Let’s move on to the third and fourth love letters from our Lord by His Spirit from the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Are you hungry? Let’s feast on the His Word, the Lord Jesus Christ and may the Holy Spirit illuminate the way for each one of us to the Truth.
What if we set a table for a great dinner or banquet – maybe resembling a huge Thanksgiving feast….. We worked and prepared and sacrificed for this banquet. We prepared the food for all to eat and enjoy the mighty feast. The Food was not from a bakery…. The Food was sometimes hard to chew and swallow, but we prepared it for nourishment not for a fair or party….. Some of it was like medicine…. Good for all to partake. However, when the time was for the dinner to be laid out – no one came….. The ones who said they would come, never showed up to eat the meal. What would you do? What would I do?
I remember when I fed my daughter baby food of peas or carrots as I spooned it into her, the same amount came right back out….. How frustrated I was because I knew how she needed these nutrients—– so I had to mix applesauce or pudding with it to get it into her…….. Are we like that with the Lord’s Word, though we are adults…… or are we spiritual children just wanting the sweet? The games? The distractions…….and no discipline……Do we realize the oil in the lamps of the virgins in Matthew 25 illustrates to us the need of the Holy Spirit’s discipline in the purification of our souls unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we want His mountain, Zion, or not? His Spirit illuminates the Word of God within us, but we first have to put Him, the Word, in us to be in our minds and hearts.
When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, a breath will take them. But he who puts His trust in Me shall possess the land and shall inherit My holy mountain.
And one shall say, heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people. For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, ( Isaiah 57 13-16, and 58:9-14).
Then He also said to him who invited Him, when you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, maimed, the lame , the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.
Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!
Then He said to him, A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused. Still another said, I married a wife, and therefore cannot come.
So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly in to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and the maimed and the lame and the blind.
And the servant said, Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room. Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper, ( Luke 14:12-24.)
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars; she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table, she has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city, whoever is simple, let him turn in here! He who lacks understanding, she says to him, Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding, ( Proverbs 9:1-6).
I AM the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I AM the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world, ( John 6:48-51).
Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats of My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him, ( John 6:53-56).
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over, ( Psalm 23:5).
The third letter to the church of Pergamos’ snare is regarding the pursuit of gain of the world’s riches or a name of fame or position. This pursuit rises above the first commandment of the Lord; to the love the Lord with all we are, we have and do, ( my paraphrase). A desire of position in life where we are lifted up and exalted and thought highly. However it is written, For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted, ( Luke 14:11). Then there is always what our Lord spoke in Luke 6: 24-26, But woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Hmmmm……..
Balaam was a prophet during the Old Testament who stated he had his eyes opened to see the Holy One and His plan for His people…… Even with the knowledge of the Holy One, his heart betrayed the Lord as shown here in the letter to Pergamos. He led the Lord’s people astray from the Lord…..turning their hearts to worship idols and be unfaithful to the Lord’s ways.
And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God, ( Luke 16:15)
It is wise the Lord be lifted up and we remain His. Thinking of ourselves as small in our sight. Beloved, we are loved and we are His and we are in need of Him- We live with an answer daily of who do we say HE IS- I AM that I AM- as written in Exodus…… We are important to Him, but in our selves we are not any more important than our neighbor…However, our God is large and in charge of all affecting our lives. He is all we need anyway and in all things He has the preeminence.!!!!! We are all important to the Lord. His death on the cross proves it…… We are not any different than any other man or woman on this earth…… We are brothers and sisters in the Lord, making up His family……. Is not that enough, beloved?
For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ( Philippians 3:3).
As written in Hebrews 4:12- 13, For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.
The word of God sifts us just as the wind blows the chaff away and leaves the wheat…… We are never safe from His burning gaze revealing the truth about us….. But, do we want to be left from His gaze? I do not….. I rather He shine His Light in me today then to be left alone for all eternity……When He shines His light within us, it shines through out the surrounding area also.
As written in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, For we are to God who leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many peddling the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
The Lord intercedes for us to turn from the snares and deceptions of the current culture and depraved society woos and intimidations……. He is there with us and strengthening us so we remain faithful to desiring the True Food of God….. If we have to be ruthless to keep our eyes and ears open to hear and see the Lord’s hand, then so be it…… May be no T.V……. maybe no sports and shopping……. Maybe some fasting and starting a 10 to 15 minute time to pray for others and then another 10-to 15 minutes to study and learn what God has chosen for us to hear today and every day. May be we need to be ruthless with ourselves, just as if we did not swim in any given water to shore or a boat, we may drown……. We must be persistent to stay in the realm of the Ancient One….. Or we may be swept away, for the current is strong….. Do not be deceived, if we sow to the Spirit, we will reap the life everlasting,….. but if we sow our time to flesh and carnal living, we will reap death- everlasting……
We have been given eyes that are open if we believe in the Lord and have His Spirit within……. We then have the victory over fear of men and wanting to be accepted by the crowd, neighbors, co-workers or be the Witness of the Lord that He has called us to be….. We live before the Audience of One. We will be different and other than others…… for so is He. We aren’t here for ourselves, we have died with Him and live by Him and for Him now…… We serve Him in and by His resurrected Life.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure, ( 1 John 3:2-3)
We can choose to live for others and our vision will slowly close to the realm of the Ancient One. Is men’s opinion worth the cost of losing our spiritual sight and living in place He has called us in Him? Not one of the people we are choosing to please and impress will be with us on the day we meet the One with eyes of Fire and holds the Double Edge Sword……… As He spoke then and to us today……. Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear him, ( Luke 12:5).
Heavenly Father, give us more grace to see the end from the Beginning and Your eternal purpose for us so we may not fall for the vain and empty . Please also give us the grace to receive Your increase of Grace. May we resemble the virgins who kept the lamps lit with the oil in Matthew 25. So- not if but when You return or we go to You, we are found ready and prepared for You. Strengthen us to have the vision of the plan of the enemy to trip us up with pride of life. We need to see and acknowledge our need for You and remain small and You increase, us decrease.
It appears often through the letters of the New Testament instruction to keep our heads up regarding deception that appears through the men and women who point the ears of the beloved to a different drum. However their sound is other than the sound of our Lord’s heart and the cross. A discernment of the Spirit within us will sense a false tin sound versus the rich peaceful word from the Spirit of God. But, a test of their words versus, the true Word of God is given to us in the Book of 1 John 2:15-17, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
As we pray the Paul prayed from Philippians 1:9, And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.
We know we have overcome these snares of enticing the growth of pride versus the growth of humility when we know how important and loved we are by God. When we walk with Him in His Spirit through the garden of our soul, we know His tenderness as well as His power of love. He tells us all things to come as well as strengthens us to turn away from the snare and keep gazing on the One whose gaze never leaves us. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. For this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars, ( 2Chronicles 16:9).
The second part of the above scripture was given to a king of Judah in the Old Testament who went to rely on another country to help him in an attack that was coming against the country instead of going in prayer and seeking the Lord’s help……..Mot assuredly, in our need we are the closest to the Lord….. When we are all comfy and settled in our littles live, we forget the Lord and others needs……. So in our fatness, let us be lean in our flesh and fat in our spirit- living richly from the Spirit of God in eternal lasting gifts. May our leaves of our branches be rich in dropping the dew of healing of others and the nations.
As Elijah cried out to the people of God– who will you serve God or Baal? After God burnt a watered down sacrifice by sending fire from heaven……. All people saw the power of God and bent down to worship Him……… Sometimes, I wonder if any saw that now, would we bend down in worship or say it was a set up and doubt like in the past generations…….? WHO WILL WE SERVE? Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit, beloved……We have witnessed the love of God by the power of the Spirit who resides on the inside of us……..The Spirit testifies of us being His Sons and daughters of God….. How could we despise such grace when we know how far we were from our God before we believed. Yet, He called and gave us the grace to answer, yes…..
So now we testify the Lord Jesus Christ- the offering of our Lord was accepted because He sent again Fire from heaven in the Spirit of God to overtake all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been empowered to overcome a corrupt and evil world valiantly……. if we believe and obey. Are you hungry for the new manna?
Now we enter into the letter to Thyatira……. Here as we read His letter the eyes of the fire of God burn within……. Sifting our hearts again…… There are two tables set before us daily…… the table of the Lord……. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the WORD OF GOD….. and Jezebel’s table, the world’s tasty delights…… Which one do we choose this day….. and tomorrow and the next……. which table, beloved, are we partaking from? Choose this day, life or death.
When the Lord walks through the gathering of the church today- let’s say it was on a big ocean line cruiser………No, it was not Ninevah Cruise Line. This ship is full of the called out ones, His own…… Lots of people on the deck of the ship watching the water looking for the waves and kibitzing with each other. Well, sightseeing, being entertained, waiting……. There were no bibles being read, all just watching, like a school recess on a playground….looking everywhere ….. The deck was packed with all people.
Then let’s say, the Lord comes up to you or me and tap’s us on the shoulder and says let me show you this…… We swallow hard…. after all, it is the Lord. Of course, we follow and we silently start to wonder what is this about? What did I do wrong now? ….. Then He points into a huge dining room. This room was dark, but within it was a lavish dining table and chairs… The table sat maybe thirty to forty…… The table was being used to rest men’s feet as they leaned back on their chairs to watch a big screen T.V.
Then He taps you again on the shoulder and says there is more…… You walk on wondering what this meant…….
The next room He points towards, you look in and see another dining room, very beautiful with a dark mahogany table and chairs….. This table was beautiful, it reminds us of the past days when we all gathered at the table for dinner in a family……… But it was empty with no lights on.
The Lord is walking fast and we have to quickly keep pace with His stride…..His stride is very large…… but He is patient….. Then He points and shows us another dining room with a dim light on but again empty of people….. This table was something we had never seen before. It was exquisite. It was red roses hand painted on a white glazed china table and chairs….. We had to walk in to look closer and inspect such beauty…… This table had endured stress as there were cracks and fine lines. It had suffered through some sort of hardship, yet the beauty was enhanced because of it……..The table was empty and sad lamp shone the emptiness of the room.
He said in His patient but pay attention tone to us, Come with Me, there is more to show you. We follow the Lord to His banqueting tables in each room for different parts of His family and yet there was no one in partaking of His meal……HIMSELF!
How much time do we spend with the Lord in His Word, which is eternal life and in prayer……. Or are we outside the purpose of His partaking thinking we are on the inside?
Do we profess love because we want not to go to hell, but do not want to fellowship with the King because we are deceived in the goodies of this world are worth the cost of eternal life and knowing our Savior? Are we shy on eating our veggies, carrying our cross?
In a recent study, less than 10% of Christians read the Word of God daily. Are we then Christians in name only? Inside of us is where the Word of God is found….. by Him. Our heart holds our treasure….. Is He there?
You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst, ( Nehemiah 9:20).
Everybody is serving something in this day we live………Our God has been telling us since the beginning of man to forsake foolishness and live….. If we have walked many days on this earth, we know what has been the best before is no better than yesterday’s dog food…… If we are wise, we will follow the Ancient of Days Words like it is our only nourishment for survival and then we grow faith to faith to overcoming victory……. Our rewards are great in the Kingdom of God; there is hidden manna available to those who overcome…… What no man can steal or fire burn or wave wash away…… the gates of hell cannot prevail over revelation of our God.
Revelation from and regarding our Lord is forever ours……..He is our Treasure…… As we are faithful with our Treasure, we then are taught the manifold wisdom of God revealed to the principalities and powers of the earth by us……. Us, beloved, who would have thunk????? Thank God – He did and this is His plan. His children who make Him our One Thing are used to reveal the manifest wisdom of God to the current age, the powers and principalities in the spirit realm and that which is to come.
Let us not be found by our Lord with our feet on the table of His sacrifice watching T.V. or worse yet, MIA……
Let us not follow Balaam steps following the ways and thoughts of the world and neglecting the needful thing and leading others astray with thinking that is contrary to the Lord. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God, ( Romans 8 :7).……So beloved, setting our gaze on our King and things above, let us be found faithful unto Him, because we love Him.
Let us not fall in foolishness believing that we are partaking of the Lord and His cross when we are eating off the sacrifice of idols of the spirit of Jezabel’s making…….
Let us not be found on the deck of the ship of Him, never entering into the abiding principle that He states when He has declared to all- I AM the bread of life…..We need Him for our spiritual nourishment which then strengthens our soul to keep in Him- This my beloved, is eternal life to know our God.
Selah!
God willing, we will pick the remaining letters as the Lord dictates! Let us turn and receive His gentle leading and whispers of instruction while we can!
