<TITLE>02. Par 5-8</TITLE>L-5 It was upon my heart a few days ago as I told Brother Neville, or sent word to him by our Sister Wood, that I was going to speak this morning upon "The Handwriting On The Wall." It was a message the Lord gave me on a train coming back from California.
But in the message it was so stirring and such a hour until leaving the people, finding the great things, even to this modern Sputnik that you hear so much about, is revealed in God's Word... And to see the hour that we're living, we are surely at the end.
And then to leave the people in that condition, and then without bringing another message to follow it to give the hopes of the church, then it leaves the people kinda wondering and makes them nervous.
So I thought I would wait till the next Sunday, coming back, and then I would speak on "The Handwriting On The Wall" on Sunday morning and then on Sunday night speak on the Church rapturing before the tribulation. And then, if these things are so close at hand, then the rapture is closer than that is, if the Church goes in the trib--before the tribulation. So I'm sure you understand that it does.

L-6 Now, I want to read out of the book of Revelation in the 3rd chapter pertaining to the Church of this day. In the 14th verse I shall read, beginning, Revelations 3:14.
And unto the angel of the church of... Laodicea write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
I know thy works,... thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched... miserable... poor... blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou may be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that thy shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and will open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

L-7 Now, that 20th verse is where I wish to take the text, to see if God will give us a context: "I Stand At The Door And Knock." This whole message this morning that we have just read is the Words of Christ Himself after His resurrection, speaking to the last church age.
As we understand, there was seven churches in that day, the seven churches of Asia. Each one of them had a angel. And those angels were sent to guide these churches down through the age, and we're now ending up at the last church age: Laodicea.

L-8 And it's most unusual to see how striking this thing is this morning, how it pertains to this church of this day. To see the conditions of the lukewarm and the indifference in the church and how that they say that, "Oh, we are on the big program. We're building a million dollar church. And our church is prospering. We have more members than we ever had. Our pastor's better paid and we are better altogether." If that isn't the call of the day.
But yet the Bible said, "Thou art naked, poor, miserable, blind." Just think, if a person being naked, and poor, and miserable, and blind, and don't know it. Now, if he knew it, he would try to better himself. He would rush from the street to find clothing. He would try to better himself. But if he's in that condition and doesn't know it, what a horrible thing.


<A HREF="P3">Next Page</A>