The halfbaked Bard

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To the church in Pergamum

You are in the place where Satan's throne is. But you remain true to my name. And you did not renounce your faith in me. Even in the middle of persecutions. Yet, this I hold against you, Jesus says, you tolerate sexual immortality and eat food sacrificed to idols. A small thing which others wouldn't know. A secret enjoyment. It is about your attitude to sin. Do you hate what He hates? Does it look disgusting to you, what He abhors? Or do you compromise? To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. Rev:2:17 Revelation from above which has been hidden to others of great wisdom and understanding. Repent and you will be blessed with things beyond your understanding. I will also give them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Rev:2:17 Jesus calling your pet name. Such would be the intimacy between you and Him. That would be the reward He would give, if you obey. Image credit: gemini

To the church in Smyrna

I know, the afflictions you go through Your poverty. I know the slander. You suffer - but do not be afraid. Be faithful. Even to the point of death. Sufferings come as a part of your commitment to Christ. It is an inheritance. Be it afflictions or slander that comes from people side. Or be it the sufferings that you would face because you belong to Christ from the world side. This wholly happens because the system is now against you. Each one will have his own. For others these sufferings could be graded. It could be big for someone, small for the other. But as you go through your suffering, it is huge for you. For you it is the biggest threat, for the enemy strikes at your core. There might not be anyone who understands. The enormousness of what you have to bear, He understands. Because He knows. Because He loves. Because He cares. Now He tells. Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life. Rev:2:10 And. He who overcomes will not be hu...

To the church in Ephesus

To the church in Ephesus. You have deeds. You have hard work. You have perseverance. You do not tolerate wicked men. You have endured hardships for His name. You have not grown weary. Six good words. One thing holding against you. You have forsaken your first love. If you had done all these things out of love which you had initially, it would have been good. Now you are performance oriented. Now you are legalistic. You are doing all these things right. But you have forgotten your love. Where is the love that motivated you. Because of lack of love, you fear; you are anxious, when things do not fall in the right rut. Therefore repent and do the things you did first. Just love. Rev:2:7 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. You will have Jesus Himself. If you love Him, if you desire Him,you will have Him. Image credit : gemini

Done

I am the Living One. Rev:1:18 The Living One. Capital L and Capital O. The Only. I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever. He was killed. But now is alive forever. He has defeated the greatest weapon of the enemy. Not only has He crushed that weapon for Himself, because He is Sovereign, but He has also done it for His children. That is why He says, I hold the keys to death and Hades. So now why worry! Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting? The sting of death is sin and power of sin is law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor:15:54-57 So now, why worry about death, because you are victorious over it. Because you are going to the other shore. Your King, your Brother, your Husband is waiting. With arms open wide to receive you into His bosom. He has overcome it. The Living One. The Eternal King. With Him. Happily ever after. Image courtesy: gemini

Our's

Rev:1:9. I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus . If you follow a political party or a person, what does it offer? Prosperity and fulfilling of ideologies, authority and power. Here is a God who promises kingdom as one among the few inheritances that we will get. Kingdom of heaven as promised by him, not just something you will get after you die. That is one aspect of it. Jesus prayed, Your kingdom come as it is in heaven. It is here. It is now. It is his way in our lives. Abundant life, life to the fullest, life as he intends it to be. He in us. He is eternal life. But along with that eternal kingdom, with all its richness active in our life, he also promises suffering. Why would somebody promise you such an inheritance? One, because we are in a fallen world and now we are aliens to the system, in fact, enemies. Anything which is foreign to the system will be pushed out, will be o...

The Alpha and The Omega

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Rev 1:8. Said by Jesus Christ, written in red letter in my Bible. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega the last. The beginning and the end. He means he is all the letters in between. Everything that we see or cannot see starts and ends with him, runs through him, created in him, through him, for him, by him. You and I are for him. To explain further, he says, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Echoing what we read in v:4 about the Father. Reiterates the deityhood of Jesus. In fact, Jesus claims, I and the Father are one. Why should we know all these? Jesus is the center of what we believe. The son is God and equal with the Father and the key to all creation. He reemphasizes his right to judge and his right to restore, the author and owner of everything. His rule stands, his standard reigns. There is no other law. There is no other possibilities happening. He is. So...