Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:4
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.
There are a few names in Sardis who are worthy to walk with Jesus in the white garment.
When are we worthy to walk with Him in the white garment? It is when we are worthy to suffer with Him.
Proverbs 30:18-19
30:18 There are three things whichare too wonderful for me, Yes, four whichI do not understand:
30:19 The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin.
The practices of walking with Jesus are as follows.
These four things are actually ordinary. But why does in the book of Proverbs King Solomon mention them as the wonderful and incomprehensible things?
ad. 1. The way of an eagle in the air.
It refers to the character of Jesus as the Great King who always gives us power and victory.
Isaiah 40:30-31
40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew theirstrength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
The practice of walking with Jesus as the King is we are always strong and of good courage. We always win in facing the matters as follows.
If we are strong and of good courage, the results are as follows.
ad. 2. The way of a serpent on a rock.
John 3:14-15
3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
It refers to Jesus as a human who suffers to bear sin and the curse of sin until He is willing to die on the cross in curse as a serpent. It is to save cursed sinful men.
A rock refers to man with hard heart and arrogance. Man opposes God and he is cursed. The practices are as follows.
Thus, the practice of walking with Jesus as a human who suffers is being humble, meaning as follows.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to yourelders. Yes, all of yoube submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
The position of a humble person is under the mighty hand of God, so he will be exalted in His time. Everything becomes beautiful and successful in His time.
ad. 3. The way of a ship in the midst of the sea.
It refers to Jesus as a Servant who brings physical and spiritual blessings, as well as marriage blessings, salvation and perfection blessing from the Heaven, to all of us in the world that is as the sea.
Philippians 2:8-10
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the cross.
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,
Jesus as a Servant is obedient until He dies on the cross. Thus, He receives the name which is above every name to beat Satan the trinity who always obstructs us to receive the blessings from the Heaven.
The practice of walking with Jesus as the Servant is we become the servants of God who is obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore.
John 10:27-28
10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
The position of an obedient servant is within the strong hands of the High Priest, so we experience certain guarantee for the caring of our present life in the world, up to the eternal one.
Be careful since from many people during the days of Noah, there were only eight who were obedient so they received certain guarantee from God.
ad. 4. The way of a man with a virgin.
It refers to Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom who really loves His bride and is willing to sacrifice Himself.
Ephesians 5:25-27
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus loves us until He is willing to die on the cross to wash us twice with the water baptism and the water of the Word. It is to sanctify us until we become the Heavenly bride.
The practices of walking together with Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom are as follows.
Zephaniah 3:17-18
3:17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet youwith His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
3:18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whomits reproach isa burden.
The result is the love of the Bridegroom renews us until we are mature spiritually. The measurement is the mouth does not speak or comment much, but keeps being silent. We become as a baby who cries more to God. We only testify and praise Him. We worship Him with a contrite heart.
Isaiah 49:14-16
49:14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”
49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
49:16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls arecontinually before Me.
Thus, God will pay attention to our life. He cares and struggles for us. He gives us beautiful and successful future. He solves all our problems even the impossible ones. Our position is as a baby who is sealed in His bosom.
Psalm 122:7
122:7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
God surrounds our life so we live in peace and calm. Everything becomes easy and light. We experience the ambience of the Paradise. When Jesus comes a second time, we will be perfected as Him to pass through the wall of the New Jerusalem.
God blesses us.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:4
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.
There are a few names in Sardis who are worthy to walk with Jesus in the white garment.
When are we worthy to walk with Him in the white garment? It is when we are worthy to suffer with Him.
Proverbs 30:18-19
30:18 There are three things whichare too wonderful for me, Yes, four whichI do not understand:
30:19 The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin.
The practices of walking with Jesus are as follows.
- The way of an eagle in the air.
- The way of a serpent on a rock.
- The way of a ship in the midst of the sea.
- The way of a man with a virgin.
These four things are actually ordinary. But why does in the book of Proverbs King Solomon mention them as the wonderful and incomprehensible things?
- The journey with Jesus is a wonderful journey that cannot be understood by human’s mind, except Holy Spirit who is able to reveal that wonder.
- We have followed and ministered Jesus for a long time. The question is whether our journey is with Jesus or whether our character is as Jesus.
ad. 1. The way of an eagle in the air.
It refers to the character of Jesus as the Great King who always gives us power and victory.
Isaiah 40:30-31
40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew theirstrength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
The practice of walking with Jesus as the King is we are always strong and of good courage. We always win in facing the matters as follows.
- Impossible temptation and problem.
We are not desperate or disappointed. We do not leave God but keep being faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering Him. - False and deceitful teaching.
We keep holding fast the true teaching Word. We are not deceived. - Sin up to its peak, that is sin concerning eating-drinking (smoking, getting drunk, consuming drugs) and marrying-being given in marriage (sexuality sin with all its variety, wrong marriage).
We can live in righteousness and keep the true marriage and ministry. - Stumbling block.
We do not stumble or make the others stumble. We keep being strong to wait Jesus’ second coming on the glorious clouds.
If we are strong and of good courage, the results are as follows.
- We will be used in the revival of Holy Spirit in the last rain.
Joshua 1:6
1:6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. - The strong hands of God are able to make everything good in our life.
2 Samuel 10:12
10:12 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what isgood in His sight.”
If God lets us be in life shock, His aim is to give us strength and victory as long as we keep walking with Him.
ad. 2. The way of a serpent on a rock.
John 3:14-15
3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
It refers to Jesus as a human who suffers to bear sin and the curse of sin until He is willing to die on the cross in curse as a serpent. It is to save cursed sinful men.
A rock refers to man with hard heart and arrogance. Man opposes God and he is cursed. The practices are as follows.
- Eve was deceived by the serpent so she broke the Word of God.
After being naked, Eve tried to cover herself with the fig leaves. It refers to the self-truth, meaning being unwilling to confess the sin, but covering it by blaming the others and God. The consequence is being naked and suffering leprosy, so one lives in curse. The ambience of Paradise becomes the one of curse.
In the last days, many marriages are naked and cursed because of the self-truth. - Loathing manna, meaning loathing the true teaching Word.
Numbers 21:4-6
21:4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there isno food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
21:6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
Psalm 78:23-25
78:23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven,
78:24 Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.
78:25 Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.
The consequence is being bitten by the serpent, meaning as follows.- Falling in sin up to its peak (sin concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage) and living in sin.
- Being deceived by false teaching.
- Falling in sin up to its peak (sin concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage) and living in sin.
Thus, the practice of walking with Jesus as a human who suffers is being humble, meaning as follows.
- The ability to confess our sin to God and the others. If we are forgiven, we must not repeat it again.
- Being well and right shepherded, so we can enjoy manna or the shepherding Word, the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword. It becomes a brake for us not to sin.
1 Peter 5:5-6
5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to yourelders. Yes, all of yoube submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
The position of a humble person is under the mighty hand of God, so he will be exalted in His time. Everything becomes beautiful and successful in His time.
ad. 3. The way of a ship in the midst of the sea.
It refers to Jesus as a Servant who brings physical and spiritual blessings, as well as marriage blessings, salvation and perfection blessing from the Heaven, to all of us in the world that is as the sea.
Philippians 2:8-10
2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the cross.
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,
Jesus as a Servant is obedient until He dies on the cross. Thus, He receives the name which is above every name to beat Satan the trinity who always obstructs us to receive the blessings from the Heaven.
The practice of walking with Jesus as the Servant is we become the servants of God who is obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore.
John 10:27-28
10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
The position of an obedient servant is within the strong hands of the High Priest, so we experience certain guarantee for the caring of our present life in the world, up to the eternal one.
Be careful since from many people during the days of Noah, there were only eight who were obedient so they received certain guarantee from God.
ad. 4. The way of a man with a virgin.
It refers to Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom who really loves His bride and is willing to sacrifice Himself.
Ephesians 5:25-27
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus loves us until He is willing to die on the cross to wash us twice with the water baptism and the water of the Word. It is to sanctify us until we become the Heavenly bride.
The practices of walking together with Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom are as follows.
- Keeping our holiness as a chaste virgin. Do not give any chance to do sin.
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 asa 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. - Keeping our true faithfulness to Christ, that is the faithfulness to the true teaching Word. Do not give any chance to not ministering God. Do not give any chance to hear another teaching.
- We can love God more than everything.
Zephaniah 3:17-18
3:17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet youwith His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
3:18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whomits reproach isa burden.
The result is the love of the Bridegroom renews us until we are mature spiritually. The measurement is the mouth does not speak or comment much, but keeps being silent. We become as a baby who cries more to God. We only testify and praise Him. We worship Him with a contrite heart.
Isaiah 49:14-16
49:14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”
49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you.
49:16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls arecontinually before Me.
Thus, God will pay attention to our life. He cares and struggles for us. He gives us beautiful and successful future. He solves all our problems even the impossible ones. Our position is as a baby who is sealed in His bosom.
Psalm 122:7
122:7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
God surrounds our life so we live in peace and calm. Everything becomes easy and light. We experience the ambience of the Paradise. When Jesus comes a second time, we will be perfected as Him to pass through the wall of the New Jerusalem.
God blesses us.