Night season for the seed

The following is a prophecy from 5/07 given to encourage faith, even when we don't see it;

“In courage is defeat of your enemy.  True humility has grace and faith, trusting in the strength of the Lord to accomplish His Word.

I am working behind the scenes, beneath the ground where the seed of My Word is growing.  Once it breaks forth into the light of day I will accelerate it’s growth and maturity.

What is the purpose of being in the dark soil, away from the sun?  This is where faith is nourished.  I send My rain to soak down into the darkness and by My Spirit faith grows in the heart.  When it is birthed above the ground then it becomes visible and can nourish others.

The time spent beneath the ground is as night to the new seed, a season without knowledge.  But once faith has broken forth into the light, instruction is added.  Now, I don’t dig around in the earth to check on the seeds growing there.  I have put it in the seed’s DNA to grow.  It is part of the nature of faith to grow.  It isn’t until the seed comes forth and is a tree ready to nurture others that I check for fruit (remember when Jesus sought fruit from the fig tree).  Do not confuse the seasons of faith.

In the heart is all that is needed to nurture or defeat faith (parable of the sower and the seed).  The Word, entering the heart as a seed, will prosper in the environment of love of God, but will die in the environment of love of the world and love of sin.

Treasure the seasons of night where the choices of your heart nurture faith, for here is faith tested.  Here is faith tried, that it might become gold.

Abraham is commended for his faith, believing for a son when it was impossible in the natural to bear a son.  The son was evidence of God’s ability to fulfill His Word.  Faith grew in Abraham’s heart in the night season.  The son, Isaac, was the beginning of the day.”

I’d like to reference Is 55:10,11 also, as in these verses we see that the rain (Holy Spirit) causes the seeds to bud, flourish, and give seed.  We see here that God’s Word comes to life, nourishes us as bread, and gives us seed to plant, which is ministry.  God works through His Word, both in us, and through us. Be encouraged even when you do not see faith at work, for beneath the soil of our hearts it is growing.  Amen

The treasure

God knows He is mighty.  His knowledge of His own nature becomes ours, when we believe in Him. Believing He is powerful may take faith, but believing He is powerful in us takes great faith.  Today I'd like to share the verse that embodies this message:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor 4:7).

As you discover God's nature, take the next step of faith.  Believe that there is a great treasure of His nature, powerfully at work in and through you.  Amen.

God looks for us

When we have trials we see what is right before us.  We are familiar that our enemy, satan, is “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet 5:8) Our enemy may have evil purposes, but it would help if we could see the bigger picture.  The Lord is also looking at us, and He allows our trials so that He can show how strong we can be in Him.

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chron 16:9)

God intends that we should win our wars, and stand strong through our trials.  It is not important that our enemy is looking for us; it is of greater importance that our God is looking for us.  Though satan looks to devour us, our God looks to make us strong, and in our strength we will overcome.  Today, be strengthened in the inner man and do not fear, for we serve a God in Whom we can have confidence. Amen.

Just a few good grapes

Today’s lesson comes from a dream the Lord reminded me of this morning.  It is as follows;

Dream from 2/16/10

“I was in front of a supermarket where fruit was on display.  There was a big tall box, cut down in the front to reveal its contents for shoppers to see.  Though the box should have been full of grapes, there were hardly any in it.  One lady remarked that the store hadn’t had their delivery yet.  A second lady said “Yes they did.  They were very good,” and explained that there weren’t many bunches of grapes in the delivery.  She had some grapes in her hand.

While the 2 women talked I searched the bottom of the box for good grapes.  Many were moldy or shriveled, and I couldn’t understand why the second woman had said that this batch of grapes was good.  I reached down and pulled out 3 large good grapes.  Then the first woman reached in to get some.  I apologized for getting in her way.  Then I looked at the second woman’s grapes.  They were blighted.  I thought “I must have gotten the only good ones,” and walked away.” End of dream.

In this dream we see that discernment, and lack of discernment, cause the women to have different perspectives on the harvest of grapes.  Also, the confident report of the second lady that the grapes were “very good” is a false report.  Often the Lord will put one in a dream to see things as an observer, and to receive His perspective.  That is my role in this dream. How does this dream have importance on today’s ministry?

In my writings about the times we live in I have come across some common traits in false ministers; bragging, and lying to make oneself look good (Jude :16; 2 Pet 1:16 & 2:3).  Many of our contemporary Christian speakers boast about having what they do not have.  Like the second woman in the dream above, they boast about good fruit, when in reality, it was almost all rotten.

Many of today’s churches fill their pews with people who do not know God, nor do they serve Him.  Their pastors take comfort in the numbers who attend their worship services and yet do not lead them to walk in the Spirit where they will get to know their heavenly Father.  If a pastor’s heart longs to give a good report to others, he may lack discernment about the condition of his people. However, God longs to share His viewpoints with us.  Only then can good fruit come.

The man who would be over men, who would assess the current situation and discern the problems, he who would give God’s advice . . . this man must not judge as a man judges, looking only through his own eyes (John 5:19 & 30; 2 Cor 5:16).  This man must set all aside to look through his Father’s eyes, and hear through his Father’s ears.  He will learn that the bragging and the good reports of many mean nothing.  He will disturb pastors who are contented with their numbers.  Then you will see God’s hand at work to redeem those who do not know Him, and to teach them God’s ways, by His Spirit.  Amen

The Bride of Christ

This morning’s lesson is on being a bride, the spiritual wife-to-be of the Lamb of God.  In John’s revelation an angel tells him “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” (Rev 19:9)  Jesus invites us to come, but not everyone heeds His invitation.

In Jesus’ parables about the king who invites people to the wedding supper we find that those who fill His house are not invited on their own merit, yet neither can they stay without the wedding garment on (Mt 22:9-12).  If we want to stay, we need to get “dressed”.  Though the sins of our past are cleansed and we are made worthy through the blood of the Lamb, salvation is only the beginning of our preparation for the wedding feast.

The angel that spoke to John about the people invited to the wedding supper also told him that the Bride had “made herself ready” (Rev 19:7), which indicates a passage of time.  We see this thread of preparation come to its fullest when the Bride is presented for all to see, appearing as a city “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Rev 21:2). Thought and effort go into the preparation of the garment that cloaks us, which also makes us beautiful to our Husband.

The Bride is described as a city because she is a group of people who have prepared themselves for the Lamb.  She wears fine linen, which represents the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19:8).  The word “righteous” tells us that these are not just any works, but are special works; works that come from a heart intent on doing God’s will.

The key to finding the “righteous acts” lies in the role of the wife-to-be.   God’s goal in marriage is for the two to become one (Mk 10:8).  We know that the Bride of Christ is a City of people who are prepared for their Husband, the Lamb of God.  Jesus’ name is the “Word of God” (Rev 19:13).  To become “one” with the Husband, the Bride is becoming acquainted with and learning to follow the Word of God.  Though we are not perfect human beings, those who submit to and act on Jesus’ words are being clothed in fine linen and will do righteous acts.

Marriage is a love relationship.  If we want to be Jesus’ Bride, we must listen to and act on what He has said, and what He is saying.  When we obey His words, we “remain” in His love and in the Father’s love (Jn  14:23 & 15:10).  Jesus chose the term “bride” to represent an intimate on-going relationship, one which He covets with His people.  His words to us are not just letters from the past; they are continuous. So that we might have an intimate relationship with Christ and hear His words to us personally, He has given us His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17).

The Lamb of God intends to become one with a people prepared; whose preparation has been through an active relationship with Him.  This relationship with the Lamb of God is not through an organization, such as a church, nor through other people, such as ministers and other servants of God.  This relationship is personal.  It is built on an individual one-to-one basis with our Lord which no one else can accomplish for you.  You can only develop the relationship yourself.  Today, if you do not have such a relationship with Jesus, invite His Holy Spirit to speak to your soul.  Acquaint yourself with the Word of God both in scripture and what you hear personally from Him.  Obey those words you know are from He Whose love you remain in and perform “righteous acts” to prepare yourself for a heavenly wedding. Amen.

Preparation and Benefits

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (Jn 14:2)

In his passage Jesus begins a discourse to His disciples, preparing them for His death and speaking of the benefits that will come to those who believe and receive salvation through Him.  Jesus’ enemies would soon portray Him as a false prophet, worthy of crucifixion.  He wanted to set their hearts at ease, for their belief in Him as the Messiah was correct. Satan would portray Jesus as powerless, and yet great power would be given to not only Jesus, but to all who believed on Him.  Jesus spoke to His disciples about the truth so that they would be prepared for the deception that was to come.

In John 14 – 17 we read about the benefits Jesus would bring to the disciples after He went back to the Father.  It was important for them to know that there was a great purpose in His death, and that He had a great purpose for their lives, for they needed to have faith in both.  Without the belief in God’s purpose for our lives, we cannot apply our faith in Who Jesus is and all that He has done for us.  Our faith then becomes an intellectual exercise and we develop a belief that Jesus did all that was to be done . . . and what we do doesn’t matter.  This kind of thinking makes our faith impotent.

Jesus’ preparation of His disciples included His death on the cross and His departure from this world.  It was important that they know His sacrifice would be accepted by the Father, so that they would not lose their faith.  We see Jesus’ acceptance in Revelation 5;

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (verse 9)

Not only was Jesus’ sacrifice acceptable, but we were made acceptable by His blood.  Jesus made room for us in His Father’s abode.  Through the impartation of His Spirit to His believers, Jesus also made us “to be a kingdom and priests to serve God.” (Rev 5:10) The works of Jesus in His life and by His death prepared works of service for us to do, and by His Spirit we are empowered to carry them out.

Because Jesus has prepared a place for us and given us benefits through His Spirit, He nurtures and disciplines us to accomplish the greatness of our faith.  Just as we have faith in Who Jesus is, in the same manner we must have faith to be like Him in this world (1 Jn 4:7).  It is not our intellectual pursuits that overcome the world, but our active faith (1 Jn 5:4).  If we do not believe that Jesus calls us to be like Him, then the power of our testimony will be shaken when our enemy portrays us falsely as impostors.  It is the testimony of our blood-bought lives that overcomes satan (Rev 12:11).

Today, let us have faith that He who prepared a place for us is also working in us to serve God on this earth.  Then what He has begun will be finished.  Amen.

The Cares of this Life

I have always believed that God has solutions for our every problem.  As I grew in skill and wisdom, I became very good at helping to make life smoother for my family and myself, tackling areas that did not run well and thinking ahead so that other matters would not go “wrong.”  Imagine my surprise when I became over-burdened with the cares of this life.

Jesus told us in the parable of the sower and the seeds that one area of our hearts where the word of God would not grow well was the area where we let thorns grow; the thorns are the cares of this life (Lk 8:14).  The first “care” Jesus mentions is “life’s worries.” The next two are “riches and pleasures.” Though we can avoid the love of this life and other pursuits that would snare us, Christians often feel called to set their mind on the problems of life that need to be solved, and the burden they carry increases until they can bear no more.

God gives men and women the wonderful capacity to not only endure the troubles of this life, but also to labor with Him on areas they are called to.  Each person has his or her own gift to maintain life and to prevent harm.  And yet, even Jesus said there would be troubles in this life.  He did not eliminate them all, and neither can we.  In fact, Jesus did not bring peace between men (Mt 10:34).  Serving God can put us in positions that actually cause things to run very unsmoothly.

Though we each are called to serve God in ways that address areas we care about, how can we prevent ourselves from being held captive by these cares?  Indeed, some problems are not solved in our life-time. And, the longer we walk with God on the earth, the more we see that we ourselves have troubled areas within us that need to be addressed. I believe Jesus gave us advise that will prevent us from becoming over-burdened when He asked His people to take His yoke upon them, for then their burden would be light (Mt 11:30).  If we are yoked to Jesus, He will pull the heavier burden of the problems that need to be worked on, and our walk alongside of Him will become lighter.

How do we let Jesus carry the heavier yoke and pull the heavier load? We must trust Him.  To walk in God’s kingdom requires us to have faith in Him, just as a little child has faith (Mt 18:3-4).  Though we can do great things, in our mind we must be humble like a little child, trusting God for the outcome.  Our minds can become entangled in the problems of our lives, causing us to worry and become over-burdened with what we care about.  But the humility of child-like faith is to not think above God; we must give Him the highest place in solving problems and running life, and not let our thoughts contend with what He is doing (2 Cor 10:5). 

To come to the place of humility of mind, we cannot base our trust on what we see God do about those things we entrust Him with.  Paul writes “For I know Whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Tim 1:12).  Though his life was full of suffering, Paul did not attempt to change these circumstances.  Instead, he trusted God’s purposes for not only his own life, but for the kingdom as well.  We have Paul’s writings because God faithfully worked in his life, despite the problems that remained and eventually took his life.

Let us not let the troubles of this life over-run our hearts with their burdens.  Today, take Jesus yoke upon yourself, trusting Him as a little child would.  If we have this humbleness in our minds, the word of God will bear much fruit in us, and we will be successful in serving God.  Amen.

Strategy 2

In the prior lessons I wrote about strategies.  One way to look at God’s strategy of Jesus dying on the cross for Mankind is this:

·         Satan’s plan was to kill the Son of God so that he could stop God’s work on the earth.

·         God’s plan was that His Son’s death would bring the Holy Spirit into believers, multiplying God’s work on the earth (Jn 16:7).

God out-strategizes His enemy every time.

Strategies

In my previous lesson I talked about God’s strategy of secrecy.  Of course, the Lord must have many strategies in addition to His hiddenness.  Strategies are necessary because there is an enemy, and God knows His enemy’s devices.  God’s strategies equip us to “stand against the devil’s schemes” as we “stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph 6:10-13).

Jesus, being the Word of God, knew His purpose on the earth (Jn 1:1-3).  Nothing was spoken without His mouth containing the words.  We read that which was spoken about what Jesus’ sacrifice would look like in Isaiah 53.  He

• Seemed stricken by God
• Was despised and rejected by men
• Was physically wounded, and unfairly judged for sins He had not committed
• Jesus died a shameful death, the cross being a curse
• His blameless life shows that He was not worthy of having the sins of all Man heaped onto Him, like a scapegoat.

This was God’s plan for Mankind’s salvation.  Jesus was there in the beginning, before the world was created, and spoke this plan into being. 

Men have thought that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was God’s way of settling legal ordinances against us.  This is true, and yet if we look at legal issues alone we not only miss God’s strategy; we fail to see our enemy’s.  Jesus had just been affirmed by God from heaven, Who said “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Mt3:16-17)  Satan’s first purpose of temptation was to cause Jesus to doubt His Heavenly Father’s words. Because satan did not want Jesus to save Mankind, he met Him to tempt Him in the wilderness.  The enemy of God’s purposes offered

• Strength and endurance by physical means.  Satan wanted Jesus’ powerful fast to be broken. To plant doubt, he began with “If you are the Son of God. . . ”.  And to usurp the fast, He asked Jesus to compromise; prove Himself by making bread out of rocks (Mt 4:3).  Satan’s underlying message was that Jesus could achieve spiritual goals and avoid suffering by using His powers.  But it was because Jesus did not rely on His powers alone that He was able to drink the cup of suffering which led Him to the cross (Lk 22:40-46).
• Protection if Jesus would prove Himself by defying the physical laws men are subjected to (Mt 4:6).  This would cause Jesus to walk as a supernatural human being, unlike the One Who would be acquainted with the sorrows of men. However, Jesus “had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.  Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb:17-18)Jesus made Himself like a human, not a god, and humbled Himself to death . . . even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8).
• The splendor and authority of the kingdoms of this world (Mt 4:8-9). To usurp God’s plan of using Jesus as the sacrificial lamb for Mankind, satan offered Him the kingdoms without the sacrifice.  Though this temptation does not question the legitimacy of Jesus being the Son of God, it plants doubt on the acceptance of His sacrifice.  Because satan is the accuser of the brethren, he would be there in heaven to accuse Jesus’ sacrifice to the Father, for Jesus would have all the sin of Mankind laid upon Him.  We see this principle in Zechariah 3 where satan accuses the high priest Joshua, who has filthy garments on.  Legally, the garments did not meet the standards of a priest who was to atone for the sins of others.  In the vision we see that the filthy garments are exchanged for “rich” ones, and all the filthiness of the sins are taken away.  The Lord rebukes satan, revealing that it is God Himself Who snatches men from the fire to redeem them. In Revelation 5 we see that Jesus’ sacrifice was received by God, and all His shame was taken away.  He then receives His rightful place of glory, honor, power and authority. 

As we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we must consider how to take our stand for faith, and against our enemy.  Looking at how our common enemy tempted Jesus shows us many strategies.  Satan is not a creative being, and he repeats his temptations over and over again.  Here are some points to consider;

• Just as satan tried to plant doubt by saying “If you are the Son of God . . . “, so he also will try to plant doubt in our minds that we are Jesus’ followers, Christians who are co-heirs in the family of God.  Satan tries to erase what God has said and His promises to us in the scriptures.  Similarly, he asked Eve “Has God said . . . ?” in the garden of Eden (Gen 3:1).  Doubt regarding our relationship with God is his first weapon against us, and the shield of faith is our defense (Eph 6:16).
• Compromise with our flesh is a strong temptation from our enemy, for we do not like to suffer.  It is a mature Christian that comes to the realization that suffering is in his life as he lays it down on the altar of sacrifice, taking up his own cross to follow Christ.  Though Jesus came to the earth from heaven, He learned obedience through those things He suffered, and thereby His life was perfected as an acceptable offering (Heb 5:8-10).  We too have to learn obedience through suffering if we are to follow in His steps.
• Satan also tries to get us to focus on the supernatural as a means to prove our spirituality to God and to others.  This will distance us from most people, causing our hearts to be cold and indifferent to their needs.  Though Jesus was “acquainted” with the griefs of people, those who devote their time to supernatural endeavors will be out of touch with the patience it takes to walk another mile with a brother, and will deny themselves the inconvenience of surrendering their coat to warm him.  If Jesus, the Son of God, had to be fully human, then we also can be fully human while we are becoming the sons and daughters of God. This is what it means; “every spirit that has come in the flesh is from God” and that is how we can know when the Holy Spirit is speaking (1 Jn 4:2-3).  Jesus was fully human. And, as He was in this world, so are we (1 Jn 4:17).  In our flesh the Son of God has come, when we are baptized by His Holy Spirit.  The spirit of Anti Christ says we cannot be like Him, and that He had special powers that enabled Him to be perfect. However, imperfect as we are, the supernatural does not hold the key to our perfection; our obedience in our flesh does.
• Satan always tempts us to take short cuts, or the easy way out.  He likes to tell us that all our sacrifice is not going to accomplish a thing, and that we can have the world and all its glories and still achieve our goals.  In fact, he tempts the servants of God by deceiving them into thinking that they can do more for God if they have more of the world.  The prophet Malachi spoke against the spiritual leaders of his time for believing the same thing. They had said “It is futile to serve God.  What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?  Certainly the evil doers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.” (Mal 3:14-15).  Our enemy wants us to covet the world and find all the good in it that would serve our purposes.  God wants us to forsake the world and serve His purposes in our lives as He works His will in us (Phil 2:13).

I do not believe that the Lord wants us to focus on satan’s weapons in order to defeat him.  Rather, let us be equipped with God’s strategies.  Peter put it this way: “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are under-going the same kind of sufferings.” (2 Pet 5:8-9)  Therefore, stand firm in who you are in Christ, your place in His family, and in all He has both written and spoken.  Know that you are called to suffer in the flesh (1 Pet 4:1), but that Jesus will restore you and make you strong (1 Pet 5:10-11).  Remember that the proof of our spirituality is not the supernatural works we do, but the works of love we give (Mt 25:31-45). And do not become a friend of the world, thinking to use the world to gain the kingdom of God, for those who do so will not have the love of God in them (1 Jn 2:15-17).  Amen.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Mt 24:6-8)

Jesus spoke about the end of times to his disciples, telling them what the conditions would be like.  Concerning wars, we have plenty.  Yet Jesus tells us that we are not to be alarmed about these wars, famines and earthquakes.  Like birth pains, they are the beginning of a process.  Though men write their predictions about what is to happen, they are writing “rumors” and not focusing on how to prepare.

God has “strategy”. We hear that word a lot in Christian literature and at prayer meetings as people lead us to pray or call us into action.  However, one of God’s greatest strategies is secrecy.  We see this in Psalm 18 where king David cries out to the Lord for help.  When the Lord came down, “He made darkness His covering, His canopy around Him.”  Dark clouds with hailstones and bolts of lightning preceded His arrival. His voice thundered, and He took action (Ps 18:11-14).  What began in heaven, came to earth, covered for a period of time in secrecy.  Then God spoke, rebuking David’s enemies, and those things that were covered over became apparent (vs 15).

Nothing happens on the earth without first happening in heaven . . . and nothing happens in heaven until God speaks. God has not lost track of what is going on here on earth.  It is God’s strategy to tell us what will precede the end so that we will know what time we live in.  And yet, wars, famines and earthquakes are not what we should focus on.   We are waiting for the court to convene and make decisions on our behalf (Dan 7:26-27).  One day the Ancient of Days will pronounce judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and then we will possess the Kingdom of God (Dan 7:22). We are waiting for God to speak.

God will win this war in heaven.  His first strategy was to kick the accuser of the brethren out of heaven.  The God who has strategies, who holds mysteries until their time of unveiling, has equipped us to deal with our enemy on the earth.  Jesus disclosed what He knew about the end of times, revealing our enemy’s weapons against us.  Jesus’ first warning was “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, claiming ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many (Mt 24:4-5). “Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (vs 11)  Deception and falsehood are some of the weapons our enemy will use against us. 

Jesus also talked about persecution, which will cause many to fall away, and to betray their brethren.  It is a time of sifting, and only those who love the Lord and His people will remain in the faith.

Wickedness will grieve many people, and yet others will become cold and indifferent in their hearts.  Our enemy will try to overcome the good works that are a light to the people on the earth.  Yet those that continue to do works of love will overcome satan, and their light will save many.

From looking at Jesus’ warnings and predictions in Matthew 24 we see a few strategies to use against our enemy.  To begin with, we must love the truth more than loving those who minister to us.  If what they are saying does not line up with the scriptures and is not handled by the Holy Spirit, we should beware.  The second strategy is called “endurance.”  If we let go of the love of this life and all it holds for us then persecution will not turn us away from God.  We will be looking for a permanent residence with Him, called The City of God.  And finally, love people. When we let God bring the weak and imperfect into our lives love grows, and works of love are produced.  Faith works through love (Gal 5:6), and therefore both protect us from a cold heart and meaningless faith.

Amen. God bless you!

Intimacy

God chose the term “Bride” to describe His people.  It symbolizes an intimate relationship between two people, and spiritually, the relationship between the Son of God and His beloved. This intimate relationship contains honesty, vulnerability, openness, and is an aspect of faith, believing in the love of the other’s heart;  a love that will receive us and love us back.

God’s people sometimes lose the concept of intimacy when relating to God.  If we are focused on what we can do for God, our goal becomes the white linen garment mentioned in Revelation 19:8.  Today the Lord asked me this question; “What good is a garment if there is no body to put it on?”  While God appreciates all we do, and desires us to fulfill our destinies, a bride is still a bride; the intended one with whom God desires an intimate relationship.  Our preparation for the marriage should not be so many works that we become emotionally and spiritually unavailable for intimacy.

If intimacy were based on information-sharing then God could be satisfied with His people coming to Him for more news and better guidance.  However, a bride is more than a friend to share information with; she is one with whom the groom shares his heart.  All his dreams and plans are shared with his loved one . . . and his admiration for her.  Intimacy is a time for exchanging what the heart wants to express.  Our loving worship comes from our relationship with the Lord. 

Because we cannot see the practical purpose for intimacy, our human mind often dismisses the need for time spent on this kind of relationship with God.  After the Lord asked me what good the garment was without a body to put it on, I understood that the body was us, His people, and that He desired our affection and time.  The Lord continued, saying “Receive Me as Who I am in your life and then we can build our relationship.”  I was suddenly aware that I had been trying to shape God into One Who provides practical answers.  He was becoming  One Whom I needed, and Who I wanted Him to be, by my faith.

I had faith for ending trials by wonderful solutions, not for having a Friend to walk through them with.  I was believing for great wisdom whereby obstacles would be avoided and things would run smoothly; not for grace to navigate work with less than perfect fellow human beings, including myself.  Often I had missed God’s availability because I hadn’t accepted Him for Who He is in my life.  I was busy trying to direct Him by my misguided faith.

Relationships can become very practical.  In families, there is a lot of activity and less time available for listening to one another’s heart.  After the children are grown and the home is quiet, the husband and wife look at each other and wonder at how little they really know each other.  Busyness and activities kept their hearts quiet for a season.  This can happen to Christians also. 

Sometimes we seek busyness to avoid the loneliness in our hearts.   However, the Lord has put loneliness in our hearts to drive us towards intimacy; intimacy with God and intimacy with others.  He wants His people to know Him, and feel loved. These people will be His Bride, and no matter how many hardships come upon the earth, they will not feel separated from God’s love (Ro 8:35-39).  Let us examine our faith, and whether we want God to provide for our practical needs alone, or to be a God with Whom we also have intimate fellowship.  Amen.

The Authority of Christ #2

To apply Christ’s authority in one’s life we have to know whom to exert that authority for, and against.  If we rightly identify our enemy’s works, we can pray against him.  And that leaves the field wide open to pray for the brethren.

Satan wants to turn us against God and against each other.  We have authority to defeat that process, if we choose to love instead of hate, and have faith instead of doubt.  When we pray on behalf of a brother or sister in Christ, we build God’s kingdom and destroy satan’s.  When we pray against satan’s activities, we do the same.  Our enemy will send onslaughts against our mind to prevent us from prayer because it is so powerful.  He will intimidate us so that we will not feel worthy of the authority we were given.  Satan is afraid of the outcome of prayer.

Though in Revelation 12 we see the battle fought in heaven, it has come to the earth.  We fight it in our minds, with our choices and emotions.  The results of our inner wars determine our outer words and actions.  Well it was written that the issues of life reside within the heart (Prov 4:23).  If we keep our hearts fortified with love and the word of God, we will speak and act well.  If we let our hearts become plundered with doubt and hatred, we will become an agent of our enemy and a campground for fools.

We should thank satan for bringing our brethren before us to accuse.  Our reply should be “thank you for reminding me to pray for him.”  Train your mind to be aware of what our enemy brings to you.  Remember that you have the authority to forgive or to retain a man’s offenses against him (Jn 20:23). Because of our authority in Christ, satan tries to get us to deliver a verdict against one another.  However, as subtle and wiley as he is, God is wiser.  Our prayers for each other deliver one another from trial and into appointed destinies.  On our knees we can do exploits for our Lord.

The Authority of Christ

When God sends us a sign, we should pay attention.  In Revelation 12 God shows two signs in the sky.  One is a woman dressed in the sun, standing on the moon and with a crown of 12 stars on her head.  The second sign is the red dragon, satan.  After the woman bears a manchild the dragon seeks to destroy him, yet thechild is caught up to heaven.  A war breaks out between the dragon and his demons with God’s angel Michael and His angels, and it ends with satan and his demons being cast out of heaven.

What was the result of the war which followed God’s signs in heaven?  We are told that four things came to Man: Salvation, power, the Kingdom of God, and the authority of Christ.  God showed John the struggle in heaven that took place, where satan tried to prevent salvation from coming to Mankind.  God also showed satan’s defeat.

When God tells us the name of a spiritual entity, it is important.  He called satan the “Accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10).  Satan used to accuse God’s people to Him day and night.  But then He purchased people with the Blood of His Son, and satan had no legal grounds with which to accuse them anymore.

The dragon, satan, still accuses the brethren, but not to God.  Since he was cast down to the earth he vents his powerful accusations against those who have salvation.  Yet the book of Revelation makes it clear that we have the power to overcome him.  Legally, our souls have been purchased by God by the blood of the Lamb.  The lives we now live are a testimony to the power of Christ residing in us.  We have chosen the Kingdom of God by walking in the Spirit of which we are re-born.  These things give us power over satan’s accusations on this earth, and separate us from the love of this life.

God does not ask us to say we are perfect and sinless, for that would be a lie.  However, we are to have faith in the work Christ continues to do in us for our perfection.  Though our enemy tries to wear down the saints with his lies and accusations, his motive is to defeat our faith in God.  We now have the authority of Christ to defeat our enemy.  Be encouraged in your battles with satan, that God intends you to win.  He more than intends your victory, he has given you all you need to overcome.  Amen.

God's heart vs the heart of the Whore

God’s heart is for the outcasts that come to Him (Is 56:1-8). Those who oppress and reject them become God’s enemies because they hate and exclude the outcasts which the Lord has brought in (Is 66:5-6).  In some ministries it is as if God’s enemies live in His house to represent their own interests and not the interests of the Master of the House.

We find this theme of self-representation in both the Old and the New Testament.  No place does it seem more apparent than in the description of the Whore, “Babylon the Great” of Revelation 17 and 18. Though she thinks of herself as the wife of the King, her heart is not as His. Things that point to her having her own agenda are;

·         Rejecting God’s servants, and mistreating them

·         Allowing blasphemers to be her support

o   Does not protect God’s word but lets others twist and pollute it in exchange for their friendships

·         Intercoursing with the world for her benefit

·         Using others to make herself rich and famous

·         No sense of accountability to God as His wife

God doesn’t like His people to be rejected, or mistreated, used and abused, lied to and polluted by the world.  If we find ourselves in an organization that does this, we are not to stay (Rev 18:4).  The examples Jesus and His Apostles left us in their writings contradict what the Whore does. They wrote;

·         Receive each other (Mt 10:40-41), and do good to those who belong to the household of faith (Gal 6:10)

·         Defend the faith entrusted to us, resisting false brethren (Jude 1:3)

·         Keep ourselves from being polluted by the world (Jms 1:27)

·         Whatever things that were gain to us, we now count as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus (Phil 3:7)

·         Speak to others as God’s servants, and not deceitfully as our own masters (Rom 14:11-12; 2 Cor 2:17; Heb 4:13)

God loves His people and is saving up a special reward for those who mistreat them (Rev 18:20).  As those who labor in God’s house, may we serve Him in truth and purity, not setting our own agenda first nor using the Church as a platform to represent ourselves.  Remember, what may be an outcast to the world is precious in God’s eyes. All men will benefit the Church when they are instated in their rightful place and built up in their faith.  Amen.

Truth, Transparency & Humility

Recognizing our sins and weaknesses is called “honesty”, and speaking about them is “transparency”.  “Humility” is a state of mind that comes from respect for the greatness in others, and in the supremacy of God.

Thinking on our sins and weaknesses or talking about them does not make us humble.  What it can do is prevent us from fulfilling our destiny.  However, respecting greatness in others, and in God, opens the door to knowing about them.  And in knowing comes companionship with God.  God loves to turn humble men into great men, like Himself.  Amen.

God's purpose in blessing

God has given many blessings to His people, not only for their benefit but for the benefit of those around them.  Earlier this week I wrote of how both the Jewish nation and Christians had an identical purpose in God’s plan: to be a light to those around them.

We can see from Old Testament scripture that God did mighty works in order to display to the surrounding nations not only that He was God, but that He had chosen Israel as His people.  Besides working miracles, the Lord blessed Israel as a people, and their herds and crops, and He gave them victory over their enemies.  In like manner, the Lord blessed Christians, bestowing His Holy Spirit on them and equipping them to overcome.  He made His Word come alive in a people who were destined to become the Word of God in the flesh, just like Jesus, Whose Spirit they were born of.

To the extent that God blesses, we see that there is a correlating responsibility towards God’s purposes.  The Jewish nation did not put God first and saw His blessings as things they were due, or had deserved because of their place in God’s kingdom.  Eventually their city Jerusalem became known as the city that shed innocent blood (Ezekiel 24:9).  Jesus told the Jewish people “And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”  The blame of the failure of salvation fell on the people who had the light to save their nation, and the nations surrounding them.  Further, the Lord blamed Jerusalem for killing prophets and others He had sent to them (Mathew 23:37).  Because she (Jerusalem) was stuck in her ways, and stuck on herself, she did not listen to the Lord’s prophets, but went the way of the world.

Interestingly, in Revelation we see a very similar discourse.  Just as in Ezekiel 16, where God calls Jerusalem a whore, the unfaithful church is also called a whore, and the Lord tells her that she had the blood of the saints and prophets in her (Rev 16:6; 17:6).  After the Lord takes the voice of the bridegroom and bride from her, these charges are made against this whore; “By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.  In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth. (Rev 18:23-24)” Though she (the unfaithful) had been blessed with the Word of God to share with the world, instead she wanted the world’s friendship.  Not wanting to offend those of the world who would love her, she hid God’s true gift of salvation and led the unsaved to believe they were accepted by God when they were not.  Having begun as His beloved, this whore is also cast off because she too rejected the voice of God sent to her, preferring to love the world more than God.

Jesus puts it this way; “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48).  Perhaps we are failing to see that our faith is not for our personal benefit alone.  If we neglect our salvation (Hebrews 2:3), which is great, and we receive blessings but are not a light to those around us, we also will be seen as unfaithful to God’s purposes in our own lives.  When Christians fail, wrongs continue on the earth.  Murders and rapes, kidnappings and thefts are not prevented, but rather, evil men continue in their evil.  Because we have the potential for so much good, our failures allow evil to reign on the earth.  And, if we call evil good (Is 5:20), then we shut the door of salvation on those to whom we are sent as a witness.

 

God looks at our potential to be overcomers, and if we fall short of that potential, we will be held accountable.  Brothers and sister in Christ, let us overcome our selfishness and seek to do good to others and fulfill our callings on the earth.  God has given us much; let us apply faith to our works for the benefit of all around us.  Amen.

Confidence

We are molded by our thoughts.  In fact, our mind can become a battle field of good against evil, and true wisdom against false counsel (2 Cor 10:3-5).  Our character is molded by what we allow ourselves to dwell on.

Often times, we listen to thoughts about our mistakes and the wounding outcome of them.  In our understanding of the matter, what went wrong could have been prevented if we had done or said the right thing.  This is the counsel of the mind, and is useful if it is receiving counsel from the Lord.  But so often we dwell on wounding events in our lives without asking God how we can walk forward into the grace He has for us, and the ability to do well. 

We often do many things well.  In fact, if we will take time to listen to the Lord He will walk though our minds with us, bringing His thoughts, assurances, and wisdom.  At the end of the day we can lay our heads down inspired by the wonderful God we serve.  It’s a place of inner security and fellowship with God.  I’d call that confidence that the following day will be a good one, no matter what the outcome.

Paul writes to us several times about confidence.  He himself was confident of his ability to minister to people.  He said that the words from him, written on their hearts, were letters for everyone to read (2 Cor 3:2-6).  When his ministry was in question, Paul did not step back.

Paul also writes about the confidence we have with God.  When persecuted, he wrote that the Corinthians should not be discouraged.  Paul knew that discouragement leads to lack of confidence.  Instead, Paul wrote that they could approach God with freedom and confidence.  Lack of acceptance did not cause Paul to step back from what he was doing, and neither did undermining by false brethren.

Our enemy works against us, discouraging us from finishing those things we are called by God to do.  He wants us to “shrink back” from God (Heb 10:35-39).  But it is with confidence and perseverance we will finish what we do, and receive our reward.  Perhaps if we entertain positive thoughts about ourselves we feel proud.  However, God also entertains positive thoughts about us.  He does not mold us by reviewing painful memories over and over again.  God does not bring lessons by the contual handling of our mistakes, nor of other’s mistakes either.  He does not destroy us with daily woundings.

Though God does often bring light into dark matters, it is with a spirit of Grace and a building up of our character.  We will be molded by His thoughts if we defeat the counsel that discourages us in our minds.  And with confidence, our lives will succeed in the purpose to which we are called.  Amen.

God's Temple: War & Peace

We often think of David as a man after God’s heart.  When in Antioch, Paul spoke from the scriptures about David, saying that God “found David son of Jesse a man after (His) own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22) Though we admire David, I’ve also wondered why he wasn’t chosen to build God’s temple.   David himself said that, though he made plans to build the temple of God, the Lord told him “You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.” (1 Chron 28:2–3). 

Because David did the Lord’s will in unifying Israel by slaying her enemies, it may seem a contradiction that the Lord did not allow him to build His temple.   However, the Lord chose a man of peace; David’s son Solomon.  Solomon recognized that the Lord wanted to make His people famous for their God so that people who did not know God would come to his temple and worship Him there (1 King 8:41-43).  Isaiah wrote that God’s house was a “House of Prayer for all nations” (Is 56:7).  When we understand the purpose of the temple, then we understand better who should build it.  A man of war was needed to unify the nation of Israel.  However, a man of war could not bring aliens into God’s House, for they feared David.  God planned a reign of peace under Solomon; a time wherein God’s fame would spread to those who did not know Him so they could find Him in Israel, and worship in His house.

There has always been a plan for those who did not know God to come to know Him through His people.  The Temple was a physical representation of God’s spiritual house in the New Testament.  We, His people, are the “living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” (1 Pet 2:5).  We are God’s light to a lost and dying world.

Before we see the wedding of the Lord to His Bride written about in Revelation, it is written that He comes to vanquish His enemies (Rev 19:11-16).  He comes as a man of war to do all that God asks of Him.  His victories precede the time of peace wherein He will accept His Bride, described as God’s City, the “new Jerusalem,” (Rev 21:2), or the new City of Peace. 

All the skills and gifts that it took to defeat God’s enemies also unify God’s people into His Beloved.  And yet, just as in the day of building God’s Temple, the Bride will display peace to the world, as is her name. 

In the City of God there is a river of Life, with trees which have leaves for the healing of the nations (Rev 22:2).  God is building His people with those attributes that will make peace come between the nations.  He is building His Bride with love, patience, kindness, and forbearance.   They will trust, honor and forgive their brothers, preferring others over themselves.  Though devoted to God, they will have brotherly affection, being sincere in word and actions.  Their compassion and forgiveness will make God famous to outsiders. 

When we understand God’s war, then we also understand the peace that follows.  The Lord comes as a Man of War, putting all His enemies under His feet.  Then He subjects Himself to the One who put everything under Him, “so that God may be all in all,” (1 Cor 15:28).  When God comes to the City of Peace, the new Jerusalem, He will dwell with His people (Rev 21:3).  God is building us into a Bride that partakes of and offers healing.  Amen.

The Work of Apostles and Prophets

When we look at our current practices in our churches, we wonder how they would change under a leadership that includes apostles and prophets.  One thing I recently asked a pastor was if he knew what each member in his congregation’s calling was.  This was a church of 12 – 18 members, and he answered me “no.”  There is nothing wrong with not knowing another person’s calling.  In fact, we personally often do not understand our own callings until later in life.  However, to develop the individual functions of members in the body of Christ, someone will be told at some time what each one is called to do.  That someone is usually an apostle or a prophet.

It would greatly change the way a church operated if it considered itself a body, and that each member had a life-sustaining function.  If a person considers that they are the head of the body (church), he will find uses for the other members that help meet his vision for the body.  However, the real head, Jesus, already has a vision for the body of Christ.  And Jesus is calling the apostles and prophets back into the body of Christ to help build it up.

If a man calls himself an apostle because he draws other churches to join his network, he is not doing the work of an apostle.  If a man calls himself a prophet because he gets many people to donate to his orphanages, that man is not doing the work of a prophet.  Each is doing what is called “expansion”, being their own head of the body of Christ they are affiliated with, and yet not building them up into what each member should be. These leaders are taking members of Christ’s body and using them for a different purpose than what Jesus intended His mature members to be.

Each member of the body should become mature.  If we look at the body of Christ as we would look at a physical body, we could say that the members are made up of cells.  Using that example, when a new cell is born in the bone marrow, we would say it is immature.  It has not been “defined” yet as to its intended use and so is called “undifferentiated”.  It lacks a defined mature cell structure.  After cells mature they can perform the function for which they were intended.  Mature cells which lack the normal orderly arrangement of the cells from which they belong are called “dedifferentiated,” and become the components of cancer.  They once performed their function, but then lost that which enabled them to perform, and they became an agent of death in a living body.

I am using the example of the human body to illustrate a spiritual concept.  If we each as parts of a living spiritual body do not mature, we cannot perform a function that the body needs.  And, if we lose our ability to perform our function, a death occurs in the body of Christ.  Spiritually speaking, that is how serious it is that we have healthy churches, the spiritual bodies of which Christ should be the head.  We should have the five-fold ministry building the church, member-by-member, each in his or her God-given calling, nurturing the body into maturity through the gifts each one supplies (Eph 4:11 – 16).

Let us welcome God’s true apostles and prophets into the Body of Christ and grow up into the unity of our faith as we mature together.  Amen.

Love; what a lot to give

There are a lot of God’s children waiting for Him to make their lives into something great.  God doesn’t intend on giving us the world.  Fortune, fame, and other worldly aspirations are not part of His plan for most people’s lives.  Being spiritual in order for God to use us in a fantastic way is not the heart-motive God is looking for.  When we try to be overly spiritual, we forget how to be human, and being human is a gift, given by and expressed through love. 

Our enemy lost his place, and God’s affections, to humans.  He would like to waste our time and our lives telling us we’d be happier with the world instead of God’s Kingdom.  But to love God is to come alive, and to live with His Kingdom in our hearts is to begin to know love. 

The heart cannot begin to come alive and to love without our permission.  We need to be sincere about our affections in this life.  We should not try to be someone we think SomeOne else would love when He already loves us.  Neither should we think it an unworthy thing to love others whom He loves.  The great thing that God is making our lives into has already begun; it began when He loved us.  What a lot we have to give.  Amen.

The Failure of the Seven Churches

The first century churches suffered losses that we at the end time may be the most impacted by.  The gifts offered by Jesus to the overcomers would have allowed them to win greater victories and walk in greater authority.  At first glance, Jesus’ warnings to the seven first century churches in Revelation  seem harsh.  In retrospect though, we see that present-day Church experiences lack power and faith because prior generations did not overcome.  We also lack large chunks of our “foundation”, which should have been provided for us to build on.  However, God has always had a faithful remnant, and if we look at the end of Revelation, we do see overcomers.  There has always been those who loved Jesus and laid down their lives, picked up their cross, and followed Him alone.

Now let’s look at the seven churches and see what lessons there are for us to learn. In learning, we will lay a better foundation for the next generation to build on.

Ephesus

This church was admonished to return to its first love; the movement of God’s Spirit amongst them.  Because Ephesus did not return, its lampstand was removed.  Iin our times, many ministers want to focus on the power of the Holy Spirit. However, the concept of the lampstands is summed up as this: the flow of the Holy Spirit is found in the Word of God, which keeps the Church’s lamps lit. God’s Word coupled with His Spirit keeps us afire, not demonstrations of His power. Though we would make a mistake to separate God’s Words from His Spirit, we would also make a mistake to elevate the power of God’s Spirit above His Words.

When the power of God’s Spirit coupled with His Word goes out of the church, men are not regenerated by the Spirit, and God’s word only becomes head knowledge.  The faith of men then lags due to lack of understanding brought by the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Also, the spiritual structure of the church, brought by revelation to apostles and prophets (Eph 3:5) is gone.  Because apostles and prophets lean heavily into the Spirit for guidance, and defend the faith by His gift within them, a church that lacks the Holy Spirit will find very little in common with them.  Eventually, religion becomes mechanical and work-oriented for the congregation, and the five-fold ministry becomes powerless.  Pastors lead the churches as an organization instead of God’s treasured people, and a gap grows between them and Laypersons who are the true ecclesia.  Though much work can be accomplished in an organization such as this, it is devoid of God’s Spirit. A church without a lampstand has the structure of religion but is devoid of the Life that sustains godliness.

Smyrna

The church at Smyrna was going to face persecution, but for those who were faithful, even to the point of death, they would receive the crown of life and not be hurt by the second death.  The crown of life was reserved for authentic Christians, those who were faithful no matter the cost.  When sincere service to God wanes in the face of loss or persecution, the world replaces it. 

In Jesus’ parable of the Sower and the Seeds, He pointed out that some hearts are like rocky places; there isn’t enough good soil for the word’s roots to take hold. When persecution comes because of the word, that heart will become offended at the word, and the person will fall away (Mt 13:21). Still, some Christians will treasure the word of God, even in persecution, while others will not. The letter to the church in Smyrna was a word to two kinds of Christians; authentic ones, who would never taste of the second death (in other words, they would also be resurrected, like Jesus was; see Rev 20:6) and those who were not authentic.

Which leaders were left to tend to the matters of the church if they did not have the crown of life?  The leaders left to tend God’s churches were those whose hearts were rocky, who compromised with the world when things didn’t go their way. They could not prepare God’s people to have courage, nor could they prepare the rocky soils of other’s hearts to become suitable for God’s Seed.  Therefore, faith could not grow and the works of God which were less popular died due to opposition. 

Pergamum

Men have always tried to find a way around personally bearing a cross in their own lives. That is the nature of our flesh. Few would follow Christ if they knew that His image in them would bring them to suffer on their own personal cross before they experienced the glory of sitting with Jesus on His throne.  Jesus asked the Pergamum’s to get rid of their false teachers; those who taught that they could have the benefits of this life as well as to be able to walk with Him.  In a believer’s life, the flesh is put on the cross, which comes before we experience the authority of the throne.  Many of Jesus’ own followers fully expected Him to set up a kingdom on this earth in which He would rule with them (Lk 19:11). They could not have foreseen the crucifixion. So it is with us, that we fully expect in this life to rule and reign with Christ, not fully grasping that we will have a personal cross to bear first in order to follow Him. 

Those who overcame the teachings of falsehood were rewarded with pure teachings, (hidden manna), personal purity (white stone) and a new name (often the mark of promotion given to a victor).  Without the hidden manna, the Church has been unable to grow in its knowledge of God.  And without personal purity God cannot confide in men concerning those mysteries waiting to be revealed.  Remember, the Lord told John that he must “prophesy again about many people, nations, languages and kings.” (Rev 10:11).  These matters will not be revealed to unholy men, but to the holy.  When Christians no longer mix their religion with the world, God will be able to speak deeper things to His Church.  Until then, we must realize that many seemingly important prophecies have been mixed with the imaginations of men, for men are hungry for information from God.  Those who love information for information’s sake will lack discernment between truth and error.  In our generation, we suffer from a lack of pure teachings from God.

Thyatira

This church failed to see the harm a false prophet did to their congregation.  She was symbolically called “Jezebel” and taught that spiritual authority could come into the believer’s life by mixing unclean, demonic spiritual knowledge with Christianity.  Men and women did not repent of the gains from spiritual adultery.  False teachers taught their listeners to run after knowledge and the experiences of others, thereby numbing the congregation’s hearts to their relationship with God.  They did not think it mattered to God if the works they did came from another spirit, as long as what they did was validated by the unity of experiences others had. However, Jesus searches our hearts and minds and knows the source from which our works come.

The overcomers, who did not follow false teaching, were given true authority.  God does not give authority to those who search into the “deep things of satan.”  There are many religions that see “other” spirits as helpers.  But our God is a jealous God and will not suffer to have His people’s works polluted by satan. 

The overcomers also received the “morning star”, which is the Spirit of Prophecy.  Those who submit to God’s word have it written on their hearts and minds.  They know truth from error, and false teachers from true teachers.  These overcomers were to be set in place in the churches to keep out the wolves that would devour the flock by their evil teachings.  Without people who have the Spirit of Prophecy and true authority in Christ, the Church has become a mixture of truth with error. Men’s words became powerless.  As prophecy and prophets went out of the church, men ruled by the understanding of their own minds.  The structure of the churches also became a man-appointed hierarchy instead of one that served the brethren by building up their faith.  And sadly, the enemy of the Church has put in place many unclean spiritual works which look inviting to the undiscerning.

Sardis

Because of their spiritual slumber, the church at Sardis was not a vital part of what God was doing.  They were content with their reputation for having done good works, forgetting what God had originally given to them.  Their complacency allowed them to drift from serving God in the Spirit, to doing works of the flesh.  God pointed out that these works were imperfect.  Because they did not repent, Jesus came “like a thief” and removed their spiritual inheritance.  All they had left to hand down to future generations of Christians were their worldly traditions and works of the flesh.  In future generations some Christian churches developed good works, such as orphanages and hospitals (as an example), but many did nothing. 

We call these churches the “frozen chosen” because they are not vital, having no heart-felt faith to motivate them.  They have a form of godliness but deny the power. (2 Tim 3:5)

What did this church lose due to their complacency?  Jesus said these overcomers would wear white, and he would have their name confessed to God and His angels.  Their prayers would have brought powerful results, and their commands for healing and deliverance would have been attended to by both God and the angels.  We have an example of prayers that met with disastrous results in Acts 19 where the sons of Sceva commanded demons to leave, in the name of “Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” (Acts 19:13).  The demons answered “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (vs 15). Their name had not been confessed to God nor to His angels, because they were not Christians wearing white.  Those who seek reputation among men by doing powerful works cannot wear white.  However, those who seek reputation with God by keeping their faith alive and their works based on His word will have God’s ear, and His power will be in their lives.  The failure of this church to overcome left a legacy of tepid prayers and powerless ministries.

Philadelphia

The faithful in this church were admonished to hold onto what they had received, and to not give up their crowns (Rev 3:11).  One of the most powerful influences against faithfulness in the church is the brethren.  Not all brethren will want a faithful man to stop serving God and give up his place in the church, however there are sufficient amounts of unspiritual brethren who will pressure a man to cede to their will.  When a man feels alone in what he is doing for Christ, the pressure to “fit in” is great.  When faithful men cede their authority to those who do not do God’s works, their voices are silenced by the false brethren who exert their own wills over God’s divine purposes for His people.  When individual people do not feel as if what they do matters to God, it steals personal intimacy from the church. 

The result of Philadelphia’s failure to overcome was that men forgot that they could know God.  Though Jesus promised Christian followers that He would make known to His disciples the Father (Jn 17:26), many church leaders said it was not possible.  Many people would love to hear from God and yet church leaders are plagued with doubt that their congregation can be spoken to, and come to know their heavenly Father.  By looking at what the overcomers would receive, we see that the opposite is true.  God’s intention was that His people become a permanent part of the church, have the name of His works written on their heart, and have both the Father and the Son’s names written on their hearts.  Intimacy with God brings a person into the center of who He is and what He is doing.  Because the church has lost this, both their knowledge of God and their works have floundered.

Laodicea

This church kept its status quo and did not make the effort to meet God’s expectations of change.  They saw their church as acceptable and rejected the purity found in God’s holy plan for their personal purity and for the soundness of their corporate works.  Their religion eventually took on the form of Humanism, which we have in many churches to this day. Humanism allows people to offer one’s personal best as being the best there can be.  Because this church was unwilling to exchange their best for God’s perfect will, they lost their fellowship with God. 

Though God corrects and disciplines, it is because He loves us and covets our fellowship (Rev 3:19-21).  Imagine what the Church would be like today if men had sat at the spiritual table which the church at Laodicea was invited to, eating with the Father and the Son.  If they had overcome their man-made throne of acceptable works, they would have sat down in great authority with Jesus in His throne.

In reflecting on what the seven churches of the first century lost due to failure, it is only fair to ask ourselves if we will overcome.  The next generation is counting on it.  Amen.