It
was to the last Church the Lord addressed in the Book of Revelation,
the Church of Laodicea, that He gave His greatest promise to. Those
promises are for His people today. They are for you. When most people think of the Church of Laodicea, they think of the negative rather than the positive. It is time to consider these great promises. First, we need to see why they are so great. Then we need to understand how overcoming the negative things this Church confronted will produce some of the greatest overcomers, the greatest saints, the world has ever known.
The Church of Laodicea was so prosperous that, as Francis Frangipane once said of today's Church, "They had everything they needed but God." This caused them to become lukewarm, and made the Lord so sick that He would vomit them out of His mouth. Being lukewarm is the worst condition a Christian can fall into. It reveals an ultimate contempt for the Lord. Indifference is the greatest affront to any relationship. Therefore, to know Almighty God and be lukewarm toward Him is the greatest insult of all.
Zeal for the Lord
The Lord called the Church at Laodicea to "therefore be zealous and repent" (see Revelation 3:19). We must recover and keep our zeal for the Lord if we are going to make it through these times. How do we do that?The Lord sent fire from His presence to light the fire on the altar in both the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple that Solomon built. He then commanded the priests to keep the fire going. God has lit every fire in every heart that has ever turned to Him. However, He expects us to keep it going. We do this by prayer, worship, daily reading and studying His written Word to us, fellowship with others who have the fire, and being the witnesses we are called to be.
We lose the fire when we give ourselves to sin and wickedness. This leads to lawlessness as described in Romans 6. The Lord warned that lawlessness would cause the love of most to grow cold. This has been well proven in our times.
The Remnant Principle
Recently, when I was having lunch with Bob Jones, a prophetic
friend, he said an amazing thing. He said that the unity of the Church
that is coming would only include about 10% of Christians. I know that
sounds unthinkable to many, but there is truth to this. Even in light of knowing we are entering the greatest harvest, a sound and repeated Biblical truth is "the remnant principle."The remnant principle was at work when the resurrected Lord told five hundred people to go to Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. However, just a few weeks later, there were only 120 gathered there. Yet that remnant was in "one accord" or unity. Do you realize that often our Churches or ministries are shrinking so that we can come into a higher unity that can release a greater glory and purpose?
As Abraham demonstrated, true faith grows stronger with the passage of time, not weaker.
The passage of time between when the promise is given and the
fulfillment of that promise will usually thin out the crowd by removing
those who do not have true faith, but are just caught up in the
excitement of the moment.This does not mean that those with true faith will not waver sometimes too, but overall, true faith grows with the passage of time. Is our faith growing stronger, or are we going to slip into the majority that drifts away?
People tend to draw their security by how many people are with them. True faith doesn't. True faith is faith in God, not how many people are with us. True faith is demonstrated by patience, which is why we are told that it is through "faith and patience" that we will inherit the promises (see Hebrews 6:12).
Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Website: morningstarministries.org
2 comments:
Hi Scott here hope you are well all and all this is a good post. I have heard at least this much over the last 4 or 5 years. Although I would say this. 1st commandment Love God. Everything else stems from this. As ravenhill always said many ministers say God is all you need but there is no convicting power and presence of God. The problem is is when all one has is God then one can preach God is all you need. Many ministers today need to go into the wilderness alone die and wait on God until they are filled with an actual message from God for if it's from God the fire of God goes with the delivery(summary). There is a sad aspect of American Christianity by it's absoloute lack of teaching and understanding that the Holy Spirit is every bit a full part of God. One can do all the things rick mentioned and still fall away. Why because one will never see the promise land if they cannot yield to and fellowship with the guide. Relationship not religion ricks right in the vision I had in 2011 a lot of what is done in Gods name may well not be at His direction and it is becoming offensive. be blessed
I think it was in rick joyners the vision. His testimony I was taken to an island. I saw people playing eating and drinking. As the Lord moved away I became extremely angry and jealous over the way they where acting towards the Lord. As the Lord moved closer He questioned the Lord. You'd have to read the book but I do remember part of the response was most won't make it. Has the harvest so taken priority that because many leaders are afraid to offend or do not understand those hard things paul talked about or judes warning which fits perfectly with the Words of Jesus to the ladocian church.That it is of no conceren our own fall away become deceived and go so far in mistreating the Holy Spirit and neglecting Gods call and purpose for creating them that His justice must come to bear,Because their own ministers refused to rebuke correct and warn of the increasing judgments and penalties before He returns even to the extent of by actions making people dependent on the priest by not equipping and maturing them to here and respond out of a vibrant relationship with God. Jesus once said whoever makes one of these little ones stumble it would be better that a millstone be tied around his neck and thrown into the sea. Jesus said whom He loved He corrected to be zealous and repent. I wonder if hell is bottomless and some may sinl eternally as they took the sheeps money and the priests bear rule by their own means refusing the Spirit of God in the manner of Saul and failing miserably in their purpose by refusing Gods plan. Every house out for their own gain refusing to disceren the body. How sad. I am sorry I am venting a little at least two churches in the last few years I had a Word for and God had mighty palns for if they would have just stopped with fleshly works and tradition and sought God HE had mighty things for them. but als as I think Shirley carter said. The leaders had no time and will not listen and so the minister and the church where removed(summary). I heard a friend of brother schambach angry on the pulpit I go to so many churches they clap and they sin and they don't even realize God is not there He's gone He's not there anymore and yet they go right on having church He's not there.And I don't just mean one but many as I travel across the U.S. not a few many and begins to weep.
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