Overcomers Pt 7 Laodicea: The Deceived Church

Tags

faith, laodicia, overcomers, prosperity

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Rev 3:18  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.

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Now next to Sardis which is in my humble opinion the saddest letter written this is the scariest letter written.  It ties in with the parable of the virgins of whom the bridegroom said I know you not, when they tried to get in after the doors were closed.

They are neither hot or cold but lukewarm.  In that region there was an aquaduct system which delivered mineral water, hot mineral water from the springs nearby and a system which delivered ice cold mountain water from the run-off in the mountains.  Both systems had their uses and they benefitted everyone around but there was a third system which was what we might call a gray water system for the refuse or the sewage and that was the spill off of the hot and cold into a lukewarm catch all.  To be considered lukewarm then was to be considered as defiled.  We know that a Holy God does not do… defiled.  This is the church that from outward appearances had it all but was deceived.  Once again He tells them He knows their “works”.  We need to realize that in a very real way this whole series of letters is showing us the judgment or Bema seat of the Believers wherein He who rewards everyone according to their deeds or works is giving clues as to what He is looking for and the reward they will receive who produce that work.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Now this however is another problem.  It is bad enough that they are neither hot or cold in their “hearts” which is seen in their “works” but they have come to believe themselves spiritually well off when they are not.  They are perhaps one of the more prosperous churches and perhaps have come to the same error that is being increasingly seen in American Churches today, prosperity being the measure of the favor or blessing and thus the approval and pleasure of God.  Unfortunately this is not exactly Scriptural is it?  But here again we will find that the Lord of the Church the Head of the Body pities us.  They believe themselves to be well off rich, prosperous, and perhaps “blessed” and NEEDING NOTHING, which right there is Presumptuous.  For while yes we need that no one should have to teach us for the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth who leads into all truth does TEACH US, we most certainly need His saving and preserving and purifying graces to cause us to be able to inherit that for which the Spirit Himself has sealed us.  Moreover they are blissfully unaware that they are not as they perceive themselves but rather wretched and miserable or outside of Grace. Moreover they are impoverished for what will it help you to have gained the whole world and lost your soul.  In that those committed to His hand are not lost, still they may have worldly goods and nigh unto nothing of true spiritual grace. They are blind.  Blindness of spirit and soul means they are perhaps not walking in the Love of the Father or keeping the Word of His patience.  They are missing however something very important.  They are naked and naked is NOT the state of the Believer.  Every believer is robed in the Righteousness of Christ.  It is that which is under the Armor and the Armor which is Christ is also missing.  Basically to read this one has to wonder if these people are even saved.  But the Grace of God comes and with it, sound counsel.

Rev 3:18  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.

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Now lets look at these items.  Gold tried in the fire is …. Faith.   They were not doing things from the Faith of the Son of God.  Next is the White raiment, the robe of righteousness which is receiving the grace of salvation and then eye-salve or the Holy Spirit to open their eyes to The Truth.  Whom He loves He chastens, and here is that grace of a Father speaking to a son.  He instructs them to REPENT.  He tells them He is there knocking and this goes all the way back to Song of Solomon when the bridegroom stood without … knocking.  This is oddly enough a portrait of the Bride ensconced in her house self deceived into believing all is well between them and He comes knocking after she has gone to retire for the night.   Point, she should have been awaiting Him in her “night”.  The Supping is the Communion of the Lord and the Believer.  We partake of Christ and are transformed into the image of The Son.

Now to those who do repent and overcome this deplorable condition… Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne…  We are said to be seated in heavenly places in Christ already but it is being overcome by the cares and things of the world which causes us to lose that place.  But those who repent and “buy” from God these things will indeed be truly seated in Christ.

We see Jesus as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God…

Being the Amen or final word on all subjects we understand and being the true witness or martyr in the Cross we understand but being the Beginning of the Creation of God is telling is that He is the Word, The Creator God.

He is the finality and Maker of Creation itself and to be rejected by Him is to face the Judge and be forever removed from the Mercy of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity.

Now these are the things that the overcomer must face.  In the next line of Revelation twenty one we find those things that do NOT inherit and look at what is among them. Fearful, Unbelieving and Liars…  Liars we may understand but how often have we failed to take courage and believe?

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Overcomers Pt 6 Philadelphia: The Church with a little power.

Tags

overcomers, patience, philadelphia, power, temptation, word

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Rev 3:8  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Rev 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

First off we see once again that He sees and He knows everything that goes on.  Now He doesn’t mention their patience or the poverty He just says He knows their works.  So He sets an open door that no one can shut because they KEPT HIS WORD and did not DENY HIS NAME.  Once again this is the third or fourth church who is dealing with these so called Jews or Judaizers perhaps, who are of this synagogue of Satan.  However in this case Jesus Himself will MAKE them come worship at the feet of the this church.  He will do this so that they know He has loved them.  Now He makes mention that they KEPT THE WORD OF HIS PATIENCE, so He keeps them from the “hour of temptation”.  Of the Hour of Temptation there is only one New Testament reference and this is it.  However in the Old Testament Deut 4:34 talks about the Plagues as being the Temptation of Egypt.  Now commentators Jaimeson, Faucett and Brown, Gill, The Geneva Bible and Clarke all seem to agree that this is that time of the Great Tribulation of which Revelation speaks.  However Jaimeson Faucett and Brown tell us that this not an exemption but a keeping GRACE.  They will be kept IN IT or delivered from it while they are in it.  In other words they will find themselves living through it and not suffering from certain aspects of it as it pertains to judgment. Why?  Because they have KEPT HIS WORD and NOT DENIED HIM.

They are encouraged to HOLD FAST what they have and NOT ALLOW anyone to TAKE THEIR CROWN.  In other words keep on keeping the Word of His patience and not denying but rather confessing Him and doing the works they are doing, which apparently please Him and now to the overcomer who do this by His grace; Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

To be a pillar in the temple and never leave His sight with the name of God and the city of God written on them, and His NEW NAME.  Exactly what this means or how this looks is not known for in this Earthly realm we are still fairly mentally blinded to the manner in which Heaven conducts its affairs and the sight of it all.  Because this is most pleasing to God this particular overcomer who keeps the Word of His patience and confesses Him is someone He delights in and would have with Him always.  What a joy to always behold Him, and thus minister to Him.

Jesus is seen here as ; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;…  The Holy and True one is the Victor Victorious astride the White Horse covered in the blood of His enemies.  He who owns the Key of David or the sure mercies of David in covenant of no longer rejecting but correcting … Kings.  He is seen as the one who determines outcomes and destinies and rules over all time and space who is apart from everything and who is TRUTH… the Truth.

Overcomers Pt 5 Sardis: The church that died

Tags

dead, name, overcomers, sardis, servant, white

Rev 3:1  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Rev 3:2  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Rev 3:3  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 3:6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This is perhaps the saddest letter John ever wrote.  Jesus tells them He knows their works and that they “have a name” and live and are dead.  Now no other church has a “name”, in fact having a name may be seen as being OF the world.  But it is the next statement that is perplexing.  That you live and are dead, is an oxymoron.   But the Key to it is found in the next sentence.  Jesus has not found their works Perfect, before God, and what is remaining, needs strengthening because they are perishing as Body of Believers.  Moreover He tells them to remember HOW they received and heard and hold fast to it and repent.  How did the Believers receive?  They received by the Holy Spirit who had apparently been quieted or quenched or just not paid heed to.  Moreover the Apostles teaching was a means to “hear”, so this church has “something else” going on.  They were also not “watching” for His return, so comes the warning that was given in the Gospels.  Seeing as by this time the other Gospels including perhaps that of the John the Beloved’s were in circulation and the teachings of James Peter and Paul were more widely around, the warnings of Jesus to the servants would have been known to this church.

Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Mat 24:51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

You see when Jesus talks about knowing the works and that they are not perfect before God He is alluding to their service to Him.  It is a sort of “weighed, weighed, found wanting” deal.   But you see this was an attitude that this church’s heart had and it killed them.  But there is always mercy given.  If they strengthened what remained and watched they might be alright.  Also, there is always a remnant.  There were those who had not “sullied” themselves but were diligent.   These walk in white.  The reward, the only reward is to walk in white and not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. They are also confessed before the Father.  Now here is the thing.  The lesson of this church is that to live we must be diligent in watching and obedient in our lives to God as His servants.

The Revelation here is simple, Jesus Lord of the Church.  These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;.

Overcomers Pt 4 Thyatira the church that tolerated the wrong thing.

Tags

jezebel, judge, overcomers, repent, thyatira

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Rev 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Rev 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

Rev 2:25  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Here this church does all these works and they are increasingly improving.  But in this place there is this woman…

Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Now there is a finality to this.  Everyone involved with this woman and her doctrine will be destroyed.  Because this church was not paying attention and throwing out the evil in the midst it is indicted.  But listen now to what He says about the rest.

Rev 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

Rev 2:25  But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

And the overcomer …

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.

There are two things here, overcoming and “keeping His works to the end”.  His works are those things done in the Love of God and the Faith of the Son of God. James tells us what pure religion and un defiled is before God. Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Now we might not be able to be going and doing visitation ministries but as often as people come across the path of our lives which have a need God enables us to meet, we should not turn them away.  However the second part is a must, keeping ourselves “unspotted” from the world.  In Galatians there is a “crucifixion” of not knowing, boasting or glorying in anything but the Cross by which we are CRUCIFIED to the world and the world is CRUCIFIED to us.  We are to live in the world but not “of the world”.  That is to say we don’t live necessarily according to the traditions and customs of the cultures of those around us or even according to our familial heritages which have cultures attached to them.  No indeed we are “set apart” in many ways.  In fact if you care to understand this, Christ IS our culture as well as our heritage.

But look at the reward.  The overcomer will rule the nations with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter the nations will be broken under the iron rod rules of these overcomers, to shivers or shards.  The most important clause in the sentence is  the last one; EVEN AS I RECEIVED OF MY FATHER.  Yes this is a familiar statement because Jesus Overcame the world and authority was given Him over the nations and the Rod of Iron was given Him to demolish Nations like a potter does unsuitable or damaged pots.  This Iron Rod may be seen by those it destroys to be Despotic and to the disobedient it is.  But to those who Love the Lord and are the called according to His plan the Rod is there but it doesn’t break anything.  It is Benevolent.  When you have finally died in death you have overcome. We are dead and our lives hidden in Christ.

But what Revelation do we see here? In the previous church that had in it those who propagated error, He was actively the Judge or the One who wars against His enemies. In this case we have a church which is permitting error to live in the midst and there is a shift in the Revelation.  These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;…  This is none other than the Revelation of the King.  This is Suzerain authority and RAW POWER folks.  He will put an end to His opposition.   In out mortal estate we cannot fathom a Being whose eyes either have the intensity of fire and whose skin is like fine brass, or rather like burnished fine brass, and I say this because this description is seen in chapter one.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

We cannot conceive of the composition of such a Being who is capable of Creation from nothing.  This is the Revelation given here.

Overcomers Pt 3 Pergamus: The church that needed housecleaning

Tags

balaam, balack, manna, nicolaitins, overcomers, pergamus

Now compare this to the next church, Pergamus the church that needed house cleaning.

Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Rev 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Again He knows their works and where they are situated and their faithfulness and it almost sounds like a repeat of Smyra and then He indicts them.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

You see they are not tolerating these people like the church in Thyatira, but these people are in the midst and that will not be tolerated by Jesus one bit.  This is how Israel was nearly wiped out before it ever got to Canaan.  Jesus threatens to come contend with these individuals with the Sword of His mouth! In like manner He pronounces His judgment on the Prophetess of Thyatira.  He will always come against that which does not serve His purposes and He will be rid of those things in our hearts and in our lives which He deems to be His enemy. He will pursue to destruction all that He does not find to be pleasing to Him.  Of course the cure is repentance and there will be house cleaning done. Folks there is a message here that we ourselves are to look in the Scripture as in a mirror and see how it reveals us to be before God and then we need to obey what it tells us in so far as the needs of obedience are concerned.

And to the overcomers?

… To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

The hidden Manna… In the Ark of the Testimony there was a Omer crock filled with the Manna of the Wilderness; an Ark which disappeared in the Diaspora of Jeremiah’s day. There is suggestion that Jeremiah may actually have had that Ark hidden. Either way, by that time I believe Scripture suggests that all that was left in the Ark was the stone tablets.  This is the only Manna that was ever HIDDEN.  However there is also the Manna of Heaven which is revealed in the Christ of God, Jesus who is the Bread of Heaven.  Now as to the stone In Greek traditions there was the stone or pebble which a victor of the games would receive that entitled him to be fed at public expense for one day.  There is also a pebble of acquittal that was apparently handed down in the court system of that day.  Now Jesus is the Stone which the Builders rejected and in a manner of speaking this appears to very much apply to Him as the “white stone” per se or clean Corner stone.  The new name it has been suggested may be a fresh revelation of Jesus or may be a new name written down in glory as has also and more often been implied.

Jesus reveals Himself here as the Judge.  These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;…   It is with the Sword which is the Word of God that Jesus will slay those who oppose Him in two battles on two battlefields in this book.

He judges His enemies and in this church it was those who preached a different doctrine than the foundational doctrine set forth by the Apostles.