Saturday, March 19, 2016

March 27, 2016 – Letters From Home – Hidden Manna and New Names


Hidden Manna and New Names

Revelation 2:12-17 – New International Version (NIV)
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

How does Jesus describe himself in the message to the angel of the church in Pergamum (verse 12)?

Where does Jesus know that the church in Pergamum lives (verse 13)?

What does the church in Pergamum remain true to (verse 13)?

Why does Jesus say that Antipas is “my faithful witness” (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why does Jesus say He holds against the church that “there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam” (verse 14)?

What did Balaam teach Balak (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean when He says “I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (verse 16)?

What will those who are victorious receive (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Jude 1:3-13 - New International Version (NIV)
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.”

What was Jude eager to write about (verse 3)?
What did Jude feel compelled to write and urge (verse 3)?
Where have “certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long age” gone (verse 4)?
In your opinion, how have these “ungodly people” perverted the “grace of our God into a license for immorality” (verse 4)?
How do these “ungodly people” respond to Jesus Christ (verse 4)?
What happened to those who were the Lord’s people who were delivered from Egypt who did not believe (verse 5)?
What happened to angels “who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling” (verse 6)?
How are Sodom and Gomorrah examples (verse 7)?
In your opinion, what does Jude mean when he says “on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings” (verse 8)?
How did the archangel Michael dispute with the devil about the body of Moses (verse 9)?
What will “the very things they understand by instinct” do to these people who “slander whatever they do not understand” (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what is Jude trying to teach when he refers to “the way of Cain”, “Balaam’s error” and “Korah’s rebellion” (verse 11)?
What are “these people” at your love feasts (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what does Jude mean when he says They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” (verses 12 and 13)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how does Jude’s discussion of the certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago” in Jude 1:3-13 teach us about the ones who “hold to the teaching of Balaam” and the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:12-17?

John 6:26-40 - New International Version (NIV)
26 “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Why were the people looking for Jesus (verse 26)?
What food should we work for (verse 27)?
How does Jesus answer the question “What must we do to do the works God requires” (verses 28 and 29)?
In your opinion, why do they ask Him “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” (verses 30 and 31)?
Who does Jesus say gave the “true bread from heaven” (verse 32)?
What is the “bread of God” (verse 33)?
Who asks “always give us this bread” (verse 34)?
What does Jesus declare (verse 35)?
Who will never go hungry (verse 35)?
Who will Jesus “never drive away” (verse 37)?
What is “the will of him who sent me” (verse 39)?
Who will be raised “up at the last day” (verse 40)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how are the people who ask Jesus to give them the “bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” but who have seen Jesus and not believed in John 6:26-40 similar to the people that Jude talks about who are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” in Jude 1:3-13?
In your opinion, how does Jesus’ discussion about the “true bread from heaven” in John 6:26-40 help us to understand about the “one who is victorious” receiving some of the “hidden manna” in Revelation 2:12-17?

Revelation 19:11-16 – New International Version (NIV)
11 “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
king of kings and lord of lords.”

Who is riding the white horse that John sees when he sees heaven stands open (verse 11)?
How does He judge and wage war (verse 11)?
What are His eyes like (verse 12)?
In your opinion, why would Jesus have a “name written on him that no one knows but he himself” (verse 12)?
What is He dressed in (verse 13)?
What is His name (verse 13)?
Who is following Him (verse 14)?
In your opinion, how does the sharp sword coming out of his mouth “strike down the nations” (verse 15)?
What does He tread (verse 15)?
Where is the name “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” written (verse 16)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Jesus’ statement in John 6:26-40 that whoever comes to me I will never drive away” help us to understand about the nations that Revelation 19:11-16 says the Rider of the white horse will strike down with the sharp sword that comes from His mouth?
In your opinion, how does Jude’s discussion in Jude 1:3-13 about those who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” help us begin to understand the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” that John sees in Revelation 19:11-16?

In your opinion, what is the link between those who are victorious in Revelation 2:12-17 that they will be given a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it” and Jesus who in Revelation 19:11-16 has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself” and On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords?
In your opinion, what do these passages, from Revelation, Jude and John show us about ourselves today?


Next, back to Revelation 2:18 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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