The Bloody Cup of Laodicea

The sun is shining, and yet mankind overall ever moves himself closer. Because he's moving himself closer, obviously as magnified by Satan, to the final chapter of this age. And we are headed towards the final chapter. I don't know how long it will take, and you don't either, but obviously we do know things are really shaping up towards that final chapter. And of course, as mankind does move himself closer to the final chapter of this age, I personally simply bear certain realities in mind.

And those realities contain certain realities encased in them. Like, for instance, you can't scare anyone into the Kingdom of God. And I know that's been tried by some in the past. And you can't scare anyone into conversion. I've seen that tried, and that doesn't work either. And you can't scare anyone out of the Great Tribulation. Not in reality, not if you really know the particulars involved. But you know what you can do? You can teach.

And you can expose. And you can encourage. And you can admonish. And you can warn. In fact, we have a responsibility to warn. Read with me the Scripture in Ezekiel 3, verses 20 and 21.

Ezekiel 3, verses 20 and 21. God instructed Ezekiel, He said again, When a righteous man does turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin. And his righteousness which he has done, shall not be remembered. But his blood will I require at your hand. That shows a grave responsibility, a grave accountability. It says, verse 21, Nevertheless, if you warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he is warned.

Also, you have delivered your soul. Now you think about it. You take the word righteous. Righteous man. It's in italics. Righteous person. Righteous man, righteous woman. Who's that talking about? It's talking about God's people. We consider ourselves righteous. I consider you righteous. We consider ourselves righteous. I don't mean righteous in the sense, aside from God and Christ and His Spirit and all of that. I mean in the sense that God has called us, we've responded to Him.

We're trying to live and do the right thing. We're trying to live rightly, righteously. We would be considered righteous. And it's talking about the righteous here, so we could just simply say, and very accurately so, this is talking about the people of God, the Church. I now have a set of matching numbers. A set of matching numbers. 23 and 23.

23 years of service in the World Wide Church of God from 1972 to 1995. 23 years of service. Started serving ministerially as a trainee. Started ministerial service in 1972. Served for 23 years in the World Wide Church of God until 1995. And now I've had 23 years of service in the United Church of God from 1995 to current date. 23 years of service to this current date of 2018. That 23 and 23, that matching set of numbers, adding up to 46, represents so much of my life and my learnings. And my life and my learnings are a combination of history, modern history, modern day history, current events, and prophecy.

And you know what God expects of me? To share them. My life, my learnings, the historical things, the current events, the prophecies. God expects me to share those. To use what He has given me through time, through His experience, through His Word, through my learning. See, that 23 and 23, that 46, represents the bulk of my legacy and my heritage. And when I started that range of 46 years, with many more I hoped to follow, that started at 21 years of age.

And I had those years up to that time as a child in the church, as a teenager in the church, as a young adult. And I look back over events that are now historic, and I look at current events going on, and I look at prophecies, and I realize that I can roll it all up under the title of legacy or heritage. And again, God expects me to share that. And I realize, too, that I do have a grave responsibility that I will be held very accountable for.

Yes, mankind ever moved closer to the final chapter of this age. I know Dr. Ward, Don Ward, and I might just add a note that you might not be aware of. Don and Wanda Ward lost their...they've got two daughters. They lost their older daughter to cancer here in recent times. So you might remember and pray for them. She succumbed to cancer. So Sherry was her name. But Dr. Ward, in recent times, gave a sermon title, Counting Down to the Great Tribulation. And we haven't forgotten these realities. And we haven't in any sense said, you know, these realities that we've known for years and years are realities that somehow they've now just dissipated into thin air and they won't occur.

You know, the heaviest events yet lie in front of us. They don't lie behind us. We've had some heavy events behind us. And we deal sometimes individually, you and I do, with very heavy events in our individual personal lives. We all know that. And we share those and we pray for each other. But the heaviest events yet upon mankind lie ahead of us between now and the time of Christ's return.

And one of those events, one of those events, totally involves the people of God. Turn with me to Revelation 17, please. I will give you a title shortly. Revelation 17. There's quite a scene depicted here in Revelation 17, verses 1-6. Let's just read these verses in chapter 17, verses 1-6. Verse 1, So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand.

Now, you picture this. A woman in purple and scarlet color, decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, beautiful trappings, and possibly a beautiful lady physically. And having a golden cup in her hand, and this golden cup in her hand, full of...what's the cup full of? It's full of abominations. What do you do with a cup? You drink out of it. And it's filled with abominations that she's drinking of, and filthiness of her fornication.

And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth. John said, and I saw the woman, keep in mind, who is beautifully decked out, and probably a pretty lady, physically, drunk. Have you ever been somewhere where you have seen a nicely dressed, pretty lady, staggering, drunk? I don't want to get too graphic, but maybe vomit on her and all of that from getting sick with the overdrinking.

Just a certain amount of debauchery, drunkenness. It's not a pretty sight. Turns your stomach. Doesn't matter if she's decked out in nice decking, and she's a pretty lady. It just turns your stomach. I saw the woman, drunken. With what? The blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Because part of the abominations and filthiness that is in the cup is the blood of the saints that she has martyred, that she has killed that cup containing the blood of the saints. And when I saw her, I wondered, not with... it says with great admiration, but basically with great amazement. Not admiration in the terms of admiring, but amazement. Just amazed at it. Drunken with the blood of the saints.

A great, false, religious system, church, that has persecuted the church and martyred God's people down through the ages. All you have to do is go to the historical record to read about the martyrdom of the saints down through the ages, especially the Middle Ages. And guess what? Prophecy says it will happen again. The last episode, time of that, has not yet occurred. The historical record bears it out.

Prophecy says it will occur again one more time. And one more time, she will put the cup to her mouth, and she will be drunk with the blood of the saints. And that brings a question up in my mind, maybe in yours too. Will my blood be in that cup? That's a valid question. Will my blood be in that cup? Will she put my blood to her lips?

I guess that brings up another question. Do I have any say in the matter? You know, I grew up, spent my youth, my middle-aged life, thinking Christ would come back during my lifetime. I still think he probably will come back during my lifetime, but I realize now it might be beyond my lifetime. As I say, I might be on the other side of the grass. And in a sense, if I am, I guess that's my place of safety.

And I'll bypass all that. But if it comes during my lifetime, that time when she puts that cup to her mouth again, will my blood be in that cup? And again, that follow-up logical question, do I have any say in the matter? Some sermons or a reality check, a reality checkpoint, this is one of those. And I would say, will that cup be filled again in my lifetime? And if so, will my blood be in that cup? We're in Revelation. Let's go to Revelation 3. Revelation 3, verses 7 through 13.

In Revelation 3, verses 7 through 13, the message to Philadelphia, verse 7, chapter 3. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it. There is work still to be done. The work isn't finished. There is still work that we have to be about to whatever degree we're given the option to be about it, the opportunity. He says, for you have a little strength. You have a little strength. You know, not that you have a great strength in and of yourself, no. But you do have a little strength, and you are exercising it. You're doing what you can, and you've kept my word. That book you're holding, or that scripture you're looking at on your smartphone, I mean, that you're holding and looking at the word of God. He says, you've kept my word. We are doing our best to live it, and you've not denied my name. And as Titus 1, 16 tells us, the way we deny Him is in works. You've not denied my name. You've not denied me in works. Your works are good. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are spiritual Jews, and are not the dual. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have led you. That comes at a future time. That comes as a point in time beyond the resurrection. But notice verse 10. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I... This is God talking. I don't mean me. This verse, this is God talking. When He says, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation in the King James. Better translated, tribulation. From the hour, because it's not going to be a long period of time, prophetically, three and a half years, the hour of tribulation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which you have that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. But notice what's in that message. I also will keep you from the hour.

Philidetheia's blood will not be in that cup. In our time, for our time, in the end time, whenever that comes, it is a Laodicean cup. It's the cup of Laodicea. You know, I can go open one of my cabinet doors in the kitchen, and there's a whole bunch of cups in there. And some of those cups have names on them. You know, maybe one that says Rick, maybe one that says Richard. You know, people give you a cup with your name on it, and it's got a definition of what your name means and that kind of thing. Various ones. Well, I can give you a name for this cup that the blood of the saints will be in again, and it serves as the title for the sermon, the bloody cup of Laodicea.

It's a coming reality, the bloody cup of Laodicea.

Let's read the message to Laodicea here, Revelation 3, verses 14-22. We'll just read through it. Revelation 3, verses 14-22.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, right, these things says the Amen, so be it. The one who, you know, it's going to be. The faithful and the witness, the beginning or the beginner of the creation of God. I know your works. You're neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So then because you're lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. And the Greek word is vomit. Verse 17, because you say, your attitude about yourself and about your spiritual needs is, I am rich and increased with goods. I have need of nothing. I'm doing wonderful. And you don't know that you're wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel you to buy of me gold, dried in the fire, that you may be rich, white raven, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear. And anoint your eyes with eyes, Sav, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I'll come into him and will sup with him and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and have sat down with my father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Interesting. You go back through that message. Nothing is said about keeping from the hour of tribulation. Not one single thing is said about keeping from the hour. Instead, you have statements like, in verse 18, tried in the fire. It's the fire of tribulation. Tried in the fire. You have statements like verse 19, rebuked and chastened or corrected.

The hour of trouble is the great tribulation.

And you know, in defining the great tribulation in terms of what it is and what it's for, in regards to Laodicea, it is the repentance zone for Laodicea. It's more than just that, but it encapsulates the repentance zone. It's the repentance zone for Laodicea. It's the correction zone for spiritual complacency and compromise. It's kind of like the hard hat area for hard heads, the softening area. Go with me to Revelation 7 and verse 14. Revelation 7, and actually, I'll pick it up in verse 9. I'm just going to read a couple of scriptures here in this chapter. Revelation 7 and verse 9 says, After this, John said, I beheld and lo, a great multitude, which no man can number. It's not a numbered multitude. It's not a determined number. It's a great multitude that is open as to numbers, so to speak. It's just that it's a great number. It says, Great multitude. This is a multitude that's the result of the preaching of the two witnesses. But that's another account for another time. But if we come down to verse 14, John is asked, more or less, who are these?

And he says in verse 14, I said to him, sir, you know. And he said to me, and I notice what he says about this great multitude that's from all nations and kindreds and people and tongues.

He said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. During the great tribulation, converted, cleansed, forgiven. It's a generic group that will be as the result of the preaching of the two witnesses. But let's go to something specific now. But what about the church? What about the church specifically? Because the message to Laodicea is to church people. That's church. That's not a generic group. That's church. It is talking about there. What about them specifically? Daniel 11 verse 35. Daniel 11 verse 35. This is a prophecy. Daniel 11 verse 35. And some of them of understanding. Now, let me ask you something. Are we people of understanding? Yes, because God's called us, we've responded, and we understand. When it says, some of them of understanding, it's talking about those who have been given understanding. It's talking about the church. It's talking about the people of God. Some of them of understanding shall fall. They're going to fail. It says, shall fall. To try them, and to purge, and to make them white. Even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed. Spiritually fall. Spiritually be fading. Spiritually be failing. And they're going to have to be tried. Daniel 12 verse 10. Daniel 12 verse 10. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried. But the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Let's back up in Daniel to Daniel 7. Daniel 7 and let's read verse 25. Daniel 7 and verse 25. Now, keep in mind, the devil has been at God's work and God's people ever since God created Adam and Eve. Genesis 3, we know that. Ever since God's had firstfruits, ever since God's had a church, all along the way, there is a great spirit, a great adversary of God, a great fallen archangel, a corrupt archangel. The devil, who has dogged the tracks of God's people, tried to do whatever damages he could do all along the way. There's that spirit that has flowed as a deep undercurrent, but he's always had human instrumentality, too. He's always had those that he was able to use, whether it's the woman writing the beast, whether it's whoever. He's always had instruments, but he's got unchanging motivation. Verse 25. And he shall speak great words. Now, this again is a prophecy of human instrumentality as back, supported, and filled by this great false spirit. He shall speak great words against the Most High and shall think to do what? Notice what it says. Wear out the saints.

He can't seduce everybody away from truth. There are some people you cannot seduce away from truth. You just wear them out. You just wear them out. And he knows that some can be susceptible to seduction, but others can't be in art. And so, okay, switch gears with them. Wear them out. Shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand into a time singular, times plural, too. And the dividing of time or half, that's three and a half. That's the three and a half years of great tribulation.

A part of the Church. Not all of it. All you've got to do is read the message to Philadelphia and the message to Laodicea. And it's obvious that it's not the whole Church, but a part of the Church will be caught in the coming Holocaust. So let's go to Revelation 12 now. Revelation 12, verses 14 through 17.

Revelation 12, verses 14 through 17.

Verse 14, And to the woman, the woman is church. The false woman is a false church. And to the woman we're given two wings of a great eagle. That same phrase has been used when God took ancient Israel into the wilderness and took care of them. It symbolizes God's supernatural intervention for protection and provision for preservation. And to the woman, to the church, we're given two wings of a great eagle. That she might fly into the wilderness and to her place where she is nourished for a time singular, times two, plural, and half the time, three and a half years, same time frame as the tribulation, from the face of the serpent, from the face of Satan. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood to be a military unit. After the woman, after the church, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman. The earth opened her mouth. And maybe there is just, like in some cases in the Old Testament, where the ground just opened and swallowed up certain ones. And probably something like that is what it's referencing, that the earth would just open up and swallow those that are being sent after the woman. Open her mouth and swallow up the flood, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. Now, if you were the devil, you'd be angry. He stays angry. But boy, would you be steamed. That's what it says in verse 17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman. But he can't get to her. The part of the woman that's being taken, no, can't get to her. I will keep you from this hour of trouble that comes upon the whole world. Can't get to her. So what does he do? And went to make war with the remnant of her seed. Those who were not taken and who are not going to be spared, remnant of her seed, you have to understand how those two messages to Philadelphia and Laodicea play into this, which keep the commandments of God. He can't get to Philadelphia, but he can get to Laodicea because they've not been taken. So he turns to go back to those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That remnant will be tried in great tribulation. And notice what it says. It goes back and says, and went to make war. To make war. War on the people of God. What does that mean? It means martyrdom. It's martyrdom. It's blood in the cup. It's blood in the cup of that false woman. It's the time when that cup is going to be filled again. And that is somewhere out in front of us. And it won't matter if I'm alive or dead. It's coming sooner or later. It is coming. It's there. Notice Revelation 18. Revelation 18, verses 1-4.

Revelation 18, beginning in verse 1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power. And the earth was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of demons. That's Babylon's future. And the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. We'll explore that more at another time. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people! My people! Now, you can apply that on the national level to a degree. You can definitely apply it on the spiritual, plainer level of the church. Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not her plagues. Come out of her, my people, my people! The part who have become a part of that false religious system sharing in the delusions and the deceptions, partakers of her sins, compromised into the system through complacency, through convenience, through a loss of the spiritual realities, by bypassing those checkpoints. See, and this is something that may escape us sometimes. A led to see an attitude or spirit reaches beyond just the wayward people of God. If you understand what it is, it's the spirit of our times. It's the spirit of society. Think about it. It's the spirit of compromise. We've got a society that more and more and more compromises. It's a spirit of convenience. People go with what is convenient. Not necessarily what's right or good, but what's convenient. It's a spirit of complacency. It is a spirit that is permeating America even more and more and more. And the church always tends to be affected by the society around it, you know, as a nation and as a church. And I want to say something that is not United Church of God doctrine. It's personal belief. And I say it as personal assessment and belief. And for at least from what I see, I believe on a good basis, we're living in the time of Laodicea. We're living in the time of the Laodicean spirit. Now that means, that doesn't mean there aren't Philadelphians around. It means if it was hard to be a Philadelphian during a Philadelphian attitude and spirit, it would be a Philadelphian during a Laodicean time. I do know this, it is a whole lot harder now to obey God and do what's right in this society than it was 30 years ago. I know that for a fact. For all of us. You know, in religion you hear. Think about it. Out in religion, you hear things like this. Well, you know, it doesn't matter as long as you're in Christ. You hear that? It doesn't really matter what your beliefs are, what you do, as long as you're in Christ. And that phrase, in Christ, that phrase is used for the purpose of okaying or covering spiritual complacency and compromise. And it does matter most definitely because, you know, it's like, and again, I think of Luke 646. I'm not going to turn there, but it's such a key scripture. Luke 646, Why do you call me Lord, Lord? Why do you acknowledge me as your boss? You call me boss, you call me master. That's what Lord means. Lord, Lord, boss, boss, master, master. But you won't do the things I say. Because obviously a boss that you will not obey is not your boss. If you have a boss in, you won't obey your boss. He's not going to be your boss very long. You're fired. You're going to get trumped. You're fired. If you remember that show.

You know, people have forgotten, and some people have never known about the Mark of the Beast. Think about it. There are people who have forgotten, and there are some that have never known about the Mark of the Beast. Revelation 13 and verse 16. Revelation 13 and verse 16.

Just breaking into this and making a point or two about it. It says, And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forage. A mark in their right hand or their forage. We live in a day and age of technology. Is it possible someday to put a chip in the hand or the forage and be totally on a debit credit system, digital system, to where you're credited or debited? Yeah, that can happen. I'm just saying, you know, technology, we now have the technology. That could be done. Is it going to include that? Maybe. I'm not saying it's not going to include that because I don't know. I know the technology is there. That it could strictly be on a system with a chip and you're buying, you're selling, you're work, you're pay, everything. It could be on a debit credit system, done through some chip in your forage or hand. Understand that. Let me tell you what the spiritual significance of that is. In the right hand, the word manual, the hand has always represented working.

What are you not doing today? You're not working. What are a lot of people doing today? They're working. You are keeping the Sabbath. They are not.

In their forage, what does that represent? The frontal lobe is the seat of your free moral agency. The frontal lobe is your thinking. The frontal lobe is where you make your decisions and your choices. The frontal lobe, the forehead, is the residency for free moral agency. You think you make decisions with that. You made a decision to be here. You made a decision to worship God the way that God says that He should be worshipped. So the spiritual significance of that mark has to do with violating the Sabbath, keeping the Sabbath, or violating the Sabbath, it basically has to do with work and worship. That's what it's talking about. Work and worship. The two biggies of life. It doesn't take a whole lot to figure out what it's talking about, what the issue really revolves around.

Remember something that we read in Daniel 7, verse 25? You don't have to turn back there. We read, and shall think to change, times and seasons. I'm sorry, laws. Times and laws. Now you think about that for a moment. If He's going to change times and laws, then that tells you there are times and there are laws. And that people can ignore them, they can neglect them, but they can't remove them from God's books, from reality. Sabbath is a time. Holy Days are a time. Ten commandments are laws. Just to use those as clear examples, obviously. But people can't remove those from the books, from reality. But shall think to change times and laws. You know, I have always tried to have my eyes and my ears wide open. That's the way I was brought up. That's the way I've lived my life. You know, I've had reason to keep my eyes open and my ears open. And you do, too. But I've always tried to have my eyes open and my ears wide open. In Revelation 3.7, and we've already read this, He that has an ear let him hear. He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. We've got parables in the Bible about the ten virgins. At one point, they all go to sleep. Of course, five wake up sufficiently and the other five don't, as far as sufficiency of time. And we also read about Jesus Christ talking about in Matthew 24.24. But again, we don't need to turn there, but in Matthew 24.24, a time of great deception that would be so great that, if it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. Now, I know some people say, well, you know, the very elect, that doesn't really mean what you tend to think it means. I take it for what it says. And what it says is this. There would be a time of deception so great that, if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived, which speaks to the fact that they're going to be those of God's people who are deceived, pulled into deception, but there's a core that simply won't be. That there is a core that is so grounded in the truth that they're not going to be pulled into that deception. And we all, I think, are familiar with 2 Thessalonians. And again, one I'll just reference, but in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 10, of course, that chapter there in 2 Thessalonians 2 talks about heavy delusion, strong delusion, deception. In verse 10, it makes the statement, because they received not the love of the truth. And I've covered this at a previous time, but it says, because they received not the love of the truth, doesn't say they didn't have the truth, it says they didn't have the love of it.

God shall send them, verse 11, strong delusion, allow them strong delusion that they should believe alike. And I've pointed out how the truth is important, but the love of it is every bit as important, because if you don't love it and you get enough pressure put on you, you'll turn it loose. You'll turn it loose. But something that you love, you'll fight for it. You'll fight for it. You won't just willingly give it up. If you really love your kids, you'll fight for them. You know, when my little ones are... they're not little anymore, of course, haven't been for a long time. But when they were little and growing up, if somebody came knocking on the front door one night, and I go open the door, and they stand in there with a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun, they say, I'm here to take your kids. Oh, you are? I guess that's why you got the gun. You put that away, I'll help you. You know how much it costs to feed them and clothe them and take care of them, and the sleep we lose and all of that? You know, I just don't think they're quite worth it in all. What you got after? You got a van or a car? You got room for all my kids? I'll help you load them. That'd be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

No, because you love your kids, it would be... Uh-uh. Over my dead body.

You're not getting them. You hang on to what you love, and the love of the truth is so crucial. I've always tried to keep my eyes and my ears wide open. And I've been blessed of God to do that, and I have exercised myself in that.

Thirty years ago, in 1988, and as I said, my matching numbers, 23, 23, 46, as well as the years of my growing up that led up to that, my heritage, my legacy, all of that, and what I've learned, and what I've seen, and what I've heard, and with the responsibility that I carry, and wanting to discharge it properly out of honor to God and love of my brethren, love of my brothers and sisters, love of you, my brothers and sisters, and to be right with God. I share these things. Thirty years ago, in 1988, at that particular time, the one who was leading the worldwide Church of God, we had a series of sermons that were sent out to the churches, the congregations, and to be played in the congregations. And in one of those sermons, this is a quote from him, a direct quote, back in 88, thirty years ago, quote, We now live in the time when a spirit of Laodicea will arise. We now live in a time when the spirit of Laodicea will arise. And I thought to myself, later on, what an irony that it actually arose and they couldn't see it. But I'll tell you something. Back in those years, the ministry was, every couple of years or so, we got taken to headquarters to have refresher programs. We were for two weeks, and we had some that were three weeks long, but for two weeks, and sometimes three, we would have lectures and classes and interaction for further training and all of that. And I remember when Angela and I went out there in 1991. We're sitting there.

The lecture is going on, and we've stopped to just have a break. You know, bathroom break or whatever. This is 91. I leaned over to her and said it just quietly enough only she could hear it. I said, something is wrong. I said, something is very, very wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something really bad wrong here. And I didn't know at the time, I just knew that something was badly wrong. And what I realized later, I was sensing a wrong spirit that was beginning to dominate our headquarters. And I was feeling it. And I put my finger on it later. One of our leading evangelists at that time was asked by a member, so and so, because he was one of the leading evangelists, why don't you do something about all this? And he made this reply, Who am I to stand in the way of prophecy? I want you to think about that for a moment. Who am I to stand in the way of prophecy? You know what? You, you, you, you, you, and me. We can't stand in the way of prophecy, can we? We can't stop it! We can't alter it!

But you know what you can do? And you know what I can do? I can determine, and you can determine, where you're going to fit into it.

You can determine if you're going to fit into Philadelphia or Laodicea. We can determine that by our own decisions and choices. We will determine where we fit in. And each one of us is going to have to make our own personal and individual decisions in these matters and stand accountable by simply how we respond to God or we fail to. Again, I've always tried to keep my eyes and ears wide open, and a number of years after that, there was a statement, there was like a letter or whatever, that came out from headquarters by the same individual who wrote something, and it was sent to the membership. I do not recall if it was in what we call the World Wide News or a member letter, but I do remember what I read in print. Quote, Philadelphia is not the standard of righteousness.

I remember thinking at the time, hmm, that's kind of an odd statement.

Philadelphia is not the standard of righteousness. What's he trying to get across to us? If he says, Philadelphia is not the standard of righteousness, it's kind of an odd statement. Why would he make it? What's the need? What's the need for such a statement? For what purpose? Because I thought to myself, then, as I do now, Philadelphia certainly is a good standard. I mean, if the father looked across at, you know, looked to the son beside him, or the son looked to the father beside him and called your name and said, look at so-and-so.

They're a solid Philadelphian in spirit and attitude and operation and works. Wouldn't that be a great compliment to you? Wouldn't God be saying, I'm well pleased in that person? Sure.

Here's something you don't find in the message to Philadelphia, an indictment. There's no indictment. You search it all you want. There's no indictment in that message. So I just thought to myself, that's kind of odd. I said, I thought to myself, I certainly wouldn't want to fall in a number of other categories that are full of indictment and correction. And it's like, could the stage be being set knowingly or unknowingly for a spiritual shift? From one spiritual condition to another? From one dominant spirit to another dominant spirit? Notice a warning. Notice here, let's go back to Revelation 3 and verse 11, and let's notice a warning.

Notice a warning which reveals, which indicates, a situation or condition that Philadelphia would have to deal with. Verse 11, Behold, I come quickly.

This is a church, a period of time, an age of time, that will conclude with the return of Jesus Christ.

It's end time. Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast. Mark those three words. Hold that fast, which you have, that no man take your crown.

Remember Scriptures like, and again, I reference these, remember Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5, 21, 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 21, where it said, Prove all things? Isn't that what we're supposed to do? What we're supposed to do is prove all things. And what is it also going to say? In light of proving all things, it says, Hold fast. Use that same term. Hold fast that which is good.

Hold fast that which is good.

We can shorten it to simply say in the vernacular, Get a grip. Get a grip. What do you do when you hold something? If somebody's trying to take something out of your hand, and you treasure what they're trying to take, and you don't want them to take it, what do you do? You tighten your grip. The more somebody tries to take it away from you, the tighter you tighten your grip and hang on to it. That's what God is saying. Hold that fast which you have. Get a grip. Tighten your grip. Hang on.

Why? That no man take your crown.

Why are you told to get a grip unless someone is telling you to let go? See, again, this is part of my legacy, my heritage, what I've learned, what I've seen. And also, don't forget the lessons of history so that you repeat them.

Why are you told to get a grip unless someone is telling you to let go? Turn loose of the Sabbath. I heard that. I was told that. Turn it loose. It's not needed anymore. You don't need it. It doesn't matter. You want to do it? Okay. But you don't need it. It doesn't matter. Turn it loose. Turn loose of the Holy Days. Let them go.

They're done away with. They're fulfilled. Whatever argument they used. Turn them loose. Open your hands and turn the Sabbath. Let it fly away, so to speak. Turn loose of the Holy Days. Turn loose of the Ten Commandments. I know when I resigned, the day I resigned in Huntsville, Alabama, in the pulpit, from the pulpit, May 20, 1995, that very day we had been sent a tape from headquarters to be played in the congregations. And I had already come to realize what I had to do. And I announced to the congregations why I would no longer be involved in helping lead them into sin and deception. I was not going to be part of that. That very day, the tape that was sent to be played, the sermon, had to do, it was supposed to be about the law of God, it had to do with doing away with the law.

Let it go. Interesting. And then look at the condition that results. I have need of nothing. Revelation 3, verse 17. And so many have been suckered into that. I have need of nothing. I have need of nothing. I have Christ. What's interesting with Laodicea, if you go back and read the message, Jesus Christ is on the outside of the door, knocking to be let in. He's not inside in a viable relationship. But no, I have Christ. No, I'm sorry. You really don't. He's outside knocking to be let in. Verse 20, chapter 3. Because again, when you reject the things of God, knowingly or unknowingly, you reject God, you close Him out.

The Laodicean spirit, it's easy to fall into the flow because it was and it is convenient. And therein lies the appeal to many. It's going to get harder and harder to live by the spirit and attitude and responsibilities of what's laid out in that Philadelphia message.

In time, the bloody cup of Laodicea, the Laodicean cup, will fill up to overflowing.

But here is something that you and I need to bear in mind.

Not one drop of your blood, not one drop of my blood, has to be in it.