In the first century, there were 7 churches that Jesus caused John to write messages to. These were actual churches with actual congregations, doing and saying actual things. Jesus told apostle John, exiled at Patmos, what to write to these congregations. Jesus spoke commendations, criticisms, and instructions. Not all 7 churches were commended. Not all 7 churches were criticized. All had an instruction, though.
The church at Smyrna and the church at Philadelphia were not criticized. The church at Laodicea was not commended. The rest had both.
The churches were: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.
Can you imagine being assembled on Sunday, hearing a knock on the church door, a messenger arriving and handing a scroll to your pastor, and the pastor reads a letter from the head of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself? Jesus is very much alive and in charge of His global body of worshipers, AKA His bride. He was directly involved then, and He is directly involved now.
Each of the seven churches was not only an actual church but is also a type of church dealing with a problem mentioned in the letters. The problem is not unique to that church for that time. There are always the same kind of systemic problems many churches deal with and have been recurring throughout the centuries. Always, there is a church somewhere that is busy but not alive. Always, somewhere, is a church that is indifferent and lukewarm. On this earth, there is a collection of churches gracefully enduring suffering, or being persecuted. And so on.
Please read Revelation 1-3, it is not hard. Those chapters offer the reader plain language and it’s not heavily symbolic.
Ephesus: I was struck by the fact they had abandoned their fervent love for Jesus. I imagined how, hearing this, John might have felt like he had ashes in his mouth and ears. “Nothing’s as cold as ashes, after the fire is gone.” (Loretta Lynn).
Smyrna: No criticism. Only light, the crown of life in heaven, and joy.
Pergamos: Compromise was their problem. Anyone who ever had a house built knows that if the contractor compromises on the concrete foundation, cracks appear at the first frost-freeze-thaw cycle. Nothing cracks a structure or an organization faster than compromise.
Thyatira: This church had a problem with a seductress teaching sexual immorality and the people tolerated it. It is a harlot church, literally.
Sardis: Revelation has a change in tone here. Sardis is dead. Can you believe that a church alive with people can be dead? According to the word of God here, it can and did happen.
Philadelphia: No criticism. This church is loved eternally from above. Its door will never close. This church is beloved in heaven.
Laodicea: Indifferent. Jesus hates that worst of all. He excoriates it with a lengthy invective no other church received in their message. He will vomit this church from His mouth.
If a messenger were to appear at your church door on a Sunday and hand a scroll written by Jesus to your pastor describing your church, what type of church do you think yours would be? If it is a church sliding into one of the less well-loved type of congregations, is there something you are contributing to its decline? Are you praying for your elders and pastors? Are you helping, or can find a spot to serve that will relieve some of the issues in the church? If your church is gloriously thriving, do you praise the Spirit for this? Pray for your pastor in gratitude for his hard work in the Lord?
In Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus is teaching. The crowds had begun to swarm around Him. He had made a blind man see and mute man talk. The crowds were beginning to wonder if Jesus was indeed the promised Son of David. Of course, the proud Pharisees and scribes who were on hand did not like to hear that. They tried to dismiss the sovereign divine power of Jesus by claiming he casts out satan by satan.
Jesus replied with his famous teaching, that a divided house cannot stand, and if He drives out satan by satan, who did they drive out satan by? He went on for many verses with a teaching and a warning and reminders to this evil group of religious non-believers. He spoke of the unforgivable sin. He warned, He said by their words they will be justified…or condemned.
The Pharisees and scribes replied, replied, yeah, yeah, but we want a sign.
There is a Tribulation to come. It is not the Tribulation now. However, the terrible things we see happening on earth today remind us of God’s stored-up wrath that the Lord will pour out on the world during that time of judgment.
Do I refer to the judgments to come because I believe we are in the Tribulation now? Of course not. The rapture of the church will happen first, and then the judgments will be rendered by the Holy and Just Judge exactly and in the order as chronicled in Revelation.
Do I speak of the severe judgment to come in order to instill fear? A little. Holy fear and biblical knowledge of the power of God in wrath is a good thing. His judgment and His wrath are holy attributes of which we should be acquainted.
I’ve been told we should not speak of judgment. “It’s so negative” people say. “You should only talk of the happy things to make people feel comfortable with Jesus,” they say. Yet, the first thing John the Baptist said in his ministry was to warn us to flee the wrath to come. He started with a message of repentance, because judgment was looming. (“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 3:1; and Matthew 3:7, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?“)
Repentance for sin and warnings of judgment are part of the Gospel message.
For me, the lone tree speaks of God’s wonderful handiwork, not only representing His gift of nature, but brings to mind that His redeemed are not alone, but safely tucked within His Might eternally. And as the brilliance of the sun pierces boldly through the dark-ending of the storm, one thought leads me to another — remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection. Then speaks to His beloved redeemed: the “things” of this world are now more clearly seen through the light of His Salvation! We must daily pause to remember…
Everything was perfect. The Garden was perfect. The two humans were perfect. The animals were perfect. God declared His creation “very good”. The humans’ relationship with God was perfect.
EPrata photo
We do not know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden but no matter how long it was, there was absolutely nothing to be discontent about. Adam and Eve had full run of the Garden, the animals were submissive, they had plenty to eat, they were neither hot or cold.
When did Eve become discontent? John MacArthur said in his sermon “The Fall of Man,”
I don’t often talk about personal experiences on this blog, because frankly, I don’t think most people are interested in me, lol. We are all more interested in Jesus, and His soon return.
I was thinking today about a few times in my life when I felt fearfully spooky for no reason. These occurred before I was saved. However, all my life I could feel the emotional and spiritual temperature of a room. When I got saved by His grace, the Holy Spirit delivered to me the Gift of Discerning of spirits, also known as the distinguishing of spirits (1 Cor 12:10). So now I can use that ability He planted in me from birth to His glory as a child of God
Discerning of Spirits is discussed by Alexandra Clair on her blog. Her definitions of terms in my opinion are scripturally apt and well-written to boot. So what is discerning of spirits?
Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man
1Then Job answered, 2“In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? 3“If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4“Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? 5“It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; 6Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble;
7Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; 8Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. 11“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. 12“Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
13“God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab. 14“How then can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? 15“For though I were right, I could not answer; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge. 16“If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. 17“For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause.
29“I am accounted wicked, Why then should I toil in vain? 30“If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, 31Yet You would plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes would abhor me. 32“For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. 33“There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34“Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. 35“Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.
Job keenly felt the gap between himself as sinner and God as holy. He knew there was an insurmountable chasm between him and the Holy One in heaven. How to overcome this? Job could see no way. He pleaded for an umpire to be the bridge between man and God.
Jesus is that umpire. He is our advocate before God and defender against satan. The cross is His bridge that lays one hand on our shoulder and the other on God’s. Take a moment today to reflect on Christ’s work on earth and in heaven. Think of His unfathomable love for us, He who lived on earth with sinners, died an excruciating death, and ascended in flesh to live in heaven as man-God forever. When Job passed into glory, he finally met his umpire, the Christ. We will too. What a day that will be.
I like to read Christian biographies, especially missionary bios. I am currently reading the biography of William Borden, and I like it very much. Someone had asked me what were some good biographies, and I compiled a list. Some of these I have read and can recommend. Others come recommended from trustworthy sites.
Moody: A Biography, by John Charles Pollock
John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock, by Iain H. Murray
Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity’s Rebirth, by Rebecca VanDoodewaard (a 100-page book, each short chapter is a bio of one of the women)
The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward (Author), Christine Hunter (Contributor). There is another book named almost the same thing, not by Gladys herself. Get this one.
The Life of Moses: God’s First Deliverer of Israel, by James Montgomery Boice
Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan & Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth D. Dodds. As a side note, I really enjoyed Ligonier’s short series by Steve Nichols of the Life of Jonathan Edwards. It was fascinating and interesting and worth it! Here is a link to a summary of the 6-part series. The teaching series is here.
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon, by Ray Rhodes Jr.
Newton on the Christian Life: To Live Is Christ, by Tony Reinke
Amy Carmichael: Beauty for Ashes by Iain Murray. A short but packed little biography of an important figure. Iain Murray wrote several other biographies, too.
Borden of Yale ’09 by Mrs Howard Taylor
Biography Recommendations according to Tim Challies, book reviewer: “Christians you should know”-
Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan by Faith Cook. A fast-paced and interesting account of Bunyan’s life.
Faith Cook is a well-known biographer who also wrote, Lady Jane Grey – the short, tragic life of Lady Jane Grey.
Eric Liddell: Pure Gold: The Olympic Champion Who Inspired Chariots of Fire, by David McCasland. An Olympic hero who left it all behind and died on the mission field.
"Reading is an important activity for the Christian. The way we are accustomed to taking in information on our phones, tablets, and computers has impacted how we approach reading books, too. Reinke wonders if Christians “will be patient enough to find meaning embedded in words” instead of surrendering to the idleness that entertainment affords. But Christians of all people should absolutely be patient enough. Not only is patience a fruit of the Spirit, but Christians are a reading people," says Andy Cassler.
"I encourage you to make reading a priority in your life. Resolve to not only love God and your neighbor, but to love God with the mind He gave you. Exercise the life of the mind in your loving of God", says Dave Jenkins.
What is one of the benefits of reading? Tony Reinke says that constantly swimming in social media fragments his mind and results in less ability to concentrate. He chooses classic books to read in order to combat this: Reinke says,
"I pick up Shakespeare’s works (the Jonathan Bate edition). In order for me to track with his works, I must pause at every antiquated word and look up the definition at the bottom of the page until the meaning becomes clear. To do this requires that I slow myself down and read with sustained concentration for 20-60 minutes. Rushing is not an option. As a result, I find that when I turn to read my Bible, I read it with much greater care and attention, able to once again focus my attention more carefully on each word and phrase that I read. So Shakespeare recalibrates my reading pace, restores my fragmenting brain, forces me to slow down, and ultimately helps me to read my Bible more carefully".
I myself feel that fragmentation. When I get home I’m tired and tend to scroll rather than read. My concentration suffers, and this spills over to Bible reading. With school nearing its year’s end I’ll have time to delve with concentration and energy this summer when I’m not working.
I hope these suggestions for good books and this little encouragement helps you think about spending some time during your day reading. Even if it’s 10 minutes, if it’s with concentration that is so much better than half an hour of mindless scrolling. I’m preaching to myself now!
The entire point of having social media, for me, is to point to Jesus. It’s an opportunity to get the scriptures into the public square, to show who Jesus is and why people need Him. Although this video is ultimately a promotion for the G3 Conference, most of this video explains who Jesus is and why we need Him. It is only 2:44 long. The video is very well done.
THE heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. They who preach this truth preach the gospel in whatever else they may be mistaken; but they who preach not the atonement, whatever else they declare, have missed the soul and substance of the divine message. In these days I feel bound to go over again the elementary truths of the Gospel. In peaceful times we may feel free to make excursions into interesting districts of truth which lie far afield; but now we must stay at home, and guard the hearths and homes of the church by defending the first principles of the faith. In this age there have risen up in the church itself men who speak perverse things. There be many that trouble us with their philosophies and novel interpretations, whereby they deny the doctrines they profess to teach, and undermine the faith they are pledged to maintain. It is well that some of us, who know what we believe, and have no secret meanings for our words, should just put our foot down and maintain our standing, holding forth the word of life, and plainly declaring the foundation truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Master’s Seminary had its annual graduation ceremony this past weekend. TMS is a premier seminary in the United States, where Dr. John MacArthur was its President from 1985 to 2019, and now is the seminary’s Chancellor. The goal since the Seminary’s founding was and is to produce men of the Word, men of courage and conviction to preach that word – in season and out of season.
Increasingly, we are learning that this season is an ‘out of season’ time for the people of God. The darkness is encroaching, and not stealthily, either, but boldly and wantonly. Bible, God, Jesus, slaying sin, repentance, grace, forgiveness, anything gentle, is anathema to the world. It is a world where the promises in Romans 1 are evidently seen, a world where…
“…they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:18-32).
A world where despite the assurances written in a Constitution or Charter, religion is suppressed and pastors are arrested. Where under cover of the pandemic, tyrants use the health guidelines to marginalize the people of God out of the public square and we become enemy #1 if we dare gather.
What does one say to a group of men who entered seminary 4 or 5 years ago and starry eyed, pressed on with studies hoping to make a difference for the kingdom of God? Who now see lions at the gate, enemies calling themselves Christians, and demons coming to the fore?
You get graduate James Coates to share some encouragement. Dr Coates is a TMS grad from ten years ago and has been serving as pastor ever since. He has been at ground zero on the battlefield of truth these last 6 months, as Edmonton, Alberta Canada has tried to put a stranglehold around him and his people and shut them down. Health rules you know, even though the v.irus is dying out and deaths are minimal. Refusing to still his tongue and strongly committed to proclaiming holy truths to a sinful society, Coates was arrested and jailed. He spent time in a maximum security jail, and was recently released but only for his trial.
This past weekend another pastor was arrested, Artur Pawlowski of Calgary, also in Alberta. He had refused the same restrictions as Coates, enforcing mask wearing and reduced building capacity limits. His confrontation with police who’d entered his Easter Sunday Service went viral. The police tried several other times to enter, harass, and restrict Pawlowski’s services, even though religious services are protected under Canadian Charter. So this weekend they just simply arrested him like a dog on the road, instead.
Copyright Artur PawlowskiTV/Youtube
What do you do where it’s a Braveheart scene…where the enemy is picking up speed and gaining like-minded cohorts, trampling onto sacred ground? A pastor’s job is to hold the ground. We pierce them not with weapons but with the Word of God. We stare steely-eyed into the whites of their eyes, proclaiming the truths of God until our throat is raw or our tongue is stilled in death. We stand our ground.
Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17).
In other words, Pastors, stand your ground!
Here is the link to Pastor Coates’ The Master’s Seminary graduation address. It is encouraging! Please click on the link to listen. Below is an extended quote from the video, which is about 6 minutes long. LINK HERE
"The reality is that there were many moments in preparation for that time when I'd have to choose imprisonment to obey Jesus Christ. Those moments along the way required conviction, resolve, and a steadfast desire and commitment to do what the Lord would require of me. Every moment counts. Every moment along the way was a moment of preparation, so by the time I got to the point where I'd have to choose whether I was going to keep my comforts or stay in obedience to Christ, it was already settled. It wasn't easy, it was difficult, it came in the face of fear and trembling. But the Lord at each point assisted me with a conviction to know what it was He was calling me to do as well as the grace to carry it out. ... You need to resolve in your heart to obey Christ no matter what the cost...and to be faithful all the way to the end."
"We need men of conviction, we need men who are going to stand firmly upon the scriptures. We need men who are resolved to obey Christ- no matter the cost, and the cost in increasing, you know that. ... It's a more hostile world than the world I stepped into ten years ago."
"Even as I call you in this moment to be men of courage and resolve with kindness it's going to have to be with graciousness and patience. The call to be faithful and committed and obedient is not a call to be cantankerous. It is a call to be like Christ, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in your obedience."
"I can't think of a better time to be stepping into pulpits in the US and all over the world, and a better time to exposit the scriptures with clarity, accuracy, and conviction. I'm excited for you. "
"Glorify God, give your life for Christ. Preach the word with boldness and conviction. Let the word of Christ govern your life." ---end excerpt James Coates video.
Lades, if your husband is in any way ministering as elder, pastor, teacher, church planter, missionary, in any way, it is our call to be supportive, gracious, forgiving, and steady. He is on that battlefield staring at hostiles much of the time. The future is uncertain, especially for Christian ministers in Canada and of course elsewhere. He needs a safe space at home. He needs a refuge. He needs to know that one person will always be on his side. It’s our duty and privilege as help-meet. It’s always nice to come home to a neat house, warm dinner, and loving wife, but especially now when the battle ‘out there’ is rising. Nurture him, listen to him, go the extra mile for him.
Even more important, we women also need the word of God so that we can also stand strong on the day we might meet a fork in the road and called to count a cost. Erin Coates did when police chained her husband and carted him off. Marzena Pawlowski did when they handcuffed her husband Artur Pawlowski and carted him off. Wives, be ready. Only the word of God can ready us for that moment. As James Coates said in his video, resolve in your heart, nurture your convictions, and stand. Let the Lord prepare you and stare strongly into the future, which is bright with opportunity to proclaim Light to a darkening world.
the-end-time.org 