What would Mark 17 look like?

Several times the thought has come to me “What would Mark 17 look like?” That’s an odd question, considering that Mark ends with chapter 16. But the more often this question comes to mind, the more I wonder what the Holy Spirit is really asking. This morning I had some time and followed this leading to look into Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, and to the 7churches in Revelation. I took notes from the gospel of John, reading what the Holy Spirit did in us and enabled us to do, and read each account of Jesus’ instructions after His resurrection. Then, looking in Revelation, I found a picture of what the churches had done with Jesus’ words and with the Holy Spirit’s enabling power and personal ministry to the saints. Do I know what Mark 17 should look like in our day and time? No. But I have a growing picture of what Jesus is looking for. If we all look into this subject I think we’ll see glimpses of Kingdom living. Below are some of my findings, and I want to encourage you to pray and share about what you find too.

Jesus told his disciples about the Holy Spirit before His death. Among other things, the Holy Spirit was called the Spirit of Truth, and is portrayed as One who teaches us truth. We are sanctified by truth, therefore our link with the Holy Spirit is a most valuable one. He reminds us of what Jesus said (Jn 14:17, 26) and by obedience to Jesus’ words we find that we can remain in God’s love, and the Father and the Son dwell in us. The Holy Spirit revealed to the Apostles and Prophets the mysteries our faith is founded on (Eph 3:4-6) and will also tell us of things to come (Jn 16:13). And it is by the Holy Spirit that we begin to know God, and to know His love. Therefore, our ability to love others comes from our relationship with God, revealed by the Holy Spirit.

This short list of verses gives us a peek into God’s intentions as He sent the Holy Spirit to empower the first Church and applies to the Church today. We are to
• Be filled with truth
• Know and obey Jesus’ words, both in scripture and heard personally in our spirit
• Pray to know about those things coming up which pertain to us, the Church, and all else we are personally involved in
• Know how to be loved, and how to love

This picture of the Christian was filled out more by the Apostles in their epistles. Some of the troubles addressed in these letters to the first churches were addressing people who taught or prophesied falsely, disobeyed Jesus’ teachings, lacked knowledge and wisdom about this life and those things coming up, and failure to love and care for the brethren. The epistles verified that Jesus’ instructions were being followed up by what the Holy Spirit spoke and wrote through the Apostles.
When looking at the accounts of Jesus’ resurrected life on this earth we find that, before His ascension He
• Gave the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive others (Jn 20:22-23)
• Asked the leaders to feed His sheep (Jn 21, Peter specifically)
• Empowered the believer with signs and wonders and commissioned them to do works of evangelism and preaching (Mk 16)
• Sent them out to make disciples of the nations (Mt 28:18-20)

With these instructions and the gifts of the Holy Spirit we can see that the love and forgiveness Jesus taught should abound in the church. The congregation should be cared for by the staff, and in turn should be doing works of ministry as faith grows in them.

In the book of Revelation we find that the glorified Jesus addressed problems that 7 churches were having, outlining a plan of overcoming for them so that they could receive spiritual reward in this life. Jesus uses far-reaching terminology such as calling the true believers “Jews” and the false believers as coming from the “synagogue of satan.,” (see Rev 2:9 7 3:9). He also uses terms that refer to the past wrongful use of prophecy in referring to Balaam (Rev 2:14). In using terms that refer to the Old Testament covenant Jesus is bringing forward a message; God never changes. Though His covenant changed He still desires a pure people, faithful unto Him (2 Cor 6:16-7:1). The Father will not accept wrongful use of His gifts or erroneous teaching. He judges our works, not by our intentions, but by our heart (see Ez 33:32 & Is 29:13). When Jesus talks about the judgment of Jezebel in His letter to Thyatira He states that it is for the purpose of all the churches knowing “that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds,” (Rev 2:23). When we see that Jesus Himself brings forward the nature of God from before the Cross, then we know surely that nature has not changed.

Looking at the letters to these churches I find
• Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7) – Had forgotten the “height from which you have fallen.” This caused the saints to lose their first love. Though they had many deeds done for Christ, they lacked relationship because they had forgotten that they were forgiven. When we forget our own forgiveness it also makes our works unsatisfactory as we fail to forgive others.
• Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11) – We learn that faithfulness is proven in poverty and other trials and is the only way to have real faith. Their faithful obedience was commended. Trials develop a deep reservoir in the believer for the kind of faithfulness that takes time to fill us up. The 7 foolish virgins did not have time to build up this kind of faith, therefore they were not recognized by Jesus. The time it takes to be in His image (the image He recognizes) takes time spent with Him during our bad times as well as our good times.
• Pergamum (Rev 2:12-17) – Compromise with the world and sin led to spiritual impurity and pollution of the gospel they taught. If we compromise with the word of God within us, we will speak a gospel of compromise. What is in our hearts comes out our mouths (Mk 7:20-23). Jesus is so against the pollution of the gospel that He promised to “fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”
• Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29) – Rebuked for false prophecy, and spiritual and physical immorality. They were using a false authority. When a prophet speaks a true word from the Lord it turns people from their own ways and from sin, unto righteousness (Jer 23:22).
• Sardis (Rev 3:1-6) – Had a dead faith and incomplete works. They were poor stewards of what they had received. The righteous deeds of the saints are later symbolized as a white linen robe (Rev 19:8), and could only be obtained through their repentance and overcoming.
• Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13) – Their deeds were good, they had kept His word and also didn’t deny Him when times got bad. His warning was to let “no one take your crown.” God wants us to value what we have in Him and does not want us to be godless, like Esau, who sold his inheritance (Heb 12:16).
• Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22) -Being lukewarm created spiritual blindness. The church was described as “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Because their works did not come from their relationship with God, then were not acceptable.

If we truly overcame the things found in the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation what sort of people would we be?
• We would eat from the Tree of life (Rev 2:7). This eternal life will never end, and will bring personal healing, and healing of relationships, even between nations.
• We would not be hurt by the second death (Rev 2:11), taking part in the 1st resurrection.
• We would eat hidden manna, and be given a white stone with our new name on it (Rev 2:17). The hidden truths God would share with us would reveal our identity in Him.
• We would receive authority over the nations, and the morning star ->the spirit of prophecy ( 2 Pet 1:19). See Rev 2:26-28. It is the spirit of prophecy which reveals the hand of the enemy for his defeat.
• We would be dressed in white (the righteous deeds of the saints – Rev 19:8). Jesus will acknowledge our names before God the Father and His angels (Rev 3:5). Becoming pure and having a good name in heaven is the best asset in our battle against evil.
• We would be a pillar in the temple of God, He will write the name of God and of the city of God on him, and also Jesus’ new name (Rev 3:11-12). There is a permanence in those whose ministry is set in place by God and He can entrust revealed truth to us.
• We will have the right to sit down with Jesus on His throne (Rev 3:21). The overcomer has a privilege to reign over those things brought by satan, and to hear closely what Jesus is saying.

As I re-read all the above scriptures I am reminded of one final verse; to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude :3). It is not a time to sit back and think that Jesus will do everything for us. We must strive against evil and the world, and be found faithful in obeying His words to us. Yet, we have the Kingdom to gain in doing so. He is worth it. Amen