Lukewarm for God (Revelation 3:14-22)

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. (Revelation 3:14 NIV)

It's one thing to make the decision to follow or not follow a man.  It's a completely different decision when the one you are thinking about is "the ruler of God's creation."  Following Jesus isn't about following a man.  It's about following God.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:15-17 NIV)

In the United States of America, this is probably the most widespread temptation to give up on Jesus.  We equate security and wealth with "the pursuit of happiness."  When we don't have enough wealth, we work hard to get it.  When we get it, we work hard to keep it.  Through the whole process, we forget about Jesus.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (Revelation 3:18-19 NIV)

Money is not the root of all evil.  It's simply one more way to pull us away from Jesus.  When it works, it is an evil in our lives.  When it doesn't, the wealth in our hands becomes another tool for God to use in Kingdom work.  The only difference between one and the other is the condition of the heart.  When we realize that money is pulling us away from God, we need to repent.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:20-22 NIV)

How about you?  Do you allow anything to pull you away from Jesus?  Do you walk away from God for a quick (or even a slow, hard earned) buck?  Are you going to be invited to sit by Jesus on his throne?

The Dead Church (Revelation 3:1-13)

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:1-3 NIV)

Jesus does not expect his church to be dead, sitting around waiting for him to return.  Paul calls the church Christ's Body, a living organism.  When we accept Jesus, then ignore his commands, we "...have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Colossians 2:19 NIV)  We can't just "get saved" and then go on as though Christ doesn't exist.  It doesn't work that way.  Either we want to be with him, living out his calling for our lives, or we don't.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:4-6 NIV)

God always gives us what we need to do what God calls us to do.  Jesus calls us to repent of sin and be Holy as he is Holy, then sends his Spirit to help us live that out.  When we walk by the Spirit, we put to death the deeds of the flesh.  We then, dressed in white, are worthy to walk with Jesus.

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. (Revelation 3:7-10 NIV)

Yes, walking with God is a battle.  Walking without God, though, is a battle, too.  There's no way to avoid the fight.  Think of it this way.  Would you rather fight against God or with God on your side?  Those are the only choices we have.  We live in an era where the battle over our souls is raging on.  We get to choose which side we are on.  When we choose Jesus, we are healed of our wounds, strengthened and equipped, and then go back into battle.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:11-13 NIV)

Fighting the right battles until the end, though, yields great rewards.  It is worth every moment of the fight.  When we Jesus wins, and we are by his side, we get to stay with him forever.

How about you?  Are you among the "living dead" who accepted Jesus, but don't do anything about it?  Are you a part of his living Body, healthy and growing as God provides the growth?  Are you fighting the good fight, even till the end?

Hold On-Until I Come

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Revelation 2:12-16 NIV)

The Nicolaitans lived out "cheap grace."  Once they were saved, they did what they wanted.  Eating meat sacrificed to idols was on the list, but the one causing the most problem had to do with sexual immorality:  they practiced polygamy.  Jesus, with a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth, told them to stop.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Revelation 2:17-23 NIV)

Jezebel was leading Thyatira to commit similar sins against God.  She was doing it in the name of God, saying God had given her the prophecy saying it was ok.  She was a false prophet.  She will suffer for this false prophecy and for those she pulled away with her.  They will suffer, too, until they repent.  This warning comes from a Jesus with eyes blazing like fire and feet like burnished bronze.  You don't want to mess with this Jesus.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.' To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'--just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:24-29 NIV)

Sometimes the greatest threat to our faith comes from within the church.  People claiming to do things in the name of God can do, and lead people to do, things that are not at all from God.  This is why it is so important that we learn from God's Word, talk with God in prayer, and watch the lives of those who teach us (their lives should be bearing "fruit").  When we follow God's ways, then, God encourages us the way Thyatira was encouraged: hold on to what you have until I come.

How about you?  Are you tempted by people who want to pull you away from God?  Do you hold on in spite of that temptation?  Will you hold on until Jesus returns?

Unfaithful or Faithful?

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. (Revelation 2:1 NIV)

Each church receives a special note from Jesus.  The description of Jesus, though, isn't small or human.  It describes the Jesus in John's vision: magnificent and powerful.  Jesus is holding seven stars (angels) in his hand and walking among the seven churches.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. (Revelation 2:2-3 NIV)

Battles against the Christians started within the church.  People claiming to be followers of Jesus were doing things that were not very Christ-like.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:4-6 NIV)

The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence...these men...practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.  —Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, i. 26, §3

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7 NIV)

Jesus then encourages them to hold on to the end. Victory comes to the one who hold on.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. (Revelation 2:8-10 NIV)

John was writing at a time when the church was being persecuted for it's faith.  By this time, it is highly probable that Peter was already crucified (upside down, according to tradition).   John is on the island of Patmos for a prison sentence.  People are wondering when Jesus will return.  They're struggling to hold on.  Jesus encourages them to hold on to the end.  Don't give up.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:11 NIV)

How about you? Will you stay strong even if the world around us, church members next to us, and the government over us starts persecuting us for our faith? Will you hold on to your faith in Jesus, even to the end? Will you be victorious?

A Visit for the Emergent Church (Revelation 1:1-20)

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3 NIV)

I love the fact that the designers of this series chose Revelation to help us see The Church.  John wrote these words to be a blessing to those who hear them.  As we read them together, my prayer is that you will be blessed.

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. "Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:4-8 NIV)

Notice how the picture of Jesus shifts so quickly in this paragraph.  His description starts out as "faithful witness," "firstborn from the dead" (first one permanently risen from the dead), and "ruler of the kings of the earth."  Each of these titles can be worn by a human being.  Granted, it must be a very special human being, even specially blessed by God, but it is a human being nonetheless.  The later titles of Jesus, though, are ones reserved only for God.  "Alpha and Omega" are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  He is being called the first and the last "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."  This is not a description of some specially blessed human being. This is a description of God.

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:9-16 NIV)

What would you do if you saw Jesus like this?  How would eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze glowing in a furnace, and a voice sounding like rushing waters do to you?  How about the sharp, double-edged, sword coming out of his mouth?  Would a face, shining like the son, change the way you look at him?

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:17-20 NIV)

The way we see Jesus will affect the way we live out our role as His ambassadors, His Kingdom of priests, and as His Body, The Church.  How do you see Jesus?