The Last Days’ Series

Part I –The Time of Laodicea

By Jason Lovelace

Key Scripture:

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

– Revelation 3:14–21

 

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”

– 2 Timothy 3:1–91,2

 

We have reached that time in the history of the church: the time of the Laodicean church, in which the church is basically falling asleep at the wheel. No longer are churches standing for truth: instead, most churches today are allowing a “feel-good” gospel to pervade. In case anyone doubts such, please take a look at the following story:

 

According to the Vatican, Homer Simpson is Catholic

By Matthew at Jesus Needs New PR

Well, there (or HERE) you have it, friends…

Homer is Catholic.

And it’s official. For the Vatican tells me so.

The newspaper acknowledged that Homer snores through the sermons of the Reverend Lovejoy and inflicts “never-ending humiliation” on his evangelical neighbour, Ned Flanders.

But in an article headlined “Homer and Bart are Catholics”, the newspaper said: “The Simpsons are among the few TV programmes for children in which Christian faith, religion, and questions about God are recurrent themes.”

The family “recites prayers before meals and, in their own peculiar way, believes in the life thereafter.”

It quoted an analysis by a Jesuit priest, Father Francesco Occhetta, of a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star, which revolved around Catholicism and was aired a few weeks after the death of Pope John Paul II.

The episode starts with Bart being expelled from Springfield Elementary School and being enrolled in a Catholic school where he meets a sympathetic priest, voiced by the actor Liam Neeson, who draws him into Catholicism with his kindness.

Homer then decides to convert to Catholicism, to the horror of his wife Marge, the Rev Lovejoy and Ned Flanders. The episode touches on issues such as religious conflict, interfaith dialogue, homosexuality and stem cell research. SOURCE

But don’t Homer and Ned go to the same church?

 

http://www.revelife.com/734581098/according-to-the-vatican-homer-simpson-is-catholic/

http://jesusneedsnewpr.revelife.com/

 

If such isn’t the case and does not make it glaringly clear that we are in the time of the Laodicean church as described by Christ to John the Revelator, what else could there be? Actually, there’s a lot…

 

The Church’s Glorious Past

Once upon a time, the church of Jesus Christ was actually relevant in this world. There was a time when the preaching and the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ was so strong, so doctrinally sound, so authoritative, and so full of the Holy Ghost that revival after revival swept the Western world, particularly the United States and Great Britain. In the past of the church we had such titans as John Bunyan, Cotton Mather, John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, Menno Simons, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, Jan Hus, Thomas Cranmer, Dwight L. Moody, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, C. T. Studd, David Livingstone, Charles Finney, George Mueller, John Tyndale, John Wycliffe, and John Newton, just to name a few.3,4 These men and women of the Lord were instrumental in literally changing the world for Jesus Christ. They stood up for what was right despite the odds against them; preached, sang, taught, and lived the Word of God in front of the people of their day; spread the Word of God around the world by taking Christ’s admonition to go and make disciples5 quite literally; stood for truth despite the difficulties around them; lived lives of exemplary character and personal integrity; and built the church in ways that modern church leaders can only dream of. It is no wonder that such national leaders as George Washington, John Adams, Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, James Ewell Brown Stuart, Arthur Wellesley, Queen Victoria, and King James I among others were men and women who not only knew who God was (and is), but served Him in their capacities and with their lives. It is further no mere coincidence that through the lives of these men and women that slavery was brought to an end in the USA, Great Britain, and much of the rest of the world—especially the Americas and Western Europe. It is further no mere coincidence that child labor in the West was effectively eradicated, along with the establishment of such nations as the United States of America, Canada, the reestablishment of Great Britain, and other nations where their citizens were given voting rights, effectively vesting the government in their hands, and that these nations—particularly Great Britain and the United States of America—grew to be the greatest world powers that have ever existed in history. It’s further no surprise that the USA and Great Britain – not to mention much of the rest of the world—experienced three Great Awakenings through the preaching and teaching of the men and women aforementioned, and that their lives had international impact that is felt even up to today. Even in the twentieth century, great preachers such as Billy Sunday, Gypsy Smith, Daymond Duck, and others kept the fires of revival and the Great Awakening in the fore, winning millions through their ministries. Is it no wonder that television shows in the 1950s and sixties regularly portrayed people who—at the very least—were respectful and honorable to God?

 

Warning after Dire Warning

We were warned by the apostle Paul, but didn’t heed the warning:

 

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”6

 

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”7

 

“And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage…”8

 

“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”9

 

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”10

 

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”11

 

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…”12

 

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?”13

 

“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.”14

 

“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine…”15

 

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”16

 

“Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.”17

 

Not only were we warned by Paul, but we also received warnings from others, including the Lord Jesus Christ,18,19 the apostle Peter,20 and the Apostle John.21,22,23 Somewhere along the way, however, we have let down our guard, and great compromise has taken place in the church of Jesus Christ in the West, particularly the United states and Western Europe. Instead of continuing to keep the watchmen on the walls,24,26 with weapons in one hand and tools in the other,26 we have instead been lulled to sleep and have allowed the doctrines of devils.27 Again, it isn’t as if we hadn’t been warned all along:

 

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”28

 

We have been warned by the Lord Himself through His written, inerrant29 Word.

 

Enter the Wolves

Despite the efforts of many, many pastors, preachers, evangelists, and preachers—not to mention the very written Word of God itself—we, the church of Jesus Christ in the West, have allowed damnable heresies to enter, and rather than exposing them and their purveyors for what they are, we have actually embraced, compromised with, and accepted them. Instead of preaching against sin, we have erased this word. Many modern preachers avoid using the word “sin” like the plague. More and more preachers are not only not preaching against homosexuality as a sin, but are actually making accommodation for this abomination (yes, homosexuality is an abomination).30,31 Such is the case to the extent that the Episcopalian Church of the United States of America—a part of the greater Anglican Communion—consecrated its first openly practicing homosexual bishop in 2003,32,33 followed by the consecration of an openly practicing lesbian bishop in May of 2010.34,35 Even now, several other homosexual clergy are also being seriously considered for consecration and elevation to the level of bishop. Other mainline evangelical and Protestant churches have for years consecrated openly homosexual men and women as clergy; it is only a matter of time before these, too, are consecrated into higher level orders of clergy. The Roman Catholic Church has not been immune to such debauchery: the first decade of the twenty-first century saw a spate of pedophilia charges insomuch that the Pope was forced to step in and take action to dismiss so many priests having been found to have sinned so grievously. As in the words of the Lord from Ezekiel: “Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.”36 We see the rise of cohabitation among youth, with many churches accepting new members living in such situations though encouraging them to eventually marry. Further, statistics have recently shown that divorce happens more often in the church than outside.37,38 It is also reported that there as many abortions inside the church as out.39,40 Even further, we have seen in the last couple of decades numerous pastors either give in to prostitution (Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker), fall into the sin of homosexuality (Ted Haggard), have recurring embezzlement problems (Richard and Philip Cunningham), or gone into bankruptcy (Robert Schuller and his Crystal Cathedral). Even worse, we have seen Christian leaders and pastors go overseas and declare despotic, hegemonic, and rabidly anti-Christian leaders and regimes “Christian” (Rick Warren and Syria’s Bashar Assad). Further, we have seen churches rise that have become more “user (read: sin) friendly” and less about preaching on the dangers of sin and eternal death. Fewer and fewer churches preach on the eternal damnation of dying in sin and entering into a Christless eternity. More and more pastors are encouraging their flocks to look more and more like with world, live more and more in line with the world’s ideas, and compromise faith insomuch that churches are now filled to overflowing with people who are just as lost when they walk in, but with a doctrine that is inviting, friendly, and more about self-help and self-esteem than convincing people of the truth of Jesus Christ. More and more Christian “theologians” are denying the fundamental tenets of the church such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the virgin birth, the resurrection, the fallen estate of man, and the eternal nature of being lost without Christ - and declaring such books as Genesis, Daniel, Jonah to be fables and such stories as the Great Flood and the Tower of Babel as made up in order to teach important life lessons, but not really historical. We have further watered down the truth of the Bible insomuch that evolution is taught as an acceptable form of “creation” as opposed to the story found in the Bible. More and more students are being taught evolution as the primary science, with the story of creation being relegated to secondary status. Even the so-called “compromise” of theistic evolution is forcing traditional creation science to be relegated to third place in many Christian institutions and churches. Can it be any real surprise that people are basically turning away from the church both in Western Europe and the USA and North America?

 

The Irrelevant Church: Dying on the Vine

With all of this being seen and understood, are we really shocked to see how the church has suffered a great decline in membership and attendance over the last thirty years?41,42 While the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York City and Washington DC brought many new and higher-than-ever numbers of people into the church, the glaring, tragic fact is that church attendance is down even farther than before the terrorist attacks happened. While many Americans still declare themselves to be Christians (77 percent), this is down from just two decades ago (86 percent). Even more tragic, whereas fifty years ago eight in ten Americans had some sort of Bible training at church, that number has dropped to just under two in ten. Fewer and fewer Americans are attending Sunday school or regularly attending church services of any kind, insomuch that most high school grads and incoming college and university freshman have no idea about the most basic Bible stories as taught in children’s church and Sunday school. More and more students are walking out of church and into so-called “alternative” lifestyles, such as homosexuality, cohabitation, the drug culture, alcoholism, and other social ills, simply because the church long ago gave up ground in these areas. As mentioned above, a woman is more likely to have an abortion while being a member of a church than not; a Christian couple is—according to some reports—5 to 10 percent more likely to get a divorce as those who attend no church. Can we not see that the church of Jesus Christ in the West is more and more becoming irrelevant in the face of the post-post-modern day and age? Is it any surprise that we hear alarming statistics that show church attendance declining by half by the year 2050, and more than three thousand churches closing in the coming year alone?43 Can it be no surprise that Islam—a religion rooted in death—is outpacing Christianity, and that the Qur’an has been the number-one worldwide bestseller for the last couple of decades?44 When we take a good, hard, and serious look at the yawning differences between the embracing if Islam worldwide and the sharp decline of the church in the West, can it really be no surprise that we are seeing such a massive and alarming growth of Islam in Europe and in the USA? After all, we have watered down the gospel of Jesus Christ in the church of Jesus Christ in the West to the extent that really there is no difference between the church in large segments of society than a social club or a book circle. There certainly isn’t anything worth dying for or living for, unlike Islam, which promises the adherent an eternity of bliss and enjoyment, especially if one’s life is given in jihad. With the watered-down, tasteless, all-incorporating gospel that modern mega-churches preach and teach as legitimate, can it be any wonder that the world is spewing the church out of its mouth for something else that is full of flavor, full of (seeming) life, and full of enjoyment? With all this in mind, can it be any surprise at all that baseball stadiums, football coliseums, and basketball arenas are full to overflowing on Sundays while the church is largely ignored and cast to the sidelines?

 

Christ’s Admonition

The words of Jesus Christ:

 

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”45

 

These words are more than they seem. You see? This isn’t just Christ speaking to the Laodicean church concerning His own thoughts, opinions, and warnings of vomiting them out of His mouth. It also concerns what Christ can and cannot bless—or rather, what He does and does not bless. Christ will not bless any church that does not give Him the full glory,46 that does not preach His full gospel,47 or that in any way, shape, or form adds to or takes away from His gospel.48 It is for this very reason that—though mega churches which do so entertain (literally and figuratively) large numbers of people but make zero impact eternally—churches that water down the gospel, fail to preach against sin, and cover up the truth about hell and the devil are like a tasteless cracker.49 Most people fail to “taste and see that the Lord is good”50 because what they sample by sight and sound isn’t much different than what they have already in the secular world. Yet the modern, Laodicean church mindset pervades the Western version of the church of Jesus Christ:

 

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked…”51

 

We think that because we have the most up-to-date technology, the highest, state-of-the-art gadgets, the most welcoming amenities, the warmest greeters, the most charismatic preachers and pastor, and the largest, most architecturally advanced buildings, and have hundreds of thousands and/or millions of dollars piling up in the collection plate, we have it made; God is blessing us. The scalding truth is that many mega churches are just as spiritually bankrupt as Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral is in reality52 (but was spiritually bankrupt decades ago) because we have not been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ:

 

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”53.

 

The Bottom Line: The Laodicean Church Won’t Last Long

Friends, this truth is this: The church of Jesus Christ will not last long if we continue to allow the spirit of the Laodicean church to prevail in this day and age. Already, massive numbers of people are leaving the church. In Western Europe, the church is all but dead. In Holland, church groups are denied from building new churches, and instead must either apply for permits to build apartment building-style churches, or take over one of the old cathedrals that stand empty and unused. In other parts of Europe, the great cathedrals of the past—once filled with people seeking God’s favor—now stand as museums and historic sites or simply are abandoned or turned over to the public for municipal use. We are starting to see similar things happen here in the USA. The reason for such a stark decline in Europe—once the bastion of Christian faith in the world, and the place from which millions of Christian missionaries were sent out, is because long ago, the church in Europe decided to water down the gospel of Jesus Christ for sundry reasons. As long as we, the church of Jesus Christ as is represented in the West, continue down this path of watering down the gospel and basically become a social club rather than a life- and soul-saving enterprise, consequences will eventually be played out, and likely right before our very eyes:

 

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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.”54

 

A glaring example for us today is the church of the city of Ephesus—in fact, the entire city of Ephesus in general. Ephesus, at its height, was the second-largest city in the Roman world, second only to Rome herself.55 She boasted a population of four hundred thousand to five hundred thousand inhabitants, and was the most important trade center in the eastern half of the Roman Empire for more than a century, and was at her peak in the first and second centuries AD. Ephesus boasted of having the famed Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, along with the Library of Celsus and a Theatre that could hold as many as twenty-five thousand spectators. The city had one of the most advanced aqueduct systems in the ancient world and also housed several large baths, along with other important buildings. The church of Ephesus was one of the seven churches listed in the book of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine.56 Ephesus had a church that boasted of being established by the apostle Paul,57,58 and had received an epistle from him,59 and having been a place where Paul lived for two years and worked to win souls through missionary work into the surrounding area.60 It is also believed that the apostle John lived in Ephesus for a time, and it may have been the final city of residence for Mary, the mother of Jesus.61  It may also have been the place where John wrote his Gospel account.62 On paper, Ephesus and her church should have lasted forever. However, not only did the city of Ephesus become more and more corrupt, but so did her church.63 The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians dealt very heavily with doctrine and holding fast to faith in the midst of persecution,64 apparently as the Ephesians needed a good refresher. The church and the city of Ephesus lasted until AD 263. In that year, an invasion by the Goths brought the destruction of Ephesus and everything in it, including the buildings and wonders mentioned above. So savage and complete was the destruction that the city never fully recovered, and today its area is marked by crumbling ruins and archaeological digs...but no inhabitants. The church in Ephesus received the due sentence and execution of justice as prophesied by Christ Jesus to John.65 Friends, the same thing, if not worse, could very well happen to the church of our day and age. Often, the church as referred to as the “Bride of Christ,”66 and is given descriptions such as we see in Revelation:67

 

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.’ And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.’ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, ‘Write, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”’ And he saith unto me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.”

 

What John sees in Revelation chapters 17 and 18 must have been quite shocking by contrast:

 

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, ‘Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’ So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, ‘Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.’”68

 

Could it be that this woman John saw riding the beast will actually be the Laodicean church? Could it be that in this day and age, in which the Laodicean spirit pervades and corrupts, we are seeing the church transform into the Mystery Babylon religion John saw in Revelation? Could it be that this is why he marveled? When we see the facts and the progression in which the church in the West and in the USA has fallen, it isn’t hard to believe such a transformation—from a bride in clean, white linen to a harlot wearing purple and scarlet, drinking the wine of the blood of the saints of God—could take place.

 

Conclusion: It’s Now or Never

Friends, we are sitting on a precipice. We are at a time in history in which a great, cataclysmic event is just a breath away. The economy of United States of America, once stronger and greater than the rest of the world combined, is now teetering on the edge of collapse. Just last week, in the wake of the biggest change in the House of Representatives since the late 1940s, the Federal Reserve announced that trillions of dollars would be printed in order for the Federal Reserve to “buy up” America’s crushing debt.69 How much longer will it be before the USA collapses in on itself? Even more frightening, how much longer will it be before the church of Jesus Christ—a shadow of its former self of ages past—be able to effectively stand in the face of compromise, accommodation, and embracing of sin of every sort, downplaying of the wrath of God, preaching love, love, love, and more love without truth, consequences, or responsibility?70 Beloved, an entire generation of people is walking headlong into an eternity without Christ. We need to wake up RIGHT NOW, or we will be forever lost! We must, we must, we MUST have revival! As Jesus stated so succinctly:

 

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”71

 

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”72

 

“After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”73

 

Prayer - Lord God of heaven, our Father, we pray your mercy on us, the church. We here in the church have given in and compromised with sin, giving it place and accommodation, and even embracing it. We have allowed every imaginable doctrine under the sun to come in and pervade and invade this thing called “the church” that you set up and sanctified to be holy. Father, this writer is but one person, but as Daniel prayed for his nation, so this prayer is sent to you for mercy and forgiveness for the church of Jesus Christ in the USA. We are dying, Father, and just as Jesus promised, we are being spewed out of the mouth of not only all that is holy and righteous, but also out of the mouths of those we would reach. We need revival, O Lord! We need a fresh indwelling of Your Spirit, the Holy Ghost. Send us revival, we pray, before the Spirit of the church of Laodicea destroys us! We seek thy face, O Lord, and we pray this all in Jesus’ precious Name, Amen!

 

Verse to Remember:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”74

 

  Endnotes  

 

1. All Scripture quotations taken from The King James Version of the English Bible; The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; First Publication, 1611.

 

2. The words of Jesus Christ will appear in RED.

 

3. A good list of famous pastors from the past may be found here: http://www.higherpraise.com/preachers/PreachersByDate.htm.

 

4. A list of missionaries, along with other Christian greats from the past, may be found at the following website: http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bio.html.

 

5. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28: 19–20).

 

6. Acts 20:28–31.

 

7. 2 Corinthians 11:13–15.

 

8. Galatians 2:4.

 

9. Philippians 3: 2.

 

10. Colossians 2:8.

 

11. Romans 16:17.

 

12. Ephesians 4: 14.

 

13. Colossians 2:18–22.

 

14. 1 Timothy 1:3–4.

 

15. 1 Timothy 1:9–10.

 

16. 1 Timothy 4:1–16.

 

17. Hebrews 13:9.

 

18. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”  (Matthew 15:9).

 

19. “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”  (Matthew 16:6).

 

20. “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness”   (2 Peter 3:17).

 

21. “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds”  (2 John 1:7–11).

 

22. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate”  (Revelation 2:14).

 

23. “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.”   (Revelation 2:20–25).

 

24. “And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, “Thou shalt surely die;” and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul”  (Ezekiel 3:17–21).

 

25. “Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, “When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.” So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, “O wicked man, thou shalt surely die;” if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul”  (Ezekiel 33:1–9).

 

26. “And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing”  (Nehemiah 4:14–23).

 

27. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”  (1 Timothy: op. cit).

 

28. 2 Corinthians 11:13–15.

 

29. “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160).

 

30. “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).

 31. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Leviticus 18:22).

 32. Laurie Goodstein, “New Hampshire Episcopalians Choose Gay Bishop, and Conflict,”  New York Times, 6/8/03,  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE2DF1539F93BA35755C0A9659C8B63&scp=1&sq=New%20Hampshire%20Episcopalians%20choose%20Gay%20Bishop%20and%20conflict&st=cse.

 

33. B. A. Robinson, “The Episcopal Church, USA and Homosexuality: The Lead-Up to the Year 2003 General Convention,” Religious Tolerance, 8/1/04,  http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_epis5.htm.

 

34. Alan Devall, Peter Henderson, Sandra Maler, Ed Stoddard, Erik Tavcar, “U.S. Episcopal Church Consecrates Lesbian Bishop,” Reuters, 5/15/10,  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64F0CD20100516.

 

35. “Episcopal Church Consecrates Woman as its 2nd Gay Bishop,” Boston Globe, 5/17/10, http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/05/17/episcopal_church_consecrates_its_first_lesbian_bishop/.

 

36. Ezekiel 8: 6, 13, and 15.

 

37. M. C. G. Gerald, “Statistics new show MORE Christian couples get divorced than atheists and other religions,” Free Republic, 8/1/10, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2562837/posts.

 

38. Christine Wicker, “Dumbfounded by Divorce,” Dallas Morning News, 2000, http://www.adherents.com/largecom/baptist_divorce.html.

 

39. “Why Do so Many Christian Women Have Abortions? Web Trade Center for Legal Forms, 10/26/10, http://webtradecenter-legal-forms.com/7346/why-do-christian-women-have-so-many-abortions/.

 

40. Edward T. Babinski, “Christians Have as Many Abortions as Everyone Else, Catholics Have More,” 3/26/10, http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/articles/christianity_abortion.html.

 

41. B. A. Robinson, “Trends Among Christians in the US,” Religious Tolerance, 12/7/97, updated 10/18/06, http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_tren.htm.

 

42. Michael Emerson, “Church Decline of Another Kind,” Faith & Leadership, 4/5/10,  http://www.faithandleadership.com/content/church-decline-another-kind.

 

43. Brad, “Your Part in History,” Faith Baptist Church, 2007,  http://www.faithnc.org/faith_planting

 

44. Harun Yahya, “The Spread of Islam in America,” The Rise of Islam,  http://www.riseofislam.com/islam_in_america_06.html.

 

45. Revelation 3:14.

 

46. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).

 

47. “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

 

48. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18–19).

 

49. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men”  (Matthew 5:13).

 

50. “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him”  Psalm 34:8).

 

51. Revelation 3:17.

 

52. Tamara Audi, “Crystal Cathedral's Cracks Show in Bankruptcy Filing,” Wall Street Journal, 10/23/10,  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304011604575565060738315760.html.

 

53. Revelation 13:18.

 

54. Revelation 2:4–5.

 

55. Strabo (1923–1932), Geography (volume 1–7) 14.1.24 (Cambridge: Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press).

 

56. Revelation 1:11; 2:1–7).

 

57. Acts 18:19–21:1. This passage gives a great account of Paul’s establishment and dealings with the church at Ephesus.

 

58. D. Dalton, “To the Church at Ephesus, Whom Do You Say That I Am?”  http://www.digisys.net/users/ddalton/the_church_at_ephesus.htm.

 

59. Ephesians 1:1–3.

 

60. F. L. Cross, ed., "St. Paul," Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).

 

61. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, (Robert Appleton, 1912; online edition, 2003 by K. Knight).

 

62. Stephen L. Harris, “The Gospels,” Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto: Mayfield, 1985) 266–268.

 

63. “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation: op. cit.).

 

64 “Book of Ephesians,” Bible Survey, Got Questions Ministries (www.gotquestions.org); ©2002 – 2010, “Brief Summary”: http://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Ephesians.html.

 

65. “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” (Revelation, op. cit.).

 

66. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband” (Ephesians 5:22–33).

 67. Revelation 19:5–9.

 68. Revelation 17:1–7.

 69. Scott Lanman, “Fed to Buy Extra $600 Billion of Treasuries to Boost Growth,” Bloomberg; 11/4/10, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/federal-reserve-to-buy-additional-600-billion-of-securities-to-aid-growth.html.

 

70. "Because we live at a time when terms like love and unity are so appealing, it is quite difficult to argue that these words have been taken out of context and do not mean what we think they mean. Love without truth is whoredom. To compromise is to reject the gospel, and without the gospel there is no hope. In a choice between unity and truth, unity must yield to truth, for it is far better to be divided by truth than to be united in error." – Jack T. Chick, Smokescreens (1983) chapter 5, para 14,

http://www.chick.com/reading/books/153/153_05.asp.

 

71. John 4:35.

 

72. Matthew 9: 36–38.

 

73. Luke 10:1–9.

 

74. Revelation 3:20–22.