The Reality of Laodicea

If you were to ask me to tell you about the meaning of my faith, how church services are conducted, how my Christianity opposes the world, what I do as a representative of God's people, you would hear a story that might make you think or discourage you. If you are studying only the Bible and the lessons of this book, having relationships only with our students, you will feel the atmosphere of Heaven, a spirit of friendliness, a special presence of God in our communication with each other. The truth for the last time will be revealed to you in the clarity and simplicity of Holy Scripture. But we are scattered all over the world, and we don't even have the opportunity to gather together in person, and are simply members of a local church.

I believed in Christ in the summer of 1993, made a covenant with Him through water baptism, and found my church a little later, accepting re-baptism, thereby testifying that I agree with the doctrine of the denomination to which the Lord led me.

My self-education supported me, and my faith grew and was strengthened through my personal relationship with Jesus. In prophetic and spiritual books, I read about what the church is in God's eyes and how dear it is to the Most High. I always rejoiced that I am among a people who have a teaching based on the Bible and do not believe in delusions.

If you ask me about the real meaning of public service, based on my observations, I will tell you something that might surprise someone.

On Saturday morning, I go to church for worship as commanded, and I already know what the order of this meeting will be. We gather together, sing spiritual hymns, conduct a Sabbath school lesson, listen to a sermon, and disperse until the next Sabbath. And so every week. At best, I might be invited to lunch after the service, or if I have the opportunity, I invite someone to my place. And all the rest of the time between these events, I can fill with whatever I consider right and necessary. And for many, many years, nothing changes in the usual course of events. The pandemic introduced some innovations to the order of worship, but changed nothing, only fewer people began attending meetings.

Year after year, I habitually do the same thing and do not know how it should be. I cannot imagine how it should be in the reality of our days. But about myself, I can say that such an order does not satisfy me, if one were to live by it alone. I constantly seek spiritual food for myself so as not to die of hunger, and I do not rely on someone feeding me in church. My Christianity is concentrated not on Saturday worship, but on a personal relationship with Christ, on constantly clinging to Him with my cares, needs, requests, and problems. Sometimes I thank Him for the abundance of everything or delight His heart with my new ideas. Many times I tried to implement my spiritual discoveries in my church, but realized that they simply do not understand me. They treat me very warily, and I have to personally seek out those with whom I can share the fire that warms the heart and gives meaning to life.

I am part of a prophetic people and do not separate myself from them, because the Lord chose the church to complete the history of this world and gave enough light to prepare us for this mission. But, unfortunately, I know only the theory, and in practice I see only what I described above. But this does not disturb me. I have found living water and am ready to share it with all who desire.

I am very inspired by camp meetings where one can meet living missionaries who have a personal relationship with Jesus and are very close to me in spirit. At such meetings, amazing encounters with unique people occur, and God's Spirit especially visits such events, inspiring us to new types of service.

Sometimes I think about what will happen if our local church is closed. Will neighbors notice, and will the city's residents regret that we are no longer here? The reality is that no one will even pay attention to it. I say this, but I so want to change something.

The most precious and valuable thing in any of God's churches is people, our friendship, love, and communion in the right spirit. A union of like-minded people has powerful influence and gives God the opportunity to manifest His power to achieve set goals. But if such relationships do not exist, we become self-centered and seek what will help us independently swim against the current. Some manage this, while others drown in the temptations of this world and leave God forever, harboring a bitter resentment in their hearts towards their brethren.

If I try to open a closed door every time, hoping it will suddenly swing open, and repeat this year after year, you would consider me a strange person. But when for many years we try through service to do something that does not work, it looks like missionary work that bears no result but keeps us in shape. We pray, ask for blessings, go into the world, inviting people to us, rejoice at even one new face, and then realize that nothing has opened again, but plan the next attempt, hoping for a magical "What if..."

In this story, I am not scolding anyone, not looking for someone to blame, do not want to prove anything, but simply sharing what exists and what I live in. When I listen to news about thousands converting and coming to God in Africa, my heart trembles with joy for the missionaries working there. But here, it is very difficult to find even one person, and then you have to keep them. The fact that I have a personal relationship with God supports me and makes me alive, but I do not know how to teach newcomers. They came not to me, but to the church. They need friends, a spiritual family, communication, just interest in themselves, and in response, only formalism. What is the problem? I do not have the wisdom to solve these tasks for the entire church, although I perfectly know what to do personally.

At a certain period of my Christianity, I realized that I have knowledge of truth and faith, but do not have love, and this threw me into despair. I simply realized that I could not continue living like this. The spiritual emptiness of formalism constantly discouraged me, and only theological disputes brought some variety to my everyday life. I began to ask the Lord for the gift of love, and He answered and gave me this seed. Oh, how pleasant it is to have it, to nurture it in my life and share this knowledge and gift with others. My life became colorful, interesting, alive. I constantly invent projects for myself, and they work. Love brings an amazing meaning to everything. Any of my deeds with a motive of love delights my heart and inspires new projects.

Although the world around me has not changed, my attitude towards life and people has become different. I cannot do many things and do not know much, but I joyfully do what I can. I like to give and share spiritual blessings of love, and I do it very gently, so as not to violate someone else's freedom, and to remain free myself.

I understand that in the last time, some special upheavals must occur to awaken my entire people. And I am waiting for this.

Questions for Reflection on this Chapter

1. Please read Matthew 13:24-30; Luke 18:7-8; Philippians 2:12-16; 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Peter 1:13-23; Luke 23:55-56; Luke 4:16; Acts 16:3; 17:2-3; Exodus 31:13; Isaiah 66:23; Mark 2:27; Hebrews 5:11-14; Ezekiel 9:4; James 1:21-25; 1 John 2:15-17; Revelation 3:15-16; Hebrews 10:25 in light of this chapter.

2. What did you understand from this chapter?

3. Do you think my experience of life in the church is an exception to the rule, or do you also observe and experience something similar?

4. Does God know what is happening now in His church? Is the reason for spiritual formalism known to Him?

5. Is it important to have personal self-education in spiritual growth, or should one find a correct and living church and entrust their upbringing to its leadership?

6. Is it worth dedicating one's life to identifying and pulling out tares to help the Lord achieve spiritual purity in the church?

7. Do you understand what spiritual formalism is? Do you know from your experience the influence of this spirit?

8. Is it worth fighting for one's salvation if no one around wants to engage in this?

9. What can help in personal self-education? Do you have ideas for personal spiritual growth?

10. Won't my personal piety look like an attempt to stand out among the quiet and calm flow of circumstances in church life?

11. Is it worth organizing a new church if the spiritual condition of the congregation depresses me?

12. Can the Lord revive His people? What can I do for this?

13. Have you tried offering materials from this book in your communities for spiritual development?

14. Do our lessons help you comprehend something great and inaccessible that you did not know before?

15. Are you concerned about what is happening in the spiritual world of your community?