Laodicea, who will weep and tremble.

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

LAODICEA, WHO WILL WEEP AND TREMBLE?

In this newsletter I am going to record things that I believe
will cause you to deeply tremble if you have a true
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going to share
with you the very words I have heard Christians speak in
more recent times. And I am going to ask you to ask
yourself, is the American church, in a general way of
speaking, dwelling in Laodicea”? During my walk with the
Lord, which now covers thirty years, I have seen Christians
struggle with sin. It has always been my heart to pour grace
upon those who struggle with their carnal nature, as we all
do. But, I have noticed a terrible change that has taken place.
I have noticed that Christians have begun to accept
immorality and lying, and a general state of unrepentance
has changed the character and fiber of the church from that
which worships God in spirit and in truth, to that which
learns to dwell with heresy in our midst. 1 Corinthians 11:19
says, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they
which are approved may be made manifest among you.”
Recently I was rebuked because I do not think that it is
proper for pastors to have subscriptions to Esquire Magazine
and it’s pro-lesbian, lascivious, anti-Biblical morality. I was
told that I need to remove the speck from my own eye. What
was so incredibly blind and sad is that the man who spoke
the rebuke to me is a nationally known Christian leader who
considers himself an apostle in the modern church realm.
How different is this apostle compared to the humble Lamb,
Jesus, who hated iniquity and loved righteousness? Iniquity
means imbalance. Our entire society is out of balance
because the morals of the Scripture, which is abstinence
until marriage, have not been upheld. What has replaced it is
the old morality that has destroyed every empire that it has
infected. How sad that morality has now become legalism. If
I remember correctly, the Scripture states that those
practicing immorality shall in no way enter into the
Kingdom of God. What is happening to the church in
America?
LAODICEA, PATHWAY TO THE GREAT FALLING
AWAY
Many theologians believe that there were seven church ages,
and that the last church age would be the Laodicean church
age. They refer to Revelation chapters 2 and 3 to establish
their position, and although I do not agree with their
assessment at all, for I think the seven churches were of
geographical locations where God in His sovereignty had
raised these churches up, I do believe that they have a point
in stating that the church at this time is very Laodicean in
nature. Laodicea was a church that learned to live with
lying, and grew accustomed to having a lying tongue replace
the theocratic government and headship of Jesus Christ.
More recently, I know of a Christian who spent much time
covering up deceits and lies that had torn a church apart.
When confronted with irrefutable evidence where they could
no longer deny what had become such obvious deceit, their
response was, “he lies, I lie, you lie, even David in the Bible
lied”, somehow in their mind justifying unrepented sin. This
is the classic example of Laodicea at work in the hearts of
God’s people. The fact is, where there is lying, satan has
gained a seat, and sadly he has gained a seat in the church.
In a recent survey amongst church members, they were
asked what the greatest problem in the church was. The
largest response that came back was that their pastor lies.
How frightening, when men that call
themselves the church of Jesus Christ learn to live with lies.
Satan is the father of all lies, and God does not allow lies to
gain a government in His church. Either repentance comes
or the candlestick (the church) will be removed away to
apostasy. While it is true that David was deceitful, what our
deceit covering friend failed to realize is that God put David
through one of the greatest breakings of the scriptures to
bring him to repentance over that deceit. It was out of that
repentance that God gained in David a servant who he could
write the pattern of His Heavenly Tabernacle upon.
THE LAODICEAN CONDITION MAKES JESUS
VOMIT
If one carefully examines Revelation 3:14 you will realize
Jesus words to Laodicea were about His being the faithful
and true witness. Jesus then begins to identify their terrible
problem of lukewarmness. Remarkably He goes on to say
that he would emeo, (which is the Greek word for vomit),
the Laodicean church out of his mouth. Can you imagine
being in attendance in a church that when Jesus looks at it
makes him want to vomit. Can you imagine that your
worship and preaching and teaching makes Jesus sick to his
stomach to the point where he personally addresses the way
he feels about Laodicea to the Apostle John. If that does not
scare you, you better ask yourself if you have any
relationship with Jesus Christ at all.
THE LAODICEAN CHURCH WAS BUILT BY RICH
 YOUNG RULERS
One of the things that Jesus mentioned about the Laodicean
church was that they were rich and increased with goods.
One of the sad realities in our materialistic American society
is that the blessings of God has come to be acquainted with
material blessing to a religious structure. Do you realize that
we are instructed by the Holy Spirit that if we fellowship
with those who suppose gain is godliness, that we are to
withdraw ourselves? The Laodicean church proclaimed “I
am rich”. One of the greatest deceptions of our times is the
church running after material blessing instead of seeking
after Jesus. Recently a distressed sister told me that the
church she had attended for years never even noticed when
the poor people were not at church. But the wealthy people
had their vacations tracked and monitored. Is the rich young
ruler the one building the Laodicean church world? Another
distressed young man told me of his visiting a church where
three offerings were taken and there was only time for a 5
minute message. What did he remember about the message?
That salvation was like getting a brand new cadillac. How
dare false teachers compare the everlasting precious
salvation that is to be worked out in fear and trembling with
a status piece of metal destined for a junk yard. Has the
American church ever been poorer or more deeply
deceived?
THE LAODICEAN CHURCH DID NOT NEED JESUS
Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking scriptures of the
entire Bible is when the Laodicean church says, “I have
need of nothing”. If you read this in the Spirit of Truth, you
will perhaps become dumbfounded. Can you imagine a
church saying we are rich, and we do not need Jesus? I
understand why John wept at the unfolding revelation of the
church that once proclaimed, “silver and gold have I none,
but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ
rise up and walk”. We have gone from being helpless and
completely dependent upon Jesus for our having a walk in
God to stating I have need of nothing. I do not think a
satanic mass would have more demonic pride than the
statement, “I have need of nothing”.
JESUS IDENTIFIES THE LAODICEAN BELIEVER
Can you imagine the horror of thinking you are part of a
growing, abundantly provided for fellowship of believers to
suddenly facing the reality of Jesus saying to you personally
that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Wretched: The Apostle Paul made the proclamation, “Oh
wretched man that I am” concerning his carnal nature which
could not be submitted to the purposes of God. Have we
come so far from God that we now learn how to
accommodate the wretched carnal nature with its immorality
and deceit. Have we forgotten Paul’s cry, “who shall deliver
me from this wretched man? I thank God Jesus Christ”.
Miserable: In the beloved book of Job, Job’s cry was “Oh
miserable comforters”. Who were the miserable comforters?
They were those that spoke without having the mind of God.
They spoke things that added to Job’s misery in his deep
battle with the devil. Have you met rich young rulers that
released misery into your being? I certainly have. When men
speak things that are not coming out from Jesus Christ as he
comes out from eternity to reveal his glory, then men create
a condition of misery. Undoubtedly, men in Laodicea spake
things that rallied men to riches, but closed their eyes to
their lukewarmness and lack of constant need to see Jesus.
Poor: Is it not so interesting that a people who proclaim
themselves rich and yet had no need of Jesus were identified
by the Almighty God from His Throne as poor. Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit”, the poor in spirit are those
that have been splintered by the wretched, miserable nature
of men that think they run God’s program. The poor in spirit
are shattered to splinters over the spiritual condition of the
golden candlestick. The poor in spirit know they could do
nothing without Jesus and that their need for Him is utterly
complete.
Blind: When I think of the blind I think of Jesus words to
the Pharisees when he proclaimed, “Oh ye blind guides”.
The 23rd chapter of Matthew is a chapter devoted to Jesus
words to the spiritually blind Pharisees. The Pharisees were
the Bible believing Christians of their day. They quoted
scriptures, they endeavored to follow scriptures, but their
true spiritual condition was that they had no revelation of
Jesus. Revelation is what gives us spiritual sight. When the
Apostle Paul was made blind, it was more than his natural
eyes that had to be opened. Indeed, Jesus opened his eyes,
but the greatest vision he gained was when he was taught the
Gospel by revelation. And unlike the miserable of Laodicea,
he communicated the Gospel by revelation.
Naked: When one thinks of the term naked, one can not help
but think of Adam and Eve who dwelt in nakedness without
shame until they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. When that became their diet, they made their own
covering taken from the cursed ground to cover themselves
and they hid from God’s presence. Laodicea hid from God’s
presence in a church structure that Jesus stood on the outside
and knocked upon its door trying to gain entrance.
THE CHURCH’S TRUE CALL,
OVERCOMING LAODICEA BY REPENTANCE
We live in a day and age of false conversion where the
church has accommodated backsliding and has learned to
separate itself from Jesus by covering its sin rather than
repenting. Most Christians think of the message of
repentance as being to the world, but the reality is the church
has greatly missed the mark of repentance. I firmly believe
that unless the church learns repentance, the great falling
away will come upon it. Consider the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ in Revelation 2:5, 2:16, 2:21, 22, 3:3, and 3:19.
Dear reader, do you know what the central word is for each
of these verses? Repentance. The Lord Jesus in the Book of
Revelation comes to his churches calling for repentance.
Overcoming the spirit of Laodicea and its false victory will
be the determining factor of what will happen to you in
these last days. We live in a time when men will no longer
endure sound doctrine. We live in a time when men shall
depart from the faith and give heed to demon spirits in the
church. We live in the time of the great falling away when
the man of perdition, the new Judas Iscariot will greatly
sway the church. What is Jesus answer? To repent and to
hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. God’s Spirit is
seeking a company of overcomers that the Seven Spirits of
God can dwell in.
OVERCOMING LAODICEA BY FASTING, PRAYER,
AND REPENTANCE
The verse of scripture that God called me into the ministry
with is Isaiah 58:6-11. Recently the Holy Spirit showed me
that the purpose of verses 6 and 7 is for the overcoming of
Laodicea. Consider God’s fast that he has chosen, to
overcome the chains of wickedness. Earlier in this
newsletter it was mentioned about Paul and the man of
death. In the Roman Empire when a man was murdered, the
victim was chained about the murderers body, and the
murderer would have to carry his victim chained to his body
in the prison until he died. Paul called our carnal nature the
man of death. Fasting and praying breaks the chains of
wickedness found in our carnal nature and replaces in us the
appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fasting and prayer will undo heavy burdens and oppression
that comes with the misery of abiding in something that has
all the Biblical trappings but not the inward reality of being
joined to Jesus as He manifests himself out from eternity
into the mystery of our fellowship. That fellowship that Paul
desired for all men to see.
Continuing into the 7th verse, there is mentioned of food for
the poor being supplied through fasting and prayer. Jesus
promises to manifest himself as the bread of life to the
spiritually poor and hungry. Likewise, the verse addresses
the nakedness and absence of our eternal heavenly house
manifesting in our spirit. In fasting and prayer
sight is given to make us look upon the eternal things and
not the temporal. What is the great feature of the eternal
things? That we would be clothed with that everlasting
tabernacle
OVERCOMING LAODICEA BY FORSAKING
 COMMITTEES AND GETTING ON OUR KNEES IN
TREMBLING
What is the great feature that makes us overcome? It is
coming under the eyes of Jesus and repentance. When this
truly happens, He will send the Seven Spirits of God. The
Spirit of Burning and Judgement, the Spirit of Truth, the
Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of Intercession, the Spirit of
Life, the Spirit of Prophesy, and the Spirit of Holiness.
Unless the Seven Spirits of God burn brightly in the church
to illuminate His glory to our eyes, we will blindly dwell in
Laodicea without an intimate fellowship with Him. Let the
overcoming needy company proclaim, God forbid!

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