Verse 11: I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Verse 12: Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and I will also write on him my new name.
Verse 13: He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
If you are born again child of God, you have a place in the Body of Christ and you also have a crown. So, hold fast to whatever you have received of God, and be an over comer and you will be made a pillar in the church of God. These pillars are strong and could not be moved. These are the ones who shoulder certain responsibilities in the assembly that God uses to strengthen the temple. There are some Christians who move about so much, going in and out, among different assemblies that they could never be pillars. They could not even be a stone in the temple of God because they are busy with their own self-righteous programs that they are doing God a service without God’s directive. God wants us to be living stones that are fitly joined and held together for the temple of God (1 Peter 2:5 and Ephesians 4:16) and not rolling stones that can never stay still long enough to be cemented into proper place in the temple.
A Letter to the Church in Laodicea
Verse 14: To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
We are living in the Laodicean age which began around the year 1906 and which will end at the coming of Christ for His Bride. Though the name Laodicea means “people rights” it was often used in honor of certain royal ladies. The name so chosen by the Lord is apt for this last age. There are indeed many “royal ladies” with people within them demanding their rights. But the only rights a Christian have are those which God has stated in His word. But the Laodicean Christians do not want that. They may not openly say so, but they will water down the word and will of God to such an extent that they practically dress, talk, and behave just like the world. They curse, swear, cheat and lie. Their womenfolk cut their hair, paint their faces and put on shorts and trousers like men or dress indecently. Some of their men, with long hair, behave like women, almost. These Christians are being seduced by lying spirits (1 Timothy 4:1). This last generation of the Laodicean church is but a sick generation.
Verse 15: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other!
Verse 16: So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
When Christians demand their rights, their priority to the Lord and His word will be relegated to the second place as their individual rights preoccupy their minds. They are lukewarm and do not have the right spiritual judgement. They are neither cold not hot. If they are either cold or hot, God will deal with them accordingly. But God is sick of lukewarm Christians and He is going to vomit them out of His mouth. They may have certain achievements in their works for the Lord. But God has no regard for their works.
Verse 17: You say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
How true it is! As this church gets closer to the return of Christ, the church becomes vainer in their appearance. But the bride, the true elect, is not so. Each of the “royal ladies” would complete for greater attention of the world with their church programs to increase their membership. They have different sorts of social activities to make the people feel good. They would raise large amount of money to buy properties and build large church buildings.
Verse 18: I counsel you to buy from me gold refine in the fire, so you can becomes rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is a God of love, grace and mercy. Before He passes judgment He would give a warning and provide a way of escape for those who have an ear to hear what His Spirit is saying to the church. He is counseling the church to buy Him gold tried in the fire. He wants them to have the genuine faith that has withstood the test of fiery trials through the churches of time. However, many Christians just cannot stay still for a while to really hear and receive the message God has prepared for them. So they end up with counterfeit gifts and fool’s gold that are worthless. But Jesus said:
Verse 19: Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.
Yes, there will be a group of people whom Jesus loves. They will repent. They won’t rebel as Jesus corrects them. They will respond to the love of God is Christ. They will hear the voice of God’s seven churches messenger. They will receive and contend for the genuine golden faith that was once delivered to the believers in the days of the apostles (Jude 3).
Verse 20: Here I am I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.
As this church comes to its end we see that Jesus is no longer inside the church. This church started with an outpouring of God’s gifts. The outpouring was supposed to get the church to pay close attention of the word of God. Instead, we see the church wanting more of the gifts of God than the giver Himself. Paul says that God give and distributes Hid gifts as He wills (1 Corinthians 12), but the church is saying that all believers must speak in tongues of have at least one of the gifts. The church today has no true message for the world because Christ is no longer inside the church.
Verse 21: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me in my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Verse 22: He who has ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
God will grant to every individual believer, who overcomes the state of lukewarmness, who gets spiritually hot for the Lord Jesus, who lives a holy life and who does the will of God, the right to share in the authority of Christ.
Have you heard? The admonition to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches is the same for all churches ages. There is not only the necessity to hear but also the need to have a spiritual ear to hear correctly the revelation of the Holy Spirit for the churches.
Next is Revelation Chapter 4 and try also visits my other URL: http://jmhe-blogko.blogspot.com for more God explanations.
Verse 12: Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and I will also write on him my new name.
Verse 13: He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
If you are born again child of God, you have a place in the Body of Christ and you also have a crown. So, hold fast to whatever you have received of God, and be an over comer and you will be made a pillar in the church of God. These pillars are strong and could not be moved. These are the ones who shoulder certain responsibilities in the assembly that God uses to strengthen the temple. There are some Christians who move about so much, going in and out, among different assemblies that they could never be pillars. They could not even be a stone in the temple of God because they are busy with their own self-righteous programs that they are doing God a service without God’s directive. God wants us to be living stones that are fitly joined and held together for the temple of God (1 Peter 2:5 and Ephesians 4:16) and not rolling stones that can never stay still long enough to be cemented into proper place in the temple.
A Letter to the Church in Laodicea
Verse 14: To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
We are living in the Laodicean age which began around the year 1906 and which will end at the coming of Christ for His Bride. Though the name Laodicea means “people rights” it was often used in honor of certain royal ladies. The name so chosen by the Lord is apt for this last age. There are indeed many “royal ladies” with people within them demanding their rights. But the only rights a Christian have are those which God has stated in His word. But the Laodicean Christians do not want that. They may not openly say so, but they will water down the word and will of God to such an extent that they practically dress, talk, and behave just like the world. They curse, swear, cheat and lie. Their womenfolk cut their hair, paint their faces and put on shorts and trousers like men or dress indecently. Some of their men, with long hair, behave like women, almost. These Christians are being seduced by lying spirits (1 Timothy 4:1). This last generation of the Laodicean church is but a sick generation.
Verse 15: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I wish you were either one or the other!
Verse 16: So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
When Christians demand their rights, their priority to the Lord and His word will be relegated to the second place as their individual rights preoccupy their minds. They are lukewarm and do not have the right spiritual judgement. They are neither cold not hot. If they are either cold or hot, God will deal with them accordingly. But God is sick of lukewarm Christians and He is going to vomit them out of His mouth. They may have certain achievements in their works for the Lord. But God has no regard for their works.
Verse 17: You say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
How true it is! As this church gets closer to the return of Christ, the church becomes vainer in their appearance. But the bride, the true elect, is not so. Each of the “royal ladies” would complete for greater attention of the world with their church programs to increase their membership. They have different sorts of social activities to make the people feel good. They would raise large amount of money to buy properties and build large church buildings.
Verse 18: I counsel you to buy from me gold refine in the fire, so you can becomes rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is a God of love, grace and mercy. Before He passes judgment He would give a warning and provide a way of escape for those who have an ear to hear what His Spirit is saying to the church. He is counseling the church to buy Him gold tried in the fire. He wants them to have the genuine faith that has withstood the test of fiery trials through the churches of time. However, many Christians just cannot stay still for a while to really hear and receive the message God has prepared for them. So they end up with counterfeit gifts and fool’s gold that are worthless. But Jesus said:
Verse 19: Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.
Yes, there will be a group of people whom Jesus loves. They will repent. They won’t rebel as Jesus corrects them. They will respond to the love of God is Christ. They will hear the voice of God’s seven churches messenger. They will receive and contend for the genuine golden faith that was once delivered to the believers in the days of the apostles (Jude 3).
Verse 20: Here I am I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.
As this church comes to its end we see that Jesus is no longer inside the church. This church started with an outpouring of God’s gifts. The outpouring was supposed to get the church to pay close attention of the word of God. Instead, we see the church wanting more of the gifts of God than the giver Himself. Paul says that God give and distributes Hid gifts as He wills (1 Corinthians 12), but the church is saying that all believers must speak in tongues of have at least one of the gifts. The church today has no true message for the world because Christ is no longer inside the church.
Verse 21: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me in my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Verse 22: He who has ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
God will grant to every individual believer, who overcomes the state of lukewarmness, who gets spiritually hot for the Lord Jesus, who lives a holy life and who does the will of God, the right to share in the authority of Christ.
Have you heard? The admonition to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches is the same for all churches ages. There is not only the necessity to hear but also the need to have a spiritual ear to hear correctly the revelation of the Holy Spirit for the churches.
Next is Revelation Chapter 4 and try also visits my other URL: http://jmhe-blogko.blogspot.com for more God explanations.
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