Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-3
3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Jesus appears as He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars to preach the Word of God to the church in Sardis or all of us so we can experience the last sanctification. Thus, we will also experience the spiritual revival and always watch.
We must watch especially in two things as follows.
Jesus’ second coming is related with the time of His coming that is as a thief. It has been discussed.
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.
Being watchful about Jesus’ second coming means being watchful to keep the garment white and spotless.
Jude 1:11-12
1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
1:12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
The spot of Korah is the one of rebelliousness.
Numbers 16:11
16:11 Therefore you and all your company aregathered together against the Lord. And what isAaron that you complain against him?”
One form of rebelliousness is complaining and gossiping bad matters. It equals to doing adultery, and it has destroyed the Israelites. Because of complaining, from 603.550 people who went out from Egypt, there were only two left and reached Canaan.
1 Corinthians 10:6-11
10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
10:7 And do not become idolaters as weresome of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Complaining equals to becoming idolater, doing adultery, and tempting God.
After being saved, ministering God and being blessed, let us not be left on His second coming just because of the sin of complaining.
There are three places of complaining as follows.
God blesses us.
Revelation 3:1-6 is about the church in Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-3
3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3:3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Jesus appears as He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars to preach the Word of God to the church in Sardis or all of us so we can experience the last sanctification. Thus, we will also experience the spiritual revival and always watch.
We must watch especially in two things as follows.
- Being watchful about the ministry.
- Being watchful about Jesus’ second coming, so we are not left and destroyed together with this world.
Jesus’ second coming is related with the time of His coming that is as a thief. It has been discussed.
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.
Being watchful about Jesus’ second coming means being watchful to keep the garment white and spotless.
Jude 1:11-12
1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
1:12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
The spot of Korah is the one of rebelliousness.
Numbers 16:11
16:11 Therefore you and all your company aregathered together against the Lord. And what isAaron that you complain against him?”
One form of rebelliousness is complaining and gossiping bad matters. It equals to doing adultery, and it has destroyed the Israelites. Because of complaining, from 603.550 people who went out from Egypt, there were only two left and reached Canaan.
1 Corinthians 10:6-11
10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
10:7 And do not become idolaters as weresome of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
10:9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
10:10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Complaining equals to becoming idolater, doing adultery, and tempting God.
After being saved, ministering God and being blessed, let us not be left on His second coming just because of the sin of complaining.
There are three places of complaining as follows.
- Complaining because of rejecting the Word of God that is hard. It equals to rejecting the Word whose secret is revealed or the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword.
John 6:60-62,66
6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this,said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
6:61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?
6:62 Whatthen if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?
6:66 From that timemanyof His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
The consequences are as follows.- The faith is shaken so one goes back and walks with God no more. He no longer follows the true teaching Word. It happens because of preserving sins. Hereafter, he will follow false teachings and the teaching of Satan, until he falls and is destroyed forever.
- Being unable to see Jesus who comes for a second time on the glorious clouds.
1:3 Blessed ishe who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time isnear.
The right attitude is reading, hearing, and obeying the teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword. Thus, the results are as follows.- We will experience the eternal Heavenly joy that cannot be affected by anything else.
- We will be sanctified up to perfection as Jesus, and lifted up on His second coming.
- The faith is shaken so one goes back and walks with God no more. He no longer follows the true teaching Word. It happens because of preserving sins. Hereafter, he will follow false teachings and the teaching of Satan, until he falls and is destroyed forever.
- Complaining in suffering or when facing temptation.
James 5:7-10
5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See howthe farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
5:10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
If one complains in suffering, he confronts God as the Just Judge who will condemn.
The right attitudes in facing suffering and impossible problems are as follows.- Being patient in waiting His time, neither complaining nor grumbling.
- Being silent and correcting our selves through the sharpness of the sword of the Word.
- Persevering in the shepherding, that is in three main services as follows.
- Golden Candlestick refers to perseverance in the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts.
- Table of Showbread refers to perseverance in the Bible Study Service with Holy Communion. We have fellowship with the Son of God in the true teaching Word and the sacrifice of Christ.
- Golden Altar of Incense refers to perseverance in the Prayer Service. We have fellowship with Father God in His love.
- Golden Candlestick refers to perseverance in the General Service. We have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in His anointing and gifts.
5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended bythe Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your“No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
Thus, we stand face to face with Jesus as the High Priest who is very compassionate and merciful to bless our life and solve all our problems right on His time. - Being patient in waiting His time, neither complaining nor grumbling.
- Complaining in ministry.
Numbers 16:8-11
16:8 Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:
16:9 Is ita small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them;
16:10 and that He has brought you near to Himself,you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?
16:11 Therefore you and all your company aregathered together against the Lord. And what isAaron that you complain against him?”
It happens because of demanding the right, that is physical right (eating-drinking), appreciation, acknowledgment, position, et cetera. A ministry that demands the right equals to the ministry of flesh, and usually it does not do the duties. One who does this kind of ministry will never be satisfied.
Jesus surrenders all His right until He dies on the cross, and He only does His duty. The true satisfaction in a ministry is when we lose our right and are able to do our duty.
Numbers 16:31-32
16:31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,
16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all theirgoods.
The consequence of complaining is the physical, spiritual, and marriage life degenerate. If it is continued, one will be destroyed forever.
Numbers 17:5-8
17:5 And it shall be thatthe rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.”
17:6 So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron wasamong their rods.
17:7 And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
17:8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.
The way out to erase complains is the rod that sprouts, produces blossoms, and yields ripe fruits. It means we must minister with the anointing of Holy Spirit. The process is as follows.- There must be a rod.
A rod is a small wood that is separated from the root. It means to be able to minister in the anointing of Holy Spirit, we must be separated from the roots of sin. The roots of sin are as follows.- The root of evil, that is the lust of money.
- The root of uncleanness, that is the sin concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
- The root of bitterness, that is envy, revenge, and hatred without any reasons.
- When hearing the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword points our sin, we regret and confess it. If we are forgiven, we must not repeat it anymore.
- Water baptism.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The result of water baptism is new life, that is living in righteousness.
Isaiah 32:17
32:17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
If we have lived in righteousness, we will live in peace. There is no more complaint, but we keep giving thanks to God.
- The root of evil, that is the lust of money.
- The rod is placed before God all night, meaning being faithful in ministry to God.
James 4:4
4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Being unfaithful means becoming the friend of the world and the enemy of God. If one becomes the enemy of God, surely he will complain. The lazy (unfaithful) servant is evil, meaning liking to beat the other servants of God through words.
If we are faithful in the ministry because of the anointing of Holy Spirit, we will always give thanks to God.
- Sprouting means there is life, or there is anointing of Holy Spirit.
John 6:63
6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and theyare life.
The signs are being obedient and able to cry out “Abba, Father”.
No matter how great a servant of God is, if there are no anointing of Holy Spirit and obedience, he is useless and has no hope.
On the contrary, although our life is just as a small and dead rod and powerless, if we repent and enter water baptism, as well as become faithful and obedient, we will live. Holy Spirit is able to raise the dead. - Producing blossoms refers to the gifts of Holy Spirit, that is the miraculous ability from Holy Spirit so we can do the work of God. We are used in the revival of building the perfect body of Christ. It is started from within the marriage, and is continued in the shepherding.
Producing blossoms is the beautiful period. If we are used in the building of the body of Christ, God beautifies and tidies up our life up to perfection. - Yielding ripe fruits means being renewed from the flesh man to the spiritual one as God.
Galatians 5:22-23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The fruit is for satisfying God and the others. The fruit also gives us the Heavenly joy, so we do not grumble but always give thanks and worship Him. It is started from the fruit of the mouth or good words. Without Holy Spirit, Peter lies, swears, curses, and denies God. But in the upper room in Jerusalem, Peter is fulfilled with Holy Spirit and able to say good words.
If spiritual miracle happens, the physical one will also happen. The impossible matters will be made possible. On Jesus’ second coming, we will offer the fruit of the bride and be lifted up to the glorious clouds to be with Him forever.
- There must be a rod.
God blesses us.