Have we all become Laodicean?

[1John2:4]

Some unique features that have worked themselves into the age....

1. Contemporary Christian music
2. Gospel Rock and Roll
3. The separation of the Contemporary Christian from the Traditional Christian service
4. The disappearance of the hard line doctrinal belief
5. Name it Claim it!
6. Prosperity Gospel - God wants everyone rich. He does not want any to suffer.
7. Evangelist getting rich off ministry - Beginning with DL Moody

Not to mention the worst offence of all kicking the law of God out and replacing it with doctrine and commandments of men

 

[rockytopva]

If they are totally cold, they can't be Laodicean. [emoji41]

Probably totally lost!

 

[rockytopva]

Actually, the seven churches of Asia Minor were all active Orthodox Churches and were not destroyed until 1922, when the Orthodox Christians in Turkey were forced to move to Greece because of a population exchange arranged by the League of Nations.

If these are merely seven churches in Asia Minor then the mystery of the seven churches is no mystery!

 

[RodofMoses]

Most Christians live in denial of the true condition of their own hearts all while readily recognizing the fallenness of other believers (the old speck and beam in the eye strikes again).

I agree with a few of the listed items, but humans don't realise the Lord is much bigger than the box we tend to put him in. We take him out of one box only to put him into a bigger box instead of taking Him out altogether.

Father can use anything, even Christian rock. I don't know that it's a bad thing in and of itself although it holds no attraction for me.

 

[rockytopva]

Before the end comes...

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; - 2 Thessalonians 2:3

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. - Matthew 24

1-2 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3-4 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; - 2 Timothy 3

These last day prophecies also seem to coincide with the Laodicean church prophecy.

 

[rockytopva]

When I was growing up we had a family man as a pastor that was a hit with the whole community. It was a Baptist church. Our church jumped from 50 to about 500 and did well. We use to have people that were really well off and use to come to church in Cadillac's and had a many of fine home. This use to drive my dad crazy to have people doing better than he.

Putty cat, Putty cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to look at the Queen.
Putty cat, Putty cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair

Like the old nursery rhyme it got where people were seeing all the little mices in the church, instead of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in all of their glory. The family events became gossip in the church and people got where they were talking about each other way too much. As a result the church basically collapsed and never has done well since.

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: - Revelation 3:17

We have got to be careful that we do not make our fellowship a competition on who does the best in life!

 

[Starcrystal]

Laodicea is a type of church, as you say, the rich, prosperous "in need of nothing" types. These types also look down their noses at less fortunate. (I have one of such churches down the road and you won't see one vehicle in the parking lot on Sunday that is not new and shiny, and most are very expensive. testimony from a couple people who briefly attended say they look down on any strangers and those who are not successful.. and although I live in a rural farming area, with lots of poor people it does not seem like those are welcome in that church - and it is a mainline denomination too.. The less fortunate material speaking attend other smaller churches and there you will see the old pickup trucks, rusty cars, and people in farmers jeans..It is sad because in this part of the country you can drive by a community of mini mansions, all posh and landscaped without spot or blemish, and a mile down the road take a dirt road and find dilapidated trailers, shacks, loads of trash piled in yard, and people with 1960s trucks..the Laodiceans rarely if ever help anyone but their own congregation and they gossip about the horrible trailers and 'dirty' folk who live in the poor areas... some of whom the poor are the nicest people and they will actually help others and even strangers with what little they have!)

Jesus says to Laodicea in Revelation 3 "Behold I stand at the door and knock".. a verse often used in salvation messages. What we need to realize is that the Laodicean churches have slipped so far into luke warmness and prosperity that Jesus has symbolically been shut outside the door of that type of CHURCH and is knocking to get back in... What he means by "I will spew thee out of my mouth" because they are lukewarm is unknown, but not something I would want to test !

 

[rockytopva]

RW Schambach speaking on the video below on what he calls the spirit of the Laodicean church age...

1. What is it?
2. How is it impacting our church?
3. How is is impacting our lives?
4. How do we guard ourselves from it?
5. What kind of psychology is the devil working in it?
6. On our death beds... Will our only worries be about the pleasures we have missed out on life?
7. Have we become overly materialistic to care about the things of God?

"Can you raise your hands and shout Amen with me somebody!?!" - RW Schambach

 

[Starcrystal]

4. How do we guard ourselves from it?

By not going along with it! Become poor that ye may be rich! That doesn't mean ask god to make you poor or deliberately make yourself poor, but if you are, then use what you have to help others and along the way proclaim the true way of the LORD..I'm way below poverty level in societies and governments terms, yet I helped one individual in need with $100 this month, food and clothing.
the Laodicians with $100,000 annual income often won't even do that, but they will pour their money into the church building and the false prophet and make the building bigger, and his cars waxy clean...
the other day walking home i was picked up by an 80 year old man in an old pickup truck..as we talked come to find out he attends my former church from 10 years ago, and is brother to my former neighbor I went to church with.. a humble country church way out there in the fields.
The man went 5 miles out of his way and when i asked him to drop me off on my rough dirt road he refused and asked how much further..I said a mile in, you don't have to do this brother..as we had had fellowship in the LORD already in those 4 miles..yet he took me strait home..
So you all got some Philadelphia brothers and sisters still around...
While the shiny new cars with their Jesus slogans and scriptures pasted on the back window pass you by like the priest and levite, turning their nose and literally crossing the yellow line to deliberately pass you by on the other side, the humble in their old rusty vehicles stop and as the Samaritan show mercy.
I have had huge intimidating men pick me up weighing in at near 400 lbs with beards and tree trunk legs, tell me "I gotta pick you up brother" and then we talk and they utterly decimate laodicea and speak of self righteous hypocrites then confess they are Christians but backslidden or lost their church due to finances or whatnot..
Only reason I need to get rides is i have no running vehicle but while it can be a hassle, it is also a plan of the LORD..I meet new people all the time, every week..I get to either fellowship or preach the LORD in one way or another... that wouldn't happen if I had a running car and drove because I'd be picking up a few people as i used to, but not hear as much different contact as I have now, plus walking is good exercise.

On top of all that back in August I was dead, went to the emergency room twice for bad back, heat stroke, and pinched nerves..doctor said it wont get better, you will need surgery eventually, all I can give you is something for pain. Well, that ain't going down like that because the LORD is a healer, and either he gotta take me or heal me, because i can't live way out here like that in the woods and hills...SO walking home one day was suddenly healed..2 months ago..no more back pain, no more nothing, and no more pills..i quit them and have not touched them..I went from a hobbling wreck who could barely walk to now doing 10 - 12 hours cutting wood, hauling rock, splittin wood, and doing what I used to do..

Was it about MONEY! MONAAAAY!!? NO! It was about healing and living for the LORD..thank you JESUS...

I gave a girl a 2 page note awhile back..appreciating her and her service in a store..she sees me and lights up, we talk, ice broken..not to get into any agenda..I have someone I love because God gave me that too..but she will hear about the LORD.

God also gave me love..I didn't have that a few months ago, now I do. i don't care about distance or time or circumstances..God is the LORD and love is is his specialty, and when GOD gives you love that is from GOD that is of GOD, then no man shall separate, as the scripture saith.

The Laodicians believe the way they should follow the LORd is to go sit on a pew every week and pump money into the pastor and the big church, while he pumps you full of sermons about "increase" while he increases while you go broke! How many welfare moms I have seen give tithes to the Cadillac and Lincoln driving preacher with the half million dollar house in a posh gated neighborhood, while their children suffer! I have seen it, and I shall rebuke it in Jesus name.

I seen so much that when Jesus says to Laodicea he will spew them out of his mouth, or as some Bible versions say "vomit them out of his mouth" I want to give Jesus a Heimlich maneuver and help him spit out this disgusting self righteous luke warm un-living water that claims to be his church!

Praise the LORD

You asked how do we guard ourselves from it? By living what Jesus taught, not listening and doing nothing.
Not by creating false doctrines about prosperity and increase, and "seed-faith" and name it and claim it, and all that other nonsense not even worthy of swine feed in a pig pen, more like pig dung.

You see, i was born again 36 years ago and taken in by pentecostals and charismatics, within less than a year, I was sucked in to name it claim it, and the prosperity teachings..I tried it..i claimed a red camaro in Jesus name...I wanted that car! Funny how the LORD has a sense of humor..I got it, except it was an old photo of a red Camaro i liked, and some brother told me I could have it and put it in my bible..so I got my red Camaro, just a photo hahahaha! Such lessons learned.

I started praying "why" and God led me to scripture and showed me why, and i renounced the false teachings, and moved on..persecuted, hated..I was no longer a Christian in their eyes, lost..poor...had no faith whatsoever because I could not increase in finances...

And when they preach they cite the Roman road with verses and cram John 3;16 down your throat, get you all saved up.. and say come to my church, and you are saved now, go on your way...(truly saying, we don't care about nothin but your money)
those verses are good and John 3;16 is a foundation to our salvation, but when it is crammed into someone head like a drug and magic by false prophets, it is empty letter and dead word.

Gods word is alive and powerful and sharper than a 2 edged sword..meant to be weiklded by true warriors of the spirit with the full armor of God, by those who are in the field, not set back on Sunday pews in the dredges of the laodicean barracks..

Amen..

(Sorry, this was supposed to be just an answer to one part of your post and question and turned into a full sermon..well who am i to question God..that was just laid on my heart to post...)

 

[Starcrystal]

Are "deliverance ministries" part of this nonsense too? had my fill of that!

"I cast you outttt!" Spirit of Jezebel i see you" blah blah blah (and they beg for money too, and often use fake deliverance teams as I well know)

Even when I took Berean courses 18 months in and less than 6 months way from my misters licence...i got very uncomfortable LYING on tests..i simply didn't believe in some of the doctrine..pastor who was my mentor told me "just answer the questions as they want you too, you are not lying"
i said "But I do not believe this id of the LORD, and is not true scriptural"
pastor: "just answer the right answer they want! Or you won't pass. you are a grade A student, why mess that up?"
me: "because God wants me to know HIS word, not mans."
pastor "Our teachings are the closest to Gods word you will get. Do I need to pray to cast a demon out of you, do you have a demon of rebellion?"

me: GOODBYE

I quit...rebuked them in Jesus name, left...

It was actually an independent Pentecostal church using AG college but also had even more doctrines added which I would have had to agree to those too in some sort of oath or confession that as their licensed minister i would have to be sworn to uphold their teachings..BLAH...

I also was involved in AG a bit..became known later after my "rebellion" for the "destruction" of a few churches in the east... a pariah who withstood the "Lord" and his appointed prophets and caused horrible church splits..again..blah..do Gods prophets do this?

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.recovery.catholicism/BrYXvCkH94E

Construction of a new church with welfare moms money!!!

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8380382.html

We always knew about the sex in youth group but didnt know about pastor..he went into name it claim it and prosperity..i along with about 200 others signed petitions and sent letters to all members denouncing the false doctrine..we split..went to a little church that was also later destroyed..meanwhile, the pastor got involved with kids badly..we broke ranks..he grew his church through laodicean prosperity teachings for a season..increased his church, preyed on the weak and welfare Moms..and even tried to start a new church..at which point God took him down..

I know we are not supposed to be proud but I am proud to have been a footsoldier in Gods army that took that down... that was in the first 5 years of my newborn Christian life...

I held hands with that man and prayed, I listened to his sermons..he used to be humble until the evil prosperity teachings got him hooked....he changed...he was born again, and who knows what happened when he died..sad really..twisted and sick..how could that happen? How the mighty have fallen!

They rolled their Nazi spiritual tanks over us..they crushed our little branch churches..they had money and power and like the Nazis they rolled over the counties as Nazis rolled over countries, until the true Allies stopped them with the awesome help of the living God!

he died at age 54....I cannot say if he was lost or saved..only god knows that..I pray he cried to God in his last breaths, but that is one case of Laodicea taken down and spewed out... and I am joyful to have had a hand in that battle.

hours and days upon weeks into years of prayer also works

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Only as some people when they see the lies, confusion, distress, and deception of various hypocritical things on earth,
if they [some people] are seeking YHWH'S KINGDOM & TRUTH and YHWH PERMITS,
they can see as YHWH'S WORD SAYS "those divisions(from TRUTH) were necessary" .....
and [if] YHWH grants them the revelation of TRUTH from HIMSELF, as required to know the TRUTH.

i.e. there is no such thing as "christian" rock, but yet,
YHWH can turn everything even bad things to good for those who seek HIM and love HIM, those who are called according to HIS PURPOSE.

Even as the Laodicean Church , the TRUTH about it, is revealed by YHWH as HE PLEASES to whom HE PLEASES.

Father can use anything, even Christian rock. I don't know that it's a bad thing in and of itself although it holds no attraction for me.

 

[Starcrystal]

Only as some people when they see the lies, confusion, distress, and deception of various hypocritical things on earth,
if they [some people] are seeking YHWH'S KINGDOM & TRUTH and YHWH PERMITS,
they can see as YHWH'S WORD SAYS "those divisions(from TRUTH) were necessary" .....
and [if] YHWH grants them the revelation of TRUTH from HIMSELF, as required to know the TRUTH.

i.e. there is no such thing as "christian" rock, but yet,
YHWH can turn everything even bad things to good for those who seek HIM and love HIM, those who are called according to HIS PURPOSE.

Even as the Laodicean Church , the TRUTH about it, is revealed by YHWH as HE PLEASES to whom HE PLEASES.

I agree..I am "guilty" of Christian rock and even using secular rock to speak the LORD..its all over this forum for years ..perhaps that is my vice, but I use it for His glory nonetheless...all things work together for good ..as scripture says...I have preached by using Black Sabbath and had some people convert..even my 82 year old dad has listened to it...may not be exactly right but our hearts are in right place... God forgive me..i really have no clue if god will judge this or it will be ok..just want to listen to his music and angels music in heaven anyways..so what happened here is up to him to decide, not me..
I often condemn rock music yet use it to preach at times...whatever works, just know the LORD..

 

[Starcrystal]

.I along with about 200 others signed petitions and sent letters to all members denouncing the false doctrine..we split..

Well maybe 200 signed petitions..I think petitions are for the birds and political tripe...nah...
it's always the inner circle that coordinates things, and in Gods army their prayers as well as actions speak wonders,.,, thats how the Laodicea I knew got taken...

 

[rockytopva]

The day the music died referred to the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson... I believe in the song "American Pie" it deals not only with the death of the rockers, but I believe the death of the Philadelphian church age...

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died (Philadelphian age)
And they were singing

Bye, bye Miss American Pie(Philadelphian age)
Drove my Chevy to the levee (revival) but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

 

[Starcrystal]

The day the music died referred to the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson... I believe in the song "American Pie" it deals not only with the death of the rockers, but I believe the death of the Philadelphian church age...

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died (Philadelphian age)
And they were singing

Bye, bye Miss American Pie(Philadelphian age)
Drove my Chevy to the levee (revival) but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

I have heard that theory about that song before... It does make sense...

 

[Starcrystal]

Watch this..This is the ultimate in Laodicean type preaching! At the end people throw money up on stage and the dude dances and stomps all over it! This is the extreme of the extreme...

I call it a "Stage" because it sure isn't no altar or pulpit! that is a stage performed on by Laodicean false prophets

I can't believe so many people actually fall for this and follow it, AND give these preachers and those like them tons of money...

Check 1:49 - 1:56 "I'm already wealthy, I'm loaded, I got more than enough. I'm a blessed man" he says!

WOOPS...that is strait out of Revelation 3:17, except he ignores the second part of the verse! Unbelievable!

"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:" (Rev 3:17)

This one is even worse

 

[rockytopva]

I have, after meditating on this thread, uploaded a video in which I called, "American Pie- The Lost American Church."

 

[Starcrystal]

Funny, when I voted today they had it at the Laodicean church! They have used that place once before but i didn't vote that time..they switch it almost every election, can be community center, courthouse, or some church 2 miles out of town.
that Laodicean church is nothing like the videos I posted, just that their members are the well to do and they look down on the poorer folk..they don't dance on money or make people throw money on stage like those ultra radicals do..

First time I ever been in it actually..man, that's a pretty big church for a little rural community. Maybe seats 500. most churches around here seat 100 at most and have only 20 - 50 people max.

 

[Starcrystal]

I have, after meditating on this thread, uploaded a video in which I called, "American Pie- The Lost American Church."

Eastern Tennessee, huh? I got a family member from there, along the Clinch River. I know the area. Have taken a few trips there... it is still wild.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

That's not quite what Scripture says,
and certainly not what HE says about trying to use something demonic at all.
The believers who recognize it always refuse rock music, and request it not be brought back because it is disastrous effects on youth and families and men's souls.

but I use it for His glory nonetheless...all things work together for good ..as scripture says.