Hi Doves,
The early Church that started in the baptism of Holy Ghost and fire in 33 AD, has since descended into the Apostate Church we have today in 2012!
How did this happen?
For in the early Church, if you lied you died!
"But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie...You have not lied to men but to God."
"Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things." [Acts 5:3-5]
Becoming a Christian in the early Church was serious business. People really had to count the cost!
If you got drunk during the Lord's Supper you got sick and also died.
"...he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself...for this reason...many sleep [die]." [1Cor.11:29,30]
I guess all these dead Christians didn't know that all there sins, past, present and future had been washed in the blood!
I guess they didn't know that if only they put their faith in the death of Christ on the cross, God wouldn't see all their lying and drunkenness!
They didn't know these things because these false doctrines didn't exist in the early Church!
All these Christians died in this present dispensation of grace!
As Pastors started teaching that our deeds have nothing to do with our relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit and the fire of God, began to withdraw from the Church.
Since then, false teachings have increased tremendously over the past 1,900+ Years
Now we have fornicators, adulterers and homosexuals in the pulpit and no one bats and eye!
The Apostate Church is made up of all those who believe in God, read the Word, listen to sermons, attend the Lord's Supper; but who also regard as permissible acts of adultery, homosexuality, stealing, lies, revenge and hatred.
While claiming to believe in God, they give no thought to sinning against Him!
Now the Lord is about to to start His Millennium Church, but first He must completely destroy the Apostate Church.
I believe this will occur over a period of 40 Months, starting with the Rapture of the holy saints at Pentecost [Friday 20th July 2012].
Ola.