10.22.13_Food For Thought (Corrected, Edited)! “The Signs of the Worldly Church!” By Dr. M.H. Salahshurian, Ph. D Revelation 3:14-18 “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.” In my last “Food For Thought,” dated 10.21.13, I wrote about the two faithful, fundamental true Churches worthy of commendation; the Church of Smyrna and the Church of Philadelphia. The Church of Smyrna in spite of their suffering and poverty, the Lord reminded them that “...thou are rich.” Revelation 2:9a. Also, the Church of Philadelphia. This Church was known for their “weakness,” having a little strength,” yet, the Lord reminded them because of their love for each other and for the lost, the Lord had set an “open door” before them. They were also given the “Key of David, suggesting an access to the treasure house of the King ( 1 Kings 7:51), and were given Christs authority as the heir to the Kingdom ( Isaiah 22:22). Today, we shall examine the Church which falls at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Church of Laodicea, a worldly, Tepid, ( lukewarm), Church. Before I expound upon this particular Church, let me say that it is of my own opinion that every one of these seven Churches of Asia, represented in the Book of Revelation, either receiving commendation or condemnation from the Lord Jesus had always existed. These Churches existed demographically and chronologically all over the world, through the centuries, from the day the Book of Revelation was written, representing every existing Churches, up to this present day! My reason for pointing this out is to say that, this Church, the Laodicean Church, the Church under consideration exists even today! Reading the related verses from Revelation 3:14-18, we find this to be a Huge, Mega Church with untold number of members, and with incalculable amount money, generated from the tithes and offerings every Sunday. Such Laodicean Church existed then and also, existing today! Such Churches believe they “have need of nothing.” (Rev. 3:17). Instead, the Lord reminded them that in spite of what they think, “they are , wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Rev. 3:17. In the Scripture, nakedness is the sign of unrighteousness, see (Isaiah 61:10), not having the “garment of salvation). Jesus in V-18, reminded them that they need, “ to buy gold of me...” Again, gold is the Scripture is the sign of purity and righteousness. It seems in their state of self-sufficiency, they even thought they did not need the Lord and they made sure they keep Him outside, out of their Church! So, in their tepid, (lukewarm), state, the Lord makes one more plea in V-20. Revelation 3:20 “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.” Read this story sometimes ago. There were two Charismatic Preachers who were visiting the Holy Land. As they were walking, they came across a blind beggar, sitting on the street-corner begging! One Preacher reflecting upon Acts 3:6 said to the other, “thank God, we can no longer say, “Silver and gold have I none;...” The other responded, true, the same time, we cannot say, “In the name Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” How True! More under “Tracts & Pamphlet,” in the: theswordandshield
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 05:07:17 +0000
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