1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
I was praying for a sister in the Lord this morning. I had already prayed for my wife and our own children. I had already prayed for others – brothers and sisters in the Lord — dear friends… and as I prayed for these, each became dearer to my heart.
I had prayed through the sufferings of my own adversities and also the more severe impending adversity of family members. I asked God to get them through it all. I remembered the encouragement my faithful mother had often given to me, my brothers and my sister as I thought of a mom so discouraged and concerned for the salvation of her own children.
Yes, God is also concerned for these; yet God will give it all the time required, while we struggle with the adversity of our daily life and adversity in the lives of our loved ones.
What peace God gives us though prayer. Peace in our own struggles and peace for our faithfulness in praying for loved ones.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
Have you ever considered the comfort of Jesus, after having invested considerable, limited earthly time with twelve Apostles, calls them His friends? (John 15)
Do you have a friend and brother who does not suffer adversity? Do you have a friend and sister who does not grieve over her children and afflictions of her family?
Pray for these.
1 Thessalonians 5:16
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you…
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
You are my brothers, my sisters, and friends — my family — family of our friend, Brother and Lord, Jesus.
Isaiah 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, … to Pergamum…
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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.
Christ, our risen Lord and Savior holds in His right hand the angels of the churches. Christ, our returning Lord and Savior stands in the presence of His golden churches – the believers to be taken-up along with those who have gone before us.
Yet each letter to the churches is specific to a group of believers: praise for faithfulness and call to continued faith. For not all who say, “Lord, lord,” will be taken-up. Not all who say, “Lord, lord,” will stand as a light of witness as a lampstand on His right. For some will be separated to the King’s left and He will say of those who did not glimmer with the light of Jesus, “I never knew you.”
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. – Matthew 25:46 KJV
Therefore: The warnings for the seven churches are addressed to the saints of every generation until the last.
You with ears to hear, let the scripture of Revelation speak to your eternal soul.
Pergamon’s strategic location along both land and sea trading routes contributed to its prosperity. Pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean region would flock to the city to engage in commerce or to visit the famous Ascelpion, a center of medical treatments.
Perched atop a windswept mountain along the Turkish coastline and gazing proudly—almost defiantly—over the azure Aegean Sea sit the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon.
The modern visitor approaches the site from the steep and winding road that leads from the modern Turkish city of Bergama just a few miles away. Upon reaching the ruins, the commanding panoramic view from Pergamon’s 1,000-foot-high perch makes it easy to understand how this city once dominated the entire region.
Antipas, a Christian bishop of Pergamum, was believed to have been martyred here at the end of the first century A.D., around the time when many scholars believe the Book of Revelation was composed. The execution of their bishop certainly would not have endeared the city to its Christian inhabitants, and the Biblical reference to the city is reflective of the general tension between Christian and pagan communities at the end of the first century A.D. – 7/16/2013 article excerpt- Sarah Yeomans
Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
properly a long Thracian javelin, also a kind of long sword wont to be worn on the right shoulder
Simeon, after having dedicated the baby Jesus said: “For my eyes have seen Your salvation .” – Luke 2:30
Then Simeon turned to Mary and also prophesied: “yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also…” – Luke 2:35a
13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Persecution of first century Christians, familiar to us by fictional accounts of actual incidents in Rome, were common throughout the Roman Empire.
The martyrdom could have taken place at this famous pagan temple or in their large amphitheater.
Pergamum or Pergamos is just one city where Christians were persecuted and killed for cruel sport. (Ephesus, as you may recall from Paul’s later letters, is another.)
14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent.
John 15:19 [The words of Jesus:]
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Jesus expects the church to be different from the world. We are NOT like the worshipers of idols and unbelievers.
Christ reveals through John “some there who hold the teaching of Balaam.”
Do you recall the donkey speaking to the Prophet to preserve his life from the sword of the angel?
Numbers 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand…
IF a Prophet of God may risk execution for disobedience, surely a Christian in a faithful church may also be warned for standing too close to sin.
Once again the issues are idol worship, sexual immorality, and false teaching.
Has anything changed from these temptations up to this 21st century, dear faithful believer?
Yet, be encouraged that our All-Powerful risen and returning Lord may wield a large sword in your defense against the world, IF you remain faithful.
* In verse 15:
1. Notice that the church in Ephesus hated the “deeds” of the Nicolatians (2:6)
2. Now in this church in Pergamos, (the infiltrated church), it has become “doctrine” = teachings!
3. Ephesus hated their deeds as the Lord hated their deeds. Now Pergamos allows what God hates!
a) The Lord has always hated when anyone “lords” over His people but Himself!!
Revelation 2:16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Repent! But IF NOT, come I to you without delay, indeed to war against the same with the edge of the sword of my mouth. {see concordance}
* Verse 16:
1. Repentance is not mere “I’m sorry!” It must be a change of heart and actions!
2. If we, as the Lord messengers and servants, do not admonish and stand for the truth, HE WILL!!!
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
* b) A white stone with a new name!
(1) No one knows for sure what this allude to but there used to be a custom of voting for an accused criminal with a black and a white stone.
(2) If the white stones outnumbered, the criminal was set free!
(3) Through our faith in Jesus as Lord as Savior, the white stone has been cast, we have been set free!!
(a) And along with that freedom as slaves to this world, we have been given our FATHER’S name! It will be written in the Lamb’ Book of Life!!!
We are slaves to our past. We are slaves to our culture. We are slaves to our traditions.
“I was born (Hispanic, Asian, black, white… whatever excuse.)”
The Pharisees were proud of being born Hebrew; proud of their Jewish past. In fact, they were slaves of their past, culture and traditions. Like many of us, they were slaves of their sin.
They were under the rule and slavery of Rome, who granted Jews (for a time as was politically expedient) a measure of freedom to worship and live as they were accustomed. Like us, they did not realize that they were slaves of God’s providence and timing – God’s circumstances for application and witness of faith through difficulty.
Jews were so proud to have escaped the slavery of Egypt, that they did not recognize the slavery of their own disobedience to‘elohiym hä·yä hä·yä – Yĕhovah Yĕhovah.
Yet their lives under the slavery of Rome required continual compromise of their freedom. These righteous rulers of the people slipped more and more into sin until they no longer had relationship with Almighty God.
The Temple was no longer a place of truth. The worship of God had become as false as the faith of the Pharisees.
Then God, Who had been silent since the days of the Prophets, returned to the Temple in the Person of Christ Jesus.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world…”
The Truth Will Set You Free
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave[b] to sin.35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Jesus is LORD. But is Jesus lord over YOUR LIFE?
Have you slipped into the sin of your past… just as the Pharisees? Are you bound to the slavery of our sins?
Two Christian sisters have pointed out this week their deep sorrow over the addictions of loved ones to heroin. (It would not have to be heroin, though we realize more the inevitable consequence.) It could be gambling, or beer, booze or wine. It could be cigarettes or over-eating. It could be pornography or partying with the sexual sin of the world.
And worst of all for our witness of Christ (just like the Pharisees), we may at the same time CLAIM to be Christians.
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God.The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
We seek the sin that will satisfy in the shadows of darkness and self-delusion. To continue in sin is to have sin shackle you.
6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Why do christians so easily return to our chains of addictions to the sins of our worldly past? — a life of slavery? — before Christ Jesus freed us by His Blood of the Cross?
5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Is Jesus your Lord?
OR Is your sin your lord?
What is the TRUTH?
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
PRAY for those yet chained to the sins and addictions of their past.
1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Why do christians so easily return to our chains of addictions to the sins of our worldly past? — a life of slavery? — before Christ Jesus freed us by His Blood of the Cross?