Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:5-6
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.
3:6 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."‘
The promises of God to the church in Sardis who overcomes are as follows.
We are still learning the first one.
The white garments refer to the garments of God’s trust or ministry.
Romans 3:23
3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
All men have sinned and gotten naked.
1 Timothy 1:2
1:2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from Godour Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
We can get the white garments only because of the grace, mercy, and peace from God through the sacrifice of Christ.
After that, we must be the right servants of God that can be well pleasing before Him.
1 Timothy 1:12
1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
The signs of the right ministry that can please God are as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:5-6
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.
3:6 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."‘
The promises of God to the church in Sardis who overcomes are as follows.
- Being clothed in white garments.
- The name is written in the Book of Life.
We are still learning the first one.
The white garments refer to the garments of God’s trust or ministry.
Romans 3:23
3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
All men have sinned and gotten naked.
1 Timothy 1:2
1:2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from Godour Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
We can get the white garments only because of the grace, mercy, and peace from God through the sacrifice of Christ.
After that, we must be the right servants of God that can be well pleasing before Him.
1 Timothy 1:12
1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
The signs of the right ministry that can please God are as follows.
- We have the power from the Lord. It means as follows.
- We do not use our own power, intelligence, position, riches, and so on.
- We confess that we have many weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
As a result, we will get the power of God, namely the power of Holy Spirit that cannot be limited by anything.
We confess that we have many weaknesses. It means as follows.- We confess that we are not worthy in our many weaknesses and unable.
- We make ourselves of no reputation like Jesus and take the form of a servant.
2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The greatest work in the ministry is making our selves of no reputation. It means that we do not have self-interest, but think about the interest of the work of God and other people who need. We make ourselves of no reputation to become dolosor the servant of God without the right, but only the duty. The duty of a servant of God is glorifying Him. As a result, our work and reward are in the hand of God, both for our present life and the eternal one. Dolosalso means the obedient servant of God until the flesh does not speak anymore. For example, Abraham was obedient when he was commanded to offer Isaac, his son.
Philippians 2:9-10
2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
If we are obedient, we will experience the power of the name of Jesus to defeat Satan the Trinity, the source of great stumbling-block in serving and ministering to God.
- We have the faithfulness from God.
1 Timothy 1:12
1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
2 Corinthians 11:2-3
11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Paul struggled so that he did not lose the simplicity that is in Christ like Eve who had been deceived by the serpent and driven out of garden Eden to live in the curse.
We must struggle in the last days so that we do not lose the simplicity that is in Christ. There are three kinds of faithfulness that must be kept as follows.- The simplicity that is in Christ or the true teaching Word we have received, believed, and experienced in our life. Such Word is written in the Bible as the Word spoken by Jesus Himself and revealed by God through a verse that explains other verses in the Bible.
Matthew 7:21-23
7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
7:22 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
7:23 "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The true teaching Word becomes the command in our service and ministry to God to determine what we must do or not.
Ministering to God not in line with the Word, one becomes the same as one who practices lawlessness. Such person is driven out by God like Eve who was disobedient and driven out of Eden to enter the world and live in curse. One who ministers to God not in line with the Word in the last days will be driven out to the hell and perish forever.
If we minister to God in obedience, the doors will be opened for us and the door of heaven will be too. - The faithfulness in little things related to the possession of God.
Luke 16:10-12
16:10 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is leastis unjust also in much.
16:11 "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
16:12 "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
There are three kinds of God’s possession that cannot be charged against by anything as follows.- Tithes and offerings or the least things.
- Worship or the house of the Lord.
- Heavenly Bride.
The tithes are the possession of God that must be returned to Him faithfully and correctly. It is the confession that we have been blessed or preserved by God.
The offerings for the work of God are returned with the willingness of heart and thanksgiving because we have been blessed by God.
There are other’s riches in every blessing we receive from God. We must give the alms with willingness of heart and thanksgiving.
As a result, we are trusted with our own riches. It means that we can enjoy the blessing God gives us and not misuse it. Moreover, we are trusted with the heavenly riches, namely we can serve, minister, and worship God until we can be the bride of heaven. - The faithfulness to the calling of God.
The sinners are separated from God and cannot return to Him. The calling to become the sons of God or the saved people comes from Him. The calling to be the servants of God does too. As a result, we will be reminded by the calling of God when we must confront with the hindrance in serving and ministering to Him so that we will never go back.
2 Timothy 1:9
1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
The calling of God is the holy one. It means that we must keep our holiness in serving and ministering to God. Not being holy, one is going out of the calling of God and getting far away from God and dry. Falling in sin, we must confess to God and others. We must not repeat the sin after being forgiven. We have to return to the holiness or the calling of God.
God calls us not because of our greatness or weakness, but His grace. It means that all people can be called and used by God.
Why do we have to get the calling of God?
2 Peter 1:10-11
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantlyinto the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Because the calling of God is related to the opening of the door of heaven. The calling of God or the service and ministry is the full right to enter heavenly kingdom. Not being faithful, the right decreases until there is no more right to enter the kingdom of heaven and one is cast to the hell.
Romans 11:29
11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The Lord never regrets His calling because He wants that all of us get the full right to enter heavenly kingdom. Peter who had denied the Lord still could get the opportunity through the crowing of a rooster. Judas who had betrayed Jesus could get the opportunity through the Holy Communion.
Therefore, do not ever regret the calling of God to you. Do not leave the calling of God, but keep faithful until entering the heavenly kingdom.
- The simplicity that is in Christ or the true teaching Word we have received, believed, and experienced in our life. Such Word is written in the Bible as the Word spoken by Jesus Himself and revealed by God through a verse that explains other verses in the Bible.
- We always give thanks.
1 Timothy 1:12
1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lordwho has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
The thanksgiving comes from the abundance in our heart that will peak on the worship to Jesus as the King of all kings or heavenly Bridegroom.
1 Timothy 1:17
1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 2:14-15
2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
We can be the shining star or God uses us for His glory to illuminate the ones who are in darkness that they can be saved and called by God. Murmuring or grumbling, one is the same as the fallen star that gets dark until entering the outer darkness.
1 Timothy 1:13-14
1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
How can we always give thanks and worship God? By always remembering that we are the most sinful people and the foundation of our ministry is the grace of God and reconciliation done by the sacrifice of Christ. As a result, we can stand firmly upon the sacrifice of Christ. We will never stumble. We can say "yes" if "yes" and "no" if "no".
We must always remember the sacrifice of Christ and these things will happen.- We will not be arrogant.
- We have the encouragement to serve and ministry to God with fervency in spirit and faithfulness regardless of any condition we have.
- There is comfort for our life and others.
- Our heart is filled with the abundance of thanksgiving to God until we can worship the Lord as the King of all kings or Heavenly Bridegroom with saying "Alleluia".
- The King is able to open the way in the sea.
Isaiah 43:15-17
43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King."
43:16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the seaAnd a path through the mighty waters,
43:17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
The house of Israel who was without any hope could be helped.
The King is able to open the doors in the world for us, namely the door of the miraculous preservation of God in the midst of difficulties, the door of help to remove impossibilities, as well as the one of beautiful future life and God’s employment in the revival for building the perfect body of Christ. - The King opens the door of Paradise.
Luke 23:40-43
23:40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
23:41 "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
23:42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
23:43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
The criminal crucified besides Jesus had no hope anymore, but he could enter the paradise.
The door of paradise means the one of renewal from carnal men to spiritual ones like Jesus. It begins from confessing sin to God and others and not repeating it after being forgiven. We live in righteousness and obedience or cry out the name of Jesus and worship the King with saying "Alleluia".
The door of paradise also means the one of lifting up and joy. We are restored from fall. The failure is changed into success and the destruction into good things. All things become easy and light.
The more we are changed, the more we are lifted up and joyful until we are as perfect as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We can welcome Him, saying "Alleluia" on the glorious clouds, and enter the future Paradise up to heavenly kingdom.
God blesses you.