FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

In both cases these politicians were presented as god-like, but quickly proved to be ungodly in their governance. I mention this as a note as my purpose is to spotlight this spirit functioning in the Church. As I am interested in identifying this spirit working in the Church, I am also searching for hints in Scripture regarding how to overcome this spirit’s influence and, ultimately, defeat it in our present -day Churches. With such a short epistle it is logical that we would look deeper into what the apostle John has written in order to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal strategy for dealing with this type of situation. In other epistles John wrote, and especially in the book of Revelation, John often placed information in his writings which need to be extrapolated to understand additional information hidden “between the lines.” Scripture says that it is, “ the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out ” (Proverbs 25:2). As I began to investigate Third John for information on how to deal with this spirit, I had this search in mind. First, the individual Diotrephes is called “ nourished by or blessed by Ju- piter .” As mentioned, this is the Latin equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. John also mentioned Zeus indirectly in his epistle to the Church in Pergamos when he wrote the words of Jesus: Revelation 2:12 “ And to the angel in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has that sharp two – edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where. you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells .” Jesus was addressing the Church in Pergamos where there was a temple to the god Zeus. He did not call Zeus by either his Latin or Greek name but identified him as satan. This should give us concern that John in this epistle is addressing someone “ blessed by satan ” in the Church. Certainly, anything blessed by satan should give us concern, especially when it is functioning in the Church of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that this spirit is blessed by satan, because it hinders the believers from receiving from the apostles, prophets and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus cautioned that there would be those who were not of His kingdom planted into His kingdom.

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