Sardis or Carnelian is the name of a stone occasionally used
for Jewelry, primarily signet rings and the like. It is a reddish stone that varies from deep
red to almost flesh toned. According to
Ezekiel the Sardis was part of Lucifer’s beauty. What stunned me was the fact
that this stone was not only represented by the church that Jesus visited in
the spirit, but that it also represented Reuben on the High Priest’s breastplate
(Exodus 28:17). This church has always
been difficult to pin down because it is the church that has become obscure
with no witness and no value. Sardis is
a stone that used to be of great value but is no longer worth much.
Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis
write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven
stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Notice what it says…
Jesus knew (past tense) their works.
They had a living name (past tense).
They are dead. What can you say
about Reuben? The tribe had a great
name, the firstborn of Israel, but they transgressed their father’s bed and
slept with their step-mothers. Jacob
prophetically said they were unstable as water and would never excel. This is not merely a man who sinned but is a
spiritual ‘type’ that starts strong and fizzles out. Reuben became the smallest tribe in Israel,
virtually lost their place. When the
nation took over the Promised Land, Reuben was the only tribe with a negative
population growth. They almost faded
away into nothing.
Lucifer was God’s ANOINTED cherub. He guarded the throne and was supposed to be
a covering cherub. All the precious
stones covered him and the very first stone, the stone that would forever identify
HIS character, was the sardius stone (Ezekiel 28:13). His most important attribute, which was to be
a precious gem, became worthless, common and despised. Remember how we are to see the Bible. It is pattern and prediction. The patterns of the various people and
ministries as God sees them are ALL portrayed in these seven letters to seven
churches.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain,
that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Proverbs 22:1 says that a good name is to be chosen rather
than great riches. Reuben did not have a
good name. People EXPECTED the tribe to
fail. The name Reuben means, “Behold a
son!” You can almost hear the heavens
replying, “Big deal.” My last name in
German means ‘Shepherd’s Staff.” I
suppose that is a propitious name for someone called into the ministry. Most of my ancestors were shepherds in
Bavaria. I once knew a man with the same
last name who enticed a young woman away from her husband and got her
pregnant. When she had the child, he
dumped her and threw her out onto the street.
She kept telling me what a fool she was to have left her husband who had
not deserved the treatment he received from her. That other man who carries my family name
took its meaning and ground it into the dust.
When applied to him it was sardius.
In Reuben’s case he polluted his name and his firstborn
status so much that Jacob was forced to give it to his more righteous brother
Joseph. Your name is rather like your
God given talents. In the parable of the
man who went to a far country and gave talents to his servants, he took the
talent away from the servant who buried it and gave that talent to the one who
had the most. This really shoots down
the prevalent attitude in America that those who work hard and earn a lot of
money should give their money to those who do not want to work. God believes that if you are not willing to
work at employment AND keeping your name holy and pure then He will have
nothing to do with you.
Sardis had dropped their high standards of holiness and God
was standing at the door to bring judgment if they did not repent and change
their ways. Their danger was
imminent. Their name said they were
alive but God said they had killed their name and were dead. If your name is Christian and you are a thief
and a murderer then you have KILLED your name and what it stands for. You have a name that is alive but YOU ARE
DEAD. God holds our names in high esteem
and expects them to influence our actions.
This is why naming a child should be a thought provoking and prayerful
act. I am thankful for my last name
because my first name means nothing at all.
It is just a sound that identifies me.
I think about the performer Miley Cyrus. Her name used to mean wholesome and loving
but she has chosen another path and now it stands for degradation, profane and
unholy. She made those decisions. There are so many sardius people in the world
today who have been blessed with a tremendous set of gifts and have plowed them
into the desert sand. They will never
produce fruit.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
There is a hope for these souls. God can rejuvenate your name and empower it
again. Scripture says His mercies are
new EVERY MORNING and great is His faithfulness to forgive and raise up. The truly insidious thing about the people in
this state is that they BELIEVE they have a strength and are still vibrant and
alive but God says they are dead and He will come at a time they do not expect
and bury them.
4 Thou hast a few
names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk
with me in white: for they are worthy.
Isn’t God’s love and mercy wonderful? It is possible to have a name within a
name. You may belong to the group but
aren’t really a part of it. You might
have the same name but a different spirit.
Everyone in your family may dress like a sex worker, cuss like a sailor
and lie like the Devil but you may walk a higher and nobler walk. They may mock you and defame your character
but Jesus said you will walk in the white of purity because you are worthy of
His grace.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Jesus is poised over your church, your house, with an eraser
in His hand to blot your name from His book but your humility and repentance
will cause Him to pause and withdraw his hand.
Rather than erase you he will stand up from his throne and pronounce
your name and explain that your name is alive; your name is full of life and
your name is worthy of notice.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches.
Any fool can ignore Jesus when He is trying to offer you
life. Many do. If you are of a different spirit however, you
can respond and repent. You may invite
Him into your heart and save your eternal soul.
Blessings beloved.
Bishop J.
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