Today, Tuesday February 22
“A White Stone and a New Name…” Revelation 2:16-17 “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." '.
Sometimes and often it is the blessings of God that cause us to start living by sight instead of by faith. Over a period of time we begin to take the goodness and blessings of God for granted and almost think we deserve them. Well, that’s what happened to the church of Pergamos. If Ephesus represents the first century church that became careless, and Smyrna represents the 2nd and 3rd century church that endured the great persecutions of Rome by wicked and evil emperors, then Pergamos could very well be a picture of the compromising church of the 4th century and following.
The Roman emperor Constantine stopped the persecutions and invited the church to join the state. He basically laid the foundation for Christianity to become the state religion. And pagans were allowed to join the church and the blessing of no tribulations or persecution became the curse of the church as it compromised with the world. My friend, the same thing is still happening today!!!
What does God require of the church or individual that gets to the place? His demand is for us to repent! Which means that we turn from our ways to His way! What keeps us from repenting? Our pride either keeps us in a state of rebellion against the Lord and His ways or simply causes us to live on in disobedience. But remember, “God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble…” (James 4:6). The word “resist” literally means that God “fights against the proud…”. Now, “if God be for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31), but if God be against us what chance do we have? God help us!!!!!
I’m afraid that is what has happened to America today! Our blessings have turned into curses! We have forgotten God and told Him we no longer need Him. Even most of churches have become nothing more than social clubs that are run by proud executives instead of humble, praying and obedient believers. God help us!!!
What are the promises we find in these verses if we humble ourselves and repent? We will once again begin to hear the Spirit speak to us and our church through God’s Word. We have been listening to the voices of men long enough! We will become overcomers instead of being overcome emotionally, mentally and physically by all the problems around us. Then we are invited to eat of the hidden manna. We will have spiritual food that really satisfies the soul! Jesus Christ!
And we will be given a white stone with a new name written on it. In those days of the 1st century in the Roman Empire, a white stone was put into a vessel by a judge to vote acquittal for a person on trial. It was the judge’s way to declare the defendant “not guilty!” Also a white was also used like a "ticket" to gain admission to a feast.
Both of these would certainly apply to us today in a spiritual sense: we have been declared righteous through faith in Christ, and we have become a “new creation” in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor. 5:17). And we feast with Christ today (Rev. 3:20), and one day in the future will feast with Him in glory (Rev. 19:6-9). The invitation is ours!!!!!
May we humble ourselves and repent so that God would give us grace to hear what His Spirit is saying to our hearts today!!!!
God bless!
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