Prophetic Marriage Seminar: Building Philadelphia Saints, Homes and Churches.
(week 02/07)
Olubi Johnson
Last week we saw that we are to build ‘Philadelphia’ saints, homes and churches to qualify to be carriers of God’s glory in this end-time.
What are the requirements of being a ‘Philadelphia’ saint?
The letters to the 7 churches in Asia, sent by Jesus through the Apostle John recorded in Revelation chapters 2 and 3; give a complete prophetic description of the characteristics of all saints and churches in the end-time.
Of these 7 churches, Philadelphia is the only one that is not rebuked: so we should all endeavor to attain and maintain the characteristics of this perfect church:
Revelation 3:7-13 NKJV: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie–indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ‘
A Philadelphia saint is one who keeps God’s Word of patience or consistency and so does not deny God’s name or character.
It is instructive to note that this church had little strength or outward miraculous power but had great internal spiritual strength so were greatly loved by the Lord and promised to be kept from the hour of trial, which was to come upon the whole world.
What does all this mean to us today?
Today to be a ‘Philadelphia’ saint you need to build (Matthew. 7.24-27) on the rock of revelation knowledge and so keep the Word of patience: supernatural consistency by not denying the Name of Jesus which gives you access to the life of God.
Revelation knowledge is knowledge that the Holy Spirit shines into your heart by the illumination of the life of God using scripture to give you understanding through praying in tongues:
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV): For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
1 Corinthians 14:1-2; 2.7 (NKJV), 13: 2(NIV): For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
You get, maintain and increase in this revelation knowledge by walking in love using the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and daily bible reading and study as a habit in the light of anointed teaching of the Word:
John 20:31: 31 (NKJV): but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
It is this divine life that enables you to walk in the supernatural patience of divine love using the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus:
It is this supernatural patience that distinguishes the ‘Philadelphia’ saint from the ‘Ephesian’ saint of Revelation. 2.2-5. The patience of the ‘Ephesian’ saint was no longer being supernaturally empowered because they had left the first works of their first love: the work of keeping the commandment of love by the blood, the Word and the Spirit:
1 John 3:23: 23 (NKJV): And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
Romans 13.8-10 (KJV): 8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this: “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” “Thou shalt not kill,” “Thou shalt not steal,” “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” “Thou shalt not covet,” and if there be any other commandment, all are briefly comprehended in this saying, namely: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans. 8.2-4 (KJV): 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
We activate the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus by:
- Cleaning our hearts with the blood of Jesus by confessing our sins (1 John. 1.7-2.2).
- Loading our hearts with the life of God using the name of Jesus (John. 20.31, 1 Jn. 5.16).
- Releasing the anointing on the written Word, the Christ (John. 1.1), by speaking God’s Word in faith.
- Firing (Luke. 3.16) by the spirit by praying in tongues (Acts. 2.3-4), concerning the written Word we have just spoken or confessed (Hebrews. 3.1).
As we do this as a daily habit diligently, with an attitude of lowliness of heart we will be building ourselves into or maintaining our status as ‘Philadelphia’ saints.
In our article next week we will see how ‘Philadelphia’ saints will now build ‘Philadelphia’ homes.
