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Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (Revelation 1:3) |
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It is a marvel to me there isn't more preaching on Revelation, Chapters Two and Three. Maybe it's because these two chapters are a love letter to the Bride and those who are merely church attenders are blind and deaf to it. |
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Here we have the rewards, the goals of our salvation. They are spelled out for us. |
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We have made our own goals such as eternal residence in a mansion doing nothing, a harp (are you into harps?), golden slippers (they hurt the feet), and acres of diamonds. It's funny that none of these appear here as rewards to the overcomer. Maybe they are the rewards to the nonovercomer, the defeated believer. |
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The main idea of these two ignored chapters is that salvation is expressed in works. The Lord keeps talking about works. |
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Oh, now Reverend Thompson is saying we are saved by works. No, Reverend Thompson is not saying we are saved by works. Reverend Thompson is saying if we really are saved we are going to obey God's commandments. |
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If we are Christians we are supposed to act like it. |
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Revelation Two and Three are about righteous behavior. If you behave righteously you will sit in the throne. If you don't you stand in danger of being blotted from the Book of Life. The Lord doesn't talk about your faith but about your works. |
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Maybe this is why the two chapters are ignored. They don't fit current theology. |
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I will now quit harping about righteous behavior and get to the point of this essay the rewards to the victorious saint. |
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First I better talk about what it means to be a conqueror, an overcomer, a victorious saint, a winner. The opposite is to be a loser, a defeated believer. |
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Each day there is something God wants you to do. If you are doing it, you are an overcomer. If you are not doing it, you are a loser. (And you thought you were going to hear something profound!) |
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We get talked out of our assurance. We are convinced no one could ever do God's perfect will. Horsefeathers! Of course you can do God's perfect will. It is Satan, not God, you can never please. |
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So we walk around with a guilty conscience, afraid if we hear from God He will tell us to do some fantastic thing impossible to us. Satan is running a bluff on us. |
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Right now, before you go to work, tell God today you, with His help, are going to do His perfect will. "Show me what to do and with Your help I will do it." |
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Now the ball is in God's court. |
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Do what He tells you to do. He will help you. Now you are an overcomer, a victorious saint, a winner. That wasn't so painful was it? |
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Tomorrow you have to do the same thing. And the next day. And the next for eternity. |
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Satan tries to make it complicated but actually all there is to it is what we just said. |
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To be continued. |
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Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:5) |
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Notice the emphasis on works in the above verse! |
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He who overcomes is the Christian who is living in the center of God's will. Through the Spirit of God he has fought successfully against Satan, the pull of the world, the lusts of his flesh, and his self-will and personal ambition. |
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The Christian discipleship is a race, a fight. Only those who call on the Lord frequently have any chance of staying in the center of God's will. |
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The fact is, however, that any believer can choose to stay in God's will. There is no power that can take us out of God's will if this is where we are determined to be. |
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Another point of confusion in our day is the need for overcoming, for living victoriously in the Lord. The overcomers are not super Christians. They are the true Christians. Those who are leading careless lives, not being careful to gain the victory over the world, sin, and self-will are not Christians at all. They are church attenders but not Christians, not disciples of the Lord. |
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We have millions of believers in America who are not genuine Christians although they regard themselves as such. They think when they die they will find themselves in the new Jerusalem. They won't. They will find themselves in some level of the spirit realm with others like themselves. Whether or not they will be saved into the new heaven and earth reign of Christ remains to be seen. They will be judged carefully according to their works. |
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The true Christians are those who each day are gaining the upper hand over sin. This every Christian can do through the Virtue of Christ. It is not God's will that we lose the fight. The rewards go to the conquerors. |
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God will work patiently with the weak. God loves His disabled children just as earthly parents do and helps them endlessly. |
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But the unwillingness or inability of American Christians to get serious with Christ is not chiefly due to emotional weakness (such as a woman who was molested as a child), or spiritual ignorance (we had no opportunity to read the Bible), or even spiritual immaturity (we had no time to grow in Christ). Our problem is neglect of Christ and fascination with material things. We are permitting materialism to destroy our spiritual life. |
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American Christians often are smug, self-satisfied, rejecting any suggestion that they are not perfectly saved through grace and on their way toward endless bliss in Heaven. They are mistaken. They don't know the Lord and He doesn't know them. |
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It is a time for national repentance! We are profoundly messed up. |
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The overcomers, as we have said, are not super Christians. They merely are Christians. |
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Please note: The promises to the overcomer are not the promises to the professed Christian. They are for the overcomer alone, not for the professing believer who claims to be "saved by grace." |
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The mixed multitudes in the Christian churches have been promised they will "rule and reign" (sic) with Christ. They are not fit to rule with Christ and will not rule with Christ. It is cruel to lead the blind into the ditch. |
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They can't govern their own personality today and they are to govern nations in the future? Whatever happened to common sense? |
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To be continued. |
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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 tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7) |
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One of our problems, as we have noted before, is that we view salvation as being only that which we experienced when we first accepted Christ. In actuality salvation occurs at a specific point in the past, is a continuing experience, and will climax with the coming of the Lord. |
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It is true we receive eternal life when we first come to Christ. But it is a deposit on that which is to come. One of our primary tasks as a Christian is to sow to that life, to lay hold on it, to allow it to lead us to complete victory over sin. |
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We will receive the fullness of life when the Lord returns and makes alive our mortal body. |
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It also is true that we can kill that which we have been given. We can lose our resurrection life. This is what Paul means when he teaches that if we through the Spirit put to death the deeds of our body we will live. But if we choose to live in the appetites of the flesh we will die. |
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This is what Paul means when he states the wages of sin is death. He is speaking to Christians. |
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This is what Paul means when he says, she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. |
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We Christians have been taught in America we will not surely die even if we do not put away our sin. We have been taught a lie. We will surely die spiritually if we choose to live in the flesh and soul. |
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We must eat of the tree of life continually. Each day a portion of evil and a portion of Divine good is set before us. (I know I have said this several times previously and may keep on saying it. We need to understand what we are doing with our life.) |
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We can choose to yield to the evil. If we do we will start to die spiritually. We can choose to use the Divine help to overcome the evil. If we do we will be given to eat of the tree of life. Every time we overcome sin we are given to eat of the tree of life. |
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God wants us to be filled, filled, filled with eternal life. Straight is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life and few find it. |
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When we sow to our flesh we reap corruption. When we sow to the Spirit of God we reap eternal life. |
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You want to see three-dimensional eternal life? Watch some Christian in your assembling who is praying, forgiving, serving, and getting the victory over sin each day. |
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You want to see three-dimensional corruption? Watch some believer in your assembling who is partying, gossiping, criticizing, stabbing others in the back, promoting division, slandering, seeking preeminence. |
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We don't have to wait until we die. We can see eternal life, and corruption and death, played out before us each day. |
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Are you bitter? You are living in spiritual death. Are you seeking the Lord for every decision, forgiving those who seek to harm you, trusting God continually? You are living in eternal life. |
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There are believers who are doctrinally sound, positive they have eternal life. But they hate their brother. They have no eternal life. No murderer has eternal life. |
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Eternal life is not a legal state God attributes to us because we believe in Christ. Eternal life is the Divine, incorruptible Life of God in Jesus Christ in the person who is doing God's will. |
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He who does the will of God abides forever. |
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To be continued. |
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Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Revelation 2:10,11) |
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The Lord talks to the church in Smyrna about being in prison. |
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More often than not, it seems, the Lord permits Satan to put us in some kind of prison. The purpose of the prison is that we may be tested. |
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The Lord allowed Satan to put Job in a prison of poverty and physical suffering. In addition to his physical agony Job also suffered from the fact he did not understand the reason for his trouble. |
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Maybe you are in a prison today. It seems you are shut up and cannot come forth. You are not receiving the desires of your heart. Your future grows increasingly bleak. |
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Yet you have tried to be a good Christian. You have made every effort to maintain a Christian home, to raise your children according to the Bible. Now the roof has caved in on you and there is no explanation. |
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The Lord is extremely ingenious in designing our prison. Satan thinks he is having his way, as in the case of Job. But the Lord knew from the beginning the wonderful change that would take place in Job, how he would prosper in the end, how many people would be helped by his testimony. |
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Satan thought he was going to have someone to join with him in rebelling against God. Satan hoped to turn a righteous man into a hater of God. But God knew what would happen and so He let Satan attack Job. |
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God always is ahead of Satan. |
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What kind of prison are you in? The Lord is testing your integrity. If it actually is God who is allowing you to be boxed in, then you cannot escape without sacrificing your integrity, without breaking your vows, without sinning against God. |
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The main purpose of life on earth is not to make us happy but to teach us righteousness and the knowledge of God. |
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If you will stay patiently in your prison until God lets you out, even until death if necessary, you will receive the crown of life. This means you not only will have eternal life but the authority and power of eternal life to enable you to govern the area given to you. The reward is rulership. |
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Also, you cannot be harmed by the second death. The reason for this is that you have already died. You were faithful to death in your prison. Your self-will died there as you waited patiently for the Lord. |
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The sins that the Lake of Fire governs, the timidity, the lying, the immorality, died with your self-will. Now if you were immersed in the Lake of Fire there would be nothing left to burn. |
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The holy fire that God Is consumes all that is not found in His Son. Staying put in God's prison will make you fireproof. |
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Stay there! Stay there! Stay there! You will be everlastingly glad you did for true saints are made in the fire of suffering and denial. |
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To be continued. |
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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. (Revelation 2:17) |
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Again the accent is on works. "I know your works." "You hold fast my name." "You have not denied my faith." "You have them who hold the doctrine of Balaam" (this involved things sacrificed to idols, and fornication). "You have them who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans." Whatever the teaching of the Nicolaitans was, it was their practices that Christ hates. |
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"Repent!" Repent means to turn away from what you are doing and go in some other direction. |
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If we are not willing to repent Christ will fight against us with the sword of His mouth, that is, with His Word. This is what is taking place today. Christ is fighting against the Christians in America with His Word. It is time to repent! |
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"To him who overcomes." |
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Can you see that the issue facing Christians is what they do, how they act? If the Divine salvation consisted of an unconditional forgiveness of sins past, present, and future (as is taught today), the admonitions of Christ in the Book of Revelation would be irrelevant. It is no wonder these two chapters are not preached more often! |
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How could Christ hold some things against us if God saw us only through Christ or if we were forgiven unconditionally? Truly today's Evangelical teaching is "another gospel." |
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The member of the church in Pergamos who follows Christ with a pure heart will be given some of the hidden manna to eat, a white stone, and a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the person receiving it. |
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These rewards sound far out but they are actually very present and practical. All of the rewards to the overcomer are steps in attaining the first resurrection from the dead. They are rights and abilities giving access to closeness to God and opportunities for service in His kingdom. |
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The hidden manna is the body and blood of Christ. It is hidden from the nominal Christian. It is Divine wisdom, life, and strength given only to those who are fighting the Lord's battles, who are doing His will in every matter. |
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The white stone is a voting pebble signifying that the person receiving it has passed from the ranks of the called to the company of the chosen chosen because he has turned aside from all else and chosen Christ. |
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The new name is given to the new person we have become in Christ. The old adamic nature, that bearing our first name, is forever gone (thank God!). The new nature formed in us receives its proper name. |
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The new name is known only to the person receiving it. Overcoming is a highly personal matter. It is never "to them who overcome." You cannot bring wife or husband, son or daughter with you. |
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What Christ has done in your life is the heavenly romance wrought in the dens of leopards, on the mountains of spices. You do not and cannot share with another that which Christ has made you and the name He has given the new creation. Maybe later but not now unless you wish to play the fool. |
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To be continued. |
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And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 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. (Revelation 2:26,27) |
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Notice how our nice, little, gentle Jesus appears to this sinful assembling: "eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze." How come you never see this picture of Christ in a Bible book store? |
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Whenever we sin this is how Christ comes to us. Revelation is written to Christians, not to the secular society. |
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Christ knows our works, our love, our service, our faith, our patience, and again our works. Works, works, works, not grace, grace, grace. |
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Christ has something against us. We permit the teaching of fornication and the eating of things sacrificed to idols. |
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Two of the great idols of America are fornication and professional sports. We see churches where the Pastor, because of fear of the people, mixes the important games with the church service. The "believers" sit in the assembling with their transistor radios listening to the Super Bowl. |
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Let me hasten to tell you that engaging in the worship of the spoiled brats (so they are proving to be, starting in high school) who are naturally talented in sports is not what the Bible means by redeeming the time. |
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Do you think the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased when the believers in the affluent nations are occupied with football, baseball, basketball, and soccer when much of the world is starving to death spiritually and physically? |
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If you think He is you don't know Him. |
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God is giving us Christians in America a few years to repent. If we do not, disaster shall overtake our nation. |
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All who follow Jezebel (worldly Christianity) will be killed with spiritual death. Christ shall give to every believer according to his or her works. Ignore the warning of Revelation at your peril. |
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There is a remnant today who have not been living in fornication and idolatry, they have not known the supposed depths of Satan. Christ will not add to their burden but they are to hold fast what they have until He appears. |
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If we keep Christ's works to the end of our life on earth (no retirement from serving Christ is permitted!) we will be given authority over the nations. Through Christ we will break their resistance to pieces. |
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Who wants this kind of authority and power? I do. I want to stop the killing of babies, among other things. I want to stop the abuse and prostituting of children for another. I want to close down the institutions of learning that lead our young people astray. If I remain faithful to Christ I will have that kind of authority and power when the Lord returns, and somewhat today through prayer. |
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If we are to rule we need the morning star. The morning star is Christ in us heralding the new day of His Kingdom. No believer living in his adamic nature is going to be "raptured" into Heaven and then return at a later time to govern nations. Only those in whom the Morning Star has been formed and is dwelling are authorized and competent to rule with Christ. |
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To be continued. |
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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. 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. (Revelation 3:4,5) |
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Sardis had a name that it was living because it was growing rapidly, the people were enthusiastic, new programs were being added continually, the music was upbeat. It was an exciting place to go on Sunday morning and was filled with bright, happy faces. |
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The ideal church we would say. A dead church the Lord says. |
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Why was it dead? Because the activities were not coming from God but from the energy, wisdom, and talents of the flesh. It was an animated corpse propped up by busy believers. It taught sound doctrine but sound doctrine is not life! |
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Christ was troubled about the (you guessed it) works of the assembling in Sardis. Christ advised them to remember what they had received originally and to repent of charging off in their own strength. |
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He then told this apparently large assembling they had a few people who were keeping their robes clean (walking in righteousness). They were eligible to walk with Christ in the white robes of the royal priesthood. |
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But what about the majority of church attenders in the "living" church in Sardis? What about the majority in your church? |
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He who conquers the fleshly works of Sardis, going back to the ways of the Spirit, of prayer and holiness, will be clothed in white so he can always be with the Lord in the work of the priesthood. His name will remain in the Book of Life. |
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The majority of believers will have no such privilege. They stand in danger of having their name removed from the Book of Life. They cannot be certain of their eternal destiny until they stand before Christ and His conquerors at the white throne. |
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The name of the victorious Christian will be confessed before the Father and His angels but the name of the defeated Christian will not be confessed before the Father and His angels. |
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Any believer can be an overcomer if he or she chooses. It means merely that you do God's will at all times. If you are weak call on the Lord endlessly until you gain victory. |
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But if you hang back in self-pity, telling yourself and everyone around you that you are unworthy and cannot make it and it's no use, guess what? You are defeating yourself. No one feels sorry for you. God can bring any soul no matter how messed up to perfect victory. But God can do nothing with those who judge themselves unworthy of the Kingdom. |
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The first class of people in the Lake of Fire are the timid! |
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You better quit feeling sorry for yourself. Think about the Son of God on the cross of Calvary and get with the program. This is serious business! |
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The army is not going to wait while you are pouting and plead with you to get on your horse. |
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To be continued. |
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