(To Coincide with Fasting Prayer Service Session III)
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 for the church in Sardis who overcomes are as follows:
We learn the first point.
The white garment is the trust garment from God or the ministry.
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,
Exodus 28:1-2
28:1 "Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron's sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
28:2 "And you shall make holy garmentsfor Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
The condition to receive the white or ministry garment is the holiness, so our ministry will be pleasant before God.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
The holy life will be equipped by God with the ministry to be employed in the building of the Body of Christ.
Matthew 15:7-12
15:7 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
15:8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
15:9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’"
15:10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:
15:11 "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
There are two kinds of purification by the hard word of Jesus (the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword) as follows:
Thus, to receive the white garment, we must willingly experience the physical and spiritual purification by the hard teaching Word.
Matthew 15:12
15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
The Pharisees stumble because of the hard saying of Jesus. It means they refuse the physical and spiritual purification. The results are as follows:
Matthew 18:6
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The result is a millstone are hung around the neck. It means one’s life is weary, heavy laden, and his life is not beautiful, he falls in Babylon’s sins (the sin of eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage), until being drown in the lake of fire and brimstone.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
If we receive the hard Word of Jesus, we will experience the physical and spiritual purification. The results are as follows:
Proverbs 3:3
3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
The results are as follows:
God blesses us.
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 for the church in Sardis who overcomes are as follows:
- One shall be clothed in white garment.
- His name is written in the Book of Life.
We learn the first point.
The white garment is the trust garment from God or the ministry.
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,
Exodus 28:1-2
28:1 "Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron's sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
28:2 "And you shall make holy garmentsfor Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
The condition to receive the white or ministry garment is the holiness, so our ministry will be pleasant before God.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
The holy life will be equipped by God with the ministry to be employed in the building of the Body of Christ.
Matthew 15:7-12
15:7 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
15:8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
15:9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’"
15:10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:
15:11 "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
There are two kinds of purification by the hard word of Jesus (the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword) as follows:
- The purification of the things that go into mouth.
1 Timothy 4:3-5
4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
4:5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
It is the physical purification as follows:- The purification of physical food.
The things that we eat must be purified by the Word and prayer, so it will be free from curse and harm.
The food must be appropriate with our purpose that is being full and healthy. Do not follow the will of flesh that is eating food which is harmful for our health. - The purification of spiritual food.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
It is having determination in anointing of Holy Spirit to refuse or not give opportunity to hear the strange teaching even only once.
The spiritual purification also means purification in marriage.
1 Timothy 4:3
4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
We must get marriage legally in front of God and others which is being blessed by parents, government (it is signed in law), and God through the affirmation and blessing of the marriage (the conditions are holiness and unity). If the marriage starts with fall, it must be helped, firmed, and lifted up.
- The purification of physical food.
- The purification of the things that come out from mouth.
Matthew 15:19-20
15:19 "For out of the heart proceed (1)evil thoughts, (2)murders, (3)adulteries, (4)fornications, (5)thefts, (6)false witness, (7)blasphemies.
15:20 "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
It is the spiritual purification, the purification of heart from seven wills of evil and uncleanness.
Thus, to receive the white garment, we must willingly experience the physical and spiritual purification by the hard teaching Word.
Matthew 15:12
15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
The Pharisees stumble because of the hard saying of Jesus. It means they refuse the physical and spiritual purification. The results are as follows:
- Their ministry is useless and refused by God.
- They become stumbling-block that hinders others to enter Heaven.
Matthew 18:6
18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The result is a millstone are hung around the neck. It means one’s life is weary, heavy laden, and his life is not beautiful, he falls in Babylon’s sins (the sin of eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage), until being drown in the lake of fire and brimstone.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
If we receive the hard Word of Jesus, we will experience the physical and spiritual purification. The results are as follows:
- Our ministry pleases and satisfies God.
- From inside, we can result in saying and deed that are good and right (become blessing), and we can worship God. It is the peak of ministry to God. Then, the neck is hung with the mercy of God.
Proverbs 3:3
3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
The results are as follows:
- The marvelous lovingkindness of God is able to care us miraculously in the midst of difficult world.
Psalm 17:7-8
17:7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
His marvelous lovingkindness hands are able to protect us from disaster until it evacuate us to the wilderness for three and half years, we are far from Antichirst. - The marvelous lovingkindness of God is able to lift up us from fall.
Psalm 51:1
51:1 <<To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David
When Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.>>
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
We are lifted up from the fall spiritually, namely sins up to the peak of sins. The proof that we are lifted up from fall is we do not sin anymore. We are lifted up from failure, so our life can be successful and beautiful. - The marvelous lovingkindness of God is able to purify and change us to become perfect.
Psalm 103:4
103:4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
We are changed to become obedient, then the physical miracle happens. Until Jesus comes a second time, we are changed to become as glorious as He is.
God blesses us.