Are You In a Time of Trial?

Have you ever asked the question: Why would God allow this to happen? As a pastor this is a question I often hear. It may be in regards to a tragic death, a natural disaster, a personal crisis or innumerable other things. While we cannot know the exact reason an earthquake strikes Haiti, or a young couples baby dies; I can tell you without hesitation God uses personal trials to draw us to Him.

Growing Our Faith

The bible is full of people who God drew closer to him by allowing them to experience a time of trial in their life. He did it with the entire nation of Israel countless times in the book of Judges. In Judges Israel regularly falls away from God. God would give them opportunity to repent and turn back to Him but when they did not He would allow an enemy to come against them and Israel would enter bondage. Israel would inevitably be drawn to God through their suffering, would call out to Him, and return to Him. And God was always there to welcome them home.

With Abraham God developed Abraham's faith through 25 years of Sarah's barrenness. With King David, after Samuel anointed him king, David fled King Saul for 11 years in the wilderness to draw him closer to God and prepare him. Daniel was thrown into the Lion's den. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were thrown into a furnace of fire. Jeremiah was imprisoned, as were most of the apostles. In 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 Paul lists his sufferings for Christ. In each of these cases God's men were tested by God. Why, you may ask, would God do this? God allows us to endure a time of testing to strengthen us and deepen our faith. He may even allow Satan to come against us as he did Job, but it is always to grow us in our faith in Him.

Loving Discipline

Have you ever prayed when things weren't going well in your life. When things are going bad it seems the first place we come to is God. Why would you let this happen Lord? I've cried out from my soul many times that very question. But when times are good, we often forget to give God the praise for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. When we drift away from God, God many times will allow us to endure a time of testing. God says He does this, because He loves us. It is called discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-11 explains, that like a child who sometimes misbehaves, we too leave the will of God sometimes, and He will take us to the woodshed. Discipline is not to punish us, but to correct behavior God knows is wrong in our life. To draw us back to Him. To have us seek His ways and lean upon Him. God's will for our lives is given to us in the bible, and if we are a child of God, but have left His will, He will discipline us to call us back to Him.

God's Goal

What God wants is for us to follow Him with all of our heart. Whether it's a test of our faith or God disciplining us, God is always seeking a closer relationship with us. Their is a picture and poem you may have seen, it's called "Footsteps." The message is that us and Christ are walking side by side, but then their is only one set of footprints. Jesus explains that this was the point in our life when He was carrying us, and our burdens.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Are you enduring a trial in your life right now? Understand God may be trying to draw you closer to Him. If you do not know Christ, He wants to save you. If you do know Christ He may be strengthening your faith or exercising loving discipline. Whatever the reason, He wants you to turn to Him. Will you answer His call?

Follow Up on Homeless Couple

This past Tuesday I posted a blog on a homeless couple that we had encountered. The couple has been living in their car and the people that we spoke with regarding them did not have much positive to say. But during the course of this encounter I personally learned some things, as they did, that were discussed on Tuesday. I wanted to give everyone an update as I have heard from many people about them.

On Tuesday they attended a free soup kitchen at First Baptist Cheraw. Last night they attended another soup kitchen at Westside Baptist in Cheraw and also worship services. I had spoken with the pastor who is filling in at Westside, Steve West, and after their worship service last night Steve spoke with them and Westside is providing lodging for them tonight and also assisting them in obtaining additional food.

I have also contacted several other pastors in the area and thanks to the assistance provided by Westfield Creek Baptist and Hopewell Baptist, along with Oakland, we will be able to provide lodging for at least the next week. This is a beginning to hopefully assisting this couple in not only their material needs, but also in beginning their spiritual walk with Christ. We all believe this is what Jesus would be doing.

And friends, this is evidence of something we all know, but for some reason, don't practice as often as we should. We seem to think of the church as our local church, and not the universal body of Christ that it truly is. Here in Chesterfield county, where unemployment is approaching 20%, money is tight. But if we work together and pool resources we can do things that truly glorify God far more than if we approach things from the singular view of just our church. Christ calls us to work together in love for one another, and we do this best when we tear down the 4 walls of our individual churches and view things as Jesus does. One body, in Christ.

We are hoping to involve other churches and people from various denominations. I have spoken with other pastors and people who are in the process of hopefully providing additional assistance, until they can support themselves. That ultimately is the goal, as that is what Jesus expects of us.

And during this process of providing for material needs, we will be providing for the more important spiritual needs, for a couple that has not felt alot of love lately. But now they are part of the body of Christ, where love is commanded and expected of all of us. If we claim the name Christian, showing love is not an option. We offer a love of choice, agape love, the love of God, that He chose to show for every living person when He sent His Son to die on a cross for our sin. And we as His children are to choose to love all people. It's not always easy, as some people are quite unlovable. But so were we, when we were separated from God by our sin. Romans 5:8 tells us, "This best demonstrates the love of God, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Love is not about enabling people. Love is not about excusing and ignoring sin. If we truly love someone we will be honest with them and work to restore them to a right relationship with God. But love is helping people and showing them Christ, then discipling them so that they can live for and love God and make disciples of others. When Jesus speaks of us being "salt and light" in the world. This is what He is speaking of. I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are responding to this challenge. For me, it has taught me many things, and for that I am especially thankful. But their are more families like this one in our area.

One need that has been greatly exposed is the need for a homeless shelter in our area. The closest one is over 50 miles away from these folks. I'm not sure what I can do about that, but I have some ideas I intend to pursue. If God is in them, I know they will succeed. Not by my might, nor by my power, but "by His Spirit." If you would like to assist with this couple you can message me. And be in prayer for them, and us. Let us all remember we are all part of the body of Christ, and that body has no church or denominational name. It has one name, "The bride of Christ." I pray today you know who your bridegroom is.

Great Commission Resurgence Update

On Monday the task force appointed by the Southern Baptist Convention to enact structural and attitudinal changes within the convention issued a progress report of their work. This "Great Commission Resurgence" task force, headed by Dr. Ronnie Floyd has been working for many months now in examining the direction and emphasis of our convention. As we stated earlier this month while many positive things may come from the final report due in May, it is a change of heart that is truly needed in our lives and churches.

A Call to Repentance

It was the emphasis that Dr. Floyd placed on recognizing and repenting from our sin, which would mean a heartfelt return to God, that impressed me most from the meeting in which the progress report was issued. While structural changes are probably needed, they will not result in the revival in our lives and churches that is so greatly needed. True repentance and a return to God would.

We must face the hard fact that in far too many of Christians lives and our churches we have fallen away from God. There is no longer a fire for God, and we have left our "first love," Jesus Christ, and as a result we see a deadness and backslidden condition in to many Christians and churches.

The Greatest Commandment = The Great Commission

While I believe wholeheartedly we need to refocus and recommit to the Great Commission, I do not believe we can do this in God's power until we first re-embrace the Greatest Commandment. Until we are filled with the Spirit of God, and loving God "with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength," we cannot fulfil the requirements of the Great Commission(Matt 28:19-20).

We cannot fulfil the Great Commission without living the Greatest Commandment as we cannot reach the world, and disciple them, in essence "love our neighbor as ourself," until we first love God first and foremost. It is only in His power that we can accomplish this great undertaking, and without a consuming love of God powering that movement, we will be operating once again primarily in the flesh.

This is why I was encouraged by Dr. Floyd's words Monday night. This task force seems to get it. No document can change lives or our convention, only the power of God can. And that begins with returning to him with humility and broken spirits, in godly repentance. I applaud the effort so far, and I pray that when the final document is put before our convention at the annual meetings in May, this emphasis on our return to God will be centerstage. To view the document you can go to baptistpress.com.

The Preacher Gets Preached Too

For a scripture reference today, turn to Matthew 25:31-46. I won't list the scripture to save space.

This morning at Oakland Baptist Church we held one of my favorite ministries, our fellowship breakfast. At this monthly event some men in our church fix a wonderful southern style breakfast as members from many different churches and denominations come together to enjoy each others company, and enjoy breakfast. We also are fed spiritually as a guest speaker comes every month to encourage us with a message. This mornings speaker was Pastor Jeff Gardner of Gum Springs Baptist Church in Hartsville, a Chesterfield native. Little did I know that brother Jeff would be preaching directly to me this morning.

Let me go back to late last week. My wife put me in touch with a married couple who are enduring some extremely difficult times. The husband is unable to work due to a stroke. The wife also has some physical ailments. They are living in their car, and were asking us for some help.

Whenever we encounter a situation like this, we always do a check on the person to make sure their claims are legitimate. I spoke with the couple and acquired some references who I spoke with, and each of them warned me to stay away from them. They said they were in their situation mostly from their own making and that they had been to about every church in 2 counties seeking help. With this couple their were more red flags than you could count. The decision would seem easy, they need to help themselves before we could help them. After discussing the situation with our benevolence committee I called them to tell them we could not help them. In my mind I believed the decision sound, but my heart was still a little uncertain. Why? Because I had no doubt that they were currently living in their car. Then, brother Jeff preached this morning.

The previously referenced scripture in Matthew 25 is written to Israel and is part of the Olivet discourse where Jesus teaches on end times. It speaks of the judgment of the nations, and the separation of the sheep(God's people) and the goats(Satan's people). In it Jesus says that IF a person is truly God's, they will have a heartfelt concern for those in true need. In verses 34-36 Jesus says, "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." The people then ask, when did we do this? In verse 40 Jesus responds, "...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." These are the sheep. The goats are the ones who did not show mercy and compassion and do these things. As I heard this preached this morning, it hit me, you're being a goat.

Was this couple probably responsible for much of what had befallen them? Yes. Were they in true need? Yes. These people had claimed to believe in Jesus but had no church. I doubted their words. But friends, if a person IS lost we cannot expect them to behave as a child of God. I spoke with brother Jeff after the breakfast and thanked him for the message, and told him I had a phone call to make, after telling him of the situation.

I met with the couple this afternoon. I was going to help them. But I also wanted to truly know their spiritual condition. When we met they were pathetic. Everything they owned was in their car, and it was not much. When we began to speak they started crying. They were broken and in a state of desperation neither had ever experienced. The wife said straight out "I grew up in church." I asked her if she truly knew Jesus, and as she wept bitterly, she cried out no. The husband also in tears admitted the same. We talked about God and how they could truly know Jesus. As much as they needed the material help, they needed the help and forgiveness of Christ more. God had been calling them through this time of trial, and both were ready to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, which they both did.

This was not a condition for receiving my help. It occurred after some food and gas were purchased. They wanted to know Him. They had reached the point God wants all of us to reach, where we want and need to turn to Him. They have a long road ahead, but for the first time in their lives, they are finally on the right road. I told them of several church run soup kitchens that could help feed them. I advised they speak with the church staff to see what other services were available in their community because they were not in Chesterfield. I told them I would assist them in seeking additional assistance, and invited them to church. They live about 20 miles away so I encouraged them to seek a local church if Oakland was to far away. We had a wonderful, spiritual time together.

And now, it is up to them, and me. We spoke at length about the "Greatest Commandment," and how if they were genuine in their desire to know and grow in Christ, they would seek to be in church and learn and practice His word. But I also have a responsibility to help guide them in this. To be a discipler if they are willing. That may mean I do it personally or help them find a church family in their town. Regardless we both learned from God today. They learned of their need for a Savior, and prayed to receive Him. I learned a lesson I knew, but didn't really practice initially with this couple. That the love of Christ is unconditional, and that He is about meeting both spiritual and material needs. Jesus said, "Love each other as I have loved you." And while we do have a tendency sometimes to look at people through our eyes: Why are they in this position? If I were there I'd find a job. They need to be willing to help themselves before we help them. But we must undestand, that Jesus helps those who cannot help themselves. And we as His body are called to provide that help. They needed food. They needed gas. But most of all, they needed Christ. Just as you and I did. Thank you Jesus, for loving me enough to save me from myself. That by your grace and through my faith, I can know you.

And thanks brother Jeff for the timely message.

Our Blessed Hope

Titus 2:13, "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

This has always been one of my favorite verses of scripture. As we saw is our series on Israel last week the imminent return of Jesus Christ for His church, what we call the rapture, could occur a anytime. As I tell our congregation often, the only thing keeping Jesus from returning today is that in God's perfect plan, their are still people alive today He knows will be saved. But are we living our lives as if Jesus could call His body home at any time?

Absent Doctrine

Many churches and pastors don't seem to view this doctrine of Christ's imminent return as important anymore. God certainly believed it was important, as in the Old and New Testament the rapture and second coming of Christ are mentioned nearly 2000 times. The only doctrine discussed more in scripture is faith. Yet in many churches and pulpits we hardly hear teaching or preaching on the subject.

Their are several reasons for this. First, their is disagreement even among conservative scholars on when the rapture will occur. Some believe it will occur right before Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation period. Others at the mid-point of the tribulation, after 3 1/2 years. I personally believe in was is called the pre-tribulation rapture. That we, being beloved as God's children, will not be subjected to the wrath of God reserved for the ungodly. I believe verses such at Revelation 3:10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:9 clearly teach this. But many shy away from the subject due to the uncertainty.

Secondly, and sadly, many believers are simply not biblically literate enough to truly grasp prophetic teaching. While the solution would seem to call for expository teaching to give the people the knowledge they lack, it is still avoided many times. This accentuates the third reason we'll mention here, the lack of preachers and teachers who are willing to go deep into God's word with their people. Exposition of scripture(verse by verse teaching) requires alot of study on the teachers part and a hunger on the believers part to truly know the whole council of God. This desire to engage in the study of deeper doctrine is lacking in many believers and pulpits.

It is no secret in the church today many want an "easy believism," teaching and preaching that does not challenge or offend them. They want lessons and messages to have appeal and application to them, and be something that does not last to long and does not require much thinking or action on there part. When speaking with a friend of mine about his church, he described it as an "easy Jesus" church. The church environment made him feel good, but lacked teaching of the things in the bible that the Holy Spirit wants us to know and help us in truly changing and living as Christ would have us live.

Sense of Urgency

The bible is roughly 30% prophecy, either fulfilled prophecy or prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. That's alot of the bible to barely touch upon. Prophecy is so prominent in the bible as God wants us to know His plan, and He gives us a general outline on future events that we can be assured will occur. While we may lack many of the details of exactly how God will bring everything about, we do not lack information on what will ultimately happen.

But prophecy also is so prominent as God wants us joyfully and fearfully, with great anticipation, looking for the return of Jesus. We are told throughout scripture to be expectantly watching and earnestly prepared for the "appearing" of Jesus. Jesus Himself says He will come as a "thief in the night," that we do not know when, so that we will be continuously looking to Him with our eyes, hearts and the lives that we live.

The verses that surround Titus 2:13 communicate this to us. Titus 2:11-12 tell us, "For the grace of God has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age." This is how we should be living, so the question is HOW do we accomplish this. Well, Titus 2:13 is the verse that follows, and it tells us to be looking for Jesus. If we are faithfully and expectantly looking for the return of Christ, realizing He could return at any time, we should be properly motivated to be living in an obedient and pleasing way for Him.

And why should we do this? Well, Titus 2:14 tells us, "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." We live how Jesus said we should by embracing the reality He could return this very day. We do this because of what He has done for us. So as we go about our daily lives here on earth, let us remain constantly focused upon our eternal home, heaven, and our king, Jesus. With this perspective, our hearts will be exactly where God wants them.

For Such a Time as This-Part Five

Zechariah 12:10, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn."

God Will Reclaim His People

These last 5 days we've looked at Israel. How many in the church reject Israel and their still being part of God's plan. And how the bible clearly teaches that their are many prophesies involving Israel that have yet to be fulfilled. If their is still unfulfilled prophecy regarding Israel, then God cannot yet be through with them.

In Romans chapter 11, Paul gives the definitive teaching on Israel's restoration to a right relationship with God. Romans 11:11-12 says, "I say then, have they(Israel) stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not!(KJV-God forbid!) But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!" Paul states clearly God's plan here. The Jews rejected Christ nearly 2000 years ago and salvation came to the Gentiles. If the Jews had accepted Messiah then, the kingdom of God would have come, and the Gentiles left out. When Paul speaks of their fullness being riches, he is speaking of the future restoration of Israel.

In Romans 11:16-24, Paul further expounds on this. Paul compares Israel to an "olive tree," a common symbol for Israel in scripture. He says that we, a wild "olive branch," were grafted into the promises of Israel of eternal life with God, the natural "olive tree." By this Paul is speaking of Gentiles being included as part of the mission of Jesus Christ. Paul also writes that if we, a "wild olive branch," can be grafted into the natural "olive tree," then "how much more will these(Israel), who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree."

Paul through the Holy Spirit in Romans, as does the balance of scripture, teaches a future restoration of Israel. Is God working through the church instead of Israel in this current dispensation of His kingdom plan? Absolutely. But as we saw earlier in this series, in Romans 11:28, though Israel at this time may be our "enemy for the sake of the gospel." They are indeed are "beloved for the sake of the fathers" concerning election.

Israels Future

We can see clearly the plan of God for Israel in Revelation chapters 6-18, and it is not pretty. Because of their rejection of Jesus they will suffer through the the 7 year Tribulation Period, the most horrific time in the history of planet earth. But God will move miraculously among the Jews during this time. He will raise up 144,000 witnesses for Jesus from the 12 tribes of Israel(Revelation 7) to proclaim the gospel to the world. He will raise up 2 powerful witnesses in Jerusalem(Revelation 11) who for 3 1/2 years will defy Antichrist and proclaim the truth. A "multitude that cannot be numbered(Revelation 7)," both Jew and Gentile will be saved in this hour of greatest trial.

God tells us in His word, He "will never leave us or forsake us." Friends, this promise applies to you and I, the church, as well as Israel. God has never left Israel. His presence has, but not His love and His word given to the fathers, the patriarchs; Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Israel left God. But God will bring them back. All who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as Messiah. Many Jews have already taken this step, we call them Messianic Jews. But far more reject Jesus now and as a result will endure the "time of testing" that will come upon "the whole world(Revelation 3:10)."

We've discussed this these last 5 days to point us too Jesus. None of these things were possible until Israel returned to the land. That happened in 1948. Israel had to control Jerusalem. That happened in 1967. Jesus told us that the generation who saw this happen "would not pass" before He returned. So, how much longer will we wait? We do not know. But His coming, first in the rapture for His own, and then after the tribulation to establish His millennial kingdom, could come at any time. Are we living like Jesus could return this very day?

If you want to understand end-times prophecy, you must understand God's plan for Israel. Israel is the key. In the future we will be monitoring the situation in the middle east, as God's clock is ticking. And the situations that are occurring right now seem to indicate God is ready to bring His plan to fruition. Let us be looking for Jesus, and heed the words of the apostle John in 1 John 2:28. Here through the Spirit John says, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

For Such a Time as This-Part Four

Yesterday we looked at Psalm 83 and its prophetic implications. And we saw that it is a prophecy that could be fulfilled at anytime. Today we'll be looking at Ezekiel 38-39, commonly referred to as the battle of "Gog and Magog." As we referenced yesterday this is a conflict that will occur during the tribulation as it will occur when Israel is at peace(Ezekiel 38:8,11), meaning this will be after the peace covenant with Israel orchestrated by Antichrist in Daniel 9:27. We will not look at every verse in these 2 chapters but will highlight several to bring out the meaning of this prophecy, so I highly recommend reading them over yourselves.

A Battle over Oil

This attack will be on Israel, and because of the peace covenant between Israel and Antichrist, Antichrist will be forced to defend Israel. In verse 4 God says of this invading army "I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out..." What could draw an army into conflict with Antichrist and his armies? Oil my friends. Antichrist because of the peace covenant is the leader of the whole world at this point, and as a result has control over middle east oil. None of us could fail to see how this could cause conflict. And we must remember about Antichrist, he is very powerful, with all of the power of Satan behind him, but he is not God. If God has those who oppose Him, which He clearly does, so will Antichrist.

The Players

In verse 2 we see the leader, "Gog," from the land of "Magog," the prince of "Rosh, Meshech and Tubal." These names can be found in Genesis 10, and are part of the nations that descended from Noah after the flood. While the linguistics can be confusing, most conservative scholars believe that this leader will be from Russia. In our world today it is no secret Russia has strong ties to the middle east and the Muslim world.

Other nations are mentioned in verses 5-6. We see Persia(Iran), Libya(N. Africa) and Ethiopia(central east coast Africa), Gomer(Armenia and the Baltic states), and Togarmah(Turkey). All of these areas today are extremely hostile toward Israel and friendly toward Russia or Iran. Russia and Iran have been long time allies. All are in areas that are Muslim dominated or becoming more and more Muslim. As we mentioned yesterday these nations are completely different from the nations of Psalm 83, meaning these are separate conflicts.

The Battle

The armies of Gog will come against Israel, but the battle will be won by God Himself. In verses 38:18-39:10 we read of God Himself interceding for Israel and the armies of Gog being completely destroyed. God says in Ezekiel 39:7 he does this so that, "...I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel."

God Himself delivers Israel and of this there will be no doubt. Some say this marks the beginning of the battle of Armageddon, others that it will occur at the beginning of the tribulation. Still others that it occurs at the mid-point, the 3 1/2 year mark, and is the beginning of the "Great Tribulation" period. While their is disagreement on when during the tribulation this battle will occur, all conservative scholars agree it will occur.

The Mid-Trib View

I personally subscribe to this battle occurring at the mid-point of the tribulation. While I cannot be dogmatic about this, to me it is the view that makes the most sense. But the other views do have merit, so let's look at them first.

In the view that this battle occurs at the beginning of the tribulation they cite verse 39:9, where Israel will be burning the weapons of Gog for 7 years. This is the length of the tribulation period so you can see how this would make sense. Those who view this as the beginning of the battle of Armageddon, meaning it would occur near the end of the 7 year period, cite verses 39:17-20. These verses are very similar too Revelation 19:17-21, where after Christs return the birds are called in to devour the flesh of the dead. This view makes less sense to me as in Revelation 16 we read of the kings of the east who will join the whole world in coming against God and Israel, and in this battle we see the participants are limited.

Which leaves us with the mid-trib view. Remember, this is my opinion, and as with all opinions, I most certainly could be wrong. I hold the mid-trib view for these reasons: Israel after the peace covenant is signed will be following Antichrist, many as a godlike figure. He has supposedly brought them what they have always coveted, peace with their neighbors. However when God Himself clearly wins this battle the Jewish peoples eyes will be opened to the truth. At this point is where I believe Antichrist, as Jesus and Daniel both prophesied, sets himself up in the temple of God, and declares himself to be the Most High God. This is the "abomination of desolation's." Israel will turn against Antichrist, and Antichrist will pursue the people God loves and he hates, the Jews. We read about this in Revelation 12. Something, or in this case, someone, God Himself, must turn the Jews against their perceived savior Antichrist. This battle, with God clearly winning it, and then Antichrist taking credit and proclaiming himself God, would meet that criteria. As for the problem of burning the weapons for 7 years, this could also continue into the Millennial kingdom. While we cannot know for sure the exact timing, we can know with absolute certainty these events will occur.

Why is This Important for Us?

It's important for 2 reasons. The first is that God is going to reclaim His people Israel. We'll be looking closer at this tomorrow. The second reason this is important for us is that just as with the nations in Psalm 83, which will occur first, these nations are also in place to fulfil this prophecy. It should be a warning and encouragement to us that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, and nearer than ever before. That we need to be watching and working for Jesus more urgently than ever. Let us be as Paul as He writes through the Spirit in Titus 2:13,"Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

For Such a Time as This: Part Three

We've been discussing the situation in the middle east that exists today, with emphasis on the nation of Israel. On Tuesday we mentioned how biblical prophecy seems to be lining up as never before. Today we will begin looking at specific Old Testament prophecies in regard to the nation of Israel, beginning with Psalm 83. 2 prophecies stand out in the Old Testament as they have never been fulfilled in the past, so they must have future application. These 2 prophecies are Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-89, and as we will see they prophesy different events. Psalm 83 prophesies an attack from Israel's Arab neighbors that could occur before the rapture of the church. Ezekiel 38-39 prophesies an event after the rapture as the attack occurs upon a "peaceful people," as seen in Ezekiel 38:11, meaning it occurs after the Antichrist orchestrates a peace treaty(Daniel 9:27) thus the tribulation period has already begun.

Psalm 83

The key verse is v. 4 which states, "They(Arab nations) have said, 'Come let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'" Now some claim this was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Rome overthrew Jerusalem and the Jewish people were scattered across the globe, and the nation of Israel essentially ceased to exist. For nearly 2000 years there was no nation of Israel, however the Jewish people maintained their national identity, and then in 1948, Israel once again became a nation. For this reason we believe their is a future fulfilment of this prophecy to come, and as we shall see, all of the players are now in place for God to bring Psalm 83 to fruition.

Psalm 83 is a Psalm written by Asaph. In your bible there are probably some maps in the back of it, and if you will look and compare the locations of the nations and peoples mentioned as Israel's enemies here, and compare them to a modern map of the middle east, you will see how this Psalm directly corresponds to where Israel's Arab enemies are today. Iran is not mentioned in this prophecy, for just as Haman attempted to destroy the Jewish people by proxy through the provinces of the Median-Persian empire in the book of Esther, Iran today also is arming enemies of Israel by proxy, in an attempt to destroy the Jewish people. We will see Iran mentioned directly tomorrow when we look at Ezekiel 38-39. Thanks to Bill Salas for his research into these nations in Psalm 83.

In v. 6-8 we see several ancient nations mentioned. These people are Ishmaelites(v. 6), meaning they are the Arab descendants from Abraham and his son Ishmael through Abraham's union with his Egyptian handmaiden Hagar. Edom(v.6) corresponds with the Palestinians of the West Bank and southern Jordan today. Moab(v.6) corresponds with the Palstinians of central Jordan. Ammon(v.7) corresponds with with the Palestinians and northern Jordan. The Hagrites(v. 6) correspond with Egypt. Gebal(v.7) corresponds with Hezbollah and Lebanon in the north and the Golan heights. Tyre(v.7) also corresponds with Hezbollah and southern Lebanon. Philistia(v.7) corresponds with Ha mas and the Gaza strip. And Assyria(v.8) corresponds with modern day Syria and the Kurdish territories of Iraq. As you can see these nations currently surround Israel, and are the hotbeds of Arab and Muslim hatred that directly threaten Israel today.

The Psalmist prays for destruction of these enemies as God destroyed the enemies of Israel in the days of Gideon and Deborah and Barak(v. 9-11). These accounts can be found in the book of Judges. The Psalmist in v. 14-18 prays for their perishing and we see pictures of the woods burning and mountains on fire(v.14). An interesting note regarding these nations is none of them will be mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39, as none of the nations from Ezekiel are mentioned here. In fact, this will be the final mention of Egypt and Syria in end-times prophecy until Christ's millennial Kingdom is established after the Great Tribulation period.

Nuclear Conflict?

The images of fire and burning, dismay forever, shame and perishing in v. 14-18 point us to a dramatic prophesy in Isaiah 17. Isaiah 17:1 reads, "The burden against Damascus(capital of Syria). 'Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap." Verses 2-3 describe destruction of the surrounding area and it being uninhabitable by human beings. Damascus is the longest inhabited city on earth. It has been for thousands of years and has always been a city. Yet here God prophesies complete destruction with Damascus perishing forever. This clearly has never happened, but, it will.

Syria is a close ally of Iran today, and is directly arming Hezbollah and Ha mas through Iranian arms shipments. In 2006 Hezbollah launched 5000 missiles into Israel during the conflict that year. Today it is believed Hezbollah alone has over 50,000 missiles. This kind of enemy would need to be met with extreme force. Israel's nuclear capability could provide exactly the type destruction as seen in Isaiah 17:1.

So What Does This Mean?

The thing we must understand is that everything that needs to be in place for this battle to occur, is in place this very hour. Israel has sworn it will use any means necessary to prevent another Holocaust. But a Holocaust is exactly what Israel's enemies want to bring about for Israel. They want Israel to be "cut off" from "being a nation."

Could you imagine the chaos in our world if Israel were attacked in force by the neighbors we see in this Psalm and Israel were to defend herself with nuclear weapons? All Islam would rally against Israel. The worlds economy would plunge into disarray with the uncertainty of middle east oil supplies. The world would choose sides. Their would be no more talk of land for peace. Peace would be seemingly impossible. Yet this scenario is exactly the type of stage that Antichrist will emerge from to negotiate the "false peace" of 3 1/2 years we see Daniel prophesy in Daniel 9:27.

Friends we are nearer than ever to the coming of our Lord. Jesus warned us we need to be able to discern "the signs of the times." The signs are all there. The stage is being set. The only thing stopping the final act in this age of God's eternal plan is there are still people God wants saved before this 7 year reign of Antichrist, we call the Tribulation and Great Tribulation, is to begin. Jesus will remove His own before the Tribulation period begins, we call this the rapture. In your heart are you sure you are one of Christs who will not have to endure this time that will be the worst in the history of mankind? Please contact me if you are not.

For Such a Time as This-Part Two

As we survey the landscape of the middle east today, we find the nation of Israel an island in an ocean of hatred. Many in power throughout the world, including in our own government, view Israel as the problem. And why is Israel a problem; because it exists. Many believe that if Israel did not exist as a nation, there would be no issues among the Arab countries that surround Israel, and their would be peace in the middle east. All of the concessions seem to be aimed at Israel, with none of the Arab countries asked to give up land for the formation of a Palestinian state.

Ancient Enemies

As we look at the hot spots that are the biggest concern for the safety and preservation of Israel today, they are the same territories from where Israel's enemies of the past were headquartered. In the south in the Gaza strip, where Hamas has established a stronghold, is the same territory once occupied by the Philistines. In the north in the Golan heights, where Syria and Lebanon and Hezbolah are today, is the territory once inhabited by the Ammonites.

Funding and supporting these terrorist organizations is the nation of Iran, formerly Persia, from which an ancient plan was once enacted to eradicate the Jewish people. In the book of Esther we read the account of a man named Haman who convinced the Persian king Ahasuerus to issue a decree to "destroy" the Jewish people(Esther 3:8-9). Why was the decree issued, because the Jewish peoples laws were different from the laws of Persia, and they kept their laws over the kings. Why is their conflict today, because Islamic countries such as Iran seek to impose their ways and laws upon the entire middle east, and Israel stands in direct contradiction to those laws.

Today we can easily view Iranian president Manmoud Ahmadinejad in the same role as Haman. His stated goal is to destroy Israel, and just as Haman did, he intends to use the surrounding people groups to accomplish his goals. Ahmadinejad views his role from a prideful standpoint, believing he is the one who will usher in the Muslim Messiah, whom they call the 12th Iman, through a bloody war against Israel. Haman's hatred of the Jews stemmed purely from pride, as Esther's uncle Mordecai had refused to bow to Haman.

Prophetic Irony

Islamic prophecy states that their Messiah will rule the earth and judge it through war for 7 years. Ironically, the bible prophesies that the Antichrist will also reign for 7 years before Jesus Christ's second coming defeats the enemy and He establishes His millennial kingdom here on earth. Does this mean the Antichrist will be a Muslim? We simply do not know. Differing interpretations of scripture say that he could be, others that he will arise from the reformed Roman empire, that some speculate is the European Union. We take the view of prophecy that their will definitely be an Antichrist as the bible is clear on that. But that we cannot be dogmatic on how God will bring that about. Both "theories" are plausible, as near the end of the Roman empire there were 2 capitals, Rome and Constantinople, with the eastern capital Constantinople residing in the Muslim territory of today. This division in the Roman empire of the past could be represented in the 2 legs of iron that represent the Roman empire in the image King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about in Daniel chapter 2. Also within the European Union today are Islamic nations such as Turkey.

What we can be sure of is that at some point in the future, according to the bible, that the Islamic nations of today will attack Israel. Beginning tomorrow we will look at 2 prophecies from the Old Testament, Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39, that tell us of the nations that will gather against God's people. In the book of Esther through God's providence of having Esther as queen Haman is exposed and defeated. In these future wars we will also see the hand of God as He comes to the defense of His people. Until then, God bless and hope that you will be in church tonight.

For Such a Time as This-Part One

Romans 11:28-29, "Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts of God are irrevocable."

With all of the economic and political turmoil that is happening in our country today, it's easy to lose sight of the situation unfolding in the middle east, specifically in regards to Israel. I believe with all of my heart the main reason we have been spared another major terrorist attack is because of our national support for the nation of Israel. In Genesis 12:3, God tells Abram(Abraham)in regards to himself, and his descendants through Issac and Jacob, Israel; "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you." Since the reconstitution of the nation of Israel in 1948 the United States has been a staunch supporter and blessing to Israel through Republican and Democratic administrations. But is that attitude changing?

Replacement Theology

Inside the body of Christ, many view the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament, as now applying to the church. Where the word Israel occurs in the bible, they simply insert the word church; and where the word Jerusalem occurs, they insert the word heaven. We call this replacement theology, where Israel is replaced by the church. This theological belief directly contradicts the words of Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. Paul states unequivocally that the gifts of God are "irrevocable," they cannot be taken away. Those gifts include the land of Israel, in fact, far more land than Israel at the present time occupies.

What this has led to is a rejection of the nation of Israel as a fulfilment of biblical prophecy, and a rejection of Romans chapters 9-11, the definitive, New Testament, word from God regarding His "chosen people." Israel, and those who practice the Hebrew faith, are indeed our "enemies" for "the sake of the gospel," as they reject their Messiah, Jesus Christ. But, they are still "beloved" of God for the sake of "election." Why? Because of those promises God made thousands of years ago to the fathers, Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Israel will be reconciled to God, and since this has not happened yet, it must still be a future fulfilment of prophecy.

Land for Peace

In our government, for as long as I can remember, the focus has been upon Israel giving up land to the Palestinians in return for the promise of peace. This in spite of the threats of Israel's enemies to drive the nation into the sea. This attitude was prophesied by God in Psalm 83:4 where the Lord says of these nations, "They have said, 'Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.'"

We must remember that it is God who has given this land to ISRAEL, and that it is in fact, His land. Joel 3:2 warns us, "I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there. On account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land." Yet in spite of this warning of judgment from God, a part of which is based upon His land being divided, our self proclaimed Christian leaders have been trying to do just this going on 40 years now. This indicates either a woeful misunderstanding of God's relationship with Israel, or the embracing of replacement theology, and the belief that God is through with Israel. Either way it could be leading us down the path to a judgment of our nation by God.

The next several days we will be looking at the situation in the middle east with the bible as our guide. Friends, we live in an age where biblical prophecy seems to be lining up as never before, and Israel is the key to understanding that prophecy. God has given us the outline of future events in His holy word, and we best heed the words He has spoken. Until tomorrow, let us be in prayer for our nation and Israel. And let us understand and accept that the gifts of God, even regarding to Israel, are "irrevocable."

What Should a Christian Look Like?

No, no. We're not speaking of physical appearance here, or how we dress. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God tells us that He does not look at "outward" appearance, but rather He looks at the "heart." What we want to look at is what should the attitude and heart of a Christian look like, and what it should not look like. In Galatians chapter 5 the word of God, the bible, tells us the attributes of a Christian, and the attributes of the flesh, the world. Let's see what He says:

The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

What should a Christian look like? When someone encounters us what characteristics should be readily evident to them? These fruits of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, should be. If we are indeed saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we have surrendered our will to Him and allowed the Spirit to fill us, our lives should be characterized by these attributes. These attributes are an attitude of our heart. They reflect the character of Jesus Christ, whom we are called to show to the world in our daily walk.

They all are an example of agape love, the type of love God shows for us and expects us to show to others. Jesus said "I give to you a new commandment, to love each other as I have loved you." When we demonstrate these qualities in our life we show ourselves to be living and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. When we love as Jesus did; have joy in our hearts and praise God even during difficult times; enjoy peace throughout toils and troubles; are longsuffering and patient; exhibit kindness in our approach; pursue goodness as we obey God; remain steadfast in faithfulness in the face of opposition; display gentleness in our dealings with people; and exercise self-control, and say no to temptation and sin; we have walked with the Spirit of Christ. Do these attributes describe you, or do these:

The Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are evident(obvious), which are: adultery(marital or spiritual unfaithfulness), fornication(all sex before marriage), uncleanness(unholy attitude), lewdness(crude behavior), idolatry(anything in our life before God), sorcery(includes drug use), hatred, contentions(instigating disputes), jealousies, outbursts of wrath(uncontrolled anger), selfish ambitions, dissentions(causing divisions), heresies(contradicting sound doctrine), envy(to covet), murders, drunkeness, revelries(carousing lifestyle), and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice(live this sort of lifestyle) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Just as the "Fruit of the Spirit" will be evident in a Christians life, so will the works of the flesh in a backslidden Christian or unbeliever. And if we look to Jesus in the sermon on the mount we learn that "murders" can be constituted by anger toward another in our hearts, and "adultery" by lusting after another. These attributes are not and cannot be the things that define a person who calls themselves a Christian, as they directly contradict the things of the Spirit of God.

At a pastors conference last November one speaker asked the question; "Do most of the people in our churches look like how the bible describes they should look?" The answer was a unanimous no. Now first and foremost us pastors must exude the "Fruit of the Spirit," but all of us have a responsibility to examine our hearts and lives to make sure we look the part that we claim, CHRISTIAN.

Notice God's exhortation and warning that concludes each of these sections of scripture. For the "Fruit of the Spirit," the bible reads "against such there is no law." We are free to do these things as often as possible. But, for the "works of the flesh," "those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." If we continuously live in one of these lifestyles we show ourselves not to be of God. These words should resonate with us. When we look in the mirror, what do we see? Someone living and looking like a Christian, or someone living and looking like a child of the devil. You see, with God, there is no middle ground. We are either for Him or against Him, and how we live in and look to the world is the evidence of where we stand.

The Greatest Love

As we enjoy Valentines Day today, and time with that special someone in our lives, let us consider the words of Jesus. In John 15:13 Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." Invented holidays such as Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day offer us the opportunity to express our love for significant people that we do indeed love. But today, have you considered the love God has for you?

Love Best Demonstrated

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Self sacrificial love is what God is all about. The Father, willingly gave His "beloved," "only begotten" Son so that our sins could be forgiven if we believe in Him. I've asked many parents this question, and have only received one answer in return. If you were asked to die for your child, would you? The answer is always a resounding yes. But when asked, would you allow your child to die for another? The answer is normally contemplative silence. But this is exactly what God the Father did for us. He "gave" for us the One He loved most, His Son Jesus Christ.

And Jesus, fully God and fully man, willingly chose to demonstrate His love for us, and "lay down" His life for us, "his friends." To take upon Himself the sins of the world, shed His blood, so that if we believe in Him, we can be reconciled to the Father, from whom our sin separates us.

On Valentines Day we give our loved ones gifts of flowers, candy or jewelry. The Father gave us His Son, and the Son gave Himself for us. Nearly 2000 years ago the greatest love of all was exhibited on a cross at Calvary. A love willing to give everything that their was to give, even unto death. For as much as the Father loved His Son, He loved us even more.

Unrequited Love

John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." God loves the world, He loves everyone. But most in the world today reject the greatest love gift ever given, and refuse to believe in Jesus. God still loves us however, even when we are ungodly. Remember Romans 5:8, Jesus died for us while we were "still sinners," outside of the will of God as we were outside of Jesus Christ.

While God will never stop loving us, He will not force us to love Him. The love of God, agape love, is a love of choice. God chooses to love us even if we do not love Him. But His will is for us to love Him. His "Greatest Commandment" is for us to "love the Lord God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength," and to "love your neighbor as yourself." But God allows us to make that choice.

So as we enjoy our Valentines Day, would you consider this. If you claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior, will you today willingly choose to surrender all to Him, and obey the "Greatest Commandment." To love Him, and those around you, with the same self sacrificial love that God has shown for you.

If you have never chosen to return the love that God has shown for you, through His Son Jesus Christ, would you do so today? Will you sacrifice your will for His? Will you believe in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of His blood on the cross for you? Will you willingly answer the call of God on your life, and become one of His children? You will never know a greater love in your life, than when you experience in your soul the love God has for you. And through the power of the Holy Spirit show this same love to those around you.

Reflections of Us-The Seven Churches

We began this series with the premise that in the world today, and specifically the church, that their are representatives of each of the 7 churches. That we who claim to be Christians are either progressing in our faith or we are regressing. So let us review each of the 7 churches, and as we do, let us examine ourselves, and look in to the mirror of God's word too see which church best represents us.

Ephesus: As we stated the church in Ephesus is the key. This is the church that left it's "first love." To leave our "first love" is to abandon the "Greatest Commandment," to "love the Lord God with all of our heart, and with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." If we do not love God with all of our heart, we are incapable of loving our neighbor as ourselves, and showing the love of Christ to the world. This is agape love, the love of God, an it is a supernatural type of love, possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we leave our "first love," we will inevitably fall away from God, and regression will occur. The churches that follow demonstrate whether we have maintained our "first love," or we have not. Whether we are living in the world and the flesh or abiding within the person of Christ.

Progression(Smyrna and Philadelphia): These 2 churches stood out, as Christ had no condemnation for either of them. They had maintained their "first love" and been judged faithful by Christ. At Smyrna we saw how if we remain faithful to Jesus trials will be an inescapable part of the Christian life, as they are there to grow our faith. We will be tested by poverty, tribulations, sufferings, and persecution, but these are to refine us and grow us. And when we persevere during these times and our lives glorify God, our witness is never more powerful.

At Philadelphia we saw the end result of our perseverance, as we have leaned on God's power instead of our own. We have remained obedient and stood for Christ, and have been judged by Christ as worthy of His kingdom, as Christ has opened a door for us, that "no one can shut..." As a result of our faithfulness, we will be kept from the time of testing(Rev 3:10) that will come upon the whole world. These 2 churches picture the believers, that when Jesus returns for His church, will be the living who will be part of the rapture. These 2 churches represent what we as Christians should look like in our daily walk with Jesus. They are a testament to perseverance and faithfulness, of living a godly and holy life.

Regression(Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis): In these 3 churches we see the inevitable regression that will occur if we do not maintain our "first love." At Pergamos we saw, that if we leave our "first love," we will fall away from the word of God, the bible. When the bible loses it's place of authority in our lives, the foundation for living a godly and holy life is removed. When this happens false teachings and doctrine will enter our lives and churches and a slide away from God will speed up. If we do not accept that the bible is the word of God, all of it, not just parts of it, we have rejected the will of God given to us through the bible.

At Thyatira, we saw that when we leave our "first love," and abandon the bible, sin will take root in our lives. Without a consuming devotion to God and the acceptance of the bible as the inspired, inerrant, immutable word of God, their is no absolute truth to base our lives upon. When right and wrong is determined by us and society, instead of what God says, sin will overtake our lives.

At Sardis we saw the end result of leaving our "first love," abandoning the bible, and surrendering to sin instead of God. Jesus said this church had a name that they were "alive," but they were "dead." Although a remnant of true believers remained in each of these 3 churches, the vast majority had fallen away to the point, where here at Sardis, most claimed to be Christians but were in fact, unregenerate; unredeemed; without Christ. They were lost, never having been truly "born again" a "new creation" in Christ, having Jesus on their lips, but lacking a relationship from the heart with Him. Christ's plea to each of these churches was to turn to Him and repent, embrace once again their "first love" and leave the ways of the world and the flesh. These churches represent what the bible calls being backslidden. And that if we are truly a child of God, that we cannot remain backslidden, but will indeed return to Him and repent. A person who never repents of sin reveals of themselves they were probably never saved in the first place.

The Lost Church(Laodicea): This is the saddest church of all, as they are not even a church. They have nothing to do at all with Christ, and instead worship idols in their lives and false gods. Laodicea represents the lost world; the agnostics, atheists, and those in false religions who deny and in fact despise Jesus Christ. They viewed themselves as enlightened, but Jesus said of them they were "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked," and they didn't even realize it. This group of people represent those who were never God's, as they refused to acknowledge Jesus in any way as Lord and Savior, and are a picture of the people who will enter the tribulation period.

Jesus's call to them was to "be zealous(for Him) and repent." They needed the salvation that is only available through Jesus, but were in fact children of the devil. Jesus said of these he would "vomit" them out of His mouth. They sickened Him, as they mocked the sacrifice that He made on the cross for the whole world. To deny Jesus punches our ticket for hell.

Which One Are You?

So, as we look in to the mirror of God's word, and examine ourselves, which church best describes us? Are we progressing toward Christ or regressing away from Him? If we view ourselves as faithful(as God describes faithfulness in the bible), we must maintain our "first love" to assure we pass the tests that will come our way. If it has been revealed to us that we have backslidden from the ways of God, the call to us is to reclaim our "first love" and repent. If we are indeed fully without Christ, denying Him and His ways, the call to us is to "believe" and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. The "wages of sin is death"(eternal spiritual death), and an eternity of torment in hell, instead of the glorious presence of God.

I hope we all have learned something as we have sought to apply the message of the 7 churches to our lives in the here and now. My prayer is that all of us will be found faithful, but if not, that we would reclaim our "first love" or truly come to Christ if we have never done so. God bless you all and let us all sing the praises of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today.

Sickening to Christ-Laodicea

Revelation 3:14-22, "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things say the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked-I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 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 dine with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'

Denying the Truth

Wow! In Christ's letter to this church several things stand out. First of all, the letter is addressed to the people in the church. It reads "of the Laodiceans," where as each of the previous 6 letters were addressed to the city. This was not Jesus's church, it was their church. Christ says they are neither cold nor hot, but are lukewarm. What is lukewarm? Have you ever had a soft drink from a fast food restaurant that sat in your car for a a few hours on a hot summer day and taken a sip? That is lukewarm, sickening to the taste. And this is a group of people that sicken Christ. He says that because they were lukewarm, "I will vomit you out of My mouth."

The truth about the Laodiceans is that they had completely denied the truth about Jesus. These are the people blinded by Satan who will enter the Tribulation and Great Tribulation, where God will test and judge the inhabitants of the earth. As Philadelphia was the representation of the people who will be part of the rapture, Laodicea is the representation of those who will face the wrath of God, the tyranny of Antichrist, and the rage of Satan.

These people thought they were enlightened . They considered themselves rich, wealthy, in need of nothing. But Jesus said they are "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked(shameful)," and didn't even realize it. They were never a part of the body of Christ. Friends, this is the world of the agnostics, the atheists, the false religions of the world. They worship gods but not the "True and Living God." They worship "creation" instead of the "creator." In all honesty, they are hostile to Jesus and what He represents. They have a church, but it has nothing to do with Christ. Jesus Himself said He is on the outside.

I Stand at the Door and Knock

Jesus desperately wants into these peoples lives. You see, He is the "door." He is the only way to enter the kingdom of God(John 14:6). But we must open the door of our hearts and allow Him to enter. He is knocking with the truth that He died for us. He is knocking with the truth that our sins can be forgiven by the shedding of His blood. He is knocking with the truth that we can have eternal life with God through believing in Him, and "being born" again in the Spirit, a "new creation" in Jesus.

Christ's plea to them is to be "zealous" for Him and "repent." He loves them and chastens them for this reason. Jesus informs all that "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and He with Me." This invitation is for "whosoever" will believe. Friends, this is the cry of our suffering Savior, to all of those who deny Him. But Jesus will not force anyone to accept Him. He has chosen us from the foundation of the world. He died for the whole world, every man, woman and child, so that we would not have too face the eternal torment of hell. Hell was not made for us, but for "Satan and his angels." But we must also choose Him. Have you chosen to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

If you have not, listen closely. From your heart, from a spirit of realizing that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness of your sin. Tell Jesus that you believe He is the Son of God who died for your sins. That you believe He died on the cross and was buried, and on the third day God raised Him from the dead. That through His shed blood, you ask for forgiveness of your sin and ask Him to enter your heart and fill you with His Holy Spirit. These requests cannot be mere words on your lips, but must be the attitude of your heart. If you do this, from a right heart, Jesus will save you! You will be "born again" a "new creation," never to be a slave to sin again.

Eternity

The walk will not be easy, as you are now a target of Satan. This decision to accept Jesus must be followed by a sincere desire to learn and live by His word, as given to us in the bible. You will stumble and you will fall, but when you do ask God to forgive you and repent. Then keep moving towards Jesus. Friends, we all must acknowledge a universal truth. We are all going to live forever. The only question is where, and we have the choice to decide. We either choose Jesus, and an eternity with God. Surrounded by His love and His peace in heaven. Or we don't choose Jesus. With God, it is, an either/or proposition. We either choose Jesus, or we go to hell. Forever. No change of address, no parole. Hebrews 9:27 states. "that man is appointed to die once, and then the judgment." We will either be judged as in Jesus Christ, and worthy of dwelling with God for eternity, as our sins have been forgiven through Him. Or, we will be judged outside of Jesus Christ with no hope of our sin being forgiven, no way of being worthy of God. When we stand before Almighty God, only one question will matter. What have we done with Jesus? Have we accepted Him into our hearts, and experienced an undeniable change in our lives. Or, have we rejected Him.

These are the only questions that really matter. Tomorrow, we will recap this series on the 7 churches. We will apply it to our lives today and the church of today. Until then, stay warm and listen to Jesus, John 14:6. "I(Jesus) am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Alive and Well-Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13, "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens" "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie-indeed I will make them come out and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. 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 I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'

The Faithful Life

These past 3 days we've seen the regression that occurs if we leave our "first love," Jesus. When we leave our "first love," we will eventually leave the bible as our foundation and false teachings will take root. Without a pure love of Jesus and no sound doctrine, sin eventually gains a foothold in our lives. When all of these things occur, we do not look like, or may not even be what we claim to be, a Christian. We saw this yesterday in the church in Sardis, the dead church. They had a name that they were alive, but Jesus said they were dead. Spiritually dead. Unregenerate, unsaved, lost without Christ.

Today we see the opposite. The church in Philadelphia is a picture of what a Christians's life and a church should look like. In true prophetic meaning, Philadelphia is tied to the church in Smyrna, as they have faithfully served God from a right heart, and so Jesus has no condemnation of them. These churches are a picture of Christians who will be part of the rapture of the church(Rev.3:10, 4:1, 1 Thess 4: 13-18, 1 Cor 15: 51-58) who will not have to endure the time of testing that will come upon the whole earth(v 10), what Christ refers to as the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation. The 7 year period where Satan through Antichrist rules the world.

In our application, with the premise that their are representatives of each of the 7 churches in the body of Christ today, Philadelphia shows us the true Christian life. Notice how Jesus describes this church, this group of Christians: they are truly saved(open door no one can shut), they are meek(little strength in themselves, relying on Christ), they are obedient(kept God's word), they are bold(have not denied Jesus), and they have persevered(endured the trials sure to come upon a believer). Philadelphia is commonly referred to as the faithful church, and shows us what a faithful Christian's life will be marked by.

It's Never Too Late

The thing about living the Christian life is, it's about what we do today. We cannot change the past and we do not know the future. God is concerned with the here and now in our lives. If we are backslidden, or worse, unsaved and without Christ, it's about what we do today. As we saw with the churches at Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira and Sardis; the call from God is for us to turn to Him, and repent.

To repent means that we change any and all elements of our life. We change our attitude, our thoughts and our behavior to reflect the demands of living right for God, in obedience to Him. This can happen in our lives only when we first turn to God. We cannot turn away from our sinful lives, we cannot repent, unless we first turn to God. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can this type of transformation occur. This is how we begin to live a faithful life.

And we cannot maintain a faithful life unless we have a consuming love for God. We must fully abide in Christ, He must be our dwelling place, if we are to remain true to Him. We all have a fallen nature, a natural man, given to sin. Only through full submission to God can we resist temptation and live holy as God commands us to. This does not mean we will not commit sin, as we are all sinners. What it does mean is that we will recognize our sin, confess it to God and repent, turn away from it.

Tomorrow we will see, once again, an opposite. This next church, Laodicea, is a "church" that Christ says sickens Him. Their may be no more sobering words in the New Testament than Christ's letter to this church, for they are a stern warning, but also contain a final encouragement. Thank God for the blessings in your life today, and I'll see you tomorrow.

The Wages of Sin-Sardis

Revelation 3:1-6, "To the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect(complete) before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'

Spiritually Dead

We've been speaking of the progression with God in faith and the regression away from God by leaving the things that quantify our faith. We've seen the church at Ephesus leave their "first love," Jesus, God. The church at Smyrna remained faithful to their "first love," but it was not without cost. At Pergamos we saw the first consequence of leaving our "first love," we lose the bible as our foundation and false teachings enter the believers life and churches. At Thyatira we saw how when we leave our "first love," and allow false doctrine to take root in the church and our lives, sin will gain a foothold as the authority of God's word has been rejected. Here at Sardis we see the most bleak picture yet. Jesus says of this church, "you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."

What does it mean, "you are dead." John MacArthur says of the church in Sardis, "Sardis was dead: that is, basically populated by unredeemed, unregenerate people." That's a fancy way of saying the majority of these people were unsaved, they were lost. Jesus said "you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." The name they claimed was Christian. But claiming to be a Christian does not make us a Christian. We are not truly a Christian unless we have been "born again"(John 3:3) and have become a "new creation" in Christ(2 Cor 5:17). The heart wrenching fact this forces us to acknowledge is that among us today are many who claim to be Christians and believe they are saved, but are indeed not.

The Billy Graham Evangelical Association estimates that as many as 70% of church members today are not saved. 70% of people who attend church regularly; had an emotional experience at some point, or were baptized as a child, walked an aisle in answer to an invitation, joined a church, believe they are saved but have never been "born again." Being "born again," according to Jesus, is the only way to "see the kingdom of God." The only way we can claim to be saved. If it does not break our hearts that many among us in church each Sunday may actually be lost, and bound for hell unless they are saved, I don't know what will.

Faith Without Deeds(Works) is Dead

In James 2:14 the question is asked, "What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?(NIV) Whenever we see a question asked in this manner, in the original Greek language the answer is always, no. In other words, a faith not based in godly good works from a right heart and motive with God, cannot save us. The first good work in anyones life must be truly surrendering our life to Christ, and believing in Him(John 3:16) from the heart; and understand the word believe in the Greek(pisteuo) means with the intent to follow. Jesus says in Matthew 7:20, "You will know them by their fruits." Good works from a right heart with God, that truly glorify God, are a product of salvation, not a means unto it, and these come from being "born again" in the Spirit. We cannot do good works until we are first saved. And the works that we do will bring glory to God.

This does not mean a person cannot work in the church and still be lost, many have and do so today. But church work done, no matter how useful, if not done to God's glory by a saved person, is useless in the eyes of God. If we have left our "first love," good works are impossible. Can I ask you a question? Is a person who does not love Christ, who does not abide by the "Greatest Commandment, is that person saved? No, they are not. The word abide means to remain, stay, live, dwell. If we abide in Christ, we will remain obedient to the will of God. If we do not abide in Christ, are we saved?

How To Be Born Again

Romans 10: 9-10 says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Friends, we cannot powerfully and genuinely confess Jesus with our mouth, until we first believe the truth about Him in our heart. If the truth of Jesus is in our heart, we love Him, and fulfill the "Greatest Commandment." If we love Him, we have been "born again," and we obey Him(John 14:15, 23). We have become a "new creation" and we turn to God, and repent of our sin. We have confessed from our hearts to Him we are sinners and are in need of His forgiveness and have surrendered our will, our life, to Him to believe(follow) and abide(dwell) in Him. Does this describe you?

The people in the church at Sardis believed they were saved, but Jesus said they were not, they were dead. They had never been "born again." Their was a remnant there who were not "defiled," who were saved. But the majority were lost, and didn't even realize it. They had Jesus on their lips, but not in their hearts. How did they get here: They left their "first love," abandoned the word of God, and embraced sin. If this describes you or your church I urge you to do as Jesus says, and repent. Come to God, through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The only way to come unto God the Father in heaven(John 14:6). When we are "born again" our sin, which all of us have(Rom 3:23), is wiped away by the blood of Christ. The bible says our sin is "remembered no more" and "as far as the east is from the west." We are forgiven and cleansed from all our unrighteousness(1 John 1:9).

The bible tells us that the "wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23). Sardis was the end result of the regression that occurs in a person's and church's life when we leave our "first love," disregard the bible and live a lifestyle of sin. If we live this way, we show ourselves to be lost, without Christ. While a Christian may experience a season being backslidden, the fact is, if the Holy Spirit truly dwells inside of us, we will not stay in sin. The church(people) in Sardis abided in sin. So, what is the answer if sin rules our life? Turn to God and repent. A dead body goes only 2 ways, it is either revived and comes back to life, or it begins to cool down never to be alive again. Tomorrow we'll see what a revived, alive Christian and church looks like. Until then God bless and hope you'll be in church tonight.

The World in the Church-Thyatira

Revelation 2:18-29, "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the church shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many of you do not have the doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potters vessels'-I also have received 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."'

Regression and the Remnant

The church at Ephesus left it's "first love." When we take our eyes and hearts off of Jesus dire consequences will follow. At Pergamos we saw the first consequence of leaving our "first love" is we lose our doctrine. If our eyes and hearts are not on Jesus, they will not be on His word. Here at Thyatira we see the results of the bible being taken from it's place of authority in our lives, the world and sin have not only come into the church(and a believers heart), but they are being taught. And Jesus has harsh words for this church.

He also has some words of praise, saying they have "love, service, faith and patience" in their works, and they are working now more than at the beginning. These words are directed to the remnant, the true believers who practice the "Greatest Commandment" but are in the minority in these particular churches. God always has a remnant of His people even where He's not being listened to or obeyed. Remember Elijah thought he was alone but God told him He had 7,000 men who had not bowed a knee to Baal, and were still faithful to Him. I believe in every church that has gone down the path of liberalism and apostasy God has a remnant. So the question is, what should this remnant do?

Sheep Don't Fight

The old preacher's saying is, "sheep don't fight." Most Christians are not comfortable with conflict in the church, and many take the position that what is going on around them is really none of their business, so they choose to ignore things God says are sin. Sadly, their is nothing biblical about taking this position. Jesus's life was full of conflict, as were the apostles lives. We must understand that we are to "stand" for God in all that we do, and sometimes that means dealing with the enemy, Satan, not the people, in our churches. Satan learned long ago the best way to attack the church is not from the outside, but from the inside. If Satan can get Christians to remove the truth of the bible and tolerate sin in our midst, he wins the battle in a church or a Christians life.

Jesus chased the money changers from the temple with a whip because they "profaned" His Father's house. He was constantly in conflict with the Pharisees who taught false doctrine and led people down the path to hell. The apostles were beaten, persecuted, jailed and eventually martyred for standing on the word of God and against Satan, false doctrine and sin. When we saw at the church at Smyrna their was often a cost to truly living for God, much of that conflict comes from us obeying God and standing for Him. If we are going to practice the "Greatest Commandment" in our lives, we must be willing to stand for God. The churches at Pergamos and here at Thyatira are examples of what happens when we do not.

The Cost of Backing Down

In the Old Testament it tells us that the "sins of the father will be passed down to the second and third generation." This does not mean that a child is held accountable for a parent's sin, but rather if a parent embraces sin in their lives, more than likely the child will do so in their lives. The child of an alcoholic, is far more likely to be a drunk than not. The child of a person who lives with someone before marriage, is far more likely to do so than one who comes from a married couple. At Thyatira this principle was being played out.

Verse 23 has God saying "I will kill her children with death..." God is not speaking of phyisical death here, but spiritual death. Because these children's parents had left the word of God and embraced sin, their children did so as well. As a result of the parents sin the children did not know sound doctrine, what the bible truly says about sin, and were deceived by Satan into believing what they were doing and how they were living was just fine. Satan was winning the battle here. The question is, what were the remnant, those who knew and practiced the truth in their lives, doing while this was going on?

Church Discipline

The consequencs of turning a blind eye to false doctrine and sin are grave. They are grave in a believers life and in our churches. Far to many of our fellow Christians simply ignore the things that are going on right around them, for fear of conflict. I cannot tell you how many parents I have spoken with whose children are sleeping or living with someone, drinking heavily, abusing drugs, etc. They feel powerless, but they are not. The same attitude prevails in our churches when we see brothers or sisters in Christ overtaken by sin. Friends, when we simply watch someone we claim to love live a life God says they cannot live, we do not show the love of God towards them, or practice the "Greatest Commandment." 1 Corinthians 13:6 tells us, "Love(Agape love, the love of God, the love we are told to show towards each other) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth." If we truly love someone the way the bible tells us too, we will have a burden in our hearts to see them repent of their sin and return to a right relationship with God.

The bible tells us how to go about this. We are told to deal with the backslidden person gently(Gal 6:1). In Matthew 18: 15-17 Jesus tells us the process that needs to occur: We speak to them one-on-one, then with 2-3 witnesses, then if necessary we are to bring them before the church. If the person is unwilling to turn to God and repent even after being confronted by the church, their fellowship is to be revoked. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. Their is nothing easy about this. But it is essential for us as believers and our churches to maintain a holy witness to the world. When we allow sin into our lives and into our churches and it gains a foothold, their is no difference between God's people and the devil's. The object of this "discipline" is restoration of the believer. Discipline is not to punish, but to correct wrong behavior. In fact, even if the believer does not repent immediately, if the do repent eventually, they are to be restored to the fellowship of believers, the church. This is what happened with the brother who was removed from the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 5. Later as we read, in 2 Corinthians 2, the brother repented and was restored.

The church at Thyatira was unwilling to return to the bible and deal with the sin in their midst. The results were catastrophic as the children raised in this church followed their parents into sin. Freinds, we fight a spiritual war, against a powerful enemy in Satan. The only defense we have is to allow God to fight the battle for us and through us, with His word and though us practicing what He asks of us. Their is nothing easy about this, but it is our calling in a life lived for God. So, what happens when a church or Christian, leaves their "first love," as the church at Ephesus. We lose our doctrine(Pergamos) and sin moves in(Thyatira). This is a dangerous regression, of which we will see the fruit of tomorrow. Until then, God bless and have a Jesus filled day.

Compromising the Word-Pergamos

Revelation 2:12-17, "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, 'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans; which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight 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 ovecomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'

False Doctrine

Our premise for this series is that the letters to the 7 churches have a practical application for all of us, as in the body of Christ their are representatives of each of the 7 churches. At Ephesus, we saw the church leave it's "first love," essentially take their eyes off of Jesus and function in the flesh. I stated how Ephesus was the key, that if we leave our "first love," dire consequences will eventually occur. At Smyrna, we saw a church that remained faithful to their "first love," and the price we have to pay for living a life for God, progressing in our faith. Here, at Pergamos, we see the consequences of remaining seperated from the will of God, not keeping our "first love, " God Himself, and the regression that inevitably happens. The first thing that will occur, if we do not "love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength" is, we will lose our doctrine, our foundation in the word of God.

Notice here Jesus comes bearing the "sharp two-edged sword," and that sword, my friends, is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the "sword of the Spirit" is the "word of God." Why does Jesus come bearing His word to this church? Because they have compromised His word and allowed false doctrine, false teachings, to take root in the church. The "doctrine of Balaam(compromise) and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans(also compromise) were tolerated. And it was the sound doctrine of the bible that had been compromised. These compromises led to idolatry and sexual immorality. False doctrine, when permitted and embraced in our lives and churches, becomes a "stumbling block" to those who seek to live for and love God.

Apostasy

We do not have to look far to see how false doctrine and false teachings have taken root in the church, and thus believers lives, today. The clear teachings of sexual immorality, most recently homosexuality, have been abandoned by many liberal wings of the mainline denominations(Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist) in our nation. They have departed to the point that they sanction homosexual marriage and openly ordain homosexual clergy. It is even present in liberal Baptist churches.

These liberal(not a political term, but in reference to not adhering to and proclaiming the clear teachings of the bible) "churches" departed long ago from the inerrancy of scripture. Some even deny the attonement offered by Jesus on the cross, the resurrection, the virgin birth, that Jesus is God, etc. Friends, they preach "another Jesus," most certainly not the Jesus of the bible. And this departure has led to acceptance of all sorts of sin. They couch their departure as "love," but the love they claim to show is not a biblical love, love of person but hatred of sin, but rather, a worldly love of tolerance that allows the people they claim to love to live a lifestyle that God says will prohibit them from inheriting the kingdom of God(1 Cor 6:9-11, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:1-7, Rev 22:14-15), or does not clearly teach the doctrine of salvation.

The bible calls this apostasy, a falling away from the truth as revealed in God's holy word, and it is one of the most discussed doctrines in the New Testament. Whole books in the New Testament such as 2 Peter and Jude were dedicated to discussing apostasy in the church. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 the apostle Paul gives us a detailed look at the last days church that has fallen into apostasy. Through the Holy Spirit he writes, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying it's power. And from such people turn away!"

In His Name?

Jesus said of the church at Pergamos, they held fast to His "name" and did not deny His "faith." And that is the great danger for many Christians. These liberal churches and Christians that have fallen into apostasy still claim Jesus and Christianity. But friends, we cannot claim to represent Jesus,to be His ambassadors here on earth, if we abandon His word.

This does not mean we cannot have dissagreements regarding scripture, different interpretations. As Southern Baptists we disagree with many Pentcostals on the issue of tongues in the church, or about losing our salvation. We disagree with conservative Presbyterians, Lutherans and Anglicans about the rapture and how "end times"will unfold. However, and this is a big however, we are in total agreement regarding Jesus, the inerrancy and inspiration of the bible, salvation, heaven and hell. The same cannot be said for those who have departed from the clear teachings of the bible.

How to Overcome

Just as with the church at Ephesus, the command from Christ here is to repent. What I am about to say may be hard to take, but I believe is what the bible teaches. If you are in a church that does not proclaim the inerrancy of scripture, that it is God breathed. If you are in a church that preaches a Jesus that is not the Jesus of the bible. If you are in a church that departs from the bible as it's main teaching resource, take a stand for God. Fight the battle with the sword, the bible, the bread of life, the "manna" that is hidden. And if they will not see the truth, GET OUT OF IT! It may be the church you've attended for years, but it is no longer the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus warns us to beware the "leaven(false doctrine, sin) of the Pharisees." Paul warns us a "little leaven" will work it's way through the "whole loaf." When we tolerate false teaching and tolerance of sin as clearly defined in the bible, we have fallen away from the truth. As Paul said in 2 Timotht 3:5, "....And from such people turn away." That's tough teaching, but it is what the bible teaches. Any church or Christian that does not believe the bible is God's revelation to His people; God inspired, inerrant, immutable, has departed from the teachings of God for the wisdom of man. They seek to tickle "ears" and please people, not God.

Tomorrow we will look at the consequences of what happens to a believer and a church that has left biblical doctrine. Once again this will not be a pretty picture, but I believe an accurate one of what happens when we abandon the bible. When we leave our "first love," regression away from the will of God is inevitable. We lose our sound doctrine, and sin enters the church and the heart of the believer. God bless and have a great day.