There are two types of Christians today. The most common ones are a people who sincerely believe that God created them and that he is the one who keeps them alive.
But all they know and pray to God about is the physical. Yes they strive and pray for the physical goodness. They think of good health, great wealth, high class- life according to men-set-standards, elevated positions in the societies they live in, praises and recognition by fellow men and the like.
This being the case, the spiritual life is unknown to them though they talk about it. Their gauge of righteousness is based on each other; “…….. commending themselves, measuring themselves with one another and comparing themselves with one another- 2 Cor 10:12.”
As a result, their fellowship is filled with strive and silent campaigns (gossip) with each trying to appear good in the sight of their fellow members, yes,” they receive glory from one another John. 5:44”.
The fruit of this type of Christianity is the thousands differing so called churches in the today’s world. They claim to worship God with each group imagining and thinking differently from the other, each claiming to be the true one while in reality, “they have a fine way of rejecting the commandments of God and applying their imaginations- Mak 7:9.”
The other type of Christians is a people who through God’s revelation have known the purpose of this life. Who know that this physical life is a training session; Who know that they are here to learn to live like God that they may be made spirit beings and be given eternal life to rule forever in the kingdom of God. These are the true members of the spiritual church of God which he heads; a people who, “strive to enter through the narrow door – Mat 7:13-14.”
These are the people of our topic concern. So we ask; where are they today? Where is the true church in this end time? Which among the many is it? Lets study on and get the answers from Christ himself.
WHAT IS A CHURCH?
Whatever is uppermost in God’s mind right now is to restore his kingdom here on earth and this was hi purpose of creating man, for he says, “let us make man in our image and likeness that he may rule upon the earth – Gen 1:26.”
We know that Adam was deceived and strayed from this God’s plan before he was made like God.
Later on God kick-started his plan by sending his messenger Jesus Christ who came to teach man about the God’s original purpose, saying “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the message – Mark 1:15”
REPENT OF WHAT
God in Jesus Christ is simply telling us; “the kingdom for which you were created is about to be set on the earth. But the life you are living is not the one that is lived in that kingdom. So if you wish to enter it, you must turn from (repent) this life and learn to live the one I am teaching you through Christ- my messenger. I have explained and recorded it in the pages of your bible – the scriptures (God’s word). When people heard, and upto now hear Christ proclaiming this life of the Kingdom, there were/are some who accepted/accept and believed of whom, Christ is saying “I have given them thy word (message) which thou givest me and they have receive them and know in truth that you have sent me – John 17:8.”
On accepting this life of God, it warrants that one rejects the life he was leading before,a good reason why those around him will notice some difference for Christ says, “I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them because they are not of it even as I am not of the world – John 17:14”
So the believers repent (turn from) the former life to the Godly one explained by the scriptures.
CHURCH THE
Remember, God wants to make us like him that we may rule in his kingdom. How does he do it? For details ask for our message, “SAVE BY GRACE”
Since we are God’s building, then he is the one to build us not ourselves. So when people believe, this is what happens.” If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him – John 14:23.” At this point, God takes over the running of one’s mind and begins to make it to be like His. This he does by means of the holy spirit. It is those people who accept God’s life as explained in the scripture, who allow him to start living his life in them; it is they who are called the church of God, for He says, “……. God’s temple is holy and that temple is you – 1Corinth3:17.” And again, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit, within you, which you have from God – 1Cor 6:19?”
It is concerning these people that Christ said “……….on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it – Mat 16:18”. So where is this church today? Yes, where are this people whom God in Jesus Christ, is building? I ask, where are these people in whom God and Jesus Christ dwells, who displays God’s life in this darkened world of evils.
SATAN’S OPPOSITION.
Christian life is about developing God’s righteous character. Character cannot be developed where there is no opposition, yes, where there is no choice – making which demands self- discipline.
The physical body which God created us in is never subject to God’s life which Christians are learning to live by. Christ tells us this about it. “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law (life) – Romans 8:7.” “….nothing good dwells in my body ….”. “….. it is the body of death – Romans 7:18,24.” Since we are God’s building, it takes his presence in our hearts through the holy spirit to oppose our bodily desires and our carnal thinking, and to continue living according to his word.
Here, man is entitled to make a choice in every single thing he does. There is the law of the body opposive to the law of the spirit – see Romans. 7:21-22. So when Christ established the Church which he is upto now leading, he told us to, “abide in me and I in you…… for without me you cant make it – John 15:4-5.” Christ lives and operates in his word (scriptures). So when we live by his word, we are living in him and He in us. In this way, he is building his character in us – John 15:10.” This is what Christ began and is doing in His church.
OCCASIONAL FALLING
After Christ had laid the foundation (his word see Eph 2:20) and placed the church on it, He warned the members, telling them to, “……….. be watchful, for your adversary – the devil (through the bodily mind) roams around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, resist him firm in you faith….”. “….. Resist the devil and he will flee from you – 1Peter 5:8; James 4:7.”
The devil uses the body through its passion to make us not to obey God’s instructions (his word). This fight comes in the mind. Whatever thought we entertain becomes the source of what we do – see Mat 12:34-35.
Remember we can only be that church if we live in God’s word – the church’s foundation. Anytime we disobey the word, we cease from being the church. When Christ went back to heaven, he continued to live in his church (hearts of believers) through the holy spirit. After some time, the members began to tune in to the devils mind, falling from its foundation (God’s word).
Christ saw it and began to send his messengers to awaken it. This was the days of the Ephesians era. The church had began to lose that strong grip of the way of God. So the messenger warned saying; “I have this against you; that you have lost the love you had in the beginning. Remember then where you had fallen from and repent (turn back) Rev 2:4-5.”
THE INTRUDERS
We will continue being the church only if we continue in God’s word in Christ for our Lord says; ” for we share in Christ if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end – Heb 3:14,16.”
Remember this messenger is Christ’s voice which can only be understood by his true church (the sheep) – John 10:4,27.
Every time the church is gathered, the devil sends his agents who pretend to follow Christ but their aim is to deceive the true followers and pull them out of the truth. These are the ones who did it in this Ephesians era. But when Christ’s messenger sounded his voice, the true church recognized it and pulled out of this group, going back to the word.
The imposters remained, claiming to be the church while accusing the true followers of leaving the church. If you study the church prophecy in Rev 2,3, you will see a continuous effort by Satan to intrude and pull the church out of its foundation. Christ on the other side is seen warning the church continually through his messengers.
The church is for the overcomers. So every time they hear Christ’s warning they wake up and walk out of the Satanic-made groups. Like Moses; “they choose to share the ill treatment with those in the truth than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin – Heb 11:25-7.” They don’t mind when the group leaders call them backsliders and brand them “marked”, for their concern is the world tomorrow, not of this world with its short lived glory.
THE ELIJAH MESSENGER
With this Satan’s tireless efforts to destroy the church, it came a time when it almost got swayed totally from the foundation. So Christ sent His messenger and warned it saying; “you have a name of being alive and yet you are dead. Awake and strengthen what remains and is at the point of death; for I have not found your works perfect before my God – Rev3:1-2.”
This call fulfilled God’s promise through Prophet Malachi where he said; “Behold, i will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes-Malachi 4:5” .verse 4 proves that this messenger came at the time when the church had forsaken the law of God (fallen from its foundation).
As usual, the true church heard their shepherd’s voice and went back onto the true foundation while the imposters remained, still claiming to be the church.
Those who heeded this voice formed the Philadelphia era, which Christ had nothing to blame it for, because it had fully gone back to the foundation – see Rev 3:7-9. It is unto this blameless group that Christ opened doors for the preaching of the true gospel which had for a long period been suppressed by persecution and had been replaced by a false gospel – Rev 3:8-9.
It is the true gospel which you are reading in this message, being a continuation of the open door. The preaching of this is also one of the signs of the end time – Mat 24:14. As you can realize, Christ’s word, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church has stood all through. So, where is the church now?
FALLEN AGAIN
Throughout the church age, the servants of Christ have continually warned of a, “Mystery of Disobedience – 2 Thes 2:7” working within the church with the Satan’s agents efforts to destroy it. After it was fully restored to the original foundation during the Philadelphian era, Satan moved forcefully with high tech deceit and caused it to fall again, fulfilling what the holy spirit of Christ through Paul prophesied saying “….. the day of the Lord will not come before there comes a falling away – 2 Thes 2:3.”
This happened at a time when the church was fully foundation-ed on the whole council of God, when the members were deeply informed and it wasn’t easy to deceive them. Actually we were thinking that Christ’s coming might be within 15 years to come or less because of the prophesies about the end which were getting fulfilled at the time.
I believe at this point, God tested the church to confirm its faith in him and His word.
This I say because, He allowed Satan to raise a man to head the church, who began to teach heresy and slowly by slowly, and unsuspected by many, he drew the church back to traditions of men, away from God’s word. Thus the church fell again from the foundation and got divided into hundreds of splinter – groups, with each calling itself. “THE CHURCH OF GOD.”
RAVENOUS WOLVES:
This falling away and division brought another point of testing to those who will remain true and faithful to God and our savior Jesus Christ, for He says; “for there must be divisions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be known – 1 Cor 11:19”
How can divisions make the genuine ones known? To answer this question, we need to ask; what caused this division?” The genuine ones are those who keenly follow God’s word which is the only, “light to their feet and a lamp to their path – Ps 119:105.”
So, when the division happened, they remembered Christ’s warning through Paul, where he said, “know that after my departure, fierce (ravenous) wolves will come among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them – Act 20:29-30.”
So it is very clear that these divisions which have brought about the many different groups were caused by Satan’s agents who upto now are looking for followers and not fighting for the truth. Or are you not noticing the agents, who are boasting of having the majority following; and have even gone to an extend of using money to keep the followers and pull more?
This is where the church is now. It is in captivity, divided among this groups. For while they bragg of having many members, the genuine ones know very well that the church is a little flock with very few who are now scattered and spiritually chocking in Babylon.
CHRIST SPEAKS TO LEODICEA.
So how does the division make the genuine ones known? Christ, the head of the church has seen it and has now send the messenger to the seventh era – leadeciea, which is also the last one.
Having known the truth and then abandoning it for worldly cares, majority of the members have began to show the word of God as “having no effect on men’s lives” because they don’t apply it to change them. It has also become a mere talk and no longer a lifestyle. For this reason,Christ is now awakening the genuine ones to realise that they are right now in spiritual Babylon. He is telling them their true spiritual condition which most are un aware of. Hear it please.
“ for you say, I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing – Rev 3:17”
This is very true with most members because if you try to make any scripture- point, one has possibly heard it many times; its very normal – he knows it.
But what is Christ who knows our hearts saying? And are you one among those who know his voice and are ready to heed? Listen. “you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and necked”
The genuine ones are understanding this. They are realizing that this groups are Satan’s traps which have pulled them from the truth and have locked them from Christ and from each other.
They became genuine by accepting the word of God, after which God and Christ started living in them as we saw in the beginning. But right now, Christ is not in their hearts.
Hear what he says, “Behold, I stand at the door knocking, if anyone hear my voice and opens, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me – Rev 3:20.”
Yes this message is Christ’s voice recalling the church from Babylon, that he may “….. clean her by the washing of water with the word, and present the church in splendor to himself without sport – Eph 5:26-27.”
WHERE THE CARCAS
We have seen how these groups are Satan’s traps. They are actually the images of beast. So if you be one of those who are given to understand this message, don’t look for the true God’s church, using the picture they portray.
Remember this. The true church of god is any person or persons who live according to God’s word by which also, God and Christ dwells in them. As Christ was not known, nor accepted by the word, so is his church.
So the church can be one person, or a small group in whom Christ dwells through his word – see John 15:10.
Therefore if we will find this church, we will first put on the word of God (the light) by living in it as an individual, then use it as a torch and by it, Christ (not you) will lead you to your fellow brothers in him – see 1 John 1:1-3.
It is Christ who will, by his word gather us up to himself, for he says ; “where the carcass is there the vultures are gathered – Mat 24:28.”
Christ Himself is the head of this church – Eph 2:21, since he is in heaven right now, then that’s where our headquarters is, for he says; “but the heavenly Jerusalem is free, ant she is our mother – Gal 4:26.” But as we individually continue in him, he will also form us into a united fellow shipping individuals where some will be, “……… apostles, prophetic, teachers – etc – 1 Co 12:28.”
Right now, Christ through this voice is gathering his church in himself through his faithful servants. To those who will heed it and go back to the non-conditional obedience to his commands, they will overcome and will, “sit with Christ on his throne in the soon coming kingdom – Rev 3:21.”
This voice is right in the air from Christ through the END TIME CHURCH OF GOD