{"id":30181,"date":"2024-02-26T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T05:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-3_7-13-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-02-20T22:29:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T05:29:08","slug":"revelation-3_14-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/revelation-3_14-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus is the Amen – but what does that mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revelation\u00a0 3:14-22\u00a0 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 3:14-22.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:14\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a014:\u00a0 In His message to the church in Laodicea, we learn\u00a03\u00a0things about Jesus:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 Jesus is the \u201cAmen\u201d.\u00a0 What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself \u201cthe Amen\u201d?\u00a0 \u201cAmen\u201d carries the meaning of agreement, affirmation and certainty.\u00a0\u00a0When Jesus calls Himself the \u201cAmen\u201d, it means that everything that Jesus is and everything that Jesus does affirms and agrees with who God is.\u00a0 Jesus is the One who gives us certainty about who God is and what He is like.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0If you want to know who God is and what He is like, look at Jesus.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 Jesus is the faithful and true witness, which we discussed when looking at\u00a0Revelation\u00a01:5.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0 Jesus is the ruler of God\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n

As we will see, the church in Laodicea had a tendency to compromise their faith and cast doubt upon God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder Jesus comes to them as the \u201cAmen\u201d, as a faithful and true witness, and as a strong authority.<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:15-16 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 15-16:\u00a0 For reasons we will learn in verse 17, the church in Laodicea had grown dispassionate and lukewarm in their devotion to God.\u00a0 This repulsed Jesus, so much so that He compares the church in Laodicea to something lukewarm that He wants to spit out of His mouth.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Jesus cares about the condition of your faith, how passionately you love God and love people.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus didn\u2019t suffer and die on the cross so that we could be lukewarm followers of His.\u00a0 He made us to be alive, expectant, involved, out loud and united for Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:17 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 17:\u00a0 Laodicea was a wealthy city.\u00a0 Apparently many Christians in Laodicea were placing their identity and hope in wealth, and thus had grown lukewarm, disinterested and dispassionate in their faith.\u00a0 Jesus tells them that, contrary to what they thought, they were not rich and self-sufficient, but \u201cwretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked\u201d.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0The love of money and material possessions will cause your heart toward God to grow lukewarm.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Make money, but don\u2019t love money.\u00a0 Instead of loving money, use it for God\u2019s purposes.\u00a0 Instead of chasing after material possessions, chase after what matters most and what lasts.<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:18 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 18:\u00a0 Out of love for the Christians in Laodicea, Jesus rebukes them, telling them to repent and to return to Him.\u00a0 He counsels them to buy three things from Him:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 \u201cgold refined in the fire\u201d symbolizing faith, which is \u201cof greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire\u201d (see 1 Peter 1:7).\u00a0 For it is faith in Jesus that makes us truly rich;<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 \u201cwhite clothes\u201d symbolizing Jesus\u2019 righteousness.\u00a0 For it is only Jesus\u2019 righteousness that can cover our sin and shame;<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 \u201csalve to put on your eyes\u201d symbolizing spiritual sight.\u00a0 According to historians, Laodicea was the leading centre for optometry in the Greco-Roman world and featured a medical school in Laodicea that promoted a salve to heal people\u2019s eye troubles.\u00a0 Jesus uses this local image to illustrate how He was the salve the Laodicean Christians needed to restore their spiritual vision.<\/p>\n

Of course, these three things cannot be bought with money.\u00a0 Rather the kind of buying Jesus is referring to in verse 18 is more costly: it required that the Laodicean Christians humble themselves before Jesus and receive faith, righteousness and spiritual vision as a gift of His grace.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Jesus desires that we have faith, righteousness and spiritual vision.\u00a0 We cannot buy these with money, but must humble ourselves to receive them from God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:19 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 19:\u00a0 This is a great truth from Jesus Himself:\u00a0the reason Jesus rebukes and disciplines us is not because He is cruel, mean or uncaring, but because He loves us<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:20 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
\n<\/em>
\nOn verse 20:\u00a0\u00a0When it comes to having a relationship with God, it\u2019s not so much us reaching for God.\u00a0 Rather, it is God who proactively comes to our door and knocks.\u00a0 All we have to do is open the door to receive Him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:21-22 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
\n<\/em>
\nOn verses 21-22:\u00a0 In the Gospel of John, Jesus often talks about how He treats us the way the Father treats Him.\u00a0 We see that here again.\u00a0 Jesus says to those who overcome (i.e. those who hang on to their faith in Jesus Christ), \u201cI will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.\u201d (v21)<\/p>\n

Jesus, the ruler of creation (v14), doesn\u2019t just forgive our sins.\u00a0 Even more, He lets us sit with Him on His throne and rule with Him (v21).<\/strong>\u00a0 It amazes me what Jesus is willing to share with sinners like us.\u00a0 It\u2019s only because through Jesus Christ, we have gone from being seen by God as sinners to righteous saints and beloved children of God.\u00a0 To reign with His Son Jesus is what God had always intended for us.<\/p>\n

Jesus, Ruler of Creation, thank You for sharing Your glory, Your faith, Your righteousness and Your vision with us.\u00a0 Thank You for disciplining us because You love us.\u00a0 Thank you for being the Amen who affirms for us who God is and what God is like.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Revelation 3:14-22.\u00a0 As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help, then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Revelation\u00a03:14\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n14\u00a0\u00a0“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
\n\u00a0
\nOn verse\u00a014:\u00a0 In His message to the church in Laodicea, we learn\u00a03\u00a0things about Jesus:
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0–\u00a0 Jesus is the \u201cAmen\u201d.\u00a0 What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself \u201cthe Amen\u201d?\u00a0 \u201cAmen\u201d carries the meaning of agreement, affirmation and certainty.\u00a0\u00a0When Jesus calls Himself the \u201cAmen\u201d, it means that everything that Jesus is and everything that Jesus does affirms and agrees with who God is.\u00a0 Jesus is the One who gives us certainty about who God is and what He is like.\u00a0\u00a0If you want to know who God is and what He is like, look at Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30181"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30184,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30181\/revisions\/30184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}