Monday 23 June 2014

TFTD - 22 June 2014 - Thoughts from Today's Bible Readings

22 June 2014

1 Samuel 1
Isaiah 46; 47
Revelation 3; 4

“YOU HAVE THE REPUTATION OF …”

The messages that were sent to the 7 different communities of believers detailed in Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation are remarkable. We conclude that these are representative of the various types of communities of believers that have existed ever since that era.

One particular message caught our attention today, the words that were written to Sardis [Revelation 3:1]. You “have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead” - what a message! But, the message also includes, “you still have a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments (of righteousness), and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” [Revelation 3:5]. Of such, Jesus says, “I will confess his name before my father” [Revelation 3:5].

What will Jesus “confess”? What is a “name”? We recall the promise God made to King David, “I will make for you a great name, like the names of the great ones of the earth” [2 Samuel 7:9]. This is “name” in the sense of reputation or fame, as many modern versions translate it. Quite a number of Scriptures tell us how God made a name for himself, we will soon read an example of this in Isaiah Isaiah 63:12,14.

In the light of these examples we conclude that when Jesus says of those few in Sardis that he will “confess” their “name before my father” - he means he will confess the reputation that such have made for themselves. We meditate and imagine it will be names or reputations such as “patient endurance” [Revelation 2:2] “not grown weary” [Revelation 2:3] “hold fast” [Revelation 2:25] and many other particular qualities of a Christ-like character. Such, says Jesus, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God” [Revelation 3:12,21] adding, “… and I will write on him the name of my God … and my own new name…. I will grant him to sit with me on my throne.”

May we all, in true humility, so live that we make a worthy reputation for ourselves in the sight of our Saviour that he will lovingly confess before his Father when he returns to this earth. At that time with what overwhelming emotion will we join in the proclamation we read of this morning, “’Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” [Revelation 4:8]
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- DC


Thought for the Day

22 June 2014

"The garment that our Lord Jesus so willingly and lovingly has provided for us, the garment that covers our sins, the white linen robe for his saints, is so easily soiled. But it can be kept clean and spotless, as He wants us to do, if we are honest to confess our faults to our heavenly Father day by day. He will forgive us for Jesus’ sake, and the stains on this robe will be erased. This can only be if we humbly seek forgiveness, and equally humbly forgive."

- John V. Collyer
The Bride’s Trousseau (1984)
Revelation 3:21 wonderful words of promise and warning:
"To him that OVERCOMETH will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also OVERCAME, and am set down with my Father in his throne"

What are we to overcome?
Jesus says (Joh 16:33) our faith overcomes the world (1 Joh 5:4-5) which is 'kosmos', the arrangement of things, the system (social, political, religious).

Our Masters last message to his true servants who will listen to him, outlines what we are to overcome:
Rev 12:11 - they overcame the DRAGON (old serpent), by the blood of the Lamb and their word of testimony
Rev 13:7 - BEAST makes war with the saints. For what purpose? To overcome them.
Rev 15:2 - Those that had gotten (overcome) the victory over the BEAST, and over HIS IMAGE, and over HIS MARK, and over the NUMBER OF HIS NAME.

We cannot overcome these UNLESS we understand what they are. Revelation is the unveiling (uncovering) of what these are so we overcome and are not overcome by these.

Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

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