Third church–Those embracing the worldly agenda enters the church, but hidden “bread” given to those faithful to Jesus Christ.

Uncategorized 12 Minutes

Revelation 2:12-17

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click here for a description of the image of the beast.

The corruption of five of the seven churches leads to our Lord Jesus Christ opening the Seven Seals, as described in Revelations 4 and also Revelations 5. That leads to the events of the Seven Trumpets of Revelations 8, 9, and 11, the Seven Thunders of Revelations 10, and the Seven Plagues of Revelations 16. The two faithful witness, or two faithful churches [second and sixth Church], are faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ, persecuted, and have little strength. A link to each of the seven churches are at the bottom of this post.

The church in this post is the third of the seven churches. In the previous two churches, the Gospel of Christ is abandoned in exchange for good works, resulting in the removal of the lampstand. Then, the faithful of Jesus Christ are persecuted but given the assurance of eternal life. In the third church of this post, the church becomes a gathering place for those who hold to a worldly agenda, but those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ are given “hidden bread” to eat.

  • Message from the One having the sharp two-edged sword.
  • Remaining faithful to Jesus Christ where Satan’s throne dwells.
  • Church becomes a gathering place of those embracing the worldly agenda.
  • Those faithful to Jesus Christ are given “hidden bread” to eat

Message from the One having the sharp two-edged sword.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword…” Revelations 2:12

The message to the church is from our Lord Jesus Christ who has the sharp two-edged sword. This symbolizes the need for His followers to separate themselves from those who gather in the churches with the only purpose of promoting the worldly agenda. That causes the falling away of the Church from the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the worldly agenda takes root. We who remain faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ are given “hidden bread” to eat, the Bread of Life hidden within our soul. As can be experienced, the churches of today are not in harmony with the Spirit of Christ, and those whose heart is rooted in the community agenda, “…are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.” Jude 1:12

“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 account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

Remaining faithful to Jesus Christ where Satan’s throne dwells.

“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Revelation 2:13

The works spoken about is when the Church was working to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as a lampstand holding the Light of the world, shining with the testimony of Jesus. There was a time when the Church held to Jesus Christ, despite Satan having a place on the throne of this world. There have been many who have died for acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even today, there are followers of Jesus, in countries around the world, who are being imprisoned and put to death for living for Jesus Christ. Even though we know about our brothers and sisters in Christ being killed for their faith, and it is coming globally, we continue to uplift Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.

Today, cities all around America have just about banned the Gospel of Jesus Christ from existing in the community. I would say it’s true for cities around the world. In my hometown, taking the Gospel to the streets has been banned by city ordinance. Anyone who stands on a street corner preaching the Gospel are warned, could be fined, and even jailed. Going door to door has been stopped through other ordinances, and managers of apartment complexes prohibit that type of solicitation.

Where is Satan’s throne in today’s world? He has made our body his throne through the work of his beast. The beast sets in the temple of God, our body, as if is God. “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:17 The beast sets within the body by the power over physiology to give people what to speak, do, think, and feel. The beast gives breath life to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people everywhere, and is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Click for a post on that.

The power center of the beast is plunged into darkness in the Fifth Plague of Revelations 16:10-11. “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” Revelation 16:10-11 Global warming is instrumental in bringing down the power center of the beast, and is the Fourth Plague of Revelations 16:8-9.

Today, we can see the intent to drive the testimony of Jesus into extinction, which includes every aspect of Christianity, and Christians themselves. It is a “soft kill”, driven by the psychotic “lamb”, and we can only wonder, “Where have all the followers of Christ gone?” “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelations 12:17 Click for the post on the extinction of Christian births from Revelations 12.

While we are seeing the killing of the way of Christ, and we know that Satan has set his throne within the temple of God, the body, we continue to hold fast to our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart.

We can see Satan ruling from his throne in this world. The churches have abandoned the gospel of Christ to align with the leaders who establishing the community agenda. Government lawmakers no longer implement the values of the Bible into laws and policies. The educational system no longer allows Bible teachings in the classrooms. And the community no longer welcomes Christianity. As followers of Jesus Christ, He has given us the “hidden bread” to eat, hidden within our heart and soul [Revelations 2:17 of this post].

Today, the “Sustainable Development Goals” of the United Nations has become the Gospel to people and nations around the world. The United Nations was established in 1945, immediately after World War 2, and brought the government of the beast with it, as described in Daniel 8:1-14. Satan is seeing setting on his throne through the United Nations, as well as within the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people. The countries of the United Nations are mostly atheists, which two of the three most powerful countries in the world are leading the way, being China and Russia. The United Nations will soon be established as the undisputed one world government, the government of the beast, with every country in the world being under its rule.

May we be among those who hold fast to the name of Jesus Christ, who do not deny His faith even in these days in which many followers of Christ are disappearing and becoming extinct.

Church becomes a gathering place of those embracing the worldly agenda.

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” Revelation 2:14-16

In the previous verse, our Lord Jesus praises the Church for remaining faithful to Him during times when His followers are being killed and there is the intent to drive the way of Christ into extinction. But…the churches of today have fallen from that loyalty to His testimony. The Christ, Jesus, has a few things against the churches of today.

The Lord is against the churches of today who hold to the doctrine of “Balaam”, who taught “Balak” how to corrupt the people’s faith in God. Balaam and Balak are spoken about from chapters Numbers 22-25, and the corruption of the Israelites, because of Balaam’s teachings, is mentioned in Numbers 31:16, as quoted, “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.”

There are people in the manmade churches of today who hold to the teachings of the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. They put a stumbling block in the way of people who come to the church in order to keep them from coming to God by living for Jesus Christ. By the empowerment of the beast, they feel confident in what to say and do towards members of the Church congregation to lead them away from belief in God, to silence their faith in Jesus Christ, and to lead them astray from walking in the presence of the Holy Spirit. They have a form of Godliness, but reject the Gospel of Christ, “…having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” Timothy 3:5

Those teaching the way of the beast are false ministers of righteousness, and their father is Satan, who disguises himself as an angel of light, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber…(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— …They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries…They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you…These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness…” 2 Peter 2:3, 8, 10, 13, 17-18

The false teachers cause people to “eat things sacrificed to idols”, meaning to teach people to live by the beast that gives them what to feel, think, say, and do. They teach the way of casual sex, saying that all animals have the same sexual drive as they teach that people are created by Mother Nature, not God the Creator. People are being led to sexual immorality, same-sex relations, the LGBQT lifestyles etc. because  they have “…exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:25

The Nicolaitans were known to be associated with teachings and lifestyles that contradicted belief in God the Creator, rejected the need for the remission of sin through Jesus Christ, and saw no need for the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. The congregations of the churches of today are filled with people who hold to the ways of the Nicolaitans simply by embracing the beast that gives them what to do, say, think, and feel. They have no place in the family of Jesus Christ.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-8

“Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.” Psalms 94:20-21

Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”

Those faithful to Jesus Christ are given “hidden bread” to eat.

“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.” ’ Revelation 2:17

With the congregations of the churches of today being overwhelmed by those who live and govern for the beast, our Lord Jesus gives us the “hidden manna”. “Manna” is bread, so the “hidden bread” that we are given to eat is the “Bread of Life”. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” John 6:35 Our Lord Jesus is hidden within our heart and soul through the Holy Spirit. The culture of today, which is global, opposes the open expression of faith in Jesus Christ, but His word will always be hidden within us, “With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalms 119:10-11

To be given a white stone in the days when the book of Revelations was written had a lot of meaning, as outlined below;

  • A white stone was used to signal acquittal in court proceedings, symbolizing the acquittal that God extends to us through Jesus Christ. We may not be part of today’s churches, but having Jesus Christ hidden within our heart is our acquittal.
  • A white stone was used at some “sporting events”, something like a trophy or gold medal given to athletes of today. The white stone was given to the winners, giving them certain privileges and honor. Our Lord Jesus does the same for us during these days of the corrupt churches, “…and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelations 1:6 Our Lord Jesus has given us the victory over sin and death.
  • The white stone of acquittal and victory has our name written on it, which is hidden within our heart, with the hidden Bread of Life, “‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.’”Isaiah 43:1 “To him, the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3

The new name is mentioned in Revelation 3:12, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” I think of this new name as being the one written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I also think of my new name as being “Christian.”

Click here for pictures of a flyer from a local fallen church.

Click for a post on Isaiah 28:7-8 about “The ministers of the churches have erred, have deviated from the way, err in vision, and stumble in judgment.”
Click for a post on Isaiah 28:9-10 about “To whom will the corrupt ministers teach the knowledge of Christ and the message of the Cross?”

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