In Christ A New Creation: Spiritual Growth through the Eyes of Christ

By Phyllis Rohrbeck

Few texts in the Bible can cause Christ's followers curiosity and sometimes confusion as the book of Revelation. The book begins with messages to the seven churches. Were these messages just intended for those early churches, or was there a deeper meaning that each of us should consider as applicable to our own spiritual walk? Jesus spoke these words to his followers: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:12""13, KJV). In this book, the author applies the messages to the seven churches to our lives and shows how each message reflects steps in our personal spiritual growth. We read in 2 Peter 3:18 (KJV): "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen." To grow in our walk with Christ should always be our goal. May you read this book prayerfully and ask the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, to reveal to you where you are on your spiritual journey and the steps you need to take to further your growth in grace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645690283

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In Christ A New Creation

Spiritual Growth through the Eyes of Christ

Phyllis H. Rohrbeck

Copyright © 2019 by Phyllis H. Rohrbeck

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Laodicea

Ephesus

Smyrna

Pergamos

Thyatira

Sardis

Philadelphia

For almost forty years, this book has been brewing within my spirit. The Revelation began one day in New Smyrna, Florida. I was earnestly seeking to know God and understand His will for my life. As I walked into the little used bookstore on Main Street of the little town, I was silently praying for God to show me just the right book. As I walked up and down the aisles, my eyes fell on a small old book entitled I Want to See God . I eagerly grabbed the book and started to read. On the inside cover of the book was a diagram of St. Theresa of Avila’s Seven Mansions from her writing Interior Castle . St. Theresa lived in Spain in the sixteenth century and was a close friend of St. John of the Cross. This was also the time period in which Martin Luther brought about the reformation in the Catholic Church in Germany.

The book was translated and interpreted by Sister M. Verda Clare for the Carmelite nuns. As a result, much of the book was not of interest to me; however, the sections that dealt with the mansion was of extreme interest. I spent weeks reading and rereading those sections to try to understand her concepts of the mansions. Unfortunately, this book only dealt with the first three mansions. I was beside my self trying to find other sources for her work. I finally found a book of St. Theresa’s work at the Monastery in Conyers, Georgia. For months, I worked trying to understand her concept of mansions within man.

I was working on my masters and specialist degree at Georgia State University in Atlanta during this time and was exposed to many theories of emotional and physical development. Men such as Kohlberg, Piaget, Bruner, and Erickson gave different concepts on the developmental stages. I began to wonder if the mansions had any correlation to the developmental stages. I have always been a person who likes to solve mysteries, and this was a fascinating one.

One day in prayer, I was talking to God about the idea of St. Theresa’s mansions. I didn’t want to be investing so much of my time if this concept wasn’t a valid one. I brazenly told God, If this is true, then you put it in your Bible. I know you didn’t leave anything out. Suddenly, a thought came into my mind that said, Go to my seven churches. I began reading the Seven Churches of Revelation but could not see the progression. They just didn’t seem to fit. For several days, I pondered this idea. The phrase, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, keeps going through my mind. I then read the churches starting with Lacodia, which is the last church, and then read Ephesus which is the first church. It all began to make sense. As I dug deeper into the seven churches, the more I could see the correlation between them and the seven mansions.

The work consumed me for about three years. I began to try to show the concept to others; however, they failed to see or understand. Finally one day in frustration, I said to God, Father, why did you give this to me if I can’t do anything with it? He spoke into my spirit again, Because you asked, it is not yet time.

I have long wondered when that time would be. Finally in the summer of 2018 the book began to burn in my heart again, and I knew that the time had come to finish the work on Christ’s churches.

Introduction

The seven churches of Revelation have long been a source of great mystery and debate. For two thousand years, man has sought to understand their hidden meaning. The churches serve as an introduction to the prophetic book of Revelation. Many have sought to interpret them in light of history of the church, and this can be seen as a valid interpretation. However, this is not the only viewpoint from which they can be understood. The seven churches can also be seen as a spiritual road through which the Christian passes on his way to being transformed into the image of Christ. As with most of the Bible, there are many levels of revelation. The stories of God’s chosen people can be seen as historic, symbolic, and spiritual depending on the point of view of the interpreter and his understanding of the revealed word of God.

Approximately forty years ago God revealed to me