MOMENTS OF TRUTH

 

MAIDUGURI APRIL PROGRAMS

 

THE PROMISE: OUR ADVANTAGED POSITION

“ The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:1-4, Luke 24:45

 

The one who died, resurrected and ascended gave us a promise that He’s coming back.

 

There is something greater ahead of us now, and that is His return.

 

For us to prepare for Jesus return there is something we will have to look at closely because we cannot prepare for His return in isolation. No bride dresses herself up on her wedding day to meet the groom because there will always be those who are present to help prepare her for the wedding ceremony and to meet the groom. We cannot prepare for the return of Jesus without assistance: we need assistance.  If we say we don’t need any assistance, it is either we are not ready for the wedding or have denied ourselves of the needed assistance.

 

We must know that there is one who is doing everything to make sure that the wedding does not hold. A wedding can be stopped, hindered, postponed or cancelled. These are all possibilities in our relationship with Christ as the bride of Christ: and no bride prepares herself to meet the groom without assistance. For the physical wedding, there is physical assistance. In the same way, for the spiritual wedding, we need spiritual assistance-spiritual help. The preparation that is done toward the wedding is to remove anything that will not make the bride presentable. In the same way also, we need such a preparation to remove anything that will not make us prepared to meet with Jesus.

 

All our need is tied inside one need, and all other promises are also tied in the promise. We are serving Him awaiting His return. 

 

Jesus left us with a promise. And if we will prepare, and the days will count for us, we must look at the promise Jesus gave us. Jesus left us with ONE assurance which is ‘THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER-"Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49). If we can make that one PROMISE our focus it will make a lot of difference. That one promise is the HOLY GHOST.

If we will be properly prepared as we wait for His return then we must pay attention to the promise of the Father. (Luke 24:45-49).

 

In Acts 1:4, they were told to wait for the promise. The process by which they received the Holy Ghost is the same process we need to grow in Him and increase in the power of the Spirit. We will still have to tarry which will demand time. When we don’t have time to wait in prayers, in reading the scriptures there is no way we can get into the fullness of God’s promise. We need to resign from religion and stop playing Church.

 

John 14:16-19, Galatians 3:13-14, Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 7:1.

 

 Jesus promised us the Helper, (the Holy Ghost) to help us until the wedding takes place. We need to make provision for the Helper. Help may be available but if we have not made provision for the help we cannot have access to that help. To deny this promise is to deny ourselves of the benefits thereof. It is this promise that distinguishes us from the saints of old. This promise is our advantaged position.

 

 All that we ever desire are in the promise. Without the promise, we cannot access them. A lot of the things happening to us and the struggles we experience is because we have "denied" the promise. It is not true that Christians are a minority in the North.  Virtually all the missions that came with the Gospel to the North had one thing common among them. They came with a gospel that played down on the ministry of the Holy Ghost, and any Gospel without the Holy Ghost is a lifeless Gospel (Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:13). They played down on our advantaged position- the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost residing in us is what makes real what happened on the cross.

 

TO IGNORE THE PROMISE IS TO IGNORE OUR ADVANTAGED POSITION

 

Scriptures say we are the dwelling place of God (2 Corinthians 6:16-18). Though God dwells in Heaven, He lives in us on earth by His Spirit. Jesus had to go so that the promise of the Father can come to us. This is where the enemy will take advantage of us. He may not make us deny Christ but can make us live our lives in isolation of the Holy Ghost, and where the Holy Ghost is not welcome, God is not present. God does not dwell in a physical temple but dwells in us through the Holy Ghost. It is by the workings of the Holy Ghost in us that the reality of the Fatherhood of God comes to us.

 

Acts 1:5 -8, John 14:16, John 15:4-5, Proverbs 3:5-7

 

Those that will be empowered by the Spirit are those who wait. We cannot be witnesses without the empowerment of the Holy Ghost. What you do not have, you cannot manifest. We must have received the Holy Ghost to manifest the Spirit and it is for the profit of all.

 

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”. 1 Corinthians 12:7.

 

All the HELP that we will ever need, has been packaged by God, and put in the person of the Holy Ghost. Without the Holy Ghost, we can do nothing. We are to be witnesses of His power and glory and produce proof of what God has wrought in Christ Jesus.  It is the Spirit that will get the work done through us. We will struggle without the Holy Ghost. Let’s stop walking and living an independent life. Let’s start living from the inside out. The most insulting thing we can give to someone is to ignore the person, and the Holy Ghost is a person.

 

David never lost any battle because for every battle, David sought the LORD.

 

The promise is to our advantage, and it is our advantaged position. If we deny the promise, then we deny our advantaged position. The Holy Ghost is not going to find expression unless we submit to Him.

 

“Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me”. John 15:4

 

Abiding involves a combination of the word and the Spirit.  Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot enter rest.  To bear fruits, we must abide in Him.

 

If we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our path. (Proverbs 3:5-7).

GOD-ORDAINED PATTERN

God’s ordained pattern for:
1) A lasting Legacy
2) True impartation
3) Succession Process.
4) The purpose of Pastoring and parenting,
5) Genuine fellowship
6)  Prolonging generational blessing and values
6) Prolonging a godly heritage
7) Genuine fellowship.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it”. Prov.22:6
 
A child should be trained the way he should go and not the way he wants to go. The training is not meant for just training purpose and the effect is not temporal.
 
Jer. 35:1-19
“…Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink…and I said to them, Drink wine…But they said, We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever…Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters…and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us…Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, 'therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever”.
 
The responsibility of a true father is to exercise his authority within the context of God’s word-within godly counsel.
 
As a child of God, any instruction that runs contrary to the word of God, you are not held bound by it but any instruction that is of God, you are held bound by it. God’s authority supersedes all.
 
Looking at the life of the Rechabites, they held to the instruction handed down to them by their father, such that, God promised they would not lack a man to stand before Him forever. They obeyed their human father and God is a Father to us, heeding His instructions should not be hard for us.
 
In The Home
- Parents are supposed to train their children. If you are not ready to train, don’t give birth to them. This training is discipleship. It is more important than paying school fees.  It is more than giving instructions. A parent ought to be a coach.
- Children ought to own this training, develop it and never depart from it just as the children of the Rechabites didn’t depart from the instruction of their father long ago. As children, your first goal should be to get all you need to get before you leave your parents’ home rather than be eager to want to live, to be independent. The process of parenting is the process of apprenticeship.

- As a child, you are an apprentice. Just as the apprentice lives by what he’s taught, so children are to live by the upbringing given by their parents, no matter where you find yourself.
- What you have come to own is seen in your choices and decisions. When a child owns the training, it builds/develops the character that matches the mandate which that child is to fulfill.
 
Every mandate has a Character.  Sometimes we miss opportunities because we do not have the character needed. One should be able to look at a child, and tell the kind of home he comes from. Children are to live by the training they have received.
 
In application to the Church
The same principle and order that governs the home governs the church also. 1 Pt. 2:2, Is. 9:6, 1 John 2:13-These scriptures clearly shows us the same line of thought in the home and for the church.  God uses family terms to pass across His message. 1 Tim. 1:1, 2 Tim. 1:2, Matt. 6:9. God is our Father, Jesus is the Son.
 
Jesus was never referred to as a child of God. The contention has always been because He called Himself the Son of God. This is because the Jews understood who a son is meant to be. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”.  A son goes through training and process, has grown, he’s subject to his father and takes responsibility. A son is a representative of the father, he can take and make decisions in the stead of the father.
 
The home is the small church; the church is the big home. The same principle governs both. Eph. 5:32-the kind of relationship that exists between the man and the wife is the same relationship that ought to exist between Christ and the church.
 
- If the home is a training ground, then the church is also a training ground.
 
These are the last days, stop playing Church. God’s word is God, stop taking His instructions for granted. If you have decided to serve God, serve Him.
 
It was God that set up the home and church institutions. You cannot think of running the institutions of God the way you like and not expect to incur His wrath. 1 Cor. 4:15, Acts 2:42.
 
The home/church is a family affair. We were not called to live a life of independence but interdependence.
 
What’s the Take-Off point?
“But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”. 1 Tim. 3:15 (Eph. 4:8-12-14)
- The big church is a training centre for the effectiveness of the small church.
- The first take-off point for ministry is the home.
- You must be trained to train effectively. The training of life doesn’t jump on a man, it does not come by age, There’s a deliberate part you have to play. You must be discipled to disciple.
-Luke 2:51-52. Jesus subjected Himself to His parents’ authority in God. Jesus went through a process. He wasn’t a man of Himself.
 
As a part of the body in a local assembly, you should be subject to the authority there under God.

Action steps
 
Whatever you are not interested in, you will never know.
 
LEARN TO ASK WHY. If you don’t ask why, you will not know the reason why. Learn to ask why certain persons are the ones in your life. For example, learn to ask why is your spouse the one God gave you, why is this Pastor, the Pastor of the church you are attending or why are your parents the ones He gave you, why am I a Nigerian and not an American, why is Buhari our president? When you know the reasons and answers to these questions, it will make you to stop opposing and criticizing what ordinarily should make for a smooth working relationship.
 
If you interpret wrongly, you will resist what you need the most.
 
It is God you need to ask the why and when you do, He will begin to show you. Matt. 8:9-many times, we want men to be subject to us but are not subject to the authority of God. If you know you want to give orders that must be taken, you have to be able to take orders. If God can instruct you and you accept it, you also will be able to instruct and it will be accepted also.
 
“Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it”. Jer. 6:16

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. Matt.11:28-29
 
If it is Jesus we are learning from, we ought to take His yoke (instructions/training…) because therein lies the rest we are seeking.
 
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”. John 15:4.
 
We must abide in Jesus if we want the rest we so desperately seek.
 
See the home and church differently.  Be careful how you deal with authority.
 
Once the Lord Jesus (the word of God) is out of the equation, it is vain, empty. For Jesus said, without me, you can do nothing.
 
Stop blaming others for your state, take responsibility.
 
Learn to ask why, so your destiny in God will find expression

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES

TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA (Revelation 3:14-22)

 
ADDRESS
This letter is addressed to the church in Laodicea and the word Laodicea means peoples right or judgment of the people. They were identified as the rich-poor church, also known as the lukewarm, self-satisfied church, boasting of her wealth though poor, miserable and blind. It illustrates the final state of apostasy- ie to abandon one’s faith, principles or course, which the present Church is experiencing; it is the climax, total shift of the divine order.

Background
Laodicea was founded by a man named Antichus11, it was named after his wife, it appears to be a very common name for women at that time. Laodicea was a banking centre and possessed immense wealth, it boasted of an excellent and well known medical school, it was noted for the manufacture of wool and known for its production of an eye salve ointment. Laodicea was also known as a city of compromise. However, with all the wealth this city was known for, it lacked adequate water supply, letting us know that you cannot quantify what you lose by compromising. It is expensive to live a life of compromise.
 
ATTRIBUTES
Jesus introduced Himself as the Amen, Faithful, True witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Rev. 3:14.
Amen-one who is steady and unchangeable in all His purposes and promises.
Faithful-steady, consistent, loyal, not moving by the wind.
True witness-A witness is a martyr, one who will never compromise His stand or what He believes, and is willing to die for what he believes.
The beginning of the creation of God-He’s the doorway. All that God intends to do, is done through Him-Jesus is the beginning, the head of God's new order. Gen. 1:1, John 1:1.

There is no other life outside of Him because all life proceeds from Him. His life gives light, and that light is the answer to darkness and outside of Him we have no life, thus, we are nothing.
 
COMMENDATION
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”. Vs 15-16.
There was nothing to commend, whether corporately or individually. God demonstrates His love for us when He brings His word to us. It is not usually a function of the environment to live above board or to compromise, it is a choice.  To live above board is a choice.
The Laodicean church was the worst of all the churches.
 
ACCUSATION
What they said they were, was not how God saw them- "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” Vs 17.

 It takes a lot to keep people humble after they have begun to acquire things, Luke 12:16-19. Many times, we point to things we have achieved physically rather than putting our trust and boast in God. If you put anything ahead of God, you will lose for it. Your true wealth is what money can’t buy. Our real problems lie in when we have now “become”.
To be lukewarm means you are complacent. They supplied nothing sweet or healing for the spiritually sick or weary.

They had become blind to what they lacked which they could use to judge their true state. 2 Peter 1:9.
God detests lukewarmness. 

Historical Era
This letter is talking about the last days and prophetically, it is talking about the present-day church.
 
Modern Era
Self satisfied modern churches.  -Jude 1:3.
They downplay biblical laid down doctrine.  The spiritual has shifted to physical things. The faith we have embraced is not the faith that was handed down to us.
 
KEY LESSONS
God suffers for long but not forever. The state we used to be is not as important as the state we need to be when He brings His word to us.
 
ADVICE
Rev. 3:18, 2 Cor.6:1-10
"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eyesalve, that you may see”
- Gold tried in the fire, implies true living faith tried in the furnace of fire
- That they be clothed with white garment, this is to cloth with the garment of righteousness because sin exposes. They should anoint their eyes with salve. The judgment of God is real. If you are a son of God, you have to endure His chastening. Hebrews 12:5-8
- Eye salve -spiritual illumination.
 
ASSURANCE
Rev. 3:20-21
- Divine fellowship
- Spiritual enthronement
- An invitation to come to Him.
This is the last letter to the churches and this is an invitation to come to Him before the night of great tribulation.  All the time we have is NOW because tomorrow might be late.
 
In all of these letters, God didn’t promise blessings but reward. A blessing is a supernatural aid by the Lord.  A reward is something of value given in return for an act.  We must know that for everything we are doing, we will give an account of our stewardship.
 
PRAYER
I have ears and I hear
Lord I open up my heart to you afresh.

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES

 THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie; indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

ADDRESS

It was addressed to the church in Philadelphia. It existed between AD 1700-1900. Philadelphia means brotherly love.

Identity

They were known as the tried and faithful church, the weak but loyal church and the revival church which shows a state of spiritual advance.

History

The church was built at the centre of Greek culture. It is located 30miles off Sardis. Philadelphia was celebrated for it's rich wine.  Though having a Turkish name, they had five churches and a Christian population of about 3000.

ATTRIBUTES

Jesus introduced Himself as “He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens". In revealing Himself this way, it focuses on the fact that He is pure and holy, true (it is the truth that liberates), has the key (an emblem of authority, knowledge, access).

In essence, everything one is looking for is in Jesus, and if you have Him, you have all. Jesus was simply letting them know that their greatest need is Him, that amidst the distractions and trying times, He was all they needed. Only Jesus is constant.  He is the final authority.

COMMENDATION (Rev. 3:8)

"I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name”.

God takes records, He doesn’t delegate this. He commended them for keeping His word and did not deny His name. These words to them are two of the most blessed words that can be said about a church or a person. They had no social or political standing.

In spite of seemingly having no title or standing, they remained faithful in much opposition though with little strength. The pagan authorities often tested Christians by commanding them to renounce the name of Christ or to face death.

ACCUSATION

There was none. It is possible to live in "perfection" without any condemnation, when you make up your mind that it is the word of God that regulates everything about your life.

Historical era

It was a period of reformation. Prominent figures like Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards (His sermons, sinners in the hands of an angry God is considered a masterpiece), John Knox, George Whitefield, John Carrey, Andoriran Judson, David Livingston, D.L. Moody, were a part of this era.

Modern era, all earnest spiritual churches holding the truth of Jesus at all times, in doctrine, practice and lifestyle, in spite of the temptation both subtle and confrontational to compromise or deviate. 

KEY LESSONS

- 2 Cor. 13:1- This letter shows it is possible to live above board. Your ability to stay right in spite of trials and oppositions is all that matters, that is, you are up and doing in every way possible as expected by God. Living above board is more than not doing wrong.

- The power of love and the power of togetherness. It is love that unites us- Agape.

Great things can happen where there is love, where there is unity. Where there’s love, there’s God, there’s power. “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death”. 1 John 3:14, 1 Pet.4:8. Where there’s love, many supposed issues would not be issues. The power of love and togetherness makes the impossible possible. Deliberately work on growing in love.

ADVICE

Rev. 3:11, 2 Tim. 4:6

Jesus encouraged them to hold fast what they had. You keep the faith, when you have every reason to be bitter, but you stay in love.

ASSURANCE (Rev. 3:11-12)

 - I have set before you an open door - great opportunities, generally for preaching the gospel. That's why great missions and missionaries came out of this era. 1 Cor. 16:9     

- Jesus assured them of preservation.

"I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole earth”.  Verse 10

 “I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God...”

 “I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem...” Verse 12

Live and operate with eternity in view. Do not mortgage the temporal for the eternal.  Let's keep faith; if we are to see the faithfulness of God we must stay faithful.

PRAYER (Rev. 3:13)

I have ears and I hear.

I hold fast

 

 

LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES

TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS (Revelation 3:1-6)

ADDRESS
It is addressed to the church in Sardis. The church existed in Ad 1415-1700. The word Sardis means “remnant”.

Identity
The Sardis church is known as the reformation church. The word Reformation is from the word “reform” which means to get rid of unacceptable habits, to improve something by removing faults. They were known as dead but having a minority of godly men and women. They were also referred to as the dying church-i.e. spiritually dead.

Historical background 
Sardis was the most flourishing and famous city at that time, and it was noted for its great wealth. The chief of it was the carpet industry. Coins were first minted there.

ATTRIBUTE
Jesus referred to Himself as “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars”. Seven denotes perfection, fullness. Thus, He revealed Himself in His fullness. Jesus needed to come in His fullness, in His perfection so they can be perfected because there was imperfection in them.

COMMENDATION (Rev 3: 4)
There was no commendation for the majority of the members in this church except for a few individuals whom the Lord commended for their purity.

Two key lessons from this point
1. God always has His remnant in every church age and time. (1 Kings 19:10, 18, Rom 11:2-5) If God gives you the privilege to be in a certain position, count it as such and do what is expected of you. Every time God replaces someone, it is always an improvement on the first. Anytime a man begins to feel indispensable, God withdraws from him. 

2. The fact that everybody is doing it does not mean you should do it. To be delivered from captivity, you must be sincere and repentant.
 - Heb. 12:1. In life, there are witnesses. There is always a good and bad example. We are all examples to people, either for good or bad. Where there is no good example to look up to, you should become the example. God will never leave Himself without a remnant.

The few in the church were referred to as worthy and God said they would walk with Him in white and white means purity. As you walk with Him, it’s from faith to faith, glory to glory and grace to grace.

The principles of God have not changed because He’s the same yesterday, today and forever, this means He will not lower His standard for anyone. Whatever He condemns in any generation that is against His standard/principles, remains what He will condemn in the next. God does not alter His standards for any age or time.

ACCUSATION/CONDEMNATION (Rev. 3: 2)
“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God”. 
This is one letter God began with a rebuke.
Their works were not found perfect before Him. 

Historical Facts about of this church
Historically, the practices in this church were a result of the idolatry practices of the Thyatira church.

One notable figure in this era was MARTIN LUTHER. He gave us three grand gifts;

1. The universal priesthood of believers. (Every believer has direct access to God) 
2. The bible is the sole authority for the Christian faith
3. Justification is by faith alone not by works.
Some other notable names were Zwinghi, John Knox (He single-handedly swept Romanism out of Scotland through prayers), Roger Williams (founded the first Baptist Church in America) 

Modern era
Presently, our physical state is now been emphasized as against our spiritual state. We talk about our popularity and fame and no longer the presence of God. There is a growing declination. What is the emphasis in our lives and among us? 

KEY LESSON
No Holy Spirit, No life
No life, No progress
No progress, No expansion
No expansion, No explosion 
We are a spiritual people, so whatever we ought to do should start from the spirit. The church was dead. There is deadness without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit walks in purity, where there is no purity, there is no life because the Holy Spirit is the life giver but satan tries to stop us through corruption. 

ADVICE
Rev 3:2-3, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you”.

- Be watchful, be vigilant, and be on your guard. We must be vigilant and beware of the traditions of men set out to deceive and take us away from the true teachings of Christ our Saviour. Eph. 5:14, Lk. 22:31-32, Col.2:6-10)

WARNING (Rev 3:3) 
If you do not watch, I'll come upon you as a thief...

ASSURANCE
 In Rev 3:4b-5, Jesus promised that he who overcomes shall,  

- Walk with Him in white- A promise of fellowship in glory
- Be clothed with garment or robe of righteousness
- Have heavenly registration. His name will not be blotted out of the book of life. This also implies heavenly recognition. 
For Jesus to say, “I will not blot out his name” means He has the power and authority to blot out ones name from the book of life.
Lk. 10:20-be thankful to God for your salvation. Every day, Life offers us opportunity, to deny or embrace Jesus. -Lk.12:8-9

APPEAL (Rev 3:6)
 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”

PRAYER
- I have ears and I hear what the Spirit is saying
- Pray in the Holy Ghost