"Hidden Manna" & "The White Stone" Kathryn Kuhlman The Church of Pergamos

Now, what I want to discuss with you is that portion of the Word of God as found in the second chapter of the Revelation. And it's the message to the church at Pergamos. And the Lord, first of all, began commending them, saying, I know thy works and where thou dwellest. And he commended them on the fact that thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith. But then in that 14th verse, he begins by saying, But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast their sum that hold the doctrine of Balaam. Now what? was the doctrine of Balaam. The essence of Balaamism is today that which we would call worldliness. Oh, the church is in great danger when it makes a union with the world. I mean that. Satan first tried to destroy the power of Christianity by persecution. But the church grew stronger than ever. Now he seeks to nullify its power by mixing Christianity with worldliness. And he found it to be great success. Haven't you heard people say about some questionable thing? Oh, there's no harm in that. Everybody's doing it. What harm is there in doing it? You can know right then. that they are losing their Christian influence through compromise. And you can lose your Christian testimony and your Christian experience and your fellowship with God. You can get into a backslidden condition through compromise quicker than anything that I know anything about. And this was the trouble with the church at Pergamos. We're to be in the world, the Bible teaches, but not of the world. The Christian must be in the world, but not let the world get in him. A ship in the water is a thing of power and beauty. Oh, it's marvelous. Seen that great... ocean voyager out there in the middle of the water. Truly, it is a thing of beauty, is a thing of power. But when the water gets in the ship, there are tragic results. Now then, you can go out in this world to your office, to your store, to your place of business, to your place in society. And you can be a strong witness for Christ through a consecrated Christian life. Your testimony, your very presence, can mean much to those with whom you associate. Or you can go out in the world, mix with it, do as it does, go where it goes, sink to the depths that it sinks to. All of your power as a Christian will soon be gone. All of your power of testimony will soon be gone. God says that whosoever will be a friend of this world is the enemy of God. Surely God does not mean that we are to despise the people of this world. Not at all. But we are to hate all the worldly and carnal things that come between us and the Lord. And if there is something in the world that has come between you and the Lord, something that is robbing you of your testimony, something that is robbing you of a consecrated life, something that is robbing you of that deep, wonderful communion and fellowship with Him, something that is robbing you of your first love, then, beloved, that thing has become sin to you. I mean that. We need to preach about those things more than we do. Sometimes I feel convicted because I do not preach against those things more. Now, continue with the second chapter of the Revelation. this message that was given to the church at Pergamos. We now hear Jesus saying, Repent, or else I will come upon thee quickly and will fight against thee with the sword out of my mouth. And here we see him coming to judge. He doesn't say that he's going to harm the faithful Christians. but only those who are not living as they should. Oh, what would happen today if Christ came upon our churches with the sword of judgment? I wonder. How many would be cut off? Would you be among those who would suffer? Only you can answer that question, for only you know how you are living, what compromises you are making. or how you have leapt down in your Christian morals and standards. Only you know the secrets of your heart. Only you know your motives and desires. There were two groups in the Pergamos Church which Christ would fight against. Those who were mixed up with the world and all of its sinful practices. compromise, and those who wanted to lord it over God's people. He would treat the same group in our church the same today. Read it. It's there. The second chapter of the book of Revelation. Begin with the 12th verse and continue through the 17th. Now, In closing, Jesus makes two promises to those who overcome. First, he will give them to eat of the hidden manna. Oh, it's glorious it's there. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna. That's the first thing. Manna, you know, was the food given to Israel in the wilderness. The psalmist called it angel's food. And this manna was a type of Christ. All that he is. and needs is hidden to the carnal man. But if we're living for him above all, surely all of the sweets and the joys of Christ will be ours to feed upon and enjoy. That hidden manna, that heavenly food, that mighty strengthening food, give to them who will dare to overcome, to eat of that hidden manna, given daily, satisfied. Are you living that satisfied life? Completely satisfied in him? I'll tell you what the secret is. You have been feeding on that heavenly manna. that he has promised to give to those who are living a life of full dedication and consecration. Now go a little bit further. He has also promised to them that overcometh the stone, a white stone, and in the stone a new name written. which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. So here he promised to give them a white stone. Now in ancient times, this white stone meant several things. First, it meant acquittal. When a man was tried by the court, the jurors would lay down a white stone. to signify that the man had been acquitted of a crime. And so Jesus here was saying, I am giving you the white stone to signify that all of your sins are gone. They had been forgiven. They had been cast into the deepest sea. Oh, the wonderful fact. to know that our sins are all gone, all forgiven. To him that overcometh, I will give that stone of acquittal. I will forgive that one. That one's sins are all forgiven. They're all blotted out. And that one stands forgiven in my presence. That marvelous white stone. Then the white stone was used to gain hospitality, just as we use a credit card today. The man who carried the white stone on his travels was entitled to hospitality in certain places. Isn't Jesus saying here, I am giving you the white stone to signify that all I have is yours? Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, ye shall receive. Now here comes something that to me is very thrilling. The white stone was used for friendship. In those days, two friends would take a white piece of marble. and divided into two pieces. They would write a secret symbol on each stone. Then this stone would be handed down from father to son and on to the next generation. And then at some future time, if a man who held one piece of the stone found another man holding the other piece that would match the stone that he was holding, He would claim shelter and protection and provision. Doesn't that do something to you? Don't you understand what it means? There are two sides of salvation. Christ has already done his part. And when we do our part, we are bound together forever. Oh, to me, that's the most thrilling thing in the whole world. Sure. He holds the one part of that white stone. He's holding it securely this hour. On of that white stone is my name. He knows me better than I know myself. He knows the very intents of my heart. The very hair on my head is numbered the master. He knows me. He's interested in me. He is so interested in me that he'll hear the slightest whisper from my heart. And when I pray, he listens as though I were the only person in the whole world who was praying. And in that hour when I came and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, there was rejoicing in heaven as though I were the only person who had ever accepted the pardon. On the cross of Calvary, I'm personal. I'm individual in the sight of God. He's holding half of that white stone in His hand. With my name on it. In exactly the same way, you are individual. You are personal to him. As personal to him as I am. And he's holding in his hand half of that white stone with your name upon it. Oh, sure. But it isn't one -sided. Sometimes I think we act as though salvation is one -sided. And it's all on His side. We thrill to the fact that God gave His only begotten Son. We thrill to the fact that one day Jesus offered Himself through the Holy Spirit to be given that you and I might have life eternal. We thrill to the fact that God gave his only begotten son, that there is salvation in Christ Jesus. We thrill to the glorious fact that there's a heaven to gain. But we forget that there are two sides to salvation. His side and our side. His part and our part. Christ has already done his part when he gave his life and promised to forgive. But, beloved, we must do our part in coming to him, confessing our sins, confessing the fact that we need a Savior to forgive us from our sins. We need... to come in deep and sincere repentance. And then after we have come to him and after we have accepted the pardon and after we become a very part of him, beloved, we must still continue to do our part in living for him the life of consecration. A daily Christian life in the world. but not a part of the world. In the world, giving our testimony, a shining light, representing him, for we as Christians are the only Christ that many an unsaved person sees any time during the 24 hours of his day. And then, remember, that when we do our part, the two stones come together and we are bound together with him forever and ever. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Amen.