THE SPIRIT-LIFE COACH

Our present study is an attempt to bring to my readers an understanding of the final preparation of the Bride of Christ which are the hidden truth in the book of Revelation. 

                                                       SEALED WITH SEVEN SEALS 4

Some examples of the symbols representations of the Book of Revelation

For example we see the Lord Jesus Christ represented or SIGNIFIED or SYMBOLISED by a Lamb slain having seven eyes. Another example of the symbolic nature of the book is the appearance of the Lord Himself walking in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks. This is Christ in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Moses. The Holy Place is the residence of the Church for it refers to Pentecost when the Church was born. The seven Golden Candlesticks represent the Church and its light giving ministry.

These are some of the details we shall be examining as we go on in the study.

The book of revelation details the journey of the Bride from salvation to perfection. It also details the events that will take place in the saints and in the world and in the earth as we go through the final stages of Adam’s lease before the Lord comes to establish His Kingdom in the earth and take full residence in His saints.

In our studies we shall divide the book into some 2 major places. These two major divisions are

1. Revelation chapters 1 to 12 and

2. Revelation chapters 13 to 22.

Furthermore we shall divide the first 12 chapters into four places.

1.       the appearance of the Lord in chapter 1

2.       the message to the Seven Churches chapters 2-5

3.       the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets  chapters 6-11

4.       the Manchild chapter 12

BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH!

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand

The Lord surely wants His people to read the book and He thus sets forth the blessedness of him/her that ‘readeth’.

The Church in the most part has thought that the places where God’s promises are written in the bible are the only avenues of blessings. So a believer would rather read the Psalms than read the book of revelation for example. But contrary to what we think the Lord is has reserved blessings for all those who read the book and do the instructions in the book. And in any case ALL scripture has been given to us that we may be complete, thoroughly furnished and prepared unto every good work. 2Tim3:16

THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF JOHN

PETER

In the beginning of the history of the Church we see the mantle of leadership falling on Peter. Some part of the gospel like the Gospel of Mark was said to be dictated by Peter. It was Peter that led the Church in the very trying times of the great contentions of Church with established Judaism. They were beaten, imprisoned and even killed for their witness to the Messiaship of the Lord Jesus and as witnesses of Hs resurrection.

The church however grew in power and in great grace despite these persecutions. From the day of Pentecost through the revival in Samaria even unto the spread to Antioch when the gospel was preached only to the Jews in the Gentile city, Peter’s ministry and leadership held sway.

It was under his leadership that the first witness of the power and the life of Christ were shown forth to the world through the disciples.

Peter apostleship oversaw the beginnings of the planting of the Kingdom of God in the earth.

PAUL

In the latter part of the Church ministry in the book of Acts of the Apostles we see the mantle of leadership falling on Paul. This Paul was first introduced to us as Saul the great persecutor of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He personally supervised the execution of Stephen the disciple. But then the Lord took a hold of him and He became the great apostle of the faith which he once destroyed.

It was through the ministry of Paul that the gospel spread to the Gentiles with great surges of the waves of power and glory. Right from Antioch even to Illyricum, to Spain and to Rome this man labored through the grace of God more than any man else since the Lord Himself 1Cor 15:10. He spent and was spent in the labors to bringing the kingdom of God into the hearts of men.

All the great landmark doctrines of Christianity were taught, written and established by Paul. From our confessions of the Jesus as Lord whereby we become citizens of the kingdom, to the doctrine of justification by faith even unto the demonstrations of the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit even up to the end-time reconciliation re-gathering of the Jews unto faith in the Lord we see Paul’s pen dipping with his understanding of the great mysteries of Christ.

Paul takes us within the veil to unveil before us the great ministry which Jesus carried on as He ascended to the Temple of God in heaven (Heb 1-13). He wrote 23 chapters of the bible.

Paul grew so much in the grace of God to the place where he could not be killed until he offered up his life to be poured out for the cause of Christ. He died empty, the last place he lived being in a rented apartment in Rome.

Paul’s apostleship oversaw the adolescent season of the Church

JOHN

John was the closest to the Lord as it is shown in the gospels. He was the disciple that rested his head upon Jesus chest. John showed forth for a number of years in Jerusalem. We see Him in the upper room and at the gate called beautiful where the lame was gloriously healed. However John soon drops out of the scene. It was obvious that the next man of prominence after Peter was Paul.

After the deaths of both Peter and Paul the ministry of John came into prominence. By A.D 63 Paul had been beheaded in Rome and Peter was crucified downward on a cross a short time afterwards.

By this time certain satanic doctrines had crept into the Church and some parts of the Church had lost their focus and the boisterous faith-life of the former years. Worldliness and earthly mindedness had taken over in a great many churches.  The adolescent Church losing direction had become lukewarm.

There arose the need in heaven for the man to take the church into perfection. This man would remove the dross from the silver, to purify the gold in the fire and take the Bride of Christ into the Holiest.

The burden of the work fell on John.

To John there was no dividing line. You either stand with Christ or fall to Satan. John says, “little children, let no man deceive you, he that DOETH righteousness is righteous and he that sins is of the devil for the devil sins from the beginning” 1John 3:8.

He also says “he that sins has not known Him”. John goes further to say “he that is born of God does not sin, he CANNOT SIN because the seed of God abides in Him”

The ministry of John takes the Church to the Seventh Trumpet…”and in the days of the voice of the Seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished as He has revealed to His servants the prophets”. This ends the age-long quest for the coming of the Kingdom and God’s total indwelling of us.

John, the beloved apostle hands the Bride (the Church) to the Groom (the Lord Jesus). For this reason his letters are of the utmost importance to the Church today.

This is because the same conditions that pervaded the Church in the days of John are here again. 

THE SPIRIT-LIFE COACH IS A " NOW WORD" from the Spirit of God sent to believers to facilitate our coming into the present glory.

For more information about past messages in the series, counsel or prayer requests, you may e-mail: Pastor Dele Matthews, christcollege07@yahoo.co.uk or call 2348028783451, or 2347066668066

Pastor Dele Matthews is Senior Minister, Restoration Ministries and Dean of Studies, Christ College- a Word School set up for the Spiritual Growth of ALL Christians, focussing on bringing the believer into the fullness of Christ.