As shown in the series which focused on the seven church eras, the Laodicean (Progressive) era of the church replaced the Philadelphia Era in the early 1990’s. The era for which Jesus had only positive things to say (Rev. 3:7-13) ended following the death of the church’s leader, Herbert W. Armstrong. Just as darkness automatically takes over when light is removed, the current era of the church appeared on the world scene after God’s church disappeared from the world’s view. With Mr. Armstrong’s death, Satan quickly took over the minds of 95% of the Philadelphia church’s parishioners. But God has always had a remnant–a minutely few true believers who refuse to succumb to Satan’s siren call to “go with the flow” of traditional christianity (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14), which the former Christians did following the death of God’s messenger to mankind.

I became a part of God’s remnant not long after the Laodicean Era began. Following a series of miracles, God brought me to Athens, Texas where a stranger, having read a newspaper article I had written, offered to put me on the internet. The rest is the history of this website. I count it an honor to bring light to those who call themselves “Christians” while living in the same spiritual darkness in which I spent half of my life. I became a “missionary” to “the church” in which I had spent my previous life, part of that time as a minister. I thank God for His patience and grace, without which I would still be trapped in Satan’s counterfeit church.

The Laodicean mindset destroyed the Philadelphia Era as Satan put forth all of his powers of persuasion in an attempt to pull in those who had escaped His religious lure. He continues to push ever harder because he knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). The Progressive mindset is now destroying all nations which host Satan’s religious systems. This is especially true of the United States, Britian and the Jews of the Middle East. Read Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Today.

For over three decades we have been in what today is called the Progressive era of the church which was introduced in part one. Those who know what is happening know that they must avoid and repel that mind(heart)set at all cost, knowing that it is sin whose end result is death.

Jesus describes the results of the Laodicean/Progressive attitude found in today’s Catholic/Protestant Religious System known as “the church,” which, in reality, consists of hundreds of counterfeit churches whose parishioners unknowingly serve “the god of this world”–Satan (2 Cor. 4:4). In Revelation 3:14-16 Jesus has John write to the church at Laodicea (the modern church) as follows: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot (known as “sinners saved by grace”). I want you to be either cold or hot. Because you are lukewarm … I will vomit you out of My mouth” and into the Great Tribulation. In verse 19 Jesus commands the church to repent, proving that there is still time to obey God and live.

Progressive “christians” have short memories. They have forgotten what God’s church was like during the previous era. The Lord, speaking through the Prophet Malachi, told the Progressives of his day, to; “Remember the Law of Moses which I gave him on Mt. Horeb (Sinai) for all of Israel, along with My statutes and judgments.” God’s church is Spiritual Israel, Biblically known as “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16). All who obey God’s Ten Commandment Law with faith are Spiritual Israelites. These are His few, true, Very Elect saints who will rise to meet Him upon His return to the clouds about the earth. This event is mistakenly referred to as the “rapture.” Read The Three Resurrections, The Rapture and Born Again. Key words Three, Rapture and Born respectively.

As stated, the Progressives have a memory problem. They fail to remember what God has told them in His Holy Bible. Church memory loss is not a new phenomenon. The Apostle Paul told those in the Corinthian church that they WOULD BE saved by the Lord’s Gospel “IF” they remembered (obeyed) what he (Paul) had preached to them. Read the Friends Of Jesus series using the key word–Friends. Notice that His death would enable the disciples to be saved “IF” they did “… whatsoever I command you to do.” Remember that Judas preached the Gospel, healed the sick and cast out demons (Mat. 10:5-8). However, he did not make the cut.

Church progressives, like the original Laodiceans (Rev. 3:15,16), have become lukewarm and complacent in their dedication to the Lord they believe has saved them. Believing that they are already “saved” and “born again,” they feel no need to obey Him (walk in righteousness), even if they could, which, because of Adam’s supposed sin transferal miracle, is supposedly not possible. They outright reject the Apostle Peter’s Spirit-led command to: “BE YE HOLY AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS HOLY” (1 Pet. 1:15,15; 2:5,9). Satan’s false prophets have assured them that they have the authority to ignore God’s Words which He spoke through His prophets and apostles, then to replace them with their own “church doctrines.”

Progressives are totally lacking in God’s commanded passionate devotion to Him and His Truth. Jesus tells us in John 17:17 that God’s Word is Truth, which we must love in order to spend eternity with Him. As He warns in Matthew 24:12, in the last days: “… the love of many will grow cold.” Notice that their love would GROW cold, meaning that at one time that their love for Him was hot and passionate. This is what happened to the five foolish virgins in the Matthew 25 parable.

Also lacking among religious Progressives is a since of conviction–another meaning for “lukewarmness.” They are not convinced that failure to believe and obey “every Word of God” (Lk. 4:4) is a sin, and that rejecting anything God says reveals that they “despise” both Father and Son (Lk. 10:16). These are two of the many passages of Scripture that Progressives believe no longer have relevance within the church.

The Scriptures tell us that complacency is not a new thing spiritual disease spreading among those who claim to be right with God. The Prophet Amos pronounces a “woe” upon those of his day who were “at ease in Zion (home of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) and Samaria (home of the other ten tribes of Israel) (6:1). Like sleeping watchdogs, their leaders have allowed Satan to lull them and, and consequently their followers into a sense of complacency and security. And Satan smiles, having caused them to reject the Biblical Truth which states that, in this life, we have only the HOPE OF SALVATION–another Biblical Truth that is summarily rejected by professing Christianity. Read Hope and Salvation. Key word–Hope.

America and those in other so-called “Christian Nations” are willing victims of self-deception. They spend hour after hour filling their minds with the things of the world to the point that they have become a part of the world, as has the church. They know more about what is on television and the internet than what is written in God’s Word. Jesus warns the church in Matthew 24:48-51 about such an attitude. Amos 6:4-6 tells about leaders living it up as the nation crumbles around them, much like it was “in the days of Noah” (Mat. 24:37). Such complacency will lead the supposedly saved, sanctified, born again churchite straight into the Great Tribulation. There will be no “rapture” to save those who are “at ease in Zion and Samaria.” L.J.