms of material things, but in terms of being the father of faith. Because he believed he was justified by faith to open the door so that you and I can enter into the kingdom of God. And God promised, that was the promise of God, and God blessed him. Now I wonder why preachers are seeking for material things attached to that. I don't, I have no problem that to believe and accept that God blessed him also in the natural. But what we read in Genesis chapter 12 has got nothing linked to material things. That's a spiritual blessing that touches his life and is touching our life today. That's what God promised. Amen? That was all covenant. But I praise God that the old covenant just didn't end by itself. There was another covenant that followed, a new covenant that includes you and I. Amen? Now we come back to Genesis chapter 12. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, make your name great. How was his name became great? How? Who would believe that people will be talking about Abraham today? Who would believe so? That's what we just read in Galatians. The blessing of Abraham linked directly to our lives today. Abraham having been justified by faith. Get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. Abraham has become a blessing to all of us because he believed. Hallelujah. Now people tell you there are 600,000 promises in the Bible. I dare to believe that. I have no problem to try and believe it because I didn't even count it. But when we talk about God's promises, we've got to put those things first. We've got to understand what was in the heart of God. That's why today in the new covenant we talk about the spirit of Christ, the spirit of the gospel. The heart. What was in the heart of God when he spoke those words to Abraham? What did he see? What was the purpose? What was the plan of God in these words that were spoken to a man? That's why when we talk about God's promises, we've got to know and feel the heart of God. What is the plan of God behind? For what purpose? God promised something. God is spiritual. God is spirit. God is interested in spiritual things, in spiritual beings. Amen. That's why he created Adam and Eve in his image. In his image. Spirit. One with God. Now people tell you that we are all being born in the image of God. I mean, how can we be so foolish to believe that? When you are born again, then you become the image of God. That's why you become children of God when you are born again. Because God is spirit. And this was a spiritual promise for a spiritual purpose and for a spiritual plan. That plan was to redeem mankind. That plan was to save mankind. Abraham was brought from a place. God chose that man, took him from a place and gave him a promise, a spiritual promise, because God had a plan to save the world. Yeah. That's a spiritual promise. That's why the prophets of the old covenant, they were revealed Jesus. Jesus was revealed to them. And they were prepared to serve God and to speak on behalf of God and to obey God, because deep down in their hearts, they had seen the grace of God. They had seen the full plan of God. They had seen the promise that God spoke to Abraham and God renewed his covenant with Isaac. The same covenant to Isaac, the son of the promise, with God to seek for spiritual things and spiritual plans and spiritual visions and not tend to draw the hearts of the Christians with things that they can see in the natural and they can touch so that they may become prosperous and have everything and touch their emotions and their feelings. There was no feeling and emotions involved when God spoke to Abraham. It was a spiritual promise and the man believed and he was justified by faith. Hallelujah. It's wonderful. Why is the church seeking after things? Why do you hear preachers talking about money from morning to night? I tell you, they have not seen the spiritual vision of God, the spiritual plan of God for us to live on this earth under the new covenant. Now, open your Bibles with me in the book of Hebrews, chapter 6. You know, it's as if today Christians, when they read the word promise in the Bible, oh, it's as if, you know, what can I get? You know, when they see the word blessing, what can I get? They don't see the spiritual blessing. They don't see the spiritual promise. It's amazing. The church has been conditioned to see that way. Can you understand what I'm saying? The church has been conditioned from the messages that they hear to understand promise and blessing as something of value in the natural blessing of God. He promised 600,000 promises. What can I do with them? How can I get them? How? Now in the book of Hebrews, chapter 6, we read from verse 11. Are you with me? We'll reach somewhere. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Now, you know how many people use that scripture to talk about faith and perseverance to inherit natural blessings. But this has got nothing to do with a natural blessing or a natural promise. We're talking about spiritual life here. That's what God has promised from Abraham through Jesus Christ that we would inherit eternal life and that we would live a victorious spiritual life on this earth. That's the greatest promise of all. Because if you read the whole chapter, you will see the whole book of Hebrews talk about our spiritual life on this earth. The new covenant about Jesus. We will inherit the promises. Spiritual promises. Look at verse 9. But beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you. What are these better things? Better things concerning you. What do we want for you? Hey? Yes, things that accompany salvation. Though we speak in this manner, our spiritual life, our inheritance in Jesus Christ. You know, you can talk about promises all day. It's amazing how the church has been conditioned to seek for promises, seek for blessings, other than spiritual blessings and spiritual promises. This is dangerous, my friends. Dangerous. To take that route is very dangerous. That's why I'm concerned for God's people. I believe that the greatest promises, after we have believed, the greatest blessings for Christians is spiritual maturity. He is to grow in Christ. He is to become like him. That's the greatest blessing that we can have. That's why the Apostle Paul talks in Ephesians chapter 1. In Ephesians chapter 1, maybe we can read that together. That's what the Apostle Paul is talking. Verse 3, he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. You see, the blessing is the fruit of the promise. Can you understand? The blessing is the fruit of the promise. The promise given to Abraham that Jesus would come and that we would have eternal life in Christ, but we would live a victorious spiritual life on this earth. That's the greatest blessing you can have as a Christian. The greatest blessing you can have as a Christian. And that's what the Apostle Paul is talking about and that's what the author of the book of Hebrews is talking. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 7. We read from verse 16. But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. No, chapter 6. I'm sorry. 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 16. And what agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living God as God has said. Therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord. Therefore having these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. That's the greatest promise that God will become our father through Jesus Christ. We were not a people. We have become a people. We have become a people. That's the promise given to Abraham. We form part of the people of the many nations that have believed, that have received the grace to believe, that are included in the promise. And God has become our father. I will be your father he says and you shall be my sons. Therefore having these promises what type of life should we live? A holy life. That's what the the apostles were concerned. That's what the apostles were concerned for the Christians. They were talking about the year 007 or the year 006 or what they could what they could get with from the Lord. They were talking about a holy life, a spiritual growth, spiritual maturity, man and woman of the spirit. That's the blessings of God. Spiritual blessings and then I walk with God and God is my father. He gives me peace. He gives me joy. He gives me love. He gives me everything that will fill my heart and that will make me happy. Money can't make people happy. Have you have you have you ever seen people that have got money that are happy? They pretend to be. They pretend to be. I'm not against people having money. I've got some. I'm not condemning people that are happy, but I am condemning people that are seeking and seeking and looking how they can get something from God. Where is the cross? Where is the gospel? Where is our identification with Christ? Where is persecution? Where are the dealings of God in our lives? What place is there for us to take our cross and following? Where is the place for us to lose our lives? Where is the true gospel? Where is it? That's why Christians are sick spiritually, because when you seek material things, you can't be well in the spirit. When you seek material things first, you can't be well spiritually. The promise, the blessing, the blessing, the promise, the blessing, where we lose sight of the true promise. And we lose sight of the true blessings. We lose sight. It's gone. It's not even in our language. It's not even part of our relationship. It's not even part of our fellowship. It's not even part of our testimony. There's no place, there's no room for people to come and testify how God dealt with their lives. How they got victory over the flesh. How they are happy and rejoicing to partake to the sufferings of Christ. So where's the gospel? How can we come to church and seek for something material? If I get it, it's good. If I don't have it, it's fine. But I'm seeking for the spiritual promise and the spiritual blessing. That's what I desire. I want to grow. I want to see Christians grow. The greatest promise in the Bible is Jesus Christ himself. Eternal life. Amen. Eternal life. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. We can read verse 36. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the church do just so live by faith. But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. After you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. He's talking about eternal life. He's talking about life after death. He's talking about life in heaven. That's the promise of God for those who walk with him. For those who have known him and walk with him and persevere. That's why the author of that book talks about endurance, perseverance in the faith. The church shall live by faith. We shall give no room for drawing back. No room for drawing back. To keep walking faithfully, persevering, enduring, identifying ourselves with Christ fully. That's the spirit of the gospel. That's the heart of the gospel. That's the heart of Jesus. It's disappeared. Where is it? I don't know what's going to be next. In 2008. And I can guarantee you that the majority of those who have believed in the promises of the year of the open door has been deceived. And the year will finish and they will be still in captivity. Because God doesn't work by numbers. No. God sent Jesus Christ to accomplish a work in the spirit. And now it's by faith. Not by numbers. You say, yes, but I believe I put my faith in the number. No, sir. No, if you put your faith in the number, you're putting your faith in the wrong place. Because your faith must be in the power of God manifested at the cross. And I wonder how those who have believed in 2006 and have not received and have yet still believed in 2007 and have not received. What are they going to do in 2008? I don't know if it's going to be two times four or six plus two or seven, the perfect number plus one. I don't know. But that was not the language of Paul. And Jesus never spoke that way. The apostles didn't speak that way. You said, yes, but it was not 2007. Yes, but it was 007. Oh, I don't know what. They could have found something. No, they don't speak that way. No, their lives were founded in Jesus Christ in the promise. Seven is not the promise. Six is not the promise. Eight is not the promise. Forget about figures. Forget about numbers. Forget about letters. Be in Christ Jesus. Be right on the foundation. Give seven, give 77, give 777, give 7,777. What about if God asked me to give 7,778? Maybe that will be next year. Where are we going? Where is the church going? Where are we going? Six, seven and eight. That's not a joke. That's serious, my friends. That's why we need true men of God to rise up and true prophets of God and true apostles that would rise up and declare the spirit of the gospel and not anything. I tell you, I wonder what do they say on the 1st of January 2008 to the people? They have promised so many things. They have declared this year is the year of your deliverance, of your healing, of your whatever. They've said it. I heard it. And always linked with money. Always. You've got to have some place for some money somewhere in that. That was not the language of Paul. He didn't have that type of language. Neither Peter, neither John. They had another spirit. They had another language. They carried another gospel. They lived another life. They were seeking for spiritual blessings out of the spiritual promise that was given. Yeah. For eternal life and a victorious life on this earth. That was the heart of the true prophets. That was the heart of the true apostles. There was no money involved. No money involved. Yeah. Oh Lord, help us. Must help us. Where is the church going? Where are we going? I mean, I know where I am going, but where is the church going? Where is the church going? Where is the church going? Hey, it's a racket. I was in a country two weeks ago and I wanted to go to a Christian bookshop. A good one. And I went to the Christian bookshop and I walked around and sort of wanted to know what was, what, what are they selling there? The Christian bookshop. I saw from the worst to the bad to the medium and to the few good articles that I could buy. You know, my friends, I don't want to criticize. That's not my aim at all. My aim is to revive something in the hearts of Christians to make them become aware of the deception that is in the church today. That's my whole purpose. I'm not angry at anyone. Tell you, I came out of this bookshop. Oh, I could have bought things, books. Even the title make you run. And it is a mixture. It's as if people are writing books to get into the racket of selling books for money. Amazing. You wonder if you're entering in a Christian bookshop, some titles that you see there. Philosophy or, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Then you wonder, what food do Christians have? A mixture of worse, bad and good. What does that make? Worse, bad, good. What does it make? I don't know. I'm sure it brings confusion. I'm sure it brings Christians to not know what I need to do anymore. I'm confused. I'm confused. Where is the cross? Where is the power of the cross? Is there room for the church, for the Christians to be happy, to lose their lives? Is there room for that? The joy of suffering for Christ. The joy of losing your life for Him. The joy of identifying your life to His death. The joy of feeling the hand of God on your life, changing you and breaking you. The joy of feeling the hand of the potter on your life, even if it hurts, even if it's tough, even if it's breaking you, but you feel God on your life. Where is it? Where is the church going? Where are we heading to? Huh? Where? We must be very careful. I'm sure you must have heard me on one of our programs, probably six months ago, I was talking about music. Christian music, gospel music, makes my head sore. You don't even know if it's world, God, half Christian. I don't know. Where is the spirit of Christ in the church? I tell you frankly what I believe. That's not a judgment. That's my feeling. Gospel music is a way to make money out of Christians. Gospel music, many times, not always, but many times, is a way to get money. To use your skill and to hide behind, I'm doing that because I want to identify myself to these people so that they can accept my message. And in the meantime, you give them poison. In the meantime, you poison them with the left hand and you reach out with the right hand and tell them, come with me. Believe what I believe, but at the same time, I give them poison with that end. That's the way the devil works. That's the way he works. I tell you, God does not need, God does not need me to become like the world to become an instrument. God works by the Spirit. And we hide behind these things. We hide. And many times there is a money motivation, a motivation of money. And many times people bless them to go out, bless their work, bless what they do. Oh Lord, you must help me now. You must help me because where is the church heading to? Where is the Spirit of Christ? Where is the perfume? Where is the perfume? Where? And we can go on and on. What are we doing? Seeking our own benefit. That's why the church needs to come back to one simple message, the cross of Jesus Christ. Give the Christians the opportunity to lose their life and deny themselves. Give them the opportunity to identify their lives with Christ fully. You don't find that anywhere in many places. No, you don't find it in many places. But when I read the true gospel preached by the apostles, I see the heart of God. I see the promises in the right perspective. I see the blessings of God in the right perspective. I see the purpose of the promises. And I see the purpose of the blessings of God is to enrich my spirit, is to enrich my spiritual life, is to allow me to walk in victory in my marriage as a young man, as a couple, as a young person of every age. The church is being deceived. And I want to encourage you to seek the Lord, to seek the Lord. And I ask the Lord to show you what is right and what is wrong, what is of the spirit and what is of the flesh, what is of the spirit and what is of the emotions and the feelings of men. We can't grow spiritually through emotions and feelings. We can't grow spiritually through knowledge. We've got to experience a work of God in our lives. That's why the apostle Paul says in the book of Corinthians, he says the preaching of the cross is the power of God. That's the power of God. That's where the Christians are given the opportunity to grow. And you know what? I believe that Christians are hungry and thirsty to hear the gospel, the true gospel. Many of them are ready to take up their cross and follow Jesus. Many of them are ready to lose their lives. Many of them. But they must have the opportunity to hear the right gospel, the right gospel. We are living in a time where it's going to become more and more difficult for Christians to live a holy life. The spirit of the world wants to take hold of everything. Unfortunately, it has come into the church. It's time now to rise up. It's time to stick our head out and preach the true gospel. I know that what I am saying is not going to please many of you, but I'm convinced also in my heart that there are thousands of Christians that just are waiting to hear something that will feed their spirit, something that will make them happy, even if it is a price to pay, because they are sick and tired of hearing the gospel that does not change their lives. But I'm happy to declare that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross of Jesus Christ, is powerful enough to change every person's life and to allow him to walk in victory. If God blesses you in the natural, it's good for you. But seek the true promise and seek the true blessing. Don't adventure to go and seek material things if you know that your spiritual life is not right. Don't even dare, because God is not with you. And it's not because a preacher tells it to you that you dare to believe it. You don't have to. That's why we need to seek for the right promise, the true promise, and look at the true blessings that God has intended for us. And let us make sure that we have them, that they are ours, that we have touched them, that we are experiencing these blessings and these promises, that we are in the flow, that we are in the boat with Jesus and not outside trying to claim claim some material blessing. Where is the church going, my friends? I want to encourage you. I have faith and I hope for the church because God is raising men. God is reading true prophets and true apostles in the church that will stand up and talk and denounce things that are not right in the church. May God bless you as you hear the gospel. And I'm sure that we are going to meet again. We are there every Sunday evening at 9 30. Be with us. Stay with us. Because you are going to hear truth and this will bless you. God bless you. If you desire to contact us, you will have all the details on the screen right now. But I want to tell you, I'm not angry, but I want to talk about the truth. That's my motivation. So let's come together again and hear some more good news about what the church, where the church is going. God bless you all. I will see you again.