Join me as we read read through Jesus' message for the last three churches in Revelation chapter 3. God bless you all!

All right, everyone.

2

Welcome back to another

episode of I Can't, He Can.

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Today, as you can see, I am not in the

usual place where I always sit and read.

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I am in the dining area of my house,

which is, like, over there, but I

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had to move it here 'cause it just…

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It was very dark.

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It was very dark, and it didn't

make sense for me to sit there.

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But anyway, it's not really important.

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What is important is that I am here.

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I…

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If I'm being honest, I had a crazy, crazy

week, and I didn't get to pre-record.

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I've been recording in advance as I'm

reading through Revelation and just…

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It's so much easier to just read and

study when I have time versus the

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day before, and it's a lot of work.

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But anyway, I felt convicted nonetheless

of just having to record and having to

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talk about chapter three of the Book of

Revelation and, and really just continuing

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on what it is that we've been doing.

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As tired as I am, as crazy of a week as

it has been, as much as I've done today,

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I couldn't wait to just sit and do this.

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so I really hope that you

guys are learning something.

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I hope that whatever it is that we

share, with chapter three of Revelation,

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I pray that something sticks out

to you, something speaks to you.

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before we begin, I just wanted

to also say that after today, I

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spent some much needed quality

time with my kids, with my husband.

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very exhausting.

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It was outside celebrating, Ava's

birthday, our little neighbor, one

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of my good friend's, daughter's

birthday, and it was hot in the pool.

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But man, just being there, enjoying family

time, enjoying each other, enjoying the

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company of other people, was very special.

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We don't ever do anything like that.

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I, I usually spend my weekends just

groceries, prepping food, cleaning

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up, errands here, all these things.

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And if there's one thing that, reading

the Bible has taught me is that time,

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time passes by and none of those things

that you're doing are going to matter.

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All the things that matter are

of heaven, and your family and

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church, and obviously Jesus and

learning and growing with the word.

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but nothing beats family time and what

you get from just those little moments,

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even if it is for an hour or two.

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But just wanted to give you guys that

reminder, focus on your families, focus

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on what it is that you're building,

building up your kids and spending that

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time with them so that they know when

they're older how important that is.

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So I digress, as I always say, and we're

going to read through chapter three

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It is 22 verses, still relatively short.

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And as always, I tell you guys, have your

Bibles, have your actual Bibles with you.

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This is the New King James Version.

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My pastor today, Pastor Edward, he

reminded us again of having a paper

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Bible, not relying so much on your

phones and, you know, the YouVersion

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app or whatever it is, because those

things can be changed down the line.

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We know that's coming.

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But have an actual Bible.

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My recommendation, New King

James Version, eh, version, NKJV.

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But you guys get whatever

is easiest for you.

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Anyway, and to continue,

we're gonna go ahead and begin

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with Revelation chapter three

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Here we go.

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Verse 1: And to the angel of the church

in Sardis write, 'These things says He who

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has the seven Spirits of God and the seven

stars: "I know your works, that you have a

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name that you are alive, but you are dead.

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Be watchful, and strengthen the

things which remain, that are

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ready to die, for I have not found

your works perfect before God.

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Remember therefore how you have received

and heard; hold fast and repent.

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Therefore if you will not watch, I will

come upon you as a thief, and you will

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not know what hour I will come upon you.

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You have a few names even in

Sardis who have not defiled their

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garments; and they shall walk with

Me in white, for they are worthy.

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He who overcomes shall be clothed in

white garments, and I will not blot

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out his name from the Book of Life;

but I will confess his name before

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My Father and before His angels.

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He who has an ear, let him hear what

the Spirit says to the churches."'"

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Verse 7: And to the angel of the

church in Philadelphia write, 'These

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things says He who is holy, He who is

true, He who has the key of David, He

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who opens and no one shuts, and shuts

and no one opens: "I know your works.

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See, I have set before you an open

door and no one can shut it; for you

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have little strength, have kept My

word, and have not denied My name.

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Indeed, I will make those of the

synagogue of Satan who say they

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are Jews and are not, but lie.

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Indeed, I will make them come

and worship before your feet, and

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to know that I have loved you.

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Because you have kept my command

to persevere, I also will keep

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you from the hour of trial which

shall come upon the whole world, to

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test those who dwell on the earth.

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Behold, I am coming quickly.

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Hold fast what you have, that

no one may take your crown.

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He who overcomes, I will make

him a pillar in the temple of My

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God, and he shall go out no more.

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I will write on him the name of My

God and the name of the city of My

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God, the New Jerusalem, which comes

down out of heaven from My God.

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And I will write on him My new name.

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He who has an ear, let him hear what

the Spirit says to the churches.

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Verse fourteen.

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And to the angel of the church of the

Laodiceans write, "These things says

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the Amen, the Faithful and the True

Witness, the Beginning of creation of God.

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I know your works, that you

are neither cold nor hot.

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I could wish you were cold or hot.

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So then, because you are lukewarm,

and neither cold nor hot, I

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will vomit you out of My mouth.

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Because you say, 'I am rich, have become

wealthy, and have need of nothing,'

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and do not know that you are wretched,

miserable, poor, blind, and naked,

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counsel you to buy from Me gold refined

in the fire, that you may be rich; and

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white garments, that you may be clothed,

that the shame of your nakedness may

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not be revealed; and anoint your eyes

with eye salve, that you may see.

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As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

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Therefore be zealous and repent.

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Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

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If anyone hears My voice and opens

the door, I will come in to him

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and dine with him, and he with Me.

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To him who overcomes I will grant to sit

with Me on My throne, as I also overcame

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and sat down with My Father on His throne.

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He who has an ear, let him hear what

the Spirit says to the churches."

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Okay.

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I really feel like after verse

fourteen there was just so much.

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It kind of felt like a little tongue

twister for me, so I do apologize

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if it got a little jumbled up.

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I tried to read as thorough as

possible, but it just-- It-- I

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don't know, just for some reason,

my brain was all over the place.

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however, when I read chapter three,

the first time I read this, I just

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kind of read through how I did now.

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But the first thing that kinda

like smacked me in the face

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was this verse right here.

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And if you recall, perhaps not, but if

you recall, in the very first chapter when

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I did the introduction in chapter one, I

said that there was something important

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that I had never seen before or heard

of before, and it was in chapter three.

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And it was here in verse, verse twelve.

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I will read it.

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The very last part of verse twelve.

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It says: "He who overcomes, I will

make a pillar in the temple of my

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God, and he shall go out no more.

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I will write on him the name of my

God and the name of the city of my

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God, the New Jerusalem, which comes

down out of heaven from my God."

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That's not it.

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That's important, but that's not it.

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And it continues.

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This is the part: "And I will

write on him My new name."

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My is caps, meaning Jesus.

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So when I read that for the first

time, I was like, "Hold on."

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'Cause we know that God and Jesus have

multiple names that they're given and, you

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know, like I Am, Father, Jehovah-Jireh,

for example, just to give you a few.

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but in this particular part, He says,

and this is red letter, he says, "And

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I will write on him My new name."

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And I was like,

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I was like, "What are you

talking about, My new name?"

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So of course, I did what I always

do, and I discussed with David,

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and he had never seen that.

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I started researching, and we couldn't

really find anything that it alludes to.

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So of course, we're never going to

know all the details, and we're never

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gonna know everything a hundred percent

about the Bible, and I really do feel

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this is one of the things that we will

know that day when we are before Jesus

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and before God, what that new name is.

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it's just- It's so crazy sometimes,

like these little details that they can

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just kind of like go over your head.

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but that in particular really stood

out to me from the beginning, from

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the beginning, from the beginning.

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And even as I was reading chapter one and

two, I couldn't wait to get to it so I

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could talk about it, because it just felt

like so amazing that I even realized that.

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But there's just-- there's so many amazing

things that come from reading, and when

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you really start nitpicking and studying

and trying to decipher things, you just

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kind of go like all over the place.

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But that was a really big

thing that I had never read.

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So that was Revelation chapter three,

verse, verse 12, and it was letter F

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which is like the last section of that

verse 'cause it's a rather long verse.

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but let's go here step by step in the

notes that I have, 'cause you guys

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know that I have many notes here.

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So let me see.

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Chapter three

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Chapter three discusses three churches.

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We already know, if you remember

the chapter two, it went over four

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churches Chapter two went over the

loveless church, which is Ephesus.

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It went over the persecuted church,

which is Smyrna, the compromising

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church, which is Pergamos, and the

corrupt church, which is Thyatira.

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Chapter three, what we're doing now,

Jesus went over in his letter that he

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gave, John, he is talking to the dead

church, which is Sardis, the faithful

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church, which is Philadelphia, the one

that I butchered, the lukewarm church,

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which is the church of the Laodiceans.

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Okay, so you already know because

we talked about it before, there

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are seven churches that Jesus is

writing to, that he is talking to.

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He is saying the good things,

and he is saying the bad things.

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He's giving them the warning

that he has for them.

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And of course, even though this is

for the churches in this time, we

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can always take things for ourself.

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So as I'm going through here for the dead

church, I have just a few notes from this.

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For example, verse one, Jesus

says that Sardis has a name that

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they are alive, but they are dead.

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And I kinda, like, put a little

side note on here, and I put,

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like, "What does he mean by that?"

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And what I deduce from it is that there,

there are people that are really dead

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inside, just how it says the dead church.

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You can say that you are walking

with God, but that's a lie.

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Same thing, you have the name that you

are alive, but you are really dead.

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And again, I will elaborate 'cause that

sounds, like, very, um, surface level.

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But what I mean to say is you can go to

church, you can have all the Christian

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friends you want, you can post all the

things you want on social media, but

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if your heart is not right, if you…

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Like my pastor said today, actually,

if you don't have the mindset that

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you're going to walk right and do things

for God because of your conviction,

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because of the way that you are or

should be growing, um, in your walk

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with Christ, then you're actually dead.

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You're not as alive as you say you are.

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So, that's what I took

just from verse one.

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It says, "And to the angel of the

church of Sardis write, 'These things

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says He who has the seven Spirits

of God and the seven stars: "I know

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your works that you have a name that

you are alive, but you are dead."'"

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So that's what I took from that.

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verse two, Jesus knows that their

works are not great, and he instructs

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them to look out for those those

and what remains that's good.

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So verse two says, "Be watchful and

strengthen the things which remain

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that are ready to die, for I have not

found your works perfect before God."

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So be watchful, keep an eye out

for the things that are good.

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There are some things that are ready

to die, ready to die, so it's kind

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of like they may be on the verge of,

falling off the bandwagon per se.

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They may be not lukewarm, but

one foot in, one foot out.

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So strengthen those things.

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He says here, "Be watchful and

strengthen the things which remain."

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So whatever is left of good, hold

onto it, strengthen it, and do

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your best to just keep it intact.

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Verse three, I put, a reminder

for what was received and learned.

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Contend and repent.

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And then I put, remember the

teachings in parentheses.

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Be watchful, Jesus is coming fast.

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Stay ready.

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So verse three was very much a

warning, and it says, "Remem-

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remember , remember therefore…"

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Can't even talk, I'm so tired.

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"Remember therefore how you

have received and heard."

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I'm gonna pause right there.

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When you are receiving the Word,

whatever moved you, whatever made you

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come to Christ, remember that feeling

that allowed you to feel the Spirit

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Remember how it is that you got to

a good place because sometimes…

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And again, this is n- not what

he's saying specifically, but this

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is what I am interpreting because

it's, it could be relatable to me.

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So, "Remember, therefore, how you have

received and heard; hold fast and repent."

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So I want to remember where I was when I

first felt the Spirit of God and the h-

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the Holy Spirit, really just take over

me and when I gave my life to Jesus.

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Why?

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Because we want to remember those

things so that we can recall what

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it was like to live without God,

and living without God was not fun.

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Living without Jesus was not fun.

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And while a lot of people are living

that way and don't even realize how

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amazing it is to walk with Christ, it's

also important for us, the followers,

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the believers, the ones who, who wanna

be disciples of Jesus and do things as

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best as possible, we have to remember

where we came from, in a sense.

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And I know it sounds silly, because,

you know, why are we gonna be, like,

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thinking of things of the past?

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And it's not about dwelling on the past.

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It's just about holding onto that

feeling so that we can contend

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for our faith, for Jesus, for

the Gospel when things get hard.

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Because when things are hard, that's when

it's the most difficult to hold onto your

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faith and to say, "Jesus, you are so good.

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God, you are so good."

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How are people going to say, "God, you

are so good," when you're missing $100

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to com- you know, complete your rent,

complete your mortgage, or whatever it is?

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It's really hard.

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It's really hard, especially

when your kids are sick.

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So you have to remember and hold fast to

those things because it's very important.

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And in times of trials, how here Jesus

was saying that he was gonna come fast for

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the people who were not contending for the

faith, who were not walking upright, those

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people were going through the trials.

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so it's important, very important.

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And that verse continues, verse three,

"Remem- remember therefore how you have

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received and heard; hold fast and repent.

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Therefore if you will not watch," if

you will not actually take heed of

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yourself and what's going on, "Therefore

if you will not watch-" I will come

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upon you as a thief, and you will not

know what hour I will come upon you.

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Verse four continues and it says,

"You have a few names, even in

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Sardis, who have not defiled their

garments, and they shall walk with

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me in white, for they are worthy."

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So in Sardis, in this church, the dead

church, in verse four, Jesus mentions

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that there are a few names, a few

people just A, a few that were still

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set aside, who were still holding

fast, who still remembered where it

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was that they heard the gospel, and

they were, contending for their faith.

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So those people will walk with

Jesus in white, and it's very

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It's … That's a small detail, but

it's a very, minuscule but beautiful

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glimpse of what heaven would be like.

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We're going to be walking alongside

with our Lord and Savior in white, and

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… Anything that I imagine Jesus and God,

I just envision this glory that here on

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Earth no one could actually even stare at.

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I don't know, just something so

beautiful I can't even put it into words.

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But anyhow, and in verse four, my note,

what I just read, I put that there

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is hope for the select few that are

faithful, and in fact, those that remain

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faithful will receive their reward.

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So in verse five, I put here that

Jesus confirms the saved will be

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clothed in white, like how I said.

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he will confess our name

before God and angels.

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And I put, "Thank you, Jesus."

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So if we contend for our faith, if

we remain faithful through all of the

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battles, through all of the trials, Jesus

himself is going to be our mediator.

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He is going to be the person

saying to God, "Hey, they're good.

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They're with me.

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They contended for the faith.

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They belong here."

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So that's verse five, and it says here,

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in

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white garments, and I will not blot

out his name from the book of life."

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So our names are there right now.

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That to me says that our names are

there, but it's there until that moment

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where he is face-to-face with God and

with me or you, for example, and he

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is telling them, he's confessing to

God that it's okay for us to be here.

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So let's continue.

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"And I will not blot out his name

from the book of la- of life, but

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I will confess his name before

my Father and before his angels."

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I don't know, I think

that's just so beautiful.

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It's like going before a court

and saying, "Your Honor, Father,

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God, this person is worthy."

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So verse seven.

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verse six is so, is that little, line

that after every letter to the church,

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he says, "He who has an ear, let him hear

what the Spirit says to the churches."

305

So I skipped over that.

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in verse seven it says here, "And to

the angel of the church in Philadelphia,

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write, 'These things says he who is

holy, he who is true, he who has the

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key of David, he who opens and no one

shuts, and shuts and no one opens.'"

309

So Jesus is the only person that has

the power and holds the key to open

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doors shut, to unlock them, open

them, close them, lock them again.

311

No one else can do that.

312

Kind of like how he was the only

one that can open the scrolls.

313

I think that's coming up actually in

the … Yeah, the Lamb takes the scrolls.

314

Mm, sorry, kind of … I kinda

ruined a little thing there.

315

But in the coming t- in the coming

chapters, just to give you a little

316

glimpse, it also talks about how

Jesus is the only person in the

317

entire world, universe, not even,

creatures or angels that were in

318

heaven could open the scrolls.

319

Not the elders, no one.

320

No one except the Lamb.

321

So just like that, Jesus is the only

one that has the key to open, doors,

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to hold doors open and close them shut.

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So, ma, ma, ma, ma, let me see

324

Yeah, there's just so much here.

325

Oh my God, I have so many notes.

326

so verse eight I put Jesus speaks

and elaborates on verse seven.

327

So he kinda just goes back and

speaks again about what he was

328

talking about, that no one shuts

and shuts and no one opens.

329

Verse eight says, "I know your works.

330

See, I have set before you…"

331

Again, recapping really

fast, I know your works.

332

He's just confirming, "I

know what you've done."

333

And works is not just volunteering

or giving money and tithing.

334

No, works can be prayer, works

can be, helping out, you know,

335

a neighbor when they need it.

336

It can be anything.

337

It can be your worship to God, not

really on an, on a stage at church,

338

but just your time that you put to God.

339

That is also work.

340

It doesn't have to be, like, something

physical that you're doing on Sunday.

341

so he says here in verse

eight, "I know your works.

342

See, I have set before you an open door."

343

So behold, see, I literally have

a door open for you, is what he's

344

saying, "And no one can shut it."

345

No one can shut that door

that I have open for you.

346

"For you have little strength, have kept

my word and have not denied my name."

347

So he's talking to those few people here

that he's reminding them, "I have a door

348

that's open for you, but you guys are

of little strength, and you've kept my

349

word and you haven't denied my name."

350

So there's hope for those people.

351

And he continues on verse nine, "Indeed

I will make those of the synagogue of

352

Satan, who say they are Jews and are

not, but lie, indeed, I will make them

353

come and worship before your feet,

and to know that I have loved you."

354

So-

355

He talks about the people that

have kept his name or that

356

have contended for the faith.

357

He's telling them, "You are of little

strength, but I have a door open for you."

358

And then he continues in verse nine

and he says, "But the people that are

359

of the synagogue of Satan," indeed,

those people of the synagogue of Satan,

360

"who say they are Jews and are not."

361

So again, the people that are lying,

the people that are living that,

362

that dead life that I was talking

about, that you can go to church,

363

you can do all these things, you can

say you're a Jew, you can say you're

364

a Christian, but you're really not.

365

That's exactly what he's saying here

Who say they are Jews and are not,

366

but lie indeed, I will make them

come and worship before your feet,

367

and to know that I have loved you.

368

So he's gonna make those people worship

the few that contended for the faith.

369

Verse 10: Because you have kept my

command to persevere, I also will

370

keep you from the hour of trial

which shall come upon the world to

371

test those who dwell on the earth.

372

Okay.

373

There were many times where I

questioned, does God test people?

374

This is, this is an answer right here.

375

Yes, yes, there's so many

things that are tests.

376

Now, it's not a test to make

you do something bad, okay?

377

It's not to like, God is going

to test us so that we can

378

fall and do things on purpose.

379

No, we have free will, and we can

choose because we know right and wrong.

380

It doesn't matter if we are followers of

Christ from the moment that we are born.

381

M-- I wanna say 99% of people

are taught right from wrong.

382

And as we mature and as we

grow up and become adults…

383

This is just my opinion, guys, okay?

384

Just FYI.

385

but as we mature and we become

adults, we learn the things that

386

are right from wrong, and we can

make decisions for ourselves.

387

So like it says here, we can have tests

that are given to us, and we can choose.

388

We can choose to walk and honor

God, whether we know Him and have

389

a relationship or not, or we can

do the things that are wrong.

390

And I just-- I love this verse so much

because it gave me a lot of clarity.

391

not because I'm doing anything wrong.

392

But I always ask myself,

"Does He actually test?"

393

And I really do think that this is loud

and clear, an answer that I needed.

394

And again, it says, "Because you have

kept my command to persevere, I also

395

will keep you from the hour of trial

which shall come upon the whole world."

396

So-

397

Trials are coming, more trials.

398

It's like we're going through

trials now, but that's the test.

399

The test is the things that

we're going through now.

400

It's not God is testing us so

that we can do something wrong.

401

No, the, the test is everything

that we've already lived.

402

Look at your life, how it was a year

ago, five years ago, even as a child,

403

and look at your life right now.

404

I ask you to just do that.

405

Take a second and just say, "Wow."

406

All of that brought me to this point,

and I'm listening to this podcast.

407

I'm here reading the Word.

408

Clearly, the tests and multiple trials

that I have gone through brought me

409

to this point, and I'm choosing God.

410

I'm choosing Christ.

411

I'm choosing to continue walking with Him.

412

Did we make bad choices?

413

Yes, absolutely.

414

Were we forgiven for all of those things?

415

Yes, that's what the cross

did, wiped us clean of our sin.

416

We are forgiven.

417

But now the test is the gospel,

and contending for our faith, and

418

knowing that Jesus Christ, He came,

He lived, He walked, He died, and

419

He rose again on the third day.

420

And that is what we have to hold onto

now from this point moving forward.

421

That's our new test now.

422

And there's a lot of things that will

test that, especially in this day and age.

423

It's happening everywhere, social

media, politics, even in schools.

424

We have to be careful.

425

We have to be careful, and

we have to teach our children

426

what is right, what is of God.

427

they need to know the

signs, and it's okay.

428

It's okay to seem like we're wrong if what

we're doing is contending for our faith.

429

That's the test.

430

But I digress from that.

431

Sorry, I just went on, like, a little

tangent there, but it's important.

432

It's important to know that

we are tested, but the true

433

test is the test of our faith.

434

Are we going to hold onto our

faith when it mostly counts?

435

I hope so.

436

All right.

437

man, I really, I really,

really love that verse.

438

just so that you guys know, again, 'cause

it was important, that's Revelation 3:10.

439

Okay, so verse 11 is really important

also because it's a small confirmation

440

again how Jesus said earlier that we

will be walking with Him in white.

441

In verse 11, it confirms

that we will receive a crown.

442

So verse 11 says here,

"Behold, I am coming quickly.

443

Hold fast what you have that

no one may take your crown."

444

let me see here.

445

verse 12 I actually--

It's a pretty long verse.

446

this is the one where I told you

guys that very, very important

447

part that stuck out to me.

448

But I kinda wrote it in little bullet

points because it was very important.

449

It gives an even broader picture of

what we can accept-- expect, excuse me.

450

So verse 12 says, confirms several things.

451

The first thing is that we will

be pillars in the temple of God.

452

Then the name of God and God's

city name is written on us.

453

So we will have the name of

God, and then we will have the

454

New Jerusalem written on us.

455

And then it specifies that the

New Jerusalem, which is God's,

456

city, comes down from heaven.

457

So if you can imagine, Earth is here,

and right now the heavens sit above us.

458

The New Jerusalem comes down,

so it kind of like shifts down,

459

per se, and then takes over the

Earth, is how I can, describe it.

460

And then the last thing is that very

important thing that stuck out to me.

461

Jesus will write on us His new name.

462

And I was just like, "Oh

my God, that's so crazy."

463

I wrote here, "Noted in Revelation

464

really fast to see what it says

465

about His new name.

466

Let's take a gander

467

Oh my goodness.

468

These pages are so thin I

can't turn them all sometimes.

469

1912.

470

Okay.

471

Revelation chapter 19, verse 12:

"His eyes were like a flame of fire,

472

and on His head were many crowns.

473

He had a name written that

no one knew except Himself."

474

Again, it says it there.

475

And then verse 13, just for extra, it

says, "He was clothed with a robe and

476

dipped in blood, and His name is called,

and His name is called The Word of God.

477

And the armies in heaven

clothed in fine linen."

478

I don't think that's His name

specifically, The Word of God,

479

because no one knows it yet, so

I'm still going to say that it's

480

something completely different.

481

But that was Revelation chapter 19,

verse 12 if you guys are interested

482

in reading more about that.

483

And moving on, verse 14, Jesus

calls Himself these names.

484

I had never heard Jesus call Himself

Amen, but here, this is what it

485

says: "These things says the Amen,"

that's one, "the faithful," that's

486

two, "and true witness," three, "the

beginning of the creation of God."

487

The beginning is the fourth.

488

So He calls Himself those four

names: the Amen, the faithful,

489

true witness, the beginning.

490

And then verse 15, Jesus

prefers in or out, not lukewarm.

491

So again, if you guys are half dead, half

alive, figure out where you're gonna be,

492

because you can't, you can't be both.

493

Can't play both fields, and that

applies to so many things in life.

494

If you're in a relationship,

you're in it or you're out.

495

Stop wasting people's time, and

this is the exact same thing.

496

Stop wasting Jesus, God,

and the Holy Spirit's time.

497

In or out.

498

Verse 15 says

499

"I know your works, that you

are neither cold nor hot.

500

I could wish, I could wish

you were cold or hot."

501

So then verse 16: "Because you are

lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,

502

I will vomit you out of my mouth."

503

So you're neither, and He could

wish that you were one or the other.

504

But since you're lukewarm,

He's gonna vomit you out.

505

He's gonna spit you out of His

mouth because He doesn't like it.

506

He doesn't want it.

507

Verse 18, Laodiceans oblivious.

508

Okay, so verse 15, I don't want…

509

Excuse me, verse 17.

510

I don't wanna skip over this note.

511

I put, "Laodiceans are oblivious because

they have wealth, and they don't know they

512

are corrupt, wretched, poor, et cetera."

513

So let's see what it says, verse 17:

"Because you say, 'I'm rich, have become

514

wealthy, and have need of nothing,'

and do not know that you are wretched,

515

miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

516

Verse 18 continues, "I counsel you to

buy from me gold refined in the fire,

517

that you may be rich, and white garments,

that you may be clothed, that the shame

518

of your nakedness may not be revealed.

519

And anoint your eyes with

eye salve, that you may see."

520

There's a lot there.

521

So He's talking about the

Laodiceans, the lukewarm church.

522

He's saying that they have all of these

riches that they can't take with them.

523

I remind you, you can't

take none of those things.

524

They say, "I'm wealthy.

525

I'm rich.

526

I don't need anything."

527

That's literally what they're

saying here: "I am rich, have become

528

wealthy, and have need of nothing."

529

But they don't know.

530

They're oblivious.

531

They don't even realize this.

532

They're naked.

533

They're wretched,

miserable, poor, and blind.

534

But then Jesus says, "Buy

gold from me refined in fire."

535

And I'm…

536

Honestly, I'm-- I don't

think He's being literal.

537

I think He's being, I think that's

a play on words that you can buy

538

gold from Him refined in fire.

539

Everything that we learn from

the Word, what helps us mature

540

and grow, is so valuable, and

everything that we go through to

541

actually mature, it's refining us.

542

It's molding us.

543

So I feel like that's what He means.

544

I don't think He's actually

gonna say, "Hey, come buy gold

545

from me because you're rich."

546

Like, I don't think that's it.

547

but I think that's a very interesting

play on words because everything

548

that He has is gold, is the most

valuable, and is refined in fire.

549

it just, it takes so much to

550

Change your wretched ways.

551

and that's kind of what

he's offering this church.

552

So moving on, verse 19, "As many

as I love, I rebuke and chasten."

553

So as many as he loves, he

rebukes, and he tries to teach you.

554

He tries to, like, okay, you don't wanna,

you don't wanna do things the right way?

555

I'm gonna put you aside.

556

So, he's gonna rebuke you, he's

gonna set you to the side because

557

he, he doesn't have time for that.

558

And then he continues, "Therefore

be zealous and repent."

559

Be zealous, do it fast, like how

he says sometimes, take heed.

560

You have to run towards this.

561

You can't just kind of

like be sluggish and walk.

562

No, no, no, you need to haste

and do things quickly, like catch

563

yourself when you are in the wrong

and repent, change, do better.

564

You took two steps back?

565

All right, sprint and take five forward.

566

And then verse 20, let me see

what I have here for verse 20.

567

Okay.

568

He's a door knock away, whoever

opens and invites him in.

569

I really love this.

570

Um, I feel like Dagmara, whenever

she does her lives of the proverbs

571

in the morning in Spanish, I feel

like she talks about this often, how

572

Jesus is a gentleman, and he's always

waiting at the door, waiting for you

573

to invite him in, and it's so true.

574

The Holy Spirit is always with us.

575

I think when I first started my walk

with Christ, I, I, I don't know, I

576

realized that sometimes we say, "Oh, I

have this gut feeling about this person.

577

I have this gut feeling about this thing."

578

It's not a gut feeling.

579

That's the Holy Spirit.

580

We always have the Holy Spirit within us.

581

We can tap into that, but we have to

surrender our lives so that we can access

582

this amazing gift that Jesus gave us.

583

Um, and anyway, every time that she

reads Proverbs, there's some proverb

584

in there that reminds her of, of this.

585

She always says that he's a gentleman,

and I think of her every time I read it.

586

Um, but verse 20 says, "Behold,

I stand at the door and knock.

587

If anyone hears my voice and opens

the door, I will come in to him

588

and dine with him, and he with me."

589

Jesus is literally a knock away.

590

And not even a prayer away,

a whisper away, a word away.

591

It doesn't take a lot

592

Just got like really emotional.

593

Oh my gosh.

594

But it's so true.

595

He's right there when he

596

Where He always was.

597

When we mostly need

Him, He's always there.

598

And, sometimes, like, we don't listen.

599

Sometimes He's trying to talk to us,

sometimes He's trying to point us in

600

the right direction, and we're just

being so stubborn and so hardheaded.

601

But He's there, waiting for us to

open the door so He can dine with us.

602

Verse 21, "To him who overcomes,

I will grant to sit with Me on My

603

throne, as I also overcame and sat

down with My Father on His throne."

604

So here, not only is He saying

that you will sit with Him, He's

605

reminding us of how human He is.

606

And I didn't get this before.

607

My…

608

You guys can see here,

I can show it to you.

609

Verse 21, I put, "Confirmed.

610

We will be invited to sit with Jesus

on His throne," that's all I put.

611

But now, as I was reading it, it

just hit me, and I'll read it again.

612

"To Him My throne, as I also…"

613

Oh, excuse me, I messed it up.

614

"To him who overcomes, I will

grant to sit with Me on My throne,

615

as I also overcame and sat down

with My Father on His throne."

616

So He's humanizing Himself even more

again, and that's a reminder that

617

He knows what it's like to be us.

618

He's the one that knows the most about

suffering, and pain, and overcoming, and

619

He's saying to you that overcome, to you

who surpass the trials, to you who take

620

heed, to you that contend for your faith-

621

I will grant you to sit

with me on my throne.

622

And then the reminder, as I also overcame

and sat with my Father on His throne

623

I don't know why that made me so emotional

624

Nice

625

I'm sorry

626

Sometimes.

627

vulnerable moment here.

628

Sometimes we think we're doing

things for other people, but we're

629

really doing it for ourself, and

I feel like that's me right now

630

I feel like that's me right now

sitting here and reading that

631

because it's a reminder.

632

And not that I'm going through

anything crazy in my life right now.

633

I'm really not.

634

I mean, there's little things,

but right now they're little

635

because I gave it to God.

636

I gave my problems to the

Lord, so to me they seem small.

637

I know that He's got it.

638

He will make things beautiful in His time.

639

And I'm reading here and I, and

I realize that this is for me.

640

I needed this time

641

And I think that he spoke to me now 'cause

I had not understood verse 21 that way

642

That I will sit in His throne if

I overcome just as He overcame

643

And we're not gonna go

through what he went through.

644

You know?

645

Like, what are the odds of us

going through what he went through?

646

Probably not.

647

So our problems really

may not be that big.

648

But, but we overcome, we will be

able to sit right alongside our God,

649

and that is such a beautiful thing.

650

But anyway, I hope that you are reading.

651

I hope that you are praying.

652

Stay in prayer.

653

Pray for your churches.

654

Pray for your children.

655

Pray for your husbands and wives.

656

I know it's hard, but

submit to your husbands.

657

Do everything in love.

658

It's hard.

659

It's really hard.

660

But, but it's about our

role to glorify God.

661

And, anyway, I will do an episode

on that one day because there's

662

a lot to, to talk about there.

663

But thank you guys again for

sticking along this with me.

664

I will see you guys next

week for chapter four.

665

I love you.

666

Take care.

667

God bless you.