The Knock at the Door of the Last Day Church!

A Prophetic Perspective

 and

Prophetic Word for the

  Last Day Church!

The Laodicean Church

When Jesus addressed the seven churches in the Book of Revelation Chapters 2-3, He rebuked five and commended only two.

 Laodicea was one of the five churches Jesus was not pleased with.  It was a church of wealth, materialism,

compromise, faithlessness, self-centeredness, and without vision and

biblical revelation.

           It was a church with a name but no spiritual substance – empty of the Holy Spirit and dependent on intellect and soulish efforts in their religious endeavors.

          It may have done many good things, but not to the satisfaction of the person (Jesus) standing at the door knocking and hoping someone would open the church door.  They shut the door on the Master.

           He told the Church at Laodicea His seven concerns He wanted them to know He knew about. Those seven concerns can apply to the last day Laodicean church today which we need to carefully consider for the modern  church of our times.  Here are His seven concerns with my commentary. 

(1)  He knew their deeds or works.

(His knowledge of their condition – not good).

They had works (deeds), but no supernatural faith to accompany their works.

The preaching was without power, signs, wonders, miracles, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

They were destitute of the power of Christ.

They had a name but no spiritual substance to win the world for Christ.

(2)  He knew they were neither cold nor hot but “lukewarm.”

(His analysis of their condition – not good).

They were neither an ice cube nor a hot fire for Christ.

Their hearts were cold and halfhearted toward Christ.

They were indifferent or apathetic to spiritual reality.

Their faith quotient was not the faith of the Master.

Their love for the Savior and each other waned

or decreased for their focus was not on Christ.  

(3)  He knew they were “lukewarm,” and He would spit them out of His mouth.

(His rejection and judgment toward them – not good).

Their lukewarmness was an indication of the world and its ways drawing them away from Christ and His Word. 

Their model of church was not in alignment with His commandments – “Be holy for I am holy.”

They were gradually falling away from their initial fervor for Christ.

(4)  He knew they were basically clueless about their spiritual condition- 

wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

(His condemnation of them – not good).

They were wretched and miserable because their trust was more in their materialistic endeavors and their soulish thinking.

They were poor in spirit and blind to the Truth of the Scriptures.

They were naked of God-faith and His revelation as well as not applying the Word of God to their condition and finding release from their self-imposed bondages.  

(5)  He knew their condition as a rich and wealthy church.

(His pointing to their prideful and arrogant deception – not good).

Their attitude was not focused on Him. 

They did not need anything of deep spiritual value.

They were satisfied with the ordinary

 religious diatribes of man-centered religion.

 They were unwilling to forsake their disobedience and unholiness

and

seek and totally surrender to the Master (Jesus).

Their theology was a false theology and not a true biblical theology.

(6)  He told them He reproves and disciplines those He loves.

(His rebuked them – not good).

The grace of the Master involves His reproving and discipling of His followers or disciples because He loves them and desires for them to return to Him and enter into a self-sacrificing discipleship relationship to Him and to those He brings to them to disciple.

Accepting the rebukes of Christ can bring reward and release to those who humble themselves to the Master's hand.

               (7)  He told them to be zealous and repent of their condition.

(His Counsel to them – the solution to their pitiful condition).

          The Laodicean Church was in a very sad and spiritually destitute position.  Whether or not this church repented we are not told. But how many churches in America can be identified with this church?  How many churches in America are so ignorant of their pitiful condition that if Jesus came to their door would they even hear His knock and let Him in?

   It is interesting to note that this was the last church Jesus visited.  He seems to have kept the last church to show the full extent of what it means to abandon the Lord and/or have a half-hearted approach to the Lord in worship, discipleship, testifying, witnessing, and “hotly” seeking and yielding to Christ and His call.

The church can deviate from its called mission and be consumed in its own musings thinking all along that everything is a O.K. from a religious standpoint.

The Deception

        Well, for the Laodicean church then and now, everything may not be O.K. Self and corporate deception of “lukewarmness” can easily birth a counterfeit religious institution which gradually replaces the true Christ-centered church.  It happened in the Laodicean church which Christ visited, and is how taking place in the modern church of America.

          Jesus had a very strong and powerful rebuke for this church - “lukewarm,” wretched, miserable, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked" and saying, “I will spew you out of my mouth.”

          In other words, this church is so far from Christ that He will vomit (violent physical expulsion) it out of His mouth.  This is not a mild displeasure but decisive rejection, dramatizing the peril of spiritual mediocrity (BibleHub.com/Greek/1692.htm).  Spiritual mediocrity (“lukewarmness) leads to a strict rebuke from the Master and if no repentance, decline and death can follow.

          The Laodicean church may have started out well in the beginning, but now has broken covenant with Christ by going its own path leading to a call from Christ to “REPENT.” Repentance is the only way back to Christ and to have His crown of grace once more to cover His church.

Jesus on the outside

          So here is what Jesus continues to do with this church.

(1) He stands at the door of the Laodicea church…..Note that Jesus stands at the door of the church. He does not barge in but humbly stands outside the church door and is ready to speak to the church on its poor and miserable condition. He comes as their Savior, Counselor, Redeemer, Judge, and Sanctifier.

          His standing means that He has a lot to say to this church.  One wonders how many churches in America have gone astray, grieved the Holy Spirit, and are doing their own religious thing and Jesus is standing and knocking on the door desiring to bring His correction.

          They can either open or keep the door shut. If they keep the door shut, He will go to the next church down the street and knock on their door.  Perhaps, they will respond and let Him come in!

        (2)  He knocks on the door of the Laodicea church……Evidently the church door is closed to outsiders.  Perhaps they are no longer interested in mission work and now function in their own religious “bubble.”         

He knocks to see if someone will come to the door and let Him in so He can deliver His message.  His knock is the most important knock the church could ever hear. But will they open the door?  Will the American church open its door to the Master?

         If they are spiritually dead, they will not hear the knock, and the words Jesus would speak to them.  As we mentioned above, the Laodicean church  is neither cold nor hot but just “lukewarm” to the things of the Holy Spirit.  And “lukewarmness” is a deadly position to be in for the last day church of this age when Christ is forming His last day heavenly army to return in power and authority over all the nations of the world.

            “Lukewarm” churches of today have a very difficult time hearing what the Holy Spirit wants to say to them and thus they do not have His new, fresh, and powerful fresh revelations. They become “mind-centered rather than “Spirit-focused” – self-centered rather than Christ-centered – church focused rather than Kingdom of God focused. This is what leads the church to being “lukewarm.”

          (3)  He calls out to those inside – “If anyone hears my voice” ….. Jesus is always in a position of speaking to His church if those inside the church can discern His voice, humble themselves, and obey His commands. 

          But it seems that many in the Laodicean church today are so busy with life’s activities as well as the plethora of churchy functions they become deaf to spiritual things – to the things of the Spirit and to the listening of the Holy Spirit.

          They forsake the “deeper things” of growing and maturing in Christ and prefer to remain in the “surface things” for this is more convenient and satisfying and not as demanding or as time-consuming.

The end time Laodicean church never seems to advance from sucking on the “milk of the Word” to “chewing on the meat of the Word” and allowing it to transform the church into a Holy Spirit “Power House” with powerful anointed preaching/teaching followed by the witness of miracles, healings of the sick and diseased, deliverances from demonic bondages, and the operation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the Gift of Prophesy, Gift of Wisdom, Gift of Discerning of spirits, Gift of Faith, Gift of Miracles, etc.  (See 1^st Corinthians Chapters 12, 13 14). 

          The Holy Spirit speaking through Apostle Paul never said to stop doing these things.  They are part and parcel of the true New Testament church modeled in the Book of Acts.

           To dismiss and/or, ignore these Gifts is to short-circuit the moving and operation of the Holy Spirit in the midst of Christ’s church causing it to become “lukewarm,” powerless, and extremely limited in its mission.  (See Mark 16).

          Jesus told all seven churches…..

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

            If the Holy Spirit is not being received and honored in terms of the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit, then He leaves because He has nothing else to say to this church.  To repeat, without the presence of, moving of, and hearing the Holy Spirit speak and direct, the church is reduced to serving man more than serving and loving Christ. 

(4)  He says if they hear His voice they will open the door….. If they do not hear His voice the door will remain shut and Jesus will be locked out.  Jesus will not force His way in but will wait patiently to see if anyone hears his voice, comes to the door, and opens to the Master.

  The Church at Philadelphia

Jesus does wish the church door to be

closed but open to all who are searching for truth.  Jesus refers to the open door when he addresses the Church at Philadelphia by saying: 

 And to the angel (messenger)

 of the assembly (church) in Philadelphia write:

 These are the words of the Holy One,

the True One,

 He Who has the key of David,

Who opens and no one shall shut,

 Who shuts and no one shall open.

 I know your [record of] works

 and

what you are doing.

See! I have set before you

 a door wide open which no one is able to shut;

I know that you have but

little power,

 and

 yet you have

 kept My Word

 and

guarded My message

and

 have not renounced or denied My name.

Revelation 3:7–8 (AMP)

When this church opens the church door in invites Jesus in, it becomes a wide-open door for His Word in this church was alive, well, and transforming.  It was under the anointing and control of the Hoy Spirit.

But a “lukewarm” church can close the door to true biblical spiritual reality if the church is not keeping, guarding, loving, and living the Word of the Lord, moving in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, experiencing signs, wonders, and miracles, witnessing and testifying Christ to the nations, demonstrating the love of Christ in serving, sacrificing, and surrendering their lives to Christ and to each other as the Holy Spirit leads and reveals.  This is the whole mission of the New Testament Church.

Thus, no one will be able to shut the church door if the church is listening to the Holy Spirit and allowing the Holy Spirit to move and operate freely in the last day church.

Sadly, the Laodicean church of the end-times shuts its doors to the things of the Holy Spirit causing apathy, declension, corporate self-centeredness, and deadness in the pews.  The Light of Christ walks out the front door and darkness walks in the backdoor.

  (5) He says if the door is open He will come into him…..In other words, Jesus will grace each one with His love, mercy, and forgiveness when the door is opened and He is invited to come in. But make no mistake, He will also call them to repent of their “lukewarmness.” Note - He says, "He will come into to Him" - a personal visitation to individuals as well as to the corporate Body of Christ.

  Repentance precedes the fresh winds of the Holy Spirit blowing through the windows of hearts weeping for Jesus’s presence and power.  And let it be said, true repentance precedes revival and revival in the church sets the church on “fire” to extend the Kingdom of God beyond the church door.

  Can you imagine the Laodicean church keeping the door shut and missing out on what Jesus wants to call them to do for Him and His Kingdom? 

Keeping the door shut to Jesus is a rejection of Jesus!  Keeping the Holy Spirit out of the church is a rejection of the Holy Spirit.  Such a rejection would qualify the church as an “Ichabod Church” – without the glory of God for the glory of God has departed.”

The Heavenly Meal and Sitting Down with Jesus

(6)   He says He will come in and dine with him and he with Me…..Jesus loves those in the church so much that if the knock is heard and He is invited in, he will sit down with His people and have a meal with them as well as speak to them about their spiritual condition. But this is just the beginning of what Jesus wants to do for those who repent and begin to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit.

    (7)   He says…..  “He who overcomes (My comment: lives an obedient, holy, and victorious life in Christ), I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”  This is next to the last thing Jesus says to this church.

          This is hard to believe for Jesus says those who open the door, invite Him in, and ask Him to have a meal with them will sit with Jesus on His throne. Here is the exact verse in the Amplified Bible: 

He who

 overcomes

  (is victorious),

I will grant him to sit beside Me

on My throne,

as I Myself overcame

(was victorious)

and

sat down beside

My Father on His throne.

Revelation 3:21 (AMP)

This is perhaps one of the greatest encouragements to the saint of God who can persevere through faith in the many trials and tribulations of this life on planet earth.  What a reward waits for those who love Jesus and desire to be with Him for all eternity.

The Call to the Laodicean Church

The Laodicean Church must realize that Christ may be standing outside the church door wandering if the people inside hear His knocking.

He will not just knock once, but several times to get someone’s attention.  Hopefully, there will be someone inside the Laodicean church who will hear His knock and will open the door and invite Him in.

 The reward of opening the door and inviting Jesus in surpasses any other reward promised to the other six churches in the Book of Revelation. Glory to the Lamb who was, is, and is to come!

Here is what I hear the Lord Jesus desiring to speak to the church in this late hour as I finished writing this prophetic oracle.

The Knock at the Door of the Church!

Return to Me

 for I am calling you out of

 darkness into My light.

 Behold,

how darkness has invaded the land

 where My light once prevailed. 

But My people have gone the way

of seeking other gods

 and

do not seek separation,

 righteousness and holiness.

  For without these things,

you will not see the kingdom of God

come into your midst.

The call is to all to come –

come to the Light,

for I am the Light

 and

the Truth that will dispel

 the darkness that swirls around you

 when you go out

and

when you come in.

 My Light

 will consume the darkness

for My Light overcomes

the dark clouds

and

rainy days you

are experiencing as a nation

and

as a people.

The call is now, not later,

 for the things of this earth

and

this present heavens

are drawing

 to a close.

All of heaven

is getting ready for the

My Army

 to return 

under My command

and restore  

 what

peace on earth

and

good

 will for all men and nations. 

Do you as a nation and church

 hear me knocking at your doors?

….the doors of your churches?

…..the doors of your houses?

…..the doors of your hearts?

 I will knock so many times

and

 if the doors are not opened to me,

I will go elsewhere and find doors

that will open to Me

 and

invite Me in.

 For surely there are those who

 will welcome

 Me into their house.

So

 listen carefully when

I knock

on the door of your heart.

 When you open to me,

My light will flood your soul

and

 the soul of the nation

 and

 I will blow by My breath

of the My Holy Spirit

 a fresh spring

 of heavenly fragrance

 which will bring

 renewal to your soul and spirit

 as well as to your nation.

P.S. The content in this oracle is not intended to be mean-spirited or judgmental but only to reflect my observations of what the Word of God teaches about the end time church (Laodicean) as well as my many many visitations to all varieties of churches in my walk with Jesus during the last 50+ years..

Rich Arnold

Servant of the Lord

311 Adelaide Ave SW

Hartville, Ohio 44632

330-704-9306

richarnold3@gmail.com