Awake Glorious Bride and Shake Off The Dust – Part Four

What Church Are You?

Welcome back to this four part series on What Church Are You? and thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to join us. In Parts one, two and three of this series, I repeatedly asked the question: What church are you? I wasn’t asking you what denomination you may belong to. I was literally asking you about the person of You!

The focus has been on the seven churches that Jesus addresses in the Book of Revelation and how these seven different people groups fall into one of four categories: The Dead Church, the Sleeping Church, the Sleep-walking Church and the Glorious Church. In the previous posts and podcasts, we have identified The Dead Church, the Sleeping Church, and the Sleep-walking Church. If you have not seen those posts or listened to the podcasts, click on the links and you will be directed there.

This post is the last of the four-part series of What Church Are You? We will identify the body of believers that Jesus Christ, our risen King and Savior will be returning for. She is The Glorious Church, His bride who has made herself ready. She will be the one clothed in garments of righteousness and will be sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the Word. Sanctified meaning a body of His followers who have set themselves aside and done all they can to prepare themselves spiritually and physically for the day of the wedding feast. Holy and sanctified are synonymous.

“…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stand and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.” (John 3:27-29)

Not only was John a bride of the Lamb, he was a messenger sent to prepare the way for Jesus to fulfill His purpose of reconciling mankind back to God through His ministry, death, and resurrection.

The purpose of this series is to awaken the people of God–for you to think about your life and what church you are. If you find you are a partaker of the dead, sleeping, or sleep walking church, it’s a honest starting place. You get to make the decision to turn away (repent) from those mindsets and set your whole spirit, soul, and body on the goal of becoming the Glorious Church. God clearly states in His word that we can repent and reap the rewards. As stated before, there is absolutely no condemnation for those who love Jesus and want to get on track with Him. It is only the lack of repentance that leads to the harsh reality that if we are not the Glorious Church, we will have missed it all together and we will stand before God on the day of the great wedding feast and He will ask “where are your wedding garments?”

“and I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he (an angel) said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” (Revelation 19:6-9)

Jesus prophesied while with His disciples on here on earth:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus did not stop there…He continued speaking:

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25)

Take note of Jesus’ words ‘whoever hears these sayings of Mine’ as we continue.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

Jesus was making it known in the above scriptures that those who had been led astray by false teachings and false prophets would have a chance to repent and return to the sound doctrine. He warned the people to beware of the false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. As for the false prophets and teachers (Pharisees and scribes), as well as those who fell under their teachings/doctrines, if they did not repent, they would not be entering the kingdom of heaven.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

The entire reason God (Yahweh) sent His Son, Jesus, to this earth when He did is because mankind had gotten to a point of total spiritual destruction as a result of not only their sins and idol worship, but the deception they were under from the scribes and pharisees who were responsible for teaching them the ways of Yahweh. God knew this would happen and in keeping a promise He made to Himself to not destroy the world again as in the days of Noah, He sent a deliverer, Jesus Christ, to restore Truth and reconcile mankind back to God from our fallen state. True repentance, however, was required. People had to make a decision to turn from the ways they had been taught under the bondage of deception and follow Jesus. It is the same exact for us today! History is repeating itself and many are in danger of being placed under a strong delusion by God Himself if they do not return to the sound doctrine of Jesus Christ. Read 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2

To quickly recap the previous three people groups, we know from scripture that Jesus gives a stern warning to those of the Dead Church who have defiled their garments. These people still do outward works that make them feel as though they are alive and earning brownie points with Jesus but they have not remained faithful to Jesus Christ. In the eyes of Jesus, they are considered ones who have defiled their garments. In Revelation 3:1-6, the Word says that if they do not repent, they will get their name blotted out of the Book of Life (that is eternal life with Jesus). As I mentioned in part one of this study, I don’t believe there is anyone who professes to be a Christian that wants to get their name blotted out of the book of life. However, if they are under a doctrine of deception, it can happen. If they do repent, however, and turn back to Him, he will confess their name before the Father and the angels and they will be put in the Book of Life. It’s up to each individual to determine where you are at and where you want to be.

The people of the Sleeping Church are warned that their trust in the wealth, pride and things of this world, aka lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life have dulled their spiritual senses and place them in a lukewarm slumber, thus causing Jesus to want to vomit them out of His mouth. In Revelation 3:14-22, the Word says that if they do not repent, He will vomit them out of His mouth because they are neither hot or cold. His promise, however for those who will repent is that He will come and dine with them and they will sit with Him on His throne, as He sits with the Father on His throne.

As for those sleep-walking, they are warned that their works, service, perseverance means little to Jesus because they have left their first love (Yahweh). They have made their works, service and perseverance more about themselves than about following the will of God and doing His will. Then there are those who have great works, service and faith but have compromised the sound doctrine of Jesus Christ by allowing the spirit of Jezebel to seduce them with her false prophets and idols in the temple of God.

Revelation 2:1-7, the Word says that if they do not repent and return to Yahweh with all their heart He will remove His lampstand from their midst. However, his promise to those who overcome is that He will give them to eat from the tree of life.

For those who have fallen prey to Jezebel’s spell and/or are promoting her works, Jesus warns, in Revelation 2:18-29, that unless they wake up and repent from their deeds, He will cast her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation. But for those who overcome and keeps the works of Jesus until the end, they will be given power over the nations and they will be given the morning star (Jesus Himself and His glory).

Before getting into the Glorious Church, I want you to consider the three churches above as building blocks. We are all on a spiritual journey and many will need to overcome all three practices and mindsets to mature and become the Glorious Church. Others may need to overcome one or two areas. The important thing to know is that Jesus loves you so much that He has brought the matter to your attention and to the attention of all people so all can turn away from sin and deception and obtain His promise of inheritance. He wants your name to be in the Book of Life. He desires you to sit with Him on His throne as He sits with the Father on His throne. He wants you to eat from the tree of life that is in paradise, and He wants to give you power over the nations. He wants you to have the crown of life and be a pillar in the temple of God.

THE GLORIOUS CHURCH

Of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation that Jesus addresses, there are only two of which no rebuke or warning is given. One was to the people who endured persecution in Smyrna (even unto death) and the other to those in Philadelphia.

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says ‘He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’; “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on Him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

To this people group, Jesus saw their true faithfulness to His word. They were not just hearers of the word but doers of the word, regardless of what the religious community taught and regardless of the idolatry and pagan worship in their city. Compromise was not in their vocabulary or heart. Yes, this had to have brought on persecution to many and at times I’m sure the followers of Jesus must have grown weary. Yet their faith in Him had become so strong because they knew and understood the spiritual battle and they refused to deny His name. They knew they could not fight the battle in their own strength but that they needed to rely on the strength of the Holy Spirit to help them overcome the lies, deceit, and idoltry that surrounded them.

As with the other churches that Jesus addresses, He announces His sovereignty as the One who is holy, true and has the Key of David. This key of David represents His sole authority over the Davidic kingdom and as the One who alone can open doors and shut doors.

Philadelphia was located about 30 to 40 miles southeast of Sardis in Turkey. Sitting on a hillside with vineyards and wine production in addition to other commercial trades, it too was a wealthy city. There was a Jewish settlement in Philadelphia but many had turned to false gods worship. They openly denied that Jesus was the Messiah and were steeped in their Kabbalah mysticism, hence classifying them as the synagogue of Satan. They called themselves Jews (the chosen people by Yahweh) but Jesus clearly called them out as liars.

Jesus tells His faithful followers who keep His command to persevere that he will keep them from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. This statement alone confirms Jesus is addressing generations to come and all who dwell on the earth. Philadelphia was just a small city upon the earth. There are believers in every people, tribe, tongue, and nation, and God has a remnant of over-comers in every generation who has stood the test of time, and persevered and not denied His name. Jesus encourages them to hold fast so no one can take their crown. Misconduct and rebellion can cause one to lose their crown. Tribulations will come and they will not be easy but we must consider them a test of our faith. Jesus says there is a trial of an hour to come upon the whole world to test it. Whether we are currently living in that hour (which is a figurative speech and play on time) or if it is yet to come, only the Father above knows. This we know for certain: Until such time, all humans will continue to die in our natural bodies and we do not know the hour of our leaving this earth. We are in perilous and unprecedented times and every single day people we least expect to die are dying…long before a normal lifespan should allow them. He who has eyes to see and ears to hear, listen and watch. There are no second chances once our hour has come to leave this world. If we are alive on this earth when that great trial does come and we are considered by God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son to be the Glorious Church, He will spare us either through protection here on this earth or by taking us up with Him. It’s important to read what Jesus says to those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the people and that is that there will also be a time when those who are of the synagogue of Satan will come and worship before the feet of the Glorious Church and they will know that the bride is loved. This is not a statement to promote boasting or pride by no means, but rather a humble reminder that God will take care of those He loves and make a spectacle out of the devils works. Satan and his minions will not be in paradise nor will those whose names are not written in the Book of Life, so there is clearly some event that will take place on earth to allow for this to happen. I can not express enough how important it is for you to not get caught up in waiting for the rapture, or fret about whether you’ll be spared any great tribulation, but rather know that you never have to worry about the ‘if and when it comes’ in your lifetime because your eyes are on Jesus and you are a bride who has made herself ready whatever hour He may come. In the end, your readiness is what matters.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:’ I Know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but your are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)

The encouragement brothers and sisters in Christ is to remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered and experienced every bit of this as a man and that he did it for you and me. He did not come into this world boasting and puffed up like the kings of the world, though He is the King of the world. He led a simple, fruitful yet humble life and taught us how to live a life full of abundance with love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He walked in absolute power and authority and imparted that power and authority to all who will follow Him and keep His commands.

When God created the earth and all the inhabitants upon the earth, He created them for His glory and all of creation–everything that has breath is to praise Him, to worship Him in spirit and in truth. How isit that the trees understand their purpose, the animals understand their purpose, the insects understand their purpose, the creatures of the sea understand their purpose, the firmaments understand their purpose, yet man still questions his/her purpose. All of creation must understand its purpose and walk in it. God has a master vision for mankind and He will fulfill His master vision for those who are called by His name and will make themselves ready to be co-heirs to the throne. When Jesus Christ gave up His life on the cross, He did it for the sins of mankind. On that very day, the veil was torn between heaven and earth and the works of Satan were defeated. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead to show mankind that He is the living God and He alone has been given power over death and eternal life. He revealed Himself to over 500 people when He rose from the grave so that there would be many witnesses to give account of His resurrection life. Can you imagine this?

He told His followers (many of whom were still unbelieving in the words He spoke until that time) that He would have to leave this earth so as to go prepare a place for His bride but that there would be one that would come after Him…The Holy Spirit. He said the Holy Spirit would teach us all truth and would be our comforter in times of trial and tribulation. The Holy Spirit is a real living spirit that is not to be grieved or taken lightly. The Holy Spirit comes with spiritual gifts, power, authority, and promise. People tend to forget about this when the going gets tough. Do you know your spiritual gifts as mentioned in Romans 12? How about the manifestation of the gifts as spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12.

Jesus Christ gave us a new covenant and this new covenant did away with the old covenant, wherein there were earthly priests that served as mediators between mankind and God. Jesus Christ is our only mediator to God today! None can come to the Father except through Him. His new covenant did away with the sacrifices of old and have been replaced with our body (personal physical body) being a temple unto God. We are to present ourselves unto Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. The Glorious Church does not need a recommendation from man or a title given by man. It requires obedience to God and to do His will. As a bride making herself ready, we know who our Husband is and we make every effort to live a life holy and acceptable unto Yahweh and have truly put away our old self. We are born again which means we can no longer recognize the works of flesh we use to live in and practice. There is only one way to die to our old self and be resurrected unto new life in Christ Jesus and that is through the conviction of the Word by the Spirit of God, confession of sins and iniquities by our ancestors and ourselves, so as to break off every curse that has attached itself to us and our children, and through repentance. Deliverance is the only way to shed the old man ways and that is accomplished through true repentance.

The Glorious Church has the kingdom of heaven within her during her time on earth and she is to represent Jesus Christ through His sound doctrine, His sound deeds, His sound character, and through the gifts of His Holy Spirit. It is a universal, non-optional, cause and effect relationship with the Godhead of three.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, Also, there was no more seas. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘ Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And he said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

“And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1-8)

Just as Christ Jesus charged His disciples to go forth and make disciples of nations and to share the good news of the gospel of Truth, I too charge you by the Lord Jesus Christ that this message be shared with all the brethren and sisters in Christ.

May the grace of our Lord God Almighty bless you and keep you and may He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Until next time, be blessed and know you are loved.

Garry and Norma Umphress