"SNOW WHITE"
(and the 7 churches)

There is a distinct difference between the Body of Christ and the church as we know it today. If Jezebel does not repent of her apostasy, if her self-seeking, self-deceived, self-ruled (idolatrous) "members" do not repent, she will indeed find herself cast into the very tribulation, the great tribulation, which she has seduced her "followers" into believing, will not come nigh unto them.

The church is currently suffering from a severe case of rapturitis, a visual disturbance of doctrinal distortion usually caused by wearing "glory glasses." Usually accompanied by a marked sense of euphoria, this disease is characterized by blurred vision. (My people perish for lack of vision) Symptoms usually progress rapidly. The shortsightedness caused by rapturitis if untreated, often results in total blindness. Rapturitis is a disease of epidemic proportions. Malignant growths are common, as is sleepiness, drowsiness, laxity, complacency and clouded perception. Highly contagious, rapturitis has an incredibly high mortality rate. Otherwise known as the "I'll Fly Away" Syndrome, rapturitis is not without a cure. With much tribulation, repentance revives and vision has been known to be completely restored.

The Church needs restored vision, the people of God need a revelation of Jesus Christ. God's people have been "looking up" so long for redemption through rapture, that the church has become "stiff-necked" in the process.

In the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 19 verse 13, Jesus is known as the "Word of God." Jesus, the incarnate word of God is the Savior of the world. The Father and His Word are One. We cannot accept Him as Savior and reject Him as Lord.

His word is like a mirror (James1:23-25) into which we are to look, in order to examine ourselves, confess our faults and be continually cleansed. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light to unto our path.

But what good is a mirror, if we won't look into it. What good is a mirror see only what we want to see, lying to ourselves about what we see. Of what use is a lamp to light our path, if we run from the light rather than walk in it. If we insist upon going our own way then we have forsaken The Way.

Most people are familiar with the Disney story of Snow White. Snow White is a lovely, fair maiden who is oppressed by the evil queen who envies her beauty.

The church, -in our version of the story is the proud Queen Jezebel who looks vainly into the mirror of God's word saying, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all."

Because she has her "glory glasses" on, the church truly believes that she is the fairest in the land. She "sees" only the reflection she wants to see. She doesn't listen to the mirror's true response. Jezebel (the church) is blind to the truth and deaf to His word.

Instead of seeing herself for what she has become, the whorish woman, Jezebel the proud Queen, sees herself, in God's word as the perfected "Bride of Christ".

Jezebel (the church) waits impatiently for her "Prince" to come and wisk her away to her heavenly home, where she will wine and dine; forever to dance on streets of gold.

The proud Queen Jezebel hates Snow White. Boastful, arrogant, vain and haughty; her former beauty ravaged by the corrosiveness of sin; Jezebel despises Snow White, who is pure, spotless and wrinkle free.

Snow White is poisoned by the wicked Jezebel, poisoned by false teaching, having partaken of the fruit of lies, she falls into a deep sleep.

Eventually her Prince (The Prince of Peace) will come and awaken Snow White out of her slumber (with a kiss). The proud queen will be destroyed and Snow White will be forever free from her oppression.

Not a bad analogy but meanwhile, it's time to take off the "glory glasses" and have a second, long hard look into the "mirror" of James1:21,22. Although we get to be Snow White, we still have to deal (first) with the proud Queen.

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness (excess of sinfulness), and receive the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James1:21)

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James1:22)

His "LORDSHIP" is the rule of God by the applied word of God, through Jesus Christ. This is not to be in "name" only. He does expect us to be, doers of the word and not hearers only -the just shall live by faith -we are not supposed to be trying to be like Christ, we are (by grace through faith) supposed to put on Christ. It is not who we are in Christ, but who He is in us.

Christianity is not the fulfillment of the humanist manifesto (be all that you can be) and it's objective is not to "know who you are in Christ" but rather to rest in Him by grace through the faith in Him who is our all in all. Jesus did not die so that we (man) could be empowered to do it all. He came instead to slay us through His work on the cross that we may be hid in Him. He came that He Himself might work all things in Himself on behalf of all who receive Him to the glory of God, the Father.

The word of God is not a what, not some thing for us to use to perfect ourselves (that is the false gospel of self, of humanism disguised as Christianity). The word of God is a who, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Apart from Him (being hid in Him) there is none righteous, no not one.

He did not come to enable us to perfect ourselves, He came to hide us and our imperfection in Him who is perfect in all of His ways! Jesus Christ came to be our perfection, our holiness, our all -in place of us all, on our behalf. He did not come to make us able to be like Him, He came to hide us in the likeness of Him who is the express image of the Father. Instead of asking God to empower us (false gospel) to be "like Jesus" --we ought to be asking, "Jesus to be Jesus" for us, in our place. (Not I but Christ, not me but He!) ...not who we are in Christ, but Christ in us the hope of glory.

The churches are being called to repent of teaching a false humanistic gospel of flattery and self-conceit, the church is being called to repent of her vainglorying in the flesh. She is being called to humble herself in Spirit and in Truth...