To the Philippians Paul said; “Rejoice in the Lord at all times.” When we rejoice there is a reason. Rejoicing does not mean that you always have a big smile on your face – that is not possible, but to rejoice in your heart. There are different things to rejoice about: in Luke 10:20 “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” The disciples came back after being sent to preach the Gospel and they rejoiced over their success – we would have done the same, and Jesus did not blame them, but He wanted to show them there is more than that. We rejoice, and have a reason for it: these days of Convention, and what God did for us in the past year, but God wants to show us the MOST important thing. Jesus showed here that the most important is that their names were written in Heaven. We can forget it, taken up with so much round about us. Rejoicing in our names being written in Heaven for that determines our future. In harvest-time people rejoice, because the job is done, and they have a right to rejoice, but there is more to it than that: not only glad that the job is through, but they have reason to rejoice that the crop is in safety, and more: that there is food for the future – lives can be preserved in future. God wants us to rejoice in the most important things.
In the world people are taken up with making a NAME for themselves: The people built the Tower of Babel because they were afraid to be scattered and they wanted to make a name and the result was confusion, and being scattered because of what they did. To establish a name only leads to confusion, but if we allow God to write our names in Heaven it will be different. The rich man tried to establish his name on the earth, and many looked up to him and some feared him – he had a big name on the earth and no name before God. Lazarus had not much to offer and the rich man managed to ignore him but he had a name with God. The rich man saw no necessity to open his eyes on the earth, but the time came that he had to open his eyes, and he saw Lazarus who had a name written by God. If we want our names to be written in Heaven, we must get a new name – only a new name can be written in heaven and be acknowledged by God. Abraham and others got a new name, and the reason for it was that God spoke to them and showed them what could be accomplished in their lives – they had an experience with God. Jacob wrestled with God – he didn’t want to give up and he got victory, and he got a new name. We must be careful for there is a possibility for that name to be blotted out: we are responsible to keep the name that God gave us there.
In Rev. 7 we read the messages God gave to the 7 different churches. In the messages to three of the churches, names are mentioned. Rev. 2:17 “to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.;” Several times it is mentioned “to him that overcometh …. He shall receive.” If we want a new name in Heaven we will have to overcome and become victors (not be overcome by the enemy) Many things can disturb our fellowship with God and we can lose our name. Amazing how things can remain for years and spoil our fellowship with God. There is the possibility to lose my name written in Heaven, or lay aside that which can be a hindrance and spoil my fellowship with God and with my brothers and sisters.
I enjoyed a certain thought: Jesus said to his Father in Luke 10; “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the son will reveal Him.” There is a connection between the words of Jesus and those words written in Revelations about the “hidden manna” – that was the bread for the spirit to feed on. Jesus rejoiced that it was hid from the wise and the prudent: this manna from God, having fellowship with God and His people: we enjoy what others don’t know. We can hide something and when things are scares we can give it to one we love and the receiver will appreciate it because it is precious. The manna we get these days are precious because it is scares. We can all lose the name that God gave to us. When you get this stone you can lose or mislay it. When a name is engraved on a stone it is not easy to erase it for the stone is solid and firm but we can lose the stone. To do all we can to keep this stone white and unblotted. These things are revealed to babes – little child – speaks of purity, undefiled. The stone is white, pure and undefiled. What we are entrusted with is undefiled and clean. We have to keep it clean so that it can remain with us.
“a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it”. That is the personal relationship between us and God. “no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” That personal relationship to God is very precious. To those around us, it is a puzzle to them and they can’t grasp or understand how we serve God and why, but we know it is acceptable and it pays.
In Rev. 20 it tells us of the Books that were opened in judgment: “and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The day of judgment will come and different books will be opened. During our life we write our book. Some people at the end of their life try to write a record of different events that they want to pass on to the future generations – a memoire. We are all writing our lives’ book and when that day comes, it will be opened and also the Book of Life and those who served God and were willing to serve God in His Way and follow Jesus, will enter into the joy of Heaven but if their names are not there in the Book of Life there will be no access into Heaven and the glory of God. The book we are writing determines the measure of our reward. If our names are not in the Book of Life, there is no entrance for us into Heaven. May we realize what it means to have our names in that Book and do all to keep it there. It is the most important thing for us to have our names there in the Book of Life in Heaven.
Truth Archive 