Today is Sunday, 2023.02.26 - Letter to the Church in America
Question: How would you assess the American Church?
Letter to the Church in America
DISCLAIMER
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS "LETTER" ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE FATHER, SON OR HOLY SPIRIT.
Background
In 2020, I started doing a Bible study with my friend Opio in Uganda on the book of Revelation. After we finished the seven letters to the seven churches in chapters 2-3, I thought it would be a good exercise for each of us to write a letter to the church in our respective countries. Also, I want to better understand what the Spirit is saying to the church in America.
Please refer to my previous blog posts listed at the bottom this post to understand the assessment format and what Jesus had to say to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
Acknowledgments
To be absolutely clear, I acknowledge that I don't have the authority to assess the church in America. Only Jesus has that authority. {Matthew 28.18} Further, these words are my own and don't come from Jesus.
These acknowledgments notwithstanding, in order to make the letter more readable, I will phrase this letter as if it did in fact come from Jesus.
Authority
To the people of the church in America write:
These are the words of Him who has all authority in heaven and earth.
Commendation
I blessed you with incredible resources and for a while, you used them as I intended. You sent more missionaries spreading my good news around the world and gave more money to the poor than all others combined!
There are some local churches that have persevered, endured and held fast in the face of unholy slander. They hate the words of the false apostles and false preachers. They preach the truth and train others to do the same. They have not soiled their garments with the filth so prevalent in the land and have not denied My name. They have kept my command to endure with patience.
Condemnation
However, I have these things against you:
You have failed to persevere and have abandoned your first love. You have a reputation for being alive, but are in fact dead. Your deeds are incomplete in the sight of My God.
You preach a false gospel and you slander those holding fast to the truth. You have focused on worldly topics instead of helping others follow Me. I didn't die on the cross for social justice, BLM, wokeism or to make Trump your savior. Not only do you tolerate false apostles, false prophets, false teachers and those who do evil, but you worship them!
Speaking of worship, the instrument of a true worshiper is not a guitar, piano, or voice! The instrument of a true worshiper is the heart! However, you have taken gifts of mine and worshiped them instead of using them to worship me! You worship your music leaders and waste the resources I gave you on lights, sound, glitter and outrageous salaries. If I was a rock concert promoter, I would be ecstatic with you! But I am the Son of God and the church is My bride. Worship Me!
You have wasted billions of US dollars on buildings and equipment. The building is NOT my church! People are my church! I gave you those resources to invest in people, not audio / visual equipment, parking lots, HVAC, etc.
In the name of "evangelism" you have marketed "seeker friendly" at the expense of the truth! In reality, you are just attempting to fill the seats so you can collect more "tithe" to pay the bills for the things you never should have purchased.
You hold to the ancient teaching of Balaam and Jezebel. You sacrifice time and relationships to worship sports, video games and the filth that comes from Hollywood. There is rampant sexual immorality in my church. I know you live in the United States which is the largest producer and consumer of porn. However, many in church leadership are addicted to porn. When you preach a prosperity (Jezebel) gospel, you are teaching MY people to lust after My God treating Him like a magic genie who will grant your every wish.
You have become lukewarm! You are trying to keep one foot in the world and one in the truth, My good news of My kingdom. Although you think you are rich and don’t need anything, you don’t realize that you are in fact spiritually poor and blind following blind guides who are like wolves in sheep clothing. You seek "covering" by so called apostles and prophets. But you are naked! My blood is the only covering you need!
Fear is rampant in My church. There is no difference between what the people in My church fear and the rest of the world. You are commanded to fear God, but instead, you fear viruses and are triggered by mean tweets.
Where have all the men gone? Where are the warriors?
I modeled servanthood, but you fight and backbite to be the most popular and have the largest following. Where are the servants?
Plan Of Action (POA)
Keep in mind how far you have fallen! Repent and perform the deeds you did at first!
Repent! Do NOT fear! Be faithful, even unto death. Hold fast to what you have. Wake up and strengthen what remains which is about to die.
Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent!
Listen to me! Get real wealth from Me. Read and study my Word, the Bible! Look at it through the lens of My Father, not the lens of wokeism, social justice or the topic of the day.
Surrender your pride. Humble yourselves and trust that I am the ONLY way to My Father.
Repent! Teach My people to love My God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind.
For those who have kept themselves from the teaching of Balaam and Jezebel, I place no further burden on you.
Listen to what My Spirit says to you! Keep it and repent!
Consequences For Failing To Complete The POA
I will vomit you out of my mouth!
If you don’t repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, remove your crown, and wage war against you with the sword of my mouth.
For those of you who are worshiping the things of this world, you will suffer great tribulation unless you repent.
I am coming like a thief in the night, you won’t know the day or the hour. Be Ready!
Promises And Rewards
I have placed before you an open door and I am standing there waiting for you to invite me into your lives and into your church. I promise great rewards for those who persevere, are victorious and continue my work until the end:
I will grant you the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
I will give you the crown of life.
I will give you the hidden manna.
I will write on you:
My new name
the name of My God
the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God).
Just as I have received authority from My Father -- I will give you authority over the nations. You will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery.
You will sit with me on my throne.
You will walk with me in white.
Closing
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church in America.
DISCLAIMER
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS "LETTER" ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE FATHER, SON OR HOLY SPIRIT.
Previously posted letters to the churches
Biblical Assessment of the Seven Churches {Revelation 2-3}
Letter to the Church in Ephesus {Revelation 2.1-7}
Letter to the Church in Smyrna {Revelation 2.8-11}
Letter to the Church in Pergamum {Revelation 2.12-17}
Letter to the Church in Thyatira {Revelation 2.18-29}
Letter to the Church in Sardis
Letter to the Church in Philadelphia
Letter to the Church in Laodicea
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