Thursday, 5 March 2020

Is your faith alive?

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Question of the day: What will your reputation get you?

Answer: According to Revelation 3, not much. We look good and smell good and think we are good. I have bad news. All the perfume in the world won't make us smell good enough to be acceptable to God.

The chapter starts with an acknowledgement of the good reputation of Messiah's community in Sardis.

Revelation 3:1b "you have a reputation for being alive ..." This reputation (like all of them) is based on works. But there is something that goes beyond works. In Hebrew we call it Kavena, meaning "intension."

Intension relates to purpose and focus. It takes what you do from your head and moves it to your heart. And we all know God wants our hearts.

So, while Sardis has a good reputation, the reality is something else. Revelation 3:1b "...but you are dead." We are all dead in our sins, until Yeshua wakes us up through an infusion of His life. His life touches us and we are resurrected with Him into new life.

Yes, and let's not lose the value of repentance. Revelation 3:3 "So remember what you have received and heard--keep it, and repent." Apparently, repenting is something that should be done on an ongoing basis.

I love the way the Bible uses word pictures to make a point. Revelation 3:4-5 "But still, you have a few people in Sardis who have not stained their clothes. They will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. The one who overcomes thus will be dressed in white clothes; I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life, and will confess his name before My Father and His angels."

Yes, we all want to be among those dressed in white. To do this requires dying to self. Luke 9:23-24 "Then Yeshua was saying to everyone, 'If anyone wants to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.'"

Let's pray ... Father in heaven, let this message be our wake up alarm. Father, some of us have been sleep-walking through life. We confess we look good and smell good, but you are not fooled. We repent of sin before you and offer a sacrifice of praise to You Who have all authority. Make us new in You through faith in Messiah Yeshua. Give us robes of righteousness through Your Son Yeshua and His perfect work on the cross. We give thanks as we agree with Your Word, "Glory to God in the highest." In Yeshua's name, amen.