Greetings From He Dwells In Laodicea

[rockytopva]

My grandparents were Methodist / Pentecostal and were the kindness souls on the earth. I was brought up in the military to a dad who left Catholic Seminary to join the Navy. Having left Catholic seminary he left the church until a saint influenced his faith to the Baptist church. I went to a Pentecostal Holiness church here in Virginia where I felt the communion of the Holy Spirit. I hated to see the Philadelphian candlestick dim in our time. After years of study debating which was the best route to go I have found seven generalized Christian schools of thought.

1. Ephesus - Apostolic - Scripture still before us!.
2. Smyrna - Martyr - 10 days = 10 general Roman persecutions.
3. Pergomos - Orthodox - Still alive in many parts of the world!
4. Thyatira - Catholic - Influence still great.
5. Sardis - Protestant - Example is the Baptist church.
6. Philadelphia - Methodist / Pentecostal - Justification / Salvation / Sanctification / Filled with the Holy Ghost!
***Was revival unique to the Philadelphian church age???*** Was this the revival of the last days?
7. Laodicea - Materialistic / Charistmatic / Educated - Influencing a lot of churches these days. Even the pope said that his church was being destroyed from within. No external enemies.

We are very close to the end of the church ages!

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HmE29pCR5gg

And a message entitled Lukewarm and Lovin it !!![font="Arial][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBhqrtMqrv8"]http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pBhqrtMqrv8[/url][/font] is I believe relevant to the time in which we live.

These seven churches are so much different in doctrine and worship that wars were fought on their behalf. I believe that in many churches there are "worship wars" going on how to worship. My personal feelings is that the Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) in Lynchburg does the worship better than anyone. Charles Billingsley worships without bringing the rock and roll beat into it. So here are my likes and dislikes...

1. Ephesus - Are there remnants to this church?
2. Smyrna - Are there remnants to this church?
3. Pergomos - Though still alive I care not to study the Orthodox faith.
4. Thyatira - I like the Catholic Mass but I know that they won't accept me as I believe that the only acceptable prayers are to the Father in Jesus name.
5. Sardis - I enjoy going to TRBC and love the decency. Would go there if it were not a two hour drive. There are times that I miss the decency of the Sardisean church age and find myself going to Amish country from time to time.
6. Philadelphia - Please don't fake the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. This is helping in creating a generation of 'Fake Christians.'
http://articles.cnn....ks?_s=PM:LIVING
7. Laodicea - Too many people in it for the career move and to make themselves millionaires. John Wesely did write books but used his profits to further the Kingdom of God. In his own words Wesley said that when a man dies he should have enough money to bury him nd a 'few pence' for his friends. I do like RW Schambach and think that faith is absolutely necessary. The so called word of faith movement is a concoction of the Philadelphia and Laodicean church ages. There are some 'word of faith' preachers that I like, but I must get off the boat when it becomes too much about money. So there are more issues to the Laodicean church age then any other church.

In meditating over the seven churches I think the primary need is for evangelists. I would love to see another Billy Graham come along. I don't think there will be many in this age that will sacrifice for the Kingdom of God like Billy and Ruth Graham did. It seems that many of the evangelists here in Laodicea are more concerned in maintaining their own comfort zone and do very little for the Kingdom of God.


Influence of three of the horseman...

1. White - Democracy
2. Red - Communism
3. Black - Mystery unfolding around us.
4. Pale - Antichrist yet to make his scene.

The Black Horseman

"And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." -Revelation 6

1. Prophesies of economic challenges - The Euro will collapse during this time.
2. Prophesies of oil challenges - Note the BP oil disaster
3. Prophesies of wine challenges - People will not live as well as before.
4. The 'Black Horseman' - We now have a black president

So the challenges in our time...

1. Avoid the issues of the Laodicean Church age.
2. Beware of the temptations of the Black Horseman.

 

[rockytopva]

Well... I posted all of that and didn't get the boot! My dad dates a Lutheran gal who refused to believe that any outside the Lutheran faith will make it to heaven. I have often grieved over the fact that Christians of other folds did not get along better with one another. This goes all the way back to the fall of Constantinople, which fell without the aid of the Roman Catholic church.

 

[Martin W.]

Hi Rocky , welcome.

You sound denominational (that is fine with me) but you tend to worry the church is going nowhere.

Here is a bit of good news :

***Christianity is overlooked as the fastest-growing faith in the world because most surveys look at the traditional Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church while ignoring Christian believers who have no part of either.

***Hundreds of millions of these Christians are simply not associated with the institutional churches at all. They meet in homes. They meet underground. They meet in caves. They meet in secret.

***By tomorrow, there will be 175,000 more Christians than there are today

Read more here :

Christianity taking over planet? http://www.wnd.com/?...1#ixzz1Am9opt2b

 

[rockytopva]

Let me take time to praise the Lord for all of that!

 

[bud02]

Hi Rocky , welcome.

You sound denominational (that is fine with me) but you tend to worry the church is going nowhere.

Here is a bit of good news :

***Christianity is overlooked as the fastest-growing faith in the world because most surveys look at the traditional Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church while ignoring Christian believers who have no part of either.

***Hundreds of millions of these Christians are simply not associated with the institutional churches at all. They meet in homes. They meet underground. They meet in caves. They meet in secret.

***By tomorrow, there will be 175,000 more Christians than there are today

Read more here :

Christianity taking over planet? http://www.wnd.com/?...1#ixzz1Am9opt2b

very nice Martin, eyes that see and ears that hear

 

[HammerStone]

Rocky - from my 2nd favorite state right behind my own - welcome to the CB. We try not to be ultra-denominational around here, but we don't boot anyone for being too denominational within reason. ;)

You've got some interesting ideas and concepts to say the least. Hopefully we can hear more because it seems like there are a lot of folks who share the zeal here to get beyond the old-fashioned way of doing things or don't want to get wrapped up in the new and just want to worship God and do what we are called outside of comfort zones.

 

[rockytopva]

Rocky - from my 2nd favorite state right behind my own - welcome to the CB. We try not to be ultra-denominational around here, but we don't boot anyone for being too denominational within reason. ;)

You've got some interesting ideas and concepts to say the least. Hopefully we can hear more because it seems like there are a lot of folks who share the zeal here to get beyond the old-fashioned way of doing things or don't want to get wrapped up in the new and just want to worship God and do what we are called outside of comfort zones.

Mr. Hammerstone:


Let me say first of all that I love the church.

Pergomos - Orthodox - Well the icons look cool... Santa Claus (Claust Nicholous) was Orthodox.
Thyatira - Catholic - I like the way they do the Catholic mass...
Sardis - Protestant - Nobody does conferences like the Baptist. Very good at planning and organization.
Philadelphia - I like the alter services
Laodicea - I like Joel Osteen. If I lived in Houston I would attend Lakewood. NON - DEMONIMATIONAL

Hopefully I didn't take sides with one church over the other. My dad dates a Lutheran gal who doesn't believe that anyone outside the Lutheran church will make it to heaven. Charles Spurgeon was a well known Baptist preacher who basically got the boot due to an article (http://www.tecmalta.org/tft351.htm) in which he tried to defend his "Old School" views. According to John MacAurtur this would lead to his early death (http://www.youtube.c...h?v=UgFiFVlpwvM). Denominational 'wranglings' have led to the fall of the churches I grew in with and presently a member of. So I hear your concern about being 'ultra-denominational.' Like I said if I lived closer to Houston I would be a member of Lakewood. As I live a two hour drive from Lynchburg I like to go to the Thomas Road Baptist Church from time to time, which is an independent church. Saint Augustine once said that "Mans extremity is God's opportunity." After studying these things I can say that "Mans extremity is Gods big headache!"

"Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." - 2 Corinthians 11:28

Radical directions have been a big headache ever since the Apostle Paul. Paul was just rehearsing all that he had been through including "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; " And then he puts the care of the churches up there with the death, beatings, heathen, and robbers. I am planning on re-doing "12.25 2060 Sir Isaac Newtons Prophecy" and am heavily in the book of Daniel right now. What feedback I get is very much appreciated... Thank you. I am not after exact date picking here but am trying to put the times and the seasons into a perspective. I would also like to bring out the good and bad points of being 'ultra-denominational.'

And in tackling the issues of Laodicia Mr Francis Chan did a great job on a sermon "Lukewarm and Lovin' it!"

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=X82kjL1hDYU



Whenever you care to comment I will always thoroughly read your concerns.


Thank you for your kind words.