The Enemies Strategies

A Love Waxed Cold

Matthew 24:12 KJV 1900

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Strategy - a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.

Even in Ephesus, one of the Churches of Asia, the eclipsing of Christ began.

It was written to Ephesus, "Thou hast left thy first love."

Revelation 2:4 KJV 1900

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Revelation 2:5 KJV 1900

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Certainly today, we find on every hand, a great deal of lip-love.

In the music of the church, and in the talk of the church, men boldly proclaim their adoration for the Son of God, and yet it must be granted that the old-time love has, for the most part, passed away.

John 14:15 KJV 1900

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

God’s will is in His word, His commandments.

In the new convenat, God writes His commandments in our heart, and for the most part, these commandments have to do with my inner life, not my outward circumstqnces.

It is the love of Christ which constraineth us not only to sing, but also to serve.

2 Corinthians 5:14 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Love speaks thus: We should henceforth live for Him Who died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:15 KJV 1900

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Love enthrones Jesus Christ as Supreme.

A true love to Christ is willing to give up father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or houses, or lands, yea, one's own life also, in behalf of the Beloved.

Matthew 19:29 KJV 1900

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Luke 14:26 KJV 1900

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Satan has not sought to antagonize church-anity; he does not object to costly cathedrals, high-priced choirs, oratorical preaching and an outward show of piety or religious devotion.

What satan does do is to oppose Christ in everyway.

He wants no real worship, no heart-love for the Lord.

To a great extent satan has succeeded in putting over a religion which ignores Christ in any vital way.

The love of many has waxed cold.

A Form of Godliness

2 Timothy 3:5 KJV 1900

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Nobody would for a moment suggest that the church has lost its form of Godliness.

The fact is that it was never more formal.

The people come to a Sunday morning service; then go through a formal worship; they manifest every outward mark of real piety; they worship God with their lips; they even bring their offerings and place them upon His altar — but the old-time power is gone.

Satan has so gripped the churches of today that it seems almost impossible to have a Pentecostal revival.

Illustration:

A pastor on one occasion, in the groanings of his soul, asked me, "Why can't we have a revival in our church?"

He was a good man.

He preached the true Message.

He believed in the Holy Ghost.

He knew the power of the Blood.

But he could not have a revival.

We answered his question by reminding him that, in his church, the deacons who took up the collection were worldly money-makers.

Some of them were making money by renting their stores and dwellings for illegal purposes.

One of them owned the leading drug store in the city, and his store was the headquarters for the theaters and even Monte Carlo was advertised under his patronage.

Teachers in the Sunday School of that church were regular in their attendance at the dances, and some of them went so far as to give dances to their own Sunday School scholars.

The church took no definite stand for discipline or for separation.

For the most part, its members, if saved at all, were carnal and living after the flesh.

No wonder then that the minister could not have a revival.

Our God is not dead; the Holy Ghost has not lost His power; but the church has lost its position among those who stand by.

Satan has engulfed the church in a following with the world which has compelled God to hide His face and to restrain His blessing.