Break #73
WRITTEN STUDY NOTES
"Are We in the Laodicean Church Age?"
Here is a short study on the "whatif's" and the "whatifnot's" of the
Philadelphian and Laodicean church.
For those who have been taught that the seven churches
in Revelation represent our church history, and I have been there, ya'll
consider these days to be the Laodicean church age.
You figure that the Philadelphian church age is completed
and so we have now moved into the Laodicean age. You use the word
'lukewarm' a lot. and you push people to be getting that gold, white raiment
and eyesalve so that you can be rich. You also preach that God rebukes
and chastises Christians today and so that is why so many are not happy,
have little money, have hardships in their lives, etc.
Again, how do I know this? I
was a baptist pastor for many years and I have said those things more than
once! However, there were a few things within those passages I had to ignore
in order to say those things.
In fact, there are a number of things we have to ignore
in order to consider the seven churches as true representations of our
local church history since Christ, etc.
In many ways, it does seem ok that we can go back and
look at church history and can use 'some' of the information found in Revelation
2,3 to back up our historical information - and that all makes
for great preaching. After all, what do people know - they just listen
to their pastors as being anointed, etc. Not having any specific
Bible for their knowledge of Scriptures, etc. they can only trust their
educated God appointed and anointed one in their pulpit! (And
of course, that is all mentioned in Hebrews 13:7,17)
Then there are those who say those
seven churches will be taking place during the Tribulation and are not
true representations of church history today.
Then there are those who just use
the Laodecian verses to try to urge / manipulate / challenge / activate
/ arouse / encourage/ energize / enliven / fire-up / inspire
/ move / rouse / light a spark / spur / stir into some retro-Philadelphian
action within their local Laodicean church congregation.
I do think I need to go back on my
own study time and look at that those chapters and verses on those churches
and see how they come across being such a 'Paul' man that I am.
However, for those who simply think we are in the Laodicean church age
today, this short break is for you.
We can not be in the Laodecian church age because if we
are, then we are in the Tribulation. See breaks 70-72 to help you
realize we are not in the Tribulation - and because we are not in the Tribulation,
we are not in the Laodicean church age.
Being 'lukewarm' is not the issue at hand today!
You either have the 'right' Jesus Christ or you don't; you either follow
Paul's teachings from the risen Saviour or you don't.
Now, in your walk as a Christian, you may be lukewarm
- in fact, you may be quite cold. But if you are hot, then you will
be experiencing persecution, according to Paul that is! And so if
you are not having the greatest time, maybe you just speak too much about
Paul and the risen Saviour - and that 'dastardly King James Bible that
so many just don't want to hear about. Well, good for you!
And if you truly are trying to be that sincere Christian
by learning Paul's manner of life, then you are experiencing some tough
times, I am sure.
But if you are having a grand time, partying, etc. and
just claiming God's grace in your life - well, you may be totally correct
because your works will not be judged until your own personal judgment
seat of Christ moment! So, you still have time to wise up...
But for most folks these days, they may be totally caught
up in religion and in your walk according to those religions teachings
(mostly based on the Gospels and the Tribulation books). So, if that
is the case, then you are totally cold. You have been deceived into
following the wrong teachings - and in fact, you could very easily just
be following another Jesus, as Paul puts it. But that isn't the issue
in the Laodecian material.
Did you know that Paul even had opportunity
to preach to the Laodiceans during his days.
-
Colossians 2:1 - For
I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them
at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
-
Colossians 4:12-16
- Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always
labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete
in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal
for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. Salute the brethren
which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his
house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read
also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read
the epistle from Laodicea.
But anyway - this particular break is about NOT being in
the Laodicean church age, no matter how you look at those seven churches.
So what about a few of those verses
on the church of the Philadelphians:
1) vs nine -
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of
Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will
make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have
loved thee.
-
Ok, lets see... the synagogue of Satan is what God calls
those who say they are Jews but are not. So today, we see that most
churches and pastors follow the teachings - Jewish teachings - of Jesus
to the Jews, NOT to the Gentiles. So in all reality, these people
in our churches are actually part of the synagogue of Satan, as God calls
it.
-
Well, they these folks find out that they have not had the
operation made without hands - that they have followed the wrong teachings
- that they are imitation Christians and not the real thing... and they
find out they are on the 'wrong side' of the big battle because they are
really members of Satan's army (Revelation 16:14)
that tries to fight against the real Christ in Revelation
19.
2) vs 10 -
keep thee from the hour of temptation
-
That 'hour' ...shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Well, here is a thought - these folks that 'kept the word of my patience...
could that be referring to the 'salvation' during the tribulation?
See Revelation 14:12 - Here
is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments
of God, and the faith of Jesus. If so, then maybe
the millennium is the hour of temptation?
-
Unless when it says kept the word of my patience is really
meaning God's patience, not the patience of the saints... then that would
put that into the Philadelphian era - the dispensation of grace!
Then, the hour of temptation would be referring to the Tribulation - thus
we are not in the Tribulation yet and are still experiencing God's grace,
which would take God needing to be very patient with us, right?
3) vs 11 ... that
no man take thy crown
-
Can we lose our crowns today? Are you sure we can't?
Can they lose their crowns during the Tribulation? Yes - so if He
comes quickly, then maybe they can hang on long enough. Well, 7 years
is a lot shorter than 1,000 years.
-
And what crown? How about he crown of life mentioned
in James. Certainly can't be talking about the crown of righteousness
for those who love his appearing, as Paul states it in II
Timothy 4:8. However, just maybe the crown that could
be taken away would be from those today who no longer love his appearing
- or even doubt his appearing. So maybe there is something we can
lose today if we 'give up.'
4) vs 12
... New Jerusalem? Still
yet to come...
Ok, so far that keeps us in the Philadelphian arena -
although there certainly can not be much time left. We certainly
have a 'little' strength - but yet we are keeping his KJB - and do not
deny HIS name... through Paul, we speak of the risen Jesus Christ - not
"another Jesus."
So what about a few of those verses
on the church of the Laodiceans
We see in verse 17
that 'works' will have everything to do with staying in the mouth of God
- otherwise, He will spue thee out.
So what works will be important during the Tribulation?
Paul's or the law? I figure that the preachers will finally start
preaching Paul during the tribulation - and they will be wrong again.
Then, it must be works again / and rejecting the mark. see Revelation
14:11,12
And in verse 19, we
see rebuke and chastening - which is only mentioned in Hebrews,
nowhere in Paul's books.
And finally - verse 20.
Do people hear his 'voice' today? They do if they are only in a KJB.
But according to Amos 8:11-13, that
KJB won't be around like it has been - and is quickly becoming less and
less available these days... so they will have to 'hear' his voice and
actually open the door and let him in. How will they know what voice
is truly HIS voice? See I John 4:1-3.
I tell ya folks, I am certainly no
'Revelation scholar' but the simplicity of Christ during this dispensation
of grace is where we are today. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
And to sit down and listen to a preacher preach the seven churches of Revelation
would be such a waste of time - when the preacher is supposed to be preaching
Paul, in a King James Bible.
Leave the rest up to the religious scholars and pastors,
preachers, evangelists, etc. - who continue to err not knowing the scriptures
as they continue to be deceived and will continue deceiving others.
