Phase 5–Church is Lively but Dead

Revelation 3:1-6

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

This is the fifth of the seven churches. The Gospel is tossed aside, the faithful are being slandered and persecuted, the church is corrupted, they are teaching members to live by the “secret knowledge,” and now they are lively but dead to God.

• Reputation of Being Alive But are Dead
• Faithful Few’s Names are Acknowledged by Jesus Christ

The message to this church is a direct message from the Spirit of God.

To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.”
Revelation 3:1

Reputation of Being Alive But are Dead
At this point, the message from God has nothing good to say about the churches at all. That means that they have no respect for Him, they have thrown out the need for Jesus Christ, and are not listening to the Holy Spirit at all. That is how the inner presence of the mark of the beast operates. It sets itself up as being God and discards any notion of Salvation. Through its power over physiology, it is able to form lively and joyful emotions. Within all their liveliness they are dead. There is nothing for them but a warning to, “Wake up!” They need to repent before Jesus returns, and at this point of time His return is near.

The lively churches not only have emotional liveliness, but they are also bustling with activity. They are the same churches that have formed a working relationship with the city government. For example, in the city where I live one church is having fireworks in August which draws thousands. That requires permission from city council. The entertainment is geared for youth, and mostly young people attend with their parents. Everyone looks full of life within their lively community activity. Another church just about dominates the “Trunk or Treat” events every year. Those “Trunk or Treat” events are all over America. The one in the city where I live draws thousands of youths, with parents, they have a youth DJ, food, and lots of fun. Then there are the easter egg hunts and the list goes on and on of how lively the churches are in collaboration with the city.

They are bustling with lively activity and are bustling with joyful emotional life. But they are dead to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the events, all of the music is secular and there is not one second of time dedicated to a moment of prayer nor a minute of Bible reading. They are gathering together through the inner presence of the mark of the beast. God tells them to, “Wake Up!” and to strengthen the very little that remains of the Gospel, which is about to die. They need to repent and get back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ before Jesus Returns.

“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die,
for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. 
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, 
and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Revelation 3:1-3

Faithful Few’s Names are Acknowledged by Jesus Christ
There will always be a few faithful people who cling to the hope that they have through Jesus Christ. The faithful few are remain separate from today’s godless church activities. We want no part of the godless hustle and bustle of the lively church. When God says to, “Wake Up!” we stay awake and watch for the coming of Jesus Christ. When God says to, “Repent!” we abide in the Cross of Jesus Christ every day.

The names of the faithful few will never be blotted out from the Book of Life, but their names will be acknowledged by Jesus Christ in front of God.

“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. 
They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 
The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. 
I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but
will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels. 
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:4-6

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Phase One…..Gospel of Jesus Christ is Abandoned
Phase Two….Those Faithful to Christ are Slandered and Persecuted
Phase Three…Corruption sets In
Phase Four…..Learning to Live By the “Deep Secrets”
Phase Five…..Lively but Dead to Jesus Christ
Phase Six……Those Faithful to Jesus Christ have Little Strength
Phase 7………Wealthy but Wretched

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I found this laying on the ground near to my front door on July 30th. This church is just one of the several lively and wealthy churches in the city. There is another church that is known for its fireworks extravaganza in August, and another one that is known for its “Trunk or Treat” extravaganza in October. The music is fun, lively, good-feel music but no real Gospel roots. It almost recreates the environment of a county fair. Every church in this city is on the same sheet of music, and the chords are composed by the inner presence of the mark of the beast. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a part of what they do.

“Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira,
to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
Revelation 2:24-25