“Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them
with the sword of My mouth.” (Rev. 2:16 NASB)
Hello Saints,
What’s your picture of Jesus? Nice Jewish man in white robe with sandals, blue eyes, and a warm smile, welcoming all who want to engage in conversation? One would think this nice, gentle Jesus we have all come to love and follow would be full of love, and encouragement, never saying a harsh word, always building people up, especially those who are the so-called ‘church’. Jesus?...getting angry??? Never!!! Well if you think that, you’ve never read the book of Revelation – the revelation of Jesus Christ – the rest of the story. While studying this past week, reading through the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the book of Revelation, I was amazed at the letters Jesus wrote to the seven churches through His messenger, the apostle John. Specifically, the letters written to the churches in Pergamum (2:12-17) and Thyatira (2:18-29). The picture of Jesus is not the one hanging in your Sunday school classroom: “The One who has the sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth” (2:12, 16) or the “Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like burning bronze” (2:18). “What could make Jesus so angry?”, you ask. Simple…the two churches are guilty of allowing false teaching to continue, and false teachers a platform to share their lies and deception. Christians are being led astray (2:20) by these false teachers who basically teach an easy grace, where God is not concerned about obedience and holiness, but rather gives us freedom to do whatever we want. What does that look like? 1. Sexual immorality (2:14, 20) – licence to do whatever we want with our bodies, with whomever we desire to do it – God’s rules about sex and marriage don’t apply because we live under grace, and God is love after all – we can love who we want the way we want (sound familiar). 2. Eating things sacrificed to idols (2:14, 20) – which is basically incorporating other religious teaching and religious practices into the church, or syncretism. What do I mean? Like the time I tuned into a church’s service on the radio and the minister opened up, read and preached from the teachings of the Dalai Lama…that’s Buddhism! Or churches that do joint services with Muslims and allow Imams to preach from their pulpits! It’s happening! But in our Christian churches, it’s really about the teaching (14,15, 20) – false teachers who cause people to stumble (Jesus hated that – Matt 18:6-7). Our gospel is a message of separation from the world, consecration, purity and holiness – we are not to mix with the world’s religions. All through the Bible are strong warnings about guarding the teaching, dealing with false teachers, and maintaining the purity of the apostle’s doctrine (here’s a sampling: https://www.openbible.info/topics/guard_against_false_teaching). Balaam, Jezebel and the Nicolaitans were guilty of enticing God’s people to intermarry with non-believers so they would take on the religious practices of their spouse, thus inviting them into idolatry, which Paul strongly warns about (2Cor. 6:14-18). The New Testament has lots to say about Christians staying away from these sins. From our two letters in Revelation, we learn that God has a limit to His patience (2Pet. 3:8-12) and if we don’t repent of our sinful ways, He will step in and deal with us, quite harshly at that (2:21-23).
Here's the silver lining to the dark cloud: even in the midst of living in the middle of ‘Satan’ throne’ (2:13) filled with deception and enticements, it is possible to be an ‘Antipas’ who remains faithful to Jesus by holding tightly to who He is and what He has accomplished for us, who does not deny the teachings of Jesus, and remains a faithful witness even to the point of death (Rev. 12:11). Antipas like so many of us was an overcomer in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation. We overcome the temptations all around us, and even in the church by “holding fast” to sound teaching and continually doing the deeds (obeying) that Christ has called us to do (2:25-26). If we have succumbed to the false teaching and practices of the enticers, Jesus offers an opportunity to repent and get back on track (2:16, 21). Mercy always comes before judgment…but judgment will come “quickly”. Friends, let us stay the course, encouraging one another to love and good deeds, and be the church that remains faithful to our Lord and avoids His harsh discipline.
"Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." (Rev. 3:11)
Jesus is coming back...get ready!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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