Thesis 8: A Letter to Laodicea - Become Like Children Again!

This is Thesis 8 of the “End Times 95 Theses by The Two Witnesses of Revelation", a parallel of the work Martin Luther did hundreds of years ago. This thesis will expose the modern church of Laodicea, who have forgotten their childlike status in Christ. Here are the previous theses for reference, which I recommend are read in order:

Introduction - The Rise of Anhedonia

One of the most common characteristics I see amongst adults of this world is anhedonia - the inability to feel pleasure. Because they can no longer feel pleasure, they often drink excessively, do drugs, overmedicate, or participate in endless other sins, such as sexual immorality, in order to "feel" something. When I was a daughter of Babylon, I could only feel when I was drinking or committing some sin. Personally, this really confused the pleasure centers of my brain, and it took me hard work to learn to "feel" again. The only way I could feel again was through prayer, fasting, and supplication to our Lord Jesus Christ - when the Holy Spirit completely filled my soul again.

Even if one is not sinning in some way, it is clear that anhedonia is on the rise not only in adults but also in our youth. This is seen in the constant need to be entertained by phones, video games, or other sources of technology. People are afraid to be alone with their own thoughts, and for good reason. Once we have to face our own minds, it is extremely challenging and even scary.

What is happening as a consequence of this constant need for pleasure is that mostly everyone is an addict now. I would venture to say that the majority of people who stumble upon this blog are addicted to something, and it does not matter what that something is. Sex, porn, food, video games, weed, alcohol, attention, pleasure, social media, doom scrolling, etc. - you name it - there are probably readers struggling with it.

This obviously is not surprising, nor is it condemnation to readers, as a former addict myself. Rather, it is a call to examine why one is experiencing these addictions, and how this post can help.

At the center of any addiction is the fear of boredom, lack of pleasure, or even emotions themselves. For many, it is difficult to quit their "drug of choice" because when they do, they are met with anhedonia, an absolutely terrible, empty feeling. Addict or not, many readers are experiencing this feeling, and they do not understand why.

While this post may not solve every problem readers are facing, it has a possible answer on how to heal anhedonia. First, one must look to the Church of Laodicea for answers.

The Church of Laodicea

The Church of Laodicea is one of the 7 churches of Revelation, and their self-sufficiency and wealth gave them a great reputation. After a giant earthquake around 60 AD, which destroyed their city, they were able to rebuild with no help from anyone around them, and the follwoing video provides a little more depth to all of this if readers are interested:

To summarize, Laodicea was a city of prosperity, emulating even Rome. However, it had one problem: it did not have its own water source. According to this source:

Hierapolis from the north boasted of its hot springs, said to have medicinal properties and Colossae from the south lay claim to cold water, ideal for drinking.

When the water arrived in Laodicea, it was lukewarm, and according to the above video, full of minerals, giving it a less then appealing taste. Though Laodicea thought they had everything, their water, the most important element of all, was lukewarm.

When Jesus is speaking to this church, he is clearly painting a metaphor about the lacking "living water" in the church of Laodicea. He is so disgusted with them, he wants to "spit" them out of His mouth. Before we dive deeper into Scripture, let's look more closely at the metaphor Jesus is providing to this church, and what it means for Christians today.

Going back to anhedonia, there is a chance that many readers are lacking the "living water" needed to feel the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. The question is - how does one obtain this living water?

Are You Children of God or Satan?

There are many sources on the church of Laodicea out there, so I wanted to provide a unique perspective for readers of this blog. This is, after all, a modern letter to Laodecia, and surely, there are some spiritual Laodecians reading this blog in these end times. If not you, then examine those around you who appear to be like the Laodecians - secure in their physical wealth and comfort but lacking the living water. This isn't about being enormously rich, but rather, it is about being extremely comfortable.

As all readers know by now, I am always praying for dreams, and Jesus Christ has recently been sending me dreams in relation to the biblical theme of becoming like children, something I have addressed in this blog often:

“Verily I say unto you, unless ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I was teaching a class. I was wearing a pretty, flowy, and flowery shirt, though it was a tad unusual. It actually reminded me of a shirt from my childhood. It wasn't ugly - it was just different. As I was teaching, another teacher approached me and said, "Your shirt is so ugly. It looks like it came from the trash!"

I was saddened, so I looked to the children and I asked, "Do you think my shirt is ugly?" They all said, "No, we like it!"

The meaning of this dream was immediately clear to me, but I did verify its meaning with Witness 1 and one of my friends as a third witness to the interpretation. In running this worldwide ministry, we do and will receive much critique from those who do not have the heart of a child. Without the heart of a child, very few will be able to understand what I write, what I say, or even the "spiritual garments" I wear. Of course, this is not solely about our ministry; however, I feel that we are one of the few ministries out there stating the truth anymore.Those with the heart of a child will understand what we say, so let me expand upon this thought further.

First, if one thinks about most children, they have natural trust in their parents, and similarly, Christian "children" must have trust in their father in Heaven. Examining the Laodiceans, they trusted in their own wealth and their own merits, but they had forgotten God, as stated in Revelation 3:17:

3:17 Because 3754 thou sayest 3004 5719, 3754 I am 1510 5748 rich 4145, and 2532 increased with goods 4147 5758, and 2532 have 2192 5719 need 5532 of nothing 3762; and 2532 knowest 1492 5758 not 3756 that 3754 thou 4771 art 1488 5748 wretched 5005, and 2532 miserable 1652, and 2532 poor 4434, and 2532 blind 5185, and 2532 naked 1131:

If you look at the modern churches today, many of them are vastly wealthy! They feel they are in need of nothing else because of the physical wealth they have obtained. They are no longer children of God, but rather, they have become children of Satan, seeking unending, worldly pleasures.

Remember, as stated earlier, Jesus Christ says that one must be like a child to get into Heaven, so then, what characteristics is Jesus Christ talking about?

Today, unfortunately, many children are corrupted, and this has been intentionally done by Satan. Children are the closest we can get to God in this modern world, but every effort has been made to destroy them through abortion, sexualization, and other means.

Still, for the purpose of this post, I would like you to think about a child who has not yet been corrupted - perhaps you, yourself, when you were a child or a child you know in real life.

I am thinking of my favorite child of all for this post, though I will not name his name for his protection. He is the closest child to me in my life. Here are the characteristics he possesses:

Innocence
Joy
Helpfulness
Curiosity
Compassion
Lightheartedness
Trust/Faith
Creativity
Humor
Friendliness

Now, not every child will possess these characteristics, but the point is to think about an ideal child who has not yet been corrupted by the world. Sadly, this is getting harder to find, but they are out there.

Children who are raised correctly know how to entertain themselves and they really never grow bored.They have a spirit of joy, and smiling is easy for them. They are not overly critical, and they are always ready to help others. They trust their mothers and their fathers, and they love them. They are kind and friendly to others, and they have an appropriate sense of humor. They are wonderful to be around!

No wonder Satan has done everything he can to encourage people to stop having children. When raised correctly, children bring us closer to God. They exemplify characteristics of Jesus Christ Himself!

The majority of adults I speak to have lost all elements of their own childhoods. They are no longer curious about the world, and they have little joy. Their hearts have grown cold, and they are bitter and merciless to others.

Readers may be thinking, "But how can it be any other way? The world is so dark and evil. Adults have just figured that out!"

I understand and have compassion toward this attitude, as I once possesed it. However, that is then why we must turn to Jesus Christ, and we must seek His Living Water. Then, and only then, can we be like children again.

The Living Water

Both the past and modern Laodiceans are lacking one precious thing - the living water of God. Again, they are consumed with their physical blessings; however, it is clear that they are actually spiritually naked:

3:18 I counsel 4823 5719 thee 4671 to buy 59 5658 of 3844 me 1700 gold 5553 tried 4448 5772 in 1537 the fire 4442, that 2443 thou mayest be rich 4147 5661; and 2532 white 3022 raiment 2440, that 2443 thou mayest be clothed 4016 5643, and 2532 [that] the shame 152 of thy 4675 nakedness 1132 do 5319 0 not 3361 appear 5319 5686; and 2532 anoint 1472 5657 thine 4675 eyes 3788 with eyesalve 2854, that 2443 thou mayest see 991 5725.

In my dream earlier, it is important to note that I was wearing clothes, and in the Bible, we are told to get dressed in white garments. In other words, our spiritual garments are important. Though the world looks to outward appearance, God is judging our hearts and spiritual appearances.

The Laodiceans were spiritually naked, and so are many modern day Christians. They rely too much on the world for their comforts, not seeking the one and true living God - Jesus Christ - for what they need. They cannot see their own nakedness, and that is the hardest part of running this blog. Few want to admit they are doing something wrong. I do commend the few who have, however!

So, the Laodiceans are not only lacking physical water, but they are lacking the proper spiritual water as Christians.

Going deeper, based on my many conversations with thousands upon thousands of people around the world, what they are lacking is the faith that produces this living water.

So many are obsessed with logic, reasoning, and evidence that they just get lost in it. They comprehend the Bible, but deep in their hearts, they do not really believe it. Satan has done this intentionally. He has made people obsessed with the rational mind so much so that they have forgotten the more child-like, spiritual view.

Going back to children, they see things differently than adults, don't they? They are not obsessed with logic or reasoning, and they may even have greater access to spiritual things like angels. Now, this is not a directive toward foolishness in any regard. I am not against rationality or logic, and I am writing this post with rationality and logic in mind.

However, I am trying to teach the world about the more spiritual worldview. This spiritual worldview requires a child-like mindset, where you put trust and faith in your father in Heaven. This requires faith:

Jesus Promises Living Water
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[a] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[b] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Here is where the problem lies: people have tried to simplify faith. It isn't just about believing though that is the beginning of it. Let us look deeper at the words:

7:37 1161 In 1722 the last 2078 day 2250, that great 3173 [day] of the feast 1859, Jesus 2424 stood 2476 5715 and 2532 cried 2896 5656, saying 3004 5723, If 1437 any man 5100 thirst 1372 5725, let him come 2064 5737 unto 4314 me 3165, and 2532 drink 4095 5720.
7:38 He that believeth 4100 5723 on 1519 me 1691, as 2531 the scripture 1124 hath said 2036 5627, out of 1537 his 846 belly 2836 shall flow 4482 5692 rivers 4215 of living 2198 5723 water 5204.

First, it requires a "thirst." Most reading have forgotten what true thirst is really like, as most of us have quick access to water. In a spiritual sense, the Laodecian church is not thirsty because they have everything they need - well, they think they do, and that is Jesus's critique of them.

So, they are not thirsty for the true, living water.

Secondly, let us examine the word "believeth":

1) to have faith in, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
1a) of the thing believed
1a1) to credit, have confidence
1b) in a moral or religious reference
2) by implication, to commit or entrust, i.e. to entrust your spiritual well-being to Christ
2a) to make a commitment (to trust)
2b) to put in trust with or place confidence in

Words like trust, confidence, and commitment stand out to me.

Children are committed to their parents, aren't they? A committment is strong - there is no way to be "kind of" committed to someone or something. You either are or you aren't. I am either committed to Witness 1 or I am not. I am fully committed to him, do you see?

The problem that many readers have is they have never committed their hearts fully to Jesus Christ. They say they believe, but it ends there. They are not committed to Him in a relationship. You have to surrender your heart to God for a full relationship with committment.

What is coming in the way of the living water for many is that their hearts are committed to the world, and Satan is in control of this world.

So, are you a child of God or Satan? You can only choose one, and there is no in between. The world tries to trick people and show them that there are in-betweens with false doctrine and false religion, but that is not so. Jesus Christ says you are either for Him or against Him.

When you are a child of the world, you are not really a child at all. Generally speaking, those in love with this world and in a committed relationship with it are sinning, bitter, and anything but child-like. A child of the world is an oxymoron, really.

When you are a child of our father in Heaven through Jesus Christ, you are different. You stand out from the world. You have a child-like joy despite the evil and circumstances of this world. You trust in your father in Heaven, and you have commited to Him through Jesus Christ. You are a child of God.

I know what many readers may be thinking - it isn't easy! That is true, so I wanted to offer some recommendations for readers.

Become Like Children Again!

First, pray. Lose the rationality of mind with prayer, and just go to God. He already knows all of your thoughts anyway. Read this prayer right now, out loud if possible:

Dear Father in Heaven,
Please help me become like a child again in the name of Jesus Christ!

Next, examine your lives. Here are some things that have changed my life and made me more child-like. These are just suggestions, so please, do not be offended! Children aren't usually easily offended.

Remove LARGE screens in your house. I am so thankful we have no TV. How do you think I am able to write so much for God? I believe eliminating the large screens in our home has been the best thing we have ever done. Now, we watch movies as a treat, and we are not distracted all day long by endless propaganda.
Cut down on screen time in general. You have to set goals for yourself with this. Put your phone on airplane mode. I do that all of the time! I go for prayer walks, and I put my phone on airplane mode. You have to get off of your phone sometimes, or you will never be like a child again.
Pray continually. In an upcoming post, I will teach you all how to pray more effectively. Though this may be obvious, spend time with God by reading the Bible daily, and never, ever forsake prayer.
Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. For me, this was like the scariest thing anyone ever could have told me years ago. I loved staying up late, but now I see this differently. I was often staying up late to drink or do bad things. I know this point will be controversial but I am telling you that once I started waking up earlier and spending some time with God in the morning, everything in my life changed. Trust me, I am a natural night owl, but changing my schedule by waking up with light changed me somehow.
Keep yourself busy for the Lord Jesus. When you are sober (or sober-minded), you have to have things you are doing. You cannot be sober and sit in your bed and do nothing. Force yourself to have some hobbies until they become enjoyable again. I promise you they will. Start exercising, for example. Do not let yourself have tons of down time. If you don't know what Jesus wants you to do, ask Him. Start by writing a testimony for this blog or sending us an email if you're really lost.
Sit alone with your thoughts. Go outside, sit in the sun, put your phone away, and think. Face every painful thought you need to, and pray to address it. You have to have downtime in your mind sometimes. You cannot always have your mind going, going, and going. Be bored sometimes!
Do something child-like! Go roller skating or bowling. Go swimming. Do something you once did as a child, even if just for one day on the weekend. I promise you, you will laugh, even if you are the most bitter person on the planet. If you don't have a lot of money, go to the park and go on the swings. If you have kids, play with them! If you know a child, hang out with them. GET OFF YOUR PHONE!
Forgive. Children forgive really quickly, and you should, too. They forgive even when no one says sorry. If you are holding onto unforgiveness, you are not a child of God.

These are just examples. I am not saying they are all solutions to every problem but they are a start. Making some small changes in your life will be the beginning of becoming like a child again. If all you do is work, and you never find time for true enjoyment (not just entertainment), then you cannot be like a child. Remember, an ideal child can sit in a room alone, play for hours, and have no need to have anyone entertain them. These children do still exist despite Satan's corruption.

For me, personally, I started getting excited just to go to the store, do chores, or even go to work when I started to feel like a child again. When we are children, everything is fun! The world is fun with a child-like mindset.

Do not forget to be careful what you lay your eyes upon. When I stopped viewing evil things (as much), I became much more child-like. It's amazing.

One thing readers might not understand is how I can write a doomsday blog and not have it get to me too much. I think it is sincerely because I have become like a child again! I know the world is ending, and I have complete faith in Jesus Christ that everything will be okay. I am not scared anymore. I trust Him.

Conclusion

My friend, Drew, with the heart of a child, sent me this message recently. I felt it was very pure of heart, and a representation of what I am trying to say in this post. The context is me thanking him for sending some donations, and here is his reply:

I really do think that even a dollar here or there, if some one were to give it willingly, could change so much. If people just realized that it is sharing, and seeing the growth in others is the most enjoyable thing, then this world would not have gotten so bad in the first place.

Something I realized about myself is that I enjoy watching people and things grow. Watching a person change day by day into something better (in a good sense) was and is something that I love. If I can help them grow, then I try to. It is this kind of love that people are missing I feel. The love to watch others succeed more than their own success. To help them get there. To nudge them in the right direction, or to simply stand back and watch them learn from their mistakes. Giving opportunities up to let them take it, to give up on what you might gain from something simply because it is more important to let the other person grow.

I think this is the type of love that you two exhibit everytime you wake up and don't give up. Sacrificing literally everything that you could have in this world, just so someone else can grow, whether it be spiritually, or in their own understanding of something. You die every single day so that someone else might find life in the work that you two are doing. Thank you for this sacrifice - it is something that we are not worthy of, something that this world is not worthy of.

And thus the Love of God is made manifest through the world, that you love others more than you love yourself. That you put up with the chide comments, and the angry and deranged letters and ramblings of those who are wise in the world. That just as Jesus suffers us to be children with Him, to blunder (though hopefully less so) every day, that so do we show the mercy and grace unto others to realize they themselves have made mistakes, and grow because of it. For everytime you admit to your mistakes, a little bit more of the wrong that is in you does, too, and the foundation is built for a better you.

A man might not die for a righteous man, and for a good man he may in fact risk his life, but for the caring and teaching man, the one who does nothing but sacrifice himself, he is cast into the mud and killed by those whom he was trying to teach. This is the man who does so that others might live. This is the man Jesus Christ, who died for us, that we might have the chance to grow into all faith and love. To come to understand that the best things in this world, and in the world to come, are not gained though cunning, or through deceit, but through giving up those things that might otherwise help you get ahead. This is the love of God made manifest, that a man might die for His friends, and for those whom will never know who they are.

Truly God is merciful, for He suffers us to be as children, constantly growing and learning, never giving up. We in this life have not even touched upon the fullness of it, we have not even touched upon the greatness of what it means to live. The things of this world truly do pass away, and we really do see as if through a dimmed looking glass, as seeing into a dirty mirror. What is to come, if we are so blessed as to find mercy and forgiveness at the hands of The Just One, Jesus Christ, cannot be explained through our mortal and fleshy understanding.

Truly God is blessed, for He shows us glimpses beyond our understanding of a world so different from what we know, that what we know seems dim in comparison.

May God bless you and keep you, showing you both the fullness of what is to come, though we cannot contain but a fraction of it in our understandings. May He shine His splendor, and the fullness of His glory upon your soul, that you might but think on it, and grow not weary. There is a time coming where we will need grace and strength beyond everything that we could ever think possible. I pray that we all are ready for it. For that time is now come, and is here. Tribulation is happening, though it seems quite small at the current time to those of us in comfort. Truly it will be hardest upon us..

Thank you, Drew, for the beautiful words from the Holy Spirit.

For the readers, here is my question to you: are you a child of God or of Satan? Which qualities do you possess of a child, and which do you need to work on?

For one, like the Church of Laodecia, we must not be deceived by the comfort and wealth that may surround us. Very shortly, many of these things may be taken away.

Next, we must seek the Living Water of Jesus Christ, which can only be obtained through a child-like faith in Him. The rationality of the world can never teach us about Jesus Christ fully. That would be impossible.

Finally, I would like to end with a dream, and God said I should share it.

In this dream, I went into a school building with many teachers and students. The children had made me some Easter cards, 7 to be exact. They were addressed to "The Two Witnesses." Though Witness 1 wasn't around, he is always with me because I believe we are one flesh.

Perhaps the message of this dream is that if we really are the two witnesses, only those like children will know understand. The rest of the world will not have the eyes to see or ears to hear what we are saying.

I pray that upon reading this post, our readers become more like children of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ,

- Witness 2