APOSTASIA

Rev 3:14-4:1 14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I 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." NIV

Of the seven Churches of Asia, Laodicea stands alone. She is absolutely unique. She bears no suffering or persecution. There is no hunger or tribulation. Yet she is the most disgusting Church of the Ages. She is the ONLY Church of the ages to which the Lord has absolutely NOTHING good to say. What a repulsive thought! She is the product of her mother Babylon, who proudly stands among the nations and declares "I am a queen and have need of nothing" [Rev.18]. She boasts her wealth as a sign of God's approval. She stoops to giving her miserly contributions to her sibling Churches in poor nations and slaps herself on the back for her bland effort. While her brothers and sisters dig for roots to eat in equatorial Africa, she ENTERTAINS her lofty attendees. She is GRAND indeed. She is the expression of Babylon the Great----the Mother of Harlots. She is the Church of America.

Yet, in God's eyes, she is the poorest of all. She is destitute in values. She is corrupted by her own wealth and beauty. Her days are spent looking in the mirror and seeing only her own loveliness. She is narcissistic, blind and deaf at the same time. Her institutions are incestuous. She smells of dainty odours, but is wrapped in rotting flesh. At the same time, she is INSANE. Her doctrines are corrupted with deceit. Her master is that same Crowning Cherub who served as Heaven's Minister of Music. Only the strong medication of DESTRUCTION and POVERTY can return her to a right mind.