Phase 5–Church is Lively but Dead

Revelation 3:1-6

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click here for a description of the image 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 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 a result of the masses of people living for the “deep secrets” of the thing which forms what people think, feel, do, and speak. It sets itself up as being God in the temple of God, our body, and discards any notion of Salvation. It enables the image of the beast to live and speak through people and by what they say and do they are conformed to their place in life. They are conformed to their mark in life as they ate groomed to the mark of the beast.

The thing which forms what people think, feel, and do has power over physiology and is able to form lively and joyful emotions. Within all the liveliness they are dead to Jesus Christ. There is nothing for them but a warning to, “Wake up!” They need to repent because Jesus comes unexpectantly and very quickly.

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 and the community is all-in with support. The entertainment is geared for youth, and mostly young people attend with their parents. Everyone looks full of life within their lively community activity. They are dead to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. They are dead to the Gospel of Christ. Then there are the community/church easter egg hunts and the list goes on and on of how lively the churches are in collaboration with the city. They are dead to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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 to bolster the testimony of Jesus nor a minute of Bible reading to spread the Gospel. They are gathering together in the name of the “democratic” society 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, Jesu is coming back.

“I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die,
for I have not found your works perfect before God. 
Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. 
Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief,
and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”
Revelation 3:1-3

Faithful Few’s Names are Acknowledged by Jesus Christ
There will always be a few faithful people in this world who cling to the hope that they have through Jesus Christ. The faithful few remain separate from today’s Christless church and community 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.

The “He” and “his” in the verse below refers to the whosoever of humanity.

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments;
and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;
but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
“He who has an ear, let him 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 global culture 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