I don’t think we need to wait for Jesus to come back to assess, spot check, and judge the church. In education we call it “progress monitoring.” Where are our status check ups as a church? It can’t be in counting fruit because fruit can be deceiving, subjective, or just plain bad. Yes, Jesus will look at us as individuals because the people make up the church. But I can’t help but think that because in Revelation, Jesus addressed seven specific churches and each one of them had issues that He will look at individual churches. What if we used their judgment (or warning, assessment, feedback) as a basis for our own church-evaluation?
1) Have we forsaken our first love? Provide evidence that we haven’t.
2) Will we be prepared to suffer the tests and trials that the devil is about to forge against us? Provide evidence that the church has been prepared.
3) Do we need to repent? Provide supporting evidence that we don’t.
4) Is there a Jezebel spirit (male or female) in the church? Administer a false prophet/prophetess survey and provide supporting evidence that the spirit has been cast out.
5) Is the church “awake” according to the Spirit’s standards? Do not use the knowledge and status of the man and woman of God in position and not the knowledge of the people; not based on works; not based on membership; and not the reputation of the church. God is looking for something else. What is it and do you have it?
6) Have we kept His Word and endured patiently as a church? Provide artifacts and evidence you have. And my, my, my. I think this is where churches had better focus its strategic plans….
7) Are you lukewarm in your faith? Do you take a blatant stand on sin? Are you allowing even the appearance of sin in the church? Music worldly? Dances worldly? Worship questionable or sacred? Defiling temples with worldly rituals? False doctrine?

Let’s do a wrinkle and spot check. Let’s have courageous conversations. Let’s not skirt around the issues of sin. Let kill the spirit of offense and wake up! It’s time church. He is judging us first (see 1 Peter 4:17). Monitor your progress using the Spirit of God and not your ego…Dr.J.