Unifying The Church - The Body Of Christ!

.....I come to you today as an Ambassador for God through Christ, to speak to YOU as a trumpet, and also as a prophetic voice, detached from things that mean nothing, and attached to God's things, that mean everything, preparing the way. A clear sounding word, used in the Old Testament as a signaling of God's presence, a calling of the assemblies, announcing a Feast, and a gathering of the Nation of Israel. As an Ambassador, it is my job to be a peacemaker. A peacemaker does not evade issues. He faces them, deals with them, and conquers them. He has no passive acceptance of things, but actively faces things, making peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle. The Church is to be the conscience of the Nation, and the conscience of Society, establishing peace, which is for the most part, to experience F.R.E.E.D.O.M. - Fully Renouncing Every Evil Dominion Over Man, from all trouble, and the enjoyment of all good. A conviction brought about by loyalty and living for Christ today.

.....I wish to address this day, the subject of Unifying the Church - The Body of Christ. Jesus is coming again, and is returning for 1 Bride, without spot, or blemish. Yet, the body of Christ is still not picking up on this. The true power of the Church will not manifest itself today until we come together as one.

.....I am about to show you a physical picture of a Spiritual Truth concerning this. Christianity was meant to be seen. We are to be a guide to make clear the way as an example, and also a warning light to others, concerning our duties to the world. I wish to start with Mathew 5: 14-16 which says, "You are the light (One Light) of the world. A city, (The New Jerusalem), that is set on a hill, (A High Place For Everyone To See), and cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house, (The World). Let your light so shine before men, (Visible To All), that they may see your good works, (Attracting Them To God), and glorify your Father in Heaven."

Follow me now to the book of "The Revelation Of Jesus Christ."

.....In Revelation 1: 10-13 it says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and what you see, write to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and in the midst of the seven lamp stands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band."

.....Note that there are seven lights revealing Christ, in His fullness, standing there in the midst of the light. And as I said earlier, we are the Light. But why are we not there yet?

.....Chapters 2 and 3 in the book of Revelation of Jesus contains seven messages to seven churches. The number 7 in the bible represents Completion, or Divine Perfection. God is trying to reveal to us how the unity of the body of Christ is to come about. The perfecting of the Church. A physical picture of a Spiritual Truth. Each message contains a praise, and a rebuke from the Lord, then a correction to be made in the body, and then a reward for that correction. I have listed them below in part for this study.

The Church of Ephesus

Commendation- Rejects evil, perseveres, has patience.
Criticism- Love for Christ no longer fervent.
Correction- Do the works you did at first.
Promise- The tree of Life.

The Church of Smyrna

Commendation- Gracefully bears suffering.
Criticism- None.
Correction- Be faithful until death.
Promise- The crown of Life.

The Church of Pergamos

Commendation- Keeps the faith of Christ.
Criticism- Tolerates immorality, idolatry, and heresies.
Correction- Repent.
Promise- Hidden manna, and a stone with a new name.

The Church of Thyatira

Commendation- Love, service, faith, patience is greater than at first.
Criticism- Tolerates cult of idolatry and immorality.
Correction- Judgement coming, keep the faith.
Promise- Rule over nations and receive the morning star.

The Church of Sardis

Commendation- Some have kept the faith.
Criticism- A dead church
Correction- Repent, strengthen what remains.
Promise- Faithful honored and clothed in white.

The Church of Philadelphia

Commendation- Perseveres in the faith.
Criticism- None.
Correction- Keep the faith.
Promise- A place in God's presence, a new name, and the New Jerusalem.

The Church of Laodicea

Commendation- None.
Criticism- Indifferent.
Correction- Be zealous and repent.
Promise- Share Christ's throne.

Now picture with me how this all works:

Imagine we, the church, are in a dark room, (The World), and as a correction is made in our lives, a light is lit on a Menorah, (Jesus is the Golden Candlestick, and YOU are the Light of the World). The light reveals an aspect of Truth, about Christ, and you in Christ. A promise revealed and received. Now we know through the study of scripture that light always dispels darkness. And also no amount of darkness can ever put out that light, (Truth), once it is lit, (Within You). That is Revelation. So as we, the Body of Christ, continue to make these 7 corrections within the Church, more and more lights are then lit, revealing more of Him and less of us, until all that we see is Him. These corrections are in the correct order according to the word of God, and will manifest the fullness of Christ, restoring the power within the Church, unifying the body, creating a bride, (1 Bride), without spot or blemish for Him to receive. God gave us the perfect example of this when He created Adam and Eve. God first made Adam, and then Eve for him, his help-mate, 1 bride, was made from a part of him. In this same way, God made Christ, and His Bride, the Church is to also be made from Him. That can only be manifested stage by stage through these 7 corrections for perfection. So Church, let's start making these corrections. How you might ask? Through the Six Steps to the Throne of God, which I will reveal to you later.
..

Water Turned To Wine

.....I would like to reveal some spiritual truths from this physical picture that is represented in this passage of scripture in John 2: 1 - 11. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the water-pots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

.....All throughout scripture, Christ is either concealed or revealed in pictures, shadows, or types. Let's first note that Jesus was at a wedding. A celebration of a covenant ceremony being established between a bride and a groom. The two becoming one before God, an example of man's soul in union with man's spirit. It was not His wedding, for He says, "My time has not yet come."

.....Jesus spoke to His mother as a woman and referring in type to the soul -- mind, will, and emotions. When the soul decides to accept whatever Jesus (the Truth) has to say and do in faith and obedience, to the Word of God, (which is the water), the miracle then takes place. This is represented by the water being poured into the 6 stone vessels, ( 6 being the number of man, stone represents man under the Law, and the vessels which represents the place of which the treasure is to be stored). The miracle is the wine, (which is the joy), that is produced from the revelation of what is true of it.

.....Jesus could have supplied more wine in any number of ways, but it was done this way for the spiritual lessons to be drawn out of this passage of scriptures. He also could just as easily filled the pots Himself, yet He chose servants to share in the work and also share in the blessing of this miracle. The same way He used to disciples back then, and the same way He uses us today. What a great God we serve! The servants, those that were under the direction and submission of Jesus, were in a unique place of blessing for this miracle. Jesus is always looking for the cooperation of men to work His miracles through.

.....The miracle came about because of the servant's obedience to Jesus, obeying the Word without question or dought. They filled the pots to the brim, and by doing so the miracle was fullfilled in the greatest measure possible. The servants then placed their faith in Jesus by drawing some of the contents out of the pots and presenting it to the master of the feast, who would represent God for us today.

.....This passage is actually a spiritual lesson revealing the miracle of conversion, from the old ways under the of Law, ceremony, and purification to a new life with Jesus. We can draw 3 spiritual truths from this passage...

Wine came after the water, just as the new covenant came after the old covenant.

Wine was from water, just as the new covenant is from the old covenant.

The wine was better than the previous wine, just as the new covenant is better than the old covenant.

.....In closing, we were given a hint from John that Jesus' glory would show forth on the third day, (the Resurrection of Christ). And His disciples would believe in Him when they had seen His glory. The disciples of course believed before, but after the Resurrection, their belief would be deepened. This is also true in our own lives, every time God does something great in our lives, we believe in Him all over again and our relationship and beliefs are deepened through the Revelation, Wisdom, and Knowledge of Christ.

.