To the Church of Laodocia

Laodocia Today

These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 

Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing - and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - 

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 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 dine with him and he with Me.

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit 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.'"

Revelation 3:14-22

The last of Jesus' letters to the Churches makes it clear, He is the last word on God's creation. He not only began the 'Church age', but He alone will finish it and  He is the true witness. In other words, if you want to understand how the Church is to function, look at the way it began. The Church of Laodocia didn't listen and today it is just a ruin. Such will be the fate of all churches who do not listen to the true Head of the Church.

Jesus started it, and He hasn't changed. All the so-called 'hi-liturgical' forms, church growth programs, seeker friendly schemes, and new 'revelations' that are permeating the Church today are just man's attempt at running a supernatural organism in a natural organized way. The Church began with a supernatural infusion of the Holy Spirit and that is the only way it can work according the the divine plan.

What happens in much of the church-world today, is like the tower of Babel. Man is trying to build a name for himself;  his own way into the heavens. Men think the bigger it is, the better. But God is not interested in big men at the head of big organizations. He is interested in His body, over which He is the head ! You can tell a lot about what is important to men by the size of the buildings they erect. We have big bank buildings, big shopping malls, and big church buildings. But, there is no record of Jesus ever erecting a big building for His Church. Instead, He declared, "My kingdom is not of this world." It is not marked by pomp and wealth. The Laodocians had fallen into this trap. They thought their wealth and worldly riches proved their spiritual success. In fact, it proved the opposite! As Jesus saw them, they were poor, blind, and naked.

Numbers are not the measure of success in the kingdom of God, redemption is.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10

There are many in today's church who are not in the Church of Jesus Christ. You don't get into His Church via membership classes, or giving of tithes, but only by having the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness, which come from God Himself. Only the Holy Spirit can baptize us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) and that only follows true repentance, for Jesus taught, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17).

John the Baptist warned that true repentance would bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. True repentance produces a changed life. In today's church, there is little repentance, little deliverance, little healing, and even less manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This is Laodocia. The people are as miserable as the world. They are looking for hope and peace, but few find it. The reason is simple. We can't solve our problems with psychology, humanistic platitudes or Christian rituals devoid of spiritual power. Paul warned these days would come -

"For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness by denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

2 Timothy 3:2-5

While we may think, "I'm not that bad!" If we can be found anywhere on this list, we are on the downward slippery slope that Laodocia was on. Jesus' answer is 'to be zealous and repent.'


Because He loves us, Jesus warns us to buy from Him gold refined in the fire. The only way to get this gold is to take up our cross and follow Jesus. It doesn't come cheaply! The only way to get white garments is to embrace righteousness by willfully choosing to live according to Christ's standards rather than the world's standards. This is what it means to "take up your cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). We need our eyes anointed with the healing eye salve that only Jesus gives. Our eye must be 'single' - no double-mindedness! Like David of old, we must "set no wicked thing before our eyes!" (That means at least 90% of TV and Hollywood must go). That alone will send most modern Christians into cardiac arrest! But to have 'single eyes' we must be committed to all Jesus and the Apostles taught.


The great news is however, that if we take this advice of Jesus, He will come into our lives with revitalizing life! He will bring a new level of intimacy to us that will lift us into the heavens to be seated with God Himself.

To the Church of Philadelphia

"These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you kept My word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 

"Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

"I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God; and I will also write on him My new name.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 

-Revelation 3:7-13

The message to the church of Philadelphia is a message only to those who overcome. They will have three names written on them: 1) the name of God - the Father, 2) the city of God - the new Jerusalem, and 3) the new name of Jesus and it is the Holy Spirit which says this. This is just one of the many paces in the Bible that affirms the reality of the Trinity of God - One God manifested in three persons. 

Jesus holds the key of David, which is the authority to rule. Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah -

"For to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders .... He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever ..."                         Isaiah 9:6-7

The Father has given all authority to the Son and as Psalm 2 declares all the nations are given to Him for His inheritance and if they do not listen to Him, He will "break them with a rod of iron". The nations who are opposing His will with the nation of Israel, including Israel, should "kiss the Son, lest He be angry and they perish in the way"!

It is also a wonderful truth that He has given this authority to us as His body -

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
                          Matthew 16:18, 19

But, this authority is not to do what we want, but to do His will! Because He holds the key of David, what He opens, no one can shut, and what He shuts, no one can open. And He has included us in this authority! What a thought! It does not matter how strong we are. It only matters how strong He is. The message to the Philadelphia church reveals that they had little strength - but it didn't matter. We're not supposed to be working in our strength, but in His!

One of the devil's main attacks on believers is to get them looking at their weakness, their failures. But Jesus is saying that we have enough strength to do two things: (1) keep His word, and (2) not deny His name.

There will always be those who oppose our confession and obedience, mostly from the religious crowd. Down through history the religious have been the main persecutors of the faithful; take the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus for examples. Paul declares, "All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12)

Why is this so? It is because of rebellion. People who are merely religious have all reached a point in their lives where they did not want to surrender totally to Christ, to apply the cross in their lives. They are hanging on to something of the world that God wants them to be free of. Whenever light comes, it exposes this. The choice for the religious is either to surrender to God and repent, or to persecute messenger of light. Most will persecute the light bearer. Jesus says of the  believer, "You are the light of the world." (Matt. 5:14). Because we have Jesus in us and light exposes the darkness. But, if we embrace the correction of the cross - it will set us free.

I heard a Romanian preacher say, "If you preached righteousness and holiness in the American church, 80% would run out the door." The doctrine of the cross and suffering certainly does not mix well with the prosperity doctrine so many are preaching!

O, church, hear the message given to the church of Philadelphia. Now is the time to separate from the world, from all religious doctrine that sounds good to our flesh but is not in the word of God. Many who are professing the Christian belief are living in spiritual Babylon, but God is about to judge spiritual Babylon and the Holy Spirit is calling out, "Come out of her My people, so that you not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;" (Rev. 18:4). Judgment is soon going to fall on America because of our slaughter of millions of innocent babies in abortion, our rebellious denial of God's laws, and our attempt to take away His land of Israel from His chosen people, Israel. All who are in the world will be judged with it no matter what their former confession was! Hear the teaching of Jesus -

He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will say, 'We ate with you, and taught in your streets.' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, you evildoers!"
                         Luke 13:24-27

Jesus can open a door, as He did when this nation was founded, but He can also shut doors. When Jesus shuts the door, it is too late! Now is the time to get our lives right with Him. Now is the time to be fasting, praying and studying His word - while there is time.

The church of Philadelphia made the right choice and they were promised the keeping deliverance of Psalm 91. They weren't a mega church, or rich, but they did keep His word, even enduring persecution for His name - patiently.

Please God, enable us to do the same.

Amen.

America the Beautiful - a Vision Lost?

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. The people He has chosen as His own inheritance." - Psalm 33:12

As a nation we proved this promise as our history clearly proves. One of our founders, who is responsible for the famous Webster’s Dictionary said this: 

Noah Webster's Dictionary

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed ... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." - Preface by Noah Webster in his 1828 Dictionary.

Our early universities had similar statements of purpose:

"The main end of the scholar’s life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Therefore, to lay Christ in the bottom is the only foundation of all sound knowledge and harmony.” – Harvard Rules and Precepts, 1638

As long as we adhered to these sentiments, we did indeed prosper in every arena of human endeavor. We became that “city on a hill” that Puritan John Winthrop preached about. However, in the 50’s we began the downward slide away from God. By the 60’s we had declared God was not important enough to remain in our schools, preferring instead the doctrine of ‘pluralism’, which is just another name for idolatry, and was quickly followed by the concept of ‘Separation of Church and State’ which was falsely attributed to our founding fathers intents. Soon we were removing God’s Ten Commandments from public places and even baring students from praying in school. This has been followed by a host of evils all resulting in the destruction of our foundational principles.

When we did try to address long standing problems, such as slavery, evil forces quickly turned what should have been forgiveness and brotherhood into bitter envy and racism. What could have been a strengthening of our national fabric was turned instead to further strife and division, not at all what Martin Luther King had in mind, and certainly not what our Christian Founders had in mind.

By kicking God out of our schools, we have allowed Satin to come in like a flood. He came with Humanism and evolution, which deny God and His Word, the Bible. He came with unrestrained sexual activity that has destroyed the American family. He came with abortion that has destroyed our humanity and released a spirit of murder upon our land. And he opened the door to homosexuality, which the Bible declares is the last stage of moral decay before a nation is judged (Romans 1). That is because once they are inside the schools they will multiply like viruses and that is their intent as one of their own has recently written:

"In response to NOM's ad we say, "NOOO! We're not gonna make kids learn about homosexuality, we swear! It's not like we're trying to recruit your children or anything." But let's face it—that's a lie. We want educators to teach future generations of children to accept queer sexuality. In fact, our very future depends on it." (emphasis added) (NOM is the National Organization for Marriage which advocates marriage between a man and a woman.)

Montebello High in CA

Immigrants no longer come to our shores seeking the foundational principles that made us strong and enabled such great liberty and justice, now they come just for the prosperity, not understanding what the underlying source of that prosperity was. Mexicans don’t come to be Americans – they just come for a job. They cling to their cultural mores seeming to not understand that those ways gave them a Mexico that they are all trying to escape from! In Tucson, Arizona the schools are teaching that America stole California, Arizona, etc from Mexico. They are also condemning Capitalism and lauding Communism. At this year’s May Day celebrations in Los Angeles, California unions join forces with Communism openly displaying their affinity for each other. SEIU (Service Employees International Union), one of President Obama’s favorites, clearly declares their Communist affiliation. No wonder California is failing as a state.

SEIU Marcher Carries Communist Flag

The Apostle Paul warned us what would happen:

"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Women soldier in Afghanistan

America, we are there! God has given us leaders that are under “strong delusion”. We desert and insult our allies; the Shah of Iran-deserted, Georgia by reneging on our promises for protection, Mubarak of Egypt-deserted, and insulting the Queen of England by sending her gifts back. We think we can appease our enemies with money or buy adopting their way, such as forcing our soldiers to not carry their Bibles or to wear Muslim headscarf’s. Our actions in throwing Mubarak, a long time ally, under the bus has angered another key ally in the Mideast, Saudi Arabia. Then there is the shameful way we have treated Israel, forcing her to give up land and other concessions to an enemy who will not be satisfied by anything less than Israel’s destruction. Our leaders, both Republican and Democrat prefer Muslim disciples of terror over a long time ally that is the only one in the Mideast that is a true democratic state, Israel. But, the biggest proof that our leaders are devoid of judgment is their willingness to stand against God in favor of those that hate us. God calls Israel ‘My land’ (Joel 3:2) and He takes a dim view of all those who try to ‘divide’ it! On the other hand, when the twin towers were brought down by Muslim extremists, the Palestinians were dancing in the streets and handing out gifts!

I have written about just a few of the signs that indicate we are in trouble. As we approach another Presidential election, many are holding out their solutions to the problems, mostly blaming the other guy or party. But the real problem is us! We have left our foundational roots in God. We have become ashamed of Him, the Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If we do not return to Him, we have no hope as a nation, no matter what the politicians promise!

To the Church of Sardis

“These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive; but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:1-6

What a terrible thing to have said about you, that you have a name of being alive but you are dead! How can this be? It can only be because of deception. This church is not judging by God's standards but by their own. They are like Cain of old, who thought he could please God by giving an offering that he determined was right instead of obeying God. You see Cain gave an offering of the very ground that God had cursed, deliberately forgetting that God had told them that sin could only be atoned for by the shedding of innocent blood.

Like a glass house the worldly church
 will withstand God's shaking

How many churches today are going through rituals that they have thought up, thinking to please God, forgetting that God said, "obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). They may even shout to the Lord in their 'worship' services, but then they go out and commit adultery. The church now has a divorce rate higher than the world and the Assembly of God General Counsel recently passed Resolution 8, which allows as many divorces and remarriages sanctioned by the church as wanted. Their church divorce lobby accused the negative statements by Jesus against divorce as "hate speech!"

Jesus reminds the church at Sardis to remember how they received and heard the word of truth. Paul encourages Timothy the same way:

“O Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.” - 1 Timothy 6:20, 21

Sardis had mixed worldly wisdom and knowledge with Godly counsel. They forgot what Job knew - "With Him is wisdom and strength: He hath counsel and understanding." (Job 12:15). The modern church in America has made the same error. Paul’s warning to Timothy about what “is falsely called knowledge” can also be interpreted as “is falsely called science.” Much of the church today no longer confesses the creation account, having accepted the world's idle babbling about evolution, for which there is no proof. They blindly send their children to the public schools to be indoctrinated in evolution, humanistic religion, and a pluralistic philosophy which holds all religions equal and preaches sexual aberrations as normal. Then they wonder why abortions and divorces in the church are as abundant as in the world. It is in these schools that the seed of doubt is first planted in their children's minds, which leads to their rebellion against Christianity. But, who is guilty? - the world for being what it is, or the church for surrendering it's posterity to the world?

The spirit of Jezebel
will control the Harlot

The world preaches, "Be yourself" and makes idols of those who say "I did it my way!" TV is full of self-help programs and advertisements aimed at making you dissatisfied with what you have, so you will buy their product. But Scripture reveals - "If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts ... this wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." (James 3:14-16). Much of the American economy is based on dissatisfaction with what we have. This is a bold denial of what Scripture tells us - "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.'" (Heb. 13:5). Many churches today do not function as ‘the body of Christ’ where the Holy Spirit gives the giftings He desires to whom He desires, because it may threaten the ‘leadership’s’ perceived position. This is nothing but envy and self-seeking that James writes about. The ‘spirit of Jezebel’ is alive and well in many churches.

I fear Jesus would say to many churches today, "You have used My promise to never leave or forsake you" as an excuse for your love affair with the world! And who could say “I have never succumbed to the same temptation? However, I do know this is the main reason the American church is weak. At a time of history when Jesus said we would be doing greater things than He did, we can't even approach what He did! (John 14:12).

Jesus warned Sardis, "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." (Rev. 3:3).

"If you will not watch" is such an indictment of the modern church in America. How much time do we spend in our prayer closets? How often do we fast? How much time do we spend in the word of God? Entertainment has taken the place of meeting with God, and what spiritual things remain are in danger of dying!

How ironic that the modern church has even twisted this warning into a pre-tribulation rapture! They say we can't know when He is coming because He comes like a thief. But, what they forget to say is that He comes like a thief on the wicked! Paul writes that the Lord's coming should not be like a thief to the believer for "you brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4).

There are some, even in Sardis, that have not defiled their garments. They are seeking God still. Without the guidance of the church, they are holding home meetings, talking to one another about the things of the Lord as Malachi 3:16 describes, and learning how to walk with God. And they are seeking the righteousness of the Lord. Jesus will walk with them, even as the Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden before they fell.

This letter should bring forth the fear of the Lord in us as He declares that some names may be blotted out of the Book of Life. This letter is not a 'once saved- always saved' message. The Lord is serious - no easy grace here. Jesus told a parable of those invited to the son's wedding feast. When the father came in, he saw a man who didn't have on a wedding garment, so he had the man thrown into outer darkness. (Matt. 22:2-14). Though he was invited, he didn't have on a wedding garment and so was cast out. Our wedding garment is a robe of righteousness.

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness,.." (Isaiah 61:10)

The Lord has provided salvation for us but we have the responsibility to put on the robe of righteousness and keep it on. It is what Paul referred to as 'work out your salvation.' Even this responsibility the Lord will help us with, if we try. It is why the Lord ends this letter with “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments".

He gives us the way to overcome in the beginning of the letter - He has the seven Spirits of God and holds the seven stars. Oh how we need all the Holy Spirit we can get! If we turn wholeheartedly to Him, He will send the fullness of the Holy Spirit to aid us so we can shine like the stars.

The Church of Thyatira

Jezebel - the 1st Harlot

"These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

"Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations --

'He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' -

as I have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

                        Revelation 2:18-29

Jesus introduces this letter as the Son of God with eyes like flames of fire and feet like fine brass. He has walked through the fires of testing for us and He has eyes that burn away all flesh and deception to see us as we really are. And He is the Son of God. Thyatira had those who were giving place to idols, partaking of their deception. Jesus is declaring from the beginning there is only one true God and He is His Son. He alone will ride out of heaven on a white horse and bring judgment to the wicked. Many today, who claim to be Christians, are saying our God is the same God as the Muslims follow. To them Jesus is saying He alone is the Son of God and he who denies the Son does not have the Father either! (1 John 2:23).

The church in Thyatira had many good qualities and works, and their works were increasing. But, they had the cart before the horse, so to speak. Right relationship with the Son and Father will lead to good works, but good works alone can never lead to right relationship with the Son and the Father.Jesus told a story that has always put the fear of God into me -

"Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

Matthew 7:21-23

Who then can be saved? Those who are not lawless, who obey Him. God told King Saul, through Samuel, "Obedience is better than sacrifice."

While Thyatira was doing many good things, they were allowing disobedience to God's word in their midst. They were allowing women to usurp the authority God placed in men. The Apostle Paul said to not allow women to teach men (1 Tim. 2:12). Why? Is it because women cannot be as spiritual as men or as able to teach? No! It is because God set up the order of authority and it is not up to man to change it. Can women be prophetesses? Yes, many have, but they were all under proper authority. Jezebel was not, and it led to her deception. This opened the door to sexual immorality and compromise with idolatry. Jesus' will judge such actions, even in the church, with sickness and death. He cannot allow lawlessness to corrupt His bride to be. Lawlessness can be the result of willful disobedience, as it was with Adam, or the result of deception, as it was with Eve, but it's consequence is always death.

Some in the church of Thyatira did not practice these sins and Jesus encourages them to continue faithfully. In most churches today, there are probably true believers mixed in with the apostate. Jesus knows those that are His. The time of separation in the church is coming soon. Persecution and tribulation are going to do God's work of purifying His Body.

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." - Matt. 24:12

Lawlessness hinders us from obeying the commands of Jesus, which causes the love of Christ to grow cold. Persecution will cause those who are lawless to compromise with the world, denying Christ, and eventually these so-called Christians will turn on the true believers and deny them. This happened in the New Testament and it is happening even now in various parts of the world, and it will happen here as well.

At the end of John's revelation, he was given this message -

"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." - Revelation 22:11

In other words, make your choice. If you want to be unjust, go on and be more unjust; if you want to be filthy, go on and be more filthy. You don't have long. But, if you want to be righteous, go on and be more righteous; and if you want to holy, go on and be more holy.

Some preach that grace covers it all, so don't be judgmental! It is true that if we repent, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our sin. But, that does not mean we can be forgiven and then go right back to our sin! Peter says those who have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then fall back into them are worse off than they were before they repented. He says they are like a dog returning to his own vomit (2 Pet. 2:20-22).

That is why Jesus says, "he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end" will receive My blessing. He gives us a great gift - the fear of the Lord. He begins by saying He has eyes of fire, in other words, nothing is hidden from Him! Also, He encourages us, with Him in our lives, we too can walk through the fires that only serve to purify us.

I pray we will all be warned by this letter. As we are faithful to meet with Jesus in prayer and in His word, we will be delivered from the deception that is increasing all around us. Keep your heart pure and be zealous for the purity of His word in your life and in the church if you want to escape the great trial that is coming.

The Call

In May of 2011, the situation in the Mid East looks anything but glad and there is certainly not much to rejoice over. The nations are in a turmoil over Israel and Jerusalem. So called democracy and freedom movements among the Arab nations have resulted in even more radical Islamic control. Pressures for war have increased with sides threatening to switch almost daily. The entire region is unstable and I doubt even the nations of the region know what they will do next.


However, God knows, for it is Him alone that is in control. He is the One who, after the captives of Judah and Jerusalem are brought back to the land of Israel, will bring the nations down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment, because they tried to divide His land and scatter His people - Joel 3:2. We Americans have a vital interest in remembering how the story of the Mid East all started. It began with a call from God and the faithful obedience to that call.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8

Israel was founded on a call from God and as long as the Israelites followed God and looked to Him for guidance, they prospered. Through Abraham, Israel became the first, and only, Jewish nation. God promised that the desert would blossom and the wilderness would rejoice for them and though it became a desert wasteland during Israel's dispersal among the nations, now that they are back, the desert is once more blooming, almost as if the land itself is rejoicing at their return. Although many thought Israel was no more, God was not worried for His Word always comes to pass in His own time.

There is one other nation on earth that has a similar history – America. History calls its founders Pilgrims and Puritans but they did not call themselves that. They simply called themselves Christians. They came to America following the call of God, just as Abraham had done for Israel.  The Pilgrims already lived a life based on covenant relationship with God and each other but, as they were about to form a legitimate government, they drew up the Mayflower Compact, their covenant agreement with each other which stated:

“Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith and the honor of our King and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by the presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid, and by the virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, sets, constitutions and offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony …”

 

This Mayflower Compact became the pivotal document in the development of constitutional government in America. The Puritans likewise came with a call from God. John Winthrop, in his sermon titled ‘A Model of Christian Charity’ made that famous statement of purpose: “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all the people upon us.”, quoting Matthew 5:14. Winthrop spelled out clearly his vision for America:

“We are a company, he said, … professing ourselves fellow members of Christ … The end is to improve our lives and to do more service to the Lord … that ourselves and our posterity may be better preserved from the common corruptions in this world …. We must love brotherly without dissimulation; we must love one another with pure heart fervently.”

Because of them, America did indeed become the beacon to the world for freedom and liberty. They taught the only path to true freedom is freedom from sin through Jesus Christ. They not only taught this in their churches but also in their schools. Harvard was founded in 1636 for just such a purpose. The Harvard Rules and Precepts stated:

“The main end of the scholar’s life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Therefore, to lay Christ in the bottom is the only foundation of all sound knowledge and harmony.”

Years later, this truth was still strong in the minds of those early Americans –

In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
                     - Preface by Noah Webster in his 1828 Dictionary

So here we have two nations being formed out of a call from God. One epitomizes the Old Testament and one epitomizes the New Testament. But, the purpose of God is to bring the two together in Christ Jesus to form one – Ephesians 2:15, the ‘one’ being the people of God, made up of both Jew and Gentile believers.

God deals with them much the same: He prospers them when they follow Him and He punishes with natural and man-made disasters when they turn away from Him. History teaches us how Israel ceased from being a nation for a time because of consistent sin and rebellion. Is there any reason to think that will not be true for America as well?

The Holy Spirit is saying to us, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.” - Revelation 2:4, 5

As we have just had our national Day of Prayer, we should remember what we were like when we first started as a nation. But, I want to say to you, ‘No nation is any stronger than the individuals in it! And no church is any stronger than the members in it! Matthew Henry, who wrote the well known Bible Commentary of yesteryear, commented "If you don't first have church at home, you will not have it when you come together either."

Please, Oh please, remember what Jesus taught, "Many are called, but few are chosen." Abraham was called and our Pilgrim and Puritan fathers were called, but they were also chosen because they were faithful to obey the call.

We must take this message PERSONALLY and not think someone else will do it. God is calling to YOU. Will you obey and answer the call?