God’s Personal Love -5- for flickering flames of Faith

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches.

Revelation 1:11 NKJV

Golden Lampstands with flames from flickering faith

Darkness dominates a cold place behind the veil of the Holy of Holies – an unseen flickering faith of worshipers of the LORD.

The Temple had been Jerusalem’s replica of a former glory now departed – a white-washed façade of cleansing since the broken covenant of its faithless shepherds.

Then like a Light in the darkness their Messiah unexpectedly appears among God’s chosen. And His Sacrifice substitutes as the Passover lamb — the Lamb of forgiveness which takes away the sins of the world.

A flickering flame of hope is now the shining star of David as Scripture had proclaimed. And Jesus returns once more in Body and Spirit — in victory over death!

The Light of Life stands within the Tabernacle of this world and offers Himself as its Sacrifice.

The Son now rules from above in the Temple of Glory!

• The Prophets told of His coming.
• Jesus’ Disciples preached His Gospel of Light.
• And now His Church must shine as a brief candle lifted into the throne room of Christ’s glory.

Revelation to Churches with Flickering Faith

Even prior to the end of the first century A.D. faith in the Church flickered in the winds of the world. And the love of the saints sometimes extinguished in false gospels of darkness.

As it was before the incarnation of Christ Jesus, so it was after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension.

Yet a risen Christ Jesus lifts the dead from their graves.

And discouraged disciples of these last days stand as brief candles in the darkness looking upon the eternal Light of glory.

a Vision from the Lord

Exhortation from Peter

After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension the Apostles all proclaim His death, resurrection and returning again. He is the Light of the world, they preach in their letters to a growing Church as every Apostle exhorts the faithful.

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

Peter to the church as the Apostles death is near

.. For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty..

And like Isaiah and the Prophets Peter assures the church:

And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

Message to the Seven Churches

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands..

the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 1:12 NASB20

Revelation!

His face like the sun shining in its strength..

in the midst of seven golden lampstands..

His voice as the sound of many waters..

and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Revelation excerpts 1:16,12,15,16

As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Revelation 1:20 NASB

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

7 Candles of Flickering Faith

1-Ephesus

• “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people..

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. [agape]

Revelation 2:4 NASB20

Remember therefore from where you have fallen;

• repent,
• and do the works you did at first.

If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

2- Smyrna

• ‘I know your tribulation [thlipsis – a pressing, pressing together, pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits]
• and your poverty (but you are rich)
• I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. Strong’s G988 – blasphēmia
• Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Prove yourself faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 2:10c

3-Pergamum

• “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne,
• and you hold firmly to My name,
• But I have a few things against you,
  • Remember:
    • each ‘Church’ is plural,
    • while every single ‘saint’ is accountable to Christ
• you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam,
  • Doctrine is more than your ‘church vision’ taught, but not applied
  • Teaching among claimants of Christ may mislead others.
• who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel..
• In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.
  • (Nicolaitans, that is “destruction of people” in your gathering, are those who listen to your teaching (preaching or doctrine) yet are easily tempted to follow false teachings they prefer.)
  • (Note: the root name, nikolaos, may refer to a proselyte of Antioch and one of the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem. His name Νικόλαος means “victor of the people.”)
  • Christ Jesus is our ONLY teaching, for He alone is victorious over death. And from the Throne of glory Jesus warns the church:
• Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly,
• and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth..

4- Sardis

• “‘I know your works. You have [a name] the reputation of being alive,
• {go ahead, substitute Your Church Name, here & see how you receive Christ’s admonition.}
• but you are dead.
• Wake up,
• strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die;
  • {Some works yet to do in your church?}
• for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
  • {My fellow saint, our Lord Jesus says we have incomplete deeds yet to do.}
• Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly.
• Repent and turn to me again.
• If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly..
  • The general exhortation is for all, yet some not in need of repentance Christ encourages specifically.
• You have a few names even in Sardis .. [who] shall walk with Me in white [unsoiled garments], for they are worthy.

The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:5 NASB

5- Philadelphia

φιλάδελφος (root word) – From φίλος (G5384) and ἀδελφός (G80) – ‘friend’ & ‘brother’

BlueletterBible.org

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

Revelation 3:7a
– note the definition of angel of the church could include any of its ‘messengers,’ as its ‘saints‘ – a most holy thing – could include any of its faithful.

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

The Revelation [3:7b NASB] of Jesus Christ to John – to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia

• “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.
• Behold, I will make those.. who say that they are [ __ ]
  • Jesus calls them worshipers of Satan as the Lord refers to some Jews, BUT
  • could HE fill in the [ __ ] with ‘christians’ who gather in the church of the world?
• and are not, but lie—
• I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
  • The Lord Jesus assures His friends and brothers in Philadelphia.
• Because you have kept My command to persevere,
• I also will keep you from the hour of trial
  • (Christ’s covenant with the faithful!)
  • 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.

The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Flickering Faith in the winds of the world

Suppose the letter to you arrives by messenger from Patmos.

Jesus’ Apostle John still resides there and occasionally Rome allows a letter from him to depart for your Roman-ruled city in a distant province of Asia.

Your own church community suffers in its own isolation, because most of your neighbors, merchants, fellow workers, Roman government officials and even some fellow worshipers seem caught up in the life of other things in your city.

NOW, as you gather for worship, a leader of your church reads a letter. (Messengers have previously brought guarded precious Good News from Mark, Luke, Matthew and even John.) You puff up a bit as your pastor begins:

 καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον 

τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀμήν ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ

7- Laodicea

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

Revelation to the saints of the church in Laodicea [3:15 ESV]

So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:16 NASB

Lukewarm ‘christians’ – saints spit out!

I could NEVER accuse you of THAT! But this IS JESUS giving final warning to the church.

• χλιαρός – chliaros From chlio (to warm)

This is the only time Christ uses it in Scripture, as the last warning to the last of seven churches — (to become warm, liquefy, melt)..

The Gospel which heated your faith, the cold water of your baptism which refreshed you — these no longer satisfy and Jesus is a Name seldom seen in the places where you dwell.

Lukewarm – metaphorically, of the condition of a soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor —

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
 noun A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.
 noun Lethargy; apathy. synonym: lethargy.
 noun The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal.

and a fervor of love.

THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
 Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
 All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com

Jesus counsels a lukewarm church

You say,

• ‘I am rich.
• I have everything I want.
• I don’t need a thing!’

And you don’t realize that you are

• wretched and
• miserable and
• poor and
• blind and
• naked.

I counsel you to buy from Me

• gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and
• white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and
• ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

Have you, dear lukewarm saint, invested your mortal time here in Jesus?

Dear Claimant of Christ,

Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline;

therefore be zealous and repent.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 3:19 NASB

‘Those whom I love — its phileō here, that familiar affectionate love of a friend —

1. I reprove [convict, generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted, correct or call to account] AND
2. discipline [see the definition].

If Jesus is your Lord, if you have ears to hear and eyes to see His love — then receive Christ’s correction and discipline while your candle yet flickers with so little faith.

AND for the 21st c. church..

“Anyone with ears to hear ..

must listen to the Spirit and

understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Revelation 3:22 NLT

ANYONE, my fellow saint of this 21st c. A.D., anyone with ears to hear Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

NOT only seven churches — not some other church — not even a flickering excuse of a saint in your own church. YOU, dear Christian — you with ears to hear what JESUS is saying to you and to His Church.

Amen.