Sober Up, Church!  Trim your lamps, discern the time and season that we are witnessing. We are witnessing the afterbirth of a Ladiocean culture. A time in which false prophets who may be accurate in foretelling are really diviners, and sorcerers, assigned to bewitch the people through association in high places (7 Mountains). They learn the ways of the occult, law and believe in paying for anointing/blessing.  They do not forth-tell by unction of the Holy Spirit but are the transformed ministers of satan himself. Shocking, isn’t it?  On the contrary, 2 Corinthians 12: 14-15 enlightens us,

“¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

Hitherto, this is nothing new.

How should we handle this? I’m glad you asked.  We have clear direction from the WORD of GOD on what our position should be.  Let’s examine two accounts in Acts 13.  After a season of prayer and fasting, the laying on of hands by the prophets and teachers at Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were sent to Cyprus to preach the Word of God to the Jews of the diaspora (Acts 13:1-5).

However, when they had come to Paphos, Acts 13 verse 6 records the description of the false prophet (wizard/sorcerer) named Barjesus.  The passage eludes to his assignment; his infiltration of government. Hmm, sounds familiar. SELAH

Barjesus was connected to the proconsul (deputy), Sergius Paulus, who represented government. According to Dr. S. Lewis Johnson’s teaching on this subject in his sermon, The Cypriot Sorcerer Encounters God’s Magic: Acts, he defines the term “deputy” as a term that refers to the proconsul in reality. “Cyprus was under the authority and governorship of the Roman Senate, and those that were deputies of the Roman Senate, governing part of their property were called proconsuls.”

The proconsul Sergius Paulus was “an intelligent and sensible man of sound understanding; he summoned to him Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God [concerning salvation in the kingdom of God attained through Christ]” (Acts 13:7 AMP).

One could summate, the word got out that Saul and Barnabas were in town sharing the Good News of the Kingdom.  In the next verse, Acts 13:8, we are introduced to another character (minister of satan) named, Elymas who was also a sorcerer,

“(for that is how his name is translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from accepting the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Him, looked steadily at Elymas, ¹⁰and said, “You [Elymas] who are full of every [kind of] deceit, and every [kind of] fraud, you son of the devil, enemy of everything that is right and good, will you never stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? (Act 13:9,10)

Here we see the manifestation of the Word of God and the Spirit of God working simultaneously according to Hebrews 4:12,13 quoted as follows

“For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account”. AMP

The enemy wanted to secure a stronghold over the government’s representative.  But Saul, according to verse 11 of Acts 13, further expounds in the following discourse in exposing the motives and intents of Elymas.

¹¹ Now, watch! The hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, [so blind that you will be] unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and he groped around, seeking people to lead him by the hand. 

The proconsul was persuaded to believe on the Lord Jesus by the Word which was taught to him and further convince because of the demonstration of the power of God.

¹² The proconsul believed [the message of salvation] when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching concerning the Lord” (Acts 13:8b – 12, AMP).

After leaving Cyprus, Barnabas and Saul carried on their Missionary assignment, to proclaim the Gospel to the Jews and Gentiles.  They did not seek to be tied to a natural government except the government of the Kingdom of Christ Jesus.

Transitioning to Laodicean culture and its biblical construct, we first must define Laodicea from a geographical position. Laodicea is a region of modern Turkey. It is described by Megan Sauter in her writing, The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology A look at Laodicea’s “lukewarm” legacy from Revelation 3:15–16 posted on the website Biblicalarcheology.org, March 23, 2020, “Laodicea was a wealthy city during the Roman period. Not only was Laodicea located on major trade routes that connected it to important cities like Ephesus, Smyrna and Sardis, but also it was a center of textile production and banking.”

Laodicea was a church described by God’s viewpoint in the book of Revelation as “lukewarm”. It was the last of the seven churches.  Laodicea represents a culturally rich church system in as a phase of time in Church history that through social media is front and center according to Megan Sauter in her writing, The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology A look at Laodicea’s “lukewarm” legacy from Revelation 3:15–16 posted on the website Biblicalarcheology.org, March 23, 2020. Read Revelations 3:14-22, AMP 

If we look at the space of time between 2000 – 2020, we’ve witnessed erroneous behavior by Church leadership who had infiltrated governmental entities for their own agendas. Particularly, the seven mountains whom satan’s ministers govern. We’ve witnessed a Papacy reflect a prophetical Anti-Christ makeup with the ordination of a 2nd Pope.  We saw the expose (uncovering) of homosexuality/acts of molestation in the Papacy, as well as, in Protestantism.

Most recently, we saw blatant disregard to the tenets of the faith by acts of Idolatry. Defined in the Oxford Dictionary, Idolatry is “extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.” Also, the falling away of sorts even during a pandemic. We perceived the spirit of Laodicea grow from a scar to a fatal cancerous sore due to the afterbirth.

“Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death” (James 1:15 AMP).

Afterbirth means the release of the placenta once a baby is born.  Well, hello to the Same Sex Agenda. It has paraded itself in every area of influence from the Pulpit to the Walls of Congress. The Laodicea Church sought after prosperity as a Church system while same sex propaganda became law.  Distractions. 

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20 KJV).

As a mouthpiece for God, today’s Christian leader is sent to proclaim what thus saith the Lord of Host to delegated authority and carry on the work of ministry to the Body of Christ.  Yet, under the guise of previous administrations, he/she in turn sought positions within the ranks of delegated authority.  It is one thing to be appointed but to what end? The political culture of the last 4 years was just that. Calling evildoers righteous when in fact they were not. Repent!

In conclusion,

Be careful who you let in your inner circle, especially when you want to accept the gift of Salvation, get to know God and to get closer God. When you meet someone, ask the Holy Spirit, “show me this person(s) spirit. Are they for me or against me, Holy Spirit? What could they be assigned to thwart in your life?

Or in this season, for what purpose, am I called? By all means, wait in his presence for an answer. 

Ultimately,

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3: 5,6 KJV).

Whatever your sphere of influence,

Say with me, “Father, in the Name of Jesus, cancel out all of the distractions and hindrances to your plan for my life and sharpen my spiritual sight, Lord! So that I like Paul can discern the true from the fake.  In Jesus Name, Amen!” 

If you have fallen into the snare of the Laodicean culture, God is here. He wants to deliver you and place you on the right road to VICTORY!