Tzitzits

PlaneJane

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How do you know that ?
Lots and lots of historical study of where the scattered lost tribes ended up. This is the time that generations of lost Israelites are being regathered.
Mathew 15:24
The time of revelations is upon us, and the new world order is coming quickly.
Jeshuah has been opening up the truth for us at least 80 years now, that I can see. We can get into the trumpets and seals of revelations later on. The 7 churches of revelations is possibly my most favorite study subject.
 

PlaneJane

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Paul was writing to the Romans, a new group of "spiritual Jews" see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11:13-36&version=KJV
The Jewish ceremonial/ cultural laws were not given to Christians.[/QUOTE]
Definitely not by blood. South American/English my father's side, Australian/ Irish/ English my mother's side.
I wouldn't be surprised if my ancestors were separated from the people destined to become the Jews after the Tower of Babel.

Paul was writing to the Romans, a new group of "spiritual Jews" see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11:13-36&version=KJV
The Jewish ceremonial/ cultural laws were not given to Christians.
Please don’t mix up Jews(tribe of Judah) with Israelites. I can show you several bible verses where they were clearly seperated. Israel vs Judah.

You are very very very Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons. You are absolutely an Israelite.

Most Israelites allow their “tree branch” to wither and die. But your branch is alive, let it grow fruits! Seems to me that you already are!

If someone is not a blood Israelite, they can have themselves grafted into the tree of life, and have everlasting life.
Through knowing Jeshuah and believing that Jeshuah is Christ our Savior.
Most blood Israelites branches just shrivel up and die :(

I hope that you can read the Bible with the new mindset that you are an Israelite. The whole bible is talking about YOU! Mathew 15:24

You were taken out of Egypt by our Father, and your ancestors, then scattered as a lost sheep, because of our forefathers disgraces and sins!

Anyone who believes can be saved, blood Israelite or not.
Praise Jeshuah!
 

Vytas

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Lots and lots of historical study of where the scattered lost tribes ended up. This is the time that generations of lost Israelites are being regathered.
Mathew 15:24
The time of revelations is upon us, and the new world order is coming quickly.
Jeshuah has been opening up the truth for us at least 80 years now, that I can see. We can get into the trumpets and seals of revelations later on. The 7 churches of revelations is possibly my most favorite study subject.
I was fascinated with both subjects too, and what conclusions do you made about lost sheep of the house Israel? Jim Staley did pretty good research about it btw.
As for seven churches if it fits wear it :)
 

PlaneJane

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I don’t know what you mean about wearing the churches? Which one do you wear?
 

PlaneJane

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What i meant if it feels that description fits you (spiritually) , than it's yours...I belong to sardis
I agree totally!

I’ve never met a Sardis before!
Though I must admit that this is a conversation that I’ve never been able to have with someone that knew what the heck I was talking about. Thank you, from the depths of my heart. I have no doubt that I will know you one day....that is if I can overcome.....
I am Laodicea.
I’ve tried to get mom mom to study about it, she says she is Philadelphia.

The past minutes I’ve been doing top of the list google searches, and I see that the evil ones are working hard to confuse those new to this lost tribes knowledge.
The info you can find is now only filled with half truths and half lies :(
This subject I have not studied in 10 years?
The internet has changed a lot since then.
I will look up Jim Staley
 

Vytas

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[QUOTE="PlaneJane, post: 186164, member: 3984"[/QUOTE]
I will look up Jim Staley[/QUOTE]

He bases his research on bible. Jesus sent apostles to preach to the lost house of Israel, you look up where they went to and thats it. Simplicity :)
 

Vytas

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I’ve never met a Sardis before!
Nice to meet you :)
It's a long read but if you fascinated with the topic , you will enjoy it. Author is Michael Boldea.


We have come to the fifth of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, and just as the previous four had a unique message, warning, admonition and teaching, the letter to the angel of the church of Sardis holds within its words a lesson for us as well.

Revelation 3:1, "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'these things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

Depending on whether one can accept a loose translation, or insists upon a literal one, the name Sardis can mean prince of joy, song of joy, that which remains, those who flee, renewed, or something new.

Historically Sardis was the capital of Lydia, located somewhere in Asia Minor, just south of the river Hermus. It is widely believed that the people of Lydia, during the reign of King Croesus were the first in history to mint coins, and their treasuries were vast. In essence, they invented currency, as we would understand it today. Sardis was the ancient residence of the kings of Lydia, a symbol of wealth and opulence. Even after being captured by king Cyrus, it remained an important commercial hub.

The city of Sardis is mentioned nowhere in the New Testament, besides the book of Revelation. It is unknown how the gospel traveled there, and by whose ministry the people of Sardis were converted. Being located in the same general area in which the Apostle Paul preached the Word for two years however, and knowing that all who lived in Asia both Jew and Greek had heard the word of the Lord, it is likely that it was during this time that the church of Sardis was established.

Acts 19:10, "And this (the preaching of the word, and the reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God) continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia hear the word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks."

This of course is just a logical assumption on my part, but what we do know with certainty is the fact that the church of Sardis was dead. We know this, because the Word tells us it was so. If we were to read this passage simply as a historical record, it would have little impact on us personally, but the Word of God is actual, and presently relevant. If we open our hearts and look into the mirror of the Word, if we read it and perceive it not only as a stern warning for a long lost people and a generation that is but a flicker of a memory, but in the actuality of the present, relevant to us today, at this moment in time, the light of God will invade every corner of our beings toward the glory of God, and the truth will be revealed with clarity to those who have eyes to see.

Just as the previous four letters to the churches dealt more with the spiritual condition of a congregation rather than a geographical location, so it is with the Church of Sardis. The church of Sardis receives a letter, a personal message from none other than Christ, which begins by saying "These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars."

By the phrase the seven Spirits and the seven stars, Christ is establishing His power and authority over all the churches. He is the sole source of light and truth, He is the spring from which righteousness flows, and He is entitled to take any measure He deems necessary as pertains to the churches. It is His divine right to rebuke, to exhort, to chastise and to reproof, but it is His divine pleasure to encourage, to embolden, to strengthen and to comfort those who truly follow after Him. Everything within the house of God, within the church, within the fellowship of the brethren must be in total submission to Him, for it is to Him that we will have to answer for our conduct, our actions, our decisions, and the very lives we led. There is none other in heaven or on earth who has been given authority by the Father, but Jesus His Son, who paid the ultimate price with the expectation of presenting His bride, spotless and without wrinkle before the throne of God.

It is not the first time the seven Spirits are mentioned in the book of Revelation, we see them mentioned once before in the first chapter, and in the fourth chapter we see mention of seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God, which are also the seven Spirits of God. The throne of God signifies His limitless power, whose glory and honor will be His, for by His will all things exist and were created.

As He informs almost all the churches, Jesus informs the church of Sardis of the crucial fact that He knows their works. Christ is not repetitive by nature. He is not like some of today's preachers who preach the same sermon, and tell the same story over and over again, because they lack the divine inspiration for a new and fresh message from God. If Jesus repeats a phrase, it is to show us its importance, to accentuate its relevance, to stir us into opening our hearts to that which He is attempting to impart. Other than continually repeating 'I know your works' in the letters to the seven churches, Jesus during his ministry here on earth repeated one more phrase often, 'repent for the Kingdom of God is nigh'. We ought to know by now the importance of repentance when it comes to the work of restoration, regeneration, transformation, and its necessity in being reconciled unto God. So why is it so important that Christ had seen the works of the church in Sardis? Because when He refers to works, it is not merely those things that other men see, it is not merely that which is visible to the naked eye, but the entirety of our lives, including our thoughts, our emotions and our desires. He sees those things, which we guard and keep hidden, those things buried deep in the recesses of our hearts. The Lord knows all. This is the indictment He brings against Sardis, that in name only they are alive, but in reality and actuality they are dead.

But how could they be alive in name only? The outward appearance of a thing isn't always the same as the inward reality. God sees the true inward condition of a people, He weighs the hearts of men, and is unconcerned with the image they project, or how righteous others perceive them to be. God knows the heart, nothing is hidden from before His eyes, and although Sardis was considered, by those who knew them as being alive, in reality they were dead. In essence, Sardis was a beautifully made up corpse.

The Sardis condition is one of the most dangerous conditions for the house of God, because on the outside all seems well. Their ceremonies are well planned and perfectly executed, their worship team strikes just the right balance of soulful, worshipful songs and songs that make you jump out of your seat, the preacher balances his sermon just so, a little humor, a little story, a little encouragement, and a little boost to the self esteem, their charitable giving and benevolence are up to date, but as far as life, the true life that originates in Christ, as far as the power of God, there is none to be found.

If the power of God is not present in a congregation, then all Jesus sees is death. We can project religiosity and piety, we can project an air of humility and even fake worship, closing our eyes, and raising our hands, but God knows the condition of the heart.

The service begins, the cameras start rolling, the man stands behind the pulpit, Bible in hand smiling at his congregation, and many would say 'now there's a godly man.' Why? Because he's wearing a suit, and his hair is nice, and he's holding a Bible, he closes his eyes when he prays, and his broad grin is ever present. But if one goes beyond what the physical eyes can see, the realization begins to sink in that the Bible is just a prop, never to be opened or referenced, the words that are spoken target the flesh and this present life not the spirit and eternity, harsh messages are never spoken although they are necessary, sin is never confronted, repentance is never concentrated upon, and the words of life are never mentioned. 'I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.'

This admonition was meant for this present generation, as much as it was meant for the church of Sardis. It was written for us, that we might search our hearts in the light of the gospel and repent of this condition if it were to be found within us. The day of the great reckoning is coming, the day when everything will be stripped from us, including the image we try to project, and we will be laid bare before the King of Kings, who will see beyond the manicured nails, and expensive shoes, whose heart will not be moved by our bright smiles or our charm. Yes, that day of reckoning, that great and terrible day of the Lord will soon be upon us, and nothing can be hid from His eyes, no secrets kept, no sin camouflaged. He sees all, and He knows all.

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

In His loving grace, Jesus gives a stern and serious warning to both the churches that find themselves in the condition of the church in Sardis, as well as the individuals who find themselves suffering from the selfsame fatal malady. 'Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die'. So there was still something alive in Sardis, as there is something alive in those that suffer from the Sardis condition, even if it be a gasping breath. If there is still life, then that life, which remains, those things, which remain, must at all costs be strengthened. How can a soul, or a church for that matter be strengthened? By being watchful, by returning to the Lord and His word, and nevermore straying from the light and the life.

There are people in the world who live irresponsible lives, who do what they please when they please until they are shocked back to the reality of their present circumstance. I've known people who simply didn't care until they started feeling ill and going to the doctor were informed that they were a breath away from death. If they did not change, if they were not watchful of their lifestyle, they would surely perish. For most this information was a wakeup call, they came face to face with their own mortality, and though it might have been uncomfortable for them at first, they changed their lives drastically, and instantly. There was no procrastination there was no putting off the change in diet, or the change in their daily lives. They realized that there was no time to waste if they hoped to have life, and if they hoped to live, they had to come to terms with the new paradigm of their existence. It is such with many believers today, who are a breath away from spiritual death, being kept alive only by the grace and mercy of God. The seriousness of the warning is self-evident. It does not require exhaustive elucidation, you are dying, in fact by all accounts other than grace, dead, and if you choose not to be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, you will have signed your own death certificate.

Watchfulness is not easy. It might seem like an easy task at the beginning, but we are to be watchful throughout our lives, not merely for a season. None of the sentinels who are assigned to stand watch through the night grumble during the first few hours, but as the night wears on, and the dawn is nowhere in sight, some start to grow weary, their energies are spent, and staring out into the darkness searching for an enemy he hopes is not there, becomes tiresome and cumbersome. It matters not how weary we grow, we must at all cost be watchful. Watchfulness must become part of our daily journey toward our eternal home, it must become part of our existence, and we must associate watchfulness with a child of God, just as heat is associated with fire.

A true child of God realizes the importance of watchfulness early on in his or her walk, and places the requisite emphasis on it. They learn that watchfulness must be intertwined with our prayers and supplications as well as with the study and fulfillment of the Scriptures. Knowing that our enemy never sleeps, and that his one purpose is the derail our walk and shipwreck our faith should be all the impetus we need to be ever vigilant, and ever watchful.

The enemy is constantly testing our defenses, hoping to find a weak point, a crack in the shield, a breach in the armor that he can exploit toward his own ends. It is the enemy's pleasure to see us fail; it is his goal to see us separated from the love and grace of God. The devil's hatred for those who walk the narrow path of faith burns so bright, that he would readily commit both time and resources if he thought he had a chance at deceiving us, at causing us to stumble, at beguiling us to stain the white garment with which we have been clothed.

Why am I taking such a long time talking about the enemy? Because many Christians today have either forgotten or dismissed the reality that we war against the nemesis of the soul, that he walks about as a roaring lion, that he's focused and single minded and desires our utter destruction. A countless number of souls have relinquished their armor, they've laid down their sword and their shield, removed the helmet of salvation from atop their heads, and found the nearest tree, which offered them a little shade that they might slumber for awhile. Our lack of awareness concerning the enemy we face, has made us indifferent, complacent, and at ease, giving us a false sense of security, and causing us to let down our guard.

Christ Jesus, our Savior and our best Friend tells admonishes us however to be watchful. He admonishes all those who would follow Him to be watchful against the spirit of the world, the spirit of division, the spirit of denominationalism, against sin, against vices, against unseen temptations and against the devil himself, the sworn enemies of our souls. If we heed His warnings it will be well with our souls but if we neglect them, believing as some do that it is just an overreaction, that He made it sound much worse than it really is when it comes to the enemy's hate toward His beloved, we will fall into the snare of being at ease in Zion, not realizing that the enemy has breached our defenses.

A watchful soul is never ignorant of the enemy's schemes and plots, he or she spots the snares before he steps into them, they see the ruse before they become entangled in it. I believe it was Philpot who once wrote that Satan is so wily, his agents so surround us, their designs are so masked their language so plausible, their manners so insinuating, their arguments so subtle, their insight into our weakness so keen, their enmity against Christ and His gospel so implacable, their lack of all principle and honesty so thorough, that the net may be drawing around us, before we have the slightest suspicion of these infernal plots being directed against us.

When we are watchful, we also see, and more clearly so, the opportunities that God places before us to do good. When one is watchful, he or she also sees the much awaited for answers to their prayers, because only in the focus of watchfulness can we perceive an answered prayer, even though the answer did not come in the manner in which we expected it. Often we are so focused on God doing something the way we think He ought to do it, in answering a prayer in the manner we believe He ought to answer it, that even though the prayer has been answered, and the supplication has been met with a positive response, we miss it because it didn't happen the way we believed it would. When we are watchful, when we distance ourselves from preconceived notions of how we think God ought to work, and embrace His will, we see His mercy abound, and His grace cover us.

Watch and pray, trusting in the providence of the Almighty Father, surrendering and submitting all to Him. This is the secret to a victorious life in Christ, the live of one who overcomes rather than one who is overcome. The more we watch and pray, the more we grow aware of our own frailty, of our own impotence, and learn to lean on God, acknowledging that only His grace carries us, and only His love keeps us. When we commit our ways unto the Lord, we come under His covering, under His protection and authority. There is no safer place to be, since He is ever watchful of His flock protecting them from the enemy and from the wolves. He is with us in the hour of our trial; He stands with us in battle, just as readily as He is there in our times of joy and spiritual victories. His eye is never far from us.

1 Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

We must understand that there is a purpose in being watchful, one that we must never lose sight of. We must know that which we are watching against, and that which we are guarding. We are duty bound to be watchful, to pray without ceasing, that we might know what enters the doorway of our hearts, and if it be something questionable, or against the will of God, take quick and decisive action to crush the head of the serpent before it has a chance to strike.

True wisdom always prioritizes wisely. It does not go seeking after new things first, it does not desire more gifts or more responsibilities first, but rather it strengthens the things that remain which are ready to die. Once those things that remain are strengthened, once they have been established, only then does wisdom dictate that we pursue more. The danger in wanting to run before we can crawl, is that even if we succeed, it will only be for a season, because there was no foundation, there was no base from which to build upward. There are many within the house of God that desire to be spiritual juggernauts, endowed with gifts, exuding power and performing miracles, before they've established a relationship and an intimacy with God. There is no faster way to disappointment and ruination than not taking the time to grow in God, and stepping out on your own attempting to do in your own time, what God had ordained in His time. There is a divine wisdom in Christ's admonition to the church of Sardis, wherein they are to strengthen those things which remain, those things which are ready to die, before it is too late, rather than neglect them and seek out something new. It is far easier to keep from stumbling, than once having stumbled to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start walking again. It is far easier to bring a soul which resided in the darkness to the light, than to rehabilitate a soul that once having been in the light allowed the darkness to overtake them once more due to sin.

There is another rebuke that Christ speaks to the church of Sardis that we must delve into, for it is relevant and important: I have not found your works perfect before God."

"But isn't it all relative? Isn't it all subjective? Isn't my walk, my walk, and nobody else's business including God's?" Apparently not! I realize the United States does not use the metric system, but everyone in the world does, and using the foot as an example might get confusing. So for the sake of this example we will use the metric system. The meter is an internationally recognized means by which one measures length. No one is able to either lengthen it or shorten it depending on his or her particular whim at the time, no matter how much they might want to. It has been established as such, and we must accept it as such. What would happen if everyone suddenly decided that a meter's length was whatever he or she wanted it to be? The answer is simple; utter chaos.

The same principle can be applied spiritually as well. It is not man that holds the measuring stick, it is not man that holds the scales by which we are weighed, it is God and God alone. Righteousness is not subjective, holiness is not relative; God established what they are and what they require in His word. I cannot suddenly decide how long a meter should be, just as I cannot decide what righteousness or holiness should be because it has already been established, and there is no shadow of turning.

Man cannot just make up the rules as he goes along. We cannot arbitrarily dismiss the Word of God because we deem it too difficult, or not progressive enough, we cannot take entire chunks out of Scripture and cast them aside and still hope to maintain the integrity of the whole. The reason so few are seeing the true power of God in the churches today, is because a large majority have so utterly butchered the word, they have removed so much of it from the Christian consciousness that they have altogether nullified it. Only One has been given the authority to judge, and rightly so, only One has been granted the power to weigh and measure men, that is Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 5:22-23, "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."

Jesus had both the right and the authority to inform the church of Sardis that He had not found their works perfect before God, because all judgment has been committed to Him. The means by which He judges have been established, the guidelines defined in the Word, and no matter what loopholes or justifications men might think they've found to walk a wider path, it will not stand before a righteous God, and the Son to whim He has committed all judgment.

The eyes of man often perceive the opposite of what is really there. They behold only with the physical and readily interpret evil for good, and good for evil, because they cannot peer into the heart, they do not see beyond the outer shell of a man. Christ however, sees beyond the image we project, and the piousness of our devotion when we are amidst the congregation of believers, He sees and weighs the hearts of men, for nothing can be hid from before His face.

John 2:24-25, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."

It is easy to seem righteous in the eyes of men, because men are easily deceived. The right look, the right pedigree, the right suit, the right smile, the right self-appointed title, and it is done. Those truly led of God however, those who possess the Holy Spirit, can perceive a true righteousness, from a false righteousness. They can tell the authentic from the counterfeit, the image from the substance. False righteousness is the devil's glory, and the number of those taken in by it is staggering indeed.

False righteousness is as dangerous as it is contagious for the human soul. It is one of the enemy's preferred weapons against the children of God, because false righteousness is so appealing. Why put in the time to get to know God, why have a prayer life, why read the Word, why deny yourself the worldly things when you can buy your sermons online, when countless smiling faces on television are offering to grow you into a spiritual giant for a nominal fee, and when so few notice the difference between the real and the counterfeit nowadays?

I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said 'you can fool some of the people some of the time', but the problem with false righteousness is that you can't fool God any of the time. God is not mocked, God is not deceived, and His righteous judgment stands. The task of every believer is to labor each day as though they were standing in the presence of God, as though He saw every action, heard every word, knew every hidden desire of the heart, because in reality He does. When we conduct ourselves as though God was perpetually there, then it will not concern us whether the world understands or accepts us, whether they think us fools or madmen, because doing the will of God and being pleasing in His sight takes preeminence over everything else.

How can we sanctify our works before God? Only through Christ! If I remain in Christ, I will bloom in Christ, and have the fruit of Christ. If I remain in Christ, then I will have His life, and adopt His nature. Man cannot be sanctified before God, except in Christ and through Christ.

Only in Christ can I labor on behalf of the Kingdom, absent of vested interest, or hidden agendas. Only in Christ can the work we do remain pure and undefiled by vainglory or self. Only in Christ can we be sanctified.

If we do not remain steadfast in our faithfulness, in our watchfulness, and our intimacy with God, our works will not be perfect in His sight. Many of us have made that first step, but we did not press on toward sanctification, or perfection. The hidden danger is that if we do not press ever onward toward perfection, if we are not constantly and consistently making progress toward sanctification, we begin to neglect it, allowing the cares of this world to choke out the desire for the things of God and the Kingdom of God.

Ever the faithful servants, as those who have been redeemed and make clean by the blood of the Lamb, may we strengthen that which remains. May we as wise builders build our spiritual homes upon the rock, making certain that our foundation is sure and true, that our faith is strong enough to withstand the howling winds and the storms of this life.

Especially in this present generation, it is easy to grow indifferent. It is easy to get distracted when we lose sight of all that we stand to lose, and the eternity we stand to gain if only we remain watchful, if we guard our hearts and our minds against the fiery arrows of the enemy.

When we learn to trust in God, and stand not on our own righteousness but in His righteousness, when we learn that He will receive unto Himself nothing less than our all, when we walk humbly with our Lord, and the cross is ever present before us, we will experience the nature of Christ, thereby beginning the process of sanctification which is an integral part of our growth and maturity.

We cannot be content with the progress we've made thus far, thinking to ourselves that we can rest awhile, or ease up on the pace of our walk, but strengthening that which we already possess in God, making certain that our relationship with Him is our driving force, we press onward to new heights, to new strengths, and to greater glory in Him.

Revelation 3:3, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you."

There is one truth, but unfortunately there are many interpretations. With each passing day, new doctrine seems to spring up out of nowhere, like mushrooms after a spring rain, but just as not all mushrooms are edible, and some are even poisonous, so it is with these new doctrines. There are some doctrines floating about in the spiritual ether that amount to nothing less than cyanide for the soul. They will cripple your spiritual walk, and put you in a spiritually comatose state just as sure as getting hit by a train would irreparably damage your physical being.

If one is uncertain as to what they should believe, go back to the source of truth, to the fountainhead of divine wisdom, and you are sure to find nourishment for your soul. The truth is not hidden, it is not shrouded in mystery, it is not reserved for a select few who dole it out piecemeal, the truth is there for any man desiring to receive it, the truth is Christ and the word of God.

If you say in your heart, 'I do not know where the truth is!' My question to you, is do you know where the sun is?

Fix your gaze upon the Sun of righteousness, upon the Christ, and you will see the truth revealed to you in ways you never thought possible. He is the Truth, He is the source, and His mercy extends to this generation, His desire to know you personally and intimately, undiminished by the countless souls who have rejected Him in the past. Christ desires to know man, more than man will ever desire to know Christ. He came to this earth for the purpose of reconciling us onto God the Father, sacrificing Himself, hanging upon a cross and dying an unspeakable death all so that we might have a door by which to enter, and a means by which to His love and enduring mercies.

"Come unto Me!' says the Sun of Righteousness, "and I will give you light and rest." It is a solemn promise, and one He keeps with every soul that comes to Him, and unburdens itself at the foot of the cross.

Mankind cannot come to Him as a collective; we do not approach the cross as a group, but as individuals. It is a most intimate and personal experience, reserved for those who desire to be saved. Yes, who desire to be saved; not those who desire to be rich, not those who desire to have perfect hair or acne free faces, straight teeth or winning smiles, those who desire to be saved. Those who realize that death consumes them, and darkness has overwhelmed their senses, those who acknowledge that they are deep within the mire of sin and corruption that is a Godless life, and want the salvation that only Christ can give, wanting nothing more from Him than to be unshackled and set free, to be cleansed and placed upon the rock.

'Remember therefore what you have received and heard', remember and never let it be forgotten. Remember the Christ, remember the Word, remember the promise, remember the standard. What a wretched state of existence, to have known but dismissed, to have heard but forgotten, to have received but rejected. Is there a more pitiable creature walking the face of the earth today, than one who has known the narrow path of faith, who has heard the good news, who has received the light and truth of the gospel and yet somehow wandered off the path, and has lent their ear to deceptive doctrines of devils?

The Word of God is our foundation, and it is to it that we must hold fast, repenting of the doctrines of men, and corrupt heresies we've allowed to worm into our hearts. Yes, the flesh rejoiced, it reveled in the new doctrine, it gloried in the unbridled teachings of a faith absent of Christ, and absent of the cross, but to what end? If the spirit is ever at odds with the flesh, if enmity is ever present, why do we so often give in to the flesh rather than subdue it, why do we gravitate toward the powerless gospel that has so permeated the churches of today? Because we forget to remember! That which we received and heard, becomes antiquated, old, boring even, like the once new car that is along in years, no longer the object of appreciative glances or outright stares. The Gospel of Christ however, is not a car that can lose its luster and shine, it is the ever present, relevant, necessary and living word of God that is as able to renew and transform, that is as able to change and make new today as it was two thousand years ago.

It is not enough to remember however, it is not enough simply to recall that which we received and heard. A certain prescribed action must be taken once we remember; we must hold fast and repent. May we be wise and watchful, lest we become as those of whom the Word warns, who are always learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Once the truth is remembered, it must be followed by repentance. Regardless of how much repentance has fallen out of favor with many of today's churches, it is still an integral and necessary component of the process of restoration and regeneration. Of what profit is it to a man to simply know where to locate bread, if he remains static, unmoving, unwilling to reach out, grab it and consume it? He dies with the knowledge he possesses all the more wretched because he was aware of the means by which he might live yet chose not to pursue them. Simply knowing without applying that which we know, without taking the necessary steps is a worthless and fruitless exercise.

Following His stern warning, Christ also gave an equally stern threat. No, it was not His desire to come upon them as a thief in the night, but the consequences of their disobedience would be just that. If they would not watch, if they would not receive the warning with the requisite soberness and seriousness, he would come upon them as a thief in the night, and they would not know what hour He would come upon them.

The true believers, the ones whose lives are hidden with Christ in God, joyfully await the day of the Lord's return. They joyfully anticipate that blessed day when Christ will appear in the heavens to take up His bride and present it before the Father. For the true believer, the Lord does not come upon them He comes for them. For some this might seem like an insignificant distinction, a splitting of hairs, but it is quite profound in its simplicity.

Those who have a name that they are alive, but are in fact dead, will not be come for, but they will be come upon, judged with the world even with their abundant religiosity. They were believers in name only, men and women who never truly knew Christ, who had never truly repented, but who had heard and received nonetheless. All their protests and cries to the contrary, will not sway the great Judge, for He will see the darkness in their heart, the darkness that they kept hidden from the eyes of men.

1 Thessalonians, 5:2-3, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'peace and safety' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."

These were words penned by Paul concerning the times and the seasons. In His love for all the brethren and the churches, Paul was attempting to reassure the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord would not come upon them as it would for those living in the darkness, for they were of God, they were of the light, and that day would not overtake them as a thief.

For some the great day of the Lord will be a reason for rejoicing, while for others the hour of their destruction. What terror, what dread, to slumber cocooned in a false sense of security, and wake up to judgment. What gnashing of teeth to call upon the name of the One who passed upon your lips but was never allowed to reside in the heart, and receive no answer.

We slumber when we ought to be vigilant, we are neglectful while we ought to be watchful, we are indifferent while we ought to be passionate, we are prayer less while we ought to be prayerful, faithless while we ought to be faithful, wavering while we ought to be steadfast, all the while having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.

'But brother you paint such a grip picture. You are so pessimistic.' No, I just prefer to be a realist, I prefer to look beyond the whitewashed tombs of today's contemporary and marketable gospel, and see the reality of the decay that resides within. I choose to heed the warnings of Christ because they were warnings uttered in love, and a desire not to bring judgment down upon those who still have something that remains, which is getting ready to die if it is not strengthened.

Revelation 3:4, "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy."

We live in an age where relativism is not only on the menu it has been the daily special for some time now. Men who are considered visionaries and forward thinkers by their contemporaries blaze trails into the never before explored and what they deem spiritual newness distancing themselves exponentially from the truth of God's Word, indifferent toward the countless souls they lead into the darkest of deceptions. The words Christian and humanist have become interchangeable, and those who see the dangers of these deceptions, those who have not been lulled to sleep by the sweet lullaby of tolerance and interfaith worship, have but one consolation: The Lord sees, and the Lord knows!

The eyes of God gaze from the heavens. God looks upon the earth and with immeasurable love follows the path of those few who have not defiled their garments, naming them by name from among billions, ever ready to protect, strengthen and sanctify them.

Even within a congregation of believers, God does not see them as a collective, He does not perceive a fellowship as a whole simply because they've gathered in a building with a giant cross on the roof, He gazes upon the hearts of men, weighing them, and fellowshipping only with those who are truly His. There are people today who have been attending service regularly for years, never having felt the touch of God because they were unwilling to break ties with the world, they loved their sin so much that they chose not to consent to the cleansing process that God demanded and still demands.

Contrary to the staggering amount of material available today, our primary objective in walking with God is not to get a financial breakthrough, it is not to prosper, it is not to get wealth or get Jesus to pay our mortgage, it is to keep the white garments with which we have been clothed spotless and undefiled. Eternity with God is our goal, all else pales in comparison, dare I say becomes irrelevant in the face of this one purpose.

The eyes of God are firmly fixed upon the true believers, that minority among a great majority who have not defiled their garments, and it is those souls, which He endows with spiritual gifts, with strength, with the heavenly things that only He can bestow. God desires to have vessels of honor in His house. Once a heart is open to Him, God goes about the task of burning out all the impurities, of refining in the fire, until becomes what He desires it to be. Once a vessel is cleansed and strengthened, once the eyes of the heart are open to the reality that it is not our will we should be desiring but His will, the vessel is ready to be used. A vessel has no will of its own, it cannot choose the service into which it is placed, it cannot choose the person it is chosen to serve, it is, in its entirety at the mercy of the Master.

The few names that remained undefiled in the church of Sardis prove to us that even amidst a fallen generation, and a backslidden church one can retain their purity. The fact that the world around us grows more evil every day, and the churches are venturing further and further from the truth of God's Holy Word, is not ample excuse for us to stop living in righteousness and purity before a sovereign God. God does not judge the collective, He judges the individual. One can choose to follow the majority into the land of compromise and half-truth, or one can stand, feet firmly planted upon the rock, unshaken and undeterred in walking in holiness and humility, faithfulness and steadfastness. "I did it because everyone else was doing it" was a poor excuse when we were children, and it is a poor excuse now that we've grown and matured. We all know the classic question every mother has asked at one point or another, "if everyone else was jumping off a bridge would you?" but clichéd as it might be, the reality of it is still undeniable. Just because others have chosen to serve the flesh rather than God, just because others have given themselves over to the pursuit of worldly things rather than heavenly things, it does not give us license to follow in their footsteps. We know the truth, we possess the truth, it is in simply written in the Word for all to heed it, and in the end it is the Word that will stand as witness against many a soul.

Although it is possible to retain once purity amidst a fallen world, it is not easy. When I was younger I used to love walking through wheat fields, for some reason it had a calming effect on me, and always put me in a contemplative mood. No matter how much time I'd spend walking through the wheat fields, when I was done, there was never anything stuck to my clothes. If I had chosen to walk through a field of thorns, briars, and thistle however, I would most likely spend the rest of the day picking thorns out of my clothes. I realize this may seem like a senseless story, but there is a point I assure you. Living in a world such as ours, it is far easier to learn evil than to learn good. The voice of good, the voice of righteousness and holiness unto God grows more feeble with each passing day, as it is drowned out by sin and avarice. Everything of this world, from the greatest to the smallest is always attempting to defile our garments, to ruin the beauty of our inner righteousness. Whether we trek through the dust, or the mud of this world, it invariably attempts to cling to us, to dirty our once pristine attire, and if we stop being watchful, if we stop looking into the mirror of God's Word to see if there are any spots or wrinkles on our garments, what was once white soon becomes gray, dirtied and spotted.

When it comes to our physical attire, we often see a spot or wrinkle and think to ourselves, "it's not so bad, no one will notice", but we cannot take the same liberties with our spiritual attire. God notices every spot; God notices every wrinkle, because He knows the condition in which He gave your garment to you, and demands that it be presented to Him in like manner.

May God help us be watchful and scrupulous when it comes to our spiritual attire that we might be counted among those who did not defile their garments, for it is to those who remained undefiled that Christ promises will walk with Him in white. What greater glory can man aspire to than to walk with Him? We all know the story of Enoch, the man who walked with God, but what we can deduce by reading between the lines is equally impacting as the fact that Enoch journeyed with God for three hundred years, and never grew tired, bored, or indifferent toward the relationship he had established. For three hundred years, Enoch was daily satisfied, desiring nothing more than intimacy with the Creator, realizing there was no greater thing to aspire to in this life, than to walk humbly with your Lord.

When the heart is joined to Christ, when it is infused with His presence, by the very nature of the relationship we established with Jesus, we distance ourselves from the world. Our feet follow in His footstep, we find our fulfillment and our joy in His ways, and as such our garments remain spotless and undefiled. We know that we cannot serve two masters, that there is only room for one lord upon the throne of our hearts, these ought to be basic and fundamental teachings within the house of God. We have a tendency to shy a way from absolutes because absolutes leave no wiggle room, there is no median, no gray area, but when it comes to spiritual matters, with God it is either all or nothing at all. We either surrender our entire beings, our hearts, our minds, our desires, our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations, our pride, our ego, our flesh to He who is and was and is to come, or we deceive ourselves into believing that He won't notices the smudges, the spots or the wrinkles on our garments. God finds pleasure in holiness, and He fellowships with holiness. Heaven's environment is one of holiness, wherein nothing wicked or defiled can enter.

Even though the letter was to the church of Sardis, there are clearly two camps within this congregation. Too often, what is addressed to those within the house of God is misconstrued as having been written for the world by today's theologians, having altogether dismissed the fact that we are told the world considers the Word to be foolishness, neither receiving it or perceiving it. Why would you play a symphony for a deaf person? Why would you present a masterpiece of color and nuance to a blind man? Jesus is not writing to the world, but to those who claim to be of the house of God. There are those who have defiled their garments, who will have no part in the Kingdom, who will be judged together with the world, and there are those who remained spotless and undefiled, who will walk with Christ, being clothed in white, clothed in holiness and righteousness just as the Lord is clothed for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:5, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

The Sardis condition is more difficult to overcome than all the other maladies thus far presented in the letters to the churches. Unfortunately it is also one of the most common conditions found in today's churches as well. The dangers of having a form of godliness, an outward appearance of holiness, a reputation of being alive and sanctified while being wrought with sin and wickedness gasping what amounts to the last few shallow breaths of a once vibrant spiritual existence, are so vast and real that they are beyond my ability to adequately describe.

Imagine a man who by all appearances is at the peak of his physical conditioning, who to the physical eye is worthy of envy for his chiseled physique and ruddy cheeks, but on the inside is a mass of decay and disease. He knows something is not right, but then looks in the mirror, flexes a few times, and talks himself into believing that nothing is wrong because the outward parts look so good, even though in reality he is a breath away from succumbing to the malady that is slowly eating away at him, shutting down his organs one by one, bringing him one step closer to a sure death. When a church, a ministry, or a minister projects an image that is the opposite of what lies beneath the outward shell, they are likened to such a man, who although dying on the inside, keeps up the external appearance of being alive.

It is very difficult for those who have the words of truth on their lips, but not in their hearts to see the light, to repent and thereby be restored. Such souls cling to empty ceremony, to teaching absent of substance, to men who flatter, and words that tickle the ears. They resent those who would point the way to Christ, and despise those who give the Word of God its rightful place of honor as the final authority when it comes to spiritual matters. Although in name they are of Christ, their actions and conduct prove otherwise, squandering the time they've been given on earthly pursuits and material excesses, neglecting the spiritual altogether.

It is difficult to overcome the Sardis condition, but not impossible. The healthy glow and rugged features notwithstanding, when one grows exceedingly symptomatic he or she comes to the realization that all is not well, that even if on the outside they may as yet not show it, they are gravely ill on the inside and begin to seek after a cure. Just as physicians prescribe medication for our physical bodies, the Word of God has prescriptions for our spiritual restoration. If we find ourselves in the Sardis condition, suffering the symptoms which Christ pointed out, we must with determined steadfastness employ the spiritual arsenal to which we have access, girding our waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, taking up the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, and mercilessly wielding the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, cutting down anything that would hinder our walk or endanger our spiritual well being. We cannot coddle sin; we cannot tolerate or overlook compromise, for they are the harbingers of spiritual death. The journey of faith is a lifelong, and the putting on of the whole armor of God is a mandatory prerequisite for victorious and sanctified spiritual continuity. Falling at the foot of the cross in repentance, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is not the end of the journey, but the beginning. Once we have received, once we are saved and redeemed, the battle begins, and we must be equipped that we might stand against the wiles of the devil, and quench all the fiery darts of the wicket one.

The promise and reward for those who overcome the Sardis condition is threefold. First, he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. Only Christ can prepare these white garments, only He is able to distribute them to His beloved and His faithful, made possible by His shed blood.

Revelation 7:13-14, " Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, 'who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?' And I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' So he said to me, 'these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Revelation 19:8, "And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

These white garments, are in recognition of the righteous life, the overcoming believers lived here on earth. While on earth the true believer might suffer at the hands of the wicked, he might be mocked and hated, persecuted and degraded because he was not of the world, because the world looked upon him as something odd and off-putting, because the nature of Christ so radiated from him that those of the darkness could not help but have an aversion toward the light, but their reward for all that they endured was established in the heavens, and administered by Christ. Do not grow weary in pursuing righteousness, do not grow sad when the world mocks you and hates you, your reward awaits, that white garment, that fine linen clean and bright, which is the righteous acts of the saints.

The very life of the righteous will serve as testimony against those who chose to grovel in the darkness. The very acts of the saints will be the overwhelming evidence on the Day of Judgment that it was within man's ability to worship God, to serve Him, and be a true ambassador for the Kingdom even in the midst of a wicked world.

Even now, those who have clothed themselves in Christ, those who strive for righteousness and hunger after holiness stir up hatred and resentment in the hearts of those who are Christian in name only. Some part of them must know the futility of false humility, it must know the vanity of false worship and that which is in them which is still of the world, rebels against the agents of light and goodness, it rebels against those who carry the Christ not only on their lips but in their hearts as well.

The true servants of Christ, those who pick up their crosses daily and follow after Him, are arrayed in white garments, absent of identifying insignia as to denomination, nationality, skin color, social standing, education level, gender or age. They are as one, the body of Christ, shining from within with the glory of the glorified One. We do not recognize a true servant of God by their title, their lapel pin, or by their diploma, but by the white garment of righteousness that they wear, made so by the blood of the Lamb; those fine linens which have been placed upon them not by an elder, a deacon a preacher or even an angel, but by the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior of mankind.

The second promise to those who overcome the Sardis condition is He (Christ) will not blot out their names from the Book of Life. I realize full well that we have happened upon a touchy and sensitive topic, a topic that is the dividing line between some denominations, but these are the words that Christ spoke and they cannot be twisted to fit our own agendas or our own way of thinking. To put it bluntly, God's pencil has an eraser.

Exodus, 32:33, "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."

I know full well I will not make any friends with the following assertions, but if we believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, then we can't just choose the good parts, the wholesome verses, those which exhort and edify, but must accept even those which challenge our preconceived notions, those which rebuke, correct, and warn.

I also realize that some will hold to denominational dogma rather than accept the truth of Scripture, but I must press on, and state the Bible's case, for it is that to which I was called.

Whenever this verse is brought up, even in general conversation with other brothers, an argument always arises. The foundational question is most often, 'if God knew a man was going to fall, why would He write their name in the Book to begin with?' Every time we try to dig a little deeper into what has become known as the 'once saved always saved' doctrine, we realize the inconsistency of it, and can't help but be drawn into a tailspin of paradox from which there is no ascend to greater understanding.

'Well, if they raise their hand in church, get baptized, but fall into sin again, it means they were never really saved, and thus the once saved always saved doctrine still holds.' This is the comment I hear most often when this topic is discussed, whether it's coming from a preacher, or someone who's just repeating what they heard someone else say when the topic was discussed on a previous occasion.

In order to wrap our minds around the idea that a name can be blotted from the Book of Life, just as Christ asserts in the third chapter and fifth verse of the book of Revelation, I will have to employ the use of a parable:

After much contemplation and soul searching a young man decides to enlist in the army. He goes to the nearest recruiting office, signs the papers required for enlistment, and soon is sent off to boot camp. The minute he arrives, he is by all rights considered a soldier of his nation, the requisite dog tags having already been imprinted, his name entered in the necessary database. Upon finishing boot camp, the young man discovers that within the week he will be sent to a far off country, to join a war already in progress, in the hopes of bringing democracy and stability to the entire region. Suddenly the young man has a change of heart, he does not want to fight, he does not want to go to war, and in a panicked rush runs off. Days go buy, and he does not report for duty, his brothers in arms hear nothing from him, and finally the powers that be come to the conclusion that he has deserted. His name is removed from the database, and the man who was once a soldier, serving his country, is now a deserter and a fugitive from the law. Whether due to desertion or conduct unbecoming, a dishonorable discharge is still the end result.

When we come to Christ, when we repent of our sins and receive Him, our names are written in the Book of Life. God does not wait until the end of our existence on earth to enter our name, but the second that we receive salvation, the angel to whom the duty was assigned, writes our name within the great book. When we believe and are saved, God is constrained by His own word to write our names in the Book of Life even though in His omniscience He knows who will remain faithful, and who will squander the gift, and reject salvation. God would not be just if knowing one's end He would not place their name in the Book even though all the requirements had been fulfilled.

The tragic truth is that the Word tells us men can fall from grace, they can return to the pit and the mire from which they were once freed. Yes there is room for repentance, however the more often one stumbles and repents, it seems the more calloused and hardened the heart gets, wherein it becomes more difficult to bend one's knee and honestly repent of what had pained and offended God. Better not to stumble, better not to fall into the snares of the enemy than betting eternity on whether or not we will feel true and heartfelt remorse. Man treats sin lightly because he knows repentance is always available, all the while forgetting that the heart of man is exceedingly evil.

God is merciful but He is also just, and in His righteous judgment He rightly divides. We are no more entitled to ask God why, than we are entitled to ask the sun why it rises every morning. As obedient servants all we can do is humbly say, 'God's will be done.' This foolish notion that we can somehow demand of God, like some spoiled little child who stomps its feet and shakes its fists, is lunacy worthy of being committed in a mental facility. How can creation demand anything of its Creator? We can ask, and He who is a loving Father will surely give good gifts to His children, but this idea that we can demand God change His mind on what He has already established in His Word, or that by our will alone we will nullify His will is preposterous.

The third blessing that is promised to those who overcome is that Christ will confess their name before His Father and before His angels. A man's good name is a prized possession, a treasure, which exceeds wealth and success in its true value and worth. This is an undisputed truth that has held through the ages, for a man's good name, a man's reputation echoes long after the flesh has returned to the earth. Once a good name is tarnished, once a reputation is ruined by a man's actions or choices, it is difficult to regain, and almost impossible to return to its former luster.

Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold."

Ecclesiastes 7:1, "A good name is better than precious ointment."

Every one can name a name that will forever live in infamy due to their actions. Every one can point to someone who chose great riches rather than a good name, sacrificing relationships, reputation, and even their own morals in order to achieve something they belatedly realized was void of warmth, meaningless and vain. To have laid waste to everything that would have brought love, peace, and joy into one's life in order to achieve a certain success, or amass a certain fortune all to look back on the life that was and realize that it was not worth the tradeoff. So often men dismiss the examples of those that came before them, and pursue the same goals, which ultimately lead to the selfsame conclusions as their predecessors.

There is an underlying mystery in the words of Jesus, concerning confessing the name of those who will overcome before the Father and before His angels. The true believer is also given a new name. It is a name that is good, eternal, well known, and necessary for us to posses when we stand before the throne of God, for no other name under the sun will suffice or be received as an acceptable surrogate or replacement. There is one name that every child of God must have etched upon their foreheads, and burned upon their hearts, and that name is Christ. This is not just another name, another empty word, but a powerful reality that stands as testimony before the heavens and the earth. To be endowed with the name of Christ, one must posses the nature of Christ, live the life of Christ, and follow in the footsteps of Christ. Christ must be our all in all, our sufficiency, our portion, our provision and our fulfillment.

When Christ will confess our name before the Father and His angels, it will not be Bob, Ruth, George or Linda that He speaks, but He will speak the words 'redeemed, blood bought, saved and sanctified'. He will confess His nature in us before the Father, the fruit of His sacrifice, the offspring of His work on the cross, His bride, and His beloved.

Remember the name you carry with you, always ensuring that you bring glory and not shame to it. It is not the name of a nation, it is not the name of a prince or a president, it is the name of the King of Kings, the only begotten Son of God, who was with Him in the beginning. We cannot take such a name lightly, we cannot besmirch ourselves, and by association His name. If this were any other study, I could continue with this line of thought for there is much to say, but we are studying the book of Revelation, and so I must control my desire to stray from the topic at hand.

Revelation 3:6, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

We serve a God whose singular desire is to draw us nearer to Him. He bestows us with gifts among which are our five senses, which work to reveal Him, that we might know, and in knowing submit and worship Him.

God gave us ears that we might hear His voice, which is the voice of truth, and in hearing it obey it. Obeying the voice of God is never in detriment to man, but is always, and indisputably, a benefit to him. Even when in the present it might seem to the human eye that there can't possibly be anything good in a certain situation, the God who sees beyond today, into tomorrow and the far off future, has already established the good and the benefit one will experience due to a present circumstance. We often beat our own chests screaming to anyone within earshot how much we trust God, when all along our actions betray our true hearts. In times of trial we moan and complain, we murmur and grow bitter at the hardships that we experience, indifferent toward the reality that something good will come out of it. There isn't a chance that something good will come of it; it is a certainty.

We are all endowed with gifts, with talents, which we must lay at His feet, and make available for His service. Whether spiritual gifts, or physical talents, it is incumbent upon all the children of God to offer themselves without reservation or preamble. It is our duty, God comes first, and whatever He requires of us we do as unto Him.

We have ears that we might hear the voice of truth, eyes that we might see the works of truth and follow them, hearts to receive the love of truth and live it in perpetuity, mouths to confess the truth for the truth is God, feet to walk the path of truth, and hands with which to work in the harvest field of truth.

When one has ears, yet does not hear what the Spirit is saying, it means he or she has lent their ear to another voice, to some other whisper that is hindering them from hearing what the Spirit is saying. When our ears our focused on the things of this earth, on the voices all around us, it becomes increasingly more difficult to hear the voice form heaven. If we are the body of Christ, if we are part of the congregation of believers, then we must with all diligence be tuned in to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. It is our duty, and there is none greater, for to hear what God is saying, is to know His will, and to know His will is to walk in His ways.

In His final words to the church of Sardis, Jesus also accentuates the fact that these letters to the seven churches, were not intended singularly for them, but for all the churches, throughout time, for He says, 'he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

The plurality of the word church, should cause us to understand that He was not writing to one specific body of believers, but to the spiritual conditions that are found within every church, in every generation, that we might look into the mirror of the word and right the wrongs, repent of the forbidden things, and walk humbly with Him.
 

PlaneJane

Established
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Feb 2, 2019
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171
Wow I can’t wait to study what you said, but man I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.
Did you see my post about my vision of seeing the corner of the Fathers throne,
It will be hard to erase my own brainwashing (if I have done that to my own self,) that laodocia does not exist yet. It fits me perfectly, I thought that even before my vision.
 
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