Dear John & Doves,
 
  In Revelation 3:18 the Laodicean type Christian is depicted as unclothed without white raiment with their nakedness representing shame.  Our Lord Jesus said in Revelation 3:18-19, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Our Lord Jesus also said in Revelation 16:15  "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."
 
  However, I think that the nakedness of the Laodicean also represents remaining in the mortal body rather than being clothed with the immortal, incorruptible body.   2 Corinthians 5:1-5 says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle" (physical, mortal, corruptible body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit -- 1 Corin. 6:19, & 3:16) "were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (our immortal, incorruptible body).  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:" (our immortal, incorruptible body) "If so be that being clothed (with our immortal, incorruptible body) "we shall not be found naked. (left in our mortal, corruptible body) "For we that are in this tabernacle" (our mortal, corruptible body) "do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life" (eternal life in the immortal, incorruptible body).  "Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit."
 
  We also know that when the dead in Christ are clothed with their immortal, incorruptible bodies, those Christians alive and abiding in Christ will also receive their immortal, incorruptible bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:49-54 says,  "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
 
  Romans 8:22-23 also says,  "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
 
  So the nakedness of Laodicean type Christian that might be left behind at the Rapture, who doesn't have the white raiment of the wedding garment described in Rev. 19:8, would also depict both his shame and his being left behind in his mortal, physical body.  However, it's not likely that any Laodicean Christian left behind at the Rapture (who talked the Christian talk, but didn't walk the Christian walk) is going to in a twinkling of an eye be left standing physically naked so that he or she would feel ashamed of their unclothed body while one second they are walking around in public and their clothes instantly disappear.  Others will see his or her shame because he or she is left behind in a mortal, corruptible body, and he or she is not up in heaven in an immortal, incorruptible body wearing the white raiment of the Bride of Christ.
 
  While I was reading Rachel's 5/27 post at http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2005/rachel527-1.htm last week, the word PURITY stood out.  Rachel stated, REMEMBER, THE THRONE ROOM REQUIRES PURITY. "AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY; AND I PRAY GOD YOUR WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY BE PRESERVED BLAMELESS UNTO THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.  FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU, WHO ALSO WILL DO IT." I THESS 5:23-24.
 
  Do we have purity in our thoughts, words, and actions?   And not knowing where we will be at the time of the Rapture or who we will be with, if everyone really thought about his or her own self being left behind physically naked at the Rapture with no clothes on (although no one is likely to be left behind with their clothes suddenly disappearing), would it make a difference in your life in what you say, think, and do?  Would it make a difference if we were to imagine Jesus physically present in the room with us every time we speak or act, or if we thought about the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us examining our thoughts, words, and deeds through a magnifying glass or through the zoom in lens of a pair of binoculars?  Would we then think before we spoke or acted?  Would our minds display the mind of Christ?  So let us each pray to the Lord to guard our minds, to give us pure thoughts, to help us speak pure and clean words, to remove any wrong desires in our lives that don't belong there (whatever they might be) so that the Lord's desires are our desires, and that he will create within each of us a clean heart so that our actions in thought, word, and deed reflect the mind of Christ.  So that our thoughts mirror his thoughts, our actions are a reflection of him, and we set a good Christian example to others.
 
  Psalms 51:7  ¶Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
 
  1 Timothy 4:12  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 
 
 Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
 
  2 Timothy 2:22  ¶Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
 
  1 Peter 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
 
  1 John 3:1  ¶Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
 
  Psalms 24:3  ¶Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5  He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
 
  In closing let me again repeat what our Lord Jesus said in Revelation 16:15  "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."  To be found naked (left in a mortal body) lacking an immortal body will be the shame of anyone left behind for others to see when they could have been up in heaven at the Rapture clothed with the white raiment of the Bride of Christ and clothed with an immortal, incorruptible body.
 
  God bless you all,
 Donna