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The Fear Of The Lord

1/14/2018

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“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13) 


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What does it mean to “fear the Lord”? Many who grew up in a strict rules based “religion” will think of God as a punisher, always waiting to find them doing something wrong so He can discipline them. They do not have a close relationship with the Lord because they find him to be unapproachable and uncaring. That is exactly what “religion” is, a set of rules that must be obeyed. Man is the overseer and therefore positions himself as the one who interprets the Scriptures, sets the rules and enforces the rules, the authoritarian. How very sad and very different from what the real “fear of the Lord” really means. 

Others may have grown up in a “liberal” church where it was more about following the moral character of Christ. While it is true that Jesus loves the sinner and also that He came to be a servant, that was secondary to His love of the Father and His obedience to everything that His Father lead Him to do. He did everything His Father asked Him to do because of His great love for His Father. (When we have that love we, too, will also possess God’s love for others, the second great commandment.) He spent much time with Him alone in prayer and away from the masses of people. The Apostle Paul reminded us of this very thing, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Corinthians 13:1 emphasis mine) Did you see it, did you hear the Holy Spirit revealing that the love of which Paul spoke of is our love and true intimacy with Jesus Christ? When we are “one” with the Lord, it is His love which flows through us and it is His love which will transform not only us but those in whom we have contact. Without His love, we are a noisy gong and nothing of any eternal significance will occur. That is social justice. (I am intentionally not going into detail concerning the social causes of today but praying that you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and reveal God’s truth, according to the true Word, and be able to understand and distinguish between helping someone and truly seeing a change in their lives for the glory of God.) It is not wrong to help those who are hurting, Jesus taught that very thing in the parable of the good Samaritan. But if there is to be an eternal outcome it can only come through the love of the Lord and the moving of the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:1-4 emphasis mine) 

This Scripture we have just read is so amazing, it truly describes a spirit filled believer! Yes, it is the telling of the coming Messiah and how He will be recognized. It is actually a two part revelation. The first is when the Messiah came to this earth as the Passover Lamb. The second part reveals His Second Coming when He returns to rule in the Millennial Kingdom of God. But it also reveals what a true relationship with the Lord is. Notice the “seven” spirits? Seven represents sanctification, holiness. “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16) 

When we are “reborn” we are now set apart unto the Lord. What does that mean? It means that we have been sanctified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, set apart for God’s use. Upon our rebirth we receive a new nature. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 emphasis mine) “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—” (Colossians 3:10 emphasis mine) So what is this new nature? We receive the Spirit of the Lord (Holy Spirit), spirit of wisdom, spirit of understanding, spirit of counsel, spirit of strength, spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord can only come when we have received the other six spirits, and remember the number “six” means God’s grace! God’s grace gives us everything we need in order to walk with Him! None of these things can be achieved on our own initiative. 

What does Scripture tell us about the relationship between Jesus and His Father? “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) This was not new revelation, Jesus was confirming what was taught in the Torah, in the Book of Genesis. God, the person of the Godhead, Jesus the only begotten Son and the Holy Spirit all had a specific nature and each had a significant influence upon creation. We see this in the creation of the earth, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) And we see this in the creation of man, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;...’” (Genesis 1:26 emphasis mine)

John the Apostle, who presented the life of Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God and delighted in giving us insight into His deity and divine nature begins his account of the life of Jesus with these impacting words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 emphasis mine) Jesus came to this earth with one purpose, that was to be the Passover lamb, the sacrificial lamb that would be slain and the blood shed would be acceptable to the Father and open the way into the Holy of Holies (through His resurrection) for all those who repented and believed in the Son of God. Therefore, he was confirming who He was and that as the accepted sacrifice (once and for all times) there did not need to be an annual sacrifice for sins, it was (and always has been) a personal relationship.  “Jesus *said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (John 14:6) 

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” (John 14:21) We cannot love God and not love Jesus. If that is you, my dear friend, you are without salvation. Let us stop and pray.

Abba Father, You are our life, our only eternal life, without You we will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Open the hearts of each person reading these words today that they would have the eyes of their hearts opened to reveal the truth of the person of Jesus Christ. You did not hide His life or His coming in the Words written in the Torah, the Tanakh or in the Books of the Prophets. Your holy prophets were given revelation of His coming and looked forward to that day. There is no other god of any religion that will bring eternal salvation, You alone are the Almighty God. Satan   will try and deceive man by his lies that the “gods” of other religions are the same as You. These “gods” are imitators and liars, just as Satan himself. There is no other way into Your presence except through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Messiah and His ascension to sit at Your right hand. He is the “Sent One”, Emmanuel “God with us”. His death on the cross was accepted by You and the veil of the temple was torn in two which opened into the Holy of Holies that we might worship You in spirit and truth. Thank You Father that You have heard this prayer and that You will send Your Holy Spirit to touch the lives of those reading this that they may see and know that You are Lord. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are the only way, the truth and the life and that no can come to the Father except through You! Amen.

For Jesus the fear of the Lord wasn’t something that He had to think about or to be reminded of. His love was so strong that He could not even consider doing anything against the Father or displeasing to the Father. His love was so strong that He would never do anything to “hurt or dismay” His Father. His desire was to see the Father glorified! (Please go to the study in January 2018 entitled “The Glory of God” to understand the glory in the true sense.) The following Scripture penned by the Apostle Paul puts everything in a proper perspective, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,” (Philippians 2:6)  

This, my dear friends, is where we meet the crossroad and must choose which path we will take, ours or the Lords. Pride is the downfall of every man and woman. We want to be right. We want to be in charge. We want others to look up to us. We want to be in leadership. We want to run the show! 

Have you truly considered these words of Jesus? “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luke 9:23, Mark 8:34, Matthew 16:24 emphasis mine) “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38 emphasis mine) Denying oneself is not understood today when it comes to the things of God. We have become so immersed in our cultures that denial means material possessions or food or other “perceived pleasures”, but it is much more and only can be understood through our relationship with the Lord. It took the disciples of Jesus three and a half years to finally understand what Jesus was talking about. All during the time they walked with Him during His ministry on earth they were always thinking of their own wants, needs, ideas or plans. It was not until after Jesus was raised from the dead and appeared to them for forty days did they finally begin to understand His Words. It was during this time that the Lord gave them the Holy Spirit and gave them instructions to wait in Jerusalem what the Father had promised (Acts 1:4).

When we confess our need for Jesus Christ we are stating that acknowledge that we cannot rule our own lives. We are asking Him to come into our hearts to be Lord of our lives not just our Savior. “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” (Romans 14:9) Jesus is asking each of us today a very important question, “Did you ask Him into your heart just so that you would receive eternal salvation, or did you ask Him into your heart to be Lord?” There is a major difference between the two!

If you, indeed, understand your need for a Savior AND Lord in your life, you will also have a deep love for Him which will transform your heart and you will love to “fear hurting the One you love”! “I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies.” (Psalm 119:59) “Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133) You will want to be in His presence. “Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.” (Psalm 119:24) You will want to spend time worshipping Him and reading His Word. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18)  “Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand…” (Psalm 95:6-7) “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:1-2) You will delight in obeying His every word. “I delight to do Your will, O my God; your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8) You will want to be in obedience to all He reveals to your heart concerning His plans for you. “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) He will show you “your cross” which you must bear and what must be set aside in order to walk with Him on the narrow path which He has chosen for you. You will be content in trusting Him to lead you even when you can’t see the way clearly. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) 

Can these words be said of you? Are they the song of your heart? “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26) “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9) 

These immortal words of Jesus should cause us to examine ourselves. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” (John 12:25) Further insight in His words can be found in the words of Jesus to the church of Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Revelation 2:4) They had become so enmeshed in doing what was right in their own eyes in the way of good deeds that they lost their love and fear of the Lord! If they didn’t repent He was going to remove their lampstand! (Please see the Bible Study on the seven churches of Revelation under Devotionals, “First Love” Love.) “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he *said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he *said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’” (Revelation 19:7-9) 

As we close our study today, consider these words the Lord spoken through His prophet King Solomon. “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.” (Proverbs 8:14) “I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.” (Proverbs 8:17) “Listen, for I will speak noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things. For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.” (Proverbs 8:6-9) “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD. But he who sins against me injures himself; all those who hate me love death.” (Proverbs 8:34-36) 


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Abba Father, I bow before You today, humbled at the Word which You have spoken. Thank You that You love us so greatly that You would teach us, again, the truth of Your Word! You have given us all wisdom and knowledge but yet we have neglected it and turned away from it to pursue worldly ways. I repent of those ways of the world which have crept into my life and ask that You continue to convict me of any wrong doing that encompasses my way. My desire is to love You and glorify You in all my ways. Thank You as You continue to open my eyes and reveal Your truth to me as I read Your Word. Your Word is life! I come to it thirsty and weak and You refresh me and strengthen me. I pray for each of those who read these words and ask that their hearts be softened and that if there be any who do not know You, that their hearts of stone be changed to a heart of flesh to love You and follow You all of their days. Thank You for the most precious of all gifts, the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ who sits at Your right hand interceding for us day and night. All this I pray in the blessed name of Jesus, Amen!

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Seven Warnings of Jesus - Part 7

8/2/2017

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“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)
“I am the LORD, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me;”
(Isaiah 45:5)


As we embark on this last leg of our journey I am praying that the Lord has spoken to each of you and your life has been impacted. I pray that you heard the Holy Spirit speaking into your life and that they were not just academic lessons. As I would sit with the Lord I would be so amazed at all the Scriptures He would bring to my mind. It was kind of like building a bridge, each piece had to be put in place in the proper order in order for the structure to hold firm and to transport people from one side to the other. That is exactly what the Word of God does! God laid a firm foundation and then chose to use His chosen people to build upon that foundation with their very blood. He wanted us to develop relationships with each of these patriarchs and be challenged to walk according to His plan regardless of the challenges we faced. He built a bridge so we could cross from this side (earth) into heaven and then be residents, and rule with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth. As always, I am overwhelmed by this truth! He is always with me now but I will physically be with Him for eternity! “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:2)
 
One thing is very clear, each and every testimony of the Lord’s love and mercy and grace and faithfulness and steadfastness were all received because God’s love changed the lives of those we meet in Scripture. And, they walked it out in love and surrender. Let me give you an example to help you understand what the Spirit is showing me. When Moses was born he was hidden so he wouldn’t be killed. He was raised by the Pharaoh's daughter and educated with the best education possible. He lived in the Pharaoh’s palace while the rest of his people were enslaved in Egypt. Moses was preserved because God had a plan for his life. The midwife that helped raise him was his biological mother, even though the Pharaoh and his daughter weren’t aware of it. She made sure he knew his history and God’s calling on this people. As he grew he saw the injustice in how the Israelites were being treated and he tried to “save” some of them but ended up committing murder and having to run for his life.
 
Fast forward 40 years to the desert and we find Moses tending sheep and resigned to the fact that he had blown it and would never be used by God. He then met God in the burning bush and he actually resisted God’s call because he was totally empty of any idea that he was capable of carrying out God’s plan. And that was exactly why God chose him. He was empty. He was surrendered to whatever God had decided for his life. There was no “fight” to be a vigilant and try to change things by his own power. Moses knew that he couldn’t do anything but pray for his people to be delivered from their slavery to the Egyptians, it was in God’s hands alone, not his. He had plenty of time to do that while he tended his sheep in the desert. God had changed Moses and he was now the person God could use. Moses’ heart was changed to an intimate love for the Lord, trusting Him to work things out and he had peace in that.
 
My dear friend, I hope you have begun to also realize this life changing truth. That is really what every one of these letters has been about. Many people read the Book of Revelations to try and figure out when it will be. They love to take the scrolls and bowl judgments and explain what they will think will happen by using today’s technology. Personally I don’t think that is what the Lord intended for us to do. I personally believe that many circumstances and happenings will be supernatural. These are also signs revealing Scripture to help us understand the times, and, as always, man will obviously try to control and stop the situations but there will be no stopping what the Lord has planned. We should be focused on the Lord, Himself, and His love in warning us of the sin in our lives that if we don’t repent, we will not only endure the wrath but be sent into the Lake of Fire for not loving Him and being obedient to His plan.
 
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:14-22)
 
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:” “The Amen,...” Amen means faithful, and we will see in this statement of the Lord, that He quickly tells us that. But it is important to note that when used at the beginning of a sentence is also means “truly or verily”. In many of the accounts of Jesus teaching we will see in our translations that it will state “truly, truly” or “verily, verily”, when what He actually said was “amen, amen”. He repeats it twice to get our attention. He wants us to “listen up” and understand that what He is going to say is true and He will bring it to pass because He is the faithful One! “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 emphasis mine) “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) Do you REALLY believe that with all your heart? If so, our response is “Amen to the glory of God”! Yes, truly, truly that is the facts, it is exactly as God has said and He will bring it to pass in His perfect timing! I cannot see it, I cannot even fully understand it, I don’t know when but I BELIEVE it with all my heart that the Word of God is true! When the Lord ends His words in “amen” it means “so it will be”. Is that what you truly believe when you say amen to His word? Amen is coming into agreement with God in what was said, in other words, standing on the promises of God and walking it out.
 
Word of warning here, we are not talking about taking a promise of God and claiming it over something that God has not intended it. That is not glorifying God. Yes, God wants the best for each and every one of His children, but only He knows what the best is for each one of us. I’ll share a short testimony here to help you understand. When I became sick I assumed God would heal each infirmity. As I prayed, worshipped and was in the Word for months and asking Him to show me anything in me that was out of alignment with Him, I was praying one day and the Holy Spirit spoke into my spirit and said “I am not going to heal you. I will use your weaknesses for my glory.” That was exactly what the Apostle Paul experienced. “Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9) Was Paul’s pain and tribulations felt any less because of the Lord’s words? NO! But he knew that the Lord would ALWAYS keep His promises and that He would give him the strength to walk through each and every situation and others would see and understand it could not be Paul’s strength. God would receive the glory because they would see that a greater force was at work. Without the Lord’s strength the apostle would have surely died several times, but that didn’t happen until God’s plan was fulfilled in his life! “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
 
Like the Apostle Paul, I immediately had peace that this was God’s plan for me. In time His plan unfolded. During this time, a well-meaning friend told me that the reason I wasn’t healed was because I was under attack from the devil. Remind you of Job’s friends? When I told her what God had shared with me as to why I wasn’t healed I could see in her eyes she didn’t believe me. That response is not unusual, many people will tell that you didn’t hear Him correctly or you are giving up. Believe me I had not given up, I wasn’t dead yet! But I was surrendered to His plan, regardless if it was my desire. What they couldn’t understand was that the Lord had also told me that He was going to use me so that He received even greater glory than He had in the previous ministry He had given me. And I have seen His “Amen”, His faithfulness every day as He leads me in this new season. He has opened up a way that thousands can be reached to hear of His faithfulness, His love and His sacrifice for them! All I can say is “Amen”! So be it!
 
What does God use for people to really see Christ in us? “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:5-10 emphasis mine) Let me ask you a question? How do you react when you meet tribulation or a problem? Jesus uses these situations in us as a witness of His glory! “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) This verse is as true for you and me as it was for the Apostle Paul!
 
“the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:” Jesus’ life is the epitome of a testimony of being faithful. All we need to do is read the Word of God and we see His faithfulness. Even though He was God, the Apostle Paul shares with us a VERY important truth you and I need to wrap our minds around. “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,” (Philippians 2:6 emphasis) This is humility! Without humility being faithful becomes vanity and is not counted as righteousness. Jesus is our model and we never see Him prideful or boastful. His faithfulness comes out of a heart of love and submission to His Father!
 
So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” (John 8:28 emphasis mine) “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 5:30 emphasis mine) “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (John 14:10 emphasis mine) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38 emphasis mine) “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4) Messiah, Emmanuel, which means “God with us” has clearly laid out the narrow road we are to walk to be in alignment with the Father. There is no other path which leads to eternity with the Lord!
 
“true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God….” a witness testifies of the exact truth, no presumptions, no personal opinions, no personal bias, pure facts, the truth and nothing but the truth. Truth has to be based upon facts so there must be a foundation that can’t be altered or moved. It cannot “omit” any aspect or it will crumble and become worthless. Jesus’ testimony is a true witness because He was there and He is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (John 1:1-4) Jesus was the “logos” spoken word and He is God. “Then God said,...”  (Genesis 1:3) When God spoke Jesus was the Word that brought it into being. God created out of chaos. He wants to take the chaos of our lives and apply His Word, Jesus, to bring our lives into order! He wants to create something beautiful out of the messy chaos of our lives that will bring Him glory. That can only be done through His Son, Jesus Christ. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
 
There is also other testimony or witnesses that God spoke through to confirm this truth from the very beginning. The account of creation was written through Moses by the Holy Spirit and recorded in the Book of Genesis. Listen to the words written in Proverbs, “From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills I was brought forth; while He had not yet made the earth and the fields, nor the first dust of the world. When He established the heavens, I was there, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when the springs of the deep became fixed, when He set for the sea its boundary so that the water would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth; then I was beside Him, as a master workman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in the world, His earth, and having my delight in the sons of men.” (Proverbs 8:23-31) “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)
 
‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’ This church is also void of the Holy Spirit but instead of pretending they are alive, or still being active in trying to look like they are serving God, they are filled with apathy. And apathy cannot be redirected. They have become spiritually dead and nothing phases them. They do not get excited about the Word of God nor do they have a passion for helping others. They are going through the motions. How many of us have just “gone through the motions” at some point in our lives? Are you still there? Are you truly spiritually alive?
 
I am reminded of the men walking on the road to Emmaus. Jesus met up with them and they didn’t know who He was. They invited Him to dine with them and He opened their eyes to see it was really Him and then vanished. Their words are so precious and should be our words when we read the Scriptures. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) The Holy Spirit gives us revelation of the Word of God and opens up our hearts to apply it to our lives. These believer’s hearts were cold! They didn’t desire holiness. They didn’t have a passion to love the hurting or feeding the poor. They didn’t have a hunger for the Word of God!
 
As I was reading the Bible this morning I was in Psalm 27 and the psalmist, David, spoke something that really resonated in my heart. “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14) We never plan to become discouraged or walk away from the Lord but all of us, in some way or another, will allow circumstances to define our reality and the way we live our lives. Before you say this doesn’t apply to these believers I would encourage you to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. They may not have been “discouraged” in the way you and I think but something lead them to turn to wealth to replace the place that Jesus had in their hearts. While money in itself is not evil, money that holds our heart and it becomes our focus becomes the “root of evil” that replaces God in our lives. The Lord was not being cruel when He told these believers He would spit them out of His mouth because of their lukewarmness, He was trying to shake them out of their self-imposed imprisonment! He loved these people but He knew they had lost their way. Circumstances were defining who they were instead of them allowing God to define who they were in Him! My dear brothers and sisters, is this you or someone you know? Sometimes the circumstances of life become overwhelming, especially if we allow them to take our eyes off of Jesus! Psalm 27 is filled with great spiritual wisdom that will guide us so that we don’t get sidetracked and move off the narrow road that God has called us to walk. I really encourage you to take a moment and read this Psalm, I promise you will be filled with encouragement and may find some new prayer verses for your life!
 
The Apostle Paul instructs us in the Book of Romans how a heart of love for the Lord responds to God’s Word. ”Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:10-15) Remember the apostle’s words to the church of Corinth? “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) These believers weren’t even pretending to walk out any of these things the Apostle Paul warns us of!
 
True love cannot be manufactured, it comes through the Holy Spirit and revolutionizes our hearts and our minds. Our eyes are opened to see what the Lord sees when we look at people or circumstances. We develop a heart of compassion because we are seeking God’s will and not our own. “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant.” (Psalm 25:14 emphasis mine) That change, which can only come from the Lord, will produce a hunger that cannot be quenched! “May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine.” (Song of Solomon 1:2) His Word brings life to me! Nothing is sweeter or can compare to being in the presence of the Lord! “Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers.” “We will rejoice in you and be glad; we will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.” (Song of Solomon 1:4) We desire His life to be our life!  “My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh which lies all night between my breasts. My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi.” (Song of Solomon 1:13-14) He is our Comforter and His sweet fragrance will be a sweet aroma that will be evident in our lives because there is an intimacy with Him that cannot be broken!
 
‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,’ (Revelation 3:17) Wow! This statement alone should wake us up to see the difference between what the Lord sees and we see. Society today has really been greatly influenced by consumption. We just don’t have one TV in our homes, we have many and they are BIG! Almost everyone carries a cellphone and the majority have more than one computer and tablet. Cars, trucks, boats, water vehicles, timeshares, vacation homes, multiple houses, designer clothes. Don’t have the money for these items? No problem! Take out a loan or get several credit cards to run up the debt without any idea of how you will actually pay for these items!
 
Today’s generation is really no different than any other generation. Each generation has it’s own standard of wealth and what that looks like. Anyone who has studied any history knows about the lavish lifestyles of the Roman Era. It’s no different today, maybe just some different looking opportunities to indulge ourselves. This presents us an opportunity to look at our own lifestyles and ask the Lord what He sees. Questions you might ask yourself are noted here to help you get started. What would your reaction be if your financial situation suddenly changed for the worse? Remember, the Lord has nothing against money but He does have much to say in His Word about how that money is used. A possible test question might be, if you suddenly could not longer send your child to their current school and they had to attend a school with less financial resources and the kids weren’t able to buy designer clothes, etc., how would your children respond? How would you respond if you could no longer drive a new model car but had to buy a used vehicle that didn’t have all the bells and whistles? Would your children, or yourself, be embarrassed? Would your current friends still be your friends if you had to move to another less affluent neighborhood?  If it is truly the Lord’s blessing, and not your own doing, that has produced wealth, are you using that money according to the Lord’s principles? These questions test the intent of our hearts. Even if we are spending some of our income to help others, the Lord wants us to really see our own hearts regarding where our true treasure lies. This is exactly what the Lord is doing to this group of believers because He loves them!
 
“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” (Revelation 3:18) So how do we buy gold from the Lord? Scripture has many references to God’s refining fire. Without surrender and obedience to God’s plans we will never be in a position of going through God’s refining fire. There are many churches today that teach that once you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior that your life will be easy. Nowhere in Scripture can that teaching be found. The Holy Spirit wrote through the Apostle Paul that a true believer would gladly give his/her life as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) What is easier is that you are not walking alone and always have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26) “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13) The Holy Spirit will ALWAYS point you to Jesus! And the path that we are to walk is no different than the path that Jesus walked while on this earth. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
The narrow road is very unfamiliar to us because there truly are not many people on it. The narrow road is walking in holiness, the separated life the Holy Spirit leads us in as taught in the Scriptures. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)  “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love” (Ephesians 1:4) We don’t know the way or how to even get on it without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. That is the first step of refinement, surrender to the Lord’s ways and not our own ways. That only comes through prayer and reading His Word. The Holy Spirit will speak directly to the circumstances of our lives as we sit with Him each day and allow His Words to wash over us. I personally can testify that He will guide you to the place of employment that He has selected for you. It may not be the place you would choose to work or the position you think you want, but if it is His leading, it will be worth it. You will grow in ways you cannot imagine. I’m not saying that job will be a breeze, it may be the biggest challenge you have ever faced. That is His refining fire! You will have to be totally dependent on Him to lead you each step of each day. You will be stripped of the things in your life that have brought you defeat and pain. You will learn His ways! “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
 
The next verse that the Apostle Paul shares in this passage is another one of those life verses that we need to memorize. “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3) Being teachable is hard for many of us, pride gets in the way because we don’t want to admit that we don’t know something. Pride is our biggest downfall! “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2) “A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23) What is the outcome of our surrender? "But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) Listen to God’s heart concerning you, "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.” (Isaiah 55:3) “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 6:11) Consider the life of the Apostle Paul as he penned these words from the Holy Spirit. He didn’t want us to be deceived about the seriousness of our walk with the Lord. There is a price to pay. That is why the way is less traveled. Can you truly say that you are living this verse, or strive to live this verse? "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20) A surrendered and obedient heart is the reflection of this verse, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21)
 
As I was typing this the Holy Spirit reminded me of the Church of Smyrna that was being persecuted greatly and the Lord said they were rich! “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Revelation 2:9) Why were they rich? They loved not their lives to the very end! They had a hunger and thirst for Jesus! They trusted Him and leaned on Him regardless of the circumstances of their lives. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) Jesus didn’t teach a message of poverty but He warned us many times in Scripture that we were to store up treasures in heaven. That comes with a price. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24) I believe that Jesus described that walk most clearly in these passages, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:24-26) Remember what He was saying when our Scriptures are translated “truly, truly”? It is the truth, it is the only way and Jesus is the One who will bring it to fruition in our lives if we are surrendered to Him.
 
“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see”. (Revelation 3:18) The believers in Laodicea are the opposite of those in Smyrna. The Lord is clearly showing us that we have a choice of how we will live our lives, one path leads to life and the other path leads to death. These believers are on the path to death but He loves them so much that He is “blowing the trumpet” to warn them of the danger they have placed themselves in. They are barren, they do not have any good deeds to show. Their EARTHLY wealth has become their god.
 
Do we even really know what the TRUE riches are that the Lord speaks of? “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,” (Ephesians 2:4) Are you rich in mercy? “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,” (Ephesians 3:16) Do you possess the riches of His glory? His power can only be received through the Holy Spirit! “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) Wow, do we practice this towards others? We expect God’s kindness and tolerance and patience for ourselves but do we treat others with His kindness so that He can lead them to repentance? “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33 emphasis mine) Yes! The Holy Spirit leads us into all wisdom and knowledge of God. “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” (Ephesians 3:16-20) “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,” (1 Timothy 6:18) “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5) “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4) 
 
Have you ever watched a video, or been fortunate enough to watch in person, the process for metal that is being refined? It is heated to an extremely high temperature and the metal is placed in the furnace for a specified time for the impurities to begin to separate from it so it will be made pure. The master refiner will then take the metal out and look at it to see if it is finished. What is he looking for? His reflection! When the metal is completely purified it will reflect his image. This is exactly what God does with His people who have submitted to His Word and committed to walking the narrow path. “A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it.” (Isaiah 35:8 emphasis mine) It is not an easy walk but it is the safest one that you will ever take! The trouble is that most people look at it from an earthly standpoint and do not want to suffer hardship, they want to live like everyone else and take the easiest road, they want to be “happy”. In the accurate translations of the Bible you won’t find the word “happy” except in the book of Proverbs, and I only found one instance of that word being used. If your translation uses happy in its verses I would suggest that you seek an accurate translation for your Bible. Once you do that you will find that you will view Scripture in a whole new way, the way that God intended for you to understand what He said.
 
From the very beginning God didn’t say “if” we should encounter problems, He said “when”! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;...” (Isaiah 43:2-3 emphasis mine)
 
God is asking us today, have we submitted to His refining fire? Don’t rush by this question, it is critical to where your eternal home will be! Why would Jesus tell us that we would become rich after the refining process? First of all, when all the impurities, or dross as it is called, is removed the object becomes pure and anything that is “pure” or without “impurities” is much more valuable. It can withstand extreme circumstances and not fall or collapse. A person who has been purified reflects the image of God and is assured that he/she is an heir to the throne! There is no kingdom that compares to the Kingdom of God and we become joint heirs! Does your life reflect to whom you belong?
 
“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10 emphasis mine) Our filthy rags are removed and we are clothed in garments of salvation when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Do you remember the Scripture in Zechariah about Joshua the high priest? “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by. And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.” (Zechariah 3:1-7 emphasis mine) “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.” (Isaiah 30:18)
 
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,” (Isaiah 1:16) “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) When we enter into a covenant relationship with the Lord we begin a life of learning to live and walk in complete transparency. Why? Our lives are to bring glory to the Lord in everything we do. Whenever we sin it is a direct stain on our testimony. Because we will not be perfect before we receive our new bodies in the New Heaven, we will sin or miss the mark at times. But that is to be the exception, not the normal way of living. While the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all sin, we are the ones who are to personally walk it out every day. He is with us, but He will not do it FOR us! White signifies purity and that is what our lives should be growing into.
 
Why would Jesus tell them to anoint their eyes with eye salve? If someone is blind they are without sight, physical sight. Jesus is talking here about spiritual sight. Because they have taken their eyes off the Lord God Almighty they are spiritually blind. They need to have their eyes anointed. Anointing brings healing. The application of eye salve is a physical picture of demonstrating a healing of an infection or problem of the eyes. Eyes are the window to our souls. What we see, how we talk, how we walk, our spiritual walk can all be seen through our eyes. Is it any wonder that Jesus would use this analogy? Jesus is the Healer and wants to apply the Holy Spirit’s anointing into their lives so they will clearly see as He sees! He also desires to do that in your life and mine today! “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:18-23)
 
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8 emphasis mine)  "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19) "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;” (Joel 2:12) Jesus is speaking the same words to us today as His Father spoke to the children of Israel in days past, "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?”  (Ezekiel 18:31) Jesus is asking us the same question today. For those who say they are the Lord’s but are walking according to the patterns of the world, why would we choose death over life? We are not promised tomorrow. If the Holy Spirit is showing you things in your life that need to be repented of, please do so now and don’t wait! He is knocking at your door! Our response should be, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) When Jesus delivers us from our fears He is delivering us from the circumstances in our lives that control us to walk in opposition to Him. Hallelujah! “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) The REAL “fear” we should possess is to fear to hurt the One we love, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!
 
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) Who do you invite to your home to share a meal with? Friends. Friends around a table sharing a meal, laughing together or sharing each other’s struggles is a picture of intimacy. No wonder the Lord uses this analogy, it is one we can very easily identify with. When I think of the Lord dining at my table, I immediately think of His promise to us of what it is like to dine at His table! “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6)
 
Have you truly ever thought about the balance of this relationship with the Lord? What do we have to offer Him? Our sin, our filthy rags, our stubbornness, our pride, our defeats, our heartaches, our addictions, our instability, do I need to go on? Yet, He created us to have fellowship with us, intimate relationship even though it would take the death of God’s only begotten Son to become all of our sin and redeem us. He was the ONLY way that we could ever stand in relationship with Him! “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14) “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” (Colossians 1:13)
 
And here He is, again, standing at the door knocking, inviting these believers, and you and me, to open the door of our hearts to Him so that we can be sanctified and set apart for Him! I really feel compelled to share the rest of Psalm 23 with you and pray that you will read it as if it was the first time you have ever seen it. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:1-6)
 
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21) “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (Ephesians 2:4-6) ”fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
 
There is a key word in verse 21 that we cannot ignore. Do you know what that word is? Overcame. Once He began His ministry on earth He had to overcome obstacles every single day. We read of His being tempted in the desert by Satan after 40 days of fasting and praying. We see the Judean religious leaders hate and attempts to stone Him and kill Him. Even His own disciples, though they “loved” Him and followed Him did not spiritually understand anything He was doing or teaching! We see His disciples sleeping when He asked them to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane before the soldiers came to arrest Him. They all abandoned Him when He was “on trial”. Peter hid himself to watch some of it but he was nowhere to be found when Jesus was taken to Calvary to be hung on the cross. The Apostle John was the only one who was with Him until the end.
 
Many of us act like the Judean leaders in challenging His commands and not being willing to be obedient to God’s covenant ways. Oh, we act like we are intelligently questioning but the enemy is using us in the same way he was using the Judean religious leaders. They wanted to be in control and to make the rules! Many of us may even appear to be following Jesus but if truth be told, we have no spiritual insight. The difference between the disciples and us is that when Jesus was resurrected and appeared to the disciples they were willing to obey His command to stay together and pray. I don’t believe they really understood what they were waiting for, Jesus had already given them the Holy Spirit but they were told to wait for empowerment. And they waited. This time they did not fall asleep or desert Him. And what they received not only changed them but changed thousands of people! The tongues of flames gave them a supernatural power that came directly from the throne of God! Their lives were never the same. And, guess what? They had to overcome daily the same trials and tribulations Jesus faced while on earth!
 
They were spiritually filled and warned the believers of the apostasy they were hearing preached. They instructed them to immediately remove them from their assemblies. They warned them what would happen to them if they followed any of the false teachers or prophets. My dear friends, every one of those warnings are applicable to us today. If you are tolerating false teachers and prophets in your congregation or adhering to apostate teachings, you too will experience the same fate as those in Scripture!
 
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:22) Do you have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying?
 
 
 
Abba Father, I am so deeply touched this morning as I finish this series of warnings to the seven churches! My spirit grieves as I witness Your warnings fall on deaf ears. It is the pastors, teachers, apostles and prophets who are the messengers of the apostate teachings today! They claim to be from You but they are not, they are wolves in sheep clothing and the sheep are being led to their deaths. Thank You that You do have many speaking out in Your name to “blow the trumpet” and “sound the alarm”. I ask for the Holy Spirit to touch each one who reads any of these seven letters and that their ears to opened to hear the warnings! Open the blind eyes to see the death traps that the enemy has laid to lead them onto the broad path of destruction! I am overwhelmed, again, by Your intense love for us! Your Word speaks LIFE! But even our Bible translations have been corrupted to lead the reader astray. I finally understand Your word when You say that Your Son will need to come again quickly or even those who were truly saved will also be deceived! The presence of evil is so strong in our society but the majority are asleep and cannot spiritually discern it!
 
Thank You that You continue to warn us of the impending deception. But most importantly, I thank You that You speak truth and show us the way to eternal life in Your kingdom, the Kingdom of the Living God! Oh how I long to be standing face to face with You! I thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that You have never given up on me but You continue to teach and discipline me so that I do not stray from Your ways. I pray that You will be glorified through these letters. May many come to know You as Lord, that is why You truly came, not just to save us but to become our Lord and Master. A loving master who will lead us in paths of righteousness that will glorify You and bring others on our journey with You.
 
Thank You that You have allowed me to hear Your voice and communicate Your heart of love to Your believers. Strengthen them and may they be encouraged to overcome through Jesus Christ who supplies our every need! You are my life and my very breath. I love You with all my heart! All this I pray in the blessed name above all names, Jesus Christ my Lord, amen!

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Seven Warnings of Jesus - Part 6

7/25/2017

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“Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? Does not the ear test words, as the palate tastes its food?” (Job 12:9-11 emphasis mine)


“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:7-13)
 
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:” (Revelation 3:7) Wow! As we continue in this series I am more and more overwhelmed by the love of Jesus Christ! His love is never ending and is far reaching. He not only stepped out of heaven to come to earth as a man to tell us how much He loves us, He is giving the Apostle John His personal letter to each of us! It’s all there in Scripture already, but yet His love is so deep that He speaks directly to John through visions to warn us of what is to come in both rewards for obedience and surrender, and wrath for the unbelieving world. There is no neutral stance, and in this letter we will see even more of the rewards that He will bestow on those who are His and have been obedient to His Word. We have seen Jesus reveal Himself as holy numerous times in these letters. I never tire of hearing of His holiness, yet it struck me that it is a sad testimony to the churches that He has to remind them, and us, that He is the Holy One! Even to those who may not have walked away from the truth, but have stayed on course, it is easy to take for granted His holiness. It becomes familiar and we aren’t in awe of Him. He is more of a “friend” than the Almighty God who holds our life in His hands! That is where most who call themselves believers today stand. They have only been introduced to their “friend”. They often look to Him as their “safety net”. They believe that as long as they claim the name of Jesus that He will do whatever they ask. They have totally missed the true meaning of His Word that teaches us that He will grant what aligns with His Word and ONLY WHAT is in His plan for our lives, and in the world! What a big difference from the “genie in a jar”! God is NOT a genie in a jar and will not respond to us when we are always asking for what is not in our best interest and not His plan for our lives!!
 
People will often quote this verse, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) They forget the conditions that surround this promise. “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3 emphasis mine) “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5 emphasis mine) “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;...” (Psalm 37:7 emphasis mine) “Cease from anger and forsake wrath;..." (Psalm 37:8 emphasis mine) “Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land;...” (Psalm 37:34 emphasis mine) What will the result be? “...But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.” (Psalm 37:9) “For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:22-23) “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.” (Psalm 37:39 emphasis mine)
 
Now that the veil has been torn we have access to the Inner Room, the Holy of Holies. That is holy ground! God told Moses to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. Why was it holy ground? Because God was there! Anywhere can be holy ground. Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5) Moses wasn’t expecting to have an encounter with God that morning. He had literally run away from his life in Egypt because he feared for his life. He thought he was doing God’s will but instead he had placed himself in a position of danger. He thought that he was completely useless to God. After many years of tending his father-in-law flocks he was basically empty of any ambition of his own and was now a vessel that God could use! Imagine his surprise that morning when he witnessed a burning bush that wasn’t being consumed! If that wasn’t enough, an audible voice out of heaven spoke to him and told him he was standing on holy ground!
 
Maybe you are in a place right now where you have given up any hope of ever being used by God to touch others lives. Or, maybe there is something you have been asking God to remove from you. You believe that if He would just take this “one thing” everything would be much better. While God doesn’t meet us in a burning bush or speak to us audibly, we can hear Him speak into our hearts through His Word or through others. Hopefully we are not so discouraged that we would miss His calling. While God still does speak audibly at times to us we shouldn’t be waiting for God’s audible voice to declare His holiness to us! Please don’t misinterpret and think that I am saying that God no longer speaks to us, I am not. I have had circumstances in my life that I heard God speak audibly to me but no one else could hear Him. There is no mistaking the voice of God, but He does not make a habit of responding to us in that way with our every prayer. If He did, we would never read His Word nor pray to seek His direction. We must hide His Word in our heart and trust Him to guide us in the right direction. Unfortunately today we get so caught up in ourselves and distracted with activities that we lose this connection that is so vital. Seek Him, my dear friend. Talk with Him as you would a dear friend sitting right next to you. He will meet you right where you are. So, thus, He reminds us again...I AM THE HOLY ONE and My way is perfect!
 
“who is true…” Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:14) "He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.”  (John 3:33) Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.”  (John 6:32) Jesus is the true bread of heaven! "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” (John 15:1) Jesus is the true vine of heaven! There are many counterfeits. These counterfeits are demonic and are out to kill you! A person cannot “dabble” in a little of the counterfeit and not have it begin to infect the whole body, mind and spirit. God the Holy Spirit made it very clear in warning us as to how Satan can transform or disguise himself to look like the real thing. He can look like and talk as a pastor or spiritual leader preaching almost all the truth in the Word. “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) I know that many of you may have a difficult time accepting this as the great majority of the churches today have become “seeker sensitive”. That in itself is a red flag warning us that the whole counsel of God will not be taught because “someone might be offended”. Jesus always spoke truth. He didn’t set out to “offend” anyone but if the truth can set you free from the sin that so easily emcompasses us and sets us on the path to eternity in the Kingdom of God, does hearing the truth make it “wrong”? For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,” and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" (1 Peter 2:6-9) Jesus taught the WHOLE counsel of God! He came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to change God’s Word! Some pastors can even speak and teach ninety percent truth from the Word of God but the ten percent that is left out is extremely dangerous spiritually because it sets a trap of sin for one to walk in deception and lies! Unfortunately this deception is widespread across every denomination. Bibles being printed today are also being changed to reflect this apostasy and the people are swallowing it up because it is “sweet to the taste”. They feel much better being told they are doing good and are acceptable in God’s sight than to be told the truth and convicted of sin and unrighteousness so that they can actually be saved!
 
We saw the outcome of that accepting of the enemy’s voice in the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve lost their perfect home and had to begin working to meet their needs instead of God supplying all of them! “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6) Let me remind you of a very serious sin that many who call themselves believers adhere to, reading their horoscopes! Astrology and astronomy are two very different things! Astrology is demonic. I challenge you to research for yourself. If you are reading your horoscope and following your sign you are being led by a different spirit than the spirit of Christ! It is not harmless! Those horoscopes come through a medium which is one who communicates with the demonic realm. Of course they are going to “dress it up” and make it sound appealing. It is a trap and anyone with discernment will hear the Lord clearly warn to denounce and remove oneself from any connection with this realm. This is the same demonic realm that is opened up to those who practice yoga. My dear ones, there is no Christian yoga! Even the body poses and exercises are meant to bring the body into a state of consciousness that this demonic realm opens up. If you are practicing either one of these practices you are NOT standing on holy ground and have placed yourself in great danger!
 
Can we get real? How many of you went to see the movie The Shack? How many of you thought it was wonderful and touching? How many of you know that it was not Christian? Can you even identify what is NOT Christian about it? The majority of believers today have not learned discernment and have not learned “to test the spirits”. Were you able to discern that this movie promoted “another Jesus”. It was not Jesus Christ of the Scriptures!  Even if a movie comes out by a Christian organization do you research it? Do you not only watch the trailer but look for information by reliable sources that discern the times? Let me give you an example. When the book came out several years ago it was being highly promoted by several well known and respected Christians. I read the reviews and felt a check in my spirit so I researched the book and learned that the movie was actually New Age religion. I worked for a Christian ministry at that time and one of the staff read the book and couldn’t stop recommending it to others. When questioned about different aspects of the book that were not scriptural she rationalized them. A student later bought the book, against my recommendation, and then asked me to return it for her. I commented to the manager of the Christian bookstore that I was disappointed that a Christian bookstore would sell this type of material since the book did not agree with Scripture. His response was very loud and he basically verbally attacked me, telling me that Christian fiction did not need to be spiritually correct with doctrine! I was grieved to hear this man go on and on about how it touched so many in his church. Something touched those hearts but it wasn’t the true God! This is only one small example of what is being published and being marketed as Christian. Scripture tells us, “Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst.” (Isaiah 5:13 emphasis mine) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6 emphasis mine) Dear brothers and sisters, have you forsaken knowledge and lean more on man’s ways than on the Word of God?
 
Are you willing to seek truth only and discard the garbage? Walk away from the “popular” music, books, movies that all your church friends participate in if it does not line up with the TRUE Word of God? Are you willing to scrutinize the authors of Bible studies your church is presenting? A great majority of those are promoting contemplative prayer which is a Buddhist chant and will open up windows that are not angelic. The practice opens up demonic communication that is very dangerous and just may kill you both physically and spiritually! Read the Word of God for yourself, I am not being overly dramatic. God has set watchmen on the walls to protect and warn His flock, do you have ears to hear and to respond to God’s warnings?
 
Will you be the one who is willing to stand up and say, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”? (Psalm 119:103) “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.” (Psalm 16:5 emphasis mine) “I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 emphasis mine) “The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” (Psalm 17:15) Remember, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.” (Matthew 16:27 emphasis mine) That is serious my dear friends. These reminders are not to condemn but the Holy Spirit is desiring to convict our hearts of anything that we have embraced that has brought separation between us and the Lord. Every day as I sit and ask the Lord to speak through His Word to us in these letters, I know that He is speaking to me and I must respond to every challenge that is being presented and repent of anything that the Lord shows me that is out of alignment. Is your heart sensitive enough to do the same? The Lord is not trying to shame us or make us feel guilty but to shake us and wake us up to always keep our eyes on Him alone! Are you so in love with our Lord because of what He had to go through when He was being crucified in His body, in His soul and in His Spirit to save you for all eternity? Can you say, “I love you so much that I do not want to do anything that is against Your blessed Word? Are you willing to say yes to Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (emphasis mine) You will be the joy that was set before Him to endure the cross!
 
 
Father God, thank You that Your Word is true and that Yeshua, our Messiah is the True One sent from You to lead us into Your presence that we might spend eternity with You! I bow my knees today and worship for You alone are my portion. My life is in Your hands and it is You alone I must follow. Guide me Lord each moment of my day, remind me to keep my eyes on You alone and not look to the right or left or behind me but move forward following the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that Your ways are perfect! They are not my ways, Your ways are higher and deliver me from the snare of the enemy. I love You Lord with all my heart! This I pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Jesus Christ! Amen.

 
“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:8) “I know your deeds.” Those words bring comfort and fear into my spirit. I love the Lord’s comforting reassurances that I am His and He is mine (Song of Solomon 6:3) and that He is with me each step of the way. But, honestly, to know He knows my every thought before I even know what I am thinking or am going to say, that is frightening because I know it is not always what He would think or say. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.” (Psalm 139:1-4) (I encourage you to read the whole Psalm.) I love this Psalm! Not only do I feel His love for me through these words but His Spirit convicts me of any sin in my life. That is a good thing! I don’t ever want anything to separate me from the love of Christ! I want my heart to become pure like His. I want His love to flow through me. I want to walk in His ways, not mine. To do so, I need to constantly submit myself to Him to search me and show me any wrongdoing in my heart. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24) Yes, He knows our deeds. Are we willing to be transparent so that the promise He is about to speak over these believers will become ours as well? Has this verse become true in our lives? “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 emphasis mine)
 
“...Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Revelation 3:8 emphasis mine) “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.” (Isaiah 22:22) Messiah is again reminding them of the prophetic word spoken to Isaiah. He is telling them that it will be fulfilled as the Lord has spoken! Listen to the insight of Job as he was going through his trials and the words he spoke of the Lord,  “With Him are wisdom and might; to Him belong counsel and understanding. Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt; He imprisons a man, and there can be no release. Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up; and He sends them out, and they inundate the earth. With Him are strength and sound wisdom,...” (Job 12:13-16) He testifies of the Lord’s authority over all of creation. We must be able, as Job, to see with spiritual eyes what God is doing in the world today and not get caught up in the circumstances. No, we will not always understand what God is doing but that is why we learn to walk by faith and not by sight! Evil is on the loose but God is still in control! Do you see His mighty hand at work in our world today? Or have you chosen to ignore it and continue to pursue your worldly desires? God does not expect us to stop living but He does expect us to discern the times and be alert. Even if we do not understand the specific actions, do we at least have a check in our spirit to know that what is happening is evil and to seek God’s understanding? By doing so we are running into His embrace and will be given the manna that we need in order to live a godly life. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psalm 16:11)
 
I am reminded of another Scripture that goes along with this verse. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) There is still time to share the gospel with others and He lovingly reminds them they are to continue sharing the love of Christ with the lost and the hurting until He closes the door and takes us to be with Him. That’s why we were created, first to be in an intimate relationship with the Lord and, secondly, be a living testimony so that others would see and hear and be drawn to the throne of grace. These believers have not embraced false teachers but have stayed true to the Word of God. Because of their faithfulness, the Holy Spirit is moving in their lives. It is interesting that Jesus commends them for having a little power. As I asked the Lord what He was wanting to communicate with us I felt like He was saying that no matter how oppressed or persecuted we are, we are to be available for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The power referred to in this passage is actually physical strength. So I am reminded that “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Remember the struggles of the Apostle Paul and his prayers to have an affliction removed from him? What was the Lord’s response? And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness….” (2 Corinthians 12:9 emphasis mine)
 
These believers have taken the Word of the Lord personally and were walking it out. They remained faithful with their oil lamps filled. They leaned on the Lord each day and did not deny His name no matter how difficult things may have become. Listen to these very special tender words that the Lord spoke to a remnant in another community, “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” (Malachi 3:16-17)
 
“Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.” “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:10) When? In His perfect time! Remember we talked above about the Lord judging our every deed? Depending upon our faithfulness and upright heart while here on this earth, He will assign us a place to serve Him in the New Heaven and New Earth. Could it be possible that we will also surround Him at the Great White Judgment Throne and witness His judgment upon those who will be cast into the Lake of Fire? I honestly do not know but He is clearly stating here that they will bow their knees and see the great love the Lord has for these believers. And, not only them but for any who also have clothed themselves in white garments and stayed true to the pure Word of the Lord.
 
The Lord will never share His glory with another but the Apostle Peter gives us encouragement and reminds us of what it will be like when we stand face to face, “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1 Peter 4:13 emphasis mine) I don’t believe we can accurately anticipate the great joy that we will experience! Oh how fitting these words of the psalmist are as I long to be in His presence! “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1) “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1) “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:2) “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:2) And the sweetest words yet from our Lord, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) I cannot help but to declare, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1) “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:7-10)
 
“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10) I don’t know about you but I am, again, so grateful for the love of the Lord! Nothing can compare to His love and mercy. Lately He has been reminding me more and more that this is not my home. Whenever I am seeking His direction He quietly speaks this truth into my heart so that I will have His peace. Yes, He will still direct my path according to His plan for my life, but He is more and more directing me to not allow the circumstances of my life nor the circumstances in which we live place fear or anxiety into my life. I need that so that the problems that I face do not consume me but cause me to rejoice in His love even more! That isn’t always easy for me but I have to choose to turn my heart to Him to walk with me each step of the way. Oh, how I long to be with Him on the other side! But I am so humbled that He has chosen to walk with me through this evil world in which we live and guide me to places of victory! I know that like these precious believers in Philadelphia, it is not my power but His power that flows through me and I desire that more than anything. By leaning on Him and trusting Him I make myself available to be a useful vessel. I’m not perfect at it but as long as I am humble and willing to submit myself I know that He will be there to continue the good work in which He started! “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30) Just as the Apostle Paul finished these wonderful verses and asked a very important question, the Lord is asking you and me that same question today. What will be your response? “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31)
 
What then is the outcome of this promise? “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10) Doesn’t that just make you want to shout? But wait, there is something that you need to have the Holy Spirit reveal to you in your personal life. The first word of this promise is the “key”. “BECAUSE…” there were conditions that were required in order to receive the prize and these precious believers have met them! They like the Apostle Paul have hidden God’s Word in their hearts and press forward! “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:4-5 emphasis mine) “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:14)  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”  (2 Timothy 1:7)
 
Christians have been tested, persecuted and reviled since the beginning of time and there have been times that looked like the end was near. We do not know the time of that end, or as Scripture refers to it as “that day” but it is coming and we must be prepared and not be sitting with half filled oil lamps that will not get us to our final destination. Jesus is clearly stating that He will remove true believers before the wrath of God falls fully upon the whole earth. I do not want us to get sidetracked on a debate of pre-tribulation or mid-tribulation. (I have a close friend that used to  debate the pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib. Then the Lord spoke to him about the time being wasted on secondary matters. He tells people today that he is a “pan-trib”. It will all pan out the way God has planned it. He just wants to be surrendered totally each day to Him. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.) 
 
Please bear with me as we first take a closer look at “God’s wrath”. There is a widely based teaching that God’s wrath was completed in the Old Testament but is not experienced by Christ followers. They will claim that grace replaced God’s wrath. That does not line up with Scripture. Let’s look at some Scriptures. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) We cannot take this Scripture and isolate it to make a doctrine even though it clearly is the foundation of our faith. Let’s put it together with other proper Scriptures. “For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.” (2 Corinthians 1:19 emphasis mine) Yes in who? God! “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) Jesus’ very own words spoken to those on the Mount of Olives! Except for the temple laws and sacrificial laws (all dependent upon the temple) and the dietary laws, all the commandments of God still stand. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:1-3 emphasis mine) As we continue this passage many Scriptures from the Old Covenant are quoted and the end of verse 12 concludes with, “...BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.” (Hebrews 1:12), a quote from Psalm 102:26. God’s wrath is spoken of 37 times in the New Testament! In the book of Romans it is spoken of 10 times and the book of Revelations 11 times. I will add the Scripture references to the end of this devotion so you can do your own Bible study on this topic.
 
This falling away is serious, it means to defect from, to revolt, to apostatize. Many will teach today that when the Lord struck down Ananias and Sapphira it was only judgment but if we line it up with Scripture we will see the same wrath in both the old and new testaments. Please read Numbers 16 of the account of Korah’s rebellion. These men put God to the test! “If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.” As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.” (Numbers 16:29-33) We see God’s wrath through this passage beginning in verse 1 and the outcome of that wrath when there is no repentance.
 
Contrast this account with the account of Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts. Please begin reading in Chapter 4, verse 32 where we learn that the “church” was filled with spirit filled believers who literally took the Lord’s commandments and walked them out! “And He said to him,  ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’” (Matthew 22:37-39) Believers were selling their homes and property to provide for one another. No one told them to do this and no one expected them to do this. Remember that last statement for the enemy is great at showing up in the midst of God’s work and trying to destroy it. If we are not sensitive to the Spirit he will get a foothold! “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.” (Acts 5:1-11 emphasis mine) The Holy Spirit spoke to the Apostle Peter and revealed hidden sin and God’s wrath was immediate!
 
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36 emphasis mine) That is signifying past, present and future! God does not change! Acts 12 contains one of my favorite testimonies of the grace and wrath of God. King Herod had James the brother of John put to death with a sword then arrested Peter because it was pleasing to the Judeans religious leaders. Peter was miraculously delivered before Herod could carry out his plans to execute him. In retaliation the king had all the guards executed because he was angry that Peter had escaped. Let’s read the rest of the account together that applies to the wrath of God. “Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’  And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.” (Acts 12:20-24 emphasis mine)
 
As I’ve already mentioned, God’s wrath is mentioned 11 times in the book of Revelations. Here are two of those passages for you to consider. “he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:10) “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.” (Revelation 16:19)
 
The most familiar New Testament passage of the wrath of God can be found in the testimony of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:50-54 emphasis mine)
 
It is critical to be available to hear the Holy Spirit, my dear friends. This is speaking directly to the false teaching in our churches today and as long as you continue to sit under their teaching, your heart will begin to change toward the living God. It may be gradual and you won’t even notice it and then you begin to question everything that you were taught and read in the Scriptures. You are convinced that these “pastors and teachers” must be right or they wouldn’t be in their positions! WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! If it isn’t the pure Word of God, it is apostasy! “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,” (2 Peter 1:20) “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16 emphasis mine) “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18 emphasis mine)
 
God’s grace was as abundant in the Old Covenant as His judgments. So it is with the New Covenant through Jesus Christ, He is the exact representation of God! I highly encourage you to read slowly through the Book of Hebrews. I am just highlighting a few of the passages to bring light to this study. “Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’” (Hebrews 3:5-11 emphasis mine)  In summary, if we do NOT hold fast until the end we, too, will not enter His rest! “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.“ (Hebrews 3:12)
 
How can anyone read the Scriptures and not see God’s grace from the beginning to the end? “The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.” (Psalm 145:9) “The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3) We can’t ignore the list of faithful witnesses who have attested to God’s unfailing grace and mercies, Adam and Eve, Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, King David, Joseph, Ruth, Rahab, Esther and, of course, God’s continual forgiveness to the nation of Israel. Psalm 103 is just one example of the psalmist, David, praising and thanking God for all of His blessings and grace and mercy! I’ll highlight a few of those passages and, hopefully, you will take a moment to read through the entire Psalm on your own and make it a prayer from your heart as well. “Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;” (Psalm 103:3-4) “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” (Psalm 103:8) “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10) “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:11-12) “But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, To those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.” (Psalm 103:17-18)
 
The first half (3 ½ years) of the tribulation period will be devastating but the final 3 ½ years is when the full wrath of God will be released. The true believers will have been removed from the earth except for the 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel which will be sealed during that time. The Holy Spirit will no longer be present on this earth. It will be almost impossible for any to be saved but, again, we see God’s grace even in His wrath, in that the 144,000 witnesses will still be teaching and leading the lost to the Savior.
 
I’d like to place a challenge before you at this point. Are you able to see with spiritual eyes and discern the sign of the times we currently live in? God is sending His warnings to us to be prepared. Are you? I’m not talking just physically prepared by having a plan and provisions for a time of emergency. That’s prudent in any season. But spiritually prepared? Do you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying?
 
“I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Revelation 3:11) There are two separate types of crowns that a believer can receive. There are five Stephanos crowns that the Lord can reward a believer and one Diadema crown. There is a full study on these crowns on this website. (Under Praise His Holy Name/Teachings by Esher) Please take this study before the Lord, do not rush through it. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you and guide you. I believe you may be quite surprised at what you will learn. I pray that you take it to heart and really allow the Lord to do a new work in your life.
 
I will just briefly list the crowns here and trust that you will go to the actual study. The Stephanos crown is also known as the Victor’s Crown. After the scourging of Jesus the Romans placed a Crown of Thorns on His head, it was actually a Victor’s Crown! They didn’t even know what they were doing but it is such a good example of the Lord’s way. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) While these were the words of Joseph to his brothers when he revealed himself to them in Egypt, they were also prophetic words for the Messiah! (Remember, Joseph was a type and shadow of the Messiah.) “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
 
The five Stephanos crowns Jesus will give out are listed below:
 
  • Self-control – “And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then [do it] to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)
  • Loving Jesus’ spearing and keeping the faith – “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 NASB)
  • Persevering under trials – “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12 NASB)
  • Caring for other Christians – “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:1-4 NASB)
  • Faithful in suffering for Christ – “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10 NASB)
 
The Diadema Crown is very different and only appears in the New Testament in the Book of Revelations. The right to wear this crown is given because of relationship. This crown is not worked for. Please go to the full teaching so that you can fully understand the great importance of this crown!

‘'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.’ (Revelation 3:12)

Can you see the intimate relationship? Can you feel His love? Listen to what the Lord spoke through His prophet Isaiah, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16) While initially spoken of His chosen people, the Jews, Gentiles have been grafted in and have the same relationship! This love and commitment to the Jewish people never stopped. If you are being taught that they no longer have the right to their promised land, the Lord wants to challenge you today with the following Scriptures. “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” (Romans 11:17-23 emphasis mine) We are currently witnessing many Jews accepting Jesus Christ, the Messiah as their Lord and Savior. Remember that God does not change! You cannot choose which Scriptures you want to believe. If you do, that is pride and arrogance which are not acceptable to God! Read the Scriptures again. Do you want to receive the reward which the Lord is describing in this passage? In order to receive it, one must submit to the whole counsel of God.

As I spent time this afternoon pondering what this passage could actually be referring to I realized something that I had never applied to this Scripture before. We know that Satan is a counterfeit. Listen to Satan declaring this very thing!  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ (Isaiah 14:14) Everything he does is imitating God but he uses it for evil and is very subtle so that he will not be detected. He really doesn’t care about the person he is using, all he wants to do is try and destroy any relationship they have with God because he knows God’s love for them is deep. Everyone in agreement? Read the Scripture again in Isaiah 49:16. Every believer’s name is inscribed on the palm of the Lord’s hand. Inscribed means to be engraved, cut in. We also have learned that Jesus is going to seal 144,000 thousand Jews with “a mark”. It is a permanent mark...inscribed on their foreheads. “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16) Did you realize that when Jesus returns He will have His name engraved on His thigh? Now we learn that the Messiah will “write” or inscribe on these believers the name of the Father, the name of the city, Zion, which is the Lord’s city, and Messiah’s new name. Do you see the Lord knitting together His family? This is the remnant that remained faithful until the end!

So what is Satan, the imitator, going to do? Inscribe his mark of the beast on all unbelievers so that they can remain alive and do Satan’s work! Right away we see another lie, remaining alive is not going to be of any value to them because they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire with Satan and his demons! But he is going to use and imitate, what is good and turn it into evil, just like he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the past I always focused on the meaning of the mark, that one can still buy and sell and purchase food. Without that mark anyone left on the earth will starve to death. But today the Lord opened my eyes to, again, see that Satan does not have any originality and will, again, use the Lord’s promises against the people! Everything originated with God and it was GOOD! The meaning for “good” in both the Hebrew and Greek mean God’s right plan, in accordance with God’s plan and by God’s hand because it brings Him glory because it magnifies Him so that others are drawn to Him. God’s plans for you are “good” to bring you into His kingdom! Any other path that is taken will not lead to the Kingdom of God but to eternal hell.

‘'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:13) Are you listening? Are you in obedience to the Word of the Lord? Are you discerning to separate the lies from the truth? Are you submitted only to Him and are willing to lay down your plans and agenda and follow the Lord’s instructions for righteous living? “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;” (Matthew 6:19-20) “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15) “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)
 
 
Abba Father, I am overwhelmed by this message. It is one thing to know what You require of us but another thing to actually walk it out in it’s entirety! How easily we fall back on the excuse that because we are human we are not meant to be perfect, that becomes our downfall. I ask that You inscribe on our hearts the Words You gave to the Apostle Paul, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,” (Romans 6:3-12) This is Your desire! We cannot attain this on our own but through the blood of the Lamb! Holy Spirit we submit to You to bring us to total surrender because we love not our lives but love the Lord God with all of our heart, our mind, our soul and our strength! May we have an intimate relationship with You so that we will know this Scripture and hold onto the hope even in the midst of deep trials, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17) This I ask in the name above all names, Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, amen!


Wrath Scripture References:
 
Matthew 3:7
Luke 3:7
Luke 21:23
John 3:36
Romans 1:18
Romans 2:5
Romans 2:8
Romans 3:5
Romans 4:15
Romans 5:9
Romans 9:22
Romans 12:19
Romans 13:4
Romans 13:5
Ephesians 2:3
Ephesians 4:31
Ephesians 5:6
Colossians 3:6
Colossians 3:8
1 Thessalonians 2:16
1 Thessalonians 5:9
1 Timothy 2:8
Hebrews 3:11
Hebrews 4:3
Hebrews 11:27
Revelation 6:16
Revelation 6:17
Revelation 11:18
Revelation 12:12
Revelation 14:10
Revelation 14:19
Revelation 15:1
Revelation 15:7
Revelation 16:1
Revelation 16:19
Revelation 19:15


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Seven Warnings Of Jesus - Part 5

6/24/2017

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“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High.” (Psalm 46:4)

The promises of God! Oh what a joy! Oh what a celebration there will be! Oh what a blessed hope! Oh what a day when we will be with our Lord and Savior!
 
Don’t you just love the promises of God? We all do. Even non-believers will often quote the Scripture promises and not realize that the hope they speak of is not theirs if they do not believe in the One who is our hope, the One who created the universe, the One who created man, the One who chose a people for Himself to be His witnesses throughout the earth, the One who sent His only begotten Son to become our sin and pay our penalty through death on a cross, the One who raised His Son from the grave to reign eternally!
 
Abba Father, I must stop and thank You for Your amazing love! Thank You for Your Word that teaches us that You desire none to perish but all to find eternal life through Jesus Christ our risen Lord! May the Holy Spirit move in power through this devotional as we look at the Church of Sardis and the seriousness of their plight. I am overwhelmed by Your tender heart for all to be saved. Thank You that You not only warn of the sin that encompasses them, You clearly state the consequences of their disobedience. May each of us have ears to hear what the Spirit says as we meet with You in our time this week. This I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen!
 
We can walk into any bookstore, card shop or even pharmacy today and see books being sold proclaiming the promises of God. How often, or have you ever, seen books written on the discipline of God or on His curses for disobedience? Sadly, even the “church” has fallen into the way of the world and only promote portions of the Word. Bare with me a minute as I give an illustration that will, hopefully, illuminate the point. Let’s take a walk through a clothing store. We pick and choose the colors and styles we like. We make a purchase and take the clothes home and hang them in the closet. Each day we make a decision which articles of clothing we will wear that day. A year down the road we may take an inventory of our closet and we have found that there are some things there that we never wore, we just decided we didn’t like the way it looked or the color, or the way it fit, etc. Are you getting the picture? This is pretty much what people do with the Scriptures. They pick and choose what they like and leave the rest on the shelf. Unfortunately, many church pastors do the same thing. They justify their actions saying they are “seeker sensitive” they want everyone to feel comfortable. The Word of God should make you uncomfortable! Why do I say that? The Word of God shows us the path to change, to righteousness, to sanctification, to surrender, to love for others as Christ loves His bride!
 
Let’s look at a couple of Scriptures that many of the pastors today will not preach because they make people feel uncomfortable. "And He (THE HOLY SPIRIT) , when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment;” (John 16:8) Without the conviction the Holy Spirit brings to your heart and soul you would have no concern about eternal things and especially what is waiting for you without having received Jesus’ sacrifice for you sins.  “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15) Is it worth making someone uncomfortable to save them from being thrown into the Lake of Fire?  “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 emphasis mine)
 
Has your pastor warned you that all true believers will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ, where our Lord desires to reward us with crowns because of our faithfulness to Him living the surrendered life?  “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
 
What a joy that will be for our Lord!  And what even greater joy there will be when we worship Him and cast those crowns back at His feet! Notice that verse 15 talks about believers who will not receive any rewards because they only believed in Him and never grew in the mercy and grace of our Lord. They received Him as Savior but never allowed Him to be Lord of their lives! “If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”  (1 Corinthians 3:15)
 
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16 emphasis mine) We need ALL of God’s Word in order to walk uprightly in obedient love with the Lord. It is dangerous to us physically and spiritually when we decide to only teach one aspect of Scripture and leave the rest on the table. It’s like having a compass but ignoring three of the directions and only following one direction, it will not lead you to the destination you desired. Disobedience to God’s Word will also lead you to a destination you did not choose.
 
As I read over the words to our next church I could feel in my spirit the heart of God, His love and desire that they choose life. It broke my heart because this church’s deeds are common today. The complacency of this church not only is heartbreaking but it puts great fear in my heart for those who are in this state. If they do not wake up their name will be erased from the Book of Life! All individuals who have been born on this earth are in the Book of the Living, (Psalm 69:28). As they die and have not believed in the true God, God the Son, they will have their name expunged from the book. What is left over is the Lamb’s Book of Life. Those whose names were erased and are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life will stand before the Great White Throne to be judged. The Lord Jesus will say to each one “your name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life”. There was no moment of repentance and came to receive the Lord’s sacrifice. They will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Wake up! This is serious! We are talking about where we will spend eternity!
 
After having written a great majority of this devotional I felt as if I was to stop and listen as the Lord took me on a journey. So that is what I have been doing. An interesting thing happened yesterday morning. A sleepiness came over me that I could not shake. That is not entirely unusual for me as I have been dealing with fatigue and the doctor’s cannot find a cause for it. I finally decided I needed to go recline in my rocker. As I did so I realized that God was showing me the condition of His church. They are spiritually asleep. They have left themselves defenseless against the enemy. My prayer is that if you are reading this devotion you are not one of the spiritually asleep and will share this with others who may be. They may not embrace your gift to them at the moment but you will have sown the seed and, hopefully, someone will water it and bring it to life, even if it isn’t you.
 
Jesus doesn’t address the wealth of this city or the plight of the people who were seen as opponents to the idol worship. Many scholars believe these believers were intimidated by the merchants who controlled the economy and workplaces so they were trying to “fit in” and not cause those in the congregation hardship by losing their jobs. As I’ve been asking the Lord regarding this and reading Scripture I realized Jesus has addressed this in some of the other churches. But if we truly understand our position in Christ, are we to shrink back and try to become invisible? Are we to try and look like the world? NO!
 
Fear paralyzes us and hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives until eventually we have hardened our hearts to His voice entirely. This was the sin in this church, they didn’t allow the power of the Holy Spirit to keep them alive! “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”  (Romans 8:31) “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17) They have forgotten their position in Christ!
 
These believers forgot the words of our Lord and chose the easy path which leads to destruction rather than the narrow path. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” (Matthew 7:13) They chose the path of less resistance and therefore never grew in the mercy and grace of our Lord! These words from the psalmist were never true for this group, “For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.” (Psalm 66:10 emphasis mine) Have you allowed the Lord’s refining fire to shape your walk with Him?  “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’” (Revelation 3:1) Jesus begins with reminding those in this body of believers that He has all authority and angelic hosts are assigned to watch over their congregations and, therefore, He has witnesses attesting to their deeds. We again see the use of “seven” twice in this passage. He is reminding all of us that seven signifies holiness. We, true believers, have been set apart for the will of God, we have willingly consecrated our lives to Him and we strive to live a life reflecting the holiness and goodness of God. “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16) “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”   (Hebrews 12:14 emphasis mine)
 
The seven stars represent angels who are sent to administer justice. “for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8 emphasis mine) “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:7-11 emphasis mine)
 
‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’ Wow! If anyone has a spiritual ear this will knock the wind right out of their lungs! This church was superficial, there was no intimacy with the Lord, the Holy Spirit was bound and the worship was not for the heart of God but for the people! They looked good, they smelled good to the world around them, but to God they were a stench! They were a church of works.
 
So much comes to mind as I think about the words of Jesus in this statement. Let’s begin with something that He stated in the Gospel of John. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21) Jesus is warning this church so that they can repent and turn to the light. He doesn’t want them to stand before The Great White Throne which is the Judgment Seat for non-believers. These believers had heard the truth and apparently began the journey on the right path. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.’ (Revelation 3:2 emphasis mine) When Jesus tells us to “wake up” it is not a suggestion, it is an alarm! Wake up means to be watchful and alert, give strict attention to lest some destructive calamity overtake you.
 
I can’t help but be reminded of the ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom. Five were in right alignment and prepared to meet their Bridegroom but five were foolish and not prepared. Just because they were in the company of some true believers was not going to be enough to save them, nor were their past works enough. "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the prudent answered, `No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, `Lord, lord, open up for us.' But he answered, `Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13 emphasis mine)
 
Fast forward to what today should more accurately called “the social gospel”. There is a fine line as to what is of God and what is of man. A church or ministry will “serve” the community by doing good deeds and they say they are doing the Lord’s work. The Epistle of James addresses faith without works and faith by works. “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?” (James 2:14-20) However, James continues with the example of Abraham. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:21-23 emphasis mine) Many ministries today are much like the Church of Sardis. They are great at the works part but have fallen short in faith. Just as faith without works is dead, works without faith is only a work and not counted as righteousness for eternity.
 
“Strengthen the things that remain” tells us that there still is an ember, which can ignite a forest fire. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Church of Thessalonica. “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) Take a few minutes and allow the Holy Spirit to speak into your life here. I am overwhelmed, again, as I read these words. These words should be so ingrained into our spirits in our walk with the Lord, yet how easily we forget! Father, forgive us for our forgetfulness! May these words bring life into our spiritual lives that would bring glory and honor to Your name, amen!
 
When the Spirit tells us to strengthen that which remains, it is time for a spiritual inventory. Go into our prayer closets, turn off the phones, televisions, radios, computers, tablets or any other thing that may distract us, and pray and wait. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) Pour out your heart to God. Yes, He already knows where you are weak and what struggles you are going through, but He wants you to admit to them, to understand the hindrances that are in your life, repent and turn them over to Him, and to trust Him. The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit to be His power in our lives. Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.'” (Zechariah 4:6 emphasis mine)
 
Each one of us was born a sinner, or as King David so eloquently wrote, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) Even though we are created by God we are not saved when born, we were sinners and remain sinners until we ask Jesus into our hearts and repent of our sins. That begins our walk with the Lord and it continues to deepen with intimacy as we surrender our wills to Him and allow Him to transform us according to His power! When we are in Christ the power of the Holy Spirit flows mightily through us and accomplishes the will of God and He is glorified! This church did not have the Holy Spirit. Just as a person who has died physically cannot produce good fruit, a person who is spiritually dead can’t produce spiritual fruit. A spiritually dead person can do good works such as feeding the poor, taking care of the widows and orphans, setting up programs to educate children, etc. but none of these things can produce spiritual fruit.
 
‘for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.’ “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” (Jude 1:3) When Jesus commands us to make sure our deeds are “completed” in the sight of God, He is not suggesting that you or I have the right to decide what the dividing line is that would make those deeds complete. There is a standard and we must search out that standard in the Scriptures and be faithful to bring it to pass.
 
The Holy Spirit was very specific in the use of words in both the Greek and Hebrew languages. I felt the nudge in my spirit to see what the word “completed” meant in this verse. Completed means to fulfill according to God’s will as made known in the Law, the Torah! It is to be obeyed as it was given and also for God’s promises which were given through the prophets to be fulfilled! Now we see the connection between God’s promises and God’s laws! Neither stands alone, they are connected and cannot be separated! “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6:9) “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12 emphasis mine) “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8) “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13-19 emphasis mine)
 
‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.’ (Revelation 3:3) Do you hear the Lord’s love? Yes, He is giving them a strong warning but He also is never condemning. He reminds them that they heard the message and responded and were alive! But somewhere along the way they let the light of Christ die out in their hearts. But there is still a short time to repent and return to their first love! You may want to go back and read over the Scriptures written above dealing with the Lord’s desire and our proper response if we are to experience eternal life.
 
“Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.’ If there are any reading this devotional, or if you know someone, who questions the authenticity of the Holy Spirit’s writing of the Scriptures, this is certainly a good example that proves the work of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul was not one of the twelve disciples who walked with Jesus during His ministry on earth. However, after Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus he was taken up to the third heaven and taught by the Lord Himself! “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows—was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) Some things the Lord taught Paul were to be shared so that the Holy Spirit could draw them into the Lord’s presence for salvation. However, there was much the Lord showed him that he was not allowed to share. Why would God do that? Paul needed to reconcile the teachings he had learned as a Pharisee and the teachings of Jesus. Paul was also called “to suffer much” for the Lord. But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16) Paul was such an effective teacher because he had a single vision...HEAVEN! He clearly understood that this earth was not his home! He met the Lord of lords and King of kings and nothing was going to stand in his way of following the Lord wherever He led him!
 
We also need to remember that after Paul’s conversion he did not go to Jerusalem to learn from the apostles. Paul’s preaching could only come from the Holy Spirit. “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
 
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church in Thessalonica, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10) Listen to the words of our Lord while on earth, “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;” (Luke 21:34) “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (Matthew 24:42-44) “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40)
 
Remember Jesus’ words to the five virgins who were unprepared while waiting for His return? “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:10-13 emphasis mine)  "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”  (Matthew 24:31)
 
This concept of “being taken up” (rapture) was not a new thought that was only recorded in the New Testament. Here are a few from the Old Testament. “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! “ (Psalm 2:12) No one knows when but soon to the Lord may seem like forever to us, “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night.”  (Psalms 90:4) “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”  (2 Peter 3:8) “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” (Malachi 3:16-17 emphasis mine) “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3 emphasis mine)
 
I can’t help being reminded of these precious words from Psalm 1 which gives me clear understanding of how to stand uprightly in the Lord. “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
 
 “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. `He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:4-5) Praise the Lord! While God does bring His wrath upon masses because of disobedience, when it comes to eternal life, He judges each of us separately according to our deeds. He has a few here who have not strayed from being intimate with Him and walking uprightly. They have not joined the rest of the congregation in walking in their own earthly power and wisdom. This should bring conviction on us if we have succumbed to following man instead of God. Need scriptural proof? “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” (Malachi 3:16-17 emphasis mine) “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2) “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  (1 John 2:15) "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17] "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:16-17) “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”  (Revelation 3:5) “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”  (Revelation 3:18) “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”  (Revelation 6:11) “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”  (Revelation 19:8)
 
“...and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” The book of life will separate the believers from the non-believers when we stand before the Lord. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  (Revelation 20:11-15) “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”  (Revelation 21:27)
 
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Revelation 3:6) And, again, the Lord closes with the same warning to us. We are responsible for what we do with the Word of the Lord we have heard. What are you going to do with this Word? If we are looking to the false prophets today to give us a “word from the Lord” we will be unprepared for the Lord’s return. The only “Word” is the Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation.  “I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I relent; according to your ways and according to your doings shall they judge and punish you, says the Lord God.”  (Ezekiel 24:14) "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, `My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; “ (Isaiah 46:9-10) “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11)
 
I leave you with one last word for this week, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.”  (Isaiah 55:6)
 
 
 
Abba Father, this indeed is a sobering Word today and one that pierces my heart as I know it pierces Yours! These believers were once alive and now they are dead! They have ceased to drink of Your living water! You gave the prophet Jeremiah warnings for Your people that are timeless warnings for each and every one of us that need to be heeded! “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:13) How much more so today as the pastors have embraced a deceptive message and apostasy is being taught in our churches and in our schools? Lord, You stated that the days would need to be cut short because even the elect would be deceived.! Prepare our hearts Lord as we face the spiritual battle each and every day. Teach us, Lord, to effectively use the sword of the spirit to touch others with Your love, to snatch them from the burning flames that the enemy has lead them into! May we remember each day to put on the helmet of salvation to protect our thoughts that we might not become filled with the hatred that is in the world. May we, instead, pray for those who persecute us and hate us because of Your name! We may not have tomorrow so I pray for ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to each of us today as we humbly submit of lives to the way of the Lord. Thank You that in my weakness Your strength upholds me and encompasses me in Your love! You are my everything! I love You, Lord with all of my heart. All this I pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen.
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Seven Warnings of Jesus - Part 4

5/28/2017

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“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
 
 

As I sit here this morning reviewing the Words of our Lord and Savior to the churches in Revelation I am again so touched by His love. I love how He reveals a different aspect of His character and nature to each of the churches. What He reveals has specific implications for that particular church and what is right and what is wrong. Let’s do a quick review before moving onto our fourth church, Thyatira.
 
Jesus reveals Himself as the foundation, the cornerstone. All authority has been given to Him and He alone has authority over all creation (Hebrews.1:1-3). While He reminds believers that it is to Him alone that we are to be obedient and serve, it must be done through a covenant love for Him and not out of a duty. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40) Notice that these verses are from the Torah (The Law) and Jesus makes it clear that they are as foundational for us now as they were then. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17) (Remember that the New Testament had not been written yet and so all the declarations in the New Testament actually are almost all Old Testament proving that the Word of God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.  There are 1050 commandments in the New Testament.) So for the believers in Ephesus they continued to walk in “acts of love” but it had become about the works, not the love of Christ. So Jesus was reminding them that they needed to return to their “first love” and allow God’s love to flow through them to touch those they were serving. “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:23-24 emphasis mine)
 
The words to the Church of Smyrna are to remind us that there is no way to the Father and to eternal life except through Jesus Christ. “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:” (Revelation 2:8) It was through Jesus’ obedience to His Father that He came to this earth as a baby and experienced life as a mortal man, experiencing everything you and I experience in this life. He became OUR sin (He was sinless) and chose to be scourged and crucified to pay the debt for our sin. He spent three days in Hades, Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” (Ephesians 4:8) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:5-13) “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” (Luke 22:69)
 
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:” (Revelation 2:12) The two-edged sword represents warfare. Jesus has been given all authority and will bring judgment in the last days. To the unbeliever, they will stand at   The Great White Throne Seat of Judgment before being thrown into the Lake of Fire. For the believer they will stand before the Judgment Seat and it will be revealed what they have done or not done in the body of Christ to follow the plan that God had for their lives. “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.” So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you,” (1 Corinthians 3:11-21) “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)
 
We now come to the Church of Thyatira. “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 2:18-29)
 
If we are familiar with the Scriptures, we will recognize this description of Jesus from the Book of Daniel and his vision of the end times. “His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.” (Daniel 10:6 emphasis mine)
 
“The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,...” Fire represents refinement. Whenever I think of fire and God, I am reminded of HIs purging. Without purging, we will not be found acceptable in His sight. Refining means testing to prove that what is in us is true. It means that we are not just ceremonially clean but that we are morally clean! Throughout Scripture the Lord states that He will “burn away the chaff”, “refine in the refiner’s fire”, purify His sons and daughters. His Word is a fire in Jeremiah.23:29, “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”  In the Hebrews Epistle the Holy Spirit gives us another analogy, “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8 emphasis mine)
 
When we see the Lord face to face His eyes will burn like fire. He is holy, no impure or immoral person will be able to stand before Him. The unbeliever will have no response or explanations for their sin and behavior because He sees all and the fire will further reveal their sin. They will then be thrown into the Lake of Fire forevermore. For the believer, there will still be sin that will be exposed, but there should be much less as the believer is called to be a servant, a disciple, one who follows the ways of the Lord. As he grows in spiritual wisdom and knowledge, the Holy Spirit will bring conviction upon him/her for the things that are sin and through repentance he/she will ask for forgiveness. This process can be very sorrowful and painful as the Lord reveals the darkness in our souls that must be purged. “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) If we are truly disciples, His word will be sharper than a two-edged sword in our lives and we will be receptive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be living a life of submission where the Lord’s conviction is a constant companion. “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.” (Psalm 51:4) “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)  “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:7-8 emphasis mine)
 
King David was known as a “man after God’s own heart”, yet he sinned and received much scourging and discipline from the Lord. I believe that is why he was known for his heart of love for the Lord. When he was confronted with his sin he was deeply convicted and acknowledged that he had sinned against God and deserved whatever consequences he received from the Lord. He didn’t make excuses for his sin, he didn’t try and talk God out of his punishment, nor did he try and negotiate by promising to do better next time. No, he trusted God and DESIRED God’s refining fire to purge the sin from his life and make him whole again. Read some additional words that reflect this attitude, “The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) “For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.”  (Psalms 66:10) The prophet Isaiah wrote these words given to him by God, "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)
 
This concept was very familiar to the Jewish people. We will look at a few more passages before moving on to the second half of this revelation of Jesus. "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate," Declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. It will come about in all the land," declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, `They are My people,' And they will say, `The LORD is my God.' "  (Zechariah 13:7-9) "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3) “Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:35) This would be a good time to stop for a few minutes and go before the Lord and have the Holy Spirit search your heart and show you if there are areas that God’s refining fire is needed in your life. If there is anything revealed do not move on until you have allowed the Lord to do a full work in you and the conviction has brought you to repentance and submission so that He can work in you.
 
“and His feet are like burnished bronze,...” Bronze was a very familiar metal to the Jewish people, to welders and anyone who worked with metals. It was a copper based alloy that was known for its strength as well as its beauty. It was used on many parts of the temple altar. Swords  were made of bronze. Burnished bronze would be likened to the metal coming out of the furnace, blazing hot! It is not the metal itself that is so special but the application of the metal to our lives. Bronze was one of the metals used in the temple, we are the temple of God. We are not to be weak and unstable in our position in the Lord. We are fortified by the Holy Spirit who strengthens us (as the bronze strengthens a structure) and will stand the test of time!
 
I am reminded of Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days (Almighty God) and the Son of Man (Yeshua, the Messiah). Let’s review it and see why the Lord chose to reveal Himself in this way to the Church of Thyatira. Remember, everything that is presented in the Book of Revelations has been written in the Scriptures. There is nothing new. This is the fulfillment of prophecy that must take place for the end to come and the Kingdom of God to be established. “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames; its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened. Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:9-14)
 
The presence of God is a burning fire! None can see Him and live in our present condition! So the Holy Spirit is presenting to us an imagery of the holiness of the Lord and the importance of our having been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ while here on earth because there will NOT be a second chance once we enter the first death. This is very important to remember as we read what the Lord has to say to this church, and to you and me today! ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds…’ Remember that the Church of Ephesus was reprimanded because they had left their first love, which is the foundation of our faith. This church has not lost their love for the Lord and their works of service are done because of the love of God in their hearts. They are vessels that are being filled and poured out over and over again. They have not grown weary in the face of persecution but have continued to reach out in love to others in sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This really sounds like a great loving fellowship of believers! But all is not well, and just because one part is healthy, does not mean that all parts of the congregation are healthy. And that part which is in sin cannot continue to be ignored, it must be purged. “...Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6)
 
The spirit of Jezebel is like a cancer, specifically more like melanoma, it takes control of every cell around it and is deadly. Often leadership does not deal with this spirit because it will be very unpleasant and can bring much division and hurt to a congregation. But if it is left to grow without being addressed, the whole congregation will die, spiritually and even physically. Jezebel wants CONTROL! This spirit has no respect for authority and will undermine leadership to the point that the leadership will often leave because they do not know how to deal with it. Confrontation is not easy for any of us, but when it is such a strong controlling spirit it is especially difficult. This spirit is so strong that it actually causes fear in those around it so that they become so fearful they will just ignore it rather than face it. If left unchecked it will consume and destroy the entire congregation. Remember Elijah? He had just killed 450 prophets of Baal and Israel was convicted of their sin of idolatry worship. (1 Kings 18) But the queen, Jezebel, who had slain the prophets of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, threatened to kill Elijah and he became so fearful that he fled! (If you are not familiar with the life of Elijah I suggest you stop right here and read the Scriptures.) God used him mightily, but this spirit unnerved him! 1 Kings 19 details Elijah’s flight and the fears he faced. We see the mercy and grace of God as He ministers to Elijah to strengthen him for his journey.
 
Please note Elijah’s words to the Lord after his first day’s journey. “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.’” (1 Kings 19:4) For those who are called by God it is not uncommon for them to feel inadequate and rather than failing God they ask that He take them home. Look at Jonah 4:3,8 and Numbers 11:14-15. Jonah and Moses also experienced the same anguish and frustration at their inadequacies! Have you ever been there? Been to the place where you are so discouraged and so tired that you feel like you can’t go on? We’ve all been there. But there is a difference in feeling this way and being despondent and wanting to take your own life. Notice that Elijah asked God to take him home. As God responded to Elijah’s needs, Elijah accepted the Lord’s provisions and was willing to hear the Word of the Lord. Are you my dear friend? Are you so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you won’t let the Lord into your life to bring that healing?
 
Please pay close attention here, God heals and resolves issues in each of our lives in a personal way. Did God heal Elijah’s fatigue and fear? Yes! Did He send Him back to the battlefield to continue in the ministry God had given him? NO! There is a season in which God will call us for a specific work  but that season often ends and another door opens to a new season. We need to learn to let go and let God lead us each and every day. TO STAY IN A MINISTRY WHERE GOD HAS REMOVED US IS SIN. That actually is a beginning of the spirit of Jezebel. That spirit is determined to control everything and everyone around it, including God! Elijah was obedient to the end.
 
1 Kings Chapter 19 leads us on the journey with Elijah in his last days of ministry. What a glorious exit! My dear friend, I want to be true to the Lord’s calling until the day the Lord calls me home. What a blessing it will be even if I don’t go out in a chariot of fire! But to know that I will someday hear those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” will be worth all the pain and anguish we experience here on earth.
 
Can we honestly look at the families today who call themselves “Christian”? As we’ve discussed in so many of our devotions together, there is a great deception that many who think they will be saved and will not. It is not up to me to state who and who will not receive eternal life, but if we align our lives with the commandments we are given in Scripture we may begin to understand why our children are in such trouble. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence,...”
 
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ (Numbers 14:18) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Ok, before you get up and walk away, let’s take another look at the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to some truth that our “easy grace” pastors have decided doesn’t apply. We CANNOT pick and choose what Scriptures we like and don’t like or which ones we will or won’t obey.
 
Let’s go back to our story of Elijah. Queen Jezebel’s husband was King Ahab, king of Israel. He allowed his wife to worship idols, kill God’s prophets, serve the prophets of Baal and all this turned his heart away from the One True Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I suggest you read 1 Kings 21. I’m only going to quote a couple of the verses here. “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.’” (1 Kings 21:25-29) When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22 emphasis mine) If we do not repent and turn away from our sin, that sin will continue to abide on our descendants. Why? Because they will follow in our footsteps! Do the descendants have “free will”  to make their own decisions? Absolutely! They can turn away from their sin and repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior because the Lord’s mercies are new every morning. But if they choose not to we will continue to see the deterioration and the wrath of the Lord upon them until His wrath is complete. That is a very sobering truth. While I cannot insure that my descendants will receive salvation, I do have a choice of whether or not I am going to worship idols (even our music, television, internet and music choices reflect our heart and become idols in our lives)  and sabotage God’s people and bring God’s wrath upon the heads of my descendants!
 
Please, let’s be clear here so there is no misunderstanding. God does not cause their hearts to be hardened and to turn away from Him. Each one makes his own decision! But each time a person rejects the Lord’s Word or His love, his heart will become hardened on its own. God has to allow it because it is the person’s choice, his free will, that he is exercising. God does not randomly choose who is His and whose heart will not receive Him. So while there is no guarantee that you as a strong believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will have your offspring also be strong believers, you are giving them a testimony as to the love and power of the Lord Jesus Christ and, as we continue to pray for them, a hope in the future that they will make the right choice. So it is not only for our benefit that our love is a true covenant love with the Lord and obedient to His Word, but it is a witness, a testimony, to everyone around us that the Lord is true and He is for us and not against us! “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31) Again, this is the bottom line, either we are walking with God or we are walking with Satan because there is no other choice!
 
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) If you are reading this I will assume that you are in love with the Lord and desire a deeper relationship with Him. If that being the case, we must ask ourselves why we so easily stray from holiness, from righteous living, from a sanctified life that brings glory to the Lord God. It is NOW that we are walking testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ! We are His representatives to draw others to Him. Worldly living does not set us apart nor testify of God’s goodness and grace, of His mercies that are new every morning! “Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35) (Lamentations 3:23) “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:22-25)
 
Look at the lawlessness and the immorality in our society today, it is out of control and it just gets worse every day! “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (2 Timothy 3:1-4) The Apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy addresses a problem that has been in the church from the beginning, that of those saying “The Law” does not apply to believers in Jesus Christ. We have already addressed this many times. Jesus stated that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. But there is also a great misunderstanding about “The Law”. Even when the Lord God gave the Law to Moses, its intent was to be a guide to show us our sin so that we would turn away from it and turn to God and trust Him in all areas of our lives. God knew that man could not keep the law by himself, so man has interpreted it by his own understanding for thousands of years and caused misunderstanding between believers all these years. Let’s listen to what Paul wrote to Timothy, “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,” (1 Timothy 1:8-10 emphasis mine) Do you now see it? Everything that the law warns that is harmful to us and to our eternal life, our society now says  is right and good. In the Book of Jude, James, the half brother of Jesus, and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, addressed this issue and is one we need to hear at this time. “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7) “It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” (Jude 1:14-21 emphasis mine)
 
‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (emphasis mine) Jesus Christ is the One and only authority. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16)
 
Each believer’s reward will be given when we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day. There are some who He will give authority over the nations. After reading of the problems in this church we are seeing that He calls us to stand for righteousness. We are called to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ and not to turn the other way and ignore the apostasy. We are to diligently love and guide and teach the believers through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. If we allow the deception and abominations to abide we will be called to give an account as to why we allowed the fear to overcome the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Are you willing to speak the truth? Jesus spoke the truth and He was hated for it. If our first concern is that we want people to “like” us, we are going to have a problem in obeying the Holy Spirit. Do you have an ear to hear and to respond correctly to what the Spirit is saying to you today?
 
I would be greatly amiss if I did not focus a minute on those who the Lord acknowledges who have not known the things of Satan. ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end,...” Notice a couple little words that are so easily passed over, “Nevertheless what you have…” What do they have? They have a surrendered life to the Lord. Those have chosen the “good” (agathos - the things of God) and not been overtaken by the way of the world. They have a heart of prayer that comes because of their love and desire for God and for His will to be in all things. “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:8) “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:11) We must stay true to the Lord until the end in order for the Lord’s promises to be ours!
 
I am not fully understanding the last part of the Lord’s promise but I will share what I do know is true, and I know when the time is right the Lord will reveal more understanding to me. and I will “give him the morning star…” We know that Jesus is the bright morning star. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16) To the Jews who had doubted His divinity He is quoting Scripture testifying that He is the descendant of David that the Scriptures prophesied to. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John remind us that we will get a new body but we really do not know what that body will look like. We will not know until that day. Jesus gives us all kinds of promises in His Word as to what some of the rewards will be that we will receive, but what we will look like is not one of those...until we get to this Scripture. While it does not describe our new bodies, we are told “we will be like Him”. Can you imagine? That doesn’t mean just in appearance but also in our spirit. We will not be “gods”, that is New Age apostasy. But we will be like Him and He will place His authority in us, even greater than we have experienced of the authority of the Holy Spirit in our lives while here on earth! But in order to receive this new body, these believers needed to repent of all their wickedness and sin so that the light of Christ will shine and the darkness will be cast out. Then Jesus Christ, the bright morning star, will be leading this church and these members will be reflecting His light! “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19) “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
 
Can you see through these letters to the churches how Jesus is showing us the “narrow gate”? Are you beginning to understand why there are few who enter by it? These are heart issues that cannot be faked! I pray that as you read these letters you will ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas that may be weak that you might go to the throne of grace and seek guidance. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
 
 
 
Abba Father, thank You for Your amazing love! Thank You for Your ultimate sacrifice of Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ who secured my salvation by the shedding of His blood. As I read His letters to the churches I am saddened by the sin that so easily entangles us and destroys the lives of so many. As we allow the Holy Spirit to search us today, forgive us, as we pray, for the areas of sin and weakness that we now seeing in our lives. We seek Your strength to walk in faith and no longer walk by sight in this dark world. Lead us to where You would have us go as a light in the short time that we still have remaining before total darkness sets in. We love You Lord with all of our hearts, mind, soul and strength. Gird our loins that we will stand and not fall. May Your words be spoken through us with love and also as a two-edged sword that will reveal the need in the lives of those You have called us to witness to. Thank You that You are faithful and it is You in us that is our strength! We love You and praise You! This we pray in the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen!
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Seven Warnings of Jesus - Part 3

5/17/2017

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“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

There are only two forces in this world, good and evil. However, man tries to blur that line with many “words of wisdom” which God has proven as foolishness. “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,” (1 Corinthians 1:27) What do I mean? We can say this another way to make it much more personal. There are two opposing views in this life, God’s view and our view. But in reality when our view is not in agreement with God’s view, we are siding with Satan. When sin entered through Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, each of us were born with a sin nature, a “nature or self-will” that opposes the things of God. That is why God hates sin, it separates us from Him.  God created man because He wanted a relationship with him. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31 emphasis mine)
 
Think about that a minute. Have you met people that you wanted to have a relationship with? Someone you wanted to share your heart with? Someone who would enjoy the same things you do? Someone would be there for you in the good times and bad times? Now for those who have children, isn’t that exactly what you want to have with your children? You want a relationship, to share their victories and to help comfort them through their defeats. You want to create memories with them, make sure they know that you will always be there for them, that you love them no matter what, even when they make wrong decisions. You want to be there to walk through life together and create that bond of love that can’t be broken. “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:9) “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” (Hebrews 13:5)
 
Isn’t that exactly what God wants for you and me? That’s why Jesus had to come as an infant, experience the things we experience, became our sin, was crucified, was buried and was raised from the grave by the Father. He made the way for us to repent of our sins and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 emphasis mine) “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17) When we are disobedient we can get seriously hurt or hurt others, or even die. A parent expects their child to be obedient, why wouldn’t God, our Father, expect obedience from us if we are truly His heirs? Parenting doesn’t come with a “manual” (in truth the Bible is our parenting manual as well but it is not acknowledged as such) but the life of a believer does come with a manual and that is the Holy Scriptures. Need a little reminder to show God’s love anf faithfulness in both of these areas? “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)
 
Everything we need to know about God is found in these holy writings. We aren’t left alone trying to figure things out on our own, He gave us the Holy Spirit to live in us, to guide us, to comfort us, to reveal His words of life and instruction to us! “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:23-26) “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7) “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-15 emphasis mine)
 
Because of the grace of God, the Apostle John was taken up spiritually into the third heaven to record what was to come so that we would be equipped to live a life honoring to the Lord. The Lord Jesus was gracious to write letters to seven churches that were a universal picture of churches that would (unfortunately) always exist and deal with these specific issues. So He addressed these apostasies and sinful practices to warn us that these were areas that if allowed to continue would affect our eternity. These were not “new” teachings of the Lord, but reminders of what was already given. The Lord wasn’t just randomly selecting churches or problems, these issues in each of the churches were universal issues and had deep roots that had to be removed in order to protect His true believers. Isn’t that what a true shepherd does? “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:9-11) The Lord had revealed this same thing to the Apostle Paul also when he was taken up into the third heaven and taught personally by our Lord. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:29-32)
 
So will you take heed and actually respond to His warnings? Or are you going to continue to go to churches that teach apostasy, practice contemplative prayer and allow (or worse yet, endorse) yoga, meditation, false prophets and apostles? Are you going to continue to go to churches that tell you to pray to the saints? There is nothing in Scripture that tells us to pray to the saints. Actually, Scripture tells us NOT to worship or praise them. Just look in the book of Revelation, the angel continuously tells John that he is a fellow servant and not to be worshipped! Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the truth of what your church may actually be involved in? These questions are soul searching questions. How serious are we to set ourselves apart from the lies? Are you equipped to try to talk with your pastors or leaders and express your concerns? That is not easy, most do not even want to consider these warnings because you may be right, after all, THEY ARE THE PASTOR, not you! This is one of the issues Jesus was exposing and addressing in this particular church.
 
So now we can look at both issues that Jesus is addressing to this church. I’m not going to address these in the order they are given in the Scripture and I believe you will understand why by the time we have finished. ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.’ (Revelation 2:15) The Nicolaitans believed that they were the “teachers” and no one could receive insight and revelation unless it came through them. It was a hierarchy, the top person considered himself the authority and everyone had to come to him to receive instruction. They used manipulation to keep the people “in line”. Reminds me of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin. But wait, when Jesus hung on that cross and spoke these pivotal words, “It is finished” and breathed His last breath, “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” (Matthew 27:51) The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the common worshipper was removed and now all who believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah sent to bring redemption had access to the Lord through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)
 
What comes to your mind today when you think of this practice? I think of control, of cults and false religions. Each one has a way of controlling a person’s mind to accept the deception which they teach. They have their “secrets”. I am not going to write of these deceptive religions, there are many sites which you can go to for understanding but a few you may want to learn why they fall into this category would be the Catholic church, the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons. These are the mainstream that each of us most likely have encountered. I have met many wonderful people who are in each of these assemblies and my heart aches for the deception that they are embraced as truth. When given the opportunity to learn what the true Scriptures teach they often are afraid to even listen because they have been warned not to listen. But are you going to listen to man or to Jesus?  Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 emphasis mine) No human being can absolve you of your sins. Sin can only be forgiven by the Father above! “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
(1 John 2:27)
 
In this third church we are studying this week I see a very strong likeness to churches today. Jesus specifically addresses two areas of sin that must be overcome to receive their reward. As we’ve seen in the first two letters, He begins by commending them for what they are doing right. It seems that they had endured much persecution and one of their faithful ones who was very highly regarded had been killed for his faith. The believers did not go into hiding or close down the church and meet in secret. ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.’ (Revelation 2:13)  “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:17-18)  “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
 
They were hated and feared at the same time. “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” (John 15:18) Why were they feared? The power of Jesus Christ was greater than the power of Satan. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 emphasis mine) But Satan had his seat of power in each of these cities and when Satan’s deception is exposed, Satan doesn’t take it kindly, he kills in retaliation!  “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
 
These churches were not social clubs with breakfast meetings and social gatherings to build each other up. They didn’t get together to tear apart the written Word and debate it and to dismantle it until it was palatable to them, NO, they read it and believed EVERY WORD was written by God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16 emphasis mine) To be labeled a believer in Jesus Christ put a price tag on their head and meant almost certain death. But they didn’t count the cost to be too great for a life of eternity with the Lord. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” (1 Peter 3:14-17)
 
This is very unlike most of the churches we find today in the United States. Satan has invaded our churches and made himself look like “light” and has weakened the message of the gospel to such an extent that he does not need to destroy the church, the leaders have fallen asleep and allowed so much deception that there is very little power of the gospel seen today. “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:5) The Apostle Paul speaks of Satan being in the churches in his second letter to the church of Corinth, “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) The Pastor of the church may seem very loving and friendly but if he is teaching false doctrine he is one of the counterfeits of the enemy. He looks good on he outside but anyone teaching false doctrine is an emissary of Satan. Many of these pastors may not even be aware of the power that is leading them but when confronted will most likely not listen because of pride. Keep them in prayer that the light may break through the darkness of their souls!
 
We see in the Church of Pergamum there were some who were tares that had entered the fellowship and instead of rebuking them and exposing their false teachings, they tolerated them. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” (Galatians 5:9) They also tolerated a group that divided the believers instead of bringing unity which is Satan’s plan. The Apostle Paul had to deal with this problem in the church of Ephesus, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 emphasis mine) Notice that he extols them to bring correction in love in the Spirit in the bond of peace so that there may be correction, conviction, repentance and renewal to the hurting and a binding together of the entire body of believers.
 
I know that I have said this before but we should be so thankful to the Lord for writings these letters for our benefit each and every day. He warns us continuously of the dangers that are lurking that will pull us away from firm biblical teaching and set us on shaky ground. Do you have ears to hear? Some of you may respond that you are not a leader or pastor so this doesn’t apply to you but you are so wrong! It applies personally to each of us to allow the Lord to test us and see if we have fallen prey to any of these apostasies. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18)
 
I am reminded of a verse that can be quite sobering regarding a believers responsibility to his fellow man. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:20-25)
 
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’” (Revelation 2:12-17)
 
Look again at our opening Scripture. Jesus has the two edged sword which exposes sin and illuminates righteousness. His words cut through all deception and reveal the truth which brings life. He only is the truth, the way and the life (John 14:6). If He is our foundation we will have revelation and insight into what the Word is teaching us today. We will desire to have the Holy Spirit to search us and make sure we are not participating in anything that is opposed to His Word.
 
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.” When I read this statement I thought of a verse that Jesus spoke to the disciples that is recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matthew 5:37) Did you ever wonder about this verse? There is so much wisdom in these simple words and they have really made those wise in their own eyes be revealed for the foolishness of their ways and their words to those who are spiritually alert.
 
Let me ask you a question that may bring insight into this verse. Have you ever been asked a question and instead of just answering the question you went into a long explanation with details that were not asked? By the time the conversation was finished you most likely felt totally drained and wished that you had just answered the question and kept the rest of the information to yourself because what could have been a very simple conversation turned into a mass misunderstanding or major problem. Listen to the words of the Preacher, “For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man?” (Ecclesiastes 6:11) “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19) What has all of this to do with Balaam? Between his disobedience and pride and his many words he did much damage to the people of Israel. “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6)
 
Balaam was a diviner which is one who is involved in witchcraft, they connect with another dimension, most often with the dead but also with gods, which are demonic. This does not make them incapable of hearing from the One True Living God, but they are not in right alignment with the Almighty God even if they do say they believe in the Lord God. “Even demons believe in God.  You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”   (James 2:19) Today we would call them fortune tellers, mediums or witches. I think this is important to see in this illustration because Balaam is  used as a representative to speak the words of the Lord. This initially was not God’s plan but because of Balaam’s pride and greediness he did not accept God’s “no” when he inquired whether he should go speak with Balak. God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” (Numbers 22:12 emphasis mine) That should have been the end of it but it wasn’t. When more men came a second time asking him to come curse the Israelites, Balaam’s response is very interesting. Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.” (Numbers 22:18-19) Here is a religious spirit and it is dangerous! Shall I put it into words we might use today? “You are offering me many gifts but he could offer me his house of gold and silver but, of course, I’d never accept it unless... However, stay here tonight and I will go ask the Lord again, maybe I didn’t hear Him correctly the first time!” Sounds righteous doesn’t it? But if you are listening carefully you note that he has let them know he can be bought but he’d never actually say that.
 
We have addressed false prophets in many devotionals but this is a good place for us to stop and be reminded of what a false prophet can look like and what the Lord has to say in His word regarding false prophets as a great majority of our charismatic churches have embraced these false prophets. ‘But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ (Deuteronomy 18:20)
 
This next portion breaks my heart as well. This is exactly where so many of our pastors are today regarding the land of Israel. These pastors teach partial Scripture, enough to sound good and bring the people in, then they select specific scriptures and take them out of context and teach that God has cursed Israel and the land is not theirs and the Gentiles (you and me, Christians) have replaced the Israelites as God’s chosen people. “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33 emphasis mine) What is not clear about what God has spoken? Remember, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19)That applies to EVERY word of prophecy. We cannot ignore the words the word of the Lord spoken through Isaiah,  “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate. You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” And your land, “Married”; for the LORD delights in you, and to Him your land will be married.” (Isaiah 62:1-4 emphasis mine) Remember that the Old Testament (Old Covenant) is prophetic and the New Testament (New Covenant) is the Old Covenant’s fulfillment. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)
 
You cannot love God and hate the Israelites or deny that God gave them the land. Scripture clearly teaches that Jerusalem is His and He will return to Zion to set up the New Heavens and New Earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” (Revelation 21:1-3) “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” (Revelation 21:10-12 emphasis mine) “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” (Revelation 14:1) These are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel! “And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:” (Revelation 7:4 emphasis mine)
 
Balak feared the Israelites because God went before them and defeated every king who had gone up against them in battle. God’s reputation as a mighty, Sovereign God was known throughout the land. They knew they couldn’t win. The spirit of rebellion drove the king to seek out every possible way of defeating the Israelites. He didn’t know that God had made a covenant with Abraham and had given them this land. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” (Genesis 13:14-17) He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it? So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.” (Genesis 15:8-21 emphasis mine) “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (Genesis 12:3)That covenant was made by God and cannot be broken, no matter how devious man’s ploys are! “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
 
There are three very important lessons for us that we must understand in why the Lord’s anger was against this church regarding the teachings of Balaam. The first is acceptance of the teaching against the land of Israel and its people. God Himself spoke these words to Balaam and it is no mistake exactly where He spoke them and to whom so that we understand God’s heart. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 emphasis mine) We MUST take all of Scripture into account! The second lesson is obedience. Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry...” (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The third lesson is the words of our mouth which we looked at above, they truly reveal the content of our hearts. “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6) “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.” (James 3:8-12)
 
The Apostle James, who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem and the half-brother of Jesus has summed it all up and given us good insight when he penned the following words given to him through the Holy Spirit, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18) This is an excellent question and reminder for us, have we gotten caught up in either of these sins that the Lord has addressed? Or, are we in a church that is manifesting either or both of these sins? If so, what are you going to do about it? Once you have learned the truth you cannot ignore it. How will you respond when standing before the Lord at the judgment seat? You will not have a response and there will be a judgment made against you because you did not repent and turn away and leave that sin behind but continued to participate in it. Why do you think that the Lord continues to state in His letters, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes,...” You have been given a great gift today in having received great enlightenment into the heart of our Lord and Savior. What are you going to do with it?
 
We have heard Jesus refer to the synagogue of Satan and Satan’s throne so far in the letters to the churches. So what are we to learn from this? Each of these seven churches had some good points even though Jesus is illustrating the shortcomings of each church because He knew that these same things would continue to plague believers until the day of His return. Even in the most vibrant of churches, when apostasy or sin is allowed to reside a “void” or “space” is established for the enemy to get a stronghold. It will begin as a subtle “suggestion” but then grow in intensity until it has taken some believers into captivity. The first reference in the letter to the Church of Pergamum is the teachings of Balaam. Balaam is known for counseling Balak how to overcome the Israelites. Please read Numbers 22-25 so you are familiar with the whole account. Balaam was called to bless Israel three times which greatly angered Balak and Balak told him to return to his home and he wasn’t going to honor his offer to pay him. Balaam then invited him to come with him with these words, “And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” (Numbers 24:14 emphasis mine) The rest of the chapter reveals Israel’s dominance. Notice however that this “extra” narrative by Balaam is what Balak and the other kings used to lure the Israelites into sin, adultery, idolatry, etc. Balaam’’s pride led him to tell Balak more than what God had authorized Balaam to speak. Notice what the Apostle Peter had to say regarding the disobedient actions of Balaam, “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.” (2 Peter 2:15-16) And, of course, the words of Jesus to this church, ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.’ (Revelation 2:14)
 
The words of Jesus sum up the judgment that will come to those who are against Israel and oppose the people and the land. He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!” (Luke 17:1 emphasis mine) I believe this also applies to those who oppress a believer as the spirit of the Nicolaitans.
 
“Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” Here again we see God’s grace! “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)  Rejoice that the veil has been torn and you may enter the holy of holies and repent of your sins and be washed white as snow! “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
 
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Just as the Lord God sustained the Israelites in the desert for 40 years with “manna” He will supply all of our needs when we submit our lives to Him, turn away from our wicked ways and follow after Him. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin…” (2 Chronicles 7:14) “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
“and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” White represents purity. Will we ever be pure while here on earth? No. But if our heart’s desire is to please God and follow Him in ALL His Word, we will be continuously growing and changing and will be different, we will be set apart for the Lord and not look like the rest of the unsaved world. “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:4-6) We will no longer want to be defiling our bodies with immoral sexual behaviors, tattoos, drinking, drugs and wild living. “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” (Hebrews 2:1-4) (1 Peter 2:1-3)
 
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” (Revelation 21:1-3) “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” (Revelation 21:10-12) Who are the inhabitants of this great city? “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.” (Revelation 19:7-9) These are the ones who will have a new name given by the Lord.
 
 
 
 
Abba Father, how can we thank You for Your love and words of wisdom to direct our path? You have painted a magnificent picture that we cannot truly grasp it all! Lord, I ask You to use Your word today to draw hearts to You to seek Your truth and have it cut through the darkness in each of our lives! Forgive us for our stubbornness and lack of diligence in pursuing Your word so that we too might “clothe ourselves in fine linen, bright and clean” while here on earth! Today lead us to the fountain of life where we can be refreshed and renewed and begin to walk that narrow road that You call us to walk. We ask You, Father, to teach us how to love the lost and hurting without becoming a part of their world, but to shine the light of Your truth into their darkness. Thank You that You are faithful and true! We bow today before You and wait for You to meet us where each of us are today and lead us out of any darkness in which we may still have. Our desire is Your life and Your life alone! Cleanse us from all unrighteousness! You are our life! This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen!
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Seven Warnings of Jesus - Part 2

4/12/2017

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“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Our last time together was spent sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning about His authority, His sovereignty and the importance of our sanctification and surrender. Do not confuse “customs” with true transformation in our lives. Customs are something we do because we have been taught. True Christ transformation can look radical to someone who is not “sold out” or “reborn”. They do not understand the death of our sinful nature and a rebirth to a new man. That new man has no desire for the sinful ways of the past. The sin nature still resides in us and desires the things of the world to satisfy our souls but knows what it offers never lasts! 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” The focus of the new man is to pursue the path that God has laid out for him. (Jeremiah 29:11) All things are new when seen through the eyes of Jesus. We learned that without a true love for all of Scripture and an intimate love of the Lord, all we do are works without the heart of God (His leading and direction) and are not acceptable in His eyes. “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5) This is a good test for each of us. If this rebuke from the Lord seems oppressive and restricting it might suggest that you have not received salvation. These words of our Lord and Savior are a lifeline to us to check our hearts to be assured that we are on the right path. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
The letter to the next church builds upon this foundation. The first letter reveals God’s foundation that must be firm so that when the circumstances of trials and tribulations come our way and seem too difficult and that they will annihilate us, we will continue to stand firm in the faith and our love!
 
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’” (Revelation 2:8-11)
 
Jesus is establishing His divinity to the leaders of the church so that they will pass on the same true message to those who they are responsible for in their congregations. The leaders are responsible for teaching truth to their congregations so that they will be established in the truth and can also share it with others. “...He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…”
 
“The first and the last,...” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”  (John 1:1-4) “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”  (1 Peter 1:20) The triune God always was, He was not created, He was the Creator. He saw all of the future even before He laid the foundations of the earth. Yet because of His great love for us He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to be our redemptive lamb to save us from the eternity of hell. His desire is for each and everyone to see his own sinfulness and need of a Savior, but because of the gift of freewill He knew there would be those who would reject Him. I don’t know about you, but that alone convicts me that I still have a lot to learn about having the love of God in my heart for those who hate me or persecute me. The most powerful and beautiful example of our Lord’s great love and forgiveness was while He was hanging on the cross and He prayed to the Father regarding those who were murdering Him, the Messiah. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing…” (Luke 23:34) And that is exactly what He has told us to do in Luke 6:28, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” I am so thankful for the grace of God which will be sufficient for me in every situation! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
 
So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45 emphasis mine) Adam was the first living soul. He and Eve lived in the perfect environment, the Garden of Eden. They walked and talked daily with the Lord. Can you imagine? Everything was perfect! All of their needs were met before the Lord even created them. But sin slithered into the garden and deceived Eve and Adam did not stand up to Satan but allowed Eve to make a disastrous decision that changed their whole lives.
 
Have you ever made a choice which changed the entire direction of your whole life? It could have been as Adam and Eve and brought destruction, or it could have set you on the Lord’s path for your life and was difficult and joyous at the same time. It could have brought destruction or redemption. If it was the first, destruction, there is still time to repent and have the free gift of redemption! But for that redemption there must be a death!
 
What did Jesus mean when He said He was the last? If this was a video I might sound a shofar to get your attention, so pretend with me that this is a trumpet call! Jesus wants to make sure that we clearly understand that He alone will be the one to bring in the Kingdom of God. Did you hear that? Kingdom Now people cannot bring in the Kingdom of God! There is not a believer on this earth who has the power to bring in the Kingdom of God. “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:8-10 emphasis mine) My dear brothers and sisters, did you hear anything in these Scriptures which said that you were the one to bring in the Kingdom? NO! But  we are to go into all the earth and preach the gospel. But if the preaching is not empowered by the Holy Spirit it is worthless.
 
Let’s examine a few additional Scriptures for consideration in this matter so that no one is deceived. Do the following verses give any hope that the end times we live in will ultimately be reversed? Do any of them state that the church will bring in King Jesus to finally reign because He was waiting for His church to be victorious over all the nations?  “Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy (falling away (nkjv)) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)
 
My dear friends, we have to get out of the mindset that it is us who make the difference! We are the vessels that the Lord will flow through and, yes, we will receive crowns for our faithfulness to do what God has laid out for our lives, but it is God who has the power to bring in the kingdom by simply speaking out the spiritual sword from His mouth against all the nations. “And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (Revelation  19:15) You see dear reader that it is Yeshua who brings the kingdom in and receives all the glory, not the church. You and I get the blessing of watching the miracle of new birth but it has nothing to do with us other than our obedience and willingness to be used as part of God’s plan! Honestly, isn’t that enough? It definitely is more than we deserve. But because of His great love for us He brings us into His plan to see the outpouring of His love and redemptive healing. Wow!
 
One last caution before we move forward to the next section of Jesus’ teaching. There will be deceivers who will appear to be angels of light. Remember these words of our Lord,  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Matthew 7:21-23)
 
“...who was dead, and has come to life,..” Jesus is giving testimony of the witness of His death. John was the last living apostle who had witnessed His death and His resurrection. Jesus’ body suffered the most cruel punishment imaginable for a human being and had physically died on that cross. But He miraculously was raised from the dead by the hand of God! There were many witnesses and Jesus was reminding them of this truth. And because of this truth, many who believed He was the Messiah were being persecuted and killed. To be a follower of Jesus meant that you had spiritually died of all your desires and desired more than life itself the life of Jesus! “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
 
These believers in Smyrna were living testimonies that they did not count their lives more important than being in the will of the Lord. Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) These words were embedded in their hearts. They weren’t just words, they were life to them. Listen to what Jesus says to them next, ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’ (Revelation 2:9-10) “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12) “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
 
For those without a strong spiritual foundation this passage will not sound like a victory passage, but it truly is. Smyrna was a wealthy area but the church/believers were being persecuted by the Jewish leaders who had much authority. They had cut off all financial dealings with the believers in Jesus Christ and they were not allowed to buy or sell. They were economically poor and were being starved but notice what Jesus says, ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich),...”. They were rich because they were the true heirs of Messiah! His next words bring reassurance to them that they are under attack just because of their beliefs. Jesus’ next words were not to make the believers hate their persecutors but to remind them that even though this battle definitely was affecting them physically, it was a spiritual battle. These Jewish leaders were not the seed of Abraham looking for the Messiah, they were children of the devil who had positioned themselves as the rulers and had really placed themselves in the position of God. (You may want to go back to the Gospel of John and read the many accounts of how the rulers, Pharisees and Sanhedrin, tried to kill Jesus, how they called Him a blasphemer and the devil! How Jesus so many times tried to speak into their lives to reveal the seed of deception only to have them reject Him over and over again! They truly thought that by KILLING Jesus they would have total authority again over the people.)
 
You and I might think that the next thing that Jesus would do is to free His people from the prisons that they were being thrown into but we are being taught here that a time is coming (again) when we will not see the miracle of deliverance from the trials and tribulations of the believers but that we will be called to endure the persecution through Jesus Christ’s strength until the end. Many of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ are already experiencing this in the Middle East. When Jesus states that it will be for “ten days” He is speaking of the duration until it is finished. The number ten signifies completion. ‘Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’ The words of the Apostle Paul explains this better than any words I can attempt to put on paper. “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:9-11 emphasis mine) We don’t hear much, if any teaching, about the “fellowship of His sufferings”. People love power but the suffering often turns out to be exit door for them. It truly reveals their hearts. You and I need to never forget this very important Word to us written through the Apostle Paul, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2Timothy 3:12)
 
I don’t say that lightly, no one wants suffering. It is easy to worship Jesus when everything is going good but what happens when things aren’t going so good? It is in the valleys of our lives where we grow because we find that without Christ we have nothing. That is where many of us learned to surrender and begin the walk of obedience with Christ as the Head of our lives. There He becomes Lord. “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” (Romans 14:9 emphasis mine) But many will rebel, especially at this point in their walks because the “seed” did not form a strong foundation and they will turn away and try to save their lives. “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:7-8) Many of the tares of the church will be revealed at this time. “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  (Matthew 22:14) That’s the deciding line. All of us have an open invitation to follow Jesus, but it is only those believers who remain faithful to the end who will have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they will be the “chosen” people, the true seed of Abraham because their roots are firmly planted in the foundation of Jesus Christ.
 
Can you hear the love of our precious Lord as He speaks to the believers in this church? He truly knows the pain and tribulation they are facing. He had warned His disciples while He was still with them, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” (Matthew 24:9)
 
Jesus then reminds them of their calling and their reward. Oh what a promise! ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:11) “so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”  (1 Peter 1:7) As hard as it is sometimes for us to wrap our minds around this truth, death in our fleshly bodies is not the death to be feared. If we are Christ’s our earthly body death will deliver us into Paradise. And while we will face judgment we will not stand before the Great White Judgment Throne for the unbelievers who will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Here is the victory verse for us speaking about Satan in Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.” 
 
I take great comfort in these words of Jesus as we look to the future. He knows our every need and will meet those needs. He will not always meet them in the way we expect Him to, but He will meet them with exactly what we need at that exact moment!
 
For those of us who spiritually see the truth of the future and are not being deceived by the lies of the Kingdom Now movement or the Dominionist movement or the Seven Mountain movements or the New Age or Contemplative Prayer deception, or the number of other apostasy teachings that are being spewed in our churches today, the message to the believers in Smyrna testifies to the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ that He will never leave or forsake us. The testimony of their persecution encourages us to keep the faith and stay on the narrow path. We know that there are the martyred in heaven who are praying and interceding for us as we continue to live in this earthly body. They have walked the path before us and have now given us a clear testimony of what lies ahead and the reward that we will receive.
 
Now, hopefully, we can more clearly understand the truth of these words of Scripture, “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,” (Hebrews 3:14 emphasis mine) Our only existence that assures our salvation is clear and the Apostle Paul states it well for us, “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (1 Corinthians 8:6) In this same letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul warns us that if we think any differently than what the Scripture teaches we are not the Lord’s.  “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
 
The way is narrow that leads to life. We cannot live with one foot following Jesus and one foot in the world, we are either His or we are not. The following verse clearly reveals truth of what a holy life for a believer looks like, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21) What does “holy” look like? It is one whose life has been set apart for the Lord. He is a new creation and seeks the things of the Lord and His ways. We will learn to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Walking in faith produces the fruit of the Spirit in us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-25) Not perfect but steadfast in the new life that he/she is living. The Apostle John gives us a very clear understanding of what this “holy life” looks like. “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27) And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
 

 
 
Precious Lord, thank You for this great reminder of Your faithfulness and that You know everything that is happening in our lives. It is so easy for us to focus on our needs and yet forget Your teachings. I am reminded of Your Words, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25) “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34) Your Words are life to me! Forgive me for taking my eyes off of the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus! (Philippians 3:14) You alone are my refuge! You are my strong tower! You fulfill my every need according to Your riches in glory! (Philippians 4:19) Your ways are perfect. Thank You as You continue to transform my mind and bring it into alignment with Yours. I bow my knee and praise Your holy name! In all this I pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Jesus Christ! Amen.

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Seven Warnings Of Jesus - Part 1

3/23/2017

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“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
 (Jude 1:24-25)
 
“Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You”.
(Psalm 119:11)

There will never be a time when we stop learning about our Lord. Don’t you just love that? I love to open the Scriptures and receive a new insight that I’ve not seen before. What joy! Jesus is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-46). If we ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and our hearts we will see Jesus through all the Scriptures and begin to understand with a deep sense of love for both He and God. That is our goal in all our time spent together, for the Lord to draw each of us closer to Him that we begin to reflect His character.
 
Even as the eternal bride of our beloved Lord, He will as a Bridegroom filled with love, will want to share secrets that only He and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit know. No angels will  have this eternal marital privilege of Jesus our Bridegroom and having the joy of sharing those secrets with this bride alone. He will never come to an end of sharing,  Psalm 145:3, “Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.” Yes, His greatness is unsearchable (it will never end)! He will always have wonderful secrets to share with His bride.
 
Scripture tells us that we see through a glass dimly but what we see brings us joy  unspeakable full of glory. I truly can’t imagine how great it will be in heaven! He truly wants us to begin now to search out His character and know Him more deeply, growing daily in our love of Him.
 
Did you ever notice that Jesus, our Messiah, the One who gave His life as a ransom for us because of His great love for us, reveals Himself in a unique way to each of the seven churches in the book of Revelation? And to each He reveals a different reward or blessing for those who overcome. We can’t just rush by these revelations without taking time to understand why Jesus was so specific in His revelation to us. The blessing seems to be very significant to the revelation of Him to each church. The blessing is also tied to both the revelation and the error in that church that must be overcome in order to be in right alignment with the Lord. That does not mean that the revelation nor the blessing is tied to one church, but if we take our time and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us I believe we will be challenged to examine our lives and be convicted of areas where we might be lacking. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth, John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose [it] to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose [it] to you.”
 
Do you remember when you were in school and the teacher would surprise the class with a “pop quiz”? That was dreadful for many students because they didn’t study until it was announced that a test was coming. Many people live their life that way even among believers. They do whatever they want and think they have plenty of time before the “final test” comes. Unfortunately, that is not the way of Christ. Read our Scripture text for today, it is a journey, each day is important and each day is an opportunity to grow in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unless we have been transformed to a new life by coming into agreement with the Holy Spirit as He reveals our sins and weaknesses and repent and turn to walking in the way of the Lord, the truth will not be in us. We will be found walking on the broad path that leads to destruction. “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
 
Most people are so focused on the end time “events” and trying to predict each situation and predict the time of the apocalypse that they totally miss the tender love that the Lord is speaking to draw us to Himself to encourage us and remind us that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Hebrews 13:5) But there is a cost to us and that cost is obedience out of a heart of love. His walk on earth even demonstrated for us how this love is developed and grown so that we too can be “one with the Father”. “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21)
 
As I was talking to the Lord regarding what He wanted to show us He impressed upon my heart a simple truth; we cannot state that one character or attribute of our Lord is more important than another. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14) But there is an order to laying a foundation and if that foundation is not built correctly it will not be firm. Its integrity will have been compromised and there will not be a testimony of truth in its existence or stability. Thus, there is an order to how Jesus addresses the churches. He begins with His authority because if we don’t recognize His authority we have missed the entire message! He is the cornerstone! “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.’” (1 Peter 2:6) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. he who believes in it will not be disturbed.” (Isaiah 28:16)
 
We need to take note that each of the letters was written to the “head” of each church, that is the leaders. There is a double message here. It is a personal message for those who are “the shepherds” for they are held to a standard of truth for both their lives and also what they are teaching to their sheep. “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1)
 
The Lord is challenging the “sheep” as well. Sheep are not known for being “smart”. They are not leaders, they are followers. The shepherd had to establish a relationship with them so that they would follow his voice and be safe. A shepherd is to teach and protect. However, we are living in very dangerous times and the shepherds are leading the flock astray. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) They use enough Scripture to appear at first glance as being spiritual but they preach apostasy. Are you spiritually alert and grounded in the Word to discern if they are false teachers, apostles, prophets, pastors, etc.? Unfortunately the majority of people in the church are not and this breaks the Lord’s heart. Jesus taught on this a lot but the Word has gone unheeded. The sheep are deceived and following the deceiver who has disguised himself as a vessel of light. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:13) “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) “Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:15)
 
I strongly believe this is one of the reasons that Jesus spoke to John the Revelator the specific things He did to the seven churches. IT IS ONE LAST WARNING! Jesus will return in a flash but it is not without warning. Today there are many watchman on the wall discerning the apostasy being taught and sending out a warning but they are being ignored by the vast majority of people who perceive themselves to be saved. Please take heed to this warning and be diligent to take it to prayer. If you sincerely desire the truth the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the truth of what is being taught in your church and where you may have gone off course. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; “(Deuteronomy 7:9 emphasis mine) “My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.” (Psalm 101:6 emphasis mine) And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:5)
 
To the church of Ephesus, “The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands,...” (Revelation 2:1) Jesus first wants us to understand that He is the One who gave the revelation to the Apostle John. His Word is true. Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 emphasis mine) “even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:2-3)
 
Scripture builds upon Scripture and Jesus doesn’t introduce anything “new”, He is bringing further understanding to what He revealed while on earth. His words also reflect that which was taught by the prophets and writers in the Old Testament. Remember that the Old Testament is still vital to us today, we are seeing it fulfilled. Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18) If our beliefs are anything other than what He is speaking our foundation is not firm.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  (2 Timothy 3:16) Also note that in the previous scripture the Apostle Paul addressed Timothy directly about his own life, and it applies the same to you and me today.  “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) The “all Scripture” in verse 16 is the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures), and the “sacred writings” in verse 15 are also referring to the Hebrew Scriptures.  There was no “New Testament” at that time so everything being written about was taken from the Hebrew writings. Those who teach we are no longer under the Old Testament are teaching apostasy! The above Scriptures alone prove the importance and relevance of ALL Scripture!
 
His right hand represents His authority and integrity. “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” (Luke 22:69) He is the head of the church and will judge all and hold those who are His to accountability for what they have or have not done according to God’s plan for their lives. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18) We do not have a firm foundation if we are not obedient to the Word. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:25-27 emphasis mine)
 
Did you notice that He speaks of seven churches and seven lampstands? Seven represents sanctification, holiness, being set apart for the Lord. The churches and lampstands are actually the same, they are the churches which are to burn their oil continuously to guide the lost to Jesus! They are to preach the pure Word of God, nothing more, nothing less. They are to be unstained by the ways of the world. The believers are also to be holy and blameless in the sight of God. (Blameless does not mean that we are sinless but that we are living a life of holiness and no one can point a finger that we are doing something wrong that can be seen in our walk.)  If we are trying to fit into the world we will fall far from this admonishment of our dear Lord. Unless we are truly in love with our Lord we will have a struggle in discerning why obedience is so important and why an intimate relationship is so important. You will find the Word of God oppressive rather than finding freedomYou will find the Word of God oppressive rather than finding freedom! “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” (John 8:31-32 emphasis mine)
 
When we talk about obedience, it is obedience to the Word, not to man’s addition to the Word to oppress people into following man’s laws. That is exactly what the Pharisees did and Jesus condemned them because they followed the tradition of the elders rather than the Word of God.(They had added more rules to obey that are not in the Word.) “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6) It also applies to the extreme in the other direction. If you are chasing the appearance of angels and gold dust and great signs, you too have strayed from God’s Word. A disciple will grow in understanding and put away childish things. “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12) “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;” (Philippians 1:9-10) “so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,” (Philippians 2:15)
 
 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:11-14)
 
The veil was torn when Jesus cried out with His last breath, “It is finished”! His death made a way for you and me to enter into the Holy of holies and meet with Him face to face. But His holiness still stands. Nothing unclean can live in His presence. This is the area that satan has greatly deceived people today and it is so prevalent in our churches today. There is a false teaching that “grace” will overlook our sins. God’s grace is the door in which we enter to repent of our sin and be washed clean. “Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18) There is a special message for us in this passage, Jesus uses the number seven twice, He is emphasizing the need for sanctification of our lives. Without this sanctification we will not have this “first love” love relationship with the Lord and we, too, will be condemned. “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (1 Peter 1:15-16 emphasis mine)  Remember we will never be completely holy as our Lord in this life but it should be our loving spiritual desire to become more like Him each day so that we should be able to look back and see how we have changed to become more like our Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained [it,] or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) our Lord is pleased when that is our all encompassing desire. This is what an intimate loving relationship with our Lord is all about.
 
The “stars” which are in Jesus’ right hand are God’s messengers (angels) which are watching over the churches. When I think of these ministering angels I feel both wonder and fear. The wonder and amazement of God’s lovingkindness which sends heavenly messengers to watch over and protect us; the fear of their power (not fear as afraid but with heavenly reverence) as to their presence. There is nothing hidden and they see all and know all and are a witness against us when we sin! Leaders of the congregations should take heed to this truth that they do not become so hardened of heart that the Words of Scripture should condemn them, “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” (Romans 3:18) My dear friend, do you “fear to hurt the One you love”? Or do you believe that because of grace you don’t need to repent and you are “safe” because one day in the past you said you believed in Jesus?  “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!”  (James 2:19) A couple of Scriptures which may help guide you into His presence to reveal your heart are: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24) “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5) “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) God’s Word has not changed. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
 
Why does Jesus reveal His authority to the Church of Ephesus? “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18 emphasis mine) “and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;” (Colossians 2:10 emphasis mine)  Does He have complete rule and authority over these believers? There are many areas in which they are standing firm in His Word. That is good. They are hard working and do not grow weary in serving. Good...right? They test those who call themselves prophets and apostles and do not allow false teachers or leaders. Another good thing...right? They also appear to have a firm foundation because they have continued to preach the Word even in the midst of persecution. While all of these things seem good, there is a major problem...‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.’ (Revelation 2:4) They have become a church of “works” and they have forged ahead and left Jesus behind! He is not the center of the church, He is not their heart! “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” (Jude 1:21) Let’s take this one step further, the Apostle John also gave us a strong word in another of his letters that we need to be reminded of as we ask the Holy Spirit to show us the true meaning of the words of Jesus. ”... God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)
 
They remind me of a social service agency. And, yes, you can have a pastor preaching the Word but without any presence from the Holy Spirit. I’ve been in those churches. They are active! They are growing! They are serving the community! They teach the Word without power, “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:5) “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘in the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” (Jude 1:17-19)
 
How serious is their situation? Very serious to Jesus! But because of His great love, He is giving them a strong warning because He does not want any to perish! “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
 
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7) There is a dramatic difference between hearing someone’s words and “hearing with understanding and obedient action”! Jesus ends each of His warnings to the seven churches with the warning to not block the revelation of the Holy Spirit to what He is saying. He repeats it seven times! Sanctification, holiness! Nothing less than a serious walk with the Lord. We have been reminded over and over again in this devotional that we are to be holy and blameless. The first step is that of sanctification, setting ourselves aside for the Lord. Be emptied of ourselves and be filled with Him and He will transform our lives but also be able to work through us to touch the lives of other lost souls. As Jesus said to His Father in the garden,  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.’  (Matthew 26:42) He also taught us in the Lord’s Prayer,  And he said unto them, ‘When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’  (Luke 11:2) John the Baptist, the forerunner to the revelation of Jesus Christ, told his disciples, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This is the ONLY way that we will be overcomers. We can’t do it on our own, it must be done by the Holy Spirit living in us!
 
Before we can receive any other “crowns” or blessings from the Lord, we must be overcomers and granted our eternal home with the Lord. That is the privilege of eating from the tree of life, eternal life in the Kingdom of God! Dear friends, this is our first step. Can you truly say with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)?


 
Abba Father, Thank You for Your words of love and life. Thank You that You care so deeply for us that You have continued to give us warnings to convict us of our sins and call us to repentance. Your Word is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold! (Psalm 119:103) Your words are life to me! My heart cries out for Your return. Help me to be continually reminded that I am now living in eternity with You and am a being of light in this dark world. It is Your will that I desire to know and rest in You. Thank You that You are for me and not against me. Thank You that Your ways are higher than my ways. Thank You that Your word will not come back void, it will return with the revelation of truth. Thank You in advance as You continue to wash away my sin as I repent of that which is in my life that is not in right alignment with You. Job asked a very important question that each of us must deal with if we are going to continue our journey with you. ‘Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?’ (Job 4:17) Until we are surrendered and acknowledge that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit in us that can transform us into Your image can this be true. This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6) I again lay down my life and desire to be wholly acceptable in Your sight. This I pray in the blessed name of our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen!
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Whose Cup Am I Drinking?

3/5/2017

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“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."  (John 4:14)

Over the years I’ve learned to wait on the Lord with a peace beyond human understanding. That doesn’t mean I’m not wanting a fast response, but if the Lord doesn’t answer to direct me in the direction He chooses I know that there is a reason. There can actually be many reasons and often one of those reasons is that I’m not quite ready to go there yet or I’m expecting to go in another direction and would miss His response. He knows my every thought and intent of my heart even more so than I do. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all.” (Psalm 139:1-4) Sometimes I am just not there...do you know what I mean? I am physically where I am supposed to be but not mentally. When I am mentally not where I’m needed to be I miss what the Holy Spirit wants to share with me.

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Am I Truly Abiding?

2/9/2017

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“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

Do you desire to see the Scriptures through the eyes of our Lord? To truly understand what He was teaching, and to be in agreement with Him and have that desire to experience His joy? Do you truly desire to give Him loving obedience, in what He desires from us while we are still on this earth? That is the joy that the Apostles finally understood after Jesus’ death. “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11) As we journey through this parable in John 15 we will begin to truly understand this joy in the proper context. Their joy was to do the Father’s will and there was no one that was going to stop them. Their life was not their own. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 16:24)
 
One of my favorite Scriptures that I go back to constantly is “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3) I find comfort and security in the arms of Jesus, He only is my life, without Him, I am lost. Put another way, which is a constant prayer and praise for me, “The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:14) I know that in myself I have no strength to fight the evil one. It is the Lord’s strength in me that I trust and allow to lead me and keep me on the right path. No matter what may come my way (and there can be devastating circumstances that come our way) I know that He is there and I will praise Him! He will never abandon me, He alone is faithful and will walk with me through every situation. Let’s review a few other Scriptures that will help begin to lay the foundation for our study today. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.” (Psalm 28:7) “The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will extol Him.” (Exodus 15:2) “The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places…” (Habakkuk 3:19) “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16) “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:2) “O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1)
 
The Lord wants to talk with us about “abiding in Him”. Abiding is the secret to an intimate, loving relationship with the Lord. Without our abiding in Him, we will not truly understand the depth of the words of the Scriptures we just read through. The Lord’s joy only becomes ours through abiding in Him. The Lord’s strength can only become ours when we are abiding in Him. We cannot trust and will not trust Him if we aren’t abiding in Him. We won’t have that HEARTFELT desire to praise Him and just love on Him unless we are abiding in Him. Can you say, along with Jeremiah, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)?
 
Understanding Scripture is a heart issue and without an intimate relationship with the Lord we will not be in a place where we are reliant on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s Word. Are we allowing the Word to convict and judge us because we truly desire to be imitators of the Living God (“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;”) (Ephesians 5:1) and have Him glorified? Or will we turn to denominational doctrines which can confuse and even rob us of what God is trying to teach us? I am sure that most, if not all of you, reading this right now, desire to know God’s truth and have it as the guiding light in your life. To do so we must let go of earthly things, earthly beliefs and traditions of man. Think of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, they were so tied up in the tradition of the elders that they were not open to hear the living words of the Messiah! He was right there with them in living flesh and they denied Him and His truth. Holy Spirit speak to us today that we would have ears to hear and a heart to receive Your words of life and living water! So let’s begin. I will give you the entire passage first then we will break it down and hear what the Spirit is saying. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:1-11)
 
The key to understanding this passage is found in one word and that word is “abiding”. The Greek language (which is what the New Testament scriptures were written in, is very specific on the use of words, just as the Hebrew words used in the Old Testament). Since it is not a word that is used much today a simple understanding of the word would be obeying, not because we have to but because we want to. An example would be that when we obey the speed limit we are “abiding in the law”. For children it might be that when they obey their parents they are “obeying” the rules and guidelines their parents have set down for them to be safe and to grow up and be respectful to others and to make good decisions to be productive citizens and moral parents some day. But “abiding” goes much further than this. The Apostle Paul stated, “for in Him we live and move and have our being,...” (Acts 17:28 NKJV) Abide means to endure, to remain united, to dwell. A disciple abides. HE IS ROOTED IN GOD’S TRUTH AND FILTERS EVERYTHING THROUGH GOD’S WORD. He has an ear to learn (to be immersed so that it becomes his way of thinking) and to walk CONTINUALLY out that truth BECAUSE HE/SHE IS SO IN LOVE WITH HIM AND EAGER TO PLEASE HIM .
 
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” Jesus is speaking with His disciples. He has told them He is returning to the Father and that once He has left them He will send the Spirit to live in them and goes into great detail as to this important event. As He moves into this particular teaching He again speaks in such a manner that He is revealing His divinity (DEITY). He begins with “I am”. Don’t pass by these important words. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt he asked Him what he should say. Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’  Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.’ (Exodus 3:13-15) Jesus was clearly stating His divinity but it wasn’t without a witness, and that witness was in the book of Exodus! Notice the end of verse 15, ‘This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.’
 
This fact had to be established at the beginning of the parable. Jesus is giving them clear revelation that He is the Messiah (He repeats again that He is the “true” ONE which means the genuine/real Messiah) and His Father is God who is the source of all power and dominion and glory! Everything that we need comes from the Father. And His Father is the One who has sent Him with a plan to be carried out, just as the Father has a plan for each and every one of us. (Jeremiah 29:11)
 
Jesus was talking with His disciples in parables in which they could easily relate and understand. They were very familiar with grape vineyards so that is what He used. The vine is deeply rooted in the soil and all the nutrients the branches use come through the vine. The vinedresser is our Father who provides all of the “nutrients” needed in order to produce good fruit. (To receive salvation it must come through Jesus Christ and to grow in that salvation we must stay connected to Him, the vine.) The people understood this analogy because they knew that if the soil wasn’t prepared correctly or the nutrients that the soil needed weren’t supplied that they would not have a successful harvest. Let’s think about this a minute. Two things could happen if the owner of the vineyard was negligent in taking care of the crop. The first possibility is that there could still be fruit on the vines and it looks good to the natural eye. But when they pick the fruit and begin to ferment it to turn it into wine it is of a very poor quality. The second possibility is it is so lacking in flavor that it can’t even be used, it has to be thrown away. The entire plant will need to be removed and new plants purchased to replace them. In the first scenario the wine will not be highly regarded and will diminish the name of the maker as a good vinedresser and people will no longer look to him for their needs. The second scenario will cost the vinedresser an even greater defeat as there will be no wine and his whole business could be ruined because no one will turn to him for his product.
 
God is the vinedresser. Can you see how the scenarios above do not bring glory to Him? Those scenarios are a very accurate description of the witness of our faith. Do we allow the vinedresser, the Almighty God of heaven and earth, to feed and nurture us? He gives life and everything that is needed to produce good fruit. He will withhold whatever is not needed in order to produce a full bountiful harvest. In other words, what God doesn’t provide is not only non-essential it simply is not needed. Anything additional that we provide can actually diminish the bounty in our lives that God had prepared for us. The “additional” that we add can greatly “choke out” the things supplied by God to our success.
 
God’s spiritual fertilizer is His Word. If we “add” things into our lives, such as unforgiveness or hatred as an example, and not have God deal with it, we are adding an element to our lives that will spoil the fruit of the Spirit of which we are to have daily in our walk and in all circumstances. When we are consistent in taking in daily God’s spiritual  fertilizer, the fruit of the Spirit will be seen in us and that fruit is the new wine that all should see and be touched by in our walk.
 
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2) In order to correctly interpret this passage we need to look at another of Jesus’ teaching for understanding. (Remember, Scripture builds upon Scripture, we cannot accurately interpret without putting the whole together.) "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. [6] Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. [7] Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. [8] Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." [9] His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. [10] And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. [11] Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. [12] Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. [13] Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. [14] The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. [15] But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”   (Luke 8:5-15)
 
How can we tell if we are thriving in good soil? The Apostle Paul was a great example and teacher of what the love of God in us looks like. He sums it up in these passages, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19) Jesus lays it out clearly when He addresses the issue of one who would not be in good soil, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” (John 14:24) So the question of abiding comes down to love. Do you love Him so much that you MUST spend time with Him each day, not because you have to but because you WANT to?
 
There will be many who appear to be saved but they will have no root system. These knew there was a God but they didn’t fall in love with Him or follow Him, there was no true “rebirth”. Another way to look at it would be that in the first three scenarios above there seemed to be a “rebirth” but they were so deeply rooted in worldly desires that those desires choked out any guidance of the Holy Spirit and they just continued in their sin and fleshly desires and the darkness overcame the light in their lives.. Notice that Jesus said they “are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life”. This is a very clear warning for us today to stop and take inventory of our own lives. Oh how easy it is to get so focused on the things of this earth and the things of the Lord begin to slip away! “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus stated this same truth in a very clear statement in the following passage, “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8) The last group that Jesus talks about stayed on the narrow way that God set out before them and their lives produced an abundance of fruit. They continually “abided” in God’s Word and were led by the Holy Spirit. Please note that even these were pruned throughout their walk with the Lord. Pruning is necessary for many reasons, but I believe that the pruning that is done in a disciple’s life is necessary to keep us alert and not to fall into a false security of thinking we know what God is doing or what God wants. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Thank You, Lord Jesus, for this powerful reminder for each of us today!
 
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3) This verse may seem totally out of context unless we, again, understand the specific usage of the word “clean” in the Greek. In this context it means “like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit”. Now this statement by our Lord makes much more sense to us. Pruning is stripping the branch almost to the root at times. I would highly encourage you to spend some time with the Holy Spirit in this verse. It is essential that we understand it if we are going to grow spiritually strong and have a good root of trust in the Lord. Many churches today are so focused on teaching prosperity and “naming and claiming what we want in life” that they are cheating their church members of trusting God in EVERYTHING and accepting His pruning of the things in our lives that He wants removed so that we can walk in the blessing that He has ahead for us. If we don’t allow the “pruning” (IT IS NOT A PUNISHMENT) we will miss an even greater harvest!
 
Were the disciples of Jesus perfect? NO! Did they understand what Jesus had really been doing those 3 ½ years? NO! But the Word was in them and they believed (took action by becoming His disciples and giving up everything apart from Him) He was the Messiah and was sent from the Father. All would become clear to them shortly but for now they were learning to trust Him.
 
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4) Remember our definitions for abide? The Amplified Bible states it this way,   “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”  (John 15:4)
 
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Why? Jesus answered that question in this passage, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) If Jesus is not our treasure we are lost. We are the seed that became choked out by the ways of the world. Our striving for riches or status or jobs or recognition, or even an education, etc. will take over every other thing in our lives and choke out any light that we may have received. Even spending time with our spouse or our children will become secondary in our lives. This also is a very real threat for those in ministry. The ministry itself can take over one’s life and families and even God’s desired path will become obsolete. King Solomon suffered this same plight and summed it up in quite well in this passage, “Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11) He had deviated from God’s plan. He had wealth, he had many wives, from the world’s standards he was a great success but he had failed in trusting God’s plan. His wealth wasn’t the problem, God would have given him even more, the problem was his heart. He had begun to worship idols. Things become idols. We don’t intend them to be. That is why Jesus spoke so often about us needing to abide in Him.
 
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (John 15:6) Verse 6 brings us right back to the Parable of the Sower, if one doesn’t remain/endure in united fellowship he has no salvation. Jesus is clearly warning of the danger of operating in our own flesh apart from Him.
 
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”  (John 15:7-8) Now we should be able to truly understand this passage without taking it out of context. Verse 7 is conditional. Jesus has been warning us all the way through this parable that we have a choice of whether or not we will abide. Blessings are based upon our obedience. God would not be a good Father if he rewarded us in our disobedience. “and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.’ 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8)
 
We must remain and endure in our united relationship with Him. This understanding also helps us in understanding Jesus’ teaching in other passages. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” (Mark 13:13; Matthew 10:22) “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.“ (Matthew 24:13) ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7) ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:11) ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Revelation 2:17) ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;”’ (Revelation 2:26) ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.’ (Revelation 3:5) ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.’ (Revelation 3:12) ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’ (Revelation 3:21) “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14) “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” (Revelation 21:7)
 
Please do not rush through the above passages. I am overwhelmed as I now so clearly hear the Holy Spirit warning us of the importance of abiding!
 
I am truly deeply touched by the phrase, “and My words abide in you”. His words will only remain and endure in us if we are intimately in relationship with Him. Why do I say that? Otherwise they will become a burden, just rules that we are following (much like the Pharisees who followed traditions of the elder instead of being led by the Almighty One daily)! When we lose our joy, we lose our desire to praise Him, to worship Him, to glorify Him. And it becomes all about our appearance and desire to be seen as good by other men, rather than to desire only the glorification of the Lord.
 
Our Father truly wants to bless us and have us bear much fruit for His glory (“…he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit…” John 15:5) But He will not bless the work of our own hands. It may bring us glory among men on the earth but it will not be recognized by the Father. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. [10] "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. [11] These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”  (John 15:9-11)
 
“just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love” is a key truth that Jesus wants to make sure we do not miss. We are to be imitators of His life on earth and His life was a demonstration of loving our Father and seeking His will in all things, regardless of the cost. That should not be a cause for sorrow. It will cost us something to be an heir of THE KINGDOM OF GOD! And that cost isn’t necessarily financial even though that part of it. The true cost is our heart.
 
There is another aspect here that is so very important that we can’t close without spending some time dwelling in His amazing love. What kind of love did the Father have for Jesus? The word used means to be fond of, to love dearly and to be well pleased with Him. I don’t know about you, but that is my heart’s desire for the Lord to love me in that same manner. Jesus tells His disciples that He also loves them in that same way. That makes me pause a minute because the apostles at this point really didn’t get anything that Jesus had taught in His time with them, other than they did believe He was the Messiah. They took action with their belief. They not only endured many things with Him but they remained spiritually and physically committed to Him. They didn’t understand everything yet but their heart’s desire was to be with Him and to be like Him, even though they didn’t understand what that would mean either. Jesus further reminded them that their obedience to all that He had taught would keep them in His love. And then He compared His love for them as the same love His Father had for Him! Can you get any more intimate than that? No! They were One! All that the Father had, the Son had! And this is true for all His disciples. We are heirs and our inheritance is the Kingdom of God! There is nothing greater. It is for all of eternity. And it doesn’t resemble an earthly inheritance. If we inherit an earthly inheritance we can squander it away and be left with nothing because of our greediness and need to fulfill fleshly desires. But the inheritance of the Kingdom belongs to those who have desired to be like Jesus. (1 Peter 1:4,5) How? In our love, our words, our actions, we desire to be in His Words and desire for a transformation of our thinking and our ways. We desire to live now in Kingdom principles because we are in love with the One who created us. We are in love with Jesus who became our sin and voluntarily allowed Himself to be crucified on a wooden cross in our place.
 
Have you experienced the joy in which Jesus speaks about? Have you seen the joy in the life of Jesus while He was here on earth? Did you see His joy as He spent time with the Father in prayer? “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”  (Mark 1:35) Did you feel His joy when He healed someone? (Luke 8:26-39; 40-56; 14:1-6; John 4:46-54; 5:1-17; 9:1-7) Did you feel His joy when He met with the woman at the well in Samaria? (John 4:5-42) Did you feel His joy when Mary anointed His feet with oil because she had understood that He was going to die? (Matthew 26:6-13) Did you feel His joy and love when He looked down from the cross and told John  to take care of His mother? (John 19:26-27) Can you imagine His joy as He cooked fish on the beach early in the morning when Peter and John and Andrew with their crew were coming to shore after a long night of fishing and catching nothing? Can you imagine His love when He told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat? He knew they didn’t want to, but what joy He experienced when they obeyed and their nets were so full they couldn’t reel them in! John 21:1-14)
 
How can we truly be abiding in Him and not be like the bride in the Song of Solomon? "May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine. [3] "Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, Your name is like purified oil; Therefore the maidens love you. [4] "Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers." "We will rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you."   (Song of Solomon 1:2-4) Can we truthfully declare, "He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.”   (Song of Solomon 2:4) May I leave you with this thought. If we truly desire the Lord to be the center and the foundation of our life, we must surrender all to Him and that includes our thoughts, which I believe is probably the hardest thing for us to let go of. We need the Holy Spirit to be guiding our thoughts, our words and our actions. This verse, will hopefully, give you a visual picture of how the Lord desires to do so. It is not with power and control, no, it is in lovingkindness. “Let his left hand be under my head and his right hand embrace me.” Safe and secure in the arms of Jesus!
 
May you, dear reader, experience the same gift that the Apostle Peter experienced and gave his life preaching and teaching this word so that we too would join in, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” (1 Peter 1:8)
 
 
 
Abba Father, I come humbly to You thanking You for this great gift of Your Son Jesus Christ. Your love is so great that You took nothing to chance in our having a relationship with You. Your Word clearly gives us every instruction that leads us to life. You also give us warnings that will keep us from destruction. Thank You for Your great love! Your ways are so much higher than our ways and I thank You that You will not allow us to stay in this body of death, a body held captive to the sin that so easily engulfs us! Thank You for setting us free through the blood of Jesus Christ! Thank You as You continue to draw us into Your sanctuary. I pray that our hearts, minds and wills today will be drawn into Your embrace and we will begin to truly abide in Your dwelling place and You will be glorified! This I pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus Christ! Amen!
 

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