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Dead Church! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 6//Issue 2 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you’re alive, but you’re dead.” (Rev3:1) Most “churches” today have generally agreed we’re in a Laodicean age; a lukewarm age. (v14-18) They’re flattering themselves. What calls itself “christianity” today for the most part isn’t even alive. It’s dead. It isn’t lukewarm. It’s dead. And we’re going to prove that as we look into the scriptures concerning this subject. However one of the primary characteristics of a dead church is The dead don’t praise the LORD. (Ps115:17) So it’s certain a church that doesn’t praise God is dead. Prophecy: I see how they spurn My love, how they make mockery of My justice, how they profane My holiness. Though My love is great, they reject Me. Yet I’ll have a people who love Me with a pure heart. I’ll have a people who love Me according to My commandments, according to My holiness, according to My righteousness. I’ll have a people who love Me for who I am in reality and not for who they hope that I am or wish I would be! My people love Me according to Truth. My people love Me according to My righteousness. My people love Me according to My holiness. And My people praise Me with hearts that lift themselves up to Me in sincerity and not out of pretence. My people bring glory to My name and not shame. Those who bring shame to My name are coming down. They’ll no longer be called the “believers” in God for it will be seen that they’re children of Belial. They’re not My children. And I say, My children are rising up. My children will be recognized because they’re a praise, an honor and a glory to Me. They’ll show forth My glory. They’ll show forth My holiness. And My people will be exalted as a Godly people in this day, thus saith the Lord. Prophecy: For I know the blasphemy of those who say they’re Mine but aren’t. And I’ve heard the evil they’ve spoken against My children and not only against My children but against My Word and against Me. And I’ll bring to an end their evil speaking. And I’ll bring them to shame. For I’ll show them who it is that I really love and who truly are of Me. And all will know in that day that I’m the Lord. And all will know in that day those who aren’t Mine and haven’t served Me versus those who are Mine, thus saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father’s House”) The church which has a name that it’s alive but it’s dead is a treacherous church. For it’s not just dead, but it leads others to death because it has the appearance of being alive. Most churches today admit they’re in a Laodicean state. Many believers who aren’t themselves lukewarm consider their churches and brethren to be lukewarm but they’re often mistaken. The churches and believers they consider “lukewarm” are often actually dead. There’s a school of theology that says the seven letters of Revelations are seven church ages. (Rev2-3) That isn’t true. Those seven churches all existed at the same time. They aren’t prophetic of seven church ages. You can find all seven types of churches in existence today. There are persecuted churches like Smyrna (2:8-10) in some parts of the world that are very much alive, standing up for God, and even laying their lives down. There are lukewarm churches. (3:14-16) But in contemporary theology the church of Sardis has been almost completely ignored and yet it’s the most prevalent of all; the dead church. (3:1-3) Everything that pertains to a dead church also pertains to a dead “christian,” for dead churches are composed of dead believers. You’ve become estranged from Christ, you’ve fallen from grace. (Gal 5:4,5) If you’re estranged from Christ, you can’t bear fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing. (Jn15:5) If you’re fruitless you’ll be cut off like a dead branch. If anyone doesn’t abide in Me, he’s cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they’re burned. (v6) If you don’t bear fruit you’re near to being cursed. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it’s cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briars, it’s rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. (Heb6:7,8) So a fruitless church is a dead church that will soon be destroyed.You have a name that you’re alive, but you’re dead! (Rev3:1) Paul says, “She who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.” (1Tim5:6) A “church” that’s filled with pleasure seekers may seem to “live” because there’s so much activity going on in it. Many “charismatic churches” today glory in the fact they have parties, picnics, rock concerts and all kinds of activities to entertain their members. They look alive but what’s actually happening is they’re pleasing their flesh, so they’re dead while they live. There’s probably no verse in the bible that exposes a “dead while she lives” church which has a name that she’s alive while she’s dead better than she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. Also “The Spirit gives life” (Jn6:63) and I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:19) So a church or a believer that’s not praying won’t have that “supply of the Spirit” which is life. There may be much activity but no life!Although Jesus tells us the church of Sardis is dead, He doesn’t give much detail as to why she died or what happened to her. That’s why it’s needful to know the scriptures. The bible has the answer to every problem and can help us discern what kinds of things may cause a church that was alive to become dead. The dead don’t praise the Lord. (Ps115:17) So a dead church is a church without praise. But a church that never praises at all would appear to be dead wouldn’t it? So if a church gives some appearance of praising God, but the praise isn’t coming from the heart it might seem to be a live church when it’s actually dead. The Psalmist asks “Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You?” (Ps88:10) In a dead church God won’t work wonders. You’ll see no awesome works of God, no miracles! You won’t see healings. You won’t see mighty movings of the Spirit, tears of repentance and conviction! Even if such a church has a name that it’s alive, it won’t have the power and the presence of the Spirit because God doesn’t work in a dead church. As the body without the Spirit is dead (Jms2:26) so a church without the Spirit is dead. A church without the Spirit is a church without God. So how important is it that we see God working in our church? We must have God working in our midst if we’re a church that’s truly alive.Again in helping us understand what’s wrong with the church at Sardis, Jesus says, “I know your works,” and, “I haven’t found your works perfect before God.” (Rev3:2) A dead church couldn’t have the Spirit of God, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have motion because she who lives in pleasure has motion but is dead. A dead church that appears to be dead would have no works at all. But a church that’s dead yet appears to be alive might be quite busy about many works only her works aren’t acceptable to God. They’re dead works – not works of the Spirit. So Jesus is saying, “I haven’t found your works perfect before God.” There’s so much in the “churches” today that fights against perfectionism, yet here’s a clear statement where Jesus is demanding perfection! Your works must be perfect before God to be acceptable. Sardis is a church that has works but the works aren’t perfect. The works aren’t Spiritual. How many “churches” today are very busy with various works but if you look close there’s little or no prayer in the church and without prayer there’s no Spirit and without the Spirit there’s no life so their works aren’t acceptable. They’re working from flesh. They’re working from their own strength. They’re working from the wisdom of man. They’re working in the wrong places. As the body without the Spirit is dead so their works without the Spirit are dead.How many things does the bible say that define the difference between acceptable and unacceptable works? Without love, your “works” will profit you nothing. (1Cor13:3) Something must be lacking in their love at Sardis. In His letter to Ephesus Jesus threatens to remove their lampstand (Rev2:5) because they didn’t love God the way they ought to, even though they were quite busy working for God. And you’ve persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and haven’t become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you’ve left your first love. (Rev2:3,4) They’ve lost that first passionate love for God, that extravagant “break the alabaster box” love. (Mk14:3) That’s the kind of love God’s looking for. He wants a passionate relationship with His bride. Israel served for a bride, and for a wife he tended sheep. (Hos12:12) And that’s what Jesus is doing. He’s shepherding God’s flock in order to produce a bride. And it’s because He’s shepherding her that she’ll be fit to be His bride. He loves her and He’s washing her in the water of the Word and making her perfectly worthy. (Eph5:26,27) He’s tending sheep in order to have a spouse that’s fit to be His Queen. He’s making her just what she ought to be. In a live church Jesus is perfecting His bride. There’s a powerful reality of that going on in such a church. There’s love in a living church that’s constantly breaking the alabaster box. There’s a passion for the Lord that makes her works acceptable. So the works have to be perfect. And the Sardis church isn’t a church without works which would make it appear dead. It’s a church that has works and appears to be alive, but the works are dead works; loveless and imperfect.For our works to be acceptable to God they must be works of love. As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. (Jms2:26) Then works without faith are dead also. What’s going on in the dead Sardis church is works without faith, without the Spirit, and without love. If Sardis has a name that she’s alive but she’s dead the Spirit isn’t in her. Yet she may be doing a lot that’s visible to the people around her. And how many churches are like that? How many churches actually design their works not to please God but to impress men? But works which are purposed for impressing men can’t be found perfect before God. So there won’t be any real life in such a church because they’re in the category of the pharisees, doing hypocritical works if they’re working to be seen of men. (Mt23:5)Then there’s, Who were dead in trespasses and sins! (Eph2:1) A church that hasn’t conquered sin is a dead church no matter how much activity is going on. Where sin is permitted to exist unopposed in a church that must be a dead church because where the Holy Spirit is, the sin would be dealt with. Sapphira and Ananias are examples of that! (Act5:1-10) Where the Holy Spirit is, sinners will be convicted. Sinners wouldn’t be able to abide in a real church where the Spirit’s working. Also Jesus says “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (Jn15:5) So where the works aren’t perfect they’re obviously being done apart from Jesus.Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard; hold fast and repent. (Rev3:3) Among the various problems that contribute to the death of a church this may be the most important. For the Word of God is living. (Heb4:12) So what doesn’t Sardis have? The Word! The Word of God is alive and no matter how much activity is going on in your so called “church” if you aren’t preaching the living Word you’re dead because without the living Word there can be no life in a church. Without the Word the Spirit can’t witness to Truth! The Spirit of Truth bears witness to the Word! It may be possible to have the letter of the Word without the Spirit but it’s not possible to have the Spirit without the Word. Do you understand why? Because He’s the Spirit of Truth and without the Truth there’s no Spirit of Truth. You need the Word to have something for the Spirit to bear witness to; for the Spirit of Truth to hold onto to quicken and bring to life. A church without the Word is a dead church no matter how many activities it may seem to have. The most important requirement for being a living church is to possess the living Word.Since the reformation there’s been a reluctance to tell people they need to go to a real church to be saved because the Catholics wickedly promoted the lie you needed to be in their “false” church to be saved. But the truth is that God’s church is very important to salvation. The Catholic church is heretical so it doesn’t have salvation. But there’s no salvation apart from the true church because she’s Christ’s body and everything that pertains to salvation and the ministry of the living Word in the world today derives from the true church which is the actual body of Christ! But if I’m delayed, I write so you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth. (1Tim3:15) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the Truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who’s the head, Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph4:11-16)And let’s consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb10:24,25) It’s not enough to convince someone they need Jesus. They won’t get to know Jesus sitting at home. “Believers” can’t learn what we’ve learned in “My Father’s House” on their own. As this age grows increasingly perilous, the disciples must come to the place where they’re forsaking not the assembling of themselves and they’re truly provoking one another to love and good works, or they won’t be prepared for the coming of the Lord. It’s as important to get them into a true church, as it is that you lead them to the Lord. For if they’ve truly received the Lord, He’ll lead them to one of His true churches. And if someone becomes a “christian” in such a way they don’t understand they need to get into one of God’s true churches they haven’t really been led to the Lord because they’re still in disobedience to Him. You can’t over emphasize that! The fact that there’s been so many bad churches and so many dead churches doesn’t undo the value of the true church. The real church is still the pillar and ground of the Truth (1Tim3:15) and it’s still the body of Christ and it’s still the only place where salvation can be preserved. You’re preserved in Jesus Christ (Jude1) by being in His body which is His church. Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard! (Rev3:3) What is it you heard? The Word! But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (2Pt1:5-7) For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten he was cleansed from his old sins. (v9) Concerning the church of Sardis not only have they failed to remember the Word, but they’ve even forgotten they were cleansed from their old sins. A dead church has no memory!Recently we read The Acceptable Sacrifice by Bunyan. The acceptable sacrifice is a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Ps51:17) and in working out a real salvation (Phil 2:12) you can never forget you were cleansed from your old sins by Christ’s precious blood. That’s what keeps your heart broken before God. A true saint never loses the sense of his brokenness, of look what Jesus did to save me, and how undeserving I was. It isn’t unbelief to know I’m being saved and Jesus is my Lord and to know He’s with me and has accepted me, and yet still be sorry for my old sins. When I grieve over my old sins it keeps me humble before the Lord. Paul was like that, which is why he could say, “I’m the chiefest of sinners” (1Tim1:15) even late in his ministry, because he remembered persecuting the church of God. I believe every day of Paul’s life he remembered the saints he killed. He remembered seeing Steven being stoned and he was so sorry. Likewise Peter, everyday of his life likely remembered denying the Lord and that when Jesus, his most beloved friend needed him the most, he wasn’t there for Him. I’m sure the other disciples felt this way too. There’s something in the past of every real Christian that keeps them broken – something it’s good for them never to forget.Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard! Remember what brought you into the Kingdom of God. You’re begotten again to this new life by the Word of God, the Word of Truth, and by the will of God. (1Pt1:23;Jn1:13) Jesus did you an immense favor when He washed your sins away! Look at the 3000 who were saved on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached and pierced their hearts with the Truth that “you’ve crucified the Son of God.” Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you’ve taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it wasn’t possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: “I foresaw the LORD always before my face, for He’s at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You won’t leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy one to see corruption. You’ve made known to me the ways of life; You’ll make me full of joy in Your presence.” Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David that he’s both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He’d raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we’re all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Act2:23-37) So those 3000 should never forget they were associated with a people who killed God. And that Truth should have caused the Jews to be the humblest of all people; to be contrite; to be sorrowful with a godly sorrow, that for the rest of their lives they’d serve God from a place of humility and thankfulness, with a joy in their salvation but a grieving over their past sins. Because you were caught? No! It’s a grieving over the fact that you did something wrong and hurt someone. Against You and You only I’ve sinned. (Ps51:4) The tears in David’s eyes are because he failed God. And no-one who has this sense of Godly sorrow (2Cor7:10) could be called “alive but dead” because God is near to those that have a contrite heart and a broken spirit. (Ps51:17) When people stay humble before God and keep the tears in their eyes there’ll surely be life in them. God will draw near to them. He’ll be a comfort to such people and He’ll bring them forth to a fruitful life. A church that has a name that it’s alive but is dead has forgotten it’s been purged from it’s old sins, has forgotten the Word that was originally preached to it; that Word which is alive and powerful and sharper than a two edged sword. (Heb4:12) Then Jesus says, “hold fast and repent!” Hold fast to whatever you still have of the Truth and repent of what you’ve lost and get back to it. Therefore if you won’t watch, I’ll come upon you as a thief, and you’ll not know what hour I’ll come upon you. (Rev3:3)A church that has a name that it’s alive but it’s dead isn’t watching. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Lk21:34-36) If you won’t watch you won’t be prepared and you won’t escape these things. You won’t be allowed to stand before the Son of Man. A church or a believer that isn’t watching will be distracted by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in. (Mt13:22) They may be a church that’s money hungry or they could be a church that’s worry plagued. In many Pentecostal churches worry is their biggest problem. These churches are generally small but their people are full of temporal cares and problems. They’re always worrying about something. The cares of this world seem to have them down all the time. They have their eyes in the wrong place don’t they? They’ve put too much importance on their own paltry little lives and all their temporal difficulties. They haven’t kept their eyes on the Lord, so they’re locked up in their worries. (Phil 4:6,7) They aren’t watching! The most important thing is to keep looking for the coming of the Lord.Therefore if you won’t watch, I’ll come upon you as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I’ll come upon you. You’ll be taken by surprise. But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming,” and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards. He deceives himself and behaves as a son of the devil. He stops watching! By thinking the Master isn’t coming he loses his fear of God. Obviously eating and drinking with drunkards is living in pleasure and dead while you live. (1Tim5:6) The Master of that servant will come on a day when he’s not looking for him and at an hour he’s not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There’ll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt24:48-51) The failure to “watch” betrays an evil kind of unbelief which won’t be forgiven by the Master when He comes. Jesus often warns us to watch and its flagrant disobedience to ignore His warnings. What’s going to happen to the Sardis church? The lampstand will be taken away from the Ephesians. That means they’ll have no “church” and the people will be scattered to find other churches. In Sardis though, they’ll be cut in two and given their portion with the hypocrites. That’s damnation! This is much worse than a lampstand being removed. Jesus continually warns the believers to watch. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, (distracted by the cares of this world and such)… and didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… Watch therefore, for you don’t know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he’d have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (Mt24:36-39,42,43) It’s an irrefutable Christian doctrine that the Lord’s coming will be a surprise! To the elect this means we’re to be continually prepared so as not to be taken by “surprise,” being in a state of unacceptability when Jesus comes and therefore destroyed. You brethren, (true churches) aren’t in darkness, so this Day should overtake you as a thief. You’re all sons of light and sons of the day. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1Th5:4,5,2) Concerning the Sardis church, “If you don’t watch you’ll be taken with the unbelievers and given your portion with the hypocrites because you’re a dead church.” But concerning the “living” churches You’re all sons of light and sons of the day. We aren’t of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let’s watch and be sober. (1Th5:5,6) For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath. (1Th5:7-9)Even false churches and false christians like to quote that we aren’t appointed to wrath. But quoting this verse doesn’t mean anything unless you’re fulfilling the previous verses. God didn’t appoint to wrath those who are sober, watching and praying, who aren’t allowing themselves to be taken by surprise; those are the ones God hasn’t appointed to wrath. These who are of the light aren’t appointed to wrath. But if you’re like the church of Sardis you may very well be appointed to wrath because you’re not watching. A living church is watching.And what’s involved in the watching? Let’s not sleep as others do. (1Th5:6) Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. (Eph5:14) What’s Jesus saying to the church of Sardis? “Repent – wake up – arise from the dead!” And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph5:11) For you were once darkness, but now you’re light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and Truth), finding out what’s acceptable to the Lord. (Eph5:8-10) How do you find out what’s acceptable to the Lord? The Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Ps119:105) You have to stay in the Word. It’s essential that a church keep their people in the Word to keep them in the light.Most if not all of our Glory of His Grace books are shining God’s light on some particular sin in the “churches;” some sort of heresy, or some place where so called “Christians” are believing a lie. But God’s Truth has come. And almost every one of these books begins with a scripture that God opens up on the subject to show His Truth. Light comes from God’s Word only when His Word is interpreted according to the Spirit of Truth. And the true Church which is the pillar and ground of the Truth (1Tim3:15) must be solidly established on the doing of God’s Word, (Mt7:24) holding to the teacher, and the light of the Holy Spirit to illumine and quicken that Word.The church of Sardis needs to wake up if she’s to rise from the dead. (Eph5:14) That’s what Jesus is telling her to do saying, “You’ve a name that you’re alive, but you’re dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die” (Rev3:1,2) Therefore He says: “Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Eph5:14) It may seem like an enigma. How do you bring something to life that’s been dead? You have to find something that has a little life left in it and start watering it. The Spiritual law is “to him who has, more will be given.” (Mt25:29) So Jesus says “Get a hold of the things that aren’t dead yet and strengthen them. Start building on those things. I’m not going to raise you up into a glorious church just like that! You must use what you have if I’m to give you more. Start working on the things that still have some life in them.”This is God’s advice to the dead church. Repent! Get back to the basics. What gave you salvation in the first place? Remember what God did for you in the beginning and get back to that Word by which you were born again. Get back to the Truth. Look around! Is there anything here we can use – that still has some Spirit in it? Start building on that. Build up what’s alive and Christ will give you more. It’s not a hopeless message to the Sardis church, but it is a very strong message. Be watchful… Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard... Therefore if you won’t watch, I’ll come upon you as a thief. (Rev3:3) That’s the threat. Wake up – arise and God will give you light! (Eph5:14) Turn to the Lord and the veil will be removed. (2Cor3:16) He’ll show you what to do. Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. (Rev3:2) You’re about to be cut off and thrown into the fire like a dry branch. (Jn15:6) For I’ve not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard; hold fast and repent. (Rev3:2,3) If you won’t watch, “I’ll come upon you as a thief. You won’t know when I’m coming. It will be over before it starts and you’ll be in the fire before you even know what’s happened!” Apart from Me you can do nothing. (Jn15:5) Apart from Jesus you’re dead. It doesn’t matter how much activity seems to be going on, if you aren’t in Jesus’ Spirit you’re dead; you’re a dry branch fit only to be thrown in the fire.He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I won’t blot out his name from the Book of Life. (Rev3:5) This is the strongest of all Jesus’ threats. In saying He won’t blot your name out if you overcome, He’s also saying if you don’t overcome “I will blot (your) name out from the Book of Life” Jesus is leaving no doubt. “Get this straightened out or you’ll lose your salvation.”For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and Truth finding out what’s acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. (Eph5:9-11,13) A church that has light is a living church. You can recognize a church that’s dead because nothing is being exposed; without light nothing significant is happening. There’s no conviction, no repentance, no growth. And whatever seems to be going on is not of eternal significance; since it’s unrelated to anything in the Kingdom of God. Such “churches” have an imitation of life, full of useless religious rituals, but not spiritual motions. It’s all pleasures, carnal and temporal stuff. But a church that’s alive is actually seeing the Spiritually significant things, and participating in what God is doing – reproving, rebuking, exhorting! (2Tim4:2) Because God’s light exposes what’s wrong we can see what to do to get things right. You’re all sons of light and sons of the day. We aren’t of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let’s not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (1Th5:5,6) Those in the dark will be taken by surprise and destroyed. But the sons of light are prepared for Christ’s coming.Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Act20:28) In a real church the shepherds are protecting the sheep which are very precious to Jesus. So Paul’s saying, “You’ll answer for these people because Jesus paid a high price to save them and you’d better not lose them after Jesus has paid so much for them. Then he warns “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Act20:29,30) The bible says you’re going to be attacked. How often have you watched a movie about cowboys and Indians and seen how the cowboys came on the Indians, or the Indians came on the cowboys and wiped them out? Have you ever thought, “Why wasn’t anyone watching?” Paul’s telling us, “We’re going to be attacked; it’s a certainty.” And if you know you’re going to be attacked what should you do? Watch! Don’t let them take you by surprise. Don’t let the attack be successful. A dead church is dead because they won’t watch! The enemy gets in because they don’t watch. Therefore watch, and remember for three years I didn’t cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Act20:31,32) You must abide in God’s Word or you won’t be built up and sanctified, which means you won’t be saved. How do we overcome these savage wolves? By watching and staying in the Word.Both Jesus and His apostles warn us often about how perilous the end times will be. And their strongest warnings come just before they leave us. Remember how Moses warned his people at the end of his time; “for I know your rebellion and your stiff necks. If today, while I’m yet alive and with you, you’ve been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death? Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you’ll become utterly corrupt and turn aside from the way which I’ve commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days, because you’ll do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.” (Dt31:27-29) That’s Moses’ good-bye speech. “You guys are so bad I could hardly keep you from going under when I was with you and now I’m leaving!” And it came to pass just as he warned. The only hope is God promised He’d eventually regather them.Now it shall come to pass when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I’ve set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you... (Dt30:1-3) Christianity is a regathering of God’s people in a Spiritual sense. Christianity is where a people who are scattered all over the world, see their sin, repent and say, “Lord we’re coming back to You with all our hearts.” A real Christian who’s truly coming back to God is a type of fulfillment of that regathering of God’s scattered sons of Abraham. (Rom4:12) There’s always a parallel between what the Old Testament Jews went thru and what the church goes thru. And Paul is telling the church elders, “You’re going to come under attack and you need to watch and pray and do your best to protect the flock of God because if you lose His flock you’ll answer to Jesus for it.”But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2Tim3:1,2,5) This speaks of the time we’re now in where men are pleasure lovers. They pretend to love God in word but don’t have the power of a real Christianity. For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1Cor4:20) Paul continues, For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women. (2Tim3:6) Under the pretense of serving God they’re actually seducing women. In the Ante-Nicene’s there’s a letter from Clement to the early churches concerning chastity. Clement had a lot to say about the behavior of church members, particularly Christian men that they shouldn’t go into a house alone with a female. They should never be in the company of a woman when there’s no chaperon and never be found any place where anyone could speak evil of it or anything untoward could happen. In the so called “churches” today adultery and fornication are rampant because the people aren’t watching rightly and some men are even using religion to meet women. When numerous protestant preachers are being exposed as adulterers, and catholic priests are found committing pedophilia and homosexuality, what can be said of the lay people? Certainly the perilous times are upon us. Paul isn’t talking about years from now! What he warns of is happening today.But as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the Truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they’ll progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all. But you’ve carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions… (2Tim3:8-11) To help Pharaoh resist God, Jannes and Jambres tried to imitate the works God did thru Moses. (Ex7:11,12) Paul had to deal with false apostles also. That I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire to be regarded just as we are… (2Cor11:12) There’s a difference between the true church and the false, true Christians and false. But God will expose the false and perfect the true. You’ll know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Therefore you’ll be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Mt7:16,17;5:48)Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk17:20-21) Recently I was reading “The Faith Worth Dying For” an excerpt from the “Martyrs Mirror.” It speaks of the Munsterites who were false Anabaptists. They claimed to believe in water baptism in faith but they took up arms, conquered the city of Munster, Germany and then told people the Kingdom of God had come to Munster, which is precisely contrary to what Jesus said. In this age there’ll never be a city in which the Kingdom of God manifests in such a way that we’ll all flock to that city to become part of the Kingdom, for the Kingdom of God isn’t an earthly government. The Kingdom of God is found in the hearts of men not in physical governments that rule over men by force of law. (See our Glory of His Grace book the “Political Jesus”) These “christians” who are trying to establish God’s Kingdom in our earthly governments are in error. They’re by no means real Christians if they think they can establish Jesus’ Kingdom in the governments of this world. Jesus said, “My Kingdom isn’t of this world.” (Jn18:36) The Kingdom of Christ is in the heart. That God’s Kingdom is manifesting in our hearts and not as a worldly nation is for our protection. God’s Kingdom is scattered over the whole earth and the devil himself can’t locate all the Christians to kill them because he doesn’t know where they are. The devil couldn’t even locate Christ when he had Herod kill all the children in Bethlehem. It’s for the protection of the church that she’s scattered. One day antichrist will try to destroy the people of God by ruling in a one-world government. In his thinking, if he controls everything there’ll be no nation where the Godly can flee to escape him. But even now all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution because the world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (2Tim3:12;1Jn5:19) True believers however, have overcome the wicked one because even though everyone has sin in the flesh, if you walk in the Spirit you won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal 5:16) Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (v24) This means the Kingdom of God is found in a people who’ve taken hold of the Spirit of Christ. They walk in His Spirit in such a way that when a crisis comes and the flesh wants to do the will of the devil, their flesh is subdued or “crucified” by the Spirit so they can do the will of God. Only that is Christ’s true Kingdom. It’s found in a people who’ve crucified the flesh so they can do the will of God even under duress. They’re His Kingdom. Regarding this, sometimes you can only see where the Kingdom of God is when God’s people are put under pressure to do something that’s not of God!But now, it’s no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I don’t find. (Rom7:17,18) Sin is a spirit that is opposed to God! So sin is often invisible until God says to do something. (v9) But when God gives a command then sin rises up and says don’t do it which is how sin manifests. But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. (v8) Often, you don’t even know sin is there until God moves. Sin is dormant until God speaks, but then rises up to oppose what God says to do. But on the other side when sin moves, God opposes what sin does. (Gal 5:17) So the world lives mostly in sin (1Jn5:19) except where the Kingdom of God is in the hearts of the true Christian people. The world is composed of governments and true Christians are always obedient to their governments (Rom13:1-5) until in some government a tyrant starts telling them to do something God says not to do, then God’s people will oppose that and because of their opposition to sin the Christians become visible. The Kingdom of God is made manifest in its opposition to sin. But where the Kingdom is manifest that’s not the whole Kingdom because the Kingdom of God includes true saints in other places too. But until the Christians in these places are ordered to disobey God they may not be apparent. It’s in the contrast between right and wrong that God’s Kingdom really shines! Where the world worships the image and the three Hebrews disobey. (Dan3) Where the world stops praying and Daniel doesn’t. (Dan6:13) Where the world bows to Caesar, and Christians refuse. On the other hand where true Christians are beginning to do the will of God and the Spirit of God is moving in a church, then often the false and carnal christians will start rising up in opposition to what God and the true Christians are trying to do. So the kingdom of the devil manifests. But you can’t see over the whole world at the same time who are of the kingdom of the devil or who are of the Kingdom of God, because you can only really see the portions that become visible when they come in conflict with each other; when the church is opposing the sin because they’re being compelled to do something that’s out of order with God. And though we’re citizens of Heaven, we’re also citizens of this world and the bible teaches us to be good citizens until the governments of this world tell us to do something God says not to do, in which case we have to take a stand. That’s when we manifest most visibly, (Act4:18-20) otherwise we’d just look like good citizens. So it’s where governments become corrupt and order believers to do things God says not to do that most powerfully exposes the people of God because the true Christians won’t obey the wicked earthly government, but they’ll disobey it and obey God. (Act4:19,20)This is one reason why all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2Tim3:12) Wherever true Christians come in conflict with evil, where Christ’s Spirit comes in conflict with the world, we’re required to obey God and take a stand for righteousness which is why the world will persecute us. But what Jesus is saying is this won’t happen in such a way as you’ll be able to say the Kingdom of God is only in one geographical area because wherever there’s a people who are really obedient to God, that’s the Kingdom. But when Jesus comes in the clouds like lightening, (Mt24:27) all His Kingdom will rise at once over the earth. Wherever the obedient are they’ll suddenly appear. The dead in Christ will be raised, and the living in Christ will be raptured. This will be an instantaneous manifestation of God’s Kingdom all at once. So don’t look for it to come in a different way than that. There are limited manifestations of God’s Kingdom in the earth but true believers aren’t trying to take over earthly governments. Jesus answered, “My Kingdom isn’t of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so I shouldn’t be delivered to the Jews; but now My Kingdom isn’t from here.” (Jn18:36)Although our Glory of His Grace books go around the world and we might be able to count the thousands of books we print on each mailing or the tens of thousands that are coming to our internet site, still we can have no real idea how many people are getting into God’s Kingdom thru what we’re doing until we get to Heaven. Because what God is pouring into the earth thru us isn’t staying here; it’s moving beyond what we can see as in “the Kingdom doesn’t come with observation.” We can’t see all of its movement or even all of where it’s going. We’ve no idea how many people have been affected by what we’ve already done. Only God knows! The Kingdom is here but it’s not completely visible and that’s a good thing because if it were visible the devil would try to destroy it, but as long as it’s invisible the devil doesn’t know how to stop it, doesn’t know what to do about it. There’ll always be a Christian at just the right place and just the right time to hinder what satan is doing. The devil can’t overcome a Christian who has a heart for God. (1Jn4:4) Now we have to suffer the reverse of that too which means there may be someone among us who’s secretly a Judas. (Jude4) The kingdom of the devil doesn’t manifest until God moves. People can treacherously pretend to be brethren until something goes in a way their flesh doesn’t like and then they may rise up against us. But under the present circumstances this is the better way. The devil gets the chance to disguise some of his kingdom, and God also is able to hide much of His, but overall God will win because He’ll get the better end out of this deal.But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2Tim3:13) God gives numerous warnings that evil will get worse. The bible says antichrist won’t be revealed until the apostasy, the great falling away has come. Only after that will the man of sin be revealed. (2Th2:3) The scriptures continually show us we’re heading for greater and greater wickedness before the end, which is in agreement with the way God works. He doesn’t destroy until the iniquity becomes full. (Gen15:16) There’s sure to be a day of judgment. But God won’t destroy everything when everyone’s on the beach with their children puffing little sailboats in the wind and flying kites. We won’t be living in a world that’s very gentle and lovely and family oriented with lots of nice things going on when judgment falls. God doesn’t destroy places like that even though they may not be perfect, even though there may be sin in the unseen parts. He destroys when the wicked start knocking on the doors, ravishing concubines and trying to rape angels as in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen19:4-13) or when the Benjamites kill the concubine in Gibeah. (Jdg19:22) God destroys when the sin comes out in the open. We know the Day of Judgment is coming but it will come at a time when the iniquity has become full and we must expect that’s what’s going to happen. So things will get worse and worse. Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2Tim3:13)Now what are we to do? Give up? What does God say? Continue! You must continue in the things which you’ve learned and been assured of (2Tim3:14) and Remember therefore how you’ve received and heard; hold fast! (Rev3:3) How are we to get thru this increasingly evil age when imposters become worse and worse? We’ll get thru by not falling for their errors, but by holding on to the Truth. You must continue in the things which you’ve heard and been assured of, knowing from whom you’ve learned them. (2Tim3:14) Can you recognize the real men of God? Do you know who’s actually teaching the Truth? Or have you been sitting at the feet of imposters whom you have no evidence are really from God? Paul says “You know my life, you know my purpose, you know my faith, you know what I’m teaching you is right…” (2Tim3:10) “and that from childhood you’ve known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation thru faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2Tim3:15) Now that’s the heart of the answer. How are you to get thru this evil age when imposters are growing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived? How are you to get thru this terrible perilous time when men are becoming treacherous, lovers of pleasure, traitors, headstrong, having a false form of Godliness? (2Tim3:1-5) You’ll get thru by holding to the scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation thru faith.So once again what’s the living church to do? Stay in the scriptures, the living Word which will make you wise for salvation. For All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, (all of which is effectual in protecting you from the doctrines of demons and apostasies that are ravishing the earth) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Tim3:16,17) I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who’ll judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom: (this is as strong a charge as you can make) Preach the Word! (2Tim4:1,2) Paul is about to be martyred. He’s leaving the church in the hands of Timothy. He’s telling Timothy, “Things will get bad and it’s going to be a dangerous time – a treacherous time. There’ll be all kinds of things going on which are of antichrist, like false brethren pretending to be for Christ. There’ll be wicked people rising up inside the church, and savage wolves outside.” (Act20:29,30) But then he says, “This is what you must do to protect the church. Preach the Word! Make sure you know the Word – the sword of the Spirit (Eph6:17) so you’re thoroughly equipped to defend the Church. That’s how you’ll protect her. You must use the Word. You’re going to reprove with it, rebuke with it. You’re going to instruct with it and you’re going to preach it in season and out of season whether they like it or not! You’re going to rebuke, convince, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (2Tim4:2) For the weapons of our warfare aren’t carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations. (2Cor10:4,5) “The way to defeat this enemy who’s bringing his apostasy and darkness over the earth is you stay in the light. You aren’t children of darkness, (Eph5:8) you stay in the Word. Keep that Word going forth. Keep preaching and keep standing up for it because that Word is able to save your souls. It’s the only thing that’s going to keep you. You won’t be saved without the Word. So pray earnestly for the Spirit to quicken the Word and make the Word a living Word to you. It’s the salvation of the church to preach God’s Word in the Spirit.”For the time will come when they won’t endure sound doctrine. (2Tim4:3) That time has already come to many people. They’re beyond help because they won’t endure sound doctrine. But to those who’ll receive God’s Truth we can save them. And the way to keep them from being lost forever is to get the Word to them before they’re too far gone. For the time will come when they won’t endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they’ll heap up for themselves teachers; and they’ll turn their ears away from the Truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2Tim4:3-4) “Once Saved/Always Saved” is a fable. (See our Glory of His Grace book Once Saved/Always Saved) Believing you can continue in sin and still be saved is a fable. We know that whoever’s born of God doesn’t sin; but he who’s born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one doesn’t touch him. (1Jn5:18) Fables are being preached in most places today that call themselves “churches.” Charge some that they teach no other doctrine. (1Tim1:3) Any church that’s teaching another doctrine isn’t the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus says of Sardis there are a few among you who haven’t defiled their garments (Rev3:4) but when a church is heretical it’s not even equal to a dead church. It can’t even really be called a “church!” Heresy is the opposite of Truth. Heresy is poison. Heresy isn’t just a lack of Truth it’s a lie. It’s a completely different thing from the Truth. Christ’s Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth! (1Tim3:15) Heresy tells people they’re saved when they aren’t. Where there are heresies there can be no church.Many people today believe they’re forever saved when they aren’t even pursuing a holy life, praying, or reading their bibles. Jesus says repent and believe the Truth. In Sardis, what have they been doing? They’ve been having religious activities without the Spirit, and their works haven’t been perfect before God. (Rev3:2) He doesn’t say the Sardis church is preaching heresy. If the church is still a church it’s because there’s no preaching of lies going on. But when you have a church where the whole denomination is preaching heresies they aren’t even qualified to be called a church. They’re not just dead; Jude says they’re twice dead. (v12) A dead tree has no fruit but a twice dead tree, what is that? It doesn’t even have leaves. There’s nothing there. Twice dead also speaks of the second death, the lake of fire. They’re damned. When a “church” isn’t what Christ calls her to be she loses the power to save and that’s why Jesus is rebuking the Laodicean church and the church of Sardis. But Jesus still considers them to have an opportunity to repent and behave like a real church. And He’s correcting the other churches that have sin in them to get them to repent and be perfect because it’s a very dangerous time we live in and you must be as perfect as God can make you if you want to overcome this wicked world and enter God’s Kingdom. But most so called “believers” today aren’t going to a real “church.” They’re going to a parlor to get their ears “scratched.” (2Tim4:3,4) And the contrast God’s Word makes between a false church and a church as will save you is the true church preaches the Word, interprets the Word correctly and does everything necessary to compel you to be a doer of the Word; convince, rebuke, exhort (v2) to make sure you don’t fall asleep and become captive to the various winds of apostasy that characterize this wicked age. But when “believers” go to a “parlor” to get their ears scratched they’re rejecting salvation. They’re purposely avoiding Jesus’ Church. They’re turning away from sound doctrine. Because they’re offended by sound doctrine, they’ve chosen to follow fables and have a “pretend church.” So they’ve turned away from God’s Word, and there’s no life in them. (Is8:20)For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and Spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb4:12) There’s no power in fables. God’s Word separates between the living and the dead, the true and the false believer. Where God’s living Word is preached people who are “soulish” or carnal will be exposed. People in the flesh can’t sit under the Word without being convicted and bothered. At some point they’re going to show what’s in them because the living Word has the power to manifest what’s of the soul and of man versus what’s of the Spirit of God. Where the living Word is preached it manifests who in the church is of the Spirit and who’s of the flesh. In a Spiritual church if someone gets in the flesh the Spiritual people notice. You can tell by the way they’re behaving when someone’s carnal. You can tell by the lack of anointing and by the foolish things they do. So in a real church the living Word is going forth and constantly dividing soul from Spirit, righteousness from sin, Truth from lies. It does that in every individual so each one is able to judge himself as to whether he belongs to Christ or not and can repent and get right with God. Examine yourselves as to whether you’re in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-- unless indeed you are disqualified. (2Cor13:5) But if an individual won’t repent, the Word will alert the true believers to cut off that member. (1Cor5:2) As Jesus said, it’s better to go to Heaven without a hand than to go to hell with a hand. (Mt18:8) So the Church is Christ’s body and He won’t permit a persistently offensive member to trouble His Church. Eventually the Church must cut off anyone who won’t repent and get in the Spirit. Because the Word of God exposes sinners for what they are and separates the hypocrites from the true believers, a living Church is constantly being cleansed. But in a “church” where the Word of God isn’t being preached, in a dead church, there’s nothing to make a distinction between the true and the false so the false take over!But the living Word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there’s no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Heb4:12,13) In a real church, where the living Word is preached, the eyes of the Lord search the member’s hearts which is evidenced in what Jesus says about the Jezebel in Thyatira “I’ll kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I’m He who searches the minds and hearts. And I’ll give to each one of you according to your works.” (Rev2:23) In spite of the fact there’s a problem in the church of Thyatira, the living Word is in that church. Because if the Word of God wasn’t there; Jezebel couldn’t have been exposed.Most so called “churches” today are scratching ears. They comfort sinners into thinking they’re saved when they’re still in sin and haven’t repented. Such “churches” don’t qualify as lukewarm. Even the lukewarm Laodicean church has the living Word of God in it; they’re just not excited about it. False churches don’t qualify as being like the church of Sardis – a dead church with some activity because even in Sardis there’s a few that aren’t defiled. But a “church” that’s heretical is totally dead. A “church” that’s scratching ears is a synagogue of the devil. (Rev2:9) The church of Sardis has lost much of God’s life but it isn’t exactly working for the devil yet. They still have an opportunity to repent. Many churches today don’t have any relationship with the Truth of God. They’ve lost it and taken to lies. They fulfill the scripture that says, they’ve heaped up for themselves teachers having itching ears and have turned aside to fables. (2Tim4:3,4)We must carefully discern today where the real church is because there’s no salvation apart from Christ’s true Church. And those churches that are lukewarm like the church of Laodicea had better get their eyes healed (Rev3:18) and get back to serving the Lord fervently. And those churches which are dead like the church of Sardis, had better get into some real prayer for the Spirit and return to preaching the living Word of God because they’ve lost the Spirit and the living Word. You can substitute a lot of things for the Word of God – ritualistic religion – music – moralistic teachings – you can do a lot of things that have activity in them. You can operate a bread kitchen. You can collect old clothes for Goodwill. You can do many similar things and have nothing of the Word of God and no life because you don’t pray in faith. But if you’re to be a church that saves souls, if you’re to be a church that’s overcoming the present apostasy and will be found worthy to stand before the Son of God in the day of His appearing what’s going to keep you is the living Word of God and fervent prayer! But we’ll give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. (Act6:4) Nothing else can save your souls and give you an inheritance among those who are being saved. (Act20:32) But the Word has to be preached. You must convince, rebuke and exhort. (2Tim4:2) There’s nothing more important than attending a church where the Word of God is being preached in the Spirit and that’s what you have right here at “My Father’s House.” If we have prayer and the Word everything else will come in its time.Without fervent prayer you’ll lose everything because without prayer you’ll lose the Spirit and without the Spirit everything dies. Without real prayer you won’t have the Word and that’s where most so called “churches” are today. They don’t have the living Word, so they don’t receive the Truth that sets free. (Jn8:31,32) My son, if you receive my Words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, (Who is wisdom? -1Cor1:24- Jesus! His commands are wisdom. His words are wisdom.) and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you’ll understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; (His living Word!) He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He’s a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you’ll understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, (When Jesus enters your heart wisdom enters your heart and you’ll know the Truth. Truth is in the Spirit of Truth and where the Spirit is there’s liberty. (2Cor3:17) The Spirit of Truth will set you free.) discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, (Heretics, ear scratchers, Jesus will deliver you from them. What’s going to keep you? The Spirit of Truth and the Word of God!) from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; (those who leave sound doctrine to go after fables and get their ears scratched) who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths; to deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words, (The false church flatters by telling you you’re saved when you aren’t, telling you you’re ok with God when you aren’t) who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God. (What did Jesus say in Revelations? “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent” – Rev3:3) For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead… (Pr2:1-18) The dead church has followed the seductress. She’s departed from sound doctrine; from prayer and the Word. If you want life hold on to sound doctrine, prayer and the Word. Return to the Lord; talk to Him in prayer. Return to His Word that He may talk to you. Hold fast to the living Word, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. But you aren’t willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Jn5:40) It’s the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they’re life. (Jn6:63) And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who doesn’t have the Son of God doesn’t have life. (1Jn5:11,12)Prophecy: What the false churches glory in is to their shame. They’re glorying in things I don’t take part in. But I’m separating unto Myself a people who’ll bring glory to My name because they fulfill the Word of God. They cherish the Word of God. They are doers of the Word of God. But those who follow false doctrines I’m bringing down. They glory in things they don’t understand. They glory in things that are to their own destruction. Seek Me. Seek My wisdom. Seek My Spirit. Follow My Word, keep My Word, do My Word and love Me with your whole heart. For in these things I’m glorified, saith the Lord. Prophecy: I am the Activator! When you take hold of Me by faith I activate you by the power of God. I lift you up, I strengthen you, I lead you, I guide you and I empower you. You’ll not be inactive when you take hold of My Spirit, saith the Lord. If you seek Me diligently you’ll find Me and when you find Me, I’ll empower you and I’ll activate you and you’ll come to life and you’ll glorify Me. You’ll edify and bless your brethren because I live in those who have faith in Me, who seek Me diligently and find and take hold of Me. And I tell you those of you who are inactive, you’ve not met Me or known Me or sought Me. And I’ve not activated you because you’ve not sought Me rightly as My true servants have. And I command that you repent and seek Me diligently that I may bring you to life; that I may make you useful and activate you and make you a part of My living Spiritual Church, lest I have to cut you off for your lack of faith and lack of activity, saith the Lord. Prophecy: I’m not amongst My people to do a mealy mouth little work. I’m not coming to give you a small touch, a slight feeling. I’m the Spirit of the Almighty God and I come to shake everything down that’s not of God. I come to remove everything that’s not according to My will. I come to change things powerfully. I come to heal, save, deliver and convict. I come to do great works and awesome things. Many of My people have misunderstood Me and thought of Me as some kind of a weak, sympathetic Spirit that just holds their hands and weeps with them about the terrible things that are happening to them in this world; but they do not know Me. I’ve come to change the terrible things. I’ve come to make a mighty difference, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father’s House”)
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