Featured Seven Churches - Why all the Ado?

The purpose of Revelation was to reveal what was going to come to pass....

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.... - Revelation 1:1

Which all of this was to heavy for just ordinary churches in Asia that did not amount to anything....

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 1:20 - Revelation 2:1

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado?

 

I believe all churches today are addressing the same issues as outlined in the church of Laodicea.

 

I must say here that I believe all the Christian congregations are all legitimate Christian congregations. I promote none above the other. I must say here also that I miss the old World War II generation of Christian. And miss the examples they set of Christian...

My old WWII generation neighbor. A good Pentecostal Holiness Christian, family man, farmer, worker, and American soldier. He would come behind me with tears running down his cheek during the altar service and was a man of wonderful character.

 

The changes that have occurred between the old WWII generation and now, marking the rise of Laodicean times, especially...

1. The changes of worship - From traditional to contemporary
2. The rise of the non-denominational congregation
3. The many stores becoming contemporary churches - All with very little doctrine
4. Dress- People actually going to church in shorts!
5. The focus on prosperity and material goods

 

I went to a Holiness camp meeting earlier in the year and saw an old gentleman there with shorts. Now, I would not want anything said to the guy and would just smile a little if I were to greet him. But this is a growing trend these days. This is something that I did not see in church until here recently.

 

Was Constantine Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox? Constantinople, the city that bares his name... Was she Catholic or Orthodox? I would put this in Pergameon times, which are much different than the Catholic and Protestant times to follow.

 

I believe the Apostle Paul launched the second, or Smyrnaean church. Smyrna in the Greek means “Myrrh,” in which the Smyrnaean martyrs represented the most pure form of Christianity of all the church congregations. The martyred crowns were many as the Smyrnaean church age progressed.

Ye Shall Have Tribulation Ten Days (from the Foxes Book of Martyrs)…
Time Persecutor Description
67 AD Nero The Smyrna Church Age begins with Nero setting fire to Rome, and then blaming the Christians
81 AD Domitian Declaration that no Christian should be exempt from punishment, Paul’s Timothy died in 97 AD.
108 AD Trajan and Adrian Severe persecution against Christians from 108 to 138 AD during the time of the Bishop Ignatius
162 AD Marcos Aurelius Marcos Aurelius, commendable in study of philosophy, sharp and fierce towards Christians.
192 AD Severus This persecution was carried out by the will and prejudice of the people and extended into Africa.
235 AD Maximus Numberless Christians were slain without trial and burned indiscriminately in heaps
249 AD Decius Began because of the amazing increase in Christianity, and with the heathen temples forsaken.
257 AD Valerian The martyrs that fell during this persecution were innumerable, their tortures and deaths painful.
274 AD Aurelian A brief persecution that ended with the emperor’s assassination.
303 AD Diocletian The last persecution ended with Constantine’s triumph against Rome in 313 AD

And the message to the Smyrnaen congregation...

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. - Revelation 2

Notice the contrast between the early Gentile and Messianic church.

1. The Apostles basically handed the Gentile church to Paul....
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. - Galatians 2:7-10

2. The Messianic church would separate themselves from the Gentile...

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. - Galatians 2:11-16

And if Paul rebukes Peter, who is greater, Peter or Paul? And should Paul be considered the first Apostle to the Gentile church?

 

Oh the joys of living in West Virginia.

 

Extremes....

Wild Fire - As you described, which is not good
No Fire - Which, also, is not good

Mr Bean trying to keep his eyes open in one of those cut and dry services....

 

I had a second grade teacher by the name of Miss Chickadance. I have often thought that if I could go back to those times, with the eyesalve applied to this Laodiceans eyes I would....

1. Avoid the evils of the generations
2. Avoid the music of the day
3. Study and do well in school
4. Sit with my Pentecostal grandfather in church
5. Enjoy the Baptist conferences
6. Do well in continued education
7. Find a good company to work and would know what to study for.

I cannot tell you the troubles a lot of our churches have had. I have also talked to people who claim to members of a church, but when you visit, you never see them there.

We have a local church called the Gateway Baptist church (country pastor) where I met a many a fine friend at work. They had a pastor change (one with a Masters degree) and everyone fell out of the church, now no one I know goes there.

We also have a local Word of Faith church that a decade ago it seemed that every good Christian I knew went there. We probably had two dozen of their membership at work. Of all the time I knew the people there I did not hear the first negative word out of their mouth. The pastor moved to Florida now no one I know goes there.

In my Pentecostal church there was at one time good revivals and everything ran well. Our pastor left, we got several unstable pastors, and the church was might near run into the ground. Now few I know goes there.

In our local Catholic church, Saint Mary's, they had a large following. The pastor built a large new sanctuary about 10 miles from Tech campus. The problem was it was a little too far for the students and they did not follow the flock to the church. The pastor left after enduring the stress of it all. Now few I know goes there.

I see a lot of unstableness in the Christian world in this day and time. I feel for any of the pastors out there trying to get something good going in the communities. And because of the unstableness I do not recall that I have ever recommended any person to go to this church or the other. I would be afraid to recommend anyone leave an established church feeling that they would most probably go from one bad circumstance to another. All of this is the effects of the Laodicean church age.

 

If you cannot sense the effects of the Laodicean church age you are doing well.

 

Tell me what cult I belong to... I would like to know!