A POINT of REFERENCE or a PURITY RENOUNCED
“…thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen, and repent…” [Revelation 2:4,5]
“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.” [Revelation 3:20]
“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.” [Proverbs 30:12]
Many believe the 7 Churches in Revelation 2 & 3 represent 7 Ages of the Church; Ephesus representing the Church of the first generation and Laodicea representing the end day Church. Others see the 7 Churches as representative of the different state of well being within the Church in every age. Some see them as both.
The spiritual state of the Church in America today compared to her in days past could give validity to the view that the 7 Churches represent 7 ages of the Church, with this generation being the last generation, that is soon to see the return of the Lord Jesus.
In the Church at Ephesus the Lord tells them to “Remember…from where thou art fallen, and repent…”, in the Church of Laodicea the Lord is outside the Church and the hearts of its individual members. [Revelation 3:20] A real problem within the Church in America today is, most of its members, unlike past generations and unlike Ephesus, have no point of reference to remember and to return to. An older generation can remember the:
1. The Old Hour of Welcome They Gave to Christ (Their Salvation Experience)
2. The Old Hymns of Worship They Sang to Christ
3. The Old Houses of Worship They Started for Christ
4. The Old Homes of Warmth They Shared in Christ (The stable and traditional Christian family they grew up in)
(By the way, these four areas would make great areas for a Pastor to focus his Church upon, if they want to experience a genuine revival among his saved members.)
Today all four of these have been lost to this generation of Church goers. I am afraid that for the majority Jesus is still outside of their hearts, and their purity is nothing more than God-offending, self-righteousness. Every Church member needs to ask themselves if they truly have a point of reference in their past that proves that there was a time that they really did repent and asked Christ to come into their heart and save them, a righteousness that is based only on the Shed Blood of Christ.
“NOTHING IN MY HAND I BRING; SIMPLY TO THE CROSS I CLING” should be and must be the testimony of all who claim to be a Christian.
~Jack Woodard
1Cor.2:2; 2Cor.4:5
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About Jack Woodard
I am a Baptist Pastor.
[Calling the Church to Revival and Sinners to Salvation for 42 Years]
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A POINT of REFERENCE or a PURITY RENOUNCED
A POINT of REFERENCE or a PURITY RENOUNCED
“…thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen, and repent…” [Revelation 2:4,5]
“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.” [Revelation 3:20]
“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.” [Proverbs 30:12]
Many believe the 7 Churches in Revelation 2 & 3 represent 7 Ages of the Church; Ephesus representing the Church of the first generation and Laodicea representing the end day Church. Others see the 7 Churches as representative of the different state of well being within the Church in every age. Some see them as both.
The spiritual state of the Church in America today compared to her in days past could give validity to the view that the 7 Churches represent 7 ages of the Church, with this generation being the last generation, that is soon to see the return of the Lord Jesus.
In the Church at Ephesus the Lord tells them to “Remember…from where thou art fallen, and repent…”, in the Church of Laodicea the Lord is outside the Church and the hearts of its individual members. [Revelation 3:20] A real problem within the Church in America today is, most of its members, unlike past generations and unlike Ephesus, have no point of reference to remember and to return to. An older generation can remember the:
1. The Old Hour of Welcome They Gave to Christ (Their Salvation Experience)
2. The Old Hymns of Worship They Sang to Christ
3. The Old Houses of Worship They Started for Christ
4. The Old Homes of Warmth They Shared in Christ (The stable and traditional Christian family they grew up in)
(By the way, these four areas would make great areas for a Pastor to focus his Church upon, if they want to experience a genuine revival among his saved members.)
Today all four of these have been lost to this generation of Church goers. I am afraid that for the majority Jesus is still outside of their hearts, and their purity is nothing more than God-offending, self-righteousness. Every Church member needs to ask themselves if they truly have a point of reference in their past that proves that there was a time that they really did repent and asked Christ to come into their heart and save them, a righteousness that is based only on the Shed Blood of Christ.
“NOTHING IN MY HAND I BRING; SIMPLY TO THE CROSS I CLING” should be and must be the testimony of all who claim to be a Christian.
~Jack Woodard
1Cor.2:2; 2Cor.4:5
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About Jack Woodard
I am a Baptist Pastor. [Calling the Church to Revival and Sinners to Salvation for 42 Years]