Church 7: LAODICEA — The Blind, Lukewarm Church (1900-Rapture)
Jesus’ Description of Himself
Revelation 3:14— “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”
Jesus is TRUTH HIMSELF!
To a church full of lies and self-deception, He declares: “I am the FAITHFUL AND TRUE witness!”
I tell the TRUTH about your condition!
What Jesus SEES (Devastating Reality)
Revelation 3:15-16— “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
LUKEWARM!
- Not on fire for God (not hot)
- Not openly hostile (not cold)
- Comfortable, complacent, mediocre
Jesus’ response: “I will VOMIT you out!”
The Greek emeo— to vomit, to spew out
This is REJECTION! EXCLUSION!
Laodicea is the ONLY church with NO COMMENDATION!
Jesus finds NOTHING good to say about them!
What They CANNOT SEE (Complete Blindness)
Revelation 3:17— “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”
THIS IS THE CORE ISSUE: BLINDNESS!
WHAT THEY SEE (self-perception):
- “I am RICH” (materially wealthy)
- “I have PROSPERED” (successful, growing)
- “I need NOTHING” (self-sufficient, complete)
WHAT JESUS SEES (reality):
- “You are WRETCHED” (miserable)
- “You are PITIABLE” (to be pitied)
- “You are POOR” (spiritually bankrupt)
- “You are BLIND” (cannot see your condition)
- “You are NAKED” (exposed, ashamed)
THE GAP BETWEEN PERCEPTION AND REALITY IS TOTAL!
They think:Success, prosperity, self-sufficiency
Jesus sees:Wretchedness, poverty, blindness, nakedness
THIS IS LAODICEA — OUR AGE!
The modern Western church:
- Mega-churches (we’re rich!)
- Large budgets (we’ve prospered!)
- Growth strategies (we need nothing!)
- Entertainment worship (we’re relevant!)
- Therapeutic preaching (we’re meeting needs!)
But Jesus sees:
- Spiritual bankruptcy
- Powerlessness
- Self-deception
- BLINDNESS
Laodicea is BLIND to their blindness!
The Cure: BUY FROM JESUS!
Revelation 3:18— “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”
Jesus offers three things:
1. GOLD REFINED BY FIRE (True Riches)
Not earthly wealth, but:
- Faith tested by trials (1 Peter 1:7)
- Spiritual treasure (Matthew 6:19-20)
- Christ Himself (Colossians 2:3 — “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”)
You think you’re rich? BUY TRUE RICHES FROM ME!
2. WHITE GARMENTS (True Righteousness)
Not self-righteousness, but:
- Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:9)
- Garments washed in the blood (Revelation 7:14)
- Covering for shame (Genesis 3:21 — God clothed Adam and Eve)
You think you’re clothed? You’re NAKED! BUY COVERING FROM ME!
3. EYE SALVE (True Sight)
This is the KEY! They need to SEE!
Not human wisdom, but:
- Spiritual sight (2 Corinthians 4:6)
- Illumination by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:18)
- Truth that exposes self-deception
You think you see? You’re BLIND! BUY SIGHT FROM ME!
Notice the progression:
POOR→ Need gold (riches)
NAKED→ Need garments (covering)
BLIND→ Need salve (sight)
All three must come FROM JESUS! You cannot provide them yourself!
This demolishes SELF-sufficiency!
The Motivation: LOVE Through Discipline
Revelation 3:19— “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
Why does Jesus speak so harshly?BECAUSE HE LOVES THEM!
Hebrews 12:6— “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
The harsh words are PROOF of love, not rejection!
He’s giving them one final chance to:
- SEEtheir true condition
- HEARHis rebuke
- REPENTbefore it’s too late
“Be ZEALOUS!”— Stop being lukewarm! Be ON FIRE!
The Most Famous Verse: Jesus OUTSIDE the Church
Revelation 3:20— “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Wait… WHAT?!
Jesus is OUTSIDE the church, knocking to get IN!
This is STUNNING! This is TRAGIC!
The Laodicean church has:
- Meetings (church services)
- Members (people attending)
- Message (preaching happening)
- Ministry (programs running)
But NO JESUS!
He’s been pushed OUT by their self-sufficiency!
They don’t NEED Him because they think they have everything!
The call is to INDIVIDUALS: “If ANYONE hears…”
Not “if the church hears” but “if ANYONE hears.”
Even in Laodicea, individuals can:
- HEAR His voice (spiritual hearing)
- OPEN the door (respond in faith)
- RECEIVE Him (personal relationship)
And Jesus promises: “I will come in… and eat with him”— INTIMACY! FELLOWSHIP! COMMUNION!
The Promise to Overcomers (The GREATEST Reward!)
Revelation 3:21— “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
THIS IS THE HIGHEST REWARD OF ALL SEVEN CHURCHES!
Co-reign with Christ on His THRONE!
Not just in the kingdom, but on the THRONE itself!
Sharing Jesus’ own authority, power, glory!
Who receives this?Those who OVERCOME in the WORST church age!
The difficulty of the age determines the magnitude of the reward!
Who overcomes in Laodicea?
- Those who SEE their blindness (and buy eye salve)
- Those who HEAR Jesus knocking (and open the door)
- Those who REPENT of lukewarmness (and become zealous)
- Those who REJECT self-sufficiency (and depend on Him)
The Final Call to HEAR
Revelation 3:22— “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
For the SEVENTH TIME, Jesus says: “Let him HEAR!”
This is the FINAL call before the Rapture!
After Laodicea, the next words in Revelation are:
Revelation 4:1— “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘COME UP HERE,’and I will show you what must take place after this.”
“COME UP HERE!” = THE RAPTURE!
The Application: Are You Laodicean?
Laodicea is the MODERN WESTERN CHURCH!
Characteristics:
- Material wealth (buildings, budgets, programs)
- Numerical success (large attendance)
- Cultural relevance (seeker-sensitive, contemporary)
- Therapeutic focus (meeting felt needs)
- Self-help preaching (you can do it!)
- Positive thinking (speak your prosperity!)
- Entertainment worship (production value)
- Celebrity pastors (personality-driven)
But spiritually:
- LUKEWARM(comfortable, complacent)
- BLIND(cannot see their true condition)
- SELF-DECEIVED(think they’re rich but are poor)
- CHRISTLESS(Jesus is outside, knocking)
Can you SEE if you’re Laodicean?
Warning signs:
- You’re comfortable in your Christianity
- You rarely feel desperate for God
- You’re more excited about programs than Jesus
- You measure success by numbers/money
- You think you “have it all figured out”
- You don’t long for Jesus’ return (you’re happy here)
- You’re offended by talk of judgment or hell
- You want Jesus as addition, not foundation
IF THIS IS YOU, REPENT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
Jesus is knocking! Can you HEAR Him?
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The Pattern Across All Seven Churches
The Progression of SIGHT and HEARING
As we survey all seven churches, a clear pattern emerges:
THOSE WHO CAN SEE AND HEAR (Overcomers):
EPHESUS:
- SEE their loss of first love
- HEAR the call to remember and repent
- OVERCOME and eat from Tree of Life
SMYRNA:
- SEE through suffering to glory
- HEAR the call to be faithful unto death
- OVERCOME and avoid second death
PERGAMUM:
- SEE the danger of compromise
- HEAR the call to reject false teaching
- OVERCOME and receive hidden manna
THYATIRA:
- SEE Jezebel’s deception
- HEAR the call to hold fast until He comes
- OVERCOME and receive authority over nations
SARDIS:
- SEE they’re dead (wake up!)
- HEAR the call to strengthen what remains
- OVERCOME and have name in Book of Life
PHILADELPHIA:
- SEE the open door
- HEAR “I am coming soon”
- OVERCOME and are kept FROM hour of trial (RAPTURED!)
LAODICEA:
- SEE their blindness (buy eye salve!)
- HEAR Jesus knocking outside
- OVERCOME and sit on Jesus’ throne
THOSE WHO ARE BLIND AND DEAF (The Lost):
In every church, there are those who:
- CANNOT see their true condition
- REFUSE to hear the Spirit’s warnings
- Will NOT repent
- Face severe judgment
The Consequences of Blindness
EPHESUS (if they don’t repent):
- Lampstand removed (lose their witness/light)
- No longer function as a church
PERGAMUM (if they don’t repent):
- Jesus wars against them with His sword
- Internal conflict and judgment
THYATIRA (if they don’t repent):
- Jezebel thrown on sickbed
- Followers cast into great tribulation
- Her children struck dead
SARDIS (if they don’t wake up):
- Jesus comes like a thief (unprepared, left behind)
- Miss the Rapture
LAODICEA (if they don’t repent):
- Jesus VOMITS them out (total rejection)
- Left behind for Tribulation
The Rewards of SIGHT
To those who CAN SEE and DO HEAR:
Tree of Life(Ephesus) — Eternal life, Paradise restored
No second death(Smyrna) — Escape Lake of Fire
Hidden manna(Pergamum) — Spiritual sustenance, Christ Himself
Authority over nations(Thyatira) — Co-reign in Millennium
Name in Book of Life(Sardis) — Eternal security
Kept FROM hour of trial(Philadelphia) — RAPTURED BEFORE TRIBULATION!
Throne with Christ(Laodicea) — Supreme authority and intimacy
These are MASSIVE, ETERNAL rewards!
And they all depend on:
- Can you SEE your condition?
- Can you HEAR the Spirit’s voice?
- Will you REPENT and OVERCOME?
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The Rapture Connection: Revelation 4:1
“Come Up Here!” — The Harpazo
Immediately after the seven churches, John writes:
Revelation 4:1— “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here,’and I will show you what must take place after this.”
This is RAPTURE imagery!
Notice:
“After this”— After the church age messages
“A door standing open in heaven”— Access to heaven
“Voice like a TRUMPET”— 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (the trumpet call!)
“COME UP HERE”— The catching up!
“What must take place AFTER this”— The Tribulation events
The SEQUENCE:
- Chapters 1-3:Church Age (Jesus addresses churches)
- Chapter 4:1:Rapture (“Come up here!”)
- Chapters 4-5:Heaven’s throne room (Church is there, worshiping)
- Chapters 6-19:Tribulation on earth (Church NOT mentioned)
The word “church” (ekklesia) appears:
- 19 times in Revelation 1-3 (Church Age)
- 0 times in Revelation 4-18 (Tribulation)
- Reappears in Revelation 19 (coming FROM heaven)
WHERE DID THE CHURCH GO?
RAPTURED in Revelation 4:1!
Who Gets Raptured? The Philadelphias!
Based on the seven churches, who is raptured?
PRIMARY:Those who are PHILADELPHIA
- Little power (dependent on God)
- Kept His word (faithful to Scripture)
- Not denied His name (bold witness)
- Given explicit promise: “I will keep you FROM the hour of trial”
POTENTIALLY:Overcomers from ALL seven churches
- Those who SEE their condition
- Those who HEAR the Spirit
- Those who REPENT
- Those who OVERCOME
NOT RAPTURED:
- The blind (Laodiceans who refuse eye salve)
- The deaf (those who don’t hear “He who has an ear”)
- The unrepentant (those who refuse to change)
- The lukewarm (vomited out)
- The compromisers (lovers of world more than Christ)
- The dead (Sardis who won’t wake up)
The Philadelphia Standard
If you want to be raptured, become PHILADELPHIA!
How?
1. Acknowledge your weakness(“little power”)
- Stop trusting in your own strength
- Depend completely on Christ
- Admit you’re helpless without Him
2. Keep His Word(“kept my word”)
- Believe ALL Scripture
- Obey what it says
- Don’t pick and choose
- Don’t “spiritualize” away clear teaching
3. Don’t deny His name(“not denied my name”)
- Publicly confess Christ
- Don’t be ashamed
- Stand for truth even when costly
- Boldly witness
4. Watch for open doors
- Missional mindset
- Alert to opportunities
- Active in evangelism
- Kingdom-focused
5. Wait for His coming(“Hold fast… I am coming soon”)
- Long for His appearing
- Live ready
- Not settled in this world
- Maranatha heart!
THIS is the Bride ready for the Bridegroom!
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The Seven-Fold Call: “He Who Has An Ear, Let Him HEAR”
Why Seven Times?
Jesus repeats this phrase SEVEN TIMES — once to each church!
This is:
- Complete emphasis (7 = completion)
- Universal application (not just to one church)
- Urgent warning (repeated for impact)
- Final call (before the Rapture)
What Does It Mean to HEAR?
Not just auditory hearing, but:
SPIRITUAL HEARING means:
Perceiving— understanding the message
Believing— accepting it as truth
Obeying— acting on what’s heard
Responding— changing behavior
Jesus often said: “He who has ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR!”(Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Mark 4:9, 4:23, Luke 8:8, 14:35)
Many have physical ears but CANNOT spiritually hear!
Matthew 13:13-15— “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand… For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”
The problem is not the MESSAGE — it’s the HEART!
Hardened hearts CANNOT hear!
Prideful hearts CANNOT see!
Self-sufficient hearts CANNOT receive!
Who CAN Hear?
John 10:27— “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Those who are JESUS’ SHEEP can hear!
But religious pretenders, false believers, nominal Christians — they CANNOT hear!
1 Corinthians 2:14— “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand thembecause they are spiritually discerned.”
Acts 16:14— “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attentionto what was said by Paul.”
WHO opened her heart? THE LORD!
This is GRACE! God must open ears to hear!
The Test: Can YOU Hear?
When you read Revelation 2-3, what happens?
DO YOU:
- Recognize your spiritual condition?
- Feel conviction about lukewarmness?
- See areas of compromise?
- Hear Jesus’ voice speaking to YOU?
- Feel urgency to repent?
- Long for His appearing?
- Desire to overcome?
OR DO YOU:
- Read it academically (interesting history)
- Apply it only to others (those churches back then)
- Dismiss warnings (I’m fine)
- Feel no conviction (nothing applies to me)
- Remain unchanged (just information)
- Prefer theological debate (which church age are we?)
IF YOU CAN HEAR, you’ll RESPOND!
IF YOU’RE DEAF, you’ll DISMISS or DEFEND!
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The Overcomers: Who They Are and What They Receive
“To the One Who CONQUERS” — Seven Times
In EVERY letter, Jesus promises rewards “to the one who conquers/overcomes.”
Greek: nikon— “the one conquering” (present participle)
This is not:
- Sinless perfection (impossible)
- Perfect obedience (we all fail)
- Superior spirituality (boasting)
This IS:
- Genuine faith in Christ (1 John 5:4-5)
- Persevering despite failures (enduring to the end)
- Refusing to quit (holding fast)
- Overcoming through Christ’s power (not our own)
1 John 5:4-5— “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
OVERCOMING = BELIEVING FAITH!
Not superhuman achievement, but SUPERNATURAL FAITH!
The Seven Rewards Summarized
1. EPHESUS — Tree of Life
- Eternal life
- Paradise restored
- Access to God’s presence
2. SMYRNA — Crown of Life + No Second Death
- Reward for suffering
- Escape Lake of Fire
- Victory over death
3. PERGAMUM — Hidden Manna + White Stone + New Name
- Spiritual sustenance (Christ)
- Acquittal/acceptance
- New identity, intimacy
4. THYATIRA — Authority Over Nations + Morning Star
- Co-reign with Christ
- Rule in Millennium
- Christ Himself
5. SARDIS — White Garments + Name in Book of Life + Confession Before Father
- Righteousness
- Eternal security
- Jesus acknowledges you
6. PHILADELPHIA — Pillar in Temple + Never Leave + Three Names Written
- Permanent position
- Eternal security
- Complete identity in God
- KEPT FROM THE HOUR OF TRIAL (RAPTURE!)
7. LAODICEA — Sit on Jesus’ Throne
- Supreme authority
- Ultimate intimacy
- Co-reign with Christ
These are REAL rewards! ETERNAL rewards!
Not just “making it to heaven by the skin of your teeth” — but REIGNING with Christ, CO-RULING with Him, receiving CROWNS and AUTHORITY!
Revelation 2:26-27— “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.”
This is REAL! This is COMING!
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The Stark Choice: See and Overcome, or Blind and Perish
Two Paths, Two Destinies
Throughout all seven churches, the pattern is clear:
PATH 1: SIGHT → HEARING → REPENTANCE → OVERCOMING → REWARD
Those who:
- CAN SEE their condition (spiritual sight)
- CAN HEAR the Spirit’s voice (spiritual hearing)
- REPENT when convicted (humility)
- OVERCOME through faith (perseverance)
- RECEIVE massive rewards (grace)
THEY:
- Are the TRUE Bride
- Will be RAPTURED (like Philadelphia)
- Will reign with Christ
- Receive eternal rewards
PATH 2: BLINDNESS → DEAFNESS → REJECTION → JUDGMENT → LOSS
Those who:
- CANNOT SEE their condition (spiritual blindness)
- CANNOT HEAR the Spirit (hardened hearts)
- REFUSE to repent (pride)
- DO NOT overcome (give up or never truly believed)
- LOSE everything (judgment)
THEY:
- Are not truly Christ’s
- Will be LEFT BEHIND (vomited out)
- Face the Tribulation
- Experience eternal loss
The Dividing Line
What separates these two groups?
NOT:
- Intelligence (smart vs. dumb)
- Education (learned vs. ignorant)
- Activity (busy vs. lazy)
- Attendance (regular vs. sporadic)
- Morality (good vs. bad)
BUT:
- SIGHT vs. BLINDNESS(do they see their true condition?)
- HEARING vs. DEAFNESS(do they hear the Spirit?)
- HUMILITY vs. PRIDE(do they admit need or claim sufficiency?)
- FAITH vs. WORKS(do they trust Christ or themselves?)
- GRACE vs. SELF(do they receive or achieve?)
The Question for YOU
Which path are you on?
Can you SEE:
- Your spiritual poverty? (Laodicea)
- Your loss of first love? (Ephesus)
- Your compromise with the world? (Pergamum)
- Your toleration of false teaching? (Thyatira)
- Your spiritual deadness? (Sardis)
Can you HEAR:
- The Spirit’s conviction?
- Jesus’ warnings?
- The call to repent?
- The promise of His coming?
- The urgency of the hour?
If YES:
- You’re an OVERCOMER!
- You’ll be RAPTURED!
- You’ll receive REWARDS!
If NO:
- You may be BLIND!
- You may be LEFT BEHIND!
- You may face JUDGMENT!
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The Eschatological Urgency: Time Is Running Out
We Are Living in the Laodicean Age
All the signs indicate we are in the FINAL church age:
LAODICEAN CHARACTERISTICS (present today):
- Material prosperity (wealthiest Christians in history)
- Spiritual poverty (powerless, fruitless)
- Self-sufficiency (“I need nothing”)
- Lukewarmness (comfortable, complacent)
- Blindness (cannot see true condition)
- Jesus outside the church (pushed out by programs)
THIS IS NOW! THIS IS US!
The Rapture Is IMMINENT
“Come up here!” is the next event! (Revelation 4:1)
Signs converging:
- Israel regathered (1948)
- Jerusalem in Jewish control (1967)
- Gospel to all nations (technology enabling)
- Apostasy increasing (falling away)
- Deception rampant (false teachers)
- Birth pains intensifying (Matthew 24:8)
Jesus could return AT ANY MOMENT!
Matthew 24:42, 44— “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming… Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The Final Warnings
EPHESUS:Remember, repent, or lose your lampstand!
PERGAMUM:Repent, or I’ll war against you!
THYATIRA:Hold fast until I come!
SARDIS:Wake up, or I’ll come like a thief!
LAODICEA:Buy eye salve and SEE, or be vomited out!
PHILADELPHIA:Hold fast, I’m coming soon!
THESE ARE THE LAST WORDS TO THE CHURCH BEFORE THE RAPTURE!
This is Jesus’ final plea:
- Open your eyes!
- Open your ears!
- Open your heart!
- Open the door!
- I’M COMING SOON!
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Conclusion: Choose to SEE, Choose to HEAR, Choose to OVERCOME
The Stakes Could Not Be Higher
If you can SEE and HEAR:
- You’ll OVERCOME
- You’ll be RAPTURED
- You’ll escape the Tribulation
- You’ll reign with Christ
- You’ll receive eternal rewards
If you remain BLIND and DEAF:
- You’ll be LEFT BEHIND
- You’ll face the hour of trial
- You’ll experience God’s wrath
- You’ll lose eternal rewards
- You may perish
The Choice Is Yours
Deuteronomy 30:19— “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”
CHOOSE:
- SIGHT over blindness
- HEARING over deafness
- REPENTANCE over pride
- FAITH over self-sufficiency
- CHRISTover self
The Final Call
Revelation 3:20— “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
JESUS IS KNOCKING!
CAN YOU HEAR?
WILL YOU OPEN?
Revelation 22:17— “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”
The Prayer for SIGHT and HEARING
If you’ve been blind, pray:
“Lord Jesus, I confess I’ve been blind. I thought I could see, but I couldn’t see my true condition. I thought I was rich, but I’m poor. I thought I was clothed, but I’m naked. I thought I had it all together, but I’m wretched.
Open my eyes! Give me spiritual sight!
Open my ears! Help me hear your voice!
I buy from You:
- Gold refined by fire (true riches)
- White garments (true righteousness)
- Eye salve (true sight)
I repent of my:
- Lukewarmness
- Self-sufficiency
- Pride
- Compromise
- Lost first love
- Spiritual deadness
I open the door of my heart! Come in, Lord Jesus!
Make me an OVERCOMER! Prepare me for Your coming!
I long to be Philadelphia — faithful, watching, waiting for You!
Keep me FROM the hour of trial! Catch me up when You come!
MARANATHA! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Amen!”
THE Grace Awakening Study Guide
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Craig Rogers
KINGDOM Empowered CEO and CoFounder
Professional Experience: CEO | KINGDOM Empowered (2020 -...
Professional Experience: CEO | KINGDOM Empowered (2020 - Present) In his role as co-CEO, Craig’s daily mission is to surrender his...
