PREPARING THE GLORIOUS CHURCH
(mr 01/10/2019)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Here, the Holy Spirit describes the glorious church that the Lord Jesus will present to Himself when He returns at the rapture.
This glorious church is also called the bride of Christ, the man-child church and the perfect church.
This glorious, man-child church comes out of the general church or, the Body of Christ.
It is called the glorious church, because it will manifest the glory of God on the earth just like the Lord Jesus did and even greater so fulfilling:
John 2:11 KJV: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John 14:12 KJV: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
It is called the man-child church, because it will be made up of a mature, perfect leadership of spiritual men and fathers, and a TOTALLY submitted followership of spiritual children, fulfilling:
Isaiah 8:18 KJV: Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
It is called the perfect church because it will be holy, without spot, blemish, wrinkle or any such thing. This perfect holiness will be achieved by the continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus, flow of the life of God and the power of the Spirit from the perfect mature leadership to ALL the totally submitted members under their leadership fulfilling:
Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2Corinthians 7:1 KJV: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 4:11-14 KJV: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Psalms 133:1-3 KJV: A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (2) It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; (3) As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
The rapture will not take place UNTIL there is glorious church MANIFEST in the earth, that is experientially, by the glory of God, making the enemies of the Lord Jesus His footstool, overcoming Satan and evil spirits, the sin-nature in the soul (will, mind and emotions) and body, and conquering physical death (1 Cor.15.26), so fulfilling:
Psalms 110:1-2 KJV: A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (2) The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
It is this glorious church that will preach and demonstrate by the manifestation of God’s glory the FULL gospel of the Kingdom to ALL tribes, tongues and kindred for a WITNESS before the Lord Jesus returns fulfilling:
Matthew 24:14 KJV: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
How then is this glorious church being prepared?
By the washing of water by the Word.
Through the knowledge of the written Word we can receive:
- The continual cleansing of our hearts by the blood of Jesus to give us constant access to the life and power of God in increasingly greater measures that will ultimately make us perfect:
Hebrews 8:12 KJV: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
1John 1:7-10 KJV: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
- The cleansing of our physical bodies from the sin-nature by flushing them with increasingly greater measures of the life of God: pure living water.
Hebrews 10:22 KJV: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
John 4:14 KJV: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
- The spiritual ‘scrubbing’ of our souls and bodies by the power of Holy Spirit through effectual, FERVENT, prayer in the Spirit with supplication and groanings, fulfilling:
Romans 8:26 NIV: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Hebrews 5:7 KJV: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Ephesians 6:18 KJV: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
James 5:16 AMP: Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
So as we cleanse our selves using the Blood, the life and power of God in this manner, through the written Word, we will be preparing ourselves to be a part of this imminent, glorious church!
