The People of Zeal!

Revelation 3:14-22 describes the Laodicean Church. As opposed to Philadelphia’s eight strengths, this description lists eight distinct problems common to those in the last era. It would require a very long article to describe them all in detail. This Personal will address what Christ described as the most central problem to the condition of this final era.

After Christ’s warning to Laodicea about its problems, He exhorted, “Be zealous therefore, and repent” (vs. 19). Of course, the people of the final era have much repenting to do. Their approach toward doctrinal compromise is an enormous problem in itself. Another is their unwillingness to sacrifice for the Work. The list is long.

However, everything that they must address and change starts with a willingness to once again “be zealous.”

You have probably heard the old saying, “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy man!” This is so true. But have you ever asked yourself why it is the busiest person who will find time to fit in additional important tasks? The answer is that some people are production oriented. They continually push themselves, always believing that they can do more.

We have all met zealous people. Not all are in the Church. You probably know some at work or school. In society, those who drive themselves—in politics, business, sports or in other ways—are considered the “movers and shakers.” They are the people who get things done.

Most people expend energy as though they want to see how little they can use to get by. It is as though they want to “squeak by” doing just the bare minimum, and still hope to succeed. Only the most gifted might achieve any kind of lasting accomplishment by neglecting to practice zeal in their lives.

In his autobiography, Mr. Herbert Armstrong described how he trained himself to rise early in order to get the day started on the right foot. He knew this was necessary if he was to be as productive as he needed to be. Some of this self-taught training became part of what led Mr. Armstrong to write his wonderful booklet The Seven Laws of Success.

I have written and said before that I am not naturally a morning person. I have also had to learn—train myself—to get up early. Throughout most of my senior year in high school, I swam a mile every morning. This was only one of three daily practices that I had, before and after attending class. I had a goal and I drove myself to achieve it. I knew I did not have as much natural ability as great athletes. But I determined, by training myself to think this way, to push—drive—myself harder than any of my opponents. As a result, I beat many great athletes.

During my freshman year at Ambassador College, I slipped back to rising at about 6:30 a.m. It was easier and more comfortable to just stay in bed after long, hard days of classes, sports and several hours of work so that I could put myself through school (as did 98 percent of the students).

At the outset of my sophomore year, I determined to return to a practice of rising early every day. I decided to get up at 5:00 a.m. for the entire year. Believe me when I say that it was not easy! (Obviously, you dairy farmers are not impressed by this.)

But here is how I did it. I decided that I needed seven hours of sleep, so I went to bed each evening at 10:00 p.m. However, it was the goals I set for morning production—the things I wanted to do with my time—that made it possible to rise when I did. One of these goals was to outline and summarize the entirety of the major and minor prophets. I thought that if I did this as a special paper, I could learn a great deal more about the details of prophecy—and get a better grade in my Old Testament Survey class.

Developing the practice, early in life, of rising before my body wanted, taught me that I could physically accomplish far more than I ever thought possible—if I pushed myself to the limit. I have also written before that I even developed a kind of addiction to pain and fatigue when I was training as a swimmer and in various other sports. I have never forgotten the lesson that I could do far more than I initially thought possible—if I was just willing to drive myself to go the extra mile. For me, it was literally swimming that extra mile, starting at 6:00 a.m. before school.

The rewards were thrilling—even exhilarating—during that period, and I did not want to give up that feeling or the feeling of accomplishment!

Have you realized that God is a zealous God? (He is also “jealous,” but this is not a misspelling.) Open your Bible and carefully read Ezekiel 5:1-13. It summarizes horrible prophecies that God will bring to pass on the nations of Israel and Judah. Verse 13 concludes the passage: “Thus shall Mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them…and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in My zeal, when I have accomplished My fury in them.”

When the great prophecies of the Bible culminate, and God’s Master Plan unfolds, He states that He will move with zeal to accomplish it. Isaiah 9:7 states, “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

This is how God carries out the matters He purposes.

Do you move with zeal to accomplish purposes in your life—or are you laid back, easing and sliding your way through life, lazing and wasting time, continually distracted and unfocused from important tasks at hand? Paul told Titus that God was “purify[ing] unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (2:14). Immediately in the next verse, Paul admonished Titus, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority” (vs. 15).

Sometimes God’s ministry must speak to—exhort—or even rebuke God’s people when they lack true zeal! I hope this Personal serves whichever of these three your current spiritual condition requires.

Carefully reading the rest of Revelation 3:19 shows that Christ strongly rebukes Laodiceans for a lack of zeal in their works. Since He tells them to repent, wrong works must also be involved. But He states that He “chastens” them in love. II Corinthians 7:11 shows that all those who truly repent of anything have an element of zeal in their actions.

When I arrived at Ambassador College, I heard seemingly endless stories of what it was like in the early days. I was awestruck by some of the stories of what people, driven with purpose and close to God, were able to accomplish. Virtually every professor—including special forums and assemblies for students—stressed the importance of being zealous toward the four years that were ahead. We were urged to drive ourselves to accomplish. We came to understand how hard the employees at Headquarters, and the ministry in the field, worked.

I remember hearing stories of ministers traveling giant circuits of two or three congregations (and often additional Bible Studies in outlying areas) in order to serve God’s expanding flock. Stories were also told about how far people were willing to travel just to attend Sabbath services—as well as regular Bible studies, Spokesman Clubs, socials and other opportunities for fellowship. We heard of healings because people fervently “pray[ed] one for another” (Jms. 5:16).

Prior to the watering down of doctrine, by the mid-1970s, the Church was a place that housed a people of enormous zeal. Brethren seemed to be on fire about everything they did. When activities occurred, people came early and stayed late. It was as though no one could get enough of the truth, fellowship, news of the Work and literature sent from Headquarters.

When the liberal years of the 70s were upon the Church, this all began to change—and rapidly!

I was in the ministry all through this time. While I watched Mr. Armstrong roar to life—and stay in a “putting the Church back on track” mode of thinking until the day of his death—I never saw the Church come even close to the zeal it once had. The general spirit and attitude that I had seen in the mid-60s, when God called me, never again showed its face in the Church in quite the same way. I saw that certain individuals were filled with zeal, but the Church never returned to the same “fire in the belly” mindset that seemed to consume everyone prior to the liberal years.

Large numbers came into the Church having never known either the 1960s or prior times. Many were never exposed to Mr. Armstrong so that they could see the tremendous spiritual energy he exuded and employed. As a result, many today have nothing to fall back on as an example they should recapture in our time.

This makes me sad! So many people have no idea of the joy that they are missing when they fail to live a life of drive, zeal for good works—and sacrificing for the Work of God! Most today are entirely preoccupied with pleasures and selfish, foolish pursuits of the flesh. No matter how one might thunder at them, they seem incapable of grasping the true seriousness and gravity of our times. Truly, they cannot discern the signs of the times.

After the apostasy of the 1980s, I had the advantage of hindsight. It finally became crystal clear why the vast majority fell away from the truth—and why Christ describes the majority of those who did not as lacking zeal. People tend to view themselves as Philadelphian based solely on what organization they attend. In other words, being Philadelphian or Laodicean is a matter of alignment more than conduct.

When the leader of Philadelphia, Mr. Armstrong, was alive, and the Worldwide Church of God was on track in doctrine, purpose and unity, the vast majority were still unconverted—or lukewarm. While one could not be part of the Philadelphian era if he were aligned with any other group, being in the WCG guaranteed nothing. Of course, most did not, as Mr. Armstrong often stated, “get it.”

Do you “get it”? If you do, your life is on fire for God’s Way—in all things! More than anything else, it is zeal that defines your Christianity. More than anything else, you must “get” this point to “get it” at all. And, if you even assume you cannot possibly show more zeal, you may not even have much to begin with. You may need to “anoint your [own] eyes” (Rev. 3:18) as the starting point toward putting great zeal into your conversion.

Matthew 6:20-23 and 33-35 describe those who seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, with singleness of mind. They “lay up for [themselves] treasures in heaven.” Their “eyes” remain single in purpose. They do not worry about having enough physical things—and this leads them to always have enough. They do not worry about their tomorrows, because they are focused on the potential “evils” of the todays in their lives. They understand Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.”

You have put your hand to the plow (Luke 9:62). You must never look back. Ask God daily to fill you with His Spirit and to stir you to zealously pray, serve and sacrifice for the Work of God, and to zealously grow and overcome—now—so that you can be in the Kingdom of God soon!