seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 2:1 “To the angel[a] 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. 2 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. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 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. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 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.
a. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
This is from bible-studys.org.
These messages were written by John in approximately 94 - 96 A.D., when the Church of Jesus Christ was a little over 60 years old. The church had experienced tremendous growth despite intense persecution. Under the rule of Rome, records show over 45,000 Christians were slain by crucifixion, burned to death and thrown to wild animals. In addition, corruption was springing up in the Church. When John wrote the messages to the seven churches, many believers were afraid about the unsure future. They were afraid of being strong enough to stand up to adversities that they would be facing and if they could endure the persecution.
Christ's purpose in sending those messages to the seven churches was to empower believers to overcome the enemy. His purpose was to rise up His people in victory, to make them strong. When we take the mask off, we see that today's Church in its present condition is not ready for Christ's return. That's why Christ is again walking in the midst of His people preparing His Bride for His coming. By His Spirit, He is stirring us out of our complacency. He is revealing and reproving sin, calling us to repentance, bringing us to a new, stronger position of dedication and commitment, and releasing a fresh anointing of His Spirit upon us.
Jesus, in the verse above, is telling the physical church at Ephesus and the spiritual church of our day, to stop all of the worldly carrying on, and get back to church, like our ancestors. The church must love and reverence God. Just as Moses was told to remove his shoes because he was on Holy Ground, we must realize that in God's presence, we too are on Holy ground.
Nicaulous and Baalam are in the same category. Probably evil with no certain root. The doctrine of Baalam, Nicaulous, and the Jezebel church thought that being Christians freed them from the moral law. They believed that idolatry and fleshly things would not be held against them, because they had been set free by Christ. Some of the liberalism we see in the churches today stem from this very belief.
Let's see if anyone is really reading this.... hubby wants me to look at the Torah and compare it to what I have learned in the Bible. I think that's an interesting idea.... speak up.... please. Now... back to today's lesson.
John started a lot of churches. Peter and Paul spoke at a lot of John's churches. I say John's churches... but we all know they were only planted by John... but Jesus was the reason for the church in the first place.
Now apparently there were people in those churches who had a twisted view of Christianity. They took the "once saved" idea to a whole new level. They taught the newbies in the church... that once they became a child of God.... they didn't have to follow any rules... they were above the rules.
Back in the day.... the idea that someone didn't have to be circumcised was radical... and that might have had something to do with the problem. Back in the days of Jesus it was considered a sin to eat food that had been offered as a sacrifice on the altar...and that might have had something to do with the problem. They wouldn't eat a pig or a deer... they were considered dirty.... and that might have had something to do with the problem. Jesus got in a lot of trouble for healing on the Sabbath.... which was a radical idea.... and that might have had something to do with the problem. Problem was.... they figured they had a ticket to Heaven.... that part was assured... now they could play and no matter what they did... Daddy would forgive them.
The church taught the members that they didn't have to take a lamb or a pigeon to the Temple.... Jesus stopped all the sacrifices. So... since they didn't have to do sacrifices... they figured they were above all the rules and regulations now. They figured they could behave as they saw fit because they didn't have to purchase a lamb to pay for their sins anymore....They were New Testament..... Daddy would forgive them.
The church, it seems, had turned into an indulgent rich kid! The kind that didn't have to go to Vietnam because they could afford college. Daddy would forgive them.
Apparently the people in Ephesus figured Christianity to be a one and done... exclusive act... that gave them eternal life. They figured the consequences of what they would do... had already been paid.... they were home free. Daddy would forgive them.
In 3 John 1 I learned there was a guy in one of the churches who was flat out calling John a liar. John.... the best friend of Jesus the Messiah was being called a liar. That should tell us all volumes about how the church was going down the tubes.
Apparently Ephesus was calling out the liars.... Jesus saw the members of the church of Ephesus hated liars.... and they would not knowingly tolerate the Gospel being twisted by anyone.
Are you going to church this morning? Look around? See open Bibles? See open smiles? Or do you see the politics of the day that would be drug into the sanctuary by one of those who would have said that Jesus couldn't be the Messiah because He allowed them to put Him on a Cross. Do yo see the liars of the day saying.... "being a Christian frees you from all the earthly laws.... you can do as you please now... you have a ticket to Heaven".
My daughter and I were talking the other day. She told me there was one lesson I taught her that she has used all her life.
"Everything has consequences.... some consequences are good... and some consequences are horrible.... but there is a consequence for every single thing we do. The trick to life is considering the consequences for you actions so you only have to deal with the good ones."
Darn I'm pretty smart!Jesus saw the sorry way the church was going. He was aware of all the garbage the members of the church had to deal with.... watching your friends drug away and thrown on a Cross for being a "Believer" was quite a consequence to have to deal with. Putting your life on the line every day... because you could be drug away and put on that Cross..... or beaten to death in the streets.... for being a "Believer"..... was quite a consequence to have to deal with.
Every morning they had to get up and face death.... because they were Christian. Jesus knew that.....
I find it interesting that churches are all big on pomp and circumstance.... we follow this agenda.... we do things exactly this way.... but then there are some... in every church..... who are like some of the people in Ephesus.... who think the 10 Commandments don't count now.... because we are "New Testament".... and they don't understand that Jesus just made it simpler to follow the 10 Commandments by merging them into 2 Commandments.... Love God and Love One Another.... it's always much more difficult to condemn a man who is know to be a loving and kind soul. Right?
Where's the pomp and circumstance when they leave the church property?
Daddy would forgive them.
