Welcome to another week of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone enjoyed the re-post of the sermon about the Sign of Jonah last week. The last two weeks have been very hard. Praise the Lord. He has seen and is seeing me through. The Lord is always faithful. Sometimes, when difficulties arise, I get my eyes off of Jesus, and that leads to anxiety. I need to keep recognizing the fact that Jesus is always with me in all things. He said that He will never leave us, and He will never forsake us.
When we were last studying in the book of Revelation, we looked at the words of Jesus to the church at Pergamos. At this church, there was great persecution, but the believers there were standing firm in the faith and serving the Lord in power.
The Lord did bring some powerful words against this church. There was a great deal of doctrinal error and false teaching in this church, and many were engaged in immoral and idolatrous behavior. Such is true with many churches today.
Jesus instructed this church to repent of its error and immorality, or He would fight against them. Those who overcome will feast with Jesus at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Today, we turn our attention to Revelation 2:18-29 and Jesus' words to the church at Thyatira. Thyatira was a Roman military city about 30 miles from Pergamos. It was a well-known center of the cloth trade in the Roman Empire.
In verse 18, Jesus is described as having eyes like flame and feet like brass. This is the description of the man that Daniel saw in Daniel 10. Jesus is the God-Man. He existed for all of eternity. Because He is divine, He has the authority to bring judgment upon both people and nations. He knows all, and He knows those who are His faithful followers and those who are not.
Jesus said that He knew this church's works of love, service, faith and patience. Many in this church were faithfully following Jesus. They were growing in their walk with the Lord. They were working and producing more spiritual fruit now than when they first believed in Jesus as Savior.
However, all was not well in the church at Thyatira. Just as in Pergamos, error and false teaching had a strong presence in the church. Jesus brings very strong words against many in Thyatira.
First of all, Jesus was not pleased that the church allowed a woman named Jezebel who said that she was a prophetess to teach false doctrines such as that it was fine to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols. She also taught that sexual immorality was acceptable.
I don't know if this woman's name was actually Jezebel or if Jesus was using this name to identify the extreme wickedness of the woman who was teaching in the church. I think that Jesus used the name because she is considered to be the most wicked woman in the Bible. She was as far from God as a person can be. She opposed and killed the prophets of God and led the people of Israel into immorality and idolatry.
As I've said before, this sounds just like the church of today. At least in my country. There are a lot of churches, but there aren't many where the truth of the gospel is proclaimed. In so many ways, the church resembles the world and its values. Churches don't stand against divorce, cohabitation, greed, dishonest profits, abortion and many other sins that are so prevalent among many who claim Jesus as Lord. Christians need to stop following the way of the world and follow the path of Jesus. We must follow sound doctrine and not every wind of doctrine that claims that a life of sin is acceptable to the Lord.
According to what Jesus says in verse 24, many in this church were also engaged in occult practices. Its disturbing to me how many churches actually celebrate Halloween.
Jesus said that He would bring judgment on this woman and her followers if they did not repent. The judgment may have been actual sickness and death. I believe that Jesus is referring to spiritual death for all of eternity.
Jesus says in verse 23 that He would give to every person according to their works. We as Jesus' followers will be rewarded in the world to come according to how faithfully we have followed the teachings and the commandments of Jesus.
Jesus goes on to say that those who are faithful will be given power over the nations. Jesus said that those who are His followers will rule and reign with Him on earth when He comes again to establish His Kingdom that will have no end.
Jesus said that He would give the one who overcomes the morning star. This means that we will have more of the experience of the presence of the Lord for all eternity. What a blessing.
Before I close, I want to deal with Jesus words in verse 26 where He says, "He who overcomes." Jesus has talked about overcoming in His messages to several churches. This is what it really means to be a Christian. It means accepting Jesus as Lord. But we must keep on with Jesus until the end. So much teaching says that we come to the Lord, say a prayer and then we are saved. Yet, this teaching does not speak about following the Lord day by day and demonstrating our allegiance to Christ the King through obedience and faithfulness. Being a Christian doesn't mean saying a Sinner's Prayer and then I'm saved. Being a Christian means committing one's life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ every day until we see Jesus in all of His glory. I invite you to come to Jesus and follow Him today.
Next week, will will study what Jesus said to the church at Sardis. On Wednesday, I will post two book reviews to make up for the one I had to miss this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Update
I am sorry that I could not post a book review yesterday. My car broke down, and I could not get to the library. I will, Lord willing, post the Weekend Sermon tomorrow, and we will continue our study of the book of Revelation. May God bless you.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Weekend Sermon
As I mentioned last week, I am not feeling at all well. Today I am re-posting a sermon from two years ago called "The Sign of Jonah." This sermon has had the most viewers of any sermon that I have posted on this blog. Next week, I hope to start back again in our series from the book of Revelation. Please continue to pray that the Lord will help me in my life. May God bless you all, and thank you for reading the blog these past few years. Amen
In this section of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of people. I'm sure they didn't expect Jesus to begin His message to them the way He did. Jesus said that they were a wicked generation because they asked Him to perform a miraculous sign. In other words, they wanted Jesus to perform some kind of miracle that would prove to them that He was the Messiah.
Jesus said that He wasn't going to give them a sign except for the sign of Jonah the prophet. What I don't get is how these people following Jesus could still be seeking a sign from Jesus to prove Himself. At this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has already performed many powerful miracles witnessed by the crowds.
In chapter 4, Jesus drove out an evil spirit in the synagogue, healed Peter's mother-in-law, and healed many people with a variety of problems. In chapter 5, Jesus healed a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man. Chapter 7 finds Jesus in the town of Nain raising a widow's son from the dead. Jesus calms a storm, heals a demoniac, heals a woman with an issue of blood and raises Jairus' daughter. Five thousand were miraculously fed in chapter 9. What more in the way of signs did the people expect? No wonder Jesus reacted the way He did.
Jesus said that the same way in which Jonah was a sign to Nineveh, Jesus would be a sign to His generation. At this point we need to ask, what is this sign of Jonah that Jesus is speaking about?
If you recall, Jonah was a prophet from Israel. An Old Testament book of the Bible is named for him. God called the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian Empire.
Jonah had no intention of going anywhere near Nineveh. The Assyrians were the arch enemies of Israel, and as far as Jonah was concerned, God could just go ahead and destroy Nineveh and be done with the matter.
Jonah got on a boat and sailed in the opposite direction. God wasn't going to let Jonah get off the hook that easily. A great storm arose, and Jonah, knowing he was the cause, had the sailors cast him into the sea. As soon as Jonah hit the waves, the storm calmed and a great fish swallowed him.
Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. He then repented and was vomited out onto dry land. He rushed to Nineveh and delivered a message of repentance as originally instructed by God. All of Nineveh turned to the Lord. Jonah, being the kind of man that he was, was angry with God for having mercy on the city.
The sign of Jonah Jesus was speaking about was the fact that when Jonah was in the belly of the fish it was as if he were dead then came back to the land of the living.
Jesus said that just as Jonah was three days and nights in the fish, He would be three days and nights in the grave. Then Jesus would rise from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
The sign to Jesus' generation that proved His message was the fact that although crucified and put to death, He rose again conquering sin and its consequences forever. Truly, as Jesus said, He is the resurrection and the life, therefore whoever believes in Him will never die.
The resurrection of Jesus is our sign of who Jesus is and that His message is true. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said about Himself and the work of redemption accomplished at Calvary.
In spite of this sign, the vast majority of people in Jesus' day right up to the present day don't believe in Jesus' message of love and redemption.
Jesus told those listening to Him that the Queen of the South would stand up and judge them because she came from the ends of the earth to see Solomon, yet one greater than Solomon was among them.
This reminds me of many people today. They will follow innumerable spiritual paths, but they will not follow Jesus. Just look at the world we live in. Only one-third of the world's population holds to the Christian religion in any form. Two-thirds of this world is going in a different direction.
Here in my country, the United States, many different religious teachers preach a message contrary to Jesus and they have best selling books and are featured on programs of national prominence. All the while, the number of people who believe in the divinity of Jesus and in His resurrection grows smaller.
This makes me sad because I know in my life that my relationship with the Jesus of the Bible has made all of the difference. I hope that others will come to know the Savior I try to serve.
Jesus went on to say that the people of Nineveh would rise up in judgment because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and those listening to Jesus rejected God come in human flesh.
Jesus told the people then, and He tells us today to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves who He is.
There is no other historical religious figure who has died and risen from the dead. The empty grave is proof of the resurrection. The Bible says that over 500 people saw the risen Christ. And, why would all of the Apostles except one be willing to suffer a martyr's death if they hadn't seen the risen Jesus?
Jesus is the way. Only He can provide the answers for life and hope for the life to come. I urge you to believe in Him and follow Him today. Amen.
In this section of Scripture, Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of people. I'm sure they didn't expect Jesus to begin His message to them the way He did. Jesus said that they were a wicked generation because they asked Him to perform a miraculous sign. In other words, they wanted Jesus to perform some kind of miracle that would prove to them that He was the Messiah.
Jesus said that He wasn't going to give them a sign except for the sign of Jonah the prophet. What I don't get is how these people following Jesus could still be seeking a sign from Jesus to prove Himself. At this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has already performed many powerful miracles witnessed by the crowds.
In chapter 4, Jesus drove out an evil spirit in the synagogue, healed Peter's mother-in-law, and healed many people with a variety of problems. In chapter 5, Jesus healed a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man. Chapter 7 finds Jesus in the town of Nain raising a widow's son from the dead. Jesus calms a storm, heals a demoniac, heals a woman with an issue of blood and raises Jairus' daughter. Five thousand were miraculously fed in chapter 9. What more in the way of signs did the people expect? No wonder Jesus reacted the way He did.
Jesus said that the same way in which Jonah was a sign to Nineveh, Jesus would be a sign to His generation. At this point we need to ask, what is this sign of Jonah that Jesus is speaking about?
If you recall, Jonah was a prophet from Israel. An Old Testament book of the Bible is named for him. God called the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian Empire.
Jonah had no intention of going anywhere near Nineveh. The Assyrians were the arch enemies of Israel, and as far as Jonah was concerned, God could just go ahead and destroy Nineveh and be done with the matter.
Jonah got on a boat and sailed in the opposite direction. God wasn't going to let Jonah get off the hook that easily. A great storm arose, and Jonah, knowing he was the cause, had the sailors cast him into the sea. As soon as Jonah hit the waves, the storm calmed and a great fish swallowed him.
Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish. He then repented and was vomited out onto dry land. He rushed to Nineveh and delivered a message of repentance as originally instructed by God. All of Nineveh turned to the Lord. Jonah, being the kind of man that he was, was angry with God for having mercy on the city.
The sign of Jonah Jesus was speaking about was the fact that when Jonah was in the belly of the fish it was as if he were dead then came back to the land of the living.
Jesus said that just as Jonah was three days and nights in the fish, He would be three days and nights in the grave. Then Jesus would rise from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
The sign to Jesus' generation that proved His message was the fact that although crucified and put to death, He rose again conquering sin and its consequences forever. Truly, as Jesus said, He is the resurrection and the life, therefore whoever believes in Him will never die.
The resurrection of Jesus is our sign of who Jesus is and that His message is true. The resurrection of Jesus validates everything He said about Himself and the work of redemption accomplished at Calvary.
In spite of this sign, the vast majority of people in Jesus' day right up to the present day don't believe in Jesus' message of love and redemption.
Jesus told those listening to Him that the Queen of the South would stand up and judge them because she came from the ends of the earth to see Solomon, yet one greater than Solomon was among them.
This reminds me of many people today. They will follow innumerable spiritual paths, but they will not follow Jesus. Just look at the world we live in. Only one-third of the world's population holds to the Christian religion in any form. Two-thirds of this world is going in a different direction.
Here in my country, the United States, many different religious teachers preach a message contrary to Jesus and they have best selling books and are featured on programs of national prominence. All the while, the number of people who believe in the divinity of Jesus and in His resurrection grows smaller.
This makes me sad because I know in my life that my relationship with the Jesus of the Bible has made all of the difference. I hope that others will come to know the Savior I try to serve.
Jesus went on to say that the people of Nineveh would rise up in judgment because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and those listening to Jesus rejected God come in human flesh.
Jesus told the people then, and He tells us today to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves who He is.
There is no other historical religious figure who has died and risen from the dead. The empty grave is proof of the resurrection. The Bible says that over 500 people saw the risen Christ. And, why would all of the Apostles except one be willing to suffer a martyr's death if they hadn't seen the risen Jesus?
Jesus is the way. Only He can provide the answers for life and hope for the life to come. I urge you to believe in Him and follow Him today. Amen.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Book Review
Today, I would like to recommend two books by photographer and author Richard Surman. The first book is called "Cathedral Cats". This is a book about some of the cats that live in and around the great cathedrals of Britain. My favorite cats in this book were Kim who lives at Lichfield Cathedral and Wolfie who lives at Salisbury Cathedral. The second book I'd like to recommend by Richard Surman is called "Dog Collar". Mr. Surman wrote several books about cats, so he decided to do a volume about dogs who belong to pastors in Britain. My favorite dog in this book was Jimmy who belongs to a priest serving the community of Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Jimmy regularly attends services where he waits at the front of the church for his master to finish the message.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Revelation
I'm sorry I had to delay the sermon this week. I had an appointment yesterday. I have been having a great deal of trouble with my pancreas and stomach the last couple of months. It's getting worse and not better, so please pray for me.
Please continue to pray that I will be able to sell the things I need to sell this week. I really need the Lord to meet an important need in my life this week. Please pray. It seems that every time I try to do something for the Lord that there are a lot of road blocks that I have to overcome.
Also, please pray for peace in Egypt and Syria. Many Christians are suffering persecution in Egypt. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In last week's message, we looked at the words of Jesus to those in the church at Smyrna. These believers were suffering a great time of tribulation and persecution for their faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord encouraged the church at Smyrna not to fear and to remain faithful to Him. Those who remain faithful even unto death will receive the crown of life as a reward.
Today, we focus our attention on the Jesus' message to the church at Pergamos. Unlike the church at Smyrna, the church at Pergamos does receive a rebuke from the Lord.
The city of Pergamos was located about 50 miles north of Smyrna. It was the capital of the province of Asia.
Jesus begins His message to this church in verse 12 by saying that He had a sharp two edged sword. This signifies that Jesus was bringing strong words against those in Pergamos.
However, Jesus begins by commending those in the church who have held fast to the faith even though they lived where Satan dwells. What does this mean?
This is a reference to the fact that there was great idolatry in the city. All forms of idolatry are demonic in nature. This may have been a particularly immoral city given over to all sorts of evil and the power of the occult. It was a place of great wickedness in the eyes of Jesus. Those who lived in this wicked city were persecuted for their faithfulness to Jesus. One believer named Antipas was killed for his witness for Jesus Christ.
Jesus is pleased with those who are willing to suffer for His sake. Many are suffering for the Lord today. This is especially true for Christians living in the Islamic world.
I believe that there is coming a time when there will be great persecution against Christians in the Western world who stand for Biblical principles and the truth of the gospel. I just heard on the radio this morning about a pastor in Canada who was prosecuted for hate crimes because he suggested that if the schools were passing out Korans that they should pass out the Bible as well. One pastor in Sweden was imprisoned for hate speech because he said that the Bible spoke against homosexual practices. The world system is falling into greater and greater levels of immorality, and society is moving farther and farther away from those things that honor God. Those who honor Christ and His word will be ostracized and persecuted by those in the darkness who can't stand to be the the presence of the light.
Jesus does have some things against those in the church at Pergamos. First of all, they hold to the doctrine of Balaam. This signifies the fact that there were those in this church who were willing to compromise with what was wrong. They were willing to accept into the church immoral practices and heretical doctrines.
Many in the church are doing this today. For instance, the Bible is clear that divorced persons should not be the pastor of a church, yet many people who are divorced are in the pulpit. We are compromising the word to be culturally acceptable.
One of the things that the people in Pergamos were doing was eating meat that was sacrificed to idols. Jesus says that this practice is always wrong. This is somewhat different from the teaching on this subject by the Apostle Paul. The authority of Jesus is greater than that of Paul. I accept what the Lord has said on this subject. Period.
Many in the church at Pergamos were also practicing sexual sins. They were not following the clear teaching of Jesus on issues of sexual morality.
Unfortunately, this is the case in many churches today. We are ignoring the teaching of Jesus about the sinfulness of all sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We are also ignoring Jesus teachings about greed, riches, helping the poor and non-violence. Christians must stand with the Lord and not compromise with this world and its values.
The church at Pergamos was also allowing the doctrine of the Nicolaitans to be taught. Jesus says that He hates this doctrine. This is strong language. We often don't think of Jesus as hating something. I think that Jesus uses this language because the ideas of the Nicolaitans were a slap in the face to what Jesus did on the cross. They were taking the grace of the Lord and trying to turn it into a license to sin.
Jesus urges the people in this church to repent. If they don't, Jesus in essence said that they would become His enemies.
Jesus says that those who overcome will be given hidden manna to eat. If they leave behind the food sacrificed to idols, they will receive the food from the banquet of the marriage supper of the lamb. This applies to us today if we will leave the world behind and follow the path of Jesus.
Those who overcome will be given a white stone with a new name. This signifies justification from sin and a turning from the old way to a new life in Jesus Christ that is far superior to anything that this world has to offer.
Those of us living today must not compromise with the world's values or with false doctrine. We must stand with Jesus and faithfully follow His commandments and teachings in the midst of adversity.
On Wednesday, I will try to post another review. Next week, we will look at Jesus words to the church at Thyatira. May God bless you. Amen.
Please continue to pray that I will be able to sell the things I need to sell this week. I really need the Lord to meet an important need in my life this week. Please pray. It seems that every time I try to do something for the Lord that there are a lot of road blocks that I have to overcome.
Also, please pray for peace in Egypt and Syria. Many Christians are suffering persecution in Egypt. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In last week's message, we looked at the words of Jesus to those in the church at Smyrna. These believers were suffering a great time of tribulation and persecution for their faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord encouraged the church at Smyrna not to fear and to remain faithful to Him. Those who remain faithful even unto death will receive the crown of life as a reward.
Today, we focus our attention on the Jesus' message to the church at Pergamos. Unlike the church at Smyrna, the church at Pergamos does receive a rebuke from the Lord.
The city of Pergamos was located about 50 miles north of Smyrna. It was the capital of the province of Asia.
Jesus begins His message to this church in verse 12 by saying that He had a sharp two edged sword. This signifies that Jesus was bringing strong words against those in Pergamos.
However, Jesus begins by commending those in the church who have held fast to the faith even though they lived where Satan dwells. What does this mean?
This is a reference to the fact that there was great idolatry in the city. All forms of idolatry are demonic in nature. This may have been a particularly immoral city given over to all sorts of evil and the power of the occult. It was a place of great wickedness in the eyes of Jesus. Those who lived in this wicked city were persecuted for their faithfulness to Jesus. One believer named Antipas was killed for his witness for Jesus Christ.
Jesus is pleased with those who are willing to suffer for His sake. Many are suffering for the Lord today. This is especially true for Christians living in the Islamic world.
I believe that there is coming a time when there will be great persecution against Christians in the Western world who stand for Biblical principles and the truth of the gospel. I just heard on the radio this morning about a pastor in Canada who was prosecuted for hate crimes because he suggested that if the schools were passing out Korans that they should pass out the Bible as well. One pastor in Sweden was imprisoned for hate speech because he said that the Bible spoke against homosexual practices. The world system is falling into greater and greater levels of immorality, and society is moving farther and farther away from those things that honor God. Those who honor Christ and His word will be ostracized and persecuted by those in the darkness who can't stand to be the the presence of the light.
Jesus does have some things against those in the church at Pergamos. First of all, they hold to the doctrine of Balaam. This signifies the fact that there were those in this church who were willing to compromise with what was wrong. They were willing to accept into the church immoral practices and heretical doctrines.
Many in the church are doing this today. For instance, the Bible is clear that divorced persons should not be the pastor of a church, yet many people who are divorced are in the pulpit. We are compromising the word to be culturally acceptable.
One of the things that the people in Pergamos were doing was eating meat that was sacrificed to idols. Jesus says that this practice is always wrong. This is somewhat different from the teaching on this subject by the Apostle Paul. The authority of Jesus is greater than that of Paul. I accept what the Lord has said on this subject. Period.
Many in the church at Pergamos were also practicing sexual sins. They were not following the clear teaching of Jesus on issues of sexual morality.
Unfortunately, this is the case in many churches today. We are ignoring the teaching of Jesus about the sinfulness of all sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We are also ignoring Jesus teachings about greed, riches, helping the poor and non-violence. Christians must stand with the Lord and not compromise with this world and its values.
The church at Pergamos was also allowing the doctrine of the Nicolaitans to be taught. Jesus says that He hates this doctrine. This is strong language. We often don't think of Jesus as hating something. I think that Jesus uses this language because the ideas of the Nicolaitans were a slap in the face to what Jesus did on the cross. They were taking the grace of the Lord and trying to turn it into a license to sin.
Jesus urges the people in this church to repent. If they don't, Jesus in essence said that they would become His enemies.
Jesus says that those who overcome will be given hidden manna to eat. If they leave behind the food sacrificed to idols, they will receive the food from the banquet of the marriage supper of the lamb. This applies to us today if we will leave the world behind and follow the path of Jesus.
Those who overcome will be given a white stone with a new name. This signifies justification from sin and a turning from the old way to a new life in Jesus Christ that is far superior to anything that this world has to offer.
Those of us living today must not compromise with the world's values or with false doctrine. We must stand with Jesus and faithfully follow His commandments and teachings in the midst of adversity.
On Wednesday, I will try to post another review. Next week, we will look at Jesus words to the church at Thyatira. May God bless you. Amen.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Update
I will not be able to post the Weekend Sermon today. I will try to get it posted Saturday or Sunday.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Book Review
Today's book is called "A Dog Walked Into a Nursing Home" written by Sue Halpern. I found this to be a very interesting book on several levels. First of all, it was interesting to learn about the training that is involved in getting a dog ready to work as a therapy dog in a nursing home. The author trained her dog Pransky to visit nursing home residents in a small town in Vermont. Pransky was perfectly suited to the task of providing love and comfort to the nursing home residents. The residents could pet her and feed her treats while remembering the dogs of their younger days. I thought that the best parts of the book were the stories about those who lived in the nursing home. Each person discussed had an interesting life story. When my Mom had a stroke and was severely disabled, my Dad and I took care of her at the house for over five years. However, she did have to go to a nursing home for the last six weeks of her life as her condition deteriorated to the point that Dad and I couldn't take care of her at the house any longer. I wish that a caring person with a therapy animal would have been available to visit my Mom and the residents at the nursing home she was in. I highly recommend this book.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Revelation
It is good to be back for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a good week that was truly blessed.
Please keep praying that the Lord will help me in my ministry goal. So far, things haven't been progressing the way I hoped. Continue to pray that the Lord will allow me to sell what I need to sell, and that I will get the finances that I need to pay what I need to pay.
I would also ask as well that you pray for the folks who live in Southern Kansas and Southern Missouri. They have been having terrible flooding that has taken several lives. Pray that the rain will hold off for awhile in these areas.
In last week's message, we focused our attention on the first message that Jesus gave to the seven churches of Asia. Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for laboring for Him and judging true from false teaching.
However, the church at Ephesus had lost their first love. This can happen if a believer does not practice building his relationship with the Lord. We grow in our love for the Lord by continuing in prayer and meditation. We stay firm in our love when we obey the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Jesus urged the people to repent and overcome. Those who overcome would enjoy a great relationship with the Lord in Heaven.
We now turn to Jesus' message to the church at Smyrna recorded in Revelation 2:8-11. Smyrna was a large city located 35 miles north of the the city of Ephesus. This city was know as one of the prime locations of emperor worship in the Roman world. They also had a large Jewish population.
Jesus says that He was the one who died and came back to life. Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive forevermore.
Jesus goes on to say in verse 9 that He knew the church's, "works, tribulations, and poverty". The people in the church at Smyrna, along with those in Philadelphia, were the only two churches not to receive a rebuke from the Lord.
Jesus was pleased that the people were working diligently for Him. They were spreading the message of the gospel in a place filled with spiritual darkness.
Because of their testimony and their work for the Kingdom of Heaven, the people were suffering a great persecution. Jesus says that this is just the beginning of the persecution that the church in Smyrna would face. Jesus said that some of them would be thrown into prison and tested for their faith in Him.
This wasn't all that the people in Smyrna were facing. They were in great poverty. This may have been a result of the persecution they were facing. Besides this, the people were suffering persecution for some who were claiming to be Jews but were not.
In spite of all of that this church was facing, it remained faithful to Jesus, and they received a word of commendation and encouragement from the Lord.
Jesus told the church that even though they were poor in material things, they were really rich. This has much application to believers today. Some teachers today teach that if a believer is living right and has enough faith they he will have financial prosperity. We see from this passage that this is not the case. The people in the church at Smyrna were faithful followers of Jesus even in the midst of persecution. And they were poor. There are many faithful followers of Jesus who are poor in worldly goods and just barely have enough to get by. However, although many may be poor in things of the world, they are rich in the love of the Lord and the things that count for eternity. They have the true spiritual riches that come for knowing Jesus Christ.
Many also face tremendous persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus. In some countries, those who come to the Christian faith can suffer the loss of family, livelihood and even their life. There are many martyrs for the sake of Jesus Christ today.
Jesus said that those who were faithful to Him in the midst of persecution will receive the crown of life. James also talks about the crown of life in his epistle as well. This is a special reward for those who give their lives for the cause of Christ. It is a great honor to receive this crown so that it may be placed at the feet of the King of Kings.
Those who are faithful and overcome this world and its temptations will not face the second death which is separation from God for all eternity. Those who put their trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and believe in His resurrection have passed from death into life.
Those who trust in Jesus will spend eternity with Him. I pray that if there is anyone who is reading this message who has not trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord that you will do so today.
On Wednesday, I will post another animal book review. Next week, we will look at Jesus' words to the church at Pergamos.
Please keep praying that the Lord will help me in my ministry goal. So far, things haven't been progressing the way I hoped. Continue to pray that the Lord will allow me to sell what I need to sell, and that I will get the finances that I need to pay what I need to pay.
I would also ask as well that you pray for the folks who live in Southern Kansas and Southern Missouri. They have been having terrible flooding that has taken several lives. Pray that the rain will hold off for awhile in these areas.
In last week's message, we focused our attention on the first message that Jesus gave to the seven churches of Asia. Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for laboring for Him and judging true from false teaching.
However, the church at Ephesus had lost their first love. This can happen if a believer does not practice building his relationship with the Lord. We grow in our love for the Lord by continuing in prayer and meditation. We stay firm in our love when we obey the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
Jesus urged the people to repent and overcome. Those who overcome would enjoy a great relationship with the Lord in Heaven.
We now turn to Jesus' message to the church at Smyrna recorded in Revelation 2:8-11. Smyrna was a large city located 35 miles north of the the city of Ephesus. This city was know as one of the prime locations of emperor worship in the Roman world. They also had a large Jewish population.
Jesus says that He was the one who died and came back to life. Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive forevermore.
Jesus goes on to say in verse 9 that He knew the church's, "works, tribulations, and poverty". The people in the church at Smyrna, along with those in Philadelphia, were the only two churches not to receive a rebuke from the Lord.
Jesus was pleased that the people were working diligently for Him. They were spreading the message of the gospel in a place filled with spiritual darkness.
Because of their testimony and their work for the Kingdom of Heaven, the people were suffering a great persecution. Jesus says that this is just the beginning of the persecution that the church in Smyrna would face. Jesus said that some of them would be thrown into prison and tested for their faith in Him.
This wasn't all that the people in Smyrna were facing. They were in great poverty. This may have been a result of the persecution they were facing. Besides this, the people were suffering persecution for some who were claiming to be Jews but were not.
In spite of all of that this church was facing, it remained faithful to Jesus, and they received a word of commendation and encouragement from the Lord.
Jesus told the church that even though they were poor in material things, they were really rich. This has much application to believers today. Some teachers today teach that if a believer is living right and has enough faith they he will have financial prosperity. We see from this passage that this is not the case. The people in the church at Smyrna were faithful followers of Jesus even in the midst of persecution. And they were poor. There are many faithful followers of Jesus who are poor in worldly goods and just barely have enough to get by. However, although many may be poor in things of the world, they are rich in the love of the Lord and the things that count for eternity. They have the true spiritual riches that come for knowing Jesus Christ.
Many also face tremendous persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus. In some countries, those who come to the Christian faith can suffer the loss of family, livelihood and even their life. There are many martyrs for the sake of Jesus Christ today.
Jesus said that those who were faithful to Him in the midst of persecution will receive the crown of life. James also talks about the crown of life in his epistle as well. This is a special reward for those who give their lives for the cause of Christ. It is a great honor to receive this crown so that it may be placed at the feet of the King of Kings.
Those who are faithful and overcome this world and its temptations will not face the second death which is separation from God for all eternity. Those who put their trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and believe in His resurrection have passed from death into life.
Those who trust in Jesus will spend eternity with Him. I pray that if there is anyone who is reading this message who has not trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord that you will do so today.
On Wednesday, I will post another animal book review. Next week, we will look at Jesus' words to the church at Pergamos.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Book Review--"Best Friends Forever Me and My Cat"
I finally read a book this week that I've wanted to read for a long time, and I'm glad that I did. "Best Friends Forever Me and My Cat" by Patricia Mitchell is a book of stories about the author's own cats mixed in with some other cat stories. All of the stories contain a spiritual message to help encourage people in their walk with God. Each of the short chapters has a Scripture quotation and a quotation about cats from a famous cat lover. The best stories in this book are the ones about the author's cat named Eli. This book can be read straight through, or it could be used as a daily devotional resource.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Revelation Part 4
It is time again this week for another Weekend Sermon. As always, I'm very glad to be able to post this message, and I hope that those who read it will gain encouragement in the Lord from it.
I asked folks to pray last week that the Lord would allow me to get the things sold that I need to get sold in order to get to the next stage in what I believe the Lord is calling me to do. Please continue to pray on my behalf. These last few months have been a real struggle, and I need the Lord's help now more than ever.
In our message last week, we finished Revelation chapter 1. We looked at the description of the vision of the Son of Man that was revealed to John. Jesus is the holy, pure and righteous judge who is filled with power and great glory.
Jesus told John that the keys of death and Hades were in His hand. Jesus died for our sins paying our sin debt and bearing our sins in His body on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated the result of sin which is death. Those who are in Christ have eternal life because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
We now move into chapter 2 where Jesus gave John a message for each of the seven churches of Asia. Jesus begins in chapter 2 with a message to the church at Ephesus.
The city of Ephesus was one of the richest and most important cities in the Roman Empire. It was an important place of commerce, and it was the center of the worship of the false goddess, Diana.
The Apostle Paul was instrumental in establishing the church at Ephesus, and he would pen one of his epistles to the Ephesians. Church history tells us that the Apostle John also worked in the church at Ephesus for many years including the years after his exile on Patmos ended.
Jesus said in chapter 2 verse 2 that He knew their works, their labor and their patience. Jesus said that He knew that this church could not bear evil , and that they had tested some who were claiming to be apostles falsely and found them to be liars.
When we serve the Lord and do His will, the Lord knows about it. The Bible says that the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Jesus said the He knew that they had labored for Him, and they had not grown weary. It is our duty as believers to work diligently to spread the message of the gospel. We have the most important job in the world. It is to bring souls into the Kingdom. Nothing on earth should receive more of our hard work and effort than working to spread the love of Jesus and His message of salvation.
In verse four, Jesus states that He does have something against the church at Ephesus. He says, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
What does it mean that they had left their first love? I believe that there are at least two possibilities here. First of all, Jesus told us that the great commandment was to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. This church may have been doing what they were supposed to do, but they weren't doing it out of love. They had grown distant from the Lord. This can happen more readily than many think. Believers are out doing the work, but they aren't abiding in Christ through prayer, study and meditation.
Also, I believe that another meaning here is that their fervency for the things of the Lord was diminishing. I've seen many people who when they first come to salvation they on fire for the Lord. They are trying to witness to everyone. They are in church every time that the doors are open. Over time, they stop witnessing, and their enthusiasm for the things of God wanes.
We need to keep our relationship with the Lord fresh and vibrant. As Jesus said, we need to present ourselves as new wine skins willing to be filled with the new wine of the Spirit each day.
Jesus urges people in the church at Ephesus to repent which means to turn around and change one's mind. Jesus wanted them, and He wants us, to rededicated our lives to Him. He wants us to spend time with Him and grow in our love for Him which means that we are willing to obey all that He has commanded us to do.
In verse 6, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus once again, because they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. No one is for absolute sure who these people were or what they believed. I've heard that they were a group founded by Nicholas who was one of the the deacons appointed in the book of Acts. This is not for certain. Some say that their doctrine resembled the beliefs of the Gnostics. Others, and I find that this makes the most sense to me, believe that they were an antinomian group. That is, they believed that Christians were not obligated to follow the law. They believed that when they sinned, God's grace abounded to them, so they sinned all the more.
I'm not saying that they are Nicolaitans by any means, but we have some whose teaching gets dangerously close to this today. People will say "We aren't under the law, we are under grace." They say that believers don't have to follow any Old Testament laws. This is simply not true. Jesus did not abolish the law; He fulfilled the law. Because of His fulfillment of the law, the ceremonial law of the sacrificial system is no longer in place. However, the moral law is still in place.
Finally, Jesus says that the one who overcomes will be allowed to eat from the tree of life in the midst of Paradise.
In Revelation 23, John sees the tree of life by the river of life in the Heavenly City of the New Jerusalem. Those who are obedient in following the Lord and overcome sin will be allowed to eat from this tree which symbolizes deep fellowship with the Lord.
Next week, we will continue in our series in Revelation. On Wednesday, I will publish a book review. May God bless you, may you grow in your love for Jesus. Amen.
I asked folks to pray last week that the Lord would allow me to get the things sold that I need to get sold in order to get to the next stage in what I believe the Lord is calling me to do. Please continue to pray on my behalf. These last few months have been a real struggle, and I need the Lord's help now more than ever.
In our message last week, we finished Revelation chapter 1. We looked at the description of the vision of the Son of Man that was revealed to John. Jesus is the holy, pure and righteous judge who is filled with power and great glory.
Jesus told John that the keys of death and Hades were in His hand. Jesus died for our sins paying our sin debt and bearing our sins in His body on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His resurrection, Jesus defeated the result of sin which is death. Those who are in Christ have eternal life because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
We now move into chapter 2 where Jesus gave John a message for each of the seven churches of Asia. Jesus begins in chapter 2 with a message to the church at Ephesus.
The city of Ephesus was one of the richest and most important cities in the Roman Empire. It was an important place of commerce, and it was the center of the worship of the false goddess, Diana.
The Apostle Paul was instrumental in establishing the church at Ephesus, and he would pen one of his epistles to the Ephesians. Church history tells us that the Apostle John also worked in the church at Ephesus for many years including the years after his exile on Patmos ended.
Jesus said in chapter 2 verse 2 that He knew their works, their labor and their patience. Jesus said that He knew that this church could not bear evil , and that they had tested some who were claiming to be apostles falsely and found them to be liars.
When we serve the Lord and do His will, the Lord knows about it. The Bible says that the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Jesus said the He knew that they had labored for Him, and they had not grown weary. It is our duty as believers to work diligently to spread the message of the gospel. We have the most important job in the world. It is to bring souls into the Kingdom. Nothing on earth should receive more of our hard work and effort than working to spread the love of Jesus and His message of salvation.
In verse four, Jesus states that He does have something against the church at Ephesus. He says, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
What does it mean that they had left their first love? I believe that there are at least two possibilities here. First of all, Jesus told us that the great commandment was to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. This church may have been doing what they were supposed to do, but they weren't doing it out of love. They had grown distant from the Lord. This can happen more readily than many think. Believers are out doing the work, but they aren't abiding in Christ through prayer, study and meditation.
Also, I believe that another meaning here is that their fervency for the things of the Lord was diminishing. I've seen many people who when they first come to salvation they on fire for the Lord. They are trying to witness to everyone. They are in church every time that the doors are open. Over time, they stop witnessing, and their enthusiasm for the things of God wanes.
We need to keep our relationship with the Lord fresh and vibrant. As Jesus said, we need to present ourselves as new wine skins willing to be filled with the new wine of the Spirit each day.
Jesus urges people in the church at Ephesus to repent which means to turn around and change one's mind. Jesus wanted them, and He wants us, to rededicated our lives to Him. He wants us to spend time with Him and grow in our love for Him which means that we are willing to obey all that He has commanded us to do.
In verse 6, Jesus commends the church at Ephesus once again, because they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. No one is for absolute sure who these people were or what they believed. I've heard that they were a group founded by Nicholas who was one of the the deacons appointed in the book of Acts. This is not for certain. Some say that their doctrine resembled the beliefs of the Gnostics. Others, and I find that this makes the most sense to me, believe that they were an antinomian group. That is, they believed that Christians were not obligated to follow the law. They believed that when they sinned, God's grace abounded to them, so they sinned all the more.
I'm not saying that they are Nicolaitans by any means, but we have some whose teaching gets dangerously close to this today. People will say "We aren't under the law, we are under grace." They say that believers don't have to follow any Old Testament laws. This is simply not true. Jesus did not abolish the law; He fulfilled the law. Because of His fulfillment of the law, the ceremonial law of the sacrificial system is no longer in place. However, the moral law is still in place.
Finally, Jesus says that the one who overcomes will be allowed to eat from the tree of life in the midst of Paradise.
In Revelation 23, John sees the tree of life by the river of life in the Heavenly City of the New Jerusalem. Those who are obedient in following the Lord and overcome sin will be allowed to eat from this tree which symbolizes deep fellowship with the Lord.
Next week, we will continue in our series in Revelation. On Wednesday, I will publish a book review. May God bless you, may you grow in your love for Jesus. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)