Judgment Begins at the House of the Lord

[Heart2Soul]

Judgment begins with us.....and if it begins with us then let us as Christians first become those who are pure in heart and who walk upright in obedience to His word before going out to correct others.....

What judgments should the church expect from the Holy Spirit? Revelations 2-3 addresses the seven churches of Asia....these are the judgments I believe are the ones the church must come to address and repent of before we can claim to be His Bride...IMHO...

I enjoyed this teaching on the seven churches....http://randalldsmith.com/the-end-of-the-world-seven-deadly-sins-revelation-2-3/ 

These are excerpts from that teaching.......

(1) Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) - the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4). Neglected priorities-placing other things more important or above God: 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: … 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. …”

(2) Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) - the church that would suffer persecution (2:10). Fear of persecution-people fail to witness to others for fear of persecution: 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: .. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life…”

(3) Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) - the church that needed to repent (2:16). Compromise of principles-allowing false teachings, etc: 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: … 14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth… “

(4) Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - the church that had a false prophetess (2:20). Tolerating immorality: 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: .. 20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ..”

(5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) - the church that had fallen asleep (3:2). Spiritual Apathy:3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. …” 

(6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) - the church that had endured patiently (3:10). Dwindling Stability, where we won't push to deliberately build the body of believers:

3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: …8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. …”

Faithful, but barely hanging on – that is the truth behind thousands of churches and literally MILLIONS of anemic and sickly Christians. 

• Alzheimer’s Christian: Remembers only selectively what God has done before, but fails to be able to connect with what may be happening in the Kingdom around him today.

• Autistic Christian: Stuck on a phrase and often inappropriate in responses. Unable to connect to anyone that has no special training to understand them.

• Epileptic Christian: Not in control of all energies expended. Seems passionate but strangely disconnected from the body, randomly expending great energy not directed by any leadership or head.

• Leprous Christian: Unfeeling toward other parts of the body and infectiously causing a spreading numbness of insensitivity that kills good growth.

• Obese Christian: Ready to sit and eat with no real intent to get up and DO anything, they become expert food critics of the messages they hear.

• Burned Christian: Because of an experience that often has nothing to do with the current body they are in, they are in constant need of careful handling and touchy care.

• Anorexic Christian: Unable to see themselves as God says they are, they continue to self inspect for every flaw, totally overtaken in their own issues.

• Heart Diseased Christian: Unable to function normally because of other contributing behaviors that have weakened their endurance.

 
(7) Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) - the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16). Lukewarm/Luxury Distraction-focused more on themselves: 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…”

1 Peter 4:17  

¹⁷ For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Hebrews 12:5-8

⁵ And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

⁶ For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

⁷ If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

⁸ But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

 

So I humbly submit this topic not to condemn but to bring awareness to our need to judge ourselves rather than what others are guilty of in their walk with God. 

Your thoughts please....

 

 

[Heart2Soul]

29 minutes ago, Butero said:

Clearly, we should begin with self examination.  The Lord was giving us warnings so we could get right with him.  Ministers have a responsibility to warn their audience of what Jesus said, but we can easily go about showing others their faults, while not looking at our own, and wind up a castaway.  Those are interesting observations concerning the different churches.  

The Word of God was giving us living examples of the condition of the churches then and today...even worse today as all kinds of false doctrines are beginning to rise up....the doctrine of acceptance of everyone and everything....(i.e. homosexuality)...and please don't jump on me because I mention this but it is the way of our society today.....and that which is evil will be called good and that which is good will be called evil......I have never ever in all my years seen such brutal attack on the interpretation of the bible...the KJV or the NIV or the Amplified...or this or that.....it is becoming a very heated debate....and it is confusing the babes in Christ....they don't know which way to turn and are at the mercy of those who teach them.

[Dan_79]

What about (mr nice but dim) the blind overtrusting Christian who due to lack of eyesight or warning (read foresight) employs wolves to guard over the flock he was entrusted to look after?

Edited May 1, 2018 by Dan_79

[Heart2Soul]

27 minutes ago, Dan_79 said:

What about (mr nice but dim) the blind overtrusting Christian who due to lack of eyesight or warning (read foresight) employs wolves to guard over the flock he was entrusted to look after?

And that would be the church of Pergamum? or even Thyatira both guilty of allowing teachings that led the flock astray...the answer is there....God has a warning....who would employ a wolf? Those who cannot discern or rightly divide the truth.

Look this thread is addressing the church...the ones who are supposed to be seasoned in the knowledge and truth of God's Word....the ones who are responsible for training up the babes in Christ....so to start bring every what-if's into this is futile in that it takes away the purpose and intent of accepting responsibility as servants of God to teach His Word to the new believers.

 

So Sorry Dan....I didn't mean to come across so harsh....what I mean to say is that the reason the church is so spiritually sick today is mentioned in the seven churches above....and it is becoming to the point of a rising popularity amongst millennials and Christianity is losing ground fast....it isn't popular to be so strict and the path so narrow..

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Heart2Soul

[Dan_79]

15 minutes ago, Heart2Soul said:

And that would be the church of Pergamum? or even Thyatira both guilty of allowing teachings that led the flock astray...the answer is there....God has a warning....who would employ a wolf? Those who cannot discern or rightly divide the truth.

Look this thread is addressing the church...the ones who are supposed to be seasoned in the knowledge and truth of God's Word....the ones who are responsible for training up the babes in Christ....so to start bring every what-if's into this is futile in that it takes away the purpose and intent of accepting responsibility as servants of God to teach His Word to the new believers.

Yes. I read your post, found it interesting.

Jesus said he use his angels to collect his flock from amongst all nations over the earth, for they are truely scattered.

Bricks and mortor buildings with their denominations only seek to divide and thus conquer the believers.

Consider the stubbornness to ever be united and each pride themselves on their difference! Or that the most financially successful seeks tribute from all the other denominations.

These do not make up the body of christ. 

I am aware people say the Catholic church is the false church, in doing so they become blind and more trusting of the others.

I'm only saying.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Dan_79

[Heart2Soul]

7 minutes ago, Dan_79 said:

Yes. I read your post, found it interesting.

Jesus said he use his angels to collect his flock from amongst all nations over the earth, for they are truely scattered.

Bricks and mortor buildings with their denominations (stubbornness to ever be united and pride themselves on their difference!) do not make up the body of christ.

I'm only saying.

 

 

No it doesn't but with the lack of teaching at home or at school and with government banning public display of Christianity there isn't much hope to see a body of believers grow and enjoy the meat of God's Word because there are no teachers....no preachers...no evangelists....no prophets....no apostles.....where does one go to grow....if I was a new born-again believer who got saved by someone sharing on the street and then went there way and I went mine....then what....I don't know a thing about the bible....I don't know a thing about the different religions....I am stuck just knowing Jesus as my saviour and that is where I will remain.....

and when the enemy comes and attacks me...you know...when you hear the truth of God's Word immediately the enemy comes to snatch it away...

Edited May 1, 2018 by Heart2Soul

[Dan_79]

6 minutes ago, Heart2Soul said:

No it doesn't but with the lack of teaching at home or at school and with government banning public display of Christianity there isn't much hope to see a body of believers grow and enjoy the meat of God's Word because there are no teachers....no preachers...no evangelists....no prophets....no apostles.....where does one go to grow....if I was a new born-again believer who got saved by someone sharing on the street and then went there way and I went mine....then what....I don't know a thing about the bible....I don't know a thing about the different religions....I am stuck just knowing Jesus as my saviour and that is where I will remain.....

and when the enemy comes and attacks me...you know...when you hear the truth of God's Word immediately the enemy comes to snatch it away...

I have edited my previous post to include some commentary to my initial post which might seem a bit off.

The Sabbath is what God gave to you personally, time put aside to learn about the bible...with your whole family!!

What better company could you wish for?

Mathew 18:20

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by Dan_79

[Heart2Soul]

11 minutes ago, Dan_79 said:

These do not make up the body of christ. 

What is the Body of Christ? is it not the body of believers? the saints?  and are we to utilize one another in order to operate as a body....a whole body....the hand cannot say to the foot I have no need of you.

[Heart2Soul]

3 minutes ago, Dan_79 said:

The Sabbath is what God gave to you personally, time put aside to learn about the bible...with your whole family!!

What better company could you wish for?

Mathew 18:20

 

As long as there are families that believe and will teach I love this! but what about those families who don't....who may have gotten saved but never attended church to learn and grow....will they be effective in teaching what they don't understand?

And to be honest....because I am skilled in HIs word i would rather teach my family than what is happening out in some of these churches.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Heart2Soul

[Dan_79]

1 minute ago, Heart2Soul said:

As long as there are families that believe and will teach I love this! but what about those families who don't....who may have gotten saved but never attended church to learn and grow....will they be effective in teaching what they don't understand?

If they have the Holy Spirit yes, I cannot see a reason why not.