THE MODERN LAODECIAN CHURCH

From my Plumbline TV Show on 1 Timothy 4: 10- 16 (NASB)

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The word Laodecia is Greek for "justice of the people".....from the combined words - LAOS (the people) and DIKE ("judgment or decision").  It was a wealthy community in Asia Minor which is very similar to the United States primarily and western civilization in general. It had a form of religion without the God of religion. Its pride, wealth and corruption caused the Lord Jesus to deliver the most memorable of the Seven Letters to the Church from the Book of Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3.

Jesus said to the Church of Laodecia as He is saying to the dysfunctional American church today: 

The Lukewarm Church (Revelation 3:14-21)

14 “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: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 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— 18 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. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 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. 21 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.

Because American church leadership has gone AWOL on all fronts - Biblical/Cultural and Societal - we are losing our youth to the culture of death and this perishing world. Intolerant liberalism is using public education system to brainwash the second generation in a row in godlessness; evolution and deviant sexual behavior. More is taught in school about how to violate standards of decency and health than how to think critically or do math and science. 

Then, while Christians are persecuted and the leaders of society violate the Word of God constantly while using it to perform unrighteous deeds, American pastors stay silent and by their silence, give free passes to those who persecute the body at an alarming rate. American church leaders remain silent as Christians are persecuted and killed in Nigeria, North Africa, Asia and elsewhere. They will be judged harshly for coveting their comfort more than caring for Christ's community of believers worldwide. American celebrity pastors, whose names will not be mentioned here - because they are not worthy of it - have left their first love. They are the descendants of the the Lukewarm Laodecian Church and have a lot of 'splaining to do one day.

Because of the Spiritual condition and worthless leadership, the next generation of believers are in mortal dangers of their souls being lost forever. The latest Barna surveys have confirmed all that we are witnessing as anectodal. 

We must change before the Age of Grace comes to an end. 

We must do our best to rescue our young people before it is too late. 

We must stop playing games. 

We must stop trying to be like the culture and instead, starting acting like the men and women of God we are commanded to be - Holy and Apart from it, even while living in this perishing world.

KEYS TO A GODLY LIFE PART 8/12 - LIVING AS GOD'S PEOPLE

THE DAWN OF GLORY SERIES:

PLEASE READ THE PASSAGE, THEN - WATCH THE BRIEF EXPOSITION FROM THE PLUMBLINE VIDEO:

1 Peter 5: 1-10

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

ARE CHURCHES LETTING YOUNG PEOPLE WALK AWAY FROM CHRIST?

In the Old Testament, God told us - parents and those who are older - to teach the younger ones (our children) His Ways (Deuteronomy 6: 6-9). The only problem is - most do not do that, well, because it is hard! Even churches, where our kids are supposed to be safe and trained to be future saints and solid citizens of both earth, and then heaven, are falling down on the job!

We have failed our children - both as adults and as an Ekklesia (the Body of Christ). More and more young people are walking away from not just the church, but Jesus Christ - never to return. They may not have learned that garbage from us, but what we allowed in our churches and then in our educational system has created more lost people than we can even dream of evangelizing in our lifetime.

We began losing the vast majority of our young people from age 8 on! Yes! Incredible as this sounds, this is what the research from Answers in Genesis and others. Why did we start losing them so early in their church life? Well, we told them Bible stories which all ended well, without raising them up as disciples of Christ. We lost them by not equipping them to face the world, sin and Satan. We had them for 2 or hours a week in church, while the world indoctrinated them into its ungodly systems, the rest of the week!

This program examines current scary and sobering research from Barna Research and how we go there...and more than that, what are the solutions:

THE MEANING OF LIFE: PART 3 OF 12

                            A CHAPTER BY CHAPTER STUDY OF THE BOOK OF
                                           ECCLESIASTES......CHAPTER 3
                                                   "The God of Timing"
You hear this all the, well, time that "Timing is Everything"! Well, it really is and our Great God is a God of Timing.  He has chronological time in His Hands. He has time and season planned perfectly, also and if we walk in that obedience and under that Authority He has given the Son, we can never fail in this life. I did not say we will never have trials and tribulation. What we mean is, if you are so tuned into and seeking for what God has in store for your life, you would desire to press into what He said in 66 books of the Bible, from cover to cover, then obey what the Spirit is saying between every one of those pages.

Timing IS everything. Timing is crucial is you're a musician. My eldest son, who bears my name, was a percussionist for the Youth Symphony which was the high school division of the Illinois Symphony for five years. When he first started, he needed to not just show up for every practice to come in at the right time with the cymbals or cowbell or chimes or timpany but he had to LISTEN to the discipline of the Conductor, who is literally the head coach of the Symphony. After months of this, when they performed at a concert etc, it flowed beautifully. The timing was spot on! God is our conductor. He wants the best for us and at best, the least we can do is recognize HOW He works, and to do so, we must be tuned into the Holy Spirit and how HE, the SPIRIT OF GOD, wants us to fulfill our destiny, walking in His marvelous light. We do this through prayer, study and fasting when He calls you to it.

The teaching on the video below, is primarily on the major theme of chapter 3 - the God of Timing. Please read this portion, watch the video and then read the rest of Ecclesiastes 3. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

A Time for Everything

3 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every [a]event under heaven—

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF ECCLESIASTES 3 (BIBLE GATEWAY)

HELP PRE-TEENS BECOME DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

SATURDAY GUEST WRITER: GEORGE NIELSEN 

Being a Young Disciple of Jesus is presented as a goal and the goal is restated, almost every week, to the 5th graders that I teach on Sundays.

What am I actually expecting?   The list written below describes what I am trying to accomplish with my 5th grade students, over this next year.


Most people who set tangible goals know that the idea of goal-setting is to have goals that are meaningful, written, as specific as possible, and attainable.   The goals should motivate you or me, the goal setter, to work to achieve them, following action steps related to the goals.    My action step is primarily to carry out my teaching ministry on Sundays, which also includes prayer and encouragement for the kids, both inside and outside the classroom.


It is absolutely vital that the parents be involved in this, building on my one-hour-per-week of teaching.    All of the parents in this year’s class have been mailed a copy of the 5th Grade Learning Objectives.  Parents should realize that their input into their children’s spiritual development is essential; telling them to “go to church” isn’t enough to meet our objectives.

GEORGE NIELSEN
Rochester Christian Church, Il

Helping children be young disciples of Jesus involves the following: 
- Increasing a student’s knowledge of God and the Christian story a student’s willingness to internalize or “own” their faith; we present this to the kids as “choosing to live their lives ‘On the Right Path’” (it is developmentally appropriate to give 5th graders this freedom to choose, while still teaching them to make the right choice – “I Serve Jesus”)  
- Teaching a set of beliefs by which students interact with their world and make sense of things (developing a “Biblical Christian worldview”) starting the process of acceptance into and participation with their faith community...in other words:
- Starting to get them outside the “bubble” of kids’ programming in the church
- Connecting with ‘big people’ 
- Serving others through service projects (participating in the Impact discipleship group) the work of God’s Spirit, which may be mysterious, both to kids and to parents. But in spite of its newness to them, we still plant and water the seed, namely that they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that they have been and will continue to be imparted by the Spirit with special gifts. Sometimes the gifts are only understandable through hindsight or reflection. 

I have said this several times, and wrote about it often – that in 5th grade, we teach the children that Christianity is “a Way of life.” Young disciples of Jesus need to learn the more-Christ-like way of living.   This is a process that must ultimately be internally motivated, not dictated by a parent, teacher or youth worker (but we are important, as mentors!).   The result is not just Christian behavior.   It is following Christ out of their deepest, most thought-out convictions.    This does take time.  But we start the process in 5th grade, by building on the nurturing in the faith from the student’s earlier years.  The key element is not the knowledge we present to the kids, as much as it is to develop their internal motivation.


One hazard to avoid is to attempt to reduce discipleship down to a simplistic monitoring of the children’s behavior. As a teacher, I try to build a relationship, make and maintain a connection with the children.  Parents already have the relationship, but should really strive to build their connection with their children. When you are connected, you are in a position to influence, not just to lecture. The saying is true that “rules without relationship leads to rebellion.”   When parents keep-up a strong relational connection with their kids, they won’t have to lose their influence and surrender to the peer group or the Disney/MTV-driven social pressures their pre-teens will experience.


RECOMMENDED:
To see the 5th Grade Learning Objectives - click HERE .
Bio:

George Nielsen is an ordained Christian minister, ordained in the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian Seminary at Lincoln Christian University, with an M.A in Ministry majoring in Urban Missions.  George's teaching ministry in the Church is in the Children's Christian Education ministry at Rochester Christian Church.  As a writer, he has been concentrating on writing curriculum for teaching children and youth. George also writes teaching essays for adults, directed primarily toward parents, that are related to the curriculum he write for children.  At this time, he is also considering writing devotional books.
GEORGE'S BLOG

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