Recognizing Deception
Chapter 3
The Church of Deception
by Dene McGriff
Deception
will be so rampant in the last days that even the “elect” are exposed to its
devices (Matthew
24:24; Mark 13:22). We are examining the reasons why and what we can do
about it. In the last chapter, we saw the phenomenon that happens to every
Christian when we lose the first fresh love of Jesus. Once that happens, the
relationship with God is broken. Once the relationship is broken, we become
religious – going through the motions but with the law rather than the life.
If we don’t have that fresh relationship and inward sense of His life, there
is no defense from deception. We lose our discernment and can easily be
carried away by our own lusts and vain imagination, or just be programmed what
to think by the church establishment.
In this chapter, we are going to look at the church and how we are deceived by it. I’m not talking about the Church in the spiritual sense, but what we consider to be the churches, the institutions that people attend.
We live in an age where God has become like a teddy bear – all love and hugs, more like a parent that says “great job” every time his child does something (whether it really is “great” or not). We see Him as the great Approver, the great Acceptor, and the great God of unconditional love. We have somehow forgotten that our God is a consuming fire. He is pure and holy. He wants a people set apart for Him. And if He is going to judge the world, judgment must begin at the household of God. What does God think of the church after nearly 2000 years? When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith? (Luke 18:8)
Our view of God comes from what we are taught and our view of the church from what we experience. We accept the church for what it is. We assume that God allowed the church to evolve the way He has and that God accepts those different forms and historical expressions because that’s just the way it is. For those Pollyanna’s who think that way, I would direct you to the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
In
Revelation 2 and 3 there are seven letters sent to seven churches in
Asia. Bible scholars believe these letters may have several meanings:
Letters to the actual churches; a representation of historical churches; and,
letters to the church today. I have done an analysis of the seven churches in
the book “In
Search of the Last Days Church”. Certainly these churches could represent
the church in its various forms today.
If you look at the historical progression, we see the early church in Ephesus; the persecuted church in Smyrna; the beginnings of the compromised church in Pergamos; the evil mixture of the Roman Catholic church in Thyatira; the dead Protestant churches in Sardis; the faithful church in Philadelphia and the lukewarm, last days’ church in Laodicea.
It is interesting to observe that the church in Smyrna—under heavy persecution—bears no criticism, just encouragement. The Church in Philadelphia, with “little strength” likewise bears no criticism, but just encouragement to “hold on.” The other five churches are severely censured. A closer look at these five churches in the light of history, as well as prophetic fulfillment, and how deception plays a major role in each one of them, demands our critical discernment.
IT IS NOT UP TO US TO JUDGE
I would like to begin with an important caveat. God Himself, not me, finds serious problems with each of these five churches. You will notice that there are overcoming saints in each church (even the ones He does not criticize), but that doesn’t mean that God is particularly pleased with the churches themselves. But no matter what we think of the Roman Catholic Church, the dead Protestant Church or the lukewarm church of Laodicea, there are some real Christians within them. So we have to be careful. It is easy to be self-righteous when looking at the situation, but remember, it is not the institution but the people in it that count. God is always reaching out to us one person at a time.
Remember the story of Jonah? He was mad at God for not destroying Nineveh; but God found repentance among the Ninevites and so He spared the city. Many of us came out of these churches so if He worked in our lives, He can work in other’s as well. As we read the letters to these churches, we will see that even though God is upset by their condition, there is always room for repentance. Christ died for those “called out” ones (the Church) and we need to remember who we are and where we came from before He found us. Jesus is merciful toward the people but critical of the religious system.
Historically, the Church evolved and became what it is today. We have to be careful about who we condemn. As apostate and fallen as these institutions may be, we must remember that God looks through all of that and into each individual heart and He would hope that none would perish. It is not up to us to judge individuals who may have been told by the Lord to stay and overcome in a particular church—no matter how bad that church may appear or how stringent the Lord’s reprimand is to that particular church. They may not know what to do or where to go. Daniel didn’t flee Babylon but was told to stay there and overcome where he was. (It should be noted that in the midst of Babylon’s political life, Daniel, in Daniel 1:8 “Purposed in his heart to not defile himself with the kings delicacies.”). So we don’t pretend to know the will of God for anyone. We work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
GOD DOES NOT SEE THE CHURCH AS MAN DOES
But with that said, we need to take a fresh look at the Bible in order to see what God really wants for us and the Church.
The Jewish religion had all the outward trappings – temples, sacrifices, priests, ceremonies and all kinds of rules and regulations – things they were supposed to do and not do. We are told that the law was to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24) – to show us we had no power to keep it in ourselves. All of these outward pictures were pointing us to the reality. We needed a new life, a relationship with God, not a religion. But man prefers religion to relationship. Under the Old Testament, God lived in a temple, not the outer court, not the inner court but in the Holy of Holies. Then, He lived in an earthly temple, made with hands. Today He dwells in the inner most being of man – the human spirit which was born again (John 3:5-8; Romans 8:9-11), made alive by the Spirit of God—this is His Temple or “dwelling place” today (I Cor. 6:19; II Cor. 6:16; Ephesians 2:21—both individually and corporately).
His indwelling makes possible the “transformation of our souls” – and ultimately, the very transfiguration of our bodies—“like unto his glorious body” (I Thess. 5:23; Romans 12:1-2; Phil. 3:21). I hate to say it but nine out of ten “born again” Christians don’t grasp this simple fact of the nature of their relationship with God. They don’t have a clue what their human spirit is or how it works.
Man is lazy, sinful and religious. He would prefer to be told what to believe; learn the rules and follow them. He likes the idea of a caste of priests or pastors – professionals, if you will, to take care of spiritual matters, inspire him to better things, teach his children, maybe challenge him from time to time. He likes to go to church but doesn’t see himself as the church. Jesus came to do away with this whole religious system of buildings, forms and hierarchy. We should all be kings and priests – not pew sitters! We don’t need temples or church buildings anymore. They are just a type. We are the real thing. He doesn’t want us to follow rules and teachings. He wants to write them upon our hearts, to change us from the inside out!
So
what have we done the past 2000 years? We have taken the Church back into the
bondage of religion, of doctrines and teachings, of a professional clergy, of
buildings, forms and adorned it with programs, majestic services, professional
music and “worship”. We have made an art form out of what should be our daily
reality and joy. And even worse, we have mixed the Church with the world.
The average Christian is already so deceived, he doesn’t have a clue as to
what a Christian is, how to grow in the Lord every day – he also doesn’t have
a clue what the Church really is in all its simplicity!
The early Church grew like a wild fire because they discovered a living relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another. The early church was upside down compared to today’s Church. The first were last and the last first. The true leader was the greatest servant. It wasn’t about getting but giving. It wasn’t about being pumped up by meetings but experiencing the Lord and sharing out of the abundance of their experience with Christ. Everyone participated (Ephesians 5:19, I Corinthians 14:26, Colossians 3:16).
There was no professional clergy, no “special” buildings, no temples, no caste of priests, no order of worship, no ceremonies. There were functions – not offices. You didn’t have the title “pastor” or “evangelist”. This is what you did. There was just life, joy and spontaneous worship on the EVERY member.
What happened to spoil the early simplicity found in the Church? If you are going to avoid deception, you need to understand how the Church got to where it is today and how we got into all this complicated mess. What does God think of it? How would He evaluate it? Jesus certainly had few good things to say about the Jewish religious system of His day; what does He say about the Church historically?
To understand, all you have to do is look at the letters to the seven churches. We have to see that, yes the church has evolved over the years and God is not all that happy with the result. There may be a few overcomers in each church, but the churches as a whole are unacceptable to God.
THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS – The Loveless Church
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first (lit. “best”) love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:2-6).
As
I pointed out in the
last chapter, even the early Church had to be careful because although
they persevered and worked really hard, they left their first love which is
another way of saying they lost that fresh, vibrant relationship they had with
the Lord as young believers. This is something we all experience, and if we
are not careful, we can fall into a routine and lose the reality of that fresh
relationship with Jesus. This is symptomatic of what happens to the church
and in our own lives. It is the first step we take into dead religion and
away from the living Lord.
Please notice that Ephesus “hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate.” The word “Nicolaitans” in Greek means “subdue the laity” and is a reference to the “clergy laity” system – a system which God hates. Why? Because it separates people into two different groups – priests/pastors, and the laity. No such division was ever intended. The clergy-laity system compartmentalizes the lives of people – those responsible for spiritual needs and everyone else. It sets up roles for the professionals who are the participants in the system and the rest who become spectators. God does not like this system. Jesus intended the “priesthood of believers”, not classes of believers.
Until Christians recognize the inherent evil of this system, they are going to likely be deceived because they are going to listen to and submit to the authority of the clergy. After all, they are the experts. What do we know? How dare I question? This isn’t just my opinion. This is God’s opinion. He hates their deeds, the fact that they are “subduing the laity.” I have been in many churches over the past fifty years, and I have never seen clergy yet that so equipped the saints to the extent that they found themselves out of a job; although, they all paid lip service to the concept that such equipping of the saints “should put me out of a job.” Nothing has done more to stunt the spiritual growth of the members of the Body of Christ than the clergy-laity system. It is an evil that God mentions again and again. (Rev. 2:6, 15)
THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA – The Persecuted Church
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:9-11).
Smyrna
is the persecuted Church of the Roman Empire during the first two and a half
centuries. It could also be the church in Kenya where 50 believers were
burned to death in a church last week, or in India, Pakistan, China or
Indonesia. The church has historically flourished in poverty and tribulation
and it still is to this day. When you are at risk of losing everything you
have including your life, all of a sudden everything is in perspective. Your
hope is no longer in this world. Shame on the escapist Western Church who
think of nothing more than rapturing lest they suffer! Remember what I said
about Christianity being upside down? These people are dirt poor. Yet they
are rich!!! Go figure.
Note the contrast is with those religious leaders of the “synagogue of Satan” – you will see that reference again in subsequent letters. We find the “religious” people persecuting true believers. This kind of tribulation is very real, but praise God, we only die once. There is a “second death” that lasts for eternity—that death is not for those who have “passed from death into life.” (Revelation 20:14; 21:8; I John 3:14) Also notice the phrase “synagogue of Satan.” They avoided any mixture with false religions, something the church in Thyatira did (Revelations 3:20-24).
THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS – The Compromising Church
“These
things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ‘I know your works, and
where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and
did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful
martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things
against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat
things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also
have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with
the sword of My mouth.’ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to
eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written
which no one knows except him who receives it.’” (Revelation
2:12-17)
The
era of the Church in Pergamos was probably at the end of the persecution about
the time the Roman
Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman
Empire. The church had gone full circle – from a bunch of outcasts meeting in
homes and catacombs to becoming the official religion. This came with a
price. The church was forced to meet in buildings. It was also forced to
compromise with the old time religion, the pagan religion of the Roman
Empire.
This brought in worship of the dead (saints), various pagan festivals which became transformed into “Christian” holidays (all saints day – Halloween, Christmas, Easter), including the clergy-laity system. Sexual immorality was part and parcel of pagan worship and so we see many practices mixing in with the Church. I have no idea if such an admixture exists today (i.e., the type seen in Pergamos), but it surely led into the next era of the full blown Roman Catholic Church where many of these practices grew to full maturity.
Also, they had those who hold/held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the concept of the clergy/laity system—the professional full time clergy and an ecclesiastical hierarchical system was introduced—whether its origins came from the attempt to usurp the trappings of the “old system under the Mosaic law” or inspired by Rome’s pagan worship—this “religious system” became the “expression” of the Church in Pergamos.
THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA – The Corrupt Church
‘These things says the Son of God, who has
eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ‘I know your works,
love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are
more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because
you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and
seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to
idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual 
immorality,
and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their
deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know
that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of
you according to your works. “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira,
as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan,
as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have
till I come.” (Revelation
2:18-25)
Please check here for a more complete study on the Roman Catholic Church. Below are but a few of the doctrines and practices brought in during this time (See also: Search the Scriptures – List of Heresies):
_______________________________________________________________________
A.D.
1. OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for the dead and the sign of the Cross. Both began 300 years after Christ....310
2. Wax Candles introduced in church about....320
3. Veneration of angels and dead saints about....375
4. The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted....394
5. The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus in....431
6. Priests began to dress differently from the laity in....500
7. The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great about the year....593
8. The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I, 600 years after Christ....600
The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (I Cor. 14:9).
9. The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman Church about....600
(Matt. 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18)
10. The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas, in the year ....610
This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his successor, Boniface 111, first assumed title "pope. "
Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any such notion. (Lk. 22:24-26; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1: 18; 1 Cor. 3:11).
Note:-Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of Rome, remarks that there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was in Rome.
11. The kissing of the Pope's feet began in....709
It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10; 22:9).
12. The Temporal power of the Popes began....750
When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called by Pope Stephen 11, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matt. 4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38).
13. Worship of the cross, of Images and relics was authorized in....788
This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church council at the request of Hadrian 1, pope of Rome at that time.
Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severely condemned. (Read Ex. 20:4; 3:17; Dent. 27: 15; Psalm 1 15).
14. Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was authorized in....850
15. The veneration of St. Joseph began in....890
16. The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV, in the year.......965
17. Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV in....995
Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read Rom. 1:7; I Cor. 1:2).
18. Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed in the year....998
Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matt. 15:10; I Cor. 10:25; I Tim. 4:1-3).
19. The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.
The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all, and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read Heb. 7:27; 9:26- 28; 10:10-14).
20. The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII, in the year....1079
Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St. Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and children. (Read I Tim. 3:2,5, and 12; Matt. 8:14-15).
21. The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedan....1090
The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ. (Matt. 6:5-13).
22. The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year 1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion....1184
23. The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin, began in the year....1190
Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic, and it was the protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
24. The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year....1215
By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John 6:35; 1 Cor. 11:26).
25. Confession of sins to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope Innocent III, in the Lateran Council, in the year....1215
The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psa. 51:1-10; Luke 7:48; 15:21; I John 1:8-9).
26. The adoration of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius in the year....1220
So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24).
27. The Bible forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia in....1229
Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15- 17).
28. The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk, in the year ....1287
It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on naked skin. This is fetishism.
29. The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion of one kind in the Council of Constance in....1414
The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matt. 26:27; 1 Cor. 11:26-29).
30. The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of Florence in....1439
There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read I John 1:7-9; 2:1-2; John 5:24; Rom. 8: 1).
31. The doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed in....1439
The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matt. 28:19-20; 26:26-28).
32. The Ave Maria, part of the last half in....1508
It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the 16th century.
33. The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of equal authority with the Bible....1545
By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Col. 2:8; Rev. 22:18).
34. The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent in....1546
These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See Rev. 22:8-9).
35. The Creed of Pope Plus IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after Christ and the apostles, in....1560
True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is 1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Gal. 1:8).
36. The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in the year....1854
The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Psa. 51:5; Luke 1:30,46,47).
37. In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal Infallibility....1870
This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the anti-christ predicted by St. Paul. (Read II Thess. 2:2-12; Rev. 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).
Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman letters of the Pope's tittle: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-5, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-1-Total, 666.
38. Pope Pius X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism", all the discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church....1907
Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864.
39. In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools....1930
40. In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is "the Mother of God".....1931
This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke l:46-49; John 2:1-5).
41. In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary....1950
Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church to this day is still the same unholy mixture mentioned in these verses. I’m not going to belabor the point, but I can’t think of anything more contrary to what God really wants. Remember, Catholics only have a relationship with God through the priests and through the mass. Mary worship is alive and well, and so are all of the other practices that led to the Reformation. There is nothing reformed about it. Most Catholics will be deceived and on the wrong side during the Tribulation (not to say there may be some who overcome in spite of it).
These last two examples probably don’t describe most of our readers’ situation but it should serve as an example of just how far the church strayed from God’s original intention of the Church’s expression on the earth. The Roman Catholic Church is an elaborate mixture of Christian and pagan religions which any study of the history of the church will demonstrate.
THE CHURCH IN SARDIS – The Dead Church
“These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels’” (Revelation 3:2-5).
The Church in Sardis represents the Protestant Churches of the Reformation. They rejected the Papacy and Roman Catholic hierarchy, Mary worship, transubstantiation and saw that salvation was by faith not by works. This represented some progress but immediately after the Reformation commenced, the churches went from Roman to State churches (Lutheran, Anglican, Covenantal, etc.). They kept in tact the clergy-laity system; much of the pomp and circumstance, ritual, doctrines, teachings and forms. Later on, especially with the opening up of North America, the church became a little more “de-centralized” but still more or less controlled by a denominational system.
Having been raised in the Baptist Church, it hurts to think that it is characterized as thinking it is alive but is dead; I must admit that it fits my experience. (Please see my testimony in the previous chapter.) Most of these churches are running on inertia and only really growing if they can produce better worship, better programs or better speakers—with most “growth” in North America (outside of Mexico and Central America) keeping the numeric “status-quo” or engaged in “growth through sheep-stealing” or joining the “Mega-church Movement” (“Shopping Mall Christianity”). The Laodicean Mega Churches are growing at the expense of smaller churches (more on that in the next section).
Frankly, there can’t be much life in them as long as they are one man shows. In the main, the clergy-laity system is still in full sway, which means by definition that most members just sit dead in the pew. The Protestant churches in North America—and, unfortunately, throughout the world—for the most part, tend to be pre-tribulational in their eschatology, meaning they are into escaping tribulation so the idea of standing and testifying during the tribulation is foreign to them.
The
churches in America tend to be patriotic and imbued with the idea that America
is God’s gift to the world, the nation that bears the Christian standard for
the rest of the world and most know enough about prophecy to be slavishly
blind supporters of Israel. They are primed for deception because they are
programmed to believe what they are taught by the clergy—e.g., America must
under gird Israel’s security.
They are at deaths door spiritually, even though they have a reputation of being alive. They are ever learning and tend to equate knowledge with reality but knowing about something doesn’t mean it is real. Unfortunately, many will be deceived because they defer to their pastors and teachers who have been wrongly taught in Bible Schools and seminaries. In many respects, they are the modern scribes and Pharisees who know the doctrines and teachings but don’t have the life and illumination of the Scriptures in their lives. They pass on knowledge but do nothing to equip the saints beyond babyhood.
And, like so many Protestant churches, under the influence of the post-modern era, these churches are rapidly falling prey to the emboldened “social gospel” of past Protestant expressions—now succumbing to the calls of “social justice and equity” and equating these “works” with the Gospel of the Kingdom, with Christ’s gospel—as if they had anything to do with the saving grace of God!
THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA – The Faithful Church
“These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: ‘I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name’” (Revelation 3:7-12).
Okay, I bet you are going to ask, where do I find the Church in Philadelphia? Very good question. Some scholars think they were the Brethren of the 19th Century and may still be represented by a remnant meeting outside the camp today. Many of the Brethren even to this day reject the clergy-laity system. One would have to credit the Brethren with the recovery of some of the most profound teachings of the Bible.
Brethren
influence was dynamic and wide-spread. Evangelical greats influenced by the
Brethren like
F.B Meyer or directly connected with one of their branches like
George Muller (considered an “Open
Brethren”) wrought both great teachings and brought Christian endeavors to
great heights. Tragically, however, many of these original revivals ended up
splitting theological hairs and became very divisive and, consequently, lost
so much of their early spiritual vitality.
I would like to point out that these saints “have a little strength” but God has nothing against them. They are to hold fast and overcome.
These believers recovered the body life, the concept that every member needed to participate. This isn’t huge and spectacular but small and real – something I experienced for over a ten year period. Where are they today? Certainly outside the camp (Hebrews 13:13) – not in the pews! They are there today—perhaps not organized so clearly—but with “a little strength” you can find them throughout the earth holding forth “My Word” and “not denying My name.”
THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA – The Lukewarm Church
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14-22).
Laodicea
represents the wealthy Western Church, especially as we see in today’s mega
churches with their huge campuses, sanctuaries seating thousands, “Christian”
education, recreation, etc. The western “Christian” has been lulled to sleep
by a “feel good” gospel that never talks about anything negative, soothes the
self-image of the soul, and provides adequate social interaction, programming
for children and adults, and would never consider the possibility of
persecution or tribulation (at least for themselves). These are generally
well-to-do mega churches, most of whom preach or at least reassure us of
prosperity and blessing.
Where the text above says, “I am rich, have become wealthy and have need of nothing,” that literally refers to material wealth. Today’s western Christian is the wealthiest they have been in the history of the human race considering that the true poor of this world live on less than two dollars a day and have none of the conveniences we take for granted.
Last weekend, we in Northern California were paralyzed by a 24 hour blackout due to severe weather. I couldn’t believe how inconvenienced we were (no lights, no heat, no refrigeration, no electric stove, can opener, microwave, hair dryer, TV, DVR, telephone…). I couldn’t help but think in admiration of the Native Americans of old who lived in the elements year round and somehow survived . . . but back to Laodicea . . .
If you are a Western Christian—or influenced by Western-style Christianity—this describes us. In times past, Christians were deceived by pomp and circumstance, huge cathedrals, stain glass windows, booming music from pipe organs, eloquent sermons. Today, we are entertained by our pop worship groups, and the comforting sermons and multiple programs that keep us occupied. We look out at the dangerous world we live in but are somehow reassured by the fact that we will rapture soon, or that church influence will grow in the political arena to affect some real change. Doom and gloom are far from our minds. We are deceived by our desire to hold on to the good life.
Meanwhile, God seems to have a completely different view of this apex of Christian evolution. Instead of the raucous, filled-to-the-brim mega church, He sees a lukewarm church and feels like vomiting it out of His mouth – not a very pretty picture for this loving, nonjudgmental God we have created for ourselves. We think we have it all together and God sees us as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked!” So who is right: God or us?
We have made God in our own image and given Him attributes we value in one another – unconditional love, acceptance, positive reinforcement, believing the best—all the time, knowing we can and will succeed. The church is in such bad shape, it is rightly criticized. There are ministries that make a living out of bashing it, not that it doesn’t deserve all the criticism it gets. But we need to be reminded that no matter how bad the church is, even in God’s opinion, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Does God love the system, the buildings, the hierarchy, the programs, etc.? No, but He still loves the people and He still has people within this lukewarm system. The promise about standing at the door and knocking we often apply to unbelievers is really meant for us—i.e., knocking on the door of the lukewarm Laodicean Church.
If we open up the door of this church, and repent, He will come in to fellowship with us. But what are the results of not repenting? If we don’t repent; if we don’t overcome? Very sad results—we will end up as vomit on histories final stage. Our generation is so rich and so wealthy, we have more to lose than any generation before us in terms of material things and it is human nature to want to hold on to it all. What is the end of those who don’t repent? DECEPTION! Yet, it is this final generation that God is urging to stand and testify to the very end—even suffering the loss of all things (Revelation 12:11) including our lives.
I have mentioned before that the root of the word testimony which is mentioned so many times in the book of Revelation is “martyr.” God is calling on this generation to do what He has expected of so many generations before and even of the suffering Church today.
The last days are about deception, the greatest deception that has ever come upon the world. So many Christians think they will be inoculated against deception, that they are okay and their churches are okay. If this is you, you had better think again.
You
fit into one of the seven churches in Revelation. It is possible for you to
be in any one of them and “overcoming.” But, “overcoming” in most of these
churches is really difficult—especially, those churches which have been so
compromised. It has been said, “People don’t change institutions, but
institutions change people.” We are social animals and take on the attitudes
and myths of people around us. Quite frankly, none of us are that original in
our thinking. Only a revelation from God can jog us out of our self-satisfied
and complacent steady state – all the so-called societal and cultural truths
which “transform”; our educational systems allegedly designed to equip and
empower; and our best organized churches have all teamed up for “change” – but
changing us into “Overcomers” takes a real revelation from God—no
organizational system can do that!
Unless you are in a suffering church (Smyrna) or have happened upon Philadelphia, you are likely stuck in some type of Roman mixture, dead Sardis or lukewarm Laodicea. If we are honest, I think we can now see why the great majority of Christians will be deceived in the last days.
Please don’t think that I am being hyper-critical of the Church. These are not my judgments or opinions. This is God telling us in a prophetic way what the churches are like. He saw the loss of the church’s first love, the mixture that crept in, the evil clergy-laity system (Nicolaitans), the dead works, and the lukewarmness brought on by wealth. So what does this mean for the last days’ Christian? It means today’s believer should be careful and seriously evaluate their church. Pray for the people. Warn them. Pray for God to enlighten them. Leave, if God tells you to leave and find a group of fellow believers who center on the Lord, and mutually support one another in the purity of the faith, no strings attached and no usurping of the Lordship of Christ.
So what is my personal opinion? I don’t want to be a part of the “super group” that condemns all Christian in the institutional church. Obviously, some of the churches described are not very healthy, but God deals on the level of the individual and there certainly are Overcomers in all of them. God only holds us responsible for the light we have. “To him who is given much, much is required” (Luke 12:48). We are not to judge. We are only responsible for ourselves. If God tells you to stay where you are, stay. If he tells you to leave, leave. That is between you and God. We have to guard our hearts not to be elitist and to humbly present the case to those in the system. I have a feeling we will find our answers “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:13).
Ron Schwartz publishes an excellent newsletter. In his most recent newsletter entitled: “Everything Has an End: Paving the Way for the Antichrist” (January 8, 2008), he believes the Church began to get off track from the earliest days of the apostles, and that drifting away from the “simplicity which is in Christ” is reflected in the Church to this very day:
“The attitude of contemporary Christianity
does not reflect the attitude that Christ portrayed. The attitude of
contemporary Christianity is an elitist mentality. It is obtained from church
leaders who see themselves as being in elite positions and offices over the
church. Everyone who is not part of their office is below them. Their
churches are merely a reflection of their attitude. To the church, everyone
who is not a part of their church is below them, and therefore they cannot be
bothered with their needs. It has created generations of self-centered,
egotistical, and elitist social organization churches that will self-destruct
at the least sign of adversity. Contemporary Western churches are held
together by bandages. They have no natural predators. They are protected
from the government, taxation, and regulation by constitutions. But what if
these were to change?”…
In many ways the authoritarian structure of Catholicism, and denominationalism, continue to pave the way for the Antichrist. They teach people to be sheep that keep their mouths shut; to submit and not to question; to blindly accept that God doesn’t speak directly to them but through men in positions of ecclesial authority. They are taught that direct interpretation of the Bible and the leading of the Spirit can be dangerous for the layman and should not be trusted. Therefore, understanding and interpreting the Bible as well as hearing from God is only for those “in ministry”—i.e., the “spiritually mature.” Some even teach that hearing from God today is impossible because God does not speak to men. They claim that currently the only way to know God’s will is to be fully educated, have a doctorate in divinity, and be a graduate from seminary. Thus, the rank and file Christian cannot know God’s will or hear His voice apart from their leadership, covering, and teaching…what little you can hear from God is so “filtered” through the pervasive ecclesiastical system that when you finally receive it, it is so “watered down” it scarcely resembles the God of the Bible—so depleted by psychological and ecclesial baloney that has nothing to do with the real God revealed by the Scriptures.
The contemporary church is the result of generations of feminization (sissification). Members are forced into a role of submission and compliance to their church leaders who assume the authoritative role. For generations Christians have been bred to believe that they need the authority of their church (the real “husband/fathers”) in order to grow spiritually and survive. They have been conditioned not to resist—resistance to church leadership is resistance to God—in most places it’s considered the first sign of “rebellion” and “divisiveness.” When we consider such an authoritarian structure (passed down through Catholicism to all Protestant denominations and many independent churches, and especially the cults) bespeaks of the same type of authoritarian structure the Antichrist will wield, we must ask: How difficult will it really be for the religious church masses to go from submission to their church leaders to submission to the Antichrist?”
Even the so-called independence and “individualism” inherited through the Reformation and early Protestant movements—has degenerated into nothing more than “sheeple” following their benighted leaders who “keep guard over their souls.” I’m not talking about real care, real shepherds whose self-sacrifice and commitment to the members of the Body of Christ is done with humility and without self-promotion—I am talking about the “abuse of authority” so wide-spread in today’s religiosity, as well as the members of His Body (the so-called laity) not taking responsibility for their own actions and spiritual condition.
Going back to the beginning, God did not intend His church to be another hierarchical religious system, but a family, a body, a living organism where we are interrelated with different gifts and functions and bound by our common relationship with Jesus Christ. The best and easiest way to be deceived is to be in a hierarchical organization where you are taught how to think, expected to conform or be considered rebellious.
We are walking a fine line here. Yes, Jesus loves us and gave His life for humanity, but that doesn’t mean He wears rose-colored glasses when evaluating the saints in the Church. His evaluation of the seven churches is incredibly harsh. Ultimately, the Church in Laodicea is told to “Buy of Me gold tried in the fire.” The idea that some effete Christians have the notion that somehow believers are to be rescued from tribulation and persecution is an affront to those millions of saints who have suffered and died for their faith (and some even today as we see in places like Kenya, China, India, Pakistan and many other countries).
The system is broken, so if you aren’t in the persecuted church (Smyrna), you had better start looking for that simple church of brotherly love (Philadelphia) where you will find likeminded saints who are determined to stand and testify no matter what the cost.
Dene McGriff, Sacramento, January 2008