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Sunday, May 28, 2023

“Power in the Spirit”

 Scripture:   John 16:5-16, Acts 2:1-10

Today is Pentecost, the day when we rejoice over the sending of God’s Spirit into this world.  Jesus had spoken of the Spirit before, and later His disciples began to remember the words of encouragement that they had received from their Lord and Master, specifically – “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

 At the time, none of them were able to understand what all of that would come to mean for their lives.  But on that Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would bring with Him power, authority, and guidance for the faithful in Christ, and then they began to get a glimpse of what the Lord had been telling them.  And we have to remember just who it was that would be the first to receive these Godly gifts –  it would be fishermen, a tax collector, one who had doubted Jesus, another who had denied ever knowing Him, young and old alike (Matthew 10:2-4).  But these would not be the only ones to be promised empowerment through Spirit Power – in Joel 2:28-29 we read “28 “And afterward,  I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy,  your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

 This is the Spirit of Pentecost at work for humanities benefit.

 Read John 16:5-16

 This passage is known as a portion of Jesus’ “Final Discourse” – those final words offered by the Lord Jesus Christ, given to His closest followers at the Last Supper, just a few hours before He would be arrested and falsely tried by the Sanhedrin.  These words were offered as encouragement to those who would be called to carry on in the ministry of Truth that Jesus had begun 3½ years earlier.  But this isn’t the beginning of the Spirit’s presence - the Spirit of God had been part of the Holy Trinity since before time began, and even Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, before He was even born! (Luke 1:14-16

 The presence of the Holy Spirit was never intended to be a protection from the onslaught that evil would bring against those who the Spirit had come to fill.  His purpose was to be a Reminder of all that Jesus had taught (John 14:26), He will be a “guide” for seekers who are searching for the truth of God for their lives (John 16:12-13), He will, in the Greek, be known as the Paraclete – an Encourager, Comforter, Consoler, Helper, Exhorter, Counselor, and the Appealer for all who follow Jesus.  The Holy Spirit would be the very presence of God – Father and Son – for all who believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 Even though the Spirit will not be a Teacher, per se, He will inspire and lead all who the Lord calls to be a witness to the world and a servant to the King of kings.  And the Spirit could not arrive for our lives until Jesus had been welcomed back into the presence of the Father.  It isn’t that the Spirit would bring a new message of divine hope, or become a new Teacher, or be seen as a manifestation of Jesus – the Lord tells us that He will be the Spirit of Conviction, that He will be the one who inspires believers with a “guilt” that leads us to understand the depth of depravity that resides in our sin, and motivates us to reject the evil, the falsehoods, and the injustice that surrounds us through the world’s ways.

 The Holy Spirit will be the Spirit of Truth – God’s Truth – and will never be tempted to speak any word that does not reflect pure and holy truth.  Remember Jesus words from John 5:28-3030 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.  And the Lord says that the Spirit will function in the same way – that He, too, will speak only that which “He hears” from both the Father and the Son.  So if anyone tells you that the Spirit has given them a word that contradicts anything that Jesus has spoken, it is a lie, and truly nothing less than one that comes solely from the prince of darkness.   The true Spirit seeks no glory for Himself, but only serves to inspire us with divine truth, that we might be led to experience the heightened glory that continues to cover Jesus.

 Any word, any thought, any person who would have us believe that they have a knowledge which contradicts anything that comes to us directly from the inspired word of God, should be seen as one to avoid.  Trust, and confirm it, through the power of God, and no one else.

 Read Acts 2:1-10

 In John 20:19-22, we read of the time when Jesus’ resurrection has already occurred, and now He is appearing to the disciples, who are still uncertain as to what is actually happening in their lives, even though Mary Magdalene has already told them that she has seen the Living Jesus.  The truth is that He came to prepare these faithful ones to be sent out with these words:  “21 … “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

 This passage is important for all who would follow the Lord’s call to mission and ministry.  For when the Lord sends us out, He fills us 1) with His peace, 2) with His breath, and 3) with the Holy Spirit.  God’s peace is not intended to be the lack of opposition, but rather a filling of confidence and assurance that God is with us.  His breath is not especially nor exclusively for our physical well being, but rather to bring the power and ability that having God’s presence within us should provide.  And having the Holy Spirit within us provides all of the encouragement, sustenance, wisdom, and guidance that we could ever possibly need! 

 Consider what the Spirit at Pentecost gave to the faithful that day!  It came as both a mighty wind and what seemed to be tongues of fire that touched and blessed each and every one in that place.  The Holy Spirit gave each person the ability to speak in a language that none of them had ever spoken before and had never understood at all.  And was it strictly for their own edification and glory?  Not in the least!  It was given for the benefit of all who had come to find out what that roaring wind and those tongues of flame were all about, because nothing about this miraculous wonder were hidden from anyone on that day.

  It might have been just as miraculous if the Spirit had allowed the crowd to hear and understand Peter’s sermon in Hebrew, except that it might not have been as bewildering as it was for them to hear in their own language.  There were 15 different nations represented in this area of the city that day, and the Spirit gave each one the full, powerful and truthful message from that almighty and glorious Lord of theirs. 

 But did all of the onlookers believe in what their eyes had seen and what their ears had heard?  No – there were still many scoffers present, but nevertheless, there were still 3,000 souls who heard and believed in the words that Peter spoke regarding Jesus.  They may have heard stories and rumors before about Jesus, but now they had heard the truth, were baptized - and believed! (Acts 2:38-41)

 And as we continue further into the second chapter of Acts, we discover that this was not a one-time occurrence!! The new believers came to the disciples for additional teaching and fellowship, and began meeting with each other to share their meals and prayers.  They began reaching out to the needy in ministry and mission, and the Spirit continued to bring more and more people to faith in Jesus Christ.

 Is the power that comes from the Holy Spirit of God truly awesome and incredible?  Without a doubt!  Does everyone who encounters the Spirit believe and accept what they see and hear?  No.  There will always be some who, because they can’t explain or understand something, assume that whatever they thought that they heard or saw was simply a mirage, or perhaps it was their imagination playing tricks on them.

 But the Spirit’s work is always experienced through, but seldom for, the believer, and is given to reveal God’s presence at work in the life of one who needs to be renewed or revived.  The Spirit’s coming was prophesied a number of times by Old Testament prophets, and is evidenced by the work of the evangelists throughout the remainder of the New Testament.

 Beyond our passage for today, Peter’s sermon continued for many more verses (Acts 2:14-41), but the work of the Spirit wasn’t completed on that day, for it continues to this day, and will continue to work in faithful lives as long as God’s patience for the people of earth still holds firm. 

 May the Spirit of God also work within each of our lives, that others will come to know Jesus through the example of our faithful witness.

Sunday, May 21, 2023

“Lukewarm? NEVER!”

 Scripture:   Revelation 3:14-21, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Today will be our final reflection on the Lord’s messages to the seven churches of Revelation, and the church for whom this letter was intended is Laodicea.  While many of the other churches received a combination of compliments and complaints, and while 2 of the churches were actually praised with only compliments, Laodicea would only receive complaints regarding their lack of faithful living.

 In essence, they were giving an outward appearance of being a Christian community, while their hearts were far away from the Lord Jesus and His teachings.  This isn’t to say, however, that the Lord’s love for those who had failed Him had been rescinded, but rather that they were still loved, without Christ’s offer of salvation being fulfilled!  So what does this say about the entirety of the world’s people?  That God’s love never fails, but ours does, and so easily at that!

 Was Christ’s loving act at Calvary only for those who God knew would, one day, come to the Son of Life and the ways that He taught and stood for?  Absolutely NOT!  The gift of divine Hope was given for all of humanity, and would remain in place until the final moment of life within each and every one of us comes to an end.  The opportunity for Salvation was created at Calvary for all, but the acceptance of this gift from God must be claimed by each and every person individually – not just with words, but through a heart-felt change in our entire being. 

 In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he wrote this greeting: 1I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  (Colossians 2:1-5)

 Paul is saying that the “treasure” of God’s salvation is “hidden” in the way of Jesus Christ, and that it is for all of the people of this world, and even for Laodicea, if  they would only search for it!

 Read Revelation 3:14-21

 And now we read that famous phrase “I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold …so because you are lukewarm, … I am about to spit you out of my mouth  The Laodicean church is trying to be a little bit of both God and the world, but blending faith into something that is more comfortable, or more understandable, or more in line with what our life has always been, will never be seen by the Lord as “good enough”!  A committed faith in Jesus is the only hope for forgiveness in those times we fail Him, as well as for our time of eternity with Him.  It is always about Jesus, and no other way will ever be “enough”!

 And God then continues to let them know where they have gone astray, in particular through the way that they see “wealth”.  They have put their trust in the riches of earth, and because they think that they have gained sufficiency through their own efforts, they believe that they had everything that they would ever need, with no need for anything else – not even for a lot more of what this world could give them, and definitely not for anything that could come from God.

 But God goes on to explain just how much their worldly wealth is actually worth to them.  He tells them that the only thing they have gained through their own efforts, is destitution, blindness, and nakedness.  The Lord is saying that worldly riches have little, if anything, that will be of lasting importance, even in this life, and has no value whatsoever in the life to come.

 But God’s riches have been left waiting for them, and they are told that His riches are perfect, as they all have been refined from all impurity.  And what does this mean?  In Zechariah 13, the entire chapter explains “refining” – that it is a cleansing of our lives.  By faith in Jesus Christ, and through His forgiveness, the filth of earth, our sinful lives, will be taken from us, and we will know Godly purity and wholeness once again.  That chapter begins with this word of hope - On that day a fountain [the blood of Christ] will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” And it concludes with these words of Certainty for the faithful -  They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

 And the word of the Lord continues to show the wayward of Laodicea what they are missing out on – that by submission through faith in Christ, God will correct our ways and will fill our lives with every bit of goodness that we will ever need. 

 When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, chapter 10 of John’s gospel (John 10:1-18) will take on a whole new power for our lives.  14I am the Good Shepherd: I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”  And when Jesus knocks on the door of our life, it is because He already knows us, and that we know Him, and there will never be even a moment of hesitation in our knowing, and accepting, and welcoming Him into our entire being.

 Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

 And in the context of “blending” within the church, this passage advises that we separate from those who do not follow the word of God.  Verse 17 specifically says “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” This passage is warning the Church that when there is a dramatic difference in faith expressions, that, in time, there will, unfortunately, be a cross “pollination” among those differences, and that we must avoid that failure in faith.

 Laodicea had failed to take Paul’s advice to heart - if they had heard it at all - and had allowed the world’s attitudes to infiltrate the church’s teaching.  We need to be discerning of what is being presented as true faith expressions, and make a conscience effort to exclude all that does not fit with the teachings of Jesus.  This, as was mentioned previously in this series, is the responsibility of the church’s leadership, but if they fail to see the problem that falls before them, then the congregation must take the initiative to call the church to account.

 But one caution from this passage – the word “yoked” doesn’t necessarily imply that any and all diverse thought should be driven from the church, but rather that the two must never be seen as working together in faith, that they should never be seen as being “equally yoked”.  The church must always be aware of the differences that exist between the ways of earth and the ways of God, and to never let the two begin to be combined together.  This is what Laodicea allowed to happen to them.

 At first glance, these letters that God “sent” to the 7 churches through the revelation of John, were specific for the faith that each one was living.  However, each message is also intended to be read and studied and accepted by every other church that has ever existed.  The failings in faith that the five were guilty of were not unique in that day and place, for they are still plaguing the Church even today.  Satan’s kingdom here on earth will continue to work against the way of Jesus Christ until the day of the Lord arrives and all will finally be set right again.  In Hebrews 5:11-14, we read you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.” 

 That is why these messages to the 7 are so important for the Church of today – we need to be refreshed in the basic truths of our Lord, over and over again, until we remember them perfectly, and are able to live them faithfully without hesitation, and continue to strive to reject the ways of earth without fear or doubt or failure. 

 May each of us never become lukewarm toward the love and ways of our Lord Jesus Christ – not today, and not for the remainder of our time.

Sunday, May 14, 2023

"Keep My Word Above All Else"

 Scripture:   Revelation 3:7-13, John 3:31-36

Philadelphia & Smyrna

 Today, we consider two more of the churches of Revelation – Philadelphia and Smyrna.  I have combined these messages because they are so similar in nature.  Each receives a message of encouragement that includes nothing regarding a lack of faith, which, if you think about it, is how the church should be living.  They both have had difficult times in living faithful lives in the midst of false prophets and the unfaithful community that surrounded them.  They had little in the way of worldly resources, but the Spirit within them had given them all that they needed, and far more than the ways of earth ever could.

 They trusted in all that the Lord had provided, and in all that Christ had taught them, in spite of the lies, and the oppression, and the persecution, that had come against them from the world.  They were never protected from the world’s ways, and neither were they released from enduring the persecution that is always coming against the church of Christ.  And yet, with all the pressure that they endured because of the name of Jesus, they never wavered in their faith.

 The letters that the Lord sent to the churches in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) & Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) should be words of encouragement for the churches of today who are also under attack from a culture who would much rather badger them into submission, than to live peaceably with those who choose to walk in the way of Jesus Christ.

 If these 2 churches, out of the 7 that received letters from their Lord, were able to continue praising and honoring and obeying the way of Jesus, regardless of what the world threw at them, then why can’t the churches of today do just as well?

 Read Revelation 3:7-13

 This letter begins with a reference to “the key of David”, which comes from Isaiah 22:20-24, and identifies the author of this letter as Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  The doors, some which Christ has opened, and some which He has shut, are also mentioned in that passage from Isaiah’s prophesy, and refer to the word that He has shared with us.  The open doors are symbolic of the welcome that Jesus has offered to all who love and obey Him.  The doors that are closed are those which Christ has shut, barring all who have never come to Him as their Savior, and who have chosen to follow the ways of the world instead of the divine ways of Almighty God.

 And the most important aspect of the position that these doors now hold, whether open or closed, is that no one has the authority to change them.  What God has proclaimed is an eternal truth, and nothing that we may know, or understand, or develop or even imagine, can ever change what the Lord has put in place.  After all, the Lord’s ways are perfect, never needing correction, and if anyone claims that the Spirit of God has told them otherwise, they will never be accepted as being one with the Lord.

 In verse 9, it is interesting to note that those who “are of the synagogue of Satan”, aren’t simply those who have never listened to the words of Jesus, but also those who falsely claim to be Christian, as well as those who profess to be disciples of Jesus, while refusing to accept His teaching!  Jesus also tells the faithful churches that there will be a day when those “liars” will not only show respect and honor to the faithful, but will acknowledge that God has loved them, and by extension, that His love has not, and will not, be shown to those who will not follow His ways.

 God is calling the faithful to be patient and persistent in their walk, for in time, they will be honored and glorified when the name of the Lord will be placed upon them.  Later in Revelation 13:17-18, we read that the number of “the beast”, or the antichrist, is 666, which is also the number of humanity.  And in those days to come, you will be required to have that number, basically the name of antichrist, written on either your right hand or upon your forehead.  Without his number, you have no rights or privileges within the world's order.  We know that 6 is a number representing imperfection and incompletion, while the number 7 implies perfection and full completion.  Therefore, what will that “new” name of Jesus Messiah be?  Will that name be seen as 777?  Regardless of how it will appear, it will give the faithful the right to live with Christ through eternity.

 And that will be a name that all will, one day, understand!

 Read John 3:31-36

 In this passage, John the Baptist is informing us as to what and why we must believe in Jesus during this lifetime, if we have any desire to be with Him in the next.  The authority that has been given to our Lord is greater than anything that the earth has ever known or will ever have, even though the Christ has also taken on the cloak of earthly humanity.  And as the Baptizer continues, we are given some insight into what the churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna, as well as all followers of the Lord, believe about Jesus.  And what are some of those things?

 1. The only things He ever taught were those that He knew and heard from His Father.  There is nothing that His humanity was ever able to interject into His heartfelt words, and there was nothing that Jesus ever imagined to give additional clarification or justification to the words that had come directly from the Father.

2. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are proclaiming that we truly and fully believe that God’s truth is absolute and certain.

3. We believe that Jesus speaks the truth of God for two reasons – first, because we know that He has been sent by God to bring His word of grace and truth to our lives, and second, that the Father has filled Christ with the fullness of His Holy Spirit.  And His Spirit is nothing less than the Spirit of Truth.

4. By the love that the Father has for His Son, the fullness of God has been empowered within all that Jesus teaches and does for the people of Earth.  There will never be even an ounce of worldly supposition within any of it.

5. And finally, John tells us that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

 There’s a lot going on in our lives – some based in our human needs, some based in the relationships that we have with each other, and some that grow our faith through Christ’s work of sanctification.  But our greatest responsibility will always be to never become like one of the other 5 churches, and especially like the one we will consider next week – Laodicea!

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

"Wake Up and Strengthen Your Faith, Sardis"

 Scripture:   Revelation 3:1-6, 1 Corinthians 1:20-25, Romans 4:18-25

 In our considerations of the first 3 of the 7 messages to the churches of Revelation, we have read that the One who is speaking to John, that is, Jesus Christ, is holding 7 stars, and today we will also read that He also holds 7 spirits of God.  But we have yet to talk about what these introductions mean for churches in the 1st century, as well as for those of us today.

 The stars represent the “angels”, or leadership, of each church, and the “spirits” refer to each of the churches themselves.  And when we read that Christ “holds” both the “stars” and the “spirits”, it refers to the authority that God has over each and every one. 

 The authority that He has over the stars, is the Lord’s right to command, instruct, and guides those who lead the churches, both in that day and in this.  Whether that “leadership” is intended to be singular, or all inclusive, they are called to follow the word of Jesus Christ in its entirety, and to never deviate from it.  They are also required to hold each other accountable to the truth of Christ, and to never deviate from that authoritative word.

 As God also has a hold on those “spirits”, or churches, who are receiving these messages, each and every member of those bodies must understand that the messages themselves, whether praises for faithfulness, or warnings of errancy, are directed toward each of them personally.  And when the Lord speaks, the objects of His words will know for certain which words are specifically for them, and which are for someone else. 

 As we have seen in previous messages, the church’s leadership, in several cases, have not been holding the people to strict account for all that they have been doing.  False prophets and teachers are not being challenged for the lies that they are spreading.  And false teaching must always be addressed for the harm that it is doing to those who are listening to them.

 And what harm is being done to the church in Sardis?

 Read Revelation 3:1-6

 It appears that the “spirit” of the church in Sardis has a reputation for faith and truth, but since the “angel” of the church hasn’t been holding check on the falsehoods that are being taught, a false impression of the depth of faith in Sardis has been spreading to other communities.  Jesus tells them, in no uncertain terms, that their faith holds no life for them – that they are dead as far as the Lord is concerned.  Sound familiar to the situation that many churches find themselves in today?

 Condemnation is certain, unless they mend their ways.  In our human context, death is an absolute certainty when life no longer exists within us.  And Jesus tells the churches that death isn’t quite complete or final yet, that there is still a chance for them to turn back to the full life of Christ.  Their false deeds can still be rejected, but Godly truth must first be restored to their heart, mind, soul and strength.

 With the other churches, we didn’t see this opportunity being offered to Ephesus at all, but for Pergamum and Thyatira, they were called to repentance, which is exactly what the people of Sardis were also being given – a second chance to be true to the word of Christ Jesus once again.

 That’s what an “awakening” is all about.  Have you read much about the spiritual awakening that came upon the church at Asbury University a month or so ago?  Confessions were being made, praises were being lifted up, and the Holy Spirit was active and vital for over 2 weeks throughout that campus and into the lives of all who came to that Blessing.

 When we repent of our sinful existence, our Death can also be “overcome” by the Spirit of God, and the promise of Life will be restored to our eternity.  And the proof of that new hope will appear in the pages of the Lord’s Book of Life – our name will be restored to Christ’s Book, and our name will even be acknowledged before the Father and the heavenly host.

 Repentance will be available to all while their humanity is still intact, and the only point of no return will occur at the end of this lifetime.

 Read 1 Corinthians 1:20-25

 This passage, in essence, is a comparison between Godly Wisdom, and the worldly kind.  God’s point, basically, is that even though humanity may think that their wisdom is highly developed, and that they can learn anything else that they need to know, and that they are able to understand anything that they set out to grasp, and that there is nothing that can match their intelligence, they haven’t got a clue when it comes to understanding God and His ways!

 As a matter of fact, Godly wisdom is so vast and perfect that it sets the human version so far behind it can’t even come close to being aware of the fullness of God’s ways.  Our only hope is to believe that it is!  And for those who believe that God’s word is nothing more than foolishness, it far exceeds anything that humanity can come up with, even that which is held in the dark recesses of their own imagination!

 And for those who refuse to accept the truth that Christ brings to our world, their wisdom and their strength will always pale in comparison to that which lives and thrives within each and every word that Jesus offers for all who will believe.

 Read Romans 4:18-25

 Paul offers the faith of Abraham as an example for each of us, that our faith might be as complete and as strong as this man’s was.  As unbelievable, as improbable, as impossible as it may seem in human terms, he never gave up trusting that the Lord God Jehovah’s covenant to make him the father of many nations, regardless of the Lord’s timing, regardless of the age that he and his wife may be when it comes, or anything else that worldly issues might have been an obstacle to God’s way, it would still come to be. (Genesis 17:1-8)  And all that they had to do was trust and believe.

 And the power, the wisdom, the authority, the truth that resides in the Father, also fills and enables the Son of God and all that He teaches.  Human authority, worldly wisdom, and the limited intellect that we all are subject to, will never be able to understand or come against that which God proclaims – even when we rely upon the shallow depth of our own intellect and the uncertain wisdom that Satan has instilled within our hearts and minds, we will always fail when we strive to turn against the truth of our Almighty God.

 We must repent of that which the false teachers have placed within our hearts and minds, and when we do, we will be restored and revived from the death that is currently upon us.  May those who have an ear, “hear loud and strong, what the Spirit says to the Church”.