Rushing Toward Laodicea (Part 1)
Let’s begin by looking at Revelation 3:14-22
14 " And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ' These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked -- 18 "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. 19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 "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. 21 "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. 22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' "
As the age of the gentiles comes to a close (see Luke 21:24, Romans 11:25), the Laodicean church will emerge. This is the final state of the church before God casts away the church (or spews them out of His mouth). The events leading up to this event are given to the believer as the sign of the end. I have mentioned this before but it bears mentioning again, the latter day rain is not the sign of Christ’s return. The falling away of the church is the one sign given to the church that precedes Christ’s eminent return (2 Thes. 2:3).
Misconceptions of Prophecy
One of the favorite passages of cults claiming to have a special movement of God is Joel 2:28. Most who quote this passage take it completely out of context and only zero in on the phrases, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions”. While the future fulfillment of this prophecy is given to Israel, not the church, this passage actually applies both to the church and Israel. If you examine prophecy and how God deals with His people, there is no difference between how He deals with the church and how God deals with Israel. In fact, when all things have been fulfilled, both the church and the remnant of Israel will be one fold under the lordship of Jesus Christ (See John 10:16). The church is saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone and the Jew is saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Jews as a people were blinded for a specific period of time because of their rejection of Jesus Christ, but this veil will be removed after the time of the Gentiles has been fulfilled. To understand this, read the eleventh chapter of Romans.
After the time of the gentiles or the church age has come to an end, God has promised to turn ungodliness away from Jacob by presenting to them their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Look at the words of Christ spoken through the prophet Zechariah:
Zechariah 12:10 " And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Israel has been blinded for a time, but after the Laodicean church has been cast away, God will fulfill His promise of redemption to the Jews. Keep in mind that when I say the church is cast off, that does not mean that God will cast off those who are seeking Him. The church of Laodicea will not be seeking God but will be seeking the ways of the world. God deals with the church as a whole while at the same time dealing with each individual based on their own faithfulness. The passage we read in Revelation deals with the church as a whole but Jesus clarified that we will be judged as individuals as well. Look at Luke 21:34-36
34 " But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
That day will come and the scripture cannot be broken; however, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly and bring them through the fire. As the church rejects the truth, those who follow the truth will be rejected by both the worldly church and by the culture. I will get into more detail on this later, but I wanted to take a moment to make it clear that God deals with us according to our own relationship with Him. When God’s judgment begins to fall on the world, it will begin with the house of God (or church) that has ceased to be a light to the world (see 1 Peter 4:17). The watchman who lifts up the truth of the word of God may have to endure persecution (and almost certainly will), but he will not be judged by God and will be rewarded for remaining faithful even when the church is not.
Let’s take a moment to look at the misquoted passage from the prophet Joel in context. It is a lengthy passage, but it is necessary to read it in context in order to gain an accurate understanding of what is being taught. Look now at Joel 2:23-32
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you -- The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. 28 " And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
I have underlined key points in this passage so we understand what is being said. This passage is specific to Israel – not the latter day rain cults and other movements. However, remember this important principle, God is not a respecter of persons. God does not have a standard for the Church that is different than the standard toward Israel. We are all dead because of sin and in need of redemption because we cannot make ourselves clean. Redemption and forgiveness comes through the cross of Jesus Christ alone. How God deals with Israel is how God deals with the Christian. How God deals with the church is how God deals with Israel. Israel’s redemption will begin when they look upon Him whom they have pierced (Jesus Christ), mourn over their sin, and then call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. This is the latter rain for Israel and this is when God will pour out His Holy Spirit out on the remnant of the Jews and they will experience what the church has already experienced.
This passage is not futuristic for the church because we have already passed through this redemption and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Look at Acts 2:
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
…
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.'
Peter went on to preach redemption through Jesus Christ to all those present and the church was born. The church has already experienced the prophecy of Joel, but the nation of Israel still blindly looks for their Messiah. The Bible clearly tells us that for the believer in Jesus Christ, this latter day rain and outpouring of the Holy Spirit has already been fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Since this is true, those claiming to be receiving the ‘fresh fire’ are in error. All one has to do is compare the message being preached by the latter day revivalist with the whole word of God and it will be clear that there are many serious conflicts. Those who depart from the faith will side with the doctrines of men and those who remain faithful will adhere to the known word of God. Jesus made it clear that scripture cannot be broken and will never change or pass away; therefore, anything that is in conflict with the word of God is error and does not come from God. God is not the author of confusion but will always remain consistent with the word He has previously spoken.
Dominionist Movement
The dominionist movement springs from the belief that the church needs to set up the kingdom of God before it is possible for Christ to return. Here is one quote sent from a dominionist to me in an email:
It is our place to help bring the world to peace. Until we do, Christ can not return and take His place.
This may sound good if you are one of those who believe that we must do something to instigate the return of Christ; however, this is far from biblical. Jesus Christ is not dependent on mankind to prepare His way. Man is dependent on God; God is not dependent on man. Over the last several months I have heard a growing number of people proclaiming that Jesus cannot return to a fractured body and that we must bring unity to the body so that Jesus can come. What does the scriptures say on this topic? Look at these two passages;
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Rather than stating that the church will be unified before the return of Christ, the Bible teaches that the church will depart from the faith. The one sign given that reveals the eminent return of Jesus is the falling away of the church. The falling away leads to the lukewarm church that God rejects. The people may be unified, but if they are not of one mind in Christ, it is not of God. To have the mind of Christ means to obey all that is commanded in the scriptures and conform our lives to Christ. The last days church will have a form of godliness but will have no real power. Power is not revealed in wonders and showmanship. The power of God is revealed in a changed life that passes from death in the flesh to life in the Spirit. As multitudes are proclaiming that we are in a last days revival, the crime rate soars, perversion is rampant, and people are living solely for their own pleasures. Look at the above passage in 2 Timothy again. Do we see these signs coming to pass, or do we see a world wide revival? Watch TV on any given day and see if self-control is being broadcasted. Jesus said that when He returns it will be as it was in the days of Noah. What was the world like in Noah’s day? The earth was filled with violence and the thoughts of man’s heart was evil continually. We are in the last days, but it is not a revival, but a falling away as the scriptures foretold.
The World Council of Churches and other ecumenical groups frequently say that “we should focus on what unifies us, not what divides us from other religions and faiths.” The push toward unity at all cost is gaining momentum daily. Is the above statement true? What divides Christianity from the other religions? The cross is the heart and soul of Christianity. If anyone teaches that salvation is not through the atonement of Jesus’ payment for sin on the cross, it is not Christianity. How can there be unity between the world and the church? There are only two options: each individual must put their faith in Jesus Christ alone and His completed work, or we must abandon the truth of the gospel to have unity. There is no other option. Either redemption through the cross is the focus of the church or something else is the focus of our religion. If the church waters down the gospel, it is no longer the gospel. Truth plus a lie is a lie. Half the truth is also a lie. Even as a child, most of us learned that we could be deceptive by telling a half-truth, but we also learned that our parents did not accept this as the truth. I was taught that telling half-truths was the same as lying – and it is, but for some reason this practice has been taught as being acceptable within the church.
Doctrine can be known by its Fruit
Jesus taught us how to determine the truth from the lie. He first warned us to beware of false prophets and then told us how to identify them. Look at Matthew 7:15-24
15 " Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 " 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. 22 "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 many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 " Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
False teachers will also try to get you to believe their fruit is good when it is not. I have quoted this passage in context so that we can see and understand what Jesus is warning the church to be on guard against. First, the false prophet will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He or she will look like a sheep, walk like a sheep and try to act like a sheep. If a false teacher looked like a wolf, there would be no deception. A false teacher will get as close to the truth as possible so that he or she can lead the flock away from the truth. It is your responsibility to be on guard, watching and identify the false prophet. Since their teaching sounds good and their works look good, the only sure way to point out their deception is to look at their fruit – what is produced by their teaching and works. Miracles do not prove a man is of God because the Bible tells us that in the last days, the ministers of Satan will be given the power to use signs and wonders to deceive those who do not believe the truth of the gospel (2 Thes. 2:9-10, Revelation 13:11-15, Revelation 16:13-14). Good works are not the evidence of truth even according to the passage we read above in Matthew 7.
The evidence of good fruit is discipleship. Our goal as Christians is to make disciples of Christ. A disciple is the person who receives Christ, receives His word and obeys the word as they lead others toward obedience as well (see Matthew 28:19-20). If someone is not obeying the word given to us in the Bible and conforming to Jesus Christ, they are not a disciple of Jesus regardless of what they do or say. Right after Jesus taught us to look at the fruit, He warns that not everyone that calls Him Lord is a disciple. They may teach in His name, do good works in His name and even do wonders or miracles in His name. While they proclaim their good deeds, Jesus calls them lawless workers and declares that He never knew them.
A one world religion is necessary to fulfill prophecy in Revelation chapters 13-18 where the whole world will give its devotion to one man standing in the place of God showing himself to be the messiah. Throughout the scriptures God forewarns us beforehand so that we are not deceived. The only way to deceive the church is to persuade them that the scriptures lack relevancy and that new revelations are coming through their cult leaders who are passing themselves off as apostles of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
Jesus made it clear that if you do not keep His word, you CANNOT be His disciple (see John 14:23-24). Anyone who does not leave the world and follow Christ, cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26-33).
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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