PERSECUTED CHURCH (Rev 2: 8- 11)

All things are appropriate. And as Christ writes and delivers a message to the Church of Smyrna, he wants them to know one thing, because all around them was suffering and death. He wants them to know this, that he is the first and the last. He was dead and is alive, eternal life, eternal life. There were those. Smyrna was another very wicked, pagan city. And there were those who deprived and spoiled the Christians of their belongings either through legal means or whether it be through thievery or whether it been through taxation. They were in poverty. Physically they were in poverty. Spiritually they were rich.

 

1.     Power of God

“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again” (2:8)

That statement stresses the powerful sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. He is sovereign. He is in control. And He’s also in control of eternity, specifically, what happens after this world, what happens after death. Jesus is identified as the One “Who was dead, and came to life.”

2.     Peace of the Lord

When you go through hard times, the Lord Jesus Christ offers His peace. He sees us in our trials. He knows what we are going through. And there are three kinds of trials these Smyrna Christians were going through. They are identified as suffering from ‘tribulation, poverty and blasphemy’.

Jesus says I know your works—tribulation, and poverty, and then He says, “I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” I know the blasphemy you are enduring. The “blasphemy” He’s talking about are the slanderous words that some of the Jews in Smyrna were saying about them. These Jews in Smyrna did not share the church’s Christian beliefs and they were blaspheming God by spreading slanderous things about the Christians.

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.” (2:10)

Jesus says, “Do not fear.” That is, be encouraged, be strengthened in the midst of your afflictions. Stop being afraid. Don’t worry. He strengthens us in our trials. Remember, He is in control. He sees what is happening. You will be thrown into prison and have tribulation for a period of ten days. The 10 days is probably a way of indicating that the time period of this church’s terrible persecution will be brief.

3.     Remember the Promise

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (2:10)

He says, “You be faithful until death,” that is, “stick with it” and I will reward your suffering in the end. I will give you the crown of life.” The crown of life is a symbol of the Christian’s rewards in the afterlife for his faithfulness in this life.

He also gives another promise. "The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death" (2:11). If we die before the Lord Jesus Christ comes again, we all will face the first death. Every one of us will face the first death. But not every one of us will face the second death. Those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will only die once, because we’ve been born twice.

There are no promises of the “easy life” in Scripture. Becoming a Christian is no guarantee that we will never suffer persecution, hard times, and difficulties. Leaonard Ravenhill said, “When God opens the windows of heaven to bless you, the devil will open the doors of hell to blast you.” Whatever the devil does, our Lord is with us. Remember the Power of our Lord, the Peace of our Lord, and the Promise of our Lord. Do you want your church to be Smyrna? Of Course, we want to be rich in Christ’s eyes, Right?! We need to be faithful even in persecution!

God Bless!

THE LOVELESS CHURCH Contd...

More about Ephesus...

4. Repent!

God gives a good opportunity to this church now. Remember, but do something more than remember, for it is never just good to sit there and gripe about the past as though his great admonition, his great exhortation is, “Remember, stop and remember. But do something quickly on that.”

And that is what the Lord Jesus Christ says to this church. Repent! Change direction, completely reverse course and recover what you have lost by doing, putting into practice once again. Repent and Return!

5.  Spiritual Victory

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

And I can’t say anymore to you than that. Do you have an ear to hear? Do you have a heart to receive what is being said? Is that ear connected to that heart? Can you reach out and embrace what Christ says to the churches?

A promise is given.

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

When Adam and Eve sinned, the tree of life was banished from the Garden of Eden. It is now situated in the Paradise of God, a synonym for heaven. And the Christian partakes of the tree of life through the work of Jesus Christ. And He is the only way we may have victory, victory over death. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes unto the Father, except by Me.”

Has your Christian walk become a dead routine, working for ourselves, working for the family, working for the church but no warmth of the fire, no joy, no bliss? Fall in love with Jesus all over again. Do you feel as though your church life is disconnected from your work life? Fall in love with Jesus all over again. I want to tell you, whatever our problem, there is an answer-  To fall in love with Jesus all over again!

God Bless!

THE LOVELESS CHURCH (Rev 2: 1- 7)

About Ephesus...


 1.     Christ knows it all!

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.” (v.2)

He knows everything about every member. He knows everything about the church as a whole. It is implied here that he knows both good and evil works. Works are what can be seen. Works are what can be observed. But he also knows the intent of those works. He knows the intent of our heart. He knows what we mean by what we do. Have we ever thought about that? The all-seeing eyes of Christ see into the very soul and even to the very depths of the heart.

This church has endured hardships in the name of Christ. You might ask Why God allows times of trials and tribulation and suffering and persecution? The answer for all these is the same. To be a witness for Jesus Christ! Let us not be unfaithful to our duty. We might have suffered loss, insults and hardships, but need to bear all that!

2. Good Signs!

The Church of Ephesus did not tolerate evil. This somewhat challenges us too.  How do we tolerate evil? It surrounds us every day. It comes into our home via the media. How do we tolerate evil? This church didn’t tolerate not just the principle of evil, they didn’t tolerate evil people. They didn’t bear with them.

Also, they hated the practices of the Nicolaitans, whom Christ also hated. The Nicolaitans were people who wanted to do their own thing in the way that they wanted to do it.

So you would think they get an A+. You would think this church certainly is a church received by Christ. It is a church loved by Christ. It is a church embraced by Christ. It is a church commended by Christ. But we are shocked to hear these words. “Yet I hold this against you".

3. Lost the First Love!

Now, first of all, we should understand that is they had departed the ultimate commandment of Christ that you love one another. That is how they divided their first love. That is how they departed Christ. They forgot that the very first principle above all things was that the children of God love each other because love is of God and because He loved us first we ought also to love one another.

This church was in bad shape. It was in a horrible situation. It left behind the principle of love. Devotion was routine, the church became cold and lost enthusiasm. It had lost its first love! Religious activities replaced the Love of God!

Think about it. We can ask all of ourselves these questions- Where were we when we first loved Him? Where were we when love was our principle of life? Where were we? And where are we now? Are we any better now than we were then? Or are we worse off than we were then? Even we might have started out well, went on well and kept up. But in between the devil come to play in the form of discouragement, anxiety, depression etc. But God is looking for Constancy. Standing for Truth, Knowing the Bible, Doing Ministry, Free from Guilt is all Good. They are actually indispensible. But there is something deeper. God will look at the heart from where these things will come!

... To be Continued...

 God Bless!

Intoduction to the 7 Churches Contd...

The letters, in Revelation 2 and 3, were told to be written to the angels of the respective churches. Angels are actually messengers of God. All the letters follow a set format of five parts:

1) Address of destination: “To the angel of the church of ______, write.”

2) Personal description of Jesus as He relates to this particular Church.

3) The condition of the church as viewed by the Only One who can truly know it. Seven times God says, “I know your works.”

4) The course of action. Five of the seven churches are told to repent! The other two churches are comforted and blessed.

5) Finally comes the promise to the overcomers, the obedient, and also an invitation: “He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

These 7 churches are representative of all the churches, in one way or the other. Let us take the good things from each church and beware of the warnings he gives us! You can see yourself in anyone or more than one of these churches.

God Bless!

Introduction to the 7 Churches

Sin always causes problems in the Church. And there is nothing new about it! John, the apostle, was commanded to write 7 letters to the 7 churches in Asia Minor. What we read in Chapters 2 and 3 are like the X-ray reports of the 7 churches- Ephesus, Symrna, Pergamos, Thytira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. We are seeing what our Lord sees and, seeing in black and white, what looks good and what looks bad. Jesus says, “Here’s the good you are doing and here’s the bad stuff you’re doing.” It’s as though Jesus is going over the results of the X-rays with us. But then, like a good doctor Jesus doesn’t just diagnose the problem, He also tells us what we need to do to treat the problem. Just as it is with our physical bodies, an early diagnosis leads to a good prognosis!

1. Ephesus was a large city, an influential city. It was known as the first city of Asia Minor. It was a very beautiful city in its architecture. It was very fully pagan thought, from temple prostitutes to false prophets to complete people that didn’t believe in God at all. Ephesus was known for its bizarre religious worship of the fertility goddess “Diana,” or, in the Greek, “Artemis.” There was a huge temple built and dedicated to Diana. This temple was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world, three times the size of the Parthenon in Athens, 377 feet long, 180 feet wide, with 127 pillars 60 feet high. But despite all its beauty, there was only darkness! The light of God was only in the Bible- believing church and Bible-preaching church! Paul ministered in this church for three years and even John pastored this church.

2. Smyrna was a patriotic city and was very rich. The word “Smyrna” is the Greek word for myrrh. When the wise men from the east came to worship the newborn baby Jesus, they brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. A mixture of vinegar and myrrh was offered to Jesus on the cross. And when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped the body of Jesus they used myrrh in His burial. This church was considered poor in the eyes of the world. It had no big buildings or lofty cathedrals, they were probably not very large in size, yet they were commended by Christ.

3. Pergamum was the capital city of Asia Minor and lots of royal government officials were there. It was covered with Pagan Temples and there was the Temple of Octavius Caesar too. There was also the Altar of Zeus, mentioned as Satan’s Throne (2:13).

4. Thyatira was a very small city, but a busy commercial centre. It was on a major road of the Roman Empire, and, because of this, many trade unions had settled in this city. There were carpenters, dyers, sellers of goods, tent makers, etc. In the church at Philippi, which the Apostle Paul began, there was a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, who came from Thyatira.

5. Sardis was the Capital of Ancient Lydia. This city was divided into two parts. One part was a fortress on top of a magnificent mountain and the other was the sprawling community where most of the people lived that existed about 1500 feet below in a very fertile valley. With regard to religion, the people of Sardis were devoted primarily to the worship of the mother goddess Sybil, also known as Artemis or Diana.

6. Philadelphia was founded in 140 BC by Atalus II and he chose to name it Philadelphia, which means brotherly love, in honor of his brother Eumenes II whom he loved. There were lots of volcanoes in the area, a lot of volcanic activity. And, of course, this posed a constant threat to those who lived in that region. In AD 17 the worst earthquake recorded in history up to that time absolutely devastated 12 cities in the Lydian Valley including Philadelphia and Sardis.

7. Laodicea was founded by Antiochus II around 250 BC and he named the city after his dear wife Laodice whom he divorced a few years later. It was part of a tri city grouping consisting of Colosse—which was about 10 miles to the east and Hierapolis, six miles to the north. Hierapolis was famous for its hot springs whereas Colosse boasted fresh, cold, life giving water. Unfortunately, Laodicea’s primary water source was from underground aqueducts that were neither hot nor cold, but only lukewarm and disgusting to the taste.

 

 God Bless!

 

OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION (Rev 1:19- 20)

The Outline of the Book of Revelation is in verse 19- “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

This means that John is told to write what he has seen and he has written that in Chapter 1. And what is now will be following in Chapters 2 and 3, where John writes to the seven churches. What will take place later will be from Chapters 4-22- the things that are hereafter.

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

God Bless!

PERSON IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION (Rev 1:9- 18)

John was in the Island of Patmos, when he wrote Revelation and why was he there? He was exiled in a prison in the Island. He was persecuted for his testimony. While he was in the prison, the Lord speaks to him to write this book. He is told to write to 7 churches- Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

John saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands he saw Jesus.

Dr. Woodrow Kroll in his Revelation study says: ―Why lampstands? If the passage said chandeliers, you would immediately connect the object with its purpose—to give light. Those lampstands stand for the light they shine!

And how is Jesus described here?

He was dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance Just Imagine!

When John saw Jesus, he fell at his feet as though dead. Then Jesus responds by saying- “Do not be afraid”. Jesus has said that many times- Do not be afraid! Relax! Trust! In your fears too, God says to take your eyes off the fear and keep your eyes on Him. Trust Him!

Verse 18 says that He died for our sins, He resurrected and He was taken to Heaven. He holds the keys of Hades and death. Jesus has said- My times are in your hands. Who has got the key of your life? Because He has given the gift of eternal life to those who have faith in Him.

God Bless!

Prologue Contd...

Sometimes past taunts us in ways more than one! We have to keep in mind that we need to forget certain things to move on! Forgetting the past can be called as Retrospect. And looking forward to the future is called Prospect, as we all know!

When somebody cheats us, we feel lost and sad and we might talk about that person till our anger supresses. We might have been betrayed or cast away by some, abandoned by many, ignored by few, but when we keep that hatred in our heart, what is it going to benefit us? Why not we try a new method? Well, Lets Forget that and pray for them!

Forgetting is actually considered as a bad sign. Teachers at school punish us for forgetting, our friends bully us that we forget often. But here, Forgetting is what we have to do, along with Forgiving! Forgive and Forget! When we think what others have done to us, we actually cultivate sin within us. We build sin around us- in our thoughts, and hence we become a sinner. We are all sinners. But why not try to Forgive everyone just like our Father in heaven forgives us!

Well, going through PROLOGUE i.e., Revelation Chapter 1, verses 1-8, we should have known the following:

1. Meaning of the word 'Revelation'.

2. Purpose of the Book

3. Author of the Book

4. Theme of the Book

5. Whether we are ready to hear God's word!

God Bless!

PROLOGUE (Rev 1:1- 8)

This Book has a title- It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for Revelation is ‘apokalupsis’ which means unveiling or disclosure. This book has a purpose, which is described in verse 1- “to show His servants what must soon take place.”

This doesn’t give us more details but gives more than we can swallow. This book came from God, the Father to Jesus, and to the Angel who communicated to John, who finally wrote it to us. This is the transmission of the book.

This book is authentic- It is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ (v.2).

The phrase ‘I saw’ and ‘I heard’ appears 60 times in this Book. It is not only authentic but authoritative and also has a promise.

Verse 3 says- Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.

Do you read the Word of God? Do you hear the Word of God? Or take to heart the Word of God?

In Chapter 2, verses 7, 11 and 17, the phrase- ‘Whoever has ear, let him hear’ has been repeated. Do you have an ear? Then you need to hear!

There are many who avoid reading the book. There are many who avoid it like a plague and say it is wrapped in such deep mystery. You might say- It is wrapped in such darkness I can’t get through it... It is wrapped in such misunderstandings and such puzzling things, it is beyond my understanding....

Listen to what He says: Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.

How do you keep some of these things? You keep them and store them up in your hearts. You keep them in your minds and at the forefront of your battle every day with the powers of darkness or you draw upon the understanding of what Christ has done and what Christ will do and what Christ will always do in facing his foes.

So, this Book begins with a promise and ends with a promise. In Chapter 22:7, there is a promise- “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” This book because of its very nature is called Prophecy. And the word prophecy is found 7 times in this book. And the number 7 signifies Perfection.

Verse 3 says- “because the time is near”.  Only God knows His prophetic clock. The time is always there for the practicing of faith. The time is always there for the application of the battle being fought by faith.

In Verse 4, we are told about the human writer- the apostle John. And the recipients of the letter- the 7 churches in Asia Minor. Asia Minor is modern day Turkey.

I am sure, most of us are interested in Reading books and when we open a book, we see that it is dedicated to so and so. The Book of John has a dedication too. It is found in Verse 5- “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”.

This Book is dedicated to Jesus Christ! Awesome! And moreover, Jesus is described in v.5 as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

He is the faithful witness- U can Trust him- This Shows His Reliability.

He is the firstborn from the dead- This Shows His Superiority.

He is the ruler of the kings of the earth- This Shows His Sovereignty.

God loved us that He gave us His Son! Son loved us that He washed our Sins! And what is He worthy of? Verse 6 says He is worthy of Glory and Power. He is worthy of Dominion.

The main theme of this book is found in Verse 7- “ Jesus is Coming Again!”

"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him."

This is a glimpse into what will take place in the rest of the book. Every eye shall see. Remember, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Every eye shall see him here. Some will see him and they will rejoice in seeing. They will glory in seeing. They will be happy and joyous in seeing. But then there will be others- those who pierced Him. Some will see him as the one that they caused to die. Will that be you? Will you look upon him and say, “My sin caused the prints in his hands, the prints in his feet, the wound in his side, the wounds upon his head”?

Will you say that? I pierced him. It is for my transgressions that he suffered all that. There are those who will look upon him and say, “So what? He didn’t do anything for me anyway.”

Dear Friends, the vision of Christ brings all sorts of reactions in different people. What will be your reaction?

God Bless!