Based on Genesis chapter 5, the bar chart below shows the ages of the biblical characters from Adam to Noah.
Enoch had the shortest life, living for 365 years before God took him alive. Methuselah, on the other hand, lived the longest, reaching 969 years.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:10
Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples. And through this verse, it is implied that God desires to perform His will on earth. But, how God accomplishes His will on earth? If we read the whole bible, we will come to know that God used various humans to execute His divine will. To carry out His master plan, God chose Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, and the list goes on. This catalog of divinely chosen men is non-exhaustive as God will continue to add to this till the consummation of this age. And, we can be a part of this record by surrendering our lives to do His will.
In the Garden of Eden, after our first parents fell into sin through the cunningness of Satan, there was no way of escape from the wrath of God. So, to restore the lost glory to humanity, God devised a master strategy and, he promised to send His son to bruise the head of Satan on the cross of Calvary (Gen 3:15). And, when God decided to send his only begotten son to save us, Jesus Christ willingly submitted himself to fulfill the wish of His Father. In Psalm 40:7-8, He said, ‘Behold I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.‘ My dear readers, God has a preordained scheme for our life, formulated before the foundations of the world. But for that to happen through our life, the first step is submission. Are we thwarting his purposes or aligning with them? Like Jesus, is it our delight to do God’s will? Can we say as Jesus said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God’ (Heb 10:7)?
To do God’s will, we need to humble ourselves. Abraham was a native of the influential city Ur located in Mesopotamia and, he had a well-settled life over there. The city was an important trade center of that time. But when God called Abraham, he left everything behind and humbled himself in following the invisible God (Gen 12:1-4). When God called Moses for a massive task of delivering God’s people out of Egypt, he humbled himself by giving up his worldly status of being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb 11:24). Upon receiving God’s call, Paul considered all his impressive ancestry and credentials as a loss for the sake of Christ and thereby humbled himself (Phili 3:4-8). Though Jesus Christ was in the form of God, He emptied himself and took the form of a servant. To fulfill His Father’s mandate, Jesus Christ abandoned the glorious seat in heaven and humbled Himself to the point of death! Are we ready to leave all our pride and humble ourselves to perform God’s will?
Doing the will of God involves suffering. It was the will of the Father God to crush Jesus Christ (Isa 53:10). Yes, He went through mental as well as physical distress. Let us recount few instances of our Savior’s suffering while the time of His crucifixion was nearing. The Gospel of John says that Jesus was troubled in his spirit (John 13:21). It is written about Jesus Christ in Matt 26:37-38 that he began to be sorrowful and troubled. He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee that ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.’ In Luke 22:44, we read that ‘And being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground.‘ Even though He prayed three times for the removal of the suffering, each time He resigned Himself to the will of His Father by saying ‘not as I will, but as you will (Matt 26:39-44)‘. The Roman soldiers slapped Jesus and scourged Him. They stripped Him of His clothes. After putting the crown of thorns on His head, they mocked and insulted Him. They spitted on His face and struck on His head with the reed. They led Him to the place of crucifixion with a heavy cross on His back. And, this is the example that Christ has left for us so that we might follow in His footsteps.
Jesus not only suffered and died but, He still lives to see the result of His suffering. Due to His suffering, countless people were saved and added to the church during the last 2020 years. Bible says that the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand (Isa 53:10), and Yes, it is still prospering even in our time. If we submit our life to do His will, humble ourselves, and willingly embrace whatever suffering comes in the way of our duty, then the will of the Lord will prosper through us also. If we suffer with Him, we will also reign with Him (2 Tim 2:12).
Dear readers, I pray that may God’s divine will be carried out through your life. May His will prosper in your hand. May you be a vessel for Master’s use. May God bless you all. Amen.
There are things that we hold as precious. It may be a watch presented to you on your birthday by your father, or it may be some gift article extended to you on your wedding day by your best friend. Days and years pass on, but we keep those things as secure as possible because they are priceless for us. Just think of the old black and white photographs in your family album. Are they not invaluable to you? Yes, they are, and none can replace them.
In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter reminds his audience of the preciousness of spiritual things as they might have lost the spiritual perspective of those things due to the ongoing persecution. And, this is true to our situation also. Let’s meditate on those things and gain back the lost vision.
Gold, when extracted from its ores, contains a variety of impurities which renders it useless. Hence, to remove impurities and unwanted elements, gold is refined by fire. Real gold is made brighter and purer by fire. As gold is made pure by fire, our faith is made pure by fiery trials and temptations. As fire cannot destroy real gold, the fiery trials cannot destroy real faith. This genuine faith is far more precious than gold because it has eternal value. It will bring us praise, glory and, honor when Jesus Christ comes again. Is your faith genuine? When the refiner tries you in the furnace of affliction, will you be able to say as Job said, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold (Job 23:10).”?
Bible says that the price of redeeming a soul is too high (Psalm 49:8). The sin committed by our first parents made us captive to Satan. Men with great wealth cannot purchase a human soul. All the gold and silver of this earth is never enough to redeem a soul from the clutches of Satan. But there is good news. Jesus Christ paid the ransom and purchased us with His precious blood. Now we are not slaves of Satan, but now we are free in Christ! Think of the immeasurable love of our Heavenly Father, who sent his only begotten son to this world, to be crucified and shed precious blood on the cross, to rescue us from the grip of Satan. Why God paid such a heavy price? Because you are precious in His sight.
Jesus Christ came to His own, and His own people did not receive him (John 1:11). The Jewish people of that day rejected and delivered Jesus for crucifixion. They denied the release of Jesus and asked for Barabbas, a murderer, to be released. But God made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The stone they rejected has become the cornerstone (Acts 4:10-11)! It’s like the President of our country visited our house and we didn’t recognize it. Or we can say, a person whom we humiliated in the past has now become the President of our country. A cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference. The alignment of the whole building may go wrong if the cornerstone is inaccurate. But, we accepted the precious stone, Jesus Christ, and put our trust in Him. He is the cornerstone of our life. And, anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed.
It is impossible to maintain a meek and quiet spirit when pressed from all sides. When the heat of various trials builds up inside us, we lose our temper, and sometimes anger erupts out of us. But, the Holy Spirit inside us can help to change this attitude. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. The red-hot trials cannot destroy the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit that adorns our inner man. This inward adorning is precious in the sight of God.
May God help us to always bear in mind these precious spiritual truths, even amid unbearable sufferings. We have precious faith, precious blood, a precious cornerstone, and precious inner beauty. Hallelujah!!
One thing that a believer forgets while suffering is his or her calling. Satan tries as much as he can to blind our eyes to obscure the spiritual truths and land us in a state of confusion. Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, at times, we perceive that God has called us to die in the wilderness. When in distress, we feel aimlessly beating the air. In his first epistle, Peter reminds us that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. He emphasizes that our calling is to a specific purpose that carries rich reward in the age to come.
Before coming to faith, we followed our evil desires because we were ignorant about the requirements of the gospel. At that time, we were not people of God, but now we are. Now, we are born again through the living and enduring word of God. Jesus Christ has redeemed us with His precious blood. So, we are to abstain from fleshly desires that are constantly waging war against our new nature. Because the God who called us is holy, we must be holy in every aspect of our life.
God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own possession. These privileges exclusively belonged to Israel only, but through Jesus Christ, the same honor is now bestowed upon us also. All this is due to His mercy upon us. He has given all these benefits in our life so that we may demonstrate His goodness to others.
Jesus Christ suffered unjustly and left us an example to follow. He did nothing wrong. Judicial courts of those times couldn’t prove His crime and, Pilate declared Him to be a righteous person. Jesus always did good to the people but as a response, what he got was the afflictions of the cross. When they insulted Him, He didn’t insult them in return and, when they tortured Him, He didn’t threaten them. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him, who judges justly since His mission on earth was to please His heavenly Father. Therefore, if we endure the pain of unjust suffering, mindful of God’s will or being conscious of God, then that is commendable in the sight of the Lord.
We find it hard to keep quiet when provoked by someone. Repaying in the same terms is the norm for us due to the sinful Adamic nature inside us. But, now we have got a new birth and, we have a new way of behaving which is exactly opposite to our old nature. According to the new principles, we inherit blessing when we repay evil with the blessing and, we are blessed when we suffer for doing good. Live by these principles and enjoy God’s favor upon your life.
Glory followed the sufferings of our Lord and the Savior Jesus Christ. In the same way, abiding glory will come after our brief period of hardship. One day our troublesome pilgrimage on this earth will end and, we will leap into the age of boundless glory. Those who suffered faithfully for Christ will reign with Him in never-ending glory. The weight of glory that we would receive will differ from person to person, in proportion to the amount of commitment or loyalty we have shown while suffering. And into this glorious future, He has called all the suffering believers!
May the Lord help us to fulfill our calling even in the middle of the storm. Amen.
The first epistle of Peter was written to the people suffering for their faith in Christ. It is said that they were dispersed throughout different provinces to save themselves from the persecution unleashed upon them by the Roman authorities. History records that many faithful believers were crucified on the cross and were burnt like torches. To strengthen this scattered group of believers in their faith, Peter writes this epistle.
Throughout the centuries, true believers are the most persecuted people in this world. Even now, everyone of us, in some way or the other, is going through varied difficulties in our life. As a result, sometimes our faith tends to be wavering and we lose sight of our spiritual riches in Christ. We feel hopeless and develop a kind of mentality that doubts the faithfulness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in life’s seemingly tough moments.
As we scan through the pages of this epistle, one topic that emerges out of it is about ‘obedience or submission‘. The Apostle Peter has many relevant things to say about the obedience in the life of a believer while going through life’s fiery trials, as listed below.
The normal tendency of humans is to rebel against the system while facing hardship. In the Old Testament, Israelites rebelled against Moses and God whenever they faced tough situations, even though they had experienced God’s mighty hand and powerful arm in bringing them out of Egypt. Though Job’s wife had enjoyed many years of blessed family life, she openly rebels against God when all her earthly comforts are taken away from her. Remember, after the tiresome long journey through the wilderness, there was a land waiting for the Israelites, which was flowing with milk and honey. Only those who obeyed unconditionally entered it and the rest perished in the wilderness. After fulfilling His divine purposes, the Lord restored Job’s prosperity and doubled his former possessions.
Jesus Christ learned obedience through His suffering and became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8,9). He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death and died as a criminal on the cross. And for this reason, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is supreme above every other name (Philippians 2:8,9). Being obedient while suffering is not an easy thing and it was not easy for Jesus Christ, either. Therefore, He prayed with loud cries and tears in the Garden of Gethsemane to the Heavenly Father who could save him from cross and death. His prayer was heard and He was given the strength to bear the sufferings of the cross. Hence, Satan was defeated and the way of salvation for the whole of mankind was achieved.
So, God uses suffering as a means to accomplish His purposes in our life. When we disobey and rebel, we are hindering God’s purposes in our life. Make a firm decision today to be obedient in suffering to be a partaker in the glory that will follow. May God, the Holy Spirit, help you to live a life of obedience amid suffering.
During biblical times, horses were used in the military . They were symbol of power and might. The military strength of an army was known by the number of horses, horsemen and chariots they had. The higher their numbers, the more strong the army was. The kings heavily relied on their military might to win the battle against their rivals. It is said of the horses of Chaldeans that they were swifter than leopards and more fierce than the evening wolves and that their horsemen fly swiftly like hungry eagle rushing to eat (Hab 1:8).
But in keeping with the Law of Moses, the kings of the Israel shall not acquire large numbers of horses in order to build a strong army (Deu 17:16). God wanted them to renounce their reliance on horses, horsemen and chariots. There absolute dependence shall be on their Lord who brought them out of the Egyptian slavery.
"When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you." - Deu 20:1
When Israelites went out of the Egypt, the Egyptians pursued them with all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops (Exo 14:9). Israelites did not had army. Ahead of them was Red sea and behind them was all Egyptian army. There was no way out and they were greatly afraid. However the Lord fought for them and the entire Egyptian army was drowned in the Red sea. Not one among them survived (Exo 14:28).
The Ethiopians were a mighty army with a great number of chariots and horsemen (2 Chro 14:9, 16:8). They came out against Judah during the reign of Asa. Asa found his army weak against the mighty army of Ethiopians. Yet he relied on the Lord, his God, rather than relying on other kings for support. He cried to the Lord his God and therefore the Lord defeated the Ethiopians (2 Chro 14:11,12).
Jehoshaphat was frightened when a large army of Ammonites and Moabites came to attack Judah. He chose, however, to follow the Lord and declared a fast for all of Judah. In prayer, Jehoshaphat led the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem. In the presence of the Lord, he admitted that they had no strength to defend against this large army and that they did not know what to do. His prayer was heard by the Lord and the enemy was defeated. Jehoshaphat won the war without fighting (2 Chro 20:1-30).
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord." - Isa 31:1
What are the horses in your life on which you rely and trust? Perhaps it’s your education, your skills, your intelligence, your appearance, your work, your wealth, your savings, your insurance, your employer, your parents, your spouse, your kids, your friends, the economy of your country, and so on. All these are uncertain things and are of shifting nature. Many of those who trusted in all these unreliable things have failed miserably in their life’s battlefield. They have gone into the depths of despair. Covid-19 has taught us that all these fleeting things on which we put our trust are nothing but a sinking sand!
Proverbs 11:28 states that those who trust in their riches will fall. In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul says that we should not trust in our money which is so unreliable. But that our trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. In Isaiah 26:3, perfect peace is promised to those who are depending and trusting in God. They do not fear bad news because they confidently trust the Lord to care for them (Psa 112:7). Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but remains forever (Psa 125:1). There joy and peace are not dependant on their circumstances!
"No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." - Psa 33:16-19
You can get your horses fit for battle, but the Lord alone can grant you victory (Pro 21:31). Repent and say to the Lord that we will not depend on our horses (Hos 14:3). Do not trust your horses, rather trust the Creator of horses. Don’t trust the uncertain gifts, rather trust the Giver of gifts who is everlasting and unchanging God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8). Amen and Amen.
In Jewish practice, this psalm was recited thrice daily – two times during morning and one time in the evening. This psalm is filled with praise from the start till end and it’s hard to find out even one supplication. It’s believed that David penned this psalm during the final years of his earthly journey. This psalm is a reflection of God’s attributes which David experienced during the varied circumstances of his life.
Also, David reflects on God’s mighty acts, glorious splendor of his majesty, his wondrous works, his awesome deeds, his greatness, his abundant goodness, his righteousness, his Kingdom glory, his power, his everlasting kingdom and dominion. While contemplating on all of these, his heart burst forth in praise and he resolves to exalt, bless and praise God forever and ever.
The year 2020 may have been tumultuous for many of you. Many of you may have lost your near and dear ones. Many of you may have lost your job or may be facing a salary cut. Many of you may have escaped from the clutches of Covid19. King David also went through many heartaches during the later years of his rule over Israel. But at the end, through this psalm, we see that he was far more resolved to praise God.
Take your time and reflect on God’s dealing with you. Like David, your heart will also burst forth in praise to God. Be far more resolved to praise God in the year 2021. May God bless you all!!
There are many instances in the Bible where David literally sought the Lord’s guidance and the Lord also guided him in amazing ways. The sweet psalmist of Israel was the man after God’s own heart because he always sought God’s will and accordingly carried out God’s purposes (1 Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22). There are ten such instances which are listed below in a tabular form.
| Sr.No. | David’s Inquiry | Lord’s Reply | Bible Ref. (NIV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” | The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” | 1 Sam 23:2 |
| 2 | Once again David inquired of the Lord, | and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” | 1 Sam 23:4 |
| 3 | David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.” | And the Lord said, “He will.” | 1 Sam 23:10,11 |
| 4 | Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” | And the Lord said, “They will.” | 1 Sam 23:12 |
| 5 | and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” | “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” | 1 Sam 30:8 |
| 6 | In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. | The Lord said, “Go up.” | 2 Sam 2:1 |
| 7 | David asked, “Where shall I go?” | “To Hebron,” the Lord answered. | 2 Sam 2:1 |
| 8 | so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” | The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” | 2 Sam 5:19 |
| 9 | so David inquired of the Lord, | and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” | 2 Sam 5:23,24 |
| 10 | During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. | The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.” | 2 Sam 21:1 |
David sought God’s guidance and was obedient to the Lord’s counsel. So he was successful in his endeavors. Why this kind of guidance is rare in our spiritual life? The main reason for this is that we rarely seek Lord’s guidance in our day to day life. The Lord can guide your marriage, your job, your career, your finances, your education and every area of your life. But are you seeking His guidance? Do you really want to know and perform His will? One of the name of our Savior Jesus Christ as depicted by Isaiah is “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa 9:6). If you seek His divine guidance, He will surely guide you.
“The Lord will guide you always” Isa 58:11.
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go” Isa 48:17.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” Psa 32:8.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Pro 3:5-6.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” Isa 30:21.
“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end” Psa 48:14.
Let us ponder for a while on the fourth reason that makes our prayers ineffective.
If we want our prayers to be heard then God’s word must abide in us (John 15:7). Fellowship with God is not possible without abiding in His word. Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches. We are connected to Jesus through His word and the Holy Spirit. God’s word through the Holy Spirit must control our thought and action.
Bible is like a mirror. Mirror is a part of our everyday life. We often look into mirror to check our hair, clothes or appearance and when found untidy, we immediately correct it. Likewise, we must not only listen, read and meditate God’s word but we must obey also. If we are merely listening God’s word and not obeying it, then we are deceiving ourselves (James 1:22-25). We must allow the Holy Spirit to apply the truths of the Scriptures to our life and when convicted of sin, we must repent and turn back to God. After Moses, Joshua was commanded by God to constantly meditate on the law so that he may be careful in obeying everything written in it (Joshua 1:8). Hence, spiritual growth is not possible without obeying the word of God. We show our interest in Jesus Christ and His word, we want to make use of His name and authority, we call upon Him in our prayers but we don’t want to do the things He says because we don’t want to do His will (Luke 6:46).
If we neglect God’s word, God will neglect our prayers (Proverbs 28:9).
If we walk in obedience to God’s commandment, God will answer our prayers (1 John 3:22).
| Church | The things which Jesus knows and commends | The things by which Jesus is dissatisfied | Instructions and Warnings | Promises to the Overcomers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7) | – Their hard work, patient endurance and bearing up for the sake of God’s name without growing weary. – Testing the self-styled apostles and finding them to be false. – Hating the practices of Nicolaitans. | Left the first love or not loving God as they did in the beginning. | Think, repent and do the first works otherwise God will come quickly and remove the lampstand from its place. | They will be granted to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. |
| Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11) | Their tribulation, poverty and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. | Nil | – In the face of suffering, do not fear. – Be faithful unto death. | – They will be given the Crown of life. – They will not be hurt by the second death. |
| Pergamum (Rev 2:12-17) | – Their place of residence-a place where satan sits enthroned. – Their holding fast to His name and not denying the faith even in those days wherein Antipas, the faithful witness, was killed among them in the very house of satan. | – Some people among them followed the teaching of Balaam (the man who taught Balak how to entice the children of Israel into eating meat sacrificed to idols and into sexual immorality). – Some members of the church adhered to the teachings of Nicolaitans (a teaching that the clergy should rule the people in the churches). | Repent or else Jesus will come quickly and fight against these peoples with the sword of His mouth. | – They will be given hidden manna to eat. – They will be given a white stone with a new name written upon it which no man knows except the man who receives it. |
| Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29) | – Their works, love, faith, service and perseverance. – That their last works are greater than the first. | – Toleration of a false prophetess named Jezebel (who mislead the members of the church into sexual immorality and to eat the food sacrificed to idols). – Jezebel’s unwillingness to repent of her sins, though time was given to her. | – The false prophetess Jezebel will be thrown into sickbed. – Those church members who followed her teachings will be thrown into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. – Her followers will taste death at the hands of God. As a result, all the churches will know that Jesus searches the mind and heart, and repays each person according to his works. – To the faithful remnant Jesus says, “hold on to what you have until I come!” | – They will be given authority over nations to rule them with an iron sceptre and to dash them to pieces like pottery. – They will be given the morning star. |
| Sardis (Rev 3:1-6) | Few people who had not defiled their garments or kept themselves pure. | – Reputation of being alive, but in fact they are dead. – Their deeds are incomplete in the sight of God. | – Wake up and strengthen the remaining things before it dies. – Remember the truth once received and heard. Hold fast to it and repent. Otherwise, Jesus will come against the unrepentant like a thief. | – They will walk with Jesus dressed in white. – Jesus will never blot out their names from the book of life. – Jesus will acknowledge them before Father and his angels. |
| Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13) | – Though they had little strength, they kept the words of Jesus and not denied His name. – They kept Jesus command about patient endurance. | Nil | – Jesus is coming soon so hold on to what you have so that no one seize your crown. | – False Jews will acknowledge the believers’ valid faith in Jesus and recognize that Jesus loves the believers. – They will be kept safe from the hour of trial which is to come upon the whole world. – They will be made pillar in the temple of God. -Name of the Father, name of the new Jerusalem and new name of Jesus will be inscribed on them. |
| Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22) | Nil | – They were lukewarm. As a result, Jesus was about to spit them out. – They didn’t recognize their actual condition of being wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. | – Jesus advises them to buy from him pure gold, white garments and eye salve to become rich, to cover spiritual nakedness and to cure spiritual blindness respectively. – Be earnest and repent. – Jesus is knocking at the door. Anyone who hears can open and let him in to have fellowship. | – They will be given right to sit with Jesus on his throne. |
