The MESSAGE of LAODICEA CHURCHES! GET OUTTA 501c! The 7 CHURCHs in Asia in The REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST to John Letter to the church in Laodicea. LAODICEA is the LAST CHURCH of the 7 and often thought to represent the LAST CHURCH AGE THERE IS NO RAPTURE! PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION! You will be hated by all because of My Name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Mark 13:13 RAPTURE, PAROUSIA, APPEARING The Return of Jesus Christ FOR His Bride = RAPTURE The Return of Jesus Christ WITH His Bride - Second Coming There are 2 things in this verse that will happen. 1. Every eye shall see him. His glory will be so bright and full of light that his glory will be seen by every eye. And he wonƒt be by himself. There will be a host of angels and believers with him. We are not talking about the rapture here we are talking about the end of the tribulation. 2. Every person who has rejected Christ and crucified him shall wail and mourn because of Him. The is a reference to all the enemies of Christ. Every person who has rebelled against Jesus Christ shall see him and cry out because they cursed, rejected, ignored, neglected, rebelled and opposed him. Most people accept him as one of the greatest religious teachers of all time but reject his deity. They believe that man can be good enough to become acceptable to God on their own. They reject the idea that He had to die for the sins of the world. But when he returns to heart, they will know without a shadow of doubt that he is exactly who He claimed to be the Messiah, the Anointed one of God, the Saviour of the world. When Christ returns it will not be for Salvation. There will be wailing, mourning, and crying out, because of the judgment that he will be bringing with him, on a world that has rejected him. At this coming the nations, people, tribes of the earth According to 2 Thess. 1:7 the church will not be on the earth at this time. So these people that are doing all the wailing and weeping are those who are left behind. Mark 8:38 Then John says Even so, Amen. Which means yes, truly! It wasnt that he wanted to see judgment come on the world, he was confirming that the prophecies were indeed true. I think most of us feel the same way We dont want to see judgment on our world or our relatives but we are ready for the Lord to come and take us to be with him since our world is in such a mess and not getting any better. I dont think there will be very many who will turn to Christ during the tribulation because of they cant and wont live for him now while it is half way peaceable, why will they live for him in such tribulation. Zechariah 12:10 It wasnt until a few years ago ministers and laymen wondered how it would be possible for "every eye" to see the Lord come in the clouds, but with the space age on us its easier to understand a little more as to how that could happen. On July 24, 1969 we sat in our living rooms and watched as Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon. Through orbiting satellites that bounded back to earth radio & TV signals "every eye" was able to see this occurrence simultaneously. Today you see just about anything on the Internet. So it is very possible to see him come in the clouds INTRODUCTION Laodicea was the chief city Phrygia. A very extremely wealthy and prosperous city. The city had 3 particular claims to fame. 1. It was a financial and banking center. 2. It was a clothing manufacturing center. 3. It was the location of a famous medical school know for the eye salve it produced. It is thought that the condition of the church, poor, blind, and naked is a reference to the three industries. Paul prayed for the Laodicean church in Colossians 2:1-2 and wrote them a letter Colossians 4:12-16 Laodicea is a church that Christ does not commend. He has nothing good to say about the church. Verse 14 Look how Christ describes Himself to this lukewarm land half committed church and believer. Christ is the Amen. Amen is used to close a prayer or declare the truthfulness of some statement. What he says is totally true and trustworthy. This means 2 things to a lukewarm church. 1. The lukewarm church can trust the promises of Christ. He will meet the needs of any church that will repent and turn from its lukewarmness and wholly commit its life to Christ. 2. The lukewarm church had better heed the warning of Christ. His words of judgment will be carried out. The luke-warm church and believer will face the terrible judgment of Christ. His pronouncement of judgment will come to pass unquestionably. The church that ignores and neglects His Word does so at its risk. Then Christ says he is the faithful and true witness. Just the opposite of what the church is. The church only tells part of the truth. The lukewarm church needs to refocus their attention on Jesus Christ. If the church is depending on therituals of baptism, church membership, ordinances, ceremonies, fellowship, and worship attendance to make them acceptable to God then the church is missing Christ, and to miss Christ is to doom oneself. Next Christ says he is the beginning of the creation of God. He is the source of all. The purpose, meaning, and significance in life, all love, joy and peace. No matter how prosperous the church, Christ alone creates and sustains. Wealth and prosperity are meaningless and useless, unless the church is absolutely centered in Jesus Christ. To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those I love I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Revelation 4:1 Laodicea is the LAST CHURCH before GOD's JUDGMENT Today's Church is apostate Judgment is here Look for the horsemen What is a LUKEWARM CHURCH?
Verse 15 These Laodiceans were acting as if they had forgotten who Jesus is and that he had died. Jesus gives them a very sharp rebuke telling them they are "neither cold nor hot." Before they were saved, they were cold. After they accepted Christ, they became hot, zealous followers. But now they had slipped into a dangerous intermediate state; lukewarmness. This was their spiritual condition. (I saw a prophecy saying today's church is so worldly, her prayers stink!) What is a lukewarm church or person? A lukewarm church or person is one that compromises with the world and resembles its surrounding society, professes Christianity, yet in reality lis spiritually wretched and miserable. Remember who the church is when we deal with the word lukewarm. The people, which describes so many church members. The Lord is disturbed when he is dealing with a people He can neither use nor bless. They didnƒt oppose him but they didnƒt draw close to him either. Lukewarm people are not acceptable as followers. Jesus will spew out or reject, such followers. These Laodiceans were like the second son in the Parable of the Two Sons, where the father asked the son to go and work in his vineyard.He said, "I go, sir, and went not." they claim to be Christians, but they were not doing the will of their Heavenly Father. It would be better for the kingdom of God if the lukewarm church or person would deny Christ completely. Christ warns such churches and people that he will reject them. But lets take a moment and look some of the things a lukewarm church is: 1. They are only half committed to Christ. They stress ritual, ceremony and programs as a way to become acceptable to please God. - Luke 9:23 2. They are only half committed to proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Son of God. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 3. They are only half committed to evangelism and missions. Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 1:8 4. Only half committed to stressing holy and pure living for Christ. Hebrews 12:14 1 Peter 1:16 5. Only half committed to self denial and sacrificial living. Seldom stress that total sacrifice is demanded, that a person must give all he is and has to reach the lost and meet the desperate needs of the world. Mark 10:28 Luke 5:27-28 Luke 14:33 6. Only half committed to the church. Now here is a big problem for many, many churches today. Hebrews 10:25 7. Only half committed to attending and staying awake and learning in the services of the church. Here is another very, very big problem. If people can't stay awake in church then they need to go to bed earlier. If people took their jobs as carelessly as some do their church attendance they would have no job. 1 Timothy 4:13 Hebrews 10:25 John 5:39 8. Only half committed to supporting the church. 1 Corinthians 16:2 I believe that God expects people when they are absent from church to pay their tithes regardless. Most places you have sick leave on your job. If you were sick and not got paid your check would be pretty short a lot of the time. Your bills would not get paid. The church has bills also to be paid. Missionaries are dependent on our Missions offerings. Your Pastor needs his salary each week also. 9. Only half committed to witnessing. You say but I dont know how to witness, yes you do! If it is nothing more than telling others what Christ has done for you. 10. Only half committed to Bible study and prayer. This is something we here in our own church have a problem with. Every person in this church or any other church should be so eager to learn all they can of Gods Word that when the doors are open they would be there unless they are sick. That is one of the main reasons why so many people have no idea what the bible really says, because they dont care to read or study it. Call a prayer meeting and you get maybe 3 or 4 people. That tells you something about the lukewarmness of people of all churches. I am sure that the Laodiecean church had the same problem. Since they were so wealthy and had possessions, they had no need of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 11. Only half committed to daily devotions. How many take time to spend a few minutes a day in reading and studying the Word of God? The list could go on but the terrible lukewarmness is clearly seen. Lukewarmness is seen in so many church and its members. Jesus said it is better for one to be cold than lukewarm. An example is that at least the cold person knows he needs clothing and heat. A person must be sensitive to his need before his need can be met. Most people who profess Christ attend church only enough to ease their consciences, only enough to make them feel acceptable to God. Most people feel that God would never reject them, not in the final analysis. Most people believe God will eventually accept them into what ever kind of heaven exists in the next world. But that is not true. He says they would be better off if they made no profession at all. Being self satisfied feeling comfortable and respectable in ones religion is the hardest person of all to arouse and set aflame for Christ. I know these are not very popular verses but it is time that people woke up to the fact that we are either lukewarm or hot. Are we on fire as a church for God or are we lukewarm? That is a question you will have to ask yourself in your own heart. Verses 16-17 Here in these 2 verses we see a warning. Christ says to the lukewarm or half committed person "I will spue out of my mouth. There are 2 reasons why Christ rejects the half committed or lukewarm person. 1. The lukewarm has made a false profession. This church felt is was rich and prosperous and had need of nothing. They confused wealth and prosperity with spirituality and spiritual blessings. Worship, Bible study, prayer, missions, witnessing, all were done as a matter of form. There was no hunger or thirst after God. No desire for Gods Word, no burden for the lost, no sense of needing to grow spiritually 1 Corinthians 10:12 Proverbs 30:12 Doesn't this sound like the Christian here in the United States. We use God. we come to church, pray for God to give us this or that, walk away still unconcerned, and dont come back until we want something from God again. God saw them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Wretched means to be spiritually inferior. Miserable means pitied, despicable, they were ignoring and neglecting Gods Son. Poor because they felt they were in need of nothing Spiritually poor. Blind: they could only see what was in the world. They could not see they were spiritually blind. Naked: they believed they could be good enough and do enough good to be acceptable to God on their own. They felt their religious works and gifs to the church would secure Gods approval. They did little thinking about their need for the righteousness of Christ and about the death of Jesus Christ for their sins. Matthew 22:11-13 Revelation 16:15 A lukewarm commitment to Christ is nauseating to Him. He will reject all of the lukewarm and half committed. Christ declares time and time again that He is returning to earth. And he says quickly. And what must the faithful church do? He says it must hold fast! Hold fast to what? 1. To its evangelistic and missionary zeal. 2. To the Word of God. 3. To confessing and living for Christ land never denying Him. Why? Because the church and its believers could lose their crown if they deny Christ and commit apostasy. Matthew 25:13 Revelation 22:7 REVELATION 3, Verse 18 Jesus didnt have anything good to say only rebuke to this church, but in the midst of all this he still offered hope. Christ is giving this church some counsel. There are 3 things He advises the church to do. 1. He tells them to buy spiritual gold, gold that had been tried or purified in the fire. Spiritual wealth, which is faith 1 Peter 1:7 Here it says the trial of our faith is more precious than gold. Gold represents spiritual riches, all the richness and inheritance offered by Christ, all the spiritual things that make life rich & over flowing: love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, assurance, security, hope. Material possessions and wealth cannot give these things. Earthly riches cannot buy love, joy, peace, happiness. Riches cannot keep a person healthy, nor keep him alive nor erase emptiness and loneliness. Matthew 6:20. 1 Timothy 6:19 If we are to be spiritually wealthy, we have to come to Christ and secure the wealth He has. Isaiah 55:1. So in order for us to have this spiritual wealth we must come to Christ with a genuine spiritual hunger and thirst for forgiveness and for a right relationship with Christ. Salvation is not purchased by mans efforts. It was purchased for us by the death of Christ on the cross. We must repent of our sins and draw near to God in faith, then we will begin to receive all the spiritual riches of Christ. 2. White raiment, or white clothing. This white raiment speaks of Christs righteousness made real in their lives the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, the righteousness of Christ that makes a person acceptable to God. God does not accept a person because they are religious, or has been baptized, or belongs to a church, attends worship, does good, or give generously, we have to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We receive that righteousness when we call upon the name of Jesus and are saved. If a person is not been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, then he shall appear naked in the great day of judgment. He shall be ashamed before God and rejected by God. Remember again that this is message is to the lukewarm and half committed church and believers. 3. They needed to buy eye salve. Christ says no matter how you treat your eyes, they are still spiritually blind and in the dark. They saw only themselves. They saw if any of Christ himself. They did not see their need for Him, they did not see what His presence and power could do for them and their church. The eye salve mens the God given ability to see spiritual truth. No matter how brilliant you are in the flesh, unless you are indwelt by the Spirit of Jesus Christ you will never understand the ways and things of God. Verse 19 He is telling them to be zealous and to repent. But he is also telling them that he Loves them. They are lukewarm and only half committed but he still loves them. It is out of love that he tells them that they must know they are doing wrong and to correct their behavior. They must know that judgment lies ahead, if they do not repent. Zealous means to boil or burn with zeal, sincerity, in repenting. Being lukewarm and half committed to Christ is so serious a matter that a person must repent immediately. Verse 20 He is saying open the door of your heart and let me come in. There are 5 things in that verse. I STAND 1. He stands at the door. Symbolizing his readiness to enter the life of a person. Christ stands before the heart of man as the Savior of the World, loving man so much that he came into the world to save man. Psalms 34:18. Psalm 145:18, John 8:42. I KNOCK 2. He stands at the door and knocks. Symbolizing the seeking Christ. He knocks on the heart of man. He actively seeks to enter man's heart. He keeps on knocking and knocking. He knocks so much that a person has to either open up or deaden his ears to the knock. If you keep deadening you ears to the knock there may come a time that Jesus will say enough is enough and knocks no more. Genesis 6:3 My spirit will not always strive with man. 3. Then there is the pleading Christ. If any man hear my voice & open the door. He knocks, pleads or begs for man to open this heart. He longs for man to have real life, abundant and eternal life. He pleads with man to hear him. Here is a thought though: How often people hear the voice of Christ yet they refuse to let Him in! What is interesting though is that they hear His voice when they hear the Word of God preached and taught or witnessed to by a minister or some believer, or from some tract or Bible literature. But they harden their ears and pay no attention to the pleading of the Lords voice. Matthew 11:28 Matthew 22:3-4 4. I will come into him! Oh what a glorious promise. When a person hears His voice and opens his heart Christ enters penetrating the life of that person. This is the power of the living Christ. He causes the most radical changes imaginable. 1. He causes a man to be born again. John 3:3-5 2. Makes a new creature out of the person. 1 Cor. 5:17 3. Makes a new man out of the person. Col. 3:10 4. Changes the persons corruptible nature into an Incorruptible nature. 1 Peter 1:23 5. Gives the person a new divine nature, the very Nature of God Himself. 2 Peter 1:4 5. I will sup with him. This symbolizes fellowship. When Christ enters a life there is not good thing whatsoever that is kept from the person. He has the richest fellowship and communion with the Son of God. Luke 24:32 1 Corinthians 1:9 1 Corinthians 3:16 Jesus will not force Himself on a church or a church member. We as a church have always told people to rededicate their lives to the Lord if they have backslidden. But Steve Hill at the Pensacola, Florida, revival said it is time to stop telling people to rededicate but to start repenting. Rededicate is not even found in the Bible or even in the dictionary. In its self sufficient prosperity and worldliness the Church of Laodicea and its members had excluded the Lord Jesus Christ from it's congregation. Verses 21-22 This is a promise to the overcomers. The over-comer shall sit upon the throne of Christ and of God. the person who overcomes the lukewarmness and half-hearted commitment to Christ, who repents & turns his life over to Christ, shall sit on the throne of Christ & of God. We shall rule and reign with Christ forever and ever. Then there is a challenge to all of us. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. When God the Father says the time is right, then Jesus will come back in triumph to defeat His enemies completely. At that time the Church will share in His triumphant millennial reign. GOD's Spirit wants all churches of all ages to hear the message and he wants all individuals to hear it. It is not enough for once upon a time. The promises are to those who keep overcoming, who keep winning victories. As overcomers, and winners, we may have problems, battles, difficulties, and even defeats at times, but there isnt anywhere that the Bible tells me that it would be a bed of roses either. We must keep our faith in Jesus. If we should sin, be quick to confess it and trust in Christ's faithfulness not only to forgive but to cleanse. Then we must keep on walking with Christ. Teachings on this page by Eileen Smith, KANSAS SHILOHOUSE PROPHECY Links here are Prophetic Insights for NOW by Allen Logan. He has put thousands of hours into what the LORD wants to tell His true Church who have their eyes and hearts open to Him these days. Check ZionsCRY newsletter link for synopsis and further information, then read SHILOHOUSE, then email Allen CHURCHES! GET OUTTA 501c!
THIS IS THE JUDGMENT
that the Light has come into the world,
and men loved the darkness rather than the Light,
for their deeds were evil.
GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
Eternal LIFE. For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. John 3:16-19
