BOOK OF REVELATION: CHURCH AT THYATIRA

We have just competed a review of sorts for the first three Christian churches spoken to directly by Jesus himself. In each case he compliments and even praises the good, but exposes each of their soft underbellies of sin. These first 3 churches were port cities that Rome depended on for shipping and receiving everything from captured slaves to fabrics, dyes, leather and steel for weapons. Each of them brought prosperity in their own way. The world had global commerce even then..

Further inland in modern day Turkey were the last four churches, from north to south, as follows:

1. Thyatira
2. Sardis
3. Philadelphia
4. Laodecia

Thyatira was unique not only because of their thriving early church, but also because they processed the imports from the port cities discussed above. They took the dyes, especially purple, and produced colored fabrics to be made into clothing. They took the leather and made belts, sheaths, boots and anything else you can imagine. All of the remaining 4 churches were part of

Roman ingenuity and planning that brought raw materials from any where in the known world, and then processed it into finished goods ready to be sold. 

Their Christian church had many superlatives, and Jesus even called their work, "impressive."

1. They had the LOVE.
2. They had the FAITH.
3. They had the SERVICE.
4. They had the PERSISTENCE.

Lastly, they improved on these everyday. However, all of these attributes were void of the main ingredient. According to Jesus this chuch had an exemplary Christian exterior presented to the world, but there were no roots on the inside from a contrite heart, fear of God or repentance. Their underbelly was and is EXPOSED to Jesus every minute of every day, just like ours. The exterior meant little to our Lord, if the foundation of their Christianity was not genuine on the inside. Please listen to these words because they are an indictment to me, as much as you! At the end of each church Jesus writes: "Are Your Ears Awake!" 

Often in life, were can hear things, but never really pay attention, just ask my wife. During any football game on a Sunday afternoon, I generally watch at least the 1st half...Susan often talks to me from the kitchen. I can here it, but I am not paying attention to her, I am focused on the game. Consciously or subconsciously men and women, "turn a deaf ear" and are only truly AWAKE to the sounds of football. Jesus receives the same deaf ear and lack of attention from us. He talks, and it goes in one ear and out the other, while we pay attention to what really has our full attention, like Balaam, Jezebel and the Nicolaitans in their day. Our God given tympanic membrane (ear drum), when vibrated by any sound, including speech, sends the signal to the inner ear, where it is interpolated and sent to the brain. When we are not listening to Jesus, just like my wife, it goes in my ear, but never makes it to my brain, because my brain is otherwise occupied. Jesus is relegated to vying for time within our brain everyday, but fortunately God's grace is sufficient.

So the question for us is, why do we not hear when Jesus speaks? We have discussed the analogous distractions above and in prior posts, but how are they related directly to those Christians in 96 AD. Those examples on their own don't mean to the average Christian today, except once in a great while my parents or grandparents would call someone a "Jezebel." Interesting that the stigma of that name still has meaning today. So the question remains, why do we not hear? (As an aside, what also scares me is the fact that many of us in 2014 don't really SEE or FEEL much either.) The answer is focus...Your focus, just like mine remains on those things we deem vital to us right now, in this life and on this earth. They are FIRST. Until your focus changes and makes God first, you have little to no chance of hearing what is in God's Word, whether your read it, study it or even memorize it. You also have little chance to hear your own conscience or your heart with all the noise in our lives. It's there, but even, "the still, small voice," gets muffled.

Thyratira was a bustling city. Jobs were plentiful and life was good. The church for all intents was a model of Christianity, because even Jesus recognized it from Heaven. So what's wrong with this beautiful and loving church? Ever hear of an X-ray? It's a high powered jet stream of gamma radiation that can literally see through your skin, flesh and blood to see what's inside! If you have a broken bone, an X-ray will enable a doctor to see the damage, because it cannot be seen with the naked eye unless you are Superman. Come to think of it, Superman is a good analogy, because he had X-ray Vision. He could see through walls and pretty much anything else. Now take your vision and add X-ray capability to your eyes, you get a weak approximation of how our Lord looks at everyone of us, every day. The inner workings of your soul are visible to him, just like the X-ray. If you are laying down watching TV or sleeping, he would see your perfect, but lazy self on the couch from the inside first. Now this is deep, so "hear" me when I tell you that Jesus does not rely on what's happening on your outside, including all of the good you have done for the church, for the widowed and for orphans or strangers. He died for what is on the inside of the people of God, the inside! Our souls cannot be white on the outside and black on the inside. That is where it counts NOW, wherever you live, wherever you work, and wherever you sin. Jezebel sinned by adultery and teaching free love. She caused early Christians to fail Jesus by teaching them, as their "prophetess" that they can defile themselves in the world of unmarried sex, without consequence . We thought free love was invented in the 60's...Not so, it's been around for thousands of years. 

The Nicolaitans took it one evil step further, by adding non-Christian doctrine and new idols of worship into saved people's belief system. Underneath Thyatira's beautiful, safe and discreet religious umbrella, sin slowly crept in, one small toleration at a time. Once you try on sin and have no immediate repercussion, it begins to feel good; and then you rationalize it to make it legitimate in your own mind. Having been there myself, you may not give up your salvation, but you certainly become tainted in the eyes of God and worthless in the fight against evil in this world, including the winning of the hearts and souls of others. The GRACE of our God is the only thing keeping you or anyone from immediate consequences; however, without repentance, it will come soon and so will He.

My surgery is next week, so I will be down until around Thanksgiving. FOCUS on Jesus and STOP rationalizing evil. Make God more important in your life than the TV, the computer or the book. It is the only way to break the cycle of sin that Satan deftly slides into your world. 


The Digital Disciple

BOOK OF REVELATION: CHURCH AT PERGAMOS

                                          MEANT TO BE READ OUT LOUD      
Interestingly I started this post several weeks ago; however, it had vanished when I opened it up today to continue. I had several paragraphs completed and was ready to finish it, but I had to start over. During this last week I found some new resources devoted to the Book of Revelation, that are frankly incredible. These important books will become a big part of my future research. They are filled with amazing clarity from two different men whose vast knowledge and unique interpretation of every key word provides an additional level of knowledge, so that conclusions drawn can be more accurate. Clarity is always in the eye of the beholder, but intellectually honest translation with no hidden agenda is rare. Not only do they provide an educated opinion of their own, but they also provide the historical context. From my vantage point, their views are didactic and filled with deep expository accuracy. The actual words of our God, in the Word of God, provide not only an amazingly powerful tool, but also insight into what our Lord has on his mind. In fact, in Revelation the Word of God is pictured as a two-edge sword.

                                     THE WORD OF GOD IS LIKE A TWO-EDGED SWORD

This was the most popular sword in the world at that time, because it was strong, sharp and symmetrically steady. In John's lifetime, this Roman sword was superior to all others. No matter the parry or thrust, this weapon could quickly cut left and then right, slash from any angle or lethally stab. It could be wielded with reckless abandon or precisely guided for maximum damage. This same sword could save or protect it's owner from certain death. John saw this two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of our Lord. Whether that vision was being described as an analogy or a literal divine sword, you come away knowing the Word of God's absolute power and infinite protection, physically, emotionally or spiritually. 

Today we have two-thousand years of sword making history, but even the infamous samurai sword not as sharp the pointed "V" at the tip of the sword that resembles a dual-edged scalpel today. I bring this up because despite the Word of God's power to cut, slash, or thrust, it could also be used as a scalpel to meticulously penetrate any individual heart or soul. By the way, this spiritual surgery can cut on the way in and cauterize on the way out, while simultaneously providing comfort to the weary, strength to the weak, shelter for the fallen and salvation to the lost.

                                     EVERY PAGE IS POWERED BY GOD      
Revelation 2:12, written to those in Pergamos begins with the reminder from the Angel to John, that the words of Jesus flow out of his mouth like a sword from its scabbard, and that what follows must be presented to the Pergamos church perfectly as directed. There is a lesson here for all of us... Each word from God is powerful and protective. Each word can cut out your sin, whether past, present or future, healing you as He molds you according to his divine plan not only your responsibilities in this life, but also the next.

The best example I can think of is my pending surgery. I will be having my left hip replaced at the end of the month. My surgeon with a set of scalpels will pierce deep to excise the damaged joint, just like the Word of God repairing your soul. Both can mend the problem, but leave a scar. I will carry this scar permanently, and it will remind me what had to be done for me to walk again. God will leave a scar in your conscience to remind you what had to be done for you to walk with Him again.

                                                                                        GOD KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE
Jesus said, "I see where you live, and I know what you do for a living." Unfortunately, it is right under Satan's throne. These true believers were holding on boldly to the name of Jesus, but allowed themselves to be right smack in the middle of the crowd that believed in Balaam, who was an "an enemy agent." He tricked Balak into throwing "unholy" parties on their pilgrimage. They also socialized with the Nicolaitans. They mixed their belief in Jesus with the doctrines of evil, right under the nose of Satan. Those believers were rendered ineffective for God, and God said, "ENOUGH!" You cannot ever take one part Jesus, one part Balaam and one part Nicolaitans and try to mix them...Take a look at your church and what is condones. Is it under the seat of Satan, making the true believers ineffective and basically useless to their God? If Satan and all that this life has to offer cannot cause you to recant, the evil one will settle for making you permanently impotent in the eyes of Jesus.

                                                                         THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAY THE COURSE               
If you, your church, your family, your friends and neighbors are caught up in this type of religious triangle, recognize it, admit it, and then change it. God knows that many have tried. It is NOT easy, but he promises you the "hidden manna" and a "smooth white stone" with your new name in Christ inscribed, and it's only for your eyes to see!!

Ever hear of the "hidden manna?" or the "white stone." Consider that for centuries manna fed the Hebrew nation and kept them alive, especially in the desert. If you recall, even when they got fresh manna daily for every person, some tried to steal it, some tried to hoard it and others just go so used to God feeding them, they expected it every day. In return God was never even thanked. "Hidden manna," was not for everyone, and we do not know if it was actually physical food. We know that there was a spot for it beside the altar in the inner chamber. The "Beit HaElohim,"or the House of God was a long hall, shaped like a rectangle, with the Ark of the Covenant at the rear. Entrance was only for the House of Levi at the beginning and later only Priests. It was where God actually had a presence. Special manna my not have been bread at all, in fact, I believe it has more to do with being fed spiritually, rather than physically. A special stone was used in ancient days as a gift to someone who had performed in some special way, above and beyond the call of duty. It was common for soldiers and gladiators to receive these for their victories. This stone could be any smooth stone, because the preciousness of the gift was in the engraving. Only you would be able to see and know your name in the next life, and you would be the only one to know until you entered his Kingdom.

God knows we tolerate sin in our lives. He also knows that we associate with others who believe in other gods that will eventually infect us over time. Balaam pushed the powers of lust and libation and the Nicolaitans did that too, as well as changed immutable doctrine about our Lord and Savior. When Jesus uses the word, "hate," we should stand up and take notice, without question. Too much fraternizing with the "enemies of God," can prove to be eternally fatal...If you want the hidden manna and the inscribed stone, you will gather everyone you know and love, while plotting another course.

                                                                                       
                                         THE SUPREME TWO-EDGED SWORD

God bless our continued understanding...

The Digital Disciple

BOOK OF REVELATION; THE SEVEN CHURCHES

We remain knee deep in the early chapters of Revelation. I am purposely going slowly, so that both of us can savor the words of Jesus to the seven early churches. Each church is being held up to the light, and our Lord and Savior is evaluating their performance. Each one has their list of positives, and their list of negatives. These words are POWERFUL, deserving extra time and commitment to fully understand. All scripture has a level of difficulty, because we will never understand the nuances of Hebrew or Greek. Most of us have a hard enough time understanding the nuances of each mother tongue that we represent, making it easy for charlatans to manipulate the meaning and application of translation. Every time a man tries to interject "new" meaning or change the pillars of our faith, beware! Even if you are a new convert,  God has special, individual plans for your life. Here are just a few to stimulate divine enthusiasm:

1. God Almighty has selected you by having Jesus and the Holy Spirit work a miracle inside of you. Your soul that was black and destined to be controlled by Satan has forever been made white and pure. Our reaction to that event was like winning a lottery, but over time it begins to fade and needs to be stimulated by the Word of God and prayer.
2. Since you won the lottery, because of your belief and acceptance of Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are forever special. 
3. The words that John of Patmos wrote in Revelation are direct, hard-hitting and individualized by church. God even sent an angel to oversee the process, so that is was done exactly correct. When I proof-read my posts, I read them out loud, then I double check with spell check and triple check with grammar check. Even then my lovely wife finds my errors, usually after I have published it.
4. When Jesus is quoted in other parts of the Bible like the Gospels, it is the inspired Word of God for sure; however, in the Book of Revelation God sends an angel to do all the checking. For some reason, maybe the complexity and intricacy of the vision this passage is made from  incredibly precious words. 

We already discussed the Church in Ephesus two posts ago, so we are now ready for Smyrna. To find this on a map, you need to know that this city is present day Izmir, located in Turkey. Smyrna was a port city and was prosperous for the time, and yet the Christian community was extremely poor. Jesus said they had endured suffering, slandering and were subjected to Jews that were pretenders. Jesus even says that these Jews belonged to "The Synagogue of Satan." If that wasn't enough Jesus says that there is much more suffering ahead for them. Specifically he says that some of them will be put in prison for 10 days by the "devil", making this a kind of a prophecy inside a prophecy. Jesus then says that if they remain faithful, "even unto death," that each will receive a special crown of life, and with this crown all the "faithful" will not, "be hurt at all by the second death."

Ephesus was told that they lost the zeal and zest from the early days of their salvation. They were walking down the path of righteousness, but there was no spring in their step, proving that just walking and talking is not enough for our Lord. To be a complete example internally and externally, you have feel the joy, fear the Lord and openly give him the glory. When the newness of their salvation wore off, they lost their mojo. Jesus is telling them that mindless routines in our Christian walk with lead to complacency and compromise. If we religiously tread water instead of swimming with gusto, we will eventually damage ourselves and our Lord. Blind lethargy is what shakes out when Smyrna is evaluated by God. Jesus does not count your appearances in church or the number of time you pray. He is all about quality, not quantity. One prayer from the heart will always trump 10 prayers born of habit.

Ephesus lost its mojo, and Smyrna was headed for more suffering and slander. Back then Jesus was teaching and prophesying to all of the believers in the early church. My personal opinion is that all seven of these churches received distinctive exhortations by God for more than one reason. Jesus knew that they were just as apropo then as now. Every believer past, present and future needs this divine medicine. It is apparent that everything told to these 7 churches was to provide insight for the ages. John says, that he saw the "seven golden lamp-stands" surrounding our Lord, "even as he sat on his throne." What a privileged sight to behold!!

If you don't have anything in common with these early churches, you have missed the point...Believe me, God was talking to all the believers then, as well as all believers to follow over the centuries. It includes all the believers suffering in Iraq, it includes all those believers slaughtered in Nigeria, it includes all the believers in war torn Ukraine, and it includes every military believer around the globe, who must wonder when all the bloodshed will end. It includes the rich, the poor, the homeless, the persecuted, the slandered, and those being ridiculed each day for their faith. I guarantee that Jesus sees not only what you are doing on the outside, but knows the truth of every motive, feeling and emotion on the inside. He knew that that the believers of Ephesus had lost their mojo, just like he knows each of us at a level we cannot comprehend, and he promises that if you persevere and remain faithful, you will not feel the sting of death. Below is a synopsis of each of these Roman churches that date back to 300-400 AD.

1. Ephesus – The desirable church that left its first love (Revelation 2:1-7). Ephesus was the influential capital city of Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea. Ephesus is now known for its huge metropolis of ancient streets, arches and ruins.
2. Smyrna – The persecuted church that suffered poverty and martyrdom (Revelation 2:8-11). Smyrna was located north of Ephesus in a powerful trading position on the Aegean Sea known for its harbors, commerce, and marketplaces. The primary ruins of Smyrna are located in the modern Turkish city of Izmir.
3. Pergamum – The worldly church that mixed doctrines and needed to repent (Rev 2:12-17). Pergamum is located on the plains and foothills along the Caicus River in Western Turkey. It was considered a major city in Asia Minor since the 3rd century BC, and became a Greek and Roman hub for temple worship.
4. Thyatira – The false church that followed a seductive prophetess (Rev 2:18-29). Thyatira is located in western Asia Minor about 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. The ancient city was known for its textiles and dyeing trade, and is now known as the Turkish city of Akhisar.
5. Sardis – The "dead" church that fell asleep (Revelation 3:1-6). Sardis is located on the banks of the Pactolus River in western Asia Minor, 60 miles inland from Ephesus and Smyrna. Popular ruins include the decadent temples and bath house complexes.
6. Philadelphia – The church of brotherly love that endures patiently (Revelation 3:7-13). Philadelphia is located on the Cogamis River in western Asia Minor, about 80 miles east of Smyrna. Philadelphia was known for its variety of temples and worship centers.
7. Laodicea – The "lukewarm" church with a faith that’s neither hot nor cold (Rev 3:14-22). Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia Minor, a primary trade route between the cultures of the West and East. Laodicea was known as a primary hub for the Roman aqueduct system.

Next up will be the church at Pergamum. This is the church that accepted the "Nicolaitans" and allowed them to infiltrate their congregation of believers. You might call this the first unitarian or universal church, because they shared the beliefs of all religions.

May we learn that our walk on God's path not only needs discipline, strength and endurance for all of the challenges ahead, but that it must remain fresh with plenty of enthusiasm, joy and happiness. You know if you are on the path he has laid out for you, but only God and you know what really going on inside. The world will know if in addition to what you say, you remain enthusiastic when you are persecuted, full of joy because you are never alone, and happy knowing that you will pass from this world to the next in the blink of an eye.


The Digital Disciple

1. 1. Ephesus – The desirable church that left its first love (Revelation 2:1-7). Ephesus was the influential capital city of Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea. Ephesus is now known for its huge metropolis of ancient streets, arches and ruins.
2. 2. Smyrna – The persecuted church that suffered poverty and martyrdom (Revelation 2:8-11). Smyrna was located north of Ephesus in a powerful trading position on the Aegean Sea known for its harbors, commerce, and marketplaces. The primary ruins of Smyrna are located in the modern Turkish city of Izmir.
3. 3. Pergamum – The worldly church that mixed doctrines and needed to repent (Rev 2:12-17). Pergamum is located on the plains and foothills along the Caicus River in Western Turkey. It was considered a major city in Asia Minor since the 3rd century BC, and became a Greek and Roman hub for temple worship.
4. 4. Thyatira – The false church that followed a seductive prophetess (Rev 2:18-29). Thyatira is located in western Asia Minor about 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. The ancient city was known for its textiles and dyeing trade, and is now known as the Turkish city of Akhisar.
5. 5. Sardis – The "dead" church that fell asleep (Revelation 3:1-6). Sardis is located on the banks of the Pactolus River in western Asia Minor, 60 miles inland from Ephesus and Smyrna. Popular ruins include the decadent temples and bath house complexes.
6. 6. Philadelphia – The church of brotherly love that endures patiently (Revelation 3:7-13). Philadelphia is located on the Cogamis River in western Asia Minor, about 80 miles east of Smyrna. Philadelphia was known for its variety of temples and worship centers.
7. 7. Laodicea – The "lukewarm" church with a faith that’s neither hot nor cold (Rev 3:14-22). Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley of western Asia Minor, a primary trade route between the cultures of the West and East. Laodicea was known as a primary hub for the Roman aqueduct system.

VIEW ON INCREMENTAL EVIL

Incrementalism is the single best arrow in Satan's quiver...It is a subtle approach to change masked as a genuinely positive, and since it always comes in slow, bite size chunks over time, you do not even feel that you have been deceived until too late. The Latin word, "increscere" means simply to to increase, but the rest of the word holds the key to understanding the true meaning and ultimate usage, and that is, "mental." In Latin it's "mentum" for singular or "menta" for plural. You may have heard this phrase used in many courtrooms by lawyers, "non compos mentis." It means not of sound mind or insane." Now take this knowledge and apply "insanity or non compos mentis" or incrementalism to a few examples such as:

1. political changes
2. biblical changes
3. minority changes
4. majority changes
5. belief changes
6. value changes

"Change" has been the mantra of new generations for centuries. Almost all change appears to be logical and rational on the surface. It's when you understand that often, just below the surface there are many less obvious agendas at work. For example, moral boundaries in this decade have been stretched beyond recognition. How do you change the moral fiber of a 300 year old country? One small, bite size chunk at a time, so that no one in their right mind could be against, like feeding the hungry, caring for children, and assisting the old. All of these are fundamental concepts are found in our Bibles today. We are told to care for all those in need out of all that we produce. Meals on wheels, no child left behind, Social Security, and Medicare all were all positive social changes at the beginning with the best of intentions, at least most of the time.

Remember the days when if you had a problem you settled it between the two parties. No lawyer, no courtroom and no arbitration was ever needed, just plain old, common sense. In the OT, Moses said, "An eye for an eye." It was a simple, but perfect metaphor and justly expedient. Today, it's no longer justice being pursued, because of a conflagration of laws, both new and old, have been torturously manipulated, so that we can't tell the victim from the criminal. Consider these examples of manipulation below. The all started out on a righteous path before men made their changes over time.

1. The Word of God has been translated, decoded,  and deciphered by all mankind over the centuries, relegating it to an excuse for division, strife and hatred, none of which was ever intended by the authors. It started out in small pieces over time. Each book and/or letter was carefully crafted just like the Book of Revelation by John of Patmos. Jesus told John exactly what to write, so that the future would no longer be an enigma to believers, and it was meant to be understood by all. The Bible was never meant to cause wars, damage nations or be the subject of man's dissection and interpretation, and yet for the last 2000 years we have never stopped our ridiculous machinations. So the book itself, started with inspiration and best of the best of intentions by the writers. Regardless that holy book became the worst possible justification to slaughter, starve and altogether disrespect by color, country and creed. To this day, mankind uses it to justify sinful acts everywhere in this world. Part of its eternal beauty is that it was meant to bind us together, not sacrilegiously used to rip us apart.
2. Dr. Martin Luther King was a Pastor and Christian first, while remaining a staunch supporter of civil rights and civil disobedience. He has been gone now for 46 years. If you actually read, "I Have a Dream," you will understand that nowhere in this remarkable speech from 1968 did he mention the use of force, rioting, or killing. He was careful to spell out in detail how his dream could be accomplished by establishing all us as equals, not only in the sight of God, but also in our everyday lives and in every community. Not only did he give this speech in our nation's capitol, but it has been recorded for posterity as the most important speech of the 20th century. Dr. King wanted to bring people together, not separate them. He wanted every color to play, work and raise their families together without fear and without prejudice. Like our Bible, Dr. King's speech has been ripped apart, misinterpreted and misrepresented for 46 years. It was the right time. It contained the right words. It was the right speaker, and yet at this point in time it continues to be abused for the cause of racism. Slowly, but surely his words have been twisted and turned to meet someone's desire to fuel the fire of discord, strangling the minds and lives of many.
3. The Founding Father's of our country gave us, The Declaration of Independence," and the US Constitution. Many of us have never read these documents much less studied them for their own edification. I watched Jay Leno one night when he had his reporter asking questions to people in LA. With microphone in hand, he asked the crowd what they knew about these two historical documents. Half had heard of them, but couldn't remember anything of substance about them. The other half never heard of these historical documents. Just like one and two above, the passage of time and the short-term memory of mankind has diminished, distorted, and all but destroyed the original intentions of the writers, one bite sized chunk at a time. "We the people" has been slowly transformed into we the government right before out very eyes. Today our principles of governing have morphed from values founded in our country's history and a genuine love of God, to an ever growing octopus of confusion, collusion and conflict. There are so many tentacles and moving parts of the ungodly leviathan we have made, we don't even recognize any branch of the US Government anymore. The historically impartial Dept of Justice has now become politicized, polarized and paralyzed. Legality based on the laws of our land has, slowly but surely, been eroded, and now jurisprudence everywhere makes it up as they go along. If they don't like it, they ignore it or change it on their own. Our congress is so corrupt, so arrogant, and so not interested in serving, "We the people," it forces you into denial, because you can't believe that would would stoop so low. And finally the President of "change" has done anything but make genuine change with the country's best interest in mind. His job has been politicized and publicized to the point that right and wrong, good and bad, and any other boundary by our laws are all virtually extinct. 

Currently I am knee deep in the book of Revelation. I am on my second complete reading, because it's difficult to comprehend the truth of John's visions. The examples above have been predicted in the Book of Revelation. Not only am I trying to determine what God said about the days, weeks and years leading up to Judgement Day, but I am attempting to understand the verbal images of the end of the world as we know it. The opinions about this book could wallpaper the world; however, I do not believe that God was being purposely esoteric, so the answers are there. They just require more digging and more praying than any other book in the Bible. 

"We the people" of God are participating in this nefarious incrementalism every day. For example, look hard at the time you spend with God. Chances are that over time, you have done what most of us do. You short-change God and your soul for something more important, and it seems to have a good, rational reason. Really our logical minds have replaced what is supremely important, and made something less important than God become more important than something going on in your life right now. Satan smiles every time we sacrifice the health and happiness of our soul for something that produces immediate results, gratification or satisfaction. 

One thing about the mystery of Revelation, that is unmistakable. Our God wants all mankind in heaven with him. Clearly, even after the rapture, everyone will have the choice to believe in God or not... I remain fascinated by his long-suffering and magnanimous grace over centuries of being maliciously maligned, denigrated, disparaged and vilified, by every nation on earth, including his "chosen." 

There are many reasons I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Certainly I can see the mountains, the rivers, the trees, the flowers, the sunlight, and feel the wind. He makes himself known to every one of our senses, if we just allow him to do so. I see the animals, the insects, the birds, and the fish; each with a purpose in a God created eco-system created to sustain all life and waste nothing. But most of all his love is truly beyond compare. After all these years of our sin and disbelief, he still cares. After killing his planet, his lakes, his streams and his wildlife, he still cares. After all the arrogance, the stealing, the manipulating, the killing, the idolatry, the gluttony and the swearing, he still cares. I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. Finally, the Book of Revelation is explicit about the fact that you can call on and stand up for God at any time and in any place place. So if you do not believe today, and you don't believe tomorrow, please understand that you will get a last chance to repent and believe with your whole heart. He did it in Golgotha for the thief on the cross next to him, and he can do it for you. It's always been that way, and will continue to the end.


The Digital Disciple

THE SKILLED ART OF COMPROMISE...

It is apparent to me that much of my success in business over the last 40 plus years stems from an innate ability to COMPROMISE. Being able to bring the two opposing sides of a disagreement together is an art. Most attorneys make their living this way, and each of us in our own daily lives go along to get along. Creating a "win/win" scenario is the ultimate compromise, where both parties walk away feeling that they have won something. Here are some common compromises from our every day lives:

We compromise daily with our children pretty much every day. When they are very young we bribe them stop crying, go to sleep or a myriad of other ways to control their behavior. It's a win/win. We compromise with our friends and families to keep the peace, on a regular basis. Everyone wins. We compromise with God, especially if we find ourselves over our head in deep trouble of one sort or another. Ever say to him, "if you just get me out of this, this one time, I will never, ever do this again?" You attempted to compromise with Him by promising him better behavior for His intervention. Young ladies, how many times have you compromised with your boyfriends, and vice-versa? Men, when you get pulled over by the police for speeding do you create a story for why you had to break the speed limit in order to get a warning instead of a ticket? You are trying to force a compromise. 

I could go on with how we compromise with our wives, our bosses, personal situations, professional situations and finally our religious belief system. 

Just realized that I put wives right next to bosses...maybe a Freudian slip!

In Revelation 2, we find our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, talking to John of Patmos, It is a relatively small island off the coast of Greece. The Roman Empire used this island for the most hardened criminals that were never to mix with society again. The emperor at that time tried to have John burned in oil, but it failed, so in frustration he decided to get rid of John a different way, permanent banishment. To be sure this is the same John that wrote the Gospel of John and John 1, 2 and 3. This Apostle named John lived more than 90 years, outliving all other Apostle's of Jesus Christ, and he maintained a very special relationship with God from the moment of his salvation. He is said to have written the Book of Revelation when he was 92 years old...

Did you ever have a dream that was so real that it just blew your mind? I am talking about a dream in living technicolor, that caused you to believe that you were actually there, and everything that happened was absolutely real. My dreams are usually related to what I am experiencing in my real life at the time. If I have a deadline to meet, for example, I might dream about my frustration in getting the work done. Most of the time these are relatively short, black and white dreams, that are mostly forgotten when I awaken. Once every couple of months, I get a BIG dream. It seems to absorb my entire being. I have been told that I can cry, talk and scream, as my mind lives the dream. If I wake up and then fall back to sleep, usually I pick up right where I left off...

John's vision was provided by Jesus, himself and confirmed by an angel of God, so that when we read Revelation we must be cognizant of the fact that Jesus is talking and telling John exactly what to write verbatim, and an angel confirms it's accuracy and authenticity. At the beginning of his vision, John sees and has explained to him that the 7 stars and 7 golden lamp-stands have special meaning. They represent these seven churches in what ancient Rome called Asia:

1. Ephesus
2. Smyrna
3. Pergamum
4. Thyatira
5. Sardis
6. Philadelphia
7. Laodicea

So let's talk about church #1, Ephesus...The first 7 verses are dedicated from God to them directly. Jesus starts out by complimenting everything positive that they are doing as a Christian church. Basically he tells them that he knows everything about them, including their deeds, their likes and dislikes, their hard work and even what they think. He knows they do not tolerate wicked people. The problem is, according to Jesus, that they have forgotten the "love" they had in the beginning. He says, "repent and do those things you did at first."

When we were "babes" in Christ, we were enthusiastic and supportive of every good cause. The smile on the outside truly reflected the new, inner beauty of a soul having been wiped clean. You were in Sunday school, you were in church, you were in prayer meetings, you sang in the choir, you witnessed for Christ, and you made a difference in other people's lives. Remember when you last read and studied the Bible on your own? Remember the last time you were on your knees before God? Remember the last time you told someone on the outside what happened to you on the inside? Remember the last time you chose God and what you know to be right, rather than compromise yourself and your Savior?

In Rev. 2:6, Jesus says that he likes the fact that their church "hates the practices of the Nicolaitans." Jesus then says he hates them as well. The actual Greek words mean that they "utterly detest them with no chance of change." This is a compliment to those early Christians at Ephesus, but it is the first and only time that Jesus uses the word, "hate," that I can remember. So it begs the question, who were these people, and why are they utterly detested by Jesus. 

The etymology of the Greek word, "Nicolaitans," involves two words put together. This compound word combines, "Nikos and Laos." Nikos means "conquer or subdue", and Laos means, "the people." Lots of people conquer other people; however, in this case the Nicolaitans were early religious conquerors and compromisers. Initially this group was Pagan, then they became Jews and finally they became "Christians." They taught that if you take Christianity, mix it with a dash of Paganism, and Jewish law and lore, everyone can be as one. All you had to do was water down your belief system enough to tolerate others in the name of unanimity. They attempted to get Christians to alter their belief system, a little bit at a time. I call it INCREMENTAL APOSTASY. It creeps in slowly but surely, and initially you actually embrace these minor changes. After all it brings everyone together. Over time these small, but poisonous cells form a tumor, and then the tumor metastasizes into your lymphatic system, destroying your ability to see good from evil, right versus wrong, and ultimately godly vs ungodly. Once it conquers your Christian lymph system, you will become useless to God, because you have no solid foundation or point of view.

"Conquering and subduing" God's people for any reason is hated by God. You must hate it too. Incremental growth of compromise in each of us concerning our Biblical founded faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, will make us soft and susceptible to anything Satan wants to whisper in our ear...

Please do not compromise one jot or one tittle, no matter the ridicule, the punishment, the ostracism, or pain. Remember that John wrote this from prison and used Jesus's exact words. Pay attention and don't let your Christianity ever get frayed around the edges, because it's only the beginning.

Sorry for the length, but I had much to say...We will continue with the other 6 early churches over time.

God Bless,

The Digital Disciple

BIBLICAL BELIEF IN GOD-DO YOU HAVE IT OR NOT?

Belief in our Creator, his son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is the critical doctrine of Christianity throughout the ages. Believing that there is a Heavenly Father, Son & Holy Spirit in existence is by no means what the Word of God means under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant. The Hebrew word for believe in the Old Testament is "Aman," and it is used 108 times. The definition is quite different from our use of the word today, so it's worth a look.
"Aman" literally means to build up or support. Figuratively it means to be firm and faithful and to trust permanently. In the New Testament from the Greek, we get still another twist in the definition of believe. "Pisteuo" literally means to be persuaded of or to have complete confidence in someone or something. Figuratively it means, "to have permanent conviction and trust that Jesus or God is capable of delivering on the promise made by his life, death and resurrection."

All of this etymology is a mouthful, but it is paramount that we, as believers, understand this amazing word completely. The information is not to confuse you, but to pique your interest about this key pillar of our faith. By the way, I meant "pique," not peak. So now when you read or recite, "Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," you learn that it had a very different meaning than just believing that the sun will rise tomorrow. A simple mental acknowledgement of the existence of our Trinity is not what John meant when he penned the verse above. It's meaning is much deeper and contains part of the entire historic use of the word.

Let's site a few examples to help clarify:

1.  Satan believes and knows that our God exists.
2.  Demons believe and know that our God exists.
3.  Nebuchadnezzar believed and knew our God exists.
4.  Pharoah believed and knew our God exists.
5.  The Hebrew nation believes and knows our God exists.
6.  You believe and know that our God exists.
7.  I believe and know that our God exists.

So what's the difference between these 7 examples? There is nothing different! They all believe and know that our God exists, and yet many of the above examples will never see the New Jerusalem or walk the streets of gold. Whether it's OT belief or NT belief, if it is worthy of eternal life, it must be more than a casual, impersonal statement of fact. Many of us have been lulled to sleep, thinking that you "believe" in God. BIBLICAL BELIEF is far from a casual affirmation, and even farther from being impersonal. This is as formal, real, and genuine as it can get in this short life. 

Some like to think a superior being or power created everything on our planet. It has no name, it is not personal. Some like to think we evolved from some impersonal primordial ooze, and that some impersonal galactic explosion created our mountains, lakes, streams, vegetation and populated our planet with all variations of life itself, from the smallest of insects to the largest mammal on earth, the Blue Whale. Trust me our Creator is NOT impersonal.

Whether you like it or not, BIBLICAL BELIEF causes you to study his word, pray in earnest, confess with an open heart, and to use your personal set of God given talents for Him. There is nothing more personal than your relationship with God. He knows how you take your coffee in the morning. He knows when you sin in the light of day or in darkness of night. He knows what goes through your mind. He knows what you feel, see and touch. He knows if you love his creation, and if you love others more than yourself. He knows if you place value on your relationship with Him. He knows if you are stagnant and slothful or vibrant and growing towards Him or away from Him. He knows you inside and out. He knows that He never moves away from you, but you often pretend He is not even there...

When you meet your very, personal Creator one day in the future, you will know that your Belief was complete and Biblical in nature. If you are so caught up in yourself, your job, your money, your car and you try to embrace our Lord with coldness in your heart, you might want to stop and think again. If your are mad, if you are condescending, if your are arrogant and aloof, you might want to stop and think. If you have an uncontrollable ego, if you have an uncontrollable tongue, and if you don't feel His Holy Spirit coursing through your veins, you might want to stop and think of Him. 

My dear friend, it's time you took a good look at your personal belief in the Creator, his Son and his Spirit. If you only go through the motions and have gotten spiritually soft and are stuck at a convenient impasse without love in your heart and God's agenda on your mind, you have a problem. Talk to God multiple times each day. Suck the marrow out of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, and you will get the engine started and on the path of righteousness. Thank God for your life, because it was Him that created you personally out of clay, and breathed the breath of life into your lungs. It has always been personal with God. If you make it personal with Him, and it's about time you do, your belief becomes Biblical...

God Bless,

The Digital Disciple

WHAT'S YOUR HANDICAP?

                                  Handicaps come in all sizes and shapes


When I was younger, we used some words that were moderately harsh, but extremely accurate when used without prejudice. Take the word, "retarded," as an example. By definition the word is harmless; however, being slow mentally, physically or emotionally is a fact of life for many of us. You can be born this way, be made that way by an accident, by medication anomalies or street drugs, and by allowing your personal world convince you that you are different from everyone else. In today's world, we choose to ignore inflammatory and disparaging words like retarded, psychotic, stupid, touched, imbecile or moronic. The new "politically correct" word is HANDICAPPED and right behind that is CHALLENGED. I even sport a handicap placard in my car window!

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul, the writer, deals plainly with being handicapped or challenged. It is an emotional chapter, but you miss all the emotion if you only read the KJV version of this letter. Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, feels that his ministry is now being viewed by the church in Corinth as tainted, incomplete and in some cases thought to be less than accurate. You know that his feelings have been hurt, because he spends vs.1-6, reminding those in Corinth that he was brought to Jesus on the road to Damascus by none other than Jesus himself. In an effort to re-establish himself and, of course, tame his bruised ego, he resorts to reminding them of his past. We probably would do the same thing in a similar circumstance. Scripture in not clear on why there is controversy; however, it involved the 12 "true" apostles, who were thought to be extra special. All the times I have read this, I truly did not pick up on the fact that Paul carried a chip on his shoulder, because he was not an "original." Here are the original apostles commissioned by Jesus:

1. Peter
2. Andrew, the brother of Peter
3. James
4. John
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew
7. Matthew
8. Thomas
9. James, the son of Alpheus
10. Simon, the Zealot
11. Judas, the son of James
12. Judas Iscariot, the traitor to Jesus

These are the men that dropped everything to follow Jesus without question. They were far from perfect, and in fact, had many of same faults and sinful natures that you or I may have today. Peter for example was impulsive and emotional. One minute he was denying his savior and the next he was walking on water...These traits seem to fit many of us today, which makes the apostles examples that we can relate to on many levels.

                                                                           WOW!

Just like you and me, each of these original followers of Jesus was given a gift, even James, the Less. "Mikros" is an interesting dual meaning word from the Septuagint. It can mean youngest or smallest. If you string them together James was the youngest and the smallest. There was a time in my life when I was the youngest, but never the smallest!

                                            Look at the smile

All of us are aware of individual gifts, given to us by God...Some can preach, some can teach, some can write, and some, like Paul were uniquely saved, so that you could perform a specific function. Who better to evangelize other Jews, steeped in OT law and tradition? Remember he was Jewish in every way, until Jesus, himself, stopped him right in his tracks en route to Damascus.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes another type of gift from God, but not the ones that we would naturally call a "gift." These special gifts don't even feel or look like gifts. They feel to our selfish and sinful minds like punishment of the worse kind. Paul says clearly that it took him years to understand how gifts like, sickness, disease, death and other "challenges" along each of our paths are nothing but gifts from above from a loving, heavenly father who will use the loss of something or someone special to change ego into humility. Paul says that God knew exactly what would keep him faithful, and each challenge, large or small, was used by God to teach him, to mold him and even protect him from himself or the forces of evil. Paul says that he thanks God for all the good showered on him by God; however, knowing that God loves him enough to mete our punishment and challenges on a personal basis
to each of us, solidifies his faith in God. When he prays he thanks God for these, life lessons, without which he knows that he would be destined to stray.

                                                       No arms, painted with feet...

I suppose we thank God if we win the lottery, inherit money, grow a business, get that promotion you wanted, or the spouse that completes you. Try thanking God for losing your house, losing your job, staying unemployed for months on end. Try thanking God for having to have another hip replacement or knee replacement. Try thanking God for humiliation to reign in your ego, for financial problems that make you more fully trust him, not yourself or anything in this world. Try thanking God for your depression, your anxiety, and your hunger for all those things in this life that can give you temporary respite from the responsibility that comes with truly serving our Master, Jesus Christ. 

When you retire for the evening and communicate with your Creator, you will no doubt pray for your family, families in need, 
our troops overseas, and you will give thanks for the good things happening in your life. If your baby was spared, if you beat cancer, if you made a difference in someone's life by letting God's light shine through you, you will thank Him profusely...

                                      Thanks for my gifts, including my particular handicaps

Tonight try thanking this same Creator for either giving you or allowing you to experience anguish, fear, persecution and hatred. Recognize that everything that happens to God's children is part of a grand plan to nurture you along your path to righteousness. He allows you to be cold, so you will appreciate his warmth, and he allows you to walk in the rain, so that you appreciate his sun. He allows physical pain to make you stronger, he allows depression, so that you will seek him for the cure, and he allows anxiety to teach us all to trust in him, not ourselves.

All gifts from God are positive, you just might not have noticed some of them, just like my favorite writer, Paul.

The Digital Disciple 

                                                             THANK YOU, LORD!