The Only Guaranteed Way to Escape End-Time Catastrophes

CHAPTER 15

PHILADELPHIANS DO NOT LET ANY MAN TAKE THEIR CROWN

Due to Sheer Laziness in Doing God’s Work

The seventh and final category into which lukewarm or Laodicean members may fall is those who are plain lazy or not excited about doing God’s work, even though they were initially thrilled when they heard about the reward of rulership of the earth along with eternal life.

Members or former members need to seriously examine themselves if their attitude in God’s Church and in doing God’s work can be described in these terms. Jesus Christ left no doubt about the end result of such members’ lives.

Jesus said in the parable of the sower in Luke 8:6, 13: “6 And some [seed] fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture [water is a symbol for God’s Holy Spirit which because of laziness is not renewed regularly]…13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.”

Lazy attitude of some is also described in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, and in the parable of the pounds in Luke 19. In Matthew 25 (NKJV), after the man traveling into a far country who had given his servants 5, 2 and 1 talents came back from his journey, Jesus describes what happened then in verses 19-31: “19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

“24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The end result of the lives of members who have become lukewarm or Laodicean in their attitudes towards God’s work and living God’s way of life because of laziness will be loss of all they have, including cessation of their lives.

Possibly there may have been an example of laziness and lack of enthusiasm for God’s work even before humanity was created? It seems human beings and their environment have been created with certain attributes to teach them eternal lessons. The need for learning these eternal lessons arose because of the way the angels under Lucifer on earth behaved. They were put on earth to beautify it and most likely create their own creation. The dinosaur world was likely their creation. Over perhaps hundreds of millions or billions of years of learning about the substance of the earth and creating life on it, some angels must have developed a lazy attitude and lack of enthusiasm for doing anything. They simply were not excited about work at all, though they had been joyfully excited about the opportunity when the material universe was created (Job 38:7).

To inculcate the habit of work in human beings, God made their lives dependent on food, which requires work to procure or produce. Man cannot get away from work to sustain himself. Necessity thus inculcates the habit of work in human beings. Those who work harder can enjoy more material blessings. So work pays off in many ways.

If members of God’s Church have not developed the habit of diligent work to provide for themselves and their families, they will have failed like some angels under Lucifer’s rule to learn the necessary lesson of working with zeal and enthusiasm with what God has provided for them: the earth, other planets and galaxies. And how does God want us to demonstrate our zeal and enthusiasm for what God has in store for us for eternity? By demonstrating enthusiasm for God’s way of life and His work on earth of preaching the good news of the soon coming Kingdom of God!

If a member has not been enthusiastic about doing God’s work right now, then he is demonstrating to God that he will not be enthusiastic about life in His kingdom. If a member has no joy in being alive, then what use is it to have eternal life in God’s kingdom? That is why God will not grant eternal life to those who are not enthusiastic about His way of life and not diligent in living it and doing His work while they are in His Church. One must want to be live for eternity because he or she enjoys living.

BEING PART OF AND DOING GOD’S WORK IS AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE WHICH WE SHOULD BE THRILLED TO UNDERTAKE WITHOUT ANY PRE-CONDITIONS SUCH AS A TROUBLE-FREE LIFE WITH BLESSINGS AND PROSPERITY. THE TESTS AND TRIALS ARE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE NECESSARY GODLY, RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY CHARACTER IN US TO QUALIFY US FOR PROMOTIONS TO BECOME KINGS AND PRIESTS WITH JESUS CHRIST. THAT IS KINGS AND PRIESTS. GOD IS LITERALLY HOLDING BACK NO PART OF PROMOTION FROM US. HE WILL NOT PROMOTE LAZY PEOPLE, OR THOSE WHO SET PRE-CONDITIONS TO SUCH POSITIONS. NO HUMAN KING OR CEO OF A MAJOR CORPORATION WOULD EITHER.

These are the ways members in God’s Church can allow someone to take their crown, or they can lose it by their own attitudes and actions.

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