“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears by voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
– Revelation 3:20
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you like to study about the most? Do you like to study about ancient history? Are you intrigued with archeology? What do you like to study about the most when you are studying what is in the Bible? Do you like to focus on the absolute truths that are pertinent to unreservedly believing that the Bible is a God – as God the Spirit, inspired Living Book? Do you like to concentrate on the myriads of threads that irrevocably join together the books, letters, poems, etc. that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on different guys in different places at different times to write? Do you like to uncover in their cultural, sociological, geographical, etc. context the etymology of the words, names, phrases, etc. that are in the Bible as they were originally penned as God – as God the Spirit, enabled men to scribe what He was breathing on them what to scribe. Are you experiencing the unquenchable joy of being able to internalize the knowledge of what God – as God the Spirit, prompted guys to scribe in books, letters, poems, etc. which became incorporated in 397 A.D. into a single canon – that was titled Bible, through consensus during the Synod of Carthage? Are you innately fascinated by the vast number of cross-references that irreversibly connect the 66 books, letters, poems, etc. that are in the Bible Book? Are you instinctively fascinated with uncovering cultural, societal, governmental, topographical, etc. influences that took place over about a 4,100 year period – from about 4,000 B.C. to about 100 A.D., which are mentioned, referenced, recorded, etc. throughout the Biblical canon?
As your grandpaa attempts to make clear to you what is in each chapter of each book, letter, poem, etc. that make up the Bible, your grandpaa is finding out how little he knows about and has internalized what is in the Bible. Your grandpaa hopes that you have come to realize that a single three paragraph reflection page per each chapter of each book, letter, poem, etc. that constitutes the Biblical canon does not begin to satisfy in any way what is being said in the chapter that is being written on in these ‘devotionals’ or missives. Do you think that Apostle John – as he was scribing the Revelation Book, understood why God – as God the Spirit, was having him write short synopses on seven Asia Minor cities? The last three of the seven cities that Apostle John was led by God – as God the Spirit, to write about in the Revelation Book are Sart, Alasehir and Pamukkale. These three present day cities in Turkey are either chastised or affirmed in Revelation 3. Sart – which had the name of Sardis when Apostle John was alive, was a well-known, wealthy city. There were apparently unremorseful attendees among the guys and gals who were members of the Sardis Christ-follower fellowship who were foolishly thinking that they were destined for heaven because of whatever reason when in reality their names were not recorded in the ‘book of life’ as were the names of the few guys and gals in the Sardis Christ-follower fellowship who had ‘not soiled their clothes’ and who had their names recorded in the ‘book of life’. Alasehir or Alashehir – which had the name of Philadelphia when Apostle John was alive, was a commercial gateway city whose name implies brotherly love. The guys and gals who were devotees in the Philadelphia Christ-follower fellowship apparently were enduring in their Christ-follower faith despite the influence of guys and gals who were under Satan’s domination. Because the Philadelphia Christ-follower guys and gals were patiently hanging in there with the faltering strength that they had, the Philadelphia Christ-follower guys and gals were given a promise that they would not have to endure the kind of testing that other guys and gals on planet Earth would have to endure at the time when a new Jerusalem is established. Pamukkale – which had the name of Laodicea when Apostle John was alive, was known for its banking establishments, medical school and textile industry. The guys and gals who were in the Laodicea Christ-follower fellowship apparently had very little vitality. The guys and gals in the Laodicea Christ-followers fellowship were described as being neither ‘hot’ nor ‘cold’. Probably because of their prosperity, Christ-follower guys and gals in Laodicea had become lukewarm or tepid in their Christ-follower faith to where they were about to have God – as God the Father, spit them out as a disciplinary rebuke in order to procure an earnest repentance from them. Verse 20 portrays what God is doing, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears by voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” This verse is often used to depict God – as God the Son, knocking on an unbeliever’s heart’s door for the unbeliever to open his or her heart to letting God – as God the Son, enter and . . . when in reality, the verse is a definitive warning to the self-indulging Laodicea Christ-follower guys and gals that they are to open their ears just as God – as God the Father, told the other six Christ-follower fellowships to do, and to listen vigilantly to what God – as God the Spirit, was saying to them.
One word pops out each time that the summation for each of these seven Christ-follower fellowships is read. The word is deeds. Even though deeds or good works is never to be thought of as criteria for being an adopted kid of God – as God the Father, deeds or good works inherently will take place because of the imbued thankfulness that a Christ-follower guy, gal or kid has because of God – as God the Son, giving hope and defeating death for him or her.
Revelation 3 (1065)