Church in Philadelphia

THE SEVEN KINDS OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST (Part 6)

The sixth kind of members in the Church of Christ are similar to the church in Philadelphia. Let’s read the testimony from the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 3:7-13 NIV

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.“

The sixth kind of members of the church are those who persevere and keep the words of God and never deny Jesus’ name. They are faithful servants of God.

Aside from the members of the church in Philadelphia, the prophecy also mentions a great trial when Christ’s second coming is very near. This is the great tribulation foretold that will put to test those who will be saved before the Judgment Day.

We have learned that the Church will pass through a great trial when the end of time is very near. Our Lord God will protect those who are faithful and who patiently obeyed His words when trials came. Let us first review God’s prophecy concerning the ends of the earth in the Book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 41:9-15

“You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ “Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,” says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff.“

The Lord God’s covenant and promise to His Messenger and His people at the ends of the earth is overwhelming for they will pass through a turbulent time. The first tribulation was the world war. Then, they shall face Satan’s disciples, including the great harlot and her offsprings. This means that Satan has established so many false religions against the lone organization of God—the Church of Christ. This is one of the signs given by our Lord Jesus to his disciples when they were on the mount of olives.

Matthew 24:3-5 NASB

“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.“

Therefore, it is clear that during those times, many false prophets or religions would rise to mislead Christ’s chosen ones. Satan’s preachers will also come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—which means that they will pretend to be Christians whose religion is of Christ and not of Satan, and they will lead many astray.

God has given a substantial testimony of His promises to the Last Messenger in these last days. He assured guidance and help to His Last Messenger and His servants at the ends of the earth. He also promised that He would not allow the instruments of Satan to prevail over His true and faithful servants.

God promised that He will uphold His Messenger with the power of His righteousness. Which power and righteousness of God will aid His Messenger at the ends of the earth? This is the answer from Apostle Paul.

Romans 1:16-17 NASB

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “but the righteous man shall live by faith.”

These are the powerful teachings from the Holy scriptures that God has entrusted to His Messenger in these last days. The Last Messenger fulfilled God’s commandment to seek out and gather His children and to preach the gospel of salvation. The emergence of the Church of Christ in the Philippines is concurrent with the First World War. Led by the Messenger of God in these last days, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, God’s children were found and brought out from captivity of the great harlot and her offsprings. The method he applied was also stated in the prophecy of Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:11-13

“Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory“

God’s messenger in these last days, who will emerge from the far east (Philippines), was likened to a bird of prey because he will snatch God’s children from captivity in false religions. His cry, or mighty preaching serves as impetus for God’s people to depart from the great harlot and her offsprings, so they would not suffer her plagues.  Apostle John recorded it.

Revelation 18:4 NIV

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; “

This is why the Last Messenger strived to bring out the children of God from confinement in the Catholic Church. This is also written in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 14:9-12 NIV

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.“

Those who came out of the Catholic Church and other false religions through the work of God’s Last Messenger and his aides, formed the Church of Christ in the far east. Those who have true faith, upholding God’s teachings and commandments, and patiently endured, will surely be blessed. They belong to the third group of the Church of Christ who, according to the prophecy, wore white clothes washed by the Lamb and came from great tribulation. They will join the other faithful and true members of the Church of Christ in inheriting the true eternal life. This was also recorded by Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 7:13-14 NASB

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.“

The Church of Christ re-emerged and spread in the Philippines before reaching other parts of the world. The members of the Church in these last days whose faith have been perfected and have triumphed over the great tribulations will receive the great reward. Their names will never be erased from the Book of Life kept by the Lamb, and thus will enter the Holy City.

Revelation 21:23-27 NASB

“And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.“

It is important to take note of what is written in the last verse. It certainly says that nothing unclean nor anyone who practices abominations and falsehoods shall ever enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, only those who are pure and righteous will be allowed to enter—they are persistent with good deeds and lived their lives with righteousness and holiness. Thus, anyone who longs to enter the kingdom of our Lord God must ensure that they are upholding their life in righteousness and in holiness until the very end. The passage in the Bible also guarantees that the abominable and the unclean (they will be caught up in unrighteousness and wickedness) can never enter the Kingdom of God in any way. What are the works of abomination and wickedness that we must depart from in our lives?

First among these things is idol worshiping. God loathes these practices. Some might contend that, “I am a member of the Church of Christ and I don’t worship any idols!” We have discussed the three types of idol worship. We need to analyze our lives. Are we truly not doing any of the three kinds of idol worshiping? Are we fulfilling all of God’s teachings and commandments? Are we putting our love for God foremost, among all things?

If we truly love our Lord God with all our heart, we should not trade Him for anything or for anyone in this life. We must abide by all of His commandments. Let us leave behind and stay away from the things as admonished by our Lord God. If we remain faithful and obedient to Him until the very end, we are guaranteed to enter His heavenly kingdom.

May all those who receive this message, especially to the ministers and the church officers, receive God’s mercy. Let us examine our membership in the Church of Christ. Can we say with certainty that we are giving glory to our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ? Let us be wary, lest we are gradually turned to wrong activities and deeds. We should offer ourselves wholeheartedly to our Lord God. We should devote our praise, glory, worship and our sincerest thanksgiving to our Lord God for He created us and owns our lives. We must never allow ourselves to fall into any kind of idol worship so that we can be certain of inheriting the true eternal life.