The Time Preceding the Coming of the Lord — Paris Reidhead

Will you turn this evening to book of Revelation chapter 4. We have just completed in Sunday night's past the study of the seven churches. At the outset of this study. We stated that These were seven churches that existed at the time.

The Seven Churches and the Lukewarm Laodicean Church

The problems were Current problems problems that were had to be dealt with they represent probably most of the difficulties that will be encountered in any church or in all churches and Probably the difficulties that have been encountered by churches across the century.

So it was first seven churches at the time secondly characteristics of churches through the ages but also there is something of a pattern that covers the period of all church history. And we would suggest that the Laodicean Church the last church would be the church that Characterizes the time preceding the coming of the Lord its general characteristic will be this I Know that thou art neither cold nor hot.

I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth. There's the tendency that so apparent today even with such groups as were characterized by the great fire and zeal of their earliest Foundings as for instance the Methodist Church that was characterized by great liberty and great freedom great delight great joy in the Lord.

The same was true of the Great Awakening which included the Congregational Presbyterian churches here in this country down in the Southland. Where the brush arbor meetings and the great revival meetings in the country in rural areas?

Characterized a hundred years or more of the life of the people and now all of that is his past and they Dignity has come and the coldness has come not the dignity and coldness or necessary necessarily synonymous, but but the tendency has been to Reduce the fervor reduce the warmth reduce the heat and To bring it to that state called lukewarm now.

This is true in the individuals experience. You will find if you've been long in the Christian way that there's a tendency in your own experience to Have a neutralizing effect because of the ones around you you are zealous and earnest.

Well, you're a little different perhaps and soon someone is saying well now I wouldn't do this or wouldn't do that Suggest this or suggest that and the consequence there's a constant pressure on all of us to Adjust now.

We know that today in the 20th century. Everything is is geared around adjustment and Adjustment means to fit into the group so that you are not conspicuous. We find it beginning with our children in grade school that feel the pressure on them to take part in the earliest social life of the ungodly community in Christian children have a problem there well they they're maladjusted if they don't take up ballroom dancing or ballet or some of the other things and Then as they get older the teenagers have speak their own language and dress wear their own uniform and have their own characteristic cut they they submerge themselves in the group and find this Security that comes from being accepted in their own group at least they are rather uncertain about the adult world that they're Approaching and they're weary of the childish world.

They've left and and so they create their own pattern of living. Well adjustment Characterizes all of our life. It's interesting to see that people that move from a city like New York where they haven't darkened the church door except Christmas Eve in 1954 well, they move out to One of the suburbs to suffer and for instance and and the first thing, you know, they're members of a church.

Well, why. Because being a member of a church is peripherally part of the life of the community. And so they adjust by becoming a member of the church. Not that they're any more interested in spiritual things, but since everybody in the suburbs belongs they belong this is what characterizes the church at Laodicea an Adjustment to each other.

Instead of to the Lord they are not cold in the sense that they've denied religion too much. It's not an atheistic church. They're not hot in the sense that they're experiencing and enjoying all its Taught and all that's given to them, but they're lukewarm and this perhaps characterizes our day and may characterize it for as far as the Church generally is concerned.

Right up until the last it's interesting to note that the liberalism of 25 years ago that blatant Hardcore liberalism that attacked the deity of Christ and attacked the inspiration of the scripture. And all the truths of our faith.

That's pretty well passe now you find very few people that very few preachers anymore that defend that and even the ones that wrote most blatantly in and severely 25 30 years ago now have. Well, they call themselves neo-orthodox.

They've they've adjusted till it's neutral and this this neutral life characterizes the laity see in church. Well now the Lord is standing outside the door of this church. It's the only church where the Lord himself says that he stands outside the door.

I do not believe that in verse 20 and 21 of the third chapter that you have the second coming of Christ. Behold I stand at the door and knock does not seem to me to be the Lord's coming. I don't believe that when he comes he's going to stand at the door and knock.

He says the heaven shall open and he shall descend with a shout with the Trump with the voice of the Archangel. Not much knocking there. He's not asking anyone if he can come in. He simply puts himself in the center of history when he returns.

But here is the Lord Jesus standing outside the door of this laity see in church. And he is saying I'm here. I want you to meet me. I want you to know me. I want you to want me. Notice now in this last verse and this is relevant to the text of the evening.

Behold, I stand at the door of the church and knock if any man open Hear my voice and open the door I will come in and To him and will sup with him and he with me. Entirely personal matter and I believe that in the 20th century and in this period in which we now live that the prospects of of Movement in the visual visible visual or visible church the larger area of ecumenical church life.

Individual Fellowship With the Lord

I See very little prospects of anything Heartening coming out of it because the pressure is always toward denominational in integrity on the part of the individual denomination and then denominational cooperation.

Drawing closer together within itself and then on the upper level reaching out in an ecumenical relationship. And I do not see anything in the word that indicates That the church as we know it that is the organized visible church generally seen and viewed as a social phenomenon is Going to experience a great revival At the end of the age.

I I don't see it and in the scripture. But I think that right here in verses 20 and 21 you have that which is going to characterize the last days. Where the church is neither hot nor cold and doesn't particularly change in this as the time goes but the individual Christian here's the voice of the Lord knocking at the door and opens to the Lord and enters into an experiential relationship described by him as I will come into him and Will sup with him and he with me.

I believe that this is that which is going to be the characteristic Dynamic aspect of Christianity as we approach the coming of the Lord and it will be manifest in this way. You may be I'm speaking to someone that's not regularly a part of this congregation.

You may be from out of town. Let's say from Harrisburg and in the church that you attend in Harrisburg, there's very little spiritual fellowship. But you personally have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

You've heard him stand outside the door and knock. You've opened to him and he's come in and supped with you and you with him and you've entered into a glorious relationship with the Living Christ. Now you're still a member of that church where you were it's perhaps an Orthodox, let's assume it's an Orthodox Church.

But it's neither cold nor hot. But you've entered into a relationship with the Lord which has made your heart hot for God and you're consumed with a deep fire. Well now, how is this going to be manifest?

I believe it's going to be manifest in this that God and his sovereign love is going to lead you in Harrisburg or New York or wherever you are to that other person that to who that's opened the door and All apart from the organized expression of Christianity.

You are going to find your fellowship with that individual that has the same relationship to the Lord you have. It's not going to affect your relationship. It's not going to change it particularly but that the Church of the Lord that is that vehicle Which he is going to use for the revelation of himself.

Does not seem to be that which is on the surface so to speak in the with a pillar. With the with the building in the spire. But it seems to be just as you have it here the individuals that have opened their heart to the Lord.

Now it doesn't mean at all. There won't be churches that are hot for God and that there won't be organized groups that are hot for God. But just as we would I could take you by Description to certain churches some in the New York area some in other parts of the country.

Where perhaps I know of one church that is Presbyterian now the denomination has Doesn't share these things at all but The pastor met God he opened the door God came in he was brought on fire with God and with the love of God.

And is the people have joined him and they're there and it's unique in any all over the nation. They talk about this particular church. Think of another case. I read about it in Chicago. Just the Friday evening Robert Walker of Christian life magazine said have you seen this.

And he handed me the national Publication of the Episcopal Church said read it and I read about an Episcopal Church Out in the West Coast where God had found the pastor's heart and the rector's heart and he'd been born again and then he'd entered into the experience of the fullness of Christ and he'd.

There'd been opposition raised in this large church that he had in a large city. And so he simply said well fine and he stepped out went up to a little place. They were having 25 people on Sunday morning.

He's been there six months and they've had to go to different larger buildings because he's been averaging 250 to 300 people a big that have had the same desire that he's had Church in Illinois Episcopal Church the same thing has happened.

So it's whether it's Alliance or Episcopal or Presbyterian or Methodist or Baptist. It doesn't seem to affect the denomination of the larger group. It's the local situation. But there again, it's the individual and those individuals which have grouped around the particular testimony.

That's what you seem to have here in the 20th or these verses 20 and 21. The Lord is looking for the individual now if you wait until everybody does what God wants You to do that is to open to the Lord invite him in this relationship that he holds out as your privilege in this day.

You wait a long time because everybody isn't going to do it anywhere including here. Undoubtedly, but that doesn't mean that you are deprived of anything. Because he'll meet you. He'll meet you in terms of his purpose and your need he'll meet you.

God doesn't give you a hunger to mock you and he doesn't taught you by bringing you up to Your need and his provision and say now look, this is what you need. This is what I provided but Sorry, it's not for you.

No. No, this never happens. He says you open the door and I will come in to him and I will sup with him and he with me and this is going to characterize the Period that now is and is to come as the Lord's relationship With us and I think it's going to continue right on until the day when he cleaves the sky.

I do not see that it's going to as I said before it's going to take the form of of a great Revival in the organization that stands up as it were above the surface. But it'll be if you can visualize it something below the surface Where the hungry of heart are drawn to each other and here and there there will be an opportunity For a group to have such an expression.

The Open Door in Heaven

Well now after this in chapter 4 after this said John after he'd seen this one in the standing outside the door. After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and The first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me.

Which said come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Now the thing I want you to see in this first verse is that God desires to reveal himself. You find this all through revelation, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It is not revelations as we've so frequently heard it. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. God wants to reveal himself. He wants to unveil himself for that's what the word revelation mean. Apocalypse on the uncovering the unveiling notice.

I Looked and behold a door was opened in heaven now. First thing you need to know is this that God didn't have to open that door. There's no obligation on the part of God to show us anything about the present the past or the future.

And then it says and a voice was heard. God did not have to speak. He owed nothing to John. John had no mortgage on the Lord. There was no reason for God to open the door and there was no reason for God to speak.

No obligation was being met by his doing this. Then he gave an invitation come up hither here is an Invitation by God to enter into his presence to behold that which he wishes to reveal now God did not need to do this and Then he speaks as the voice of a trumpet and says and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

This then is God's desire to reveal himself. He wants us to know. Amos it is who makes a statement that is most interesting. He said that he does nothing. God does nothing except he reveal it to his servants the prophets.

And I think this is true. I think this is what we are to understand today that God has a desire to to Speak and he is speaking. I respect the ministries of the gifts and the ministries of the Spirit of God as Being an absolutely necessary for the 20th century.

You know how deeply I appreciate the ministry of dr. Tozer and quote him so often and speak of him. So freely. I Believe that God has given to the body of Christ at the church in dr. Tozer a seer. Now a seer is someone who sees.

That's what the word comes from. You pronounce it seer. But really it is a seer. Someone who sees who sees beyond where others can see. Someone who sees through the fog and the mist and the haze and Tells you what's out there and perhaps you look and all you see is haze.

And he looks and he sees right through it that unusual vision that enables him to pierce the impenetrable and see it. Now God has given to us seers. I think we are to recognize this not that one claims by that infallibility by any means and certainly dr. Tozer doesn't but This this is something that is given by the Lord to the body of Christ.

In the person of individuals who have the ability to see. I am sure that another that you are not familiar with to any degree. But I wish you could be is dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones of England. I Have his paper the West Minister echo or chapel echo.

I believe it is in which once a month one of his messages is given and he's written two or three books. Friends of mine from England are Frequently reporting on things that he said but I feel that here is a man that God has given to the body of Christ Especially to the church in England to see and to say what he sees.

John’s Sensitivity and Spiritual Discernment

Well now when I was named these two I am by any means exhausted there but simply to illustrate. Not everyone is going to see everything that everybody else does. Now not everyone is going to hear the Lord say the door open and hear the voice of God saying come up higher.

John was there in the spirit on the Lord's Day and He saw the Lord saw heard him speak about the churches saw the open door and heard the voice of God Saying I will show you things to come now it's true that This happened with John, but I believe that it's equally true that in every generation There are those that God gives to the body of Christ who relate The trends of the times To the days that lie ahead and this has been the peculiar ministry of these men to whom I have referred now God wanted to Show some things and so he had to find a man to do it had to find someone that he was in the spirit.

Someone that was listening someone that was sensitive. Someone that would report what he saw no more no less someone that was prepared not to be shocked by what he saw not to be overwhelmed by it, but Simply to to share it and he found it in John.

Now, I think you will do well as an individual Christian to ask God to open your eyes. Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy law. Open my eyes that I may see The trends of the time. Open my eyes.

Now I say to you when you do this you want to understand what you're doing. It's a terribly lonely thing. It's a it's a terribly lonely thing to see have other people say well, I don't see that at all.

And you see, you know, you see it. But I think that for your service for the body of Christ You ought to ask God to give you to the degree that he can spirit of discernment. That you can see and know and understand what's happening around you.

And this this I believe is something that you have a reason and right to ask the Lord to do. Oh God. Open the eyes of my understanding that I may know. I'm sure that John had peculiar gifts and abilities because of his long relationship with the Lord, but I also believe that There is in this invitation come up hither and I will show thee things which must be here after a general invitation to the Church of Christ in any time.

To ask God to open our eyes to the things that are taking place. That we are aware of them and can help others. Now God not only desires to reveal himself through John and to us through John. But and to us and through us to our generation.

But God does reveal himself. Verse 2 and immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne. Was set in heaven and one sat on the throne. What was the first thing that John saw about the future for that's what he was beholding things Which must be hereafter.

He saw a throne. And he saw one that sat on the throne and what God was saying to John was this. That whatever else I have to show you about the future. Remember the first thing you saw when the door was open was that I sit on the throne and The first thing God wants you to understand about the future is that he is the sovereign of the future.

God’s Sovereignty Over Nations and Personal Problems

Now from time to time I have related to you some of the things which are told by Wise men and wicked men also wise who are concerned about delaying it and avoiding it and wicked in their intention to pursue it.

That we are told that by 1973 America will be communist now. I hope it isn't so. But we've been so apathetic and so lethargic that I tell you this not to frighten you not to prepare you for it. But to cause you to lay hold of God and say Oh God do something to make us worthy of having this stopped.

But the first thing you have to understand about the future is this that there is a throne and there's one that sits upon it. And if that should take place in America Let it never be thought that it took place because God wasn't able to stop it.

The God of the Bible is a sovereign God Who holds the hearts of Kings in his hands? Now I think America today is ripe for judgment. Right for it. I agree with Stacy Woods completely who says that he cannot see and the American scene anything more than the fragment of reason why God shouldn't let anything desperate happen to a land that's had such a heritage of ours that squandered it in such a Indescribably Wasteful manner.

Well, I do not think it's right for us to say Oh God stop communism. That isn't the answer. I Think the thing to do is to say Oh God make us worthy. To have the heritage that we possess preserved for another generation or two.

Lucy what right what right should someone that is deserves the electric chair have to cry out? Don't put the power on he deserves it and all and tell you all honesty would show us that we're a nation.

That's given up to idolatry to sensualism to the worship of sex to the worship of things to the worship of position that it's Not only in the world the material world, but it's also infiltrated the church.

My personal feeling about it is we should not say Lord spare poor us from such a horrible fate we ought to say if we're all honesty taking our place as Being part of it and being responsible in an intercessory capacity for it.

We ought to say Oh God we deserve Anything that can come upon us as a nation. Make us worthy to be deserved protected make us worthy to be spared. I Submit to you that the one that sits on the throne is sovereign.

That's the first thing John saw a Sovereign God, you know, the trouble with most Christians is the God they worship isn't big enough for the problems that they have. They just don't have God enough. You see you can't have both God and a problem at the same time.

Always when the problem is there it's because God isn't big enough for the situation. You can't hang on to both the problem and to God that's why the scripture is so explicit when it says Magnify the name of the Lord.

What we do you see is we magnify the problem. We magnify the difficulty we bring that up before our eyes and the problem seems enormous and God seems inconsequential and what God wanted to do with John was to show him that there was a throne and someone that sat upon it and Tonight you and I need to hear him say come up hither and I will show you a throne and one that sits upon it.

Some of you have personal problems in your life difficult and real. Every problem that I ever have or you ever have is simply the doorstep. Into blessing if we'll make it that way. It's just simply the vestibule and blessing.

Because it's in the problem that God reveals himself if you'll take the names of God those seven compound names. You will find that in every revelation of a further aspect of the character of God. There was a need for instance.

You have the word Jehovah Nisi. I mean a Jehovah Jireh rather a better illustration Jehovah Jireh. Well, what's the problem? God says to Abraham take your son and slay him and Isaac says father. Where's the sacrifice.

And he gives the name never used before Jehovah Jireh the Lord who provide us and It's in Abraham's Desperation that God reveals himself as the provider. Now I suppose if it were us we'd say Oh God spare me from the circumstance.

That makes it necessary for me to discover another aspect of your character. But you see God loved Abraham so much that he wouldn't cheat Abraham out of discovering that he's Jehovah Jireh. So he sets up a situation Where Abraham must obey and in obedience with with faith and the two always go together.

Abraham comes to its end corner where only God can provide and Abraham sees a throne and one that sits upon it and he says Jehovah Jireh the Lord who provide. One other situation. Israel has come out of Egypt.

They're thirsty. Red sea is salty. They've had a lot of water around them. But it's not the right kind and they come to a place where there's a pool and they want to drink and somebody Tastes tastes it and it's poisons.

Well here are three million people and a little water hole and that water is poisons. Well It's a desperate situation there at wits end corner. They don't know where to go and God has maneuvered them into a place Where they must see a throne and one who sits upon it and so Moses is the one that's responsible.

Moses goes to the Lord and says now Lord. What'll I do? The Lord says cut the tree down throw it in. Well, you see the tree stands for the cross and The water stands for that which is going to sustain the race Provided with life and the only thing that the that God could do before the cross came was to bring death and judgment but by putting that tree in the midst of the stream the water below the tree could be sweetened and so in their desperation they have the revelation of Jehovah Raphi the Lord who healeth.

Well now that's what John saw a throne and one that sat upon it. And when you look at the future Remember that whatever the problem may develop in this unknown future It may be unknown to you, but it's known to God and in the wits end corner and at your extremity it's simply God's opportunity to give you a chance to see the throne and him that sits upon it and So as you look out everything else in the book of Revelation has this as the first scene this is the first thing that he's to see about the future and My friend your heart is going to fail you for fear of things to come upon the earth.

There's all men who think are Experiencing it's good for you tonight to hear him say come up here there and see one who said I have all Authority in heaven and earth is given unto me. All power is mine.

He's on the throne and like John you need to see it. Nothing can happen in your life, but what he permits it nothing can happen in circumstances. But what he permits it and therefore since he's on the throne it behooves us Not to go to him and say Oh God since you hold the heart of kings in your hands protect us from their wrath.

Remember Nebuchadnezzar was God's servant. God's servant he said my Servant Nebuchadnezzar who broke down the walls of Jerusalem and scattered the people and drew them away into captivity. God's servant.

And Consequently, it behooves you to understand that unless people are blessable They've no right to ask for blessing because there's a throne and one who sits upon it. All right now the next thing that he saw was that he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a sardine stone and there was a rainbow round about the throne and Incite like unto an emerald.

The Covenant-Keeping God and the Revelation of Sin

I'm so glad that he had to resort to precious stones with their bill brilliance and their beauty to describe describe God. You see no man can see God and live. And the one that sat upon the throne Was like unto a jasper and a sardis sardis stone.

It was he couldn't he couldn't see any nothing else described him. That marvelous. I'm so glad that the one that sat there was beyond comprehension and beyond description. And that this is the way John was led to talk about him exquisite glorious.

But all God could give is just a little reflection of himself. But whereas God couldn't reveal his face for no man can see God's face and live. Do you see what's there the rainbow? Around the throne. What's the rainbow?

The covenant of promise. Way back there when the flood came in Noah's day and the world was visited with destruction God put a rainbow and he made a covenant and he said I'll never visit the world with a flood by water again.

Never again next time it'll be by fire, but never by water and so John couldn't tell what he saw. It's like a jasper like a sardine stone. But there was a rainbow there was the covenant and it's like an emerald.

Green green is the color of spring the color of hope of expectation. And so whereas God could show the throne and him that sat upon it couldn't reveal his face because he is infinite and beyond description and comprehension yet It was to be understood that this is a covenant keeping God.

And as you hear the rainbow listen to it if my people Which are called by my name? Will humble themselves and seek my face And turn from their wicked way and pray then. Well, I hear from heaven then. Well, I forgive their sin.

Then well, I heal their land. He's a covenant-keeping God and for us to say Oh God heal our land from the Avenger Before we've Done what he promised no hope no green there, but if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face and pray and Turn from their wicked way then the rainbow and the emerald He's a covenant-keeping God.

That's what John saw. That he keeps his covenant. It can't be avoided. That's why in your life You are to deal with sin all sin at the moment that it's discovered at whatever cost it may entail to deal with it.

Because God's a covenant-keeping God and if you don't deal with it You give place to the enemy if you give place to the enemy. He will take that place. Then notice out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices.

There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God. Out of the throne proceeded lightnings. What's the purpose of lightning? What's the effect of lightning? Is it not to illuminate darkness?

It's an interesting word, you know. Lightning in the Hebrew is the word Torah shafts. Now the word Torah Shafts or shafts of lightning is the word from which we can't get law. They speak of the Torah shafts as of lightning.

What's the idea it is the law that proceeds from the throne of God Into the heart of man that illuminates the cavern there with all the death that's in it. And so John says I saw lightning go down into darkness to illuminate it.

So that men that are to be judged Always first have the revelation of their sin. Lightning came from the throne of God and then we discover that there were thunderings. For with the illumination of sin comes the thundering voice that encircled signing I.

The soul that sinneth it shall die. Judgment is is warned against and God has promised it and he said that he would do it and Out of the throne proceeded thunderings that every sin will come into judgment the lightning will reveal it and Thunderings are the declaration that God will not let sin go unpunished.

But then there's voices. There's voices the spirit and the bride say come. And let him that heareth say come and whosoever is a thirst let him come. Voices thunderings of judgment lightnings of the revelation of sin.

But voices come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. And I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart voices entreating Whosoever cometh to me.

I will in no wise cast out Voices and all of this is performed by the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. Which is the seven spirits of God or the sevenfold ministry of God? The Holy Ghost it's God the Holy Ghost that uses the shaft the Torah the lightning to illuminate the heart.

It's God the Holy Ghost that brings the dreaded fear of judgment. It's the Holy Ghost in his full ministry that brings the voices of entreaty and thus when someone lives on in their sin and spurns the revelation of the guilt and Rejects the voices.

They're actually rejecting God. For it's the seven lamps of burning and it's the sevenfold Holy Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost in his perfect complete ministry for the number of seven always means perfection.

What a sad thing it is to resist the Holy Ghost when the word a shaft of the truth of the law has Illuminated sin in your life or my life when God has shown us something and then to close our hearts to it.

We leave nothing but thunderings for we've spurned the voices. That's why sin is such a terrible thing in the life of a Christian and all how horrible. It is in the life of someone that hears the gospel and rejects Christ.

Christ as the Way Into God’s Presence

Noun verse six before the throne. There was a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne and about the throne were for thee a sea of glass like crystal pure God can't be approached until the inapproachable the inaccessible God infinitely holy.

How can a man who's laden with guilt and sin ever come before a God who sits on the throne in the sea of glass. How can anyone come to him? But ah, what did John see the living creatures the beast and what do they have?

They have the face of a lion In the face of a calf the face of a man In the face of an eagle. And what have you here? God inaccessible and unapproachable because of sin, but there is one a living creature.

Became flesh and dwelt among us the lion who reigned and ruled In splendor by whom all things were made without him was not anything made that was made the lion. Who will one day be the lion of the tribe of Judah?

He became a man. Became flesh and dwelt among us a man sinless holy and harmless and undefiled separate from sinners he became a Man in order that he could become the calf the sacrifice. That he might take away the sin of the world that he might die as the offering and The eagle for he's ascended into heaven and sits there at the right hand of the throne on God on high symbol of celestial splendor and grandeur.

And so God sitting upon his throne in the midst of the sea of grass glass cannot be approached unto. But there's a man Who's like a calf? Who's been an eagle in the heavens and who's a lion to reign. All of this speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Who's open for us a new and the living way that we can come to the throne in the sea of glass? And be accepted in the beloved years ago in Minneapolis Luke Rader the brother of Paul Rader had a work at the River Lake Gospel Tabernacle and people at River Lake used to wear a little little badge in their lapel figure of an eagle Of a man a calf and of a lion and the colors were there blue and of white of red and of lavender purple.