The Death of our Laodicean Nation
By Ray Gano |
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"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." -- Alexis de Tocqueville
We are no longer a great nation because we have lost sight of our true calling.
Do you realize that the year 2007 is the 400th anniversary of America? Jamestown, a colony that was founded in 1607 was the first settlement in America. Jamestown was also named after the same King James of England that ordered the translation of the Authorized Version, also known as the King James Bible in 1611.
King James’ main reason for sending settlers here to America was for the spreading of the Gospel as we read here, his first point of action in the original charter of Jamestown.
"Wee, greately commending and graciously accepting of theire desires to the furtherance of soe noble a worke which may, by the providence of Almightie God, hereafter tende to the glorie of His Divine Majestie in propagating of Christian religion to suche people as yet live in darkenesse and miserable ignorance of the true knoweledge and worshippe of God and may in tyme bring the infidels and salvages living in those parts to humane civilitie and to a setled and quiet govermente, doe by theise our lettres patents graciously accepte of and agree to theire humble and well intended desires; "(1)
Historical reconstructionists state that King James’ main reason was to find gold and a route to the “Orient” as seen on The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities web page.
“In June of 1606, King James I granted a charter to a group of London entrepreneurs, the Virginia Company, to establish a satellite English settlement in the Chesapeake region of North America. By December, 108 settlers sailed from London instructed to settle Virginia, find gold and a water route to the Orient.” (2)
This is incorrect as one can read if you go to the original text of the Charter by King James. (1)
This nation was born out of and for the purpose to serve God almighty and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ His only begotten son.
We have forgotten that purpose.
Fast forward to today, and who do we serve? It sure is not God nor His principals, morals or ideals.
Turning Our Back on Israel
The New York Times on June 19, 2007 reported that in bid to bolster Pres Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah; a “moderate” terrorist organization, unlike Hamas who is a “radical” terrorist organization, President Bush unfroze millions of dollars in aid to Palestinians in the terrorist occupied West Bank. Well the New York times article did not read quite that way. But the article was still pro Fatah and pretty much anti Israel.
Over and over again our “Christian” President and his administration continue to support Israel’s enemy. Like many of today’s “Christians” he is ignorant of what God’s word says or worse, he and his administration refuses to adhere to what God says.
Genesis 12:3 (KJV) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Clearly one does not have to be a bible scholar to understand this.
Gay Pride Focuses on Religion, Marriage – USA TODAY
NEW YORK (AP) — Religious groups led the city's gay pride parade on Sunday, lending gravity to an often outrageous event that also featured a jumble of drag queens in feather boas, marching bands, motorcycle-riding lesbians, rugby players and samba dancers.
"We stand for a progressive religious voice," said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of New York City's Congregation Beth Simchat Torah. "Those who use religion to advocate an anti-gay agenda, I believe, are blaspheming God's name." (3)
Here is what God’s word says…
Romans 1:26 – 28 (KJV) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
I can go on and on. There are so many things that are going wrong in our nation. So much so, that all of our founding fathers are probably turning over in their graves right about now.
We have forgotten completely that our nation was and is founded on the Christian principals of God and His Word.
Alexander Tyler, a Scottish History Professor University of Edinburgh had to say this in 1787 about the life cycle of nations...
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."
In this Tyler points out that the majority will always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy. The upsetting next step is that this is always followed by a dictatorship.
History has shown us that the average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.
Alexander Tyler states that during those 200 years, nations always progressed through the following sequence:
- From Bondage to Spiritual Faith
- From Spiritual Faith to Great Courage
- From Great Courage to Liberty
- From Liberty to Abundance
- From Abundance to Complacency
- From Complacency to Apathy
- From Apathy to Governmental Dependency
- From Governmental Dependency back into Bondage
So where are we now...?
I really wish I had good news and a positive outlook upon our nation, but in all honesty I can’t. Now don’t get me wrong, I have not thrown in the towel yet. But I do not see America being great any more.
When you look at Alexander Tyler’s outline for nations, I honestly see us somewhere around the “Complacency to Apathy” to “Apathy to Governmental Dependency.”
In fact I feel that we are one major disaster or nuclear terrorist event away from complete government dependency and then into bondage.
I do not see any “great revivals” you hear about from these so called soothsayer “prophets”. No longer are we “One Nation under God” either.
The heart of our nation is our churches and look at where our churches are. Our churches along with our nation are lost and lukewarm.
We are Laodicea.
A Short History Lesson Regarding the Seven Churches
Here is a quick overview of the churches found in Revelation.
1- Ephesus (2:1-7): the Loveless Church of the late Apostolic Age (to 100 AD),
2- Smyrna (2:8-11): the Suffering Church of the period of persecution (100-300 AD)
3- Pergamos (2:12-17): the Compromising Church (300-500 AD) that led to the Dark Age [diffusing the power of the godly by alliances with darkness]
4- Thyatira (2:18-29): the Worldly Church of the Dark Age (500-1500 AD)
5- Sardis (3:1-6): the Barely Alive Church of the Reformation (1500-1700 AD)
6- Philadelphia (3:7-13): the Missionary Church of the late Church Age (1700-1900 AD)
7- Laodicea (3:14-22): the Lukewarm Church of the present apostasy (1900 AD to the present)
Today’s church is the last days church of Laodicea. We are a church that is lukewarm for the Lord and apostasy abounds.
Here is a side note, many people do not know that Laodicea means "democracy, peoples' judgment, peoples' rights." The reason I point this out, because looking at today’s churches as well as in America, it is more the rights of man that matter vs what God states in His word. I can go into the many things that are taking place in churches and our nation today all in the name of God. So much heresy and apostasy that it makes me shake my head in disbelief.
If you do not know, the Laodicean church is one of pointlessness in the eyes of God. They are lukewarm and God states the following:
Revelation 3:16 (KJV) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
As I stated before, the moral condition of the church at the close of the church age is despicable to say the least. The same goes for our nation. Now to caveat here, there are still some good churches out there, but they are very far and few. If you attend on which is a solid bible preaching and teaching church, professes the blood of Christ, then you are lucky.
There is nothing to commend the Laodicean church on, although when you read about them in Revelation, they think they are perfect.
As I pointed out, the fault with this church is that they are neither hot nor cold; there is no zeal for God nor absolute denial of the Lord. The prime example of this is seeing “God everywhere.” Everywhere you turn you hear about how “God is love” and “How God is so wonderful” and “God is my party buddy” and so on. I find it interesting that with all the talk of “God” there is very little spoken of His only begotten son Jesus Christ.
If you don’t know, when one is Lukewarm they are hot and cold put together. In the Laodicean church age there are great humanitarian and cultural projects all without the saving grace of the gospel. We see Christians banning together to find a cure for AIDS, stop world hunger and the latest trend, stop global warming.
But worse they are totally indifferent towards Christ. We see this not only in our churches today, but especially in our nation.
So why did you give the short lesson?
To point out one major fact, this country is going down the drain and there is no turning back to the good ol days.
As much as we want and try, the days of Mayberry, Donna Reed and the Grand Ol Party are gone forever, never to return.
Well Ray, how can you say that?
Are we living in the last days?
Can you find America mentioned prominently in the bible during the last days?
No, you can not find America in the bible because America is not there in the last days.
In the worlds eye we were the big boys on the block and rightfully so. We stood for truth, justice and the American way of life. That was a long time ago though and rarely seen today.
The players in the last days game are mentioned prominently in Genesis, Ezekiel, and Revelation. They are mentioned in other books too, but for the sake of argument those are the primary places you will find the last days nations.
America is not there.
We are living during the Laodicean church age. No longer are we a great nation because we have turned our backs completely on God. Homosexuality, pedophilia, hedonism, debauchery, these are not symptom or the cause; these are the final effects due to our choices we as a nation and church have made.
In Romans 1 we get a pretty clear picture of who we are today. Unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.
Again, these are not symptoms or causes; they are final outcomes due to a nation that has turned its back on God.
For this cause, God has given us up unto vile affections. We have not retained God in our knowledge. We have removed Him from the landmarks of our fore fathers and because of that, God has given us over to a reprobate mind.
For us to turn around as a nation, a literal miracle of biblical proportions would have to take place. There are many out there who have so called “dreams and visions” saying we can renew our country and be great once again. People believe lies. This is not found in God’s word for the last days. Again, review the Laodicean church. There is no great revival and if they do come about, it is self serving thus lacking to true power of God.
Now here is a speck of good news. Are we completely a nation of reprobate minds? No. But I would say that we are about 96% there.
Why is that?
The Barna Group citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults that showed only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making. (4) That means 96% of the nation do not hold to a Biblical Worldview. If 96% of the people do not hold to a biblical world view, why should we support Israel? Why not have gay marriage, and all the other things we are seeing in this post Christian nation?
Conclusion
Reason America is still some what great, is because we are still some what good. We are some what good because there are still 4% of Americans who still stand on God’s word as their final authority and love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind and soul.
That 4% is dwindling though and I personally feel that time is very short. I wrote this article to show that we are living in the last days. We as Christians need to make a true stand for what is good, right and just. We are sitting on the razor’s edge and Christ is coming soon for his spotless bride. Like the 10 virgins found in Matthew 25, five were ready and looking for the bridegroom and five were not totally prepared and missed out when the bridegroom called.
The question is, are you looking for his return? But more than that…
Who Do You Serve?
Jesus stated the following…
John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If you do not have Christ in your life, you will spend eternity in hell. This is a fact. It does not matter if you believe this or not, it is the truth spoken by Jesus himself. If your name is not written in the Lambs Book of Life you will go to hell for what you have not done and that is accepting Christ as your personal savior. To be placed in the Lamb Book of Life, you need to turn your life completely over to Him. Having “head” knowledge or “just believing in Christ” is not the same as having “heart” knowledge with Christ living in your heart. We know that even the devils believe in Him, where are they spending eternity?
James 2:19 (KJV) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We work hard at Prophezine to show that Bible Prophecy is coming to pass. Because of this fact, the Bible is true. Since the Bible is the true and inerrant word of God, there is a heaven and there is a hell.
If you claim the title of “Christian” then take account of yourself this day. Many claim the title, but we read in God’s Word that the title does not get you into heaven.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Who you serve will determine where you will spend eternity. If you are not serving Christ and a true child of God, then you are serving Satan and a child of the enemy.
If you are not 110% sure, then take account of yourself, your very life depends upon it.
1John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
About the Author:
Ray & Tracye Gano are the Executive Directors of Prophezine. Prophezine deals with Bible Prophecy and World Events from a Pre-trib, pre-millennial, dispensationalist stand point. They currently serve close to 70,000+ (and growing) people world wide with a weekly newsletters, daily news updates, community based website and Internet radio shows. Ray recently released his latest project “Escape The End Time Money Snare – The CD a multimedia CD co-authored with Wilfred Hahn focusing on how to escape the trappings of mammon and learning how to live simply in God’s abundance.
Please visit Prophezine by going to http://www.prophezine.com
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Endnotes
1 - http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1601-1650/virginia/chart01.htm
2- http://www.apva.org/history/index.html
3- http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-06-24-gay-pride_N.htm
4- http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=154