Message to the Churches in the Book of Revelation

[Book of Jeremiah]

Message to the Church of Thyatira Part One
by Michael Boldea


Message to Thyatira Part 1
May 1, 2007

The fourth of seven letters to the churches, the letter to the angel of the church of Thyatira, also has the distinction of being the longest of the seven. Although I have heard many a sermon and read many a study done on Laodicea, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and even Ephesus, very few have taken the time to fully understand the message to Thyatira.

As previously stated, nothing in the word of God is superfluous, and if Christ took the time to write the longest of the seven letters to Thyatira, there is a distinct reason and purpose for it. Our duty as faithful servants is to glean all that God has for us to glean not only from the spiritual condition of Thyatira, but also the warning that was passed down from Christ, via the faithful dictation of John.

At first glance, as we begin to read the message to Thyatira we begin to realize the reason for its length. The darkness of deceit, and the work of the enemy among believers had grown to such unprecedented heights, that Christ was compelled to expose it, confront it, and rebuke it.

The light of Godly truth rises ever so slowly, but without interruption, and absent of deviation, even in the darkest of hearts or communities. No one can stop God’s truth, or light, they can merely reject it. No man can plead ignorance when they stand before a sovereign God, because the truth was always there, easily accessible, and by choice they have rejected it.

Revelation 2:18, “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘these things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:”

When God gives a command it is clear, and absent of ambiguity. When God speaks instruction into our lives, He does so in a way wherein we don’t have to guess at what He meant, but it is obvious and apparent. Christ’s command to John, was clear, ‘to the angel of the church in Thyatira write.’

There are times when we are commanded to write, or speak a message that we know will be rejected, hated and ridiculed, that we know will fall on deaf ears, but it is not our concern as to how the message will be received, our only duty before God, is to obey, and do that which He commands. The after effects, the consequences, and ramifications of speaking a certain thing, or writing a certain thing that God has commanded, are inconsequential. The only thing that matters is that we obey, and do as God commands without delay. Often God will speak a message to our hearts, but fear keeps us from relaying the message to those for whom God intended it. Fear comes in many forms, either fear of rejection, fear of persecution, fear of hurting the person’s feelings, but no matter how we try to justify our unwillingness to be the messenger, the mouthpiece, it still amounts to nothing less than disobedience. When God commands, we must obey, and if we obey in the little, He will reveal and require greater things of us. The reason for God not entrusting us with a greater ministry, is always the same, namely because we were not faithful in the smaller one He assigned us in the first place.

As we continue with the introduction to the church of Thyatira, we see that once again Christ speaks of certain attributes, which John had seen in the first chapter, as Christ revealed Himself to him. In every one of the seven letters, Christ introduces Himself by reaffirming certain aspects of what John had been shown upon his initial vision. In His letter to Thyatira, He speaks of His eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass.

His title, as the Son of God, is also different than any of the other seven letters, and although many have speculated as to why He chose Thyatira to introduce Himself as the Son of God, I believe it was to show and prove the true measure of His authority. The Thyatira condition, came on the heels of the Pergamos condition, meaning the state of darkness into which a soul descends after it has wed itself to the world, after it has compromised the truths of God’s word.

Christ introduces Himself as the Son of God, who was and is, and forever shall be the Son of God, the One who can redeem us from the darkness of death, and shackles of sin, who paid the price for our redemption, and though the condition of those in Thyatira was a lamentable one, by His introduction we can see that if repentance be found in their hearts, if they reached out to Him, He would surely take them by the hand.

Students of the Holy Scriptures have speculated that if we were to look upon the letters to the seven churches in the context of history, the Thyatira time period would have been sometime in the middle ages, beginning with the year 600, after the age of Pergamos when the church had wed itself with the world. A majority of the people of that time had forgotten, or chose to dismiss the word of God, and instead embraced and adopted a mixed and convoluted teaching, rejecting grace and basing their trust and beliefs in salvation by good works alone.

Translated, the name Thyatira means a sacrifice of labor, or the perfume of affliction. What we understand from this, is the attempted replacement of grace, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, with human effort, man’s own sacrifices, and good deeds, which they believed would allow them to earn their entrance into heaven. Although works, and good deeds are a natural byproduct of a faithful heart, only the blood of Christ can cleanse us, renew us, and make us pure.

Although many churches have by and large forgot the old hymn, the truth of its message stands throughout the ages:

‘What can wash away my stains?
Nothing, but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
How precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow,
No other fount’ I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Yet another interpretation that can be gleaned from this verse, taken into context with the next verse in this passage, is that within the churches that surrendered, and received the image of this world, there were still small groups, and pockets of true believers. By their way of life, by their faithfulness and uncompromising attitude these few Christians radiated a sweet perfume in the midst of the world in which they lived.

In His letter to Thyatira, Christ introduces himself as the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire. By this we understand that the sins found within the ‘Thyatira condition’, cannot be hid from his all seeing eyes, and that eventually, inevitably these sins will be judged. His feet, like fine brass will carry Him wherever He must go to judge the evil that is found within His own house.

We look upon the modern church, and many groan in their hearts, the cry of all the saints that came before them, namely, ‘how long Lord? How long will you suffer, how long will you terry, how long before you judge the wickedness, the duplicity, the heresy and evil in the church?’

Although only He knows the time, what we have been given to know is that judgment begins not in the world, but in the house of God. It is with His own that God deals first and foremost, for having known they chose to reject the truth.

That which should greatly concern us, dare I say even birth terror into our very beings, is not the fact that God would rebuke, chasten, or discipline us, but when He simply leaves us to our own devices, for where God refuses to correct, it is there that He resolves to destroy. I have often encountered lukewarm Christians, who know that they are living in sin, who know that they are not walking in righteousness, and although for awhile they had one eye glued to the heavens, awaiting the proverbial lightning bolt from above, they grew comfortable in their evil works, breathing a sigh of relief that no judgment befell them, that no disciplinary action was taken. Such souls, and there are a countless number of them, roaming about the house of God, have not yet realized that as an old puritan put it, that God is most angry, when he shows no anger.

The truth that Christ knows all, and His eyes see all our works, should be ever present at the forefront of our mind, for nothing is hidden from His eye, and His righteous judgment descends wherever true repentance is not found, and the sins of the past were not washed away by His shed blood.

Rather than adopt the mentality of seeing how far we can push the envelope, how much we can get away with before God’s anger is ignited, may we as wise children continually desire to draw closer, to become purer, to grow in the knowledge, truth and power that is granted to us in His word, aspiring always to be more like Christ in our conduct, actions, speech and everyday life.

Revelation 2:19, “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.”

None among us can deny that God’s justice is sovereign and righteous. In its all encompassing knowledge, it brings to light with startling clarity, all the virtues, and good deeds of an individual believer, or of an entire church body, but it also judges and condemns without mercy the evil discovered in a heart or a community. God’s justice is blind to social standing, influence, or personal prejudices; it is impartial and unaffected by flattery or personal sympathies.

If there is good to be found in a heart, Christ will see it, and praise it, as an encouragement to more diligently do battle against the evil that is always threatening to overwhelm, and overcome. By the same token, He will never allow evil, no matter how small or insignificant to coexist in the same house as good. Knowing that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump, Christ is aware that evil left unchecked will continue to grow and consume. Therefore, in every individual, in every church, and every community, there is an appointed time, when a separation must take place, where the good is brought into the storehouse, and the evil is burned in the fire if His righteous wrath.

It is thus with the Thyatira condition, wherein a remnant of Godly virtues is still found, where there are still those who hold fast to love, faith, patience and works. This remnant, like the remnants of a great fire that has fizzled down to mere embers, must re- ignite that which is around it. The duty and responsibility of the remnant, is always to awaken those that have fallen asleep, to fan the flames that remain in the hope that the fire will grow, and spread, that what was once a flicker would become a raging inferno.

By its life, testimony, and suffering, the remnant must be a perfume, a pleasing fragrance unto Christ, in the midst of evil, and its latter good works must surpass the former as a testament to their spiritual growth and maturity in God. No matter what a man endeavors, in order for his endeavor to be counted fruitful and worthwhile, progress must be evident. It is such with our spiritual growth, wherein stagnation is unacceptable, and we strive to mature daily. As an ancient saying goes, if we do not grow in good, we will inevitably fall into the arms of evil. One thing is certain, the greater and more profound the darkness, the light must shine brighter and more brilliant still. As darkness continues to grow, so must the light within us, that it may not be overcome. Herein lies the true battle for every believer, and the responsibility we have not only toward ourselves, but one that encompasses those around us, to be light even in the greatest darkness, to be true to God’s holy word even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Revelation 2:20, “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and beguile My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.”

When doing a side-by-side comparison of Christ’s letter to the church of Ephesus, and the church of Thyatira, one readily sees a few key differences, as well as one glaring similarity, that are worth contemplating, for in them lies a great lesson for every believer. As has been discussed in previous studies, the church of Ephesus had many good works, and godly virtues, but they were missing one key component in their relationship with God, namely that they had lost their fist love. Although they still had works, although they had labored and persevered, their love for Christ had cooled, and along the way, the work became more important than the person of Jesus. Another aspect of the Ephesus condition that is worthy of mentioning, is that they were watchful as to the teachings they allowed in their midst. They tested those who said were apostles, and were not, and having found them liars rejected them.

In the church of Thyatira, among the good works that Christ lauds, we see that love is not missing from among them, but although they still retained their love for Christ, they were missing a resolute and decisive attitude when it came to teachings that contradicted the word of God. They did not take the time to study, and to test those who said they were apostles, but they received all manner of teaching that contradicted the truth, thereby polluting the doctrine of truth.

While the church of Thyatira had love absent of truth, absent of the testimony of truth, the church of Ephesus had truth absent of love. The chain of godly virtues by which the testimony of Jesus is made evident in the lives of true believers here on earth, was missing a link both in the church of Ephesus as well as the church of Thyatira. In the church of Thyatira they were missing the link that was truth, while in the church of Ephesus they were missing the link that was love.

The object lesson here is that no matter which link is missing in a chain, the chain becomes useless nonetheless. Herein we see the true importance of striving to be a complete Christian, having all that is required, whether it be love, faith, truth, or works.

Many of today’s average Christians miss the fundamental importance of this lesson, and focus all their attention, with laser like precision, on one aspect of the faith, forgetting about the other aspects therein. Some focus strictly on prophecy, while others strictly on spiritual gifts, others on deliverance, some on healing, others strictly on faith, while others on works, and although all these pursuits are commendable, we must never forget that in order to be what God desires us to be, namely complete and balanced, we must pursue all these aspects of the faith with equal enthusiasm.

In order for the human body to be healthy, one cannot consume only proteins, or only carbohydrates, vitamins or minerals exclusively, but what is requires is a combination of all these things, working together to produce the fuel for growth. It is the same when it comes to our spiritual man, in order to grow, we must consume all of God’s word, and pursue all of God’s gifts. Often we are limited, our growth is stunted, by our unwillingness to receive all that God has for us, keeping ourselves from knowing the fullness of God, and the works thereof.

That which Christ had against the church of Thyatira, is something that has become more common and prevalent with the passing of time, the scourge upon the house of God that is false doctrine and teaching. Wisdom would dictate that we search our own hearts, to see if we, as the Thyatira fellowship, possess works, love and patience, but have also allowed doctrine absent of any biblical foundation to worm its way into our beings.

By the grace of God, we have been given to know the truth, the one truth, which is plainly laid out in His holy word. The attempts at justifying the twisting of scripture in our modern age are numerous, from the ever popular, ‘these are new times, and we must change with the times if we hope to have an impact’, to the less believable, ‘yes, that is what the Bible says, but it isn’t what it really means’, to the outright foolish excuse of omitting scripture because we did not want to be a stumbling block. No matter how well crafted the excuse might be, no matter how reasonable or even logical from a human standpoint, there is no justification, and no man has the right to twist scripture to fit his own preconceived notions. One may, for a season deceive other men, but he can never hope to deceive God, for He knows the very depths of every heart, and the intent with which we speak the words we speak.

Keep in mind that it was not the world that Jezebel was deceiving and beguiling, but rather Christ’s own servants. It was men who ought to have known better that fell into the trap of being offered an easier salvation, a broader path, and a walk absent of sacrifice.

If we have the truth, and we have been transformed by the power of the Word, we must not suffer deception of any kind to creep into our midst, no matter how appealing it may be. Yes, false doctrine is appealing to the flesh, for that is its primary objective, to cause the flesh to override the spirit, and wander off the path of righteousness. Deception has always been, and will always be something the flesh nature craves, for it provides the arsenal it needs to combat the spirit. Within every man, a war rages, not for a season, but all of his life, with eternity hanging in the balance. Those who choose wisely, learn to daily mortify and crucify their flesh, not giving heed to lying doctrines and faulty teachings, while the foolish man embraces anything that will grant him license to pursue the desires of the flesh.

Another aspect of this passage that is of interest is that Christ did not speak of false prophets in general but spoke of a certain Jezebel, which oddly enough means the chaste one, or pure one. The question that begs to be asked, is who was this Jezebel, and why did Christ name her by name when referring to the one who was spreading heresy among His servants?

The story of Jezebel is a well-known one, and can be found in I Kings, beginning with chapter sixteen. Rather than write out the entire chapter, I will give a brief synopsis of the story of Jezebel, that we may understand why it was Christ chose to name her by name.

Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, who at the time was king of the Sidonians. The Sidonians were idol worshipers, primarily worshiping Baal. If not for Ahab, king of Israel, Jezebel would have been just another cruel and merciless princess, long forgotten by the passage of time. It was only when Ahab entered the picture, and married Jezebel that she becomes a relevant part of history, and it was only by this union that the persecution and slaughter, which took place shortly afterwards could ensue.

Ahab was not a righteous man in the sight of the Lord; on the contrary he did evil more than all who were before him. After his marriage to Jezebel he began to serve and worship Baal having forsaken the one true God. As if it were not enough for Ahab to serve Baal, Jezebel beguiled him into convincing the people of Israel to worship Baal as well. Though by and large the people served Baal, there was still a remnant, that would not serve, that were wholly committed to the one true God, and a great persecution began against those who were unwilling to acquiesce. In her fury Jezebel persecuted the prophets of the Lord and killed them, as well as ordering the murder of an innocent man by the name of Naboth over his vineyard.

Jezebel had one purpose, and one purpose alone, and that was to destroy all who would not bow to Baal, and in large part, from a human perspective she seemed to have succeeded. Even the great prophet of God Elijah fled from the sight of Jezebel, and in a cave began to weep before God and say that he alone was left who remained, and now he was hiding because they sought to take his life.

It was then that God spoke to Elijah, and encouraged him, saying that He had reserved seven thousand men in Israel, all whose knees had not bowed to Baal, and whose mouth had not kissed him.

The one thing we must always be certain of, is that God always has a remnant; He will always have those whom he has reserved, who have kept themselves pure, for no matter how great the persecution, no matter how dark the deception, the Church will always be alive in this world, the faithful will always exist, even if it be a handful. It was just such a remnant that was found in the midst of the deception that was the condition of Thyatira.

The Jezebel of Thyatira is named as such, due to her similarity with Ahab’s wife, which constrained the people to bow to idols, and worship them. Rather than have false prophets to do her bidding however, as did the queen in Israel, the Jezebel of Thyatira, in order that she may more readily deceive souls, called herself a prophetess, purporting to speak the words of God Himself. This is the reason there was so little resistance, for the people received her words as if from the mouth of God.

Even today, a man can speak absurdities that no one will pay attention to, but if his absurdities are preceded with ‘this is what the Lord says’, many will perk up their ears and pay attention. Not all who come in the name of the Lord, are of the Lord, and not all who say the Lord spoke, truly heard from Him. This above all is the reason that Christ admonishes us to test those who say they are apostles, to be wise and see whether the words they speak, echo the words of the Bible. Although we can afford to be careless with some things, such as forgetting to shave every other day, or wearing the same socks two days in a row, our eternal soul is not one of the things we can afford to be careless with. There is nothing more important in this world, than knowing you stand on God’s word, and remain in His will.

The first Jezebel dragged the people into false worship, making them one with the world, causing a separation between them and the one true God. The second Jezebel endeavors to do the same thing, attempting to mix the things of God with deception, and blend the children of God with those of the world thereby making them indistinguishable. Her goal, even today, is that there no longer be light and darkness, but a perpetual dusk. When the word of God is twisted to facilitate a new doctrine, the confusion it causes in countless souls is detrimental to their spiritual well being. Such practices are not something that we can turn a blind eye to, for Christ Himself rebuked the angel of the Church of Thyatira for allowing Jezebel to teach, and thereby beguile His servants.

Those who have come, by faith to know that the singular spiritual authority is the written word of God, must live this holy word as is, and confess it fearlessly, while at the same time unmasking the strange doctrines that surround us that souls may not be deceived. It is those that stand on truth, that know the word that are in part responsible for those around them, and though millennia have passed since the letter to Thyatira was written, the spirit and practice of Jezebel are still present in many churches. Be bold and fearless, for fearlessness and boldness come with the knowledge that truth and thereby God stand with you.

Revelation 2:21, “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.”

I have pondered this verse for many hours, for although at first glance it does not seem overly important, it shows us the true nature of Christ, having been spurned to wrath, having been angered at the conduct of Jezebel and at having His servants beguiled, yet His eternal mercy overrides His anger, and He says, ‘I gave her time to repent.’ Even with all the havoc that Jezebel wrought, Christ still gave her time to repent. Very few verses show us the true measure of God’s patience, the depth of His goodness, and the righteousness of His judgment as this verse does.

If He did all He could even for those ensnared by the doctrine of Jezebel, and even for Jezebel herself to bring them to repentance and salvation, how will He act toward those who strive to run the race faithfully, and walk on the path of righteousness, who desire to lay hold of eternal life?

In order to realize the true measure of God’s patience and goodness, we must first realize the depth of Jezebel’s misconduct and sin. Whether with a sword of iron, or the sword of her tongue, the Jezebel spoken of in Revelation, killed the prophets of the Lord just as readily as the Jezebel of the Old Testament. Yes her crime was grievous indeed, and by human standards perhaps even unforgivable, yet she was given time to repent.

There are many who possess the Jezebel spirit that walk among us today, and that we may see the truth of this statement, we must realize that all who persecute in one way or another those who are true believers, and who desire to live in obedience of God’s word, who attempt to marginalize or outright destroy those who want to obtain the nature of Christ, and desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus, possess the Jezebel spirit. May we be honest with ourselves in examining ourselves, that we may know the camp in which we have situated ourselves, that we may know if we are the persecuted, or the persecutors.

2 Timothy 3:12-13, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

In His wisdom, God will not require something of us, before He has first given it to us. He will not ask for that which we do not have, and in this truth we see a glimpse of His justice and love.

God will not ask for repentance, until he has given that individual every possibility to repent, until he has seen clearly that absent of repentance he is doomed to darkness and death, and only by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior of one’s heart can they be one with Him.

God has done more for us than we will ever know to facilitate repentance in our hearts, from giving us the necessary time, to bringing people in our path who spoke the unadulterated truth to us, to giving us the necessary understanding to perceive His will for our lives. God has given us His Word, and the freedom to study it, a healthy mind that we may rightly know good from evil, grace that we may obtain the promise, but above all else, God has given us His Son Jesus Christ, that by believing in Him we may obtain salvation.

In truth God has done everything to facilitate man’s redemption, all that is left for man to do is to desire to be saved, to seek salvation. From His perspective there is nothing that was left undone. All that is asked is that we do our part, and to desire that which He has prepared for us. Knowing the greatness of that which awaits to be claimed in Christ by every individual, delaying our decision to pursue Him wholeheartedly would be a foolish and unwise course indeed. He has given us time to repent, He has given us time to lay hold of grace, but He also warns that the time of grace, and the time for repentance will end. For some, who perpetually delay their repentance and acceptance of Christ in their hearts, when at last they realize the immeasurable importance of this act, it may be too late.

There is nothing more fearful or heart wrenching than living with the knowledge, and with the regret that one has willfully rejected the gift of salvation, the blessing of grace, and due to their refusal to accept these great gifts, they will one day have to answer before an almighty God.

As much as some would like to believe that this warning was directed only toward those who have not yet made the decision to accept Christ, this is simply not the case. On the contrary, it is a warning toward those that say they have made the decision in their hearts to follow the way of truth, that go to church, that sing the songs and say the prayers, that even tell others about Christ, but do not live the life. If anything the sword of this word was directed more toward those who hold high positions in the church than anyone else, whether preachers or pastors, for they are more accountable to God. The sort of person of which this passage speaks, is a highly religious person, who called herself a prophetess, but was in fact living a duplicitous life. Under the cloak and guise of religion, this Jezebel followed after her own sinful self interests, desiring to serve God and the world in equal measure. This in fact, is what Christ called harlotry or adultery among his people. When one desires to appease both the world of sin, and the Kingdom of righteousness, then he is committing spiritual adultery.

James 4:4, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Though many have tried, it is impossible to reconcile the teaching of truth, the teaching of the Scripture, with manmade doctrines and teachings, for they are in stark opposition to each other. Any man who attempts therefore to reconcile the two, to appease both God and the world is committing spiritual adultery, and what’s worse, if it is someone in a position of authority among God’s people, he forms a path of spiritual dissipation compelling multitudes of souls to walk upon it.

Even to one such as this, Christ allows a season for repentance, for turning away from the path he has chosen, and the deception he has promulgated, but it is only a season, an appointed time, after which He will rightly judge.

Revelation 2:22, “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.”

Only when God has exhausted every other avenue, does He resort to judgment. It is a thread throughout the scripture, one that cannot be overlooked, that only due to man’s disobedience and unwillingness to repent does God send judgment. Yes, His judgments are always just, for He is a just God, and even though in the eyes of some, His judgments may be severe, He knows the truth that is not visible only on the outward parts, but the truth that lays in the inward parts as well. God does not judge based upon a single act alone, but He judges the intent, and the condition of the heart while that act was being committed as well. Truly to attempt and question God’s judgments simply on what we see, would be like questioning the talent of a painter before one brushstroke is laid upon the blank canvas.

What remains to be done when a person, or a nation has been warned repeatedly, when God was patient in allowing for repentance, yet with all of God’s attempts at reconciliation, with all of His long suffering, there was no sign of repentance, and no turning from the deeds that ignited His anger in the first place? Only one-thing remains, and that is judgment. After having seen no repentance, the sentence is passed for Jezebel and her followers, for her a sickbed wherein she will be impotent and unable to do further harm to the true followers of Christ, and upon those that believed and followed her He would allow a great tribulation. One thing is certain, when God begins to judge, all our pretensions, all the notions of who we are in our own mind, quickly disappear, and we see the true measure of our weakness and frailty.

Just as the Jezebel of old chose not to repent, those that have been besieged by the spirit of Jezebel choose likewise to disregard the warnings of Christ, and to reject the mercy offered. It is true of all who follow men and doctrines rather than Christ, those who seek vainglory, or defend a certain religious denomination; they will not repent, but always seek new ways of defending their teaching, of justifying their position and new means to do battle against those who oppose them.

Even on an individual level, we see that it is much more difficult to let go of a teaching, even though it is unscriptural, than it is to receive moral correction. Many who are willing to let go of vices, and habits, even sins, are not as readily willing to let go of a religious doctrine that they held, or a teaching that they kept in their hearts. As the old saying goes, ‘I would rather attempt to convert ten souls who have never been to church, than one who has been sitting in church for twenty years receiving unscriptural teaching.’ Yes it is very difficult to repent of strange teaching, because it is difficult to admit to our own selves that we were wrong, that we believed a lie. It is, in large part the reason why so many still stay linked to movements and fads, long after they realized they were false, because deep inside they don’t want to admit that they were wrong. It is better to admit that we were wrong, and be turned aright, it is better to acknowledge that we were deceived and repent, than continue down the same path, for the inevitable end of this path, after God’s patience has run its course, is judgment.

True repentance, is not just turning away from sin, but turning away from everything, denying everything that we believed and held dear, that we may begin a new life in Christ, believing His teaching, and His word alone. When one walks into a white-carpeted room wearing muddy boots, it is inevitable that the carpet will get dirty no matter how careful the person is. It is the same when we attempt to bring teachings and doctrines from our old life, into our new one. Life and death, light and darkness, are opposing forces that cannot coexist, one must choose either life or death, either to be shrouded in the light of the gospel, or the darkness of this present world.

God is gracious and merciful, and since His nature is love, He gives man time to repent both of sins he may have committed in the flesh, but also of teachings contrary to His Word. Whenever repentance is spoken of in the Word, whether it be from the mouth of Paul, Peter, or Christ, it is this total repentance that they are referring to, a complete turning, not just physically but spiritually as well, for if we still hold to our old traditions and misconceptions once we have received Jesus into our hearts, have we truly been reborn, have we truly come from death unto life?

When man refuses to obey God, He is left no choice but to punish and judge. Since we have already established that He is a patient, merciful and loving God, one might ask the obvious question, why does then God judge if He is so merciful and loving? The short answer is that His righteousness demands it, and eternal justice must be handed down. Just as He had to send His only Son to die on a cross that we may be saved and redeemed, for without His sacrifice man could not have been reconciled unto God, whenever a man rejects grace, and dismisses His warnings, judgment must be handed down.

In the case of Jezebel and her servants, the sentence was passed, and while she was cast into a sickbed for the deceptions she perpetrated upon the children of God, those that followed her teachings were visited with great tribulation.

It is a good, wise and noble thing to learn to read the Word of God, as though it was written for us personally, because it was. It is not a storybook; it is not a sequence of events that was simply penned by historians, but rather, the living Word of God, that if contemplated personally will be of great spiritual benefit to everyone. The message to the church of Thyatira therefore, was not intended only for that particular church, or that particular time, but it stands as a warning to every believer, that there are consequences to believing false doctrine, and practicing unscriptural traditions, that God’s patience eventually ends, and His judgment soon follows.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.


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* This is a very great teaching on the false doctrine church that has tolerated Jezebel in their midst. I can think of no other teacher that has done a more excellent job in exposing the truth about the church of Thyatira. It truly depicts where much of the church in America is at today and why Jesus warned this particular church. Part two is coming up.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Message to Thyatira Part 2
November 20, 2007

Although a certain amount of time has lapsed between the postings of the studies on Revelation, I hope the continuity of the message is evident. May God bless you as you read, as you glean, and as you grow in your knowledge of God’s word, and His sovereign will.

Revelation 2:23, “And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.”

Within theological circles there has been much controversy concerning this particular verse, for depending upon which denomination the theologian belongs to, his interpretation as to whom the children of Jezebel actually are differs widely. Many have said that when Christ speaks the judgment of killing her children with death, He was referring to her natural, biological children. In the light of the gospel however, I tend to disagree with that particular interpretation.

Ezekiel 18:4, “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.”

Due to this, and other verses in God’s Word, it is more plausible to believe that the children to whom Christ was referring were not Jezebel’s biological children, but rather her spiritual children. Every teacher, through his teachings, births spiritual children, disciples and followers, that further spread the particular teaching. If the teaching is of God, and from God, it will give life, to all those who receive it. When a teaching is Christ centered, and God founded, the man is merely a vessel, a signpost pointing the way to Jesus, taking neither the credit or the glory for himself. When a doctrine or teaching is manmade and earthbound, it will always lead to darkness and death, causing those who follow it to honor the man and esteem him, rather than God.

We serve a God, who by His own words searches the minds and hearts of men, and who at the appointed time gives each one according to their works. Nothing is hid from His all seeing eye, and whenever deception is found within His house, among His children, He is quick to destroy it, and make an example.

Those who have been beguiled by Jezebel and her teaching are also under God’s watchful eye, wherein He keeps them from spreading the poisonous soul crippling teaching to others, and warns them sternly to repent of the deception they allowed to filter into their hearts. Once again we come to the question of what is deception, what is false doctrine or teaching? In simple terms, truth stands alone, not needing the aid of crutches or a sugarcoat to make it more palatable. Whomsoever attempts to blend truth with deception, for the sake of greater acceptance, or because they personally feel the truth is too difficult to accept, is speaking false doctrine, and is of the devil. I have seen men who claim to be called of God, justify teaching deception by saying if they spoke the truth boldly and clearly men would not listen. Good intentions are meaningless when those intentions lead to the destruction of souls.

The great and terrible judgment of God that is visited upon Jezebel will also be visited upon her children. I repeat this truth, to make a very important point, that we may glean the depths of Christ’s warning to us. Often we hear well respected, and even revered Christian leaders speak vain, foolish, and sometimes outright false and deceptive words, but because it is a person we hold in high esteem we overlook the deception, and continue to receive teaching and doctrine from them. En masse the Christian church has adopted the mentality of ‘eating the meat, and spitting out the bones’, not realizing that the entire portion is tainted, defiled and poisoned. Because we have truth, because we have the Word, because we could readily discern truth from deception by using the Bible as a sounding board, we will be held accountable for the things we believe, and when the time comes, we will be judged in like manner with those who teach deception. This in fact, is the ultimate warning that Christ is attempting to convey, that the false prophets, and their spiritual children will be judged by His righteous judgment.

Whether a preacher, pastor, evangelist, deacon, or average churchgoer, He will give to each one according to their works. I once heard a story of a brother who was called of God to rebuke three members of his church for their unchristian conduct and evident practices of sin. These three grew so angry that they plotted together to undermine the man of God, and begin spreading vile rumors concerning his way of life, to such an extent that the man of God was forced to go into seclusion. One of the three accusers, stood before the brethren and swore, that if he was not speaking the truth, may fire burn him. Another, stood before the brethren and swore, that if he was not speaking truth, may he be struck with the most horrible of diseases. The third, also took his place before the brethren, and swore that if the accusations he was leveling against the man of God were false, may he be struck with blindness, and never see the light of the sun again.

Shortly after their diatribes against the man of God, the house of the first man who stood against him was struck by lighting, caught fire, and his accuser burned to death. The second of the men shortly thereafter, contracted leprosy, and the third man, from having shed countless tears of desperation for the words he had spoken, went blind. The moral of this story dear friend is that if we stand for the truth, God will fight our battles, and He will be victorious on our behalf. All that we are called to do, is stand and proclaim, to be faithful in the face of our adversaries, knowing that the defender of truth is none other that God Himself. Yes, God will give to each one according to their works, whether a reward for their faithfulness, or a punishment for their disobedience.

Revelation 2:24, “But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they call them, I will put on you no other burden.”

There is one truth that should fill every true believer with hope and joy, that should flood him with peace, that truth being, that God has, since the beginning, always had a remnant who remained faithful and pure, a living testimony here on earth, no matter the trials, hardship or persecutions. Yes, there has always been a remnant, and there will always be a remnant that will carry the name of Christ not only on their lips but in their hearts as well, a remnant that will not defile itself, or be tempted away, no matter the consequence.

From the very beginning of creation, we find those who chose faithfulness unto God, even though easier paths might have been available, from Abel, to Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob, to the last member of the Body of Christ, until the day the last trumpet will sound, and He will appear in the heavens, there will be that blessed remnant that will fearlessly declare God and His truth. Whether spoken by great multitudes or one solitary voice, truth is still truth. The beauty of truth is that it remains so whether shouted or whispered, whether on the lips of thousands or a handful.

In the twenty-fourth verse of the second chapter of Revelation, Christ addresses those few who have held firm to their faith that did not compromise, who did not follow Jezebel and her teachings. Those that Christ is addressing are those few who would not be silenced by fear, who lived their lives, and carried their crosses no matter the cost.

Once again we can readily observe that someone’s works, and deeds carry the seal of the teaching, and the markings of the doctrine, which they have adopted. If the teaching is unadulterated, if it is the truth of God’s word in it’s pure form, then the works, will be as such. If however the teaching is an amalgamation, a mixture of truth and deception, of biblical teachings and traditions of men, then the works are tainted, unclean in the eyes of God, and dangerous for the brethren.

In this verse Christ also uses a new phrase that as yet has not been uttered throughout the book of Revelation, nor is it found again anywhere in the entire Bible, namely the phrase, “the depths of Satan.” I have often been asked what the ‘depths of Satan’ were, and in the light of the gospel, and the context of this verse, I have come to believe that the depths of Satan are the selfsame teachings we have been discussing over the past few paragraphs, namely the infusion of men’s opinion into the word of God, making therefore the opinions and words of men take on a sovereign intonation, whereby men speaking their own words do so projecting the authority, omnipotence, and omniscience of God.

One then, can summarily conclude that every man who comes in the name of God, and speaks in His name, any man who utters the words ‘thus says the Lord’ when it was not the Lord saying, has known the depths of Satan, and is guilty of the most criminal, grievous and culpable, practices in the eyes of God.

It is also in this context that we begin to understand the mystery of lawlessness, which is already at work, and realize the far-reaching ramifications of receiving false teaching and false doctrine. Due to lack of knowledge, due to lack of maturity and godly wisdom, the great majority do not see these destructive heresies, these false teachings for what they truly are, and accept them as good and wholesome. Only when one possesses discernment can he know the enemy for what he truly is, even when he appears dressed as an angel of light. The enemy has gotten good at distorting the gospel, at polluting the truth, even if it be in a small way, because he know that given enough time, even a little leaven, leavens the whole lump, even a little deception causes sincere hearts to question, doubt and forsake the true path.

Only those who know the Word of God intimately, those who are born again, and live in the wisdom and guidance of the Almighty One, will be kept from the ‘depths of Satan’, because they can discern between the truth and the imitation of truth, between the real and the counterfeit gospel. Being pure and undefiled, a true servant of God will by his very nature feel repugnance, and repulsion toward anything defiled.

If we have indeed been given the grace to know the written Word of God, and if we recognize it as the only authority in a life of faith, may we with all diligence keep away from any teaching that would attempt to add or take away from this Holy Word. May we be faithful, that we not be deceived by the teachings of Jezebel, or her many acolytes, and cling to truth regardless of the consequences. The eyes of the Lord, which are like a flame of fire, pierce to the depths of our very being, seeing us just us as we are, and knowing exactly what we chose to believe.

To those of Thyatira, the message was abundantly clear; no other burden would be placed upon them, other than staying away from the polluting and destructive doctrines. That which we choose to embrace, will inevitably come to define us. May we embrace truth, and righteousness, may we embrace Christ.

Revelation 2:25, “But hold fast what you have till I come.”

This word of encouragement, spoken by Christ, is simply a continuation of the previous verse, admonishing those of Thyatira who had not been defiled or deceived by the strange doctrines, and who had not seen, or experienced the depths of Satan, to hold fast, to stand and do battle defending that which they knew to be the truth, and now allow themselves to be beguiled by the strange doctrine no matter how enticing it might be. In essence, Christ is telling the faithful in Thyatira, that although no other burden would be placed upon them, they must hold fast to what they do have, until He comes. Once we have identified a deceptive teaching, or an unscriptural practice, it is our solemn duty before God to keep ourselves away from it, and to avoid it at all cost.

To flee what is evil, to reject half-truths, or outright deceptions, is as important as receiving that which is true, wholesome, and sovereign. It is not enough to be cured of a contagious disease, one must actively strive to avoid coming into contact with it again, knowing the suffering it causes. The greatest defenders of truth, and by definition the greatest enemies of deceptive doctrines are usually those who once having been ensnared by them, escaped and discovered the purity of God’s word.

One thing is certain, it takes a greater effort to keep the truth, to hold fast to that which we have that is pure and of God, than it does to merely receive it. To receive a truth in one’s heart, is a momentary exercise, while keeping it, defending it, and nurturing it is an ongoing pursuit, never ending in its perpetuity.

There are two ideas that should speak to the heart of every believer in this verse, first, that we should hold fast to what we have, intoning an action of active striving, and secondly that holding fast should not be for a limited time, a week, a month or a year, but until He comes.

The beginning of any endeavor is always the easiest part, whether driving to a certain destination, or beginning a race on foot, the start is always the easiest part, it is getting past the numbness after a few hours behind the wheel, or learning to block out the aching muscles after a few miles of running that becomes a challenge. If there is one encouragement, it’s that there is an end in sight. We do not run aimlessly, but we run this race with a goal firmly set in our minds, looking forward to the finish line. It is this knowledge, the knowledge that crossing the finish line will be the end of all the tears, the pain, the disappointments and the fears, that fuels us, that keeps us going, that enables us to get past the valleys, and the times of hardship and heartbreak. That we may receive our eternal reward, that we may be welcomed into the everlasting embrace of our heavenly Father, we have no choice but to hold fast, to stand firm, to be rooted and grounded, undeterred in our purpose.

There is one other truth that we must take into account, often overlooked by scholars and theologians due to its simplicity, in order to hold fast to something, one must first and foremost be in possession of that something. If we are certain that we are in possession of something that we received from God by faith, if we know in the depths of our hearts that we received His salvation, His truth, His grace, and His love, then we must hold fast to those great and priceless virtues. There are many thieves, both within and without, who want to steal these gifts received from the hand of God, and for this reason above all others, we much be watchful, and hold fast.

These rest of which Christ speaks, these few who have not been corrupted, may not have degrees or plaques, they may not be doctors of theology, they may not have knowledge of the deeper mysteries of God’s word. However, what they have is enough for them to discern the destructive teachings of Jezebel, her unfounded pretensions, and her idolatry, and thus keep themselves from them, pure and undefiled. All they can do, all that is asked of them to do, is to cling to the Word of truth, to let it reside in their hearts, until the Lord’s return.

There is one more aspect worthy of note in this verse this is the first time throughout His letters to the seven churches, that Christ mentions His imminent return. If the theory that some hold to were true, and Christ was only writing to seven literal churches, be they local churches, or concerning seven different measures of time, ages if you will, and not to the entire body of believers of every century, how then can only the church of Thyatira hold fast until He comes?

If the literal church of Thyatira ever existed, it is long extinct, gone and forgotten, a victim of time and history, so they aren’t around anymore to hold fast, or to wait for Christ’s return. If as some believe, Thyatira is a span of time, beginning in the sixth century and ending in the sixteenth century, then this too would invalidate the words of Jesus, for this time is far removed, a long forgotten past.

The truth is as God revealed it, that the letters to the seven churches, are seven conditions that were readily found within the body of Christ from its inception, to this present time. There are even churches and individuals today that are a mixture of two or three of the seven churches which Christ used as examples for the rest of His followers, and all we need to do in order to see these symptoms, virtues, or conditions is to open our eyes, and hold up the mirror of truth which is the Word of God.

If we are honest, we will see ourselves clearly in at least one of the seven descriptions that Christ gives regarding the seven churches. If the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn’t exist, convincing the church that the Bible does not apply to them, that it is not relevant for today, comes in at a close second.

Revelation 2:26, “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.”

Although the letters to the seven churches are written to a collective, a body of believers, when it comes to the promises of God, the writing becomes more intimate, and individual. Christ did not say, to the church that overcomes, but rather, to he who overcomes. Salvation has never been, and will never be a collective issue. There have been and still are to this day, unsaved people attending the congregations of the righteous, hoping that holiness might somehow rub off, without repentance. On the other hand there are also righteous souls attending congregations wherein there is no mention of Christ, and though they are burdened, and their soul is troubled, they need the interaction and fellowship badly enough where they are willing to make a concession. On this issue, I will not pass judgment. Some people just need to be among other people, and that’s perfectly understandable as long as the compromise you see in others does not seep into your life.

In the end, we will stand before God as individuals, not as a collective. When you stand before the great white throne, it is you who will be standing there, not your congregation, or your pastor. Each man will answer, each man will give account, and each man will be judged.

No matter what condition your church finds itself in, the command to the individual believer is that he or she overcomes. In eternity, when God begins to hand out the crowns, He will do so only to the victorious, those who overcame and kept His works until the end.

I realize that the following will be an obvious statement, but one cannot overcome unless he has opposition, unless he is engaged in battle, unless he stands and he fights for truth and righteousness. The lame, the infirm, and the immature have no place on the battlefield. War, is not waged by invalids or by children, war is waged by warriors, soldiers, men and women who have been trained and equipped to stand against the enemy, fight with valor, and overcome by the power of the Lamb. This is one of the reasons I believe spiritual maturity is necessary, and mandatory for every believer, that when the day of battle comes, when the trumpets blare and the sounds of conflict echo through the valley, the sound of horses, riders, and chariots, we may stand and fight rather than turn and flee. Spiritual maturity is never instantaneous, it comes with time, through fasting and prayer, and growing in God, it is a process through which every believer must pass, that he might be valiant in the day of battle, and that the fear he would have felt as a babe in Christ, would not be found in what has now become a soldier for Christ.

The enemy, which we must overcome, is known to us. Since he was cast down from heaven his one purpose has been to destroy and scatter the children of God, to wreak havoc on the sheep of His pasture, and cause us to fall by the wayside, whether from fear of sheer exhaustion. If we are soldiers for Christ, if we have built up our endurance, and placed our faith in Him, no matter how outnumbered we might be on the field of battle, we will surely overcome.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, has already overcome the enemy, not once, not twice, but three different times of which the Bible speaks. First, Christ overcame the devil in the desert where he was tempted, then in the garden of Gethsemane, and finally on the cross, where He uttered the words that should give us boldness and courage in the battle, “it is finished.” If only we stand, if only we are faithful and steadfast, Christ, and what He did on the cross on our behalf assure our victory. If we are faithful He will be faithful, and as long as Jesus remains our banner, and our general, our refuge and our strength, we are more than conquerors, and more than over comers.

Within the Thyatira condition, the enemy’s means of attack was guile, deception, and the false doctrines of Jezebel. The enemy has a vast arsenal, but whatever his means of attack, he cannot enter a heart that is already overflowing with Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Only when we make room for deception, compromise, and the whispers of the enemy in our hearts, can they dwell therein. If our hearts are perpetually filled with Christ, if the Holy Spirit is continually working in us, and through us, the enemy has no room to maneuver, no fertile soil to plant a seed of deception. His attacks will continue to come, he will continue to try and hurt us in the natural realm, but if our righteousness dwells in us, he will have no success in attacking us in the spiritual realm.

From the moment a heart is given over to Christ, from the moment one makes a commitment to follow and believe, from the moment Christ enters a heart, Satan has declared war on us. His weapons of attack, and the execution of his attack vary from individual to individual, but the purpose of his attacks are always the same. The enemy’s primary objective with every new believer is to lull him to sleep, to make him believe that he has enough faith, that he is mature enough to allow himself a little leeway, a few small vices, a little compromise. The enemy’s next phase of attack, is one that ensnares many Christians, that of adopting a self righteous attitude, making us believe that because we attend a certain congregation, or read the Bible for so many minutes a day, or say a certain amount of prayers, we are above rebuke, above chastening, invincible, and perfect in our own eyes.

Another weapon in the enemy’s arsenal that has been successful in recent years against the church, is that of beguiling Christians into believing that they can trust in their own strength, in their own works, and in their own intellect, rather than trust, and lean on Jesus, thereby making the first love that once burned brightly in their hearts, a smoldering heap of coal that expels more smoke than heat or light.

Fear is also a commonly used weapon in the devil’s arsenal, and he wields it expertly by stirring the world, and those of the world against true believers, against the faithful few that choose the narrow path, wherein no compromise is found. Friends, family, and often perfect strangers will mock us, persecute us, will turn their backs on us, and reject us for what we believe. It is expected, and unavoidable, and though for some the experience might be painful, with patience and meekness, humility and love we must overcome.

1 Peter, 3:14-17, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of the threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

The enemy attempts to ensnare us with the help of the world, and its temptations. Though temptations come, we can resist temptation, as Christ resisted it, we can hold fast to the attitude of prayer and supplication, calling on the name of the One, whom the enemy fears most, the name of Jesus. We are instructed in the Word to be separate from the world, to be dead to this flesh, for that very reason. The world is tempting, it readily worms its way into men’s hearts and lives, and only too late do they discover, that although they professed with their lips that they had extricated themselves from the world’s firm grasp, their hearts are still its prisoners.

1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

The enemy we face is not one that gives up the fight easily, he is not discouraged by failure, he simply changes his means of attack, and those he uses to bring it about. If he cannot succeed in getting us to trust in the flesh, or to be afraid, he attempts to deceive us into following tradition rather than truth, and religious ceremonies rather than Christ. Traditions, ceremonies, customs and rituals cannot substitute a relationship with Jesus, and absent of said relationship one can follow the law to the letter, one can perform every ritual and ceremony and still never feel the warmth of God’s love on their heart. Our goal is to know Him fully and completely, to reach a level of intimacy with Him, wherein we recognize His voice, and do His will.

Life for every believer, for every disciple of Christ, is a constant battle, whether you are a young Timothy, or an aged Paul, we are encouraged, and even commanded to put on the whole armor of God, an armor that He has prepared for us, and stand as faithful soldiers under the banner of the Almighty. We do not engage in this battle for ourselves, we cannot fight while still harboring hidden agendas, or selfish interests, if we fight, we fight for righteousness’ sake, and if we overcome it is not in our own strength, but by the strength of the Son of God who shed His blood, and made us over comers on the cross.

The aforementioned verse in Revelation, speaks of overcoming, and also of keeping His works until the end. In order to keep His works, we must first know what His works are.

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

There are other works which the Bible mentions, such as spreading the gospel to those who do not know Jesus, helping the widow and the orphan, but the primary work that we must keep until the end, is the work that He began in us, to nurture and grow the seed of truth that was planted there, so it matures, and grows, and its roots run deep. Those who keep the works of God, become trustworthy servants, and as they continue to grow, and mature, more responsibility will be entrusted to them.

Often, and this is especially true of new believers, zeal will blind some to the fact that they are not ready for greater responsibility. The zeal they have in their hearts burns so brightly, that they do not take the time to inquire of God whether or not they are ready to go out, to win souls, to travel to distant lands and be a witness. God knows whom to send, and when to send them, and the deeper we grow in Him, the more we realize the need for preparation, for seasoning, for growing in Him and learning to trust Him. When we learn to trust God, whether He commands us to go, or tells us to day, we will obey unwaveringly, because we realize that He knows best. Some were not meant to travel the earth and preach the gospel, some were meant to be a living testimony to their friends and families. It would be wise for us to harness the zeal, and wait for direction, rather than head out on our own, attempting to do what God has not instructed us to do.

God grants power only to those who overcome and keep His works until the end. Knowing this, our purpose is true and our goal is sure. Though distractions may arise, though temptations may appear, we must not be swayed or deterred from the duty at hand, that of being faithful servants, soldiers, and warriors, of denying ourselves, and of obeying our heavenly Father.

Revelation 2:27, “He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be broken to pieces, as I also have received from My Father.”

As Christ received the power from the Father to destroy principalities and powers, to overcome every evil spirit, if we keep His works, we are granted the same power. The first thing we must rule with a rod of iron, and break to pieces as a potter’s vessels, is our own flesh. We cannot overcome the world, unless we first overcome ourselves, unless we first learn to rule over our flesh, our old nature, and let the spirit have preeminence in our lives.

Today, Christ is rejected, dismissed, and mankind is indifferent toward grace and salvation. The day will come however, when He will rule, for it is His inheritance, and the ends of the earth will be His possession. The words that Christ spoke in this verse are not new, but rather a repetition of the Father’s promise to His Son, a promise that He intends to keep to the letter.

Psalm 2:7-9, “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, you are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Soon, Christ will return to claim what is rightfully His by inheritance, and He will possess the earth. We being of Christ are heirs of the promise, and even now Christ is assembling His bride, His church, those in whom He has found repentance and righteousness, His beloved. When Christ returns, He will crush every power, as a man wielding a rod of iron crushes a clay pot. Can the clay pot resist? No it cannot, one swift strike, and it will be turned to pieces. The day is coming when Satan will be bound, and righteousness will reign, but in order for us to stand with Christ on that day, we must keep His works today, and overcome the slings and arrows of the enemy. Whomsoever is truly a son or daughter of God, is given the power by Him, to crush every work of the enemy, and thus live a life of victory in Christ.

Many today tend to believe that a victorious life in Christ means to have an abundance of earthly possession, to live in opulence, and want for nothing in this present life. They have twisted the scripture to fit an ideology of earthly victory, rather than spiritual victory. When God promises that we will overcome if we remain faithful, He never insinuates that we will live a life of ease and excess on this earth, but rather that we will have spiritual victory, over the flesh, and over the enemy. In the end outwardly possessions are irrelevant, the only true, lasting and meaningful possession being that which we have in our hearts, the Spirit, the peace, and the promise of God. Our pursuit should always be for the greater things of God, than for the passing things of this earth. If we seek first the Kingdom, then all that other things will be added onto us. The things of this world were an afterthought to God, as they should be to His children, for the treasures, which await the faithful in that secret place of intimacy with Him, are worth more than the world and all its possessions. A faithful servant of God has the necessary maturity to assign value to the things of this earth, as well as to the things of God, and he will always realize that the things, which God has reserved specifically for His children, are priceless indeed.

Revelation 2:28, “And I will give him the morning star.”

This is the second reward promised to those who overcome the Thyatira condition, by none other than Christ Jesus. He promises that they will be given the morning star. The obvious question, is what does this mean, what does it mean to be given the morning star? The morning star is that bright star one can see in the heavens on a clear night, a little before the sunrise. In order to see the morning star, one must rise before the dawn, since it is a harbinger of the rising of the sun. Then as the sun rises, the morning star begins to pale, and when the sun has fully risen, the morning star disappears. That we may know who the morning star is, spiritually speaking, we must go into the Word, and glean the wisdom therein.

Revelation 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Jesus testifies of Himself, that He is the morning star. He defines himself as such, due to the fact that before He will appear as the Sun of Righteousness, before He comes to rule the earth with a rod of iron, He will dawn in the hearts of His chosen, who know that He will return, and who feel His closeness even now.

Malachi 4:1-2, “For behold the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.”

A true believer is in a constant state of preparedness, always looking to the heavens, awaiting the Bridegroom the object of his love and affection. This hope brings joy to the heart, and gives us the strength to endure and overcome whatever trials and sufferings we might have to endure for His name’s sake. We know the promise of His reward if we remain faithful, and whenever the climb becomes difficult, whenever we feel like we can’t go on, the knowledge that Jesus is coming soon, will give us that extra strength to press on, and move forward in Him.

When the Sun of Righteousness shall rise, He will give the faithful the most precious gift of all, He will give them, Himself, the fullness of His love, the fullness of His peace, and the fullness of His Kingdom.

Though the world may wander in darkness, the Body of Christ, His bride, have been given the light of the Sun of Righteousness. The children of God have His light, even when all else is dark, long before the dawn breaks and the sun chases away the night. What a joy it is, what a grace has been bestowed on us, that we retain His light, the light of the morning star, to help guide our steps and complete the work that He has started in us. There is reason to rejoice, even in the face of trials and tribulations, the reason being, that Christ is in us, working through us, and standing alongside us in the battles of our everyday lives. Just a little while longer, and the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and will never again descend.

Revelation 2:29, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This phrase is repeated seven times, once to every church that Christ addresses. Some may wonder why Jesus would repeat the same phrase seven times, since on the surface it looks like a waste of time and a superfluity of words. It is neither a waste of time, nor a superfluous phrase, Jesus continually repeats it because He is hoping that if we didn’t get the message the first time, we might get it the second time around, and if we missed the essence the second time there is a third, and a fourth, and so on.

Jesus, the Savior desires for us to reach understanding, to know truth, because only in receiving the truth, in receiving Christ, can we obtain salvation. It took seven trips for Elijah’s servant, going and looking toward the sea, and only on the seventh journey did he see a small cloud, as a man’s hand rising out of the sea.

In the end it is achieving our goal that is of greatest importance, now how long it took for us to achieve said goal, or how difficult it was. In the end, we must obtain Christ, regardless of how long it may take. God gave what was most precious to Him, His only Son that we may obtain salvation, and we must do our part in entering into His grace, and accepting both the atonement and redemption His shed blood has granted us. We were bought with a price, may we never forget this truth.

If we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, the Spirit will always have something new to say, even if he employs the same words. It is not the words, but the truth the Spirit is speaking beyond the mere words, that Jesus is attempting to reveal to His beloved. In order for one to hear the voice of the Spirit beyond the words, he must have spiritual ears, in tune with the voice of the master. Spiritual men can perceive the voice of the Spirit, while the carnal, and the men of this world, cannot.

1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.


Completion of the teaching on Thyatira Church Warning.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php



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Note*** As Brother Michael Boldea Jr. did mention that these 7 churches are descriptions of 7 Spiritual conditions of the church today and that some churches may have more than one spiritual condition - I need to make myself clear here in that I do not only see the false teaching mega ministry churches such as Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Rick Warren as being only a representation of the church of Thyatira but also they are clearly representative of the Laodicean church as well. That is my belief of what we are witnessing in these mega minstry churches of today in America. As Paul identified the false teachers of his own day I have no trouble with identifying who they are in my own. I make no apologies for speaking the truth here. May God save his people from these false teachers and the false gospel that is permeating so much of the church today. For anyone to measure the spirituaity of a church by the size of its audience or wealth of its preacher is a serious mistake. The Apostle Paul had one coat. Jesus had no place to lay his head. Truly something is wrong with the churches of America today. - Jeri

 

[naomibee]

what a great read for my SABBATH DAY.THANK YOU

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Message to Smyrna
September 14, 2006

By Michael Boldea Jr.

As the study of the message to first of seven churches concludes, namely the Church of Ephesus, we begin the study of the message to the church of Smyrna, the church of suffering, one of only two churches not to receive a rebuke or correction from Christ. Blessed is the man who finds himself in the spiritual condition of Smyrna, although in the eyes of the world he may be forsaken, impoverished, and destitute, in the eyes of God, he is as a precious jewel, one for whom a crown of life is reserved if he remains faithful until the end.

Revelation 2:8, “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, these things says the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life:”

As discussed previously the book of Revelation is filled with symbolism, and the name Smyrna is no exception. When one studies the origins of this name, and the spiritual repercussions thereof, one realizes there is nothing accidental when it comes to the word of God.

The word Smyrna is the Greek word for myrrh, a spice brought from the Orient to this port city on the Aegean Sea. So great was the demand for myrrh in those days that they even named the port city after this spice. The interesting thing about myrrh as such, is that it was used as a sweet smelling perfume, or incense, but also when crushed, as an analgesic, and antispasmodic, a medicine bitter to the taste. This is why Jesus was offered wine mingled with myrrh, when crucified, to lessen, and dull the pain He would feel, an offer He refused, for He had to carry the burden of the sin of the world on the cross.

The name Smyrna was specifically chosen for the condition of suffering in which the church found itself, and some still find themselves to this present day in many corners of the world. Suffering for the cause of Christ, without murmur or complaint, being unjustly persecuted for the sake of the cross, is bitter to the flesh, but is as sweet smelling incense to God. Herein, the opposing definitions of Smyrna, both bitter and sweet are reconciled, and we see the beauty of what Christ was trying to convey, by the mere name of this blessed church. Although today you may suffer, although today you may endure, although existence itself may be a bitter thing to you, be unwavering in your faithfulness, for the sweet smell of your sacrifice, will not go unnoticed before an all knowing God.

I realize full well that the very idea of suffering may be a foreign concept to many in this present age, I realize that it may even be a taboo subject upon which many would rather we not dwell, but the praise from the lips of Christ for this church, cannot go unnoticed, and if it must be now that we wake from our slumber and realize the path to heaven is not paved with rose petals and palatial homes, that we must carry our cross, and yes, even suffer on behalf of Christ, then so be it.

If you can reconcile the suffering and tribulations of Christians all over the world, with the opulence, avarice, selfishness, and lukewarm condition of many believers in this nation, then brother you are a better man than I, and I urge you to skip the entire study on the church of Smyrna. If however, the two cannot be reconciled, for they are in opposition to each other, than I pray we lay aside the heretical teaching we’ve so readily allowed into our hearts, and receive the truth of God’s word. There is only one truth, just as there is one way, and one life, and that is Christ Jesus, and Him crucified, and if we hope to be with Him in glory, then we must do likewise on earth, crucify the old man, mortify the flesh, and seek the things of God.

The children of God, have always been and will always be a foreign concept to the world, a thorn in its side, one they have readily tried to do away with since the beginning of the faith. That the world loves us, accepts us, and embraces us as equals, should be as a thousand alarms blaring in synchronicity, as a warning of the highest magnitude, for if we have garnered, the world’s acceptance and praise it can only mean one thing: Somewhere along the way, we have abandoned the Christ, and have buried our cross, we have returned to the darkness from which we had escaped, and it is the darkness in us that the world sees, and can relate to, that the world perceives and can accept.

So rejoice my brother, rejoice my sister, if you find yourself in the spiritual condition of Smyrna, if you are looked upon as odd, and foreign, if you are persecuted, rejected and mocked, for you, and I, and all those who stand for truth, and in truth, are in the warm embrace of the One, who is the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life.

If we abide with Him, He will abide in us, and no one can snatch us from his hand, for He is our Lord, the unchanging God, who marches on victorious unhindered by the trials and the snares, always keeping in view our ultimate goal, perfect rest in eternal unity with God.

John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Hebrews 4:9, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

If in the church of Ephesus we saw the downfall of a people, who although labored for God, had lost their first love, their fellowship and intimacy with Christ, in the church of Smyrna we see how persecution and poverty worked to bring them to an even closer, more sanctified relationship with Christ, allowing them an even deeper understanding of His death and resurrection.

If we understand not only Christ’s death, but also His resurrection, the victory he obtained over death, and Hades itself, then our lives are filled with hope, strength and light, that we may be over comers, victorious through the bitterness of suffering, and even death just as our Savior was. We have the blessed promise that if we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him, and this above all else should give us the boldness and vigor to press ever onward.

Revelation 2:9, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”

It is always the greatest of comforts to know that God knows. He knows our works, our tribulation, and even poverty, for He is an all knowing, all seeing God. Knowing that He knows, all that we must do is trust in Him, obey Him implicitly, and rest in His eternal love.

If God knowing our suffering does not relieve us of it, it means that although at the moment we do not see its benefits, they exist nonetheless, for God’s purpose, contrary to popular sentiment, is not the ease and comfort of this present life, but the growth unto maturity and sanctification of the spiritual man. There is nothing that compels man to seek the face of God more than suffering, that draws him ever closer into intimacy and fellowship.

Our tribulations in this present life, our sufferings on behalf of Christ and the cross, impede the work of the enemy, the snares that he has placed before us, and bring to the surface the true spirit of faithfulness in every believer. The enemy loves to employ diversion and deception when it comes to the faithful of Christ, hoping to distract them from their true mission, their true calling, but when trials and tribulations are ever present in a life, when a soul has learned to be dependent on God, his focus is singular and his purpose well established.

To all believers who find themselves in the spiritual condition of Smyrna, Christ reveals Himself as the first and the last, thereby comforting those who suffer, by showing them that He too has walked the road of suffering that they are currently on, and that He is able to carry their burdens, that in Him they are more than victorious.

There is a certain passage in this verse, which is more compelling today, given the current spiritual climate, than ever before. It is a passage I am certain, many a lover of money, sheerer of the sheep, and wolf in sheep’s clothing, would rather not have to contend with, for it nullifies their entire doctrine. The passage of which I speak is:

“I know your poverty, (but you are rich)”.

If the same passage would have been spoken today, by one of our less than distinguished lamb slaughterers, the last part of the passage would be conveniently forgotten, and in its place would be all the reasons why you are impoverished.

“I know your poverty” they would begin, “and its all your fault, because you didn’t pick up the phone and dial the number on your screen when we informed you we needed a newer private jet, because you didn’t take advantage of the thousand fold blessing when we offered it on this very television network, for those who would pledge a thousand dollars or more. Poverty is a sin, and the only way to escape poverty is to go to your phone right now, and make a vow.”

I know it sounds absurd, I know some are shaking their heads, while others are smiling with mirth, but it is tragically accurate, and the hearts of those whom God is sanctifying, and purifying by not providing material wants, and selfish desires, but rather keeping them humble, and dependent on Him, feel less than and begin to wonder if the man looking into the television camera with his accusatory stare may be right after all. They begin to wonder if perhaps they missed the mark, if they too should give their heart over to greed, and begin building kingdoms, and amassing fortunes. The hearts of the righteous are made sad, whom God has not made sad, for what the world perceives as forsaken, hopeless, and penniless, God sees as rich in Him.

Ezekiel 13:19, “And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

Ezekiel 13:22-23, “Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. Therefore you shall no longer envision futility not practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

What a truly heart wrenching indictment, against those who would abuse the word of God, and for their own personal gain, for nothing more than handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, the material inconsequential things of this life, profane God among His own people, who would shamelessly lie to those of God’s own house, thereby making the hearts of the righteous sad, and killing people who should not die.

As I read and reread this passage in Ezekiel, I wept for not only have the words of the Prophet come to pass before our every eyes, but the multitudes of those who listen to lies, those of God’s own house continues to grow exponentially. Yes, their time is coming to an end, for God will deliver His people out of their hands, but how many lambs will have been slaughtered, how many would have suffered mortal blows from which there is little chance of recovery?

With hands drenched in the blood of the innocent, these men continue to corrupt and deceive those who would fall into their snare, and when the promise of a thousand fold return does not materialize, the innocent begin to doubt the very God in whom they believe. I often wonder how such men will stand before the eternal God.

Oh that we would heed the message to Smyrna, that we would see the beauty of Christ’s words, though you are poor in the material, you are rich in God. For God will not judge you on the basis of how much money you were able to squirrel away during your lifetime, but rather on how you used your life to bring glory to His name, to live in righteousness and purity of heart, to show forth the image of Christ in all that you said and all that you did. Were you redeemed, sanctified and born again, did you daily crucify your flesh, these are the questions God will ask on that great and terrible day.

Our Lord knows our poverty concerning the material He knows it for He has allowed it. Earthly riches, excess and opulence in the life of a believer, is like a bird whose wings have been plated with gold. Though it may seem pretty, the bird quickly discovers, that the gold plating is impeding its flight. When our hearts are tethered to the material, they cannot ascend to the spiritual.

The spiritual condition of Smyrna is the fundamental opposite of Laodicea’s spiritual condition. What a difference point of view makes. To the church of Smyrna, it is Christ, who says ‘you are rich’, for He knows what true treasure really is, while in the church of Laodicea, it is man who says, ‘I am rich!’ their wealth amounting to nothing more than spiritual poverty and wretchedness.

Although we are speaking of the spiritual condition of two different churches, the same spiritual conditions can be found in the hearts of individual believers. What we think of ourselves, what we consider ourselves to be is irrelevant. It is what God considers us to be; it is what He sees in us that we must be concerned with.

There is no better example of contrast than the Pharisee’s opinion of himself, going up to the temple and beginning to boast of his good works, thanking God that he was not like other men, highlighting the fact that he fasted twice a week, and gave tithes of all he possessed, and that of Job, who being blameless and upright, fearing the Lord and shunning evil did not boast of himself, but allowed God to boast on his behalf. It was not Job, who stood before the temple and exalted his virtues, but rather God who said, “Have you seen My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil?”

How refreshing it would be in today’s day and age, to no longer hear men give themselves titles, and positions, to no longer hear them rehash at length their virtues, works and accomplishments, but rather have them be silent, and have God praise them, and speak of them as He did of Job.

Since we have happened upon the subject of Job, let us terry awhile and see the true definition of unshakable faith. Realizing that none other than God said of Job that he was unlike any man on earth, that he was a blameless and upright man, we can readily dismiss the idea that Job was somehow being judged or punished for some sin. Job was being tried of God, that his faithfulness might be proved before all of creation, the seen and unseen realm alike.

Consider foremost, that Job was the greatest of all the people of the East, having as his possessions, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household. Although blessed in the material, his heart was for God in its entirety, and as shown by his character and conduct in the trials that were soon to descend upon him, Job did not consider his possessions as his own, but rather the things of God over which he was simply a steward.

When this the greatest of trials began for Job, all that he possessed, including his seven sons and three daughters, were taken in quick succession. He had been left with nothing of this earthly realm, yet in all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

When the enemy saw that he had made no headway, that Job remained faithful upon losing all his material possessions, upon having to mourn over the bodies of all ten of his children, he proceeded to get permission to attack Job’s bone and flesh, and God so granted, with the stipulation that Job’s life be spared.

One need only consider the enemy’s hatred of God’s children, to understand all that Job had to endure at his hand. Suffice it to say that Job was struck with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, his suffering being as such that he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself, while he sat in the midst of the ashes, for as Job himself describes, his flesh was caked with worms and dust, and his skin cracked, and breaking out afresh. Even the most vivid of imaginations cannot do justice to what Job suffered, being brought to the point of cursing the day he was born, and wishing that he had died at birth. Even so, Job did not sin, he did not break faith, and he did not curse God, or charge God with wrong.

How quickly the men of today, men who claim to have been enlightened, who claim to walk with God shake their fist at their Creator, for trials nowhere near the magnitude and scope of what Job went through, but for things that amount to nothing more than minor inconveniences. Because we have surrendered our hearts to the things of this earth rather than to God, the cry of ‘why hast thou forsaken me?’ quickly escapes our lips when reality falls short of our expectations of what God should be doing for us, and we react as petulant children who don’t get their way. Never does the thought cross our mind that God may be sparing us much hurt and pain, or that what we are in reality entitled to is very different than what some men would lead us to believe. We stomp our feet, and hold our breath until we turn blue, we demand, and give God ultimatums, until He has enough of our disobedience, enough of our greed, and gives us over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.

True believers are rich by their relations, having God as their Father, and Christ as their older brother; they are rich in the gifts they have received from the throne room of God; they are rich in the promise they have received, that the Lord will give them every good thing; they are rich in faith, the faith that they will inherit the kingdom of God; they are rich in hope, the hope in which they await a new City, which has foundations, an everlasting one whose maker and builder is God.

It is Christ, and Christ alone that is our eternal treasure, and in Him, we have all things in the fullness thereof. The question of the hour, is whether or not we are aware, and believing that we are rich by faith, that no matter what tomorrow brings, He will be there, faithful as always. In light of this knowledge, even the lowliest of servants, even the poorest among God’s children in the material sense, can live a life of peace, and joy, rich in God, for they know the faithfulness of their Creator.

As the verse continues to progress, we see that Christ knows not only the works, tribulations, and poverty of the church of Smyrna, but also the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not. Volumes can be written concerning this singular subject, those who say they are, but are not, and every time I reread this verse, and meditate on it, something new and fresh, sovereign and sublime, leaps from the page, and I am once again in awe at the limitless depth of God’s word.

The undeniable truth is that those who only say they are, will always mock and persecute those who truly are. It is not what a man says he is, that makes him what he is, but his life, his conduct, and his works prove and show what he truly is. I can say I am a doctor, but if I don’t know the first thing about medicine, those around me will soon discover that I am not what I said, or claimed to be.

The question that kept surfacing each time I read this verse, is are we truly what we say we are, or are we as those who said were Jews, but were not? If one only claims to be a child of God, but his life proves otherwise, then he only serves to bring shame to God’s house, something for which there is severe consequence.

It is easy to say: ‘I am saved, Christ died for me, and redeemed me of sin’, but if my life shows that I am still a slave to sin, and sin continues to rule my heart, my words become void.

It is easy to say: ‘I am a soldier of Christ, I fight the good fight’, but if my actions show that Christ is not the objective, and purpose of my life, that it is not His battle that drives me, but some human idea, or hidden agenda, then the words I have spoken and boasted of so, are untrue, and a lie.

The examples are endless, and I can fill many a page, with the inconsistencies of what some say they are, and what they truly are. The truth of the matter, is that we are all what we live, and our daily lives testify to that affect. Only when our words are supported and proved by our actions, are we what we say we are.

The word ‘Jew’ is derived from the word ‘Judah’ meaning those who claim to praise the Lord, but rather than praising the Lord, their lives praised sin, the world, and men. What of the one who carries the name of Christ, yet lives like the world? This is a very serious question indeed, for Christ called those who would call themselves Jews but were not, a synagogue of Satan.

What could be worse than a man attempting to live a lie? What could be worse than one who continually pretends to be one thing, but is the opposite? If we say we are children of God, then let us truly be His children. This should be the chief concern in the life of every believer that his life, and the will of God are in harmony with each other, that he mirrors the life of Christ, and is obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Only in this way, are we what we say we are.

Belonging to the right denomination, going to the popular church, joining a suitable and acceptable program, dressing the right way, saying the right things, are pointless and useless, of no consequence if our inner being, our heart, is not wholly surrendered to Christ. It is the inward things that God beholds; it is the inner workings of the heart that God weighs, and that God judges. Though the right appearance may be held in high esteem by men, though men judge us on the exterior, those things which the eye can see, God is not so impressed with the appearance of a person, or what a person thinks himself to be, but rather what the person really is.

Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

I have often noticed that the mature in Christ need allot less spiritual hand holding than the babes in Christ. The message to Smyrna, a church of suffering and one under constant persecution is relatively short compared to some of the other churches. The reason for this, I believe, is that they had a well-established foundation of righteousness, of faith, of uncompromising virtue, and the letter to this church was one of encouragement, that Christ knew their suffering, He knew their opposition, and their faithfulness would be rewarded.

As forewarning of things to come, for in His goodness God forewarns His own of what is about to unfold, Christ encourages the church of Smyrna, to continued faithfulness during the days of tribulation that are about to commence.

In his journey on this earth, the true Christian must at some point contend with the ‘Smyrna’ condition, namely that of suffering, and poverty in the material, for he is a stranger here, a traveler, one whose home and habitation are not of this realm. The warning goes out to all who would hear, that times of tribulation are soon to come, but faithfulness will incur the crown of life as just recompense. Suffering is linked to this present life, as smoke is to fire. Though the earthly vessel in which God placed some of his roses might be broken, though this present life may end in persecution and suffering, the fragrance lingers long after we are gone, a sweet, and well received sacrifice.

There is only one way to walk with Christ in this present life, and that is the way of the cross, and there can be no substitutions or deviations. That which we must inevitably suffer for the cause of Christ, is a grace, a gift, and a badge of honor that all who are integrated into His body must suffer at the hands of the world. If the head, namely Christ, suffered on this earth, what makes His body immune from suffering?

Luke 24:26, “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

I realize full well that some will read these lines and think to themselves, ‘what does this man hope to imply with his ramblings of suffering and such? Surely it is not suffering that I signed up for, this suffering doctrine was not presented to me when I joined my community church. I was told that only good times lay ahead, and once I signed on the dotted line, received my denominational lapel pin, and paid my tithes, I would float light as a feather through this present life, stopping now and then to appreciate the fragrance of the roses that lined my pathway to heaven. Suffering? Surely he is mistaken, these are no longer the dark ages, everyone goes along to get along, there no longer remains any hidden hatred or animosity against Christians, and this devil of whom he speaks is just a bedtime story, a mere representation of evil, but not and entity as such, our ecumenical life betterment guide said so himself.’

The reality that all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution is something that we readily attempt to conceal from those considered ‘seekers’ in God’s house. We try to present a watered down, spiritless gospel, to make it as accessible to as many people as humanly possible, blurring the lines between light and darkness, between truth and deception, between the world and the Church in the process. Anyone who promises you that a life in Christ is perpetual merriment and glee, bliss for your flesh and spirit in one easy to carry container, void of hardships, trials persecutions, and suffering is either ignorant of God’s Holy Word, or is willfully omitting the truth, keeping it from your ears, in short lying to you.

2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

How can anyone love the servant, while he hates the servant’s master? If the world hated Christ, which we know it did, then surely it will harbor animosity toward us. Christ Himself spoke these words countless times, yet we seem to have put them out of our mind, to have forgotten and dismissed them as though they were never uttered, instead reveling in our newfound acceptance in the eyes of the world, embracing it as some long lost family member, who has alas returned to the bosom of his kinfolk bearing gifts. Oh! How this family member was missed, yes often out of sight but never out of mind, and what a warm and welcoming homecoming he received, how tear filled the reunion, for so many had long thought they would never be reunited. Never mind that this particular family member is contagious, never mind that death soon follows wherever he is allowed to return, never mind that for long we have tried to escape and free ourselves, to unburden our hearts of this person, never mind that once we had escaped, we vowed never to let him back in, but to bar the doors and windows of our hearts, and be as far away from him as possible. Never mind all that, he has returned, and he accepts us, an we in turn accept him, he no longer looks his nose down at us, no longer thinks of us as fools, eccentrics, zealots, fundamentalists, or even God fearing Christians, we have finally done it, we have changed, evolved, we have thrown off the shackles of legalism, the cumbersome weight of Biblical boundaries, and we have stopped the controversy once and for all by omitting the name Jesus from our church services and programs. Indeed, we have finally done it, we have become the world, and the world loves us for it.

However, there are still those who recognize and remember the destructive nature of this long absent relative, how readily he would gain power and control over them, how empty and hopeless they were whenever in his presence. They remember all too well, and so choose never to commune with him again, never to embrace him warmly and heartily, but live separate from him.

When such a one makes the conscious decision to live separate from the world, then it is a certainty that he will incur the anger, wrath and maliciousness of the world. True faith in Jesus Christ, attracts immediate and direct persecution from the world. Suffering and persecution make the spiritual man stronger grounding him and rooting him ever deeper in God, like a strong tree which withstanding the constant winds, becomes stronger by the force exerted against it. As children of God, we cannot shy away from the persecution of the world, or compromise truth in order to spare ourselves certain suffering.

As Christ so comforted Smyrna with the words, ‘do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer’ He so comforts all who have picked up their cross, all who follow the narrow path. Do not fear! Whatever the circumstance, whatever the trial, however great the opposition, God stands with you, do not fear. Fear, is the mother of defeat, while courage and boldness, remove and eliminate it from our way of thinking. Our victory in God is assured, and the faithful will overcome the devil himself.

It is easy to perceive, that this letter addressed to the church of Smyrna was not directed toward one individual, it was not one of many that was told to not be afraid, but rather the entire body of Christ. ‘For some of them’, Christ said, ‘would be thrown into prison that they may be tested’.

Throughout the history of the church, some have been tested, some have had to endure affliction, suffering and even death at the hands of the enemies of God, but all have had to endure persecution at the hands of the world.

That we may not harbor resentment of even hatred in our hearts, Christ reminds the church of Smyrna that it is the devil, and not men, who will throw some of them into prison. I have heard of countless occurrences, wherein those persecuted for their faith continued to show the love of God toward the men who were being used of the devil to persecute them, and thereby won them to God. My own grandfather upon his return to his native land after a six-year exile, baptized into the faith, a man who had tortured him mercilessly for years during the Communist dictatorship. We cannot hate those that persecute us, for even Christ admonished us to love our enemies. Perhaps it is seeing our unconditional love that will eventually draw them to the light of God’s truth. Nothing is accidental when it comes to God’s work in our lives, every step, every word, every breath is ordained by our heavenly Father, and all things are allowed with a resolute and immutable purpose.

Although Christ did not offer the church of Smyrna a way of escape from their suffering, although He didn’t promise them that they would somehow be protected from the persecution that was about to come upon them, He did offer them one comfort, that of telling them that the season of their tribulation was limited to only ten days. Yes, trials are an inevitable part of every believer’s life, that we may be purified, and that we may be a living testimony, but the duration of these trials are established by God, and no one can change ten days into eleven, or one year into two. Every believer in the midst of tribulation can find comfort in this truth, that God knows the measure, severity, and length of our trial, and if faithful until the end He will place the crown of life upon our brow.

Those of the church of Smyrna are so encouraged, to endure and be faithful unto death, and not only them, but also all who endeavor to follow Christ are given the same solemn counsel. He, who no longer fears death, has overcome the devil, and this earth no longer holds any power over him. The worst the enemy can do, if allowed of God, is to kill this flesh, to release us from our earthly prison that we may be one with our Father in heaven. It is the promise of everlasting life, the eternal fellowship with God, the love that they felt in their hearts that kept so many in their darkest hour, that allowed them to remain faithful and true even in the face of the ultimate sacrifice.

The fear of death subjects man to bondage, but Christ came that He might destroy him who had the power of death, thereby freeing us from this fear, Paul so eloquently describes in the book of Hebrews, and knowing that He has already freed us, if once more fear finds a home in our hearts, it is we who have allowed it. If we are dead to the world, if we have crucified this present flesh, then threats from without will hold no weight, we will be unconcerned by men’s hostilities, intimidations and coercions. Only then will we be able to proclaim as Paul did, that for us to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

A believer who knows, accepts, and relies on the weapons of his warfare, his armor, will most assuredly be victorious over the fear of death in any circumstance. It is only those who along the way lay down their sword, their shield, their breastplate, and their helmet, no longer having their waist girded with truth, or their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, that will inevitably be overcome by fear.

It is not an easy thing for someone to be faithful until death, but it is neither difficult once we adhere to some simple guidelines in our daily walk.

The most important necessity we must adhere to when it comes to being faithful unto death is perpetual trust in Christ Jesus. It is a tragic miscalculation for anyone to think that they can abandon Christ, after they have surrendered their hearts to Him, and still continue to be victorious and faithful. Trusting in our own strength, understanding, or virtue renders us as impotent and weak as we were before having known Him. Thus the essential reason for a constant relationship with Him not merely a passing encounter, a chance meeting once upon a time at the altar of a long forgotten church.

The second aspect of our spiritual lives, which will aid in our faithfulness, is to be ever watchful of our steps, knowing that the enemy is unrelenting in his quest to steer us away from the path of righteousness. That which is incumbent upon us to do, we must do, and God will do the rest. If He tells us to be watchful, to guard our hearts, then it is something that we must actively strive to accomplish. Too few realize that they are at war, too few allow this knowledge to be ever at the forefront of their minds. I heard an old Romanian preacher once, while admonishing his congregation to perpetual vigilance say, ‘the devil doesn’t go on vacation, he does not take sick days, he has no holidays or time off for emergencies. If our enemy never tires of this spiritual battle in which we are engaged, then there should never be a day, an hour or even a minute where we find ourselves having laid down our guard, having ceased to be watchful.’

Thirdly, as true children of God, we must actively pursue the things of God, those things, which build up and strengthen the spiritual man, such as prayer, fasting, the study of Scripture, and fellowship with the brethren. The closer we draw to God, the further we will find ourselves from the world, and the more the love of God dwells in us, the love of self will diminish. The constant battle that rages in the heart of every man, must be fought valiantly, and when the spiritual man is strengthened, when his faithfulness is steadfast and unshakable, that which is still corruptible flesh will have no choice but to surrender, submit, and be nailed to the cross. Only in this way can we be faithful unto death.

Revelation 2:11, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

Barring some rare birth defect, all men have ears, all are born with the auditory sense, and so when Jesus says, ‘he who has an ear’, He does not speak of those who have ears of flesh, but rather spiritual ears, with which they can perceive spiritual things. The spirit is speaking, but who is listening? This is the most tragic of all questions in this present hour, for we have so far removed ourselves from the grace, peace, love, and voice of God, that our spiritual ears are shut up and we do not hear the loving voice of a sovereign Creator calling us to holiness and righteousness unto Him.

There are many voices speaking to the church today, as well as to individual believers, but what is important is that we hear what the Spirit says to us, the Spirit of truth, undefiled by human opinion or additions, the Spirit that can only be heard by those who are born again into a new life in Christ.

When Christ speaks of he who overcomes, He does not speak of a future victory, but a present one, overcoming every day, overcoming every temptation, and overcoming every deception. It is the continual victory in which the children of God must endeavor to walk, that they may be found faithful, and thus not be hurt by the second death.

A true follower of Christ, one who daily gives himself to death, keeping the flesh nailed to the cross, one who overcomes the natural by means of the spiritual, is kept from the second death. He has surrendered his life into the hand of eternity, and rests in Life itself.

Some Bible commentators have said that being ‘hurt by the second death’ and ‘the second death’, are two separate events, just as receiving ‘life’ and the ‘crown of life’ seem to be two separate occurrences. As far as this is concerned, I choose to refrain, for if something is not made clear within the pages of the sacred Book, then we must label it as an unknown and move on.

Concerning the first and second death however, we know that all men must pass through, and experience the first death. It is as certain as the rising of the sun every morning. Knowing that death comes for us all should not be a reason for fear or trepidation, but rather of expectation, knowing the glory that awaits us beyond the fragile veil of this present life. What we should fear, what should cause many a sleepless night for those who have not surrendered their all to Christ, for those who have not been born again, is the second death, the separation of man from God. This is the true death that destroys any semblance of peace, joy or hope. If God is no longer there, if He is no longer felt, then all has vanished, hope has died, and it is something far worse than the cessation of this present life.

We have the promise of a sovereign God, a promise that should embolden us and give us hope, that if we remain faithful unto death, we will receive the crown of life, and the cold fingers of the second death will not come near us. As a wise man from times past once said, ‘this is the struggle, this is the battle, to lay hold of eternal life, to claim the crown of life, to be welcomed into eternity by God Himself.’

Lord Strengthen our faith in you, and in the power of Your might, that we may be over comers, that we may be victorious and faithful in all our hardships, sufferings, and trials, that the world may see in us the greatness of Your glory.

With love in Christ

Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php




_______________________

If you recognize yourself as part of the Smyrna Church and are living holy unto the Lord obeying Him? You are blessed. Rejoice!

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Message to Sardis - from the book of Revelation

By Michael Boldea Jr.


January 21, 2009

We have come to the fifth of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, and just as the previous four had a unique message, warning, admonition and teaching, the letter to the angel of the church of Sardis holds within its words a lesson for us as well.

Revelation 3:1, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘these things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

Depending on whether one can accept a loose translation, or insists upon a literal one, the name Sardis can mean prince of joy, song of joy, that which remains, those who flee, renewed, or something new.

Historically Sardis was the capital of Lydia, located somewhere in Asia Minor, just south of the river Hermus. It is widely believed that the people of Lydia, during the reign of King Croesus were the first in history to mint coins, and their treasuries were vast. In essence, they invented currency, as we would understand it today. Sardis was the ancient residence of the kings of Lydia, a symbol of wealth and opulence. Even after being captured by king Cyrus, it remained an important commercial hub.

The city of Sardis is mentioned nowhere in the New Testament, besides the book of Revelation. It is unknown how the gospel traveled there, and by whose ministry the people of Sardis were converted. Being located in the same general area in which the Apostle Paul preached the Word for two years however, and knowing that all who lived in Asia both Jew and Greek had heard the word of the Lord, it is likely that it was during this time that the church of Sardis was established.

Acts 19:10, “And this (the preaching of the word, and the reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God) continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia hear the word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks.”

This of course is just a logical assumption on my part, but what we do know with certainty is the fact that the church of Sardis was dead. We know this, because the Word tells us it was so. If we were to read this passage simply as a historical record, it would have little impact on us personally, but the Word of God is actual, and presently relevant. If we open our hearts and look into the mirror of the Word, if we read it and perceive it not only as a stern warning for a long lost people and a generation that is but a flicker of a memory, but in the actuality of the present, relevant to us today, at this moment in time, the light of God will invade every corner of our beings toward the glory of God, and the truth will be revealed with clarity to those who have eyes to see.

Just as the previous four letters to the churches dealt more with the spiritual condition of a congregation rather than a geographical location, so it is with the Church of Sardis. The church of Sardis receives a letter, a personal message from none other than Christ, which begins by saying “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.”

By the phrase the seven Spirits and the seven stars, Christ is establishing His power and authority over all the churches. He is the sole source of light and truth, He is the spring from which righteousness flows, and He is entitled to take any measure He deems necessary as pertains to the churches. It is His divine right to rebuke, to exhort, to chastise and to reproof, but it is His divine pleasure to encourage, to embolden, to strengthen and to comfort those who truly follow after Him. Everything within the house of God, within the church, within the fellowship of the brethren must be in total submission to Him, for it is to Him that we will have to answer for our conduct, our actions, our decisions, and the very lives we led. There is none other in heaven or on earth who has been given authority by the Father, but Jesus His Son, who paid the ultimate price with the expectation of presenting His bride, spotless and without wrinkle before the throne of God.

It is not the first time the seven Spirits are mentioned in the book of Revelation, we see them mentioned once before in the first chapter, and in the fourth chapter we see mention of seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God, which are also the seven Spirits of God. The throne of God signifies His limitless power, whose glory and honor will be His, for by His will all things exist and were created.

As He informs almost all the churches, Jesus informs the church of Sardis of the crucial fact that He knows their works. Christ is not repetitive by nature. He is not like some of today’s preachers who preach the same sermon, and tell the same story over and over again, because they lack the divine inspiration for a new and fresh message from God. If Jesus repeats a phrase, it is to show us its importance, to accentuate its relevance, to stir us into opening our hearts to that which He is attempting to impart. Other than continually repeating ‘I know your works’ in the letters to the seven churches, Jesus during his ministry here on earth repeated one more phrase often, ‘repent for the Kingdom of God is nigh’. We ought to know by now the importance of repentance when it comes to the work of restoration, regeneration, transformation, and its necessity in being reconciled unto God. So why is it so important that Christ had seen the works of the church in Sardis? Because when He refers to works, it is not merely those things that other men see, it is not merely that which is visible to the naked eye, but the entirety of our lives, including our thoughts, our emotions and our desires. He sees those things, which we guard and keep hidden, those things buried deep in the recesses of our hearts. The Lord knows all. This is the indictment He brings against Sardis, that in name only they are alive, but in reality and actuality they are dead.

But how could they be alive in name only? The outward appearance of a thing isn’t always the same as the inward reality. God sees the true inward condition of a people, He weighs the hearts of men, and is unconcerned with the image they project, or how righteous others perceive them to be. God knows the heart, nothing is hidden from before His eyes, and although Sardis was considered, by those who knew them as being alive, in reality they were dead. In essence, Sardis was a beautifully made up corpse.

The Sardis condition is one of the most dangerous conditions for the house of God, because on the outside all seems well. Their ceremonies are well planned and perfectly executed, their worship team strikes just the right balance of soulful, worshipful songs and songs that make you jump out of your seat, the preacher balances his sermon just so, a little humor, a little story, a little encouragement, and a little boost to the self esteem, their charitable giving and benevolence are up to date, but as far as life, the true life that originates in Christ, as far as the power of God, there is none to be found.

If the power of God is not present in a congregation, then all Jesus sees is death. We can project religiosity and piety, we can project an air of humility and even fake worship, closing our eyes, and raising our hands, but God knows the condition of the heart.

The service begins, the cameras start rolling, the man stands behind the pulpit, Bible in hand smiling at his congregation, and many would say ‘now there’s a godly man.’ Why? Because he’s wearing a suit, and his hair is nice, and he’s holding a Bible, he closes his eyes when he prays, and his broad grin is ever present. But if one goes beyond what the physical eyes can see, the realization begins to sink in that the Bible is just a prop, never to be opened or referenced, the words that are spoken target the flesh and this present life not the spirit and eternity, harsh messages are never spoken although they are necessary, sin is never confronted, repentance is never concentrated upon, and the words of life are never mentioned. ‘I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’

This admonition was meant for this present generation, as much as it was meant for the church of Sardis. It was written for us, that we might search our hearts in the light of the gospel and repent of this condition if it were to be found within us. The day of the great reckoning is coming, the day when everything will be stripped from us, including the image we try to project, and we will be laid bare before the King of Kings, who will see beyond the manicured nails, and expensive shoes, whose heart will not be moved by our bright smiles or our charm. Yes, that day of reckoning, that great and terrible day of the Lord will soon be upon us, and nothing can be hid from His eyes, no secrets kept, no sin camouflaged. He sees all, and He knows all.

Revelation 3:2, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.”

In His loving grace, Jesus gives a stern and serious warning to both the churches that find themselves in the condition of the church in Sardis, as well as the individuals who find themselves suffering from the selfsame fatal malady. ‘Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die’. So there was still something alive in Sardis, as there is something alive in those that suffer from the Sardis condition, even if it be a gasping breath. If there is still life, then that life, which remains, those things, which remain, must at all costs be strengthened. How can a soul, or a church for that matter be strengthened? By being watchful, by returning to the Lord and His word, and nevermore straying from the light and the life.

There are people in the world who live irresponsible lives, who do what they please when they please until they are shocked back to the reality of their present circumstance. I’ve known people who simply didn’t care until they started feeling ill and going to the doctor were informed that they were a breath away from death. If they did not change, if they were not watchful of their lifestyle, they would surely perish. For most this information was a wakeup call, they came face to face with their own mortality, and though it might have been uncomfortable for them at first, they changed their lives drastically, and instantly. There was no procrastination there was no putting off the change in diet, or the change in their daily lives. They realized that there was no time to waste if they hoped to have life, and if they hoped to live, they had to come to terms with the new paradigm of their existence. It is such with many believers today, who are a breath away from spiritual death, being kept alive only by the grace and mercy of God. The seriousness of the warning is self-evident. It does not require exhaustive elucidation, you are dying, in fact by all accounts other than grace, dead, and if you choose not to be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, you will have signed your own death certificate.

Watchfulness is not easy. It might seem like an easy task at the beginning, but we are to be watchful throughout our lives, not merely for a season. None of the sentinels who are assigned to stand watch through the night grumble during the first few hours, but as the night wears on, and the dawn is nowhere in sight, some start to grow weary, their energies are spent, and staring out into the darkness searching for an enemy he hopes is not there, becomes tiresome and cumbersome. It matters not how weary we grow, we must at all cost be watchful. Watchfulness must become part of our daily journey toward our eternal home, it must become part of our existence, and we must associate watchfulness with a child of God, just as heat is associated with fire.

A true child of God realizes the importance of watchfulness early on in his or her walk, and places the requisite emphasis on it. They learn that watchfulness must be intertwined with our prayers and supplications as well as with the study and fulfillment of the Scriptures. Knowing that our enemy never sleeps, and that his one purpose is the derail our walk and shipwreck our faith should be all the impetus we need to be ever vigilant, and ever watchful.

The enemy is constantly testing our defenses, hoping to find a weak point, a crack in the shield, a breach in the armor that he can exploit toward his own ends. It is the enemy’s pleasure to see us fail; it is his goal to see us separated from the love and grace of God. The devil’s hatred for those who walk the narrow path of faith burns so bright, that he would readily commit both time and resources if he thought he had a chance at deceiving us, at causing us to stumble, at beguiling us to stain the white garment with which we have been clothed.

Why am I taking such a long time talking about the enemy? Because many Christians today have either forgotten or dismissed the reality that we war against the nemesis of the soul, that he walks about as a roaring lion, that he’s focused and single minded and desires our utter destruction. A countless number of souls have relinquished their armor, they’ve laid down their sword and their shield, removed the helmet of salvation from atop their heads, and found the nearest tree, which offered them a little shade that they might slumber for awhile. Our lack of awareness concerning the enemy we face, has made us indifferent, complacent, and at ease, giving us a false sense of security, and causing us to let down our guard.

Christ Jesus, our Savior and our best Friend tells admonishes us however to be watchful. He admonishes all those who would follow Him to be watchful against the spirit of the world, the spirit of division, the spirit of denominationalism, against sin, against vices, against unseen temptations and against the devil himself, the sworn enemies of our souls. If we heed His warnings it will be well with our souls but if we neglect them, believing as some do that it is just an overreaction, that He made it sound much worse than it really is when it comes to the enemy’s hate toward His beloved, we will fall into the snare of being at ease in Zion, not realizing that the enemy has breached our defenses.

A watchful soul is never ignorant of the enemy’s schemes and plots, he or she spots the snares before he steps into them, they see the ruse before they become entangled in it. I believe it was Philpot who once wrote that Satan is so wily, his agents so surround us, their designs are so masked their language so plausible, their manners so insinuating, their arguments so subtle, their insight into our weakness so keen, their enmity against Christ and His gospel so implacable, their lack of all principle and honesty so thorough, that the net may be drawing around us, before we have the slightest suspicion of these infernal plots being directed against us.

When we are watchful, we also see, and more clearly so, the opportunities that God places before us to do good. When one is watchful, he or she also sees the much awaited for answers to their prayers, because only in the focus of watchfulness can we perceive an answered prayer, even though the answer did not come in the manner in which we expected it. Often we are so focused on God doing something the way we think He ought to do it, in answering a prayer in the manner we believe He ought to answer it, that even though the prayer has been answered, and the supplication has been met with a positive response, we miss it because it didn’t happen the way we believed it would. When we are watchful, when we distance ourselves from preconceived notions of how we think God ought to work, and embrace His will, we see His mercy abound, and His grace cover us.

Watch and pray, trusting in the providence of the Almighty Father, surrendering and submitting all to Him. This is the secret to a victorious life in Christ, the live of one who overcomes rather than one who is overcome. The more we watch and pray, the more we grow aware of our own frailty, of our own impotence, and learn to lean on God, acknowledging that only His grace carries us, and only His love keeps us. When we commit our ways unto the Lord, we come under His covering, under His protection and authority. There is no safer place to be, since He is ever watchful of His flock protecting them from the enemy and from the wolves. He is with us in the hour of our trial; He stands with us in battle, just as readily as He is there in our times of joy and spiritual victories. His eye is never far from us.

1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

We must understand that there is a purpose in being watchful, one that we must never lose sight of. We must know that which we are watching against, and that which we are guarding. We are duty bound to be watchful, to pray without ceasing, that we might know what enters the doorway of our hearts, and if it be something questionable, or against the will of God, take quick and decisive action to crush the head of the serpent before it has a chance to strike.

True wisdom always prioritizes wisely. It does not go seeking after new things first, it does not desire more gifts or more responsibilities first, but rather it strengthens the things that remain which are ready to die. Once those things that remain are strengthened, once they have been established, only then does wisdom dictate that we pursue more. The danger in wanting to run before we can crawl, is that even if we succeed, it will only be for a season, because there was no foundation, there was no base from which to build upward. There are many within the house of God that desire to be spiritual juggernauts, endowed with gifts, exuding power and performing miracles, before they’ve established a relationship and an intimacy with God. There is no faster way to disappointment and ruination than not taking the time to grow in God, and stepping out on your own attempting to do in your own time, what God had ordained in His time. There is a divine wisdom in Christ’s admonition to the church of Sardis, wherein they are to strengthen those things which remain, those things which are ready to die, before it is too late, rather than neglect them and seek out something new. It is far easier to keep from stumbling, than once having stumbled to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start walking again. It is far easier to bring a soul which resided in the darkness to the light, than to rehabilitate a soul that once having been in the light allowed the darkness to overtake them once more due to sin.

There is another rebuke that Christ speaks to the church of Sardis that we must delve into, for it is relevant and important: I have not found your works perfect before God.”

“But isn’t it all relative? Isn’t it all subjective? Isn’t my walk, my walk, and nobody else’s business including God’s?” Apparently not! I realize the United States does not use the metric system, but everyone in the world does, and using the foot as an example might get confusing. So for the sake of this example we will use the metric system. The meter is an internationally recognized means by which one measures length. No one is able to either lengthen it or shorten it depending on his or her particular whim at the time, no matter how much they might want to. It has been established as such, and we must accept it as such. What would happen if everyone suddenly decided that a meter’s length was whatever he or she wanted it to be? The answer is simple; utter chaos.

The same principle can be applied spiritually as well. It is not man that holds the measuring stick, it is not man that holds the scales by which we are weighed, it is God and God alone. Righteousness is not subjective, holiness is not relative; God established what they are and what they require in His word. I cannot suddenly decide how long a meter should be, just as I cannot decide what righteousness or holiness should be because it has already been established, and there is no shadow of turning.

Man cannot just make up the rules as he goes along. We cannot arbitrarily dismiss the Word of God because we deem it too difficult, or not progressive enough, we cannot take entire chunks out of Scripture and cast them aside and still hope to maintain the integrity of the whole. The reason so few are seeing the true power of God in the churches today, is because a large majority have so utterly butchered the word, they have removed so much of it from the Christian consciousness that they have altogether nullified it. Only One has been given the authority to judge, and rightly so, only One has been granted the power to weigh and measure men, that is Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 5:22-23, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

Jesus had both the right and the authority to inform the church of Sardis that He had not found their works perfect before God, because all judgment has been committed to Him. The means by which He judges have been established, the guidelines defined in the Word, and no matter what loopholes or justifications men might think they’ve found to walk a wider path, it will not stand before a righteous God, and the Son to whim He has committed all judgment.

The eyes of man often perceive the opposite of what is really there. They behold only with the physical and readily interpret evil for good, and good for evil, because they cannot peer into the heart, they do not see beyond the outer shell of a man. Christ however, sees beyond the image we project, and the piousness of our devotion when we are amidst the congregation of believers, He sees and weighs the hearts of men, for nothing can be hid from before His face.

John 2:24-25, “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”

It is easy to seem righteous in the eyes of men, because men are easily deceived. The right look, the right pedigree, the right suit, the right smile, the right self-appointed title, and it is done. Those truly led of God however, those who possess the Holy Spirit, can perceive a true righteousness, from a false righteousness. They can tell the authentic from the counterfeit, the image from the substance. False righteousness is the devil’s glory, and the number of those taken in by it is staggering indeed.

False righteousness is as dangerous as it is contagious for the human soul. It is one of the enemy’s preferred weapons against the children of God, because false righteousness is so appealing. Why put in the time to get to know God, why have a prayer life, why read the Word, why deny yourself the worldly things when you can buy your sermons online, when countless smiling faces on television are offering to grow you into a spiritual giant for a nominal fee, and when so few notice the difference between the real and the counterfeit nowadays?

I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said ‘you can fool some of the people some of the time’, but the problem with false righteousness is that you can’t fool God any of the time. God is not mocked, God is not deceived, and His righteous judgment stands. The task of every believer is to labor each day as though they were standing in the presence of God, as though He saw every action, heard every word, knew every hidden desire of the heart, because in reality He does. When we conduct ourselves as though God was perpetually there, then it will not concern us whether the world understands or accepts us, whether they think us fools or madmen, because doing the will of God and being pleasing in His sight takes preeminence over everything else.

How can we sanctify our works before God? Only through Christ! If I remain in Christ, I will bloom in Christ, and have the fruit of Christ. If I remain in Christ, then I will have His life, and adopt His nature. Man cannot be sanctified before God, except in Christ and through Christ.

Only in Christ can I labor on behalf of the Kingdom, absent of vested interest, or hidden agendas. Only in Christ can the work we do remain pure and undefiled by vainglory or self. Only in Christ can we be sanctified.

If we do not remain steadfast in our faithfulness, in our watchfulness, and our intimacy with God, our works will not be perfect in His sight. Many of us have made that first step, but we did not press on toward sanctification, or perfection. The hidden danger is that if we do not press ever onward toward perfection, if we are not constantly and consistently making progress toward sanctification, we begin to neglect it, allowing the cares of this world to choke out the desire for the things of God and the Kingdom of God.

Ever the faithful servants, as those who have been redeemed and make clean by the blood of the Lamb, may we strengthen that which remains. May we as wise builders build our spiritual homes upon the rock, making certain that our foundation is sure and true, that our faith is strong enough to withstand the howling winds and the storms of this life.

Especially in this present generation, it is easy to grow indifferent. It is easy to get distracted when we lose sight of all that we stand to lose, and the eternity we stand to gain if only we remain watchful, if we guard our hearts and our minds against the fiery arrows of the enemy.

When we learn to trust in God, and stand not on our own righteousness but in His righteousness, when we learn that He will receive unto Himself nothing less than our all, when we walk humbly with our Lord, and the cross is ever present before us, we will experience the nature of Christ, thereby beginning the process of sanctification which is an integral part of our growth and maturity.

We cannot be content with the progress we’ve made thus far, thinking to ourselves that we can rest awhile, or ease up on the pace of our walk, but strengthening that which we already possess in God, making certain that our relationship with Him is our driving force, we press onward to new heights, to new strengths, and to greater glory in Him.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

 

[hobelim]

what a great read for my SABBATH DAY.THANK YOU

ugh....you guys have way too much free time on your hands..........

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

By Michael Boldea Jr.


Message to Sardis Part 2
February 5, 2009

Revelation 3:3, “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

There is one truth, but unfortunately there are many interpretations. With each passing day, new doctrine seems to spring up out of nowhere, like mushrooms after a spring rain, but just as not all mushrooms are edible, and some are even poisonous, so it is with these new doctrines. There are some doctrines floating about in the spiritual ether that amount to nothing less than cyanide for the soul. They will cripple your spiritual walk, and put you in a spiritually comatose state just as sure as getting hit by a train would irreparably damage your physical being.

If one is uncertain as to what they should believe, go back to the source of truth, to the fountainhead of divine wisdom, and you are sure to find nourishment for your soul. The truth is not hidden, it is not shrouded in mystery, it is not reserved for a select few who dole it out piecemeal, the truth is there for any man desiring to receive it, the truth is Christ and the word of God.

If you say in your heart, ‘I do not know where the truth is!’ My question to you, is do you know where the sun is?

Fix your gaze upon the Sun of righteousness, upon the Christ, and you will see the truth revealed to you in ways you never thought possible. He is the Truth, He is the source, and His mercy extends to this generation, His desire to know you personally and intimately, undiminished by the countless souls who have rejected Him in the past. Christ desires to know man, more than man will ever desire to know Christ. He came to this earth for the purpose of reconciling us onto God the Father, sacrificing Himself, hanging upon a cross and dying an unspeakable death all so that we might have a door by which to enter, and a means by which to His love and enduring mercies.

“Come unto Me!’ says the Sun of Righteousness, “and I will give you light and rest.” It is a solemn promise, and one He keeps with every soul that comes to Him, and unburdens itself at the foot of the cross.

Mankind cannot come to Him as a collective; we do not approach the cross as a group, but as individuals. It is a most intimate and personal experience, reserved for those who desire to be saved. Yes, who desire to be saved; not those who desire to be rich, not those who desire to have perfect hair or acne free faces, straight teeth or winning smiles, those who desire to be saved. Those who realize that death consumes them, and darkness has overwhelmed their senses, those who acknowledge that they are deep within the mire of sin and corruption that is a Godless life, and want the salvation that only Christ can give, wanting nothing more from Him than to be unshackled and set free, to be cleansed and placed upon the rock.

‘Remember therefore what you have received and heard’, remember and never let it be forgotten. Remember the Christ, remember the Word, remember the promise, remember the standard. What a wretched state of existence, to have known but dismissed, to have heard but forgotten, to have received but rejected. Is there a more pitiable creature walking the face of the earth today, than one who has known the narrow path of faith, who has heard the good news, who has received the light and truth of the gospel and yet somehow wandered off the path, and has lent their ear to deceptive doctrines of devils?

The Word of God is our foundation, and it is to it that we must hold fast, repenting of the doctrines of men, and corrupt heresies we’ve allowed to worm into our hearts. Yes, the flesh rejoiced, it reveled in the new doctrine, it gloried in the unbridled teachings of a faith absent of Christ, and absent of the cross, but to what end? If the spirit is ever at odds with the flesh, if enmity is ever present, why do we so often give in to the flesh rather than subdue it, why do we gravitate toward the powerless gospel that has so permeated the churches of today? Because we forget to remember! That which we received and heard, becomes antiquated, old, boring even, like the once new car that is along in years, no longer the object of appreciative glances or outright stares. The Gospel of Christ however, is not a car that can lose its luster and shine, it is the ever present, relevant, necessary and living word of God that is as able to renew and transform, that is as able to change and make new today as it was two thousand years ago.

It is not enough to remember however, it is not enough simply to recall that which we received and heard. A certain prescribed action must be taken once we remember; we must hold fast and repent. May we be wise and watchful, lest we become as those of whom the Word warns, who are always learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Once the truth is remembered, it must be followed by repentance. Regardless of how much repentance has fallen out of favor with many of today’s churches, it is still an integral and necessary component of the process of restoration and regeneration. Of what profit is it to a man to simply know where to locate bread, if he remains static, unmoving, unwilling to reach out, grab it and consume it? He dies with the knowledge he possesses all the more wretched because he was aware of the means by which he might live yet chose not to pursue them. Simply knowing without applying that which we know, without taking the necessary steps is a worthless and fruitless exercise.

Following His stern warning, Christ also gave an equally stern threat. No, it was not His desire to come upon them as a thief in the night, but the consequences of their disobedience would be just that. If they would not watch, if they would not receive the warning with the requisite soberness and seriousness, he would come upon them as a thief in the night, and they would not know what hour He would come upon them.

The true believers, the ones whose lives are hidden with Christ in God, joyfully await the day of the Lord’s return. They joyfully anticipate that blessed day when Christ will appear in the heavens to take up His bride and present it before the Father. For the true believer, the Lord does not come upon them He comes for them. For some this might seem like an insignificant distinction, a splitting of hairs, but it is quite profound in its simplicity.

Those who have a name that they are alive, but are in fact dead, will not be come for, but they will be come upon, judged with the world even with their abundant religiosity. They were believers in name only, men and women who never truly knew Christ, who had never truly repented, but who had heard and received nonetheless. All their protests and cries to the contrary, will not sway the great Judge, for He will see the darkness in their heart, the darkness that they kept hidden from the eyes of men.

1 Thessalonians, 5:2-3, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘peace and safety’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

These were words penned by Paul concerning the times and the seasons. In His love for all the brethren and the churches, Paul was attempting to reassure the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord would not come upon them as it would for those living in the darkness, for they were of God, they were of the light, and that day would not overtake them as a thief.

For some the great day of the Lord will be a reason for rejoicing, while for others the hour of their destruction. What terror, what dread, to slumber cocooned in a false sense of security, and wake up to judgment. What gnashing of teeth to call upon the name of the One who passed upon your lips but was never allowed to reside in the heart, and receive no answer.

We slumber when we ought to be vigilant, we are neglectful while we ought to be watchful, we are indifferent while we ought to be passionate, we are prayer less while we ought to be prayerful, faithless while we ought to be faithful, wavering while we ought to be steadfast, all the while having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.

‘But brother you paint such a grip picture. You are so pessimistic.’ No, I just prefer to be a realist, I prefer to look beyond the whitewashed tombs of today’s contemporary and marketable gospel, and see the reality of the decay that resides within. I choose to heed the warnings of Christ because they were warnings uttered in love, and a desire not to bring judgment down upon those who still have something that remains, which is getting ready to die if it is not strengthened.

Revelation 3:4, “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

We live in an age where relativism is not only on the menu it has been the daily special for some time now. Men who are considered visionaries and forward thinkers by their contemporaries blaze trails into the never before explored and what they deem spiritual newness distancing themselves exponentially from the truth of God’s Word, indifferent toward the countless souls they lead into the darkest of deceptions. The words Christian and humanist have become interchangeable, and those who see the dangers of these deceptions, those who have not been lulled to sleep by the sweet lullaby of tolerance and interfaith worship, have but one consolation: The Lord sees, and the Lord knows!

The eyes of God gaze from the heavens. God looks upon the earth and with immeasurable love follows the path of those few who have not defiled their garments, naming them by name from among billions, ever ready to protect, strengthen and sanctify them.

Even within a congregation of believers, God does not see them as a collective, He does not perceive a fellowship as a whole simply because they’ve gathered in a building with a giant cross on the roof, He gazes upon the hearts of men, weighing them, and fellowshipping only with those who are truly His. There are people today who have been attending service regularly for years, never having felt the touch of God because they were unwilling to break ties with the world, they loved their sin so much that they chose not to consent to the cleansing process that God demanded and still demands.

Contrary to the staggering amount of material available today, our primary objective in walking with God is not to get a financial breakthrough, it is not to prosper, it is not to get wealth or get Jesus to pay our mortgage, it is to keep the white garments with which we have been clothed spotless and undefiled. Eternity with God is our goal, all else pales in comparison, dare I say becomes irrelevant in the face of this one purpose.

The eyes of God are firmly fixed upon the true believers, that minority among a great majority who have not defiled their garments, and it is those souls, which He endows with spiritual gifts, with strength, with the heavenly things that only He can bestow. God desires to have vessels of honor in His house. Once a heart is open to Him, God goes about the task of burning out all the impurities, of refining in the fire, until becomes what He desires it to be. Once a vessel is cleansed and strengthened, once the eyes of the heart are open to the reality that it is not our will we should be desiring but His will, the vessel is ready to be used. A vessel has no will of its own, it cannot choose the service into which it is placed, it cannot choose the person it is chosen to serve, it is, in its entirety at the mercy of the Master.

The few names that remained undefiled in the church of Sardis prove to us that even amidst a fallen generation, and a backslidden church one can retain their purity. The fact that the world around us grows more evil every day, and the churches are venturing further and further from the truth of God’s Holy Word, is not ample excuse for us to stop living in righteousness and purity before a sovereign God. God does not judge the collective, He judges the individual. One can choose to follow the majority into the land of compromise and half-truth, or one can stand, feet firmly planted upon the rock, unshaken and undeterred in walking in holiness and humility, faithfulness and steadfastness. “I did it because everyone else was doing it” was a poor excuse when we were children, and it is a poor excuse now that we’ve grown and matured. We all know the classic question every mother has asked at one point or another, “if everyone else was jumping off a bridge would you?” but clichéd as it might be, the reality of it is still undeniable. Just because others have chosen to serve the flesh rather than God, just because others have given themselves over to the pursuit of worldly things rather than heavenly things, it does not give us license to follow in their footsteps. We know the truth, we possess the truth, it is in simply written in the Word for all to heed it, and in the end it is the Word that will stand as witness against many a soul.

Although it is possible to retain once purity amidst a fallen world, it is not easy. When I was younger I used to love walking through wheat fields, for some reason it had a calming effect on me, and always put me in a contemplative mood. No matter how much time I’d spend walking through the wheat fields, when I was done, there was never anything stuck to my clothes. If I had chosen to walk through a field of thorns, briars, and thistle however, I would most likely spend the rest of the day picking thorns out of my clothes. I realize this may seem like a senseless story, but there is a point I assure you. Living in a world such as ours, it is far easier to learn evil than to learn good. The voice of good, the voice of righteousness and holiness unto God grows more feeble with each passing day, as it is drowned out by sin and avarice. Everything of this world, from the greatest to the smallest is always attempting to defile our garments, to ruin the beauty of our inner righteousness. Whether we trek through the dust, or the mud of this world, it invariably attempts to cling to us, to dirty our once pristine attire, and if we stop being watchful, if we stop looking into the mirror of God’s Word to see if there are any spots or wrinkles on our garments, what was once white soon becomes gray, dirtied and spotted.

When it comes to our physical attire, we often see a spot or wrinkle and think to ourselves, “it’s not so bad, no one will notice”, but we cannot take the same liberties with our spiritual attire. God notices every spot; God notices every wrinkle, because He knows the condition in which He gave your garment to you, and demands that it be presented to Him in like manner.

May God help us be watchful and scrupulous when it comes to our spiritual attire that we might be counted among those who did not defile their garments, for it is to those who remained undefiled that Christ promises will walk with Him in white. What greater glory can man aspire to than to walk with Him? We all know the story of Enoch, the man who walked with God, but what we can deduce by reading between the lines is equally impacting as the fact that Enoch journeyed with God for three hundred years, and never grew tired, bored, or indifferent toward the relationship he had established. For three hundred years, Enoch was daily satisfied, desiring nothing more than intimacy with the Creator, realizing there was no greater thing to aspire to in this life, than to walk humbly with your Lord.

When the heart is joined to Christ, when it is infused with His presence, by the very nature of the relationship we established with Jesus, we distance ourselves from the world. Our feet follow in His footstep, we find our fulfillment and our joy in His ways, and as such our garments remain spotless and undefiled. We know that we cannot serve two masters, that there is only room for one lord upon the throne of our hearts, these ought to be basic and fundamental teachings within the house of God. We have a tendency to shy a way from absolutes because absolutes leave no wiggle room, there is no median, no gray area, but when it comes to spiritual matters, with God it is either all or nothing at all. We either surrender our entire beings, our hearts, our minds, our desires, our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations, our pride, our ego, our flesh to He who is and was and is to come, or we deceive ourselves into believing that He won’t notices the smudges, the spots or the wrinkles on our garments. God finds pleasure in holiness, and He fellowships with holiness. Heaven’s environment is one of holiness, wherein nothing wicked or defiled can enter.

Even though the letter was to the church of Sardis, there are clearly two camps within this congregation. Too often, what is addressed to those within the house of God is misconstrued as having been written for the world by today’s theologians, having altogether dismissed the fact that we are told the world considers the Word to be foolishness, neither receiving it or perceiving it. Why would you play a symphony for a deaf person? Why would you present a masterpiece of color and nuance to a blind man? Jesus is not writing to the world, but to those who claim to be of the house of God. There are those who have defiled their garments, who will have no part in the Kingdom, who will be judged together with the world, and there are those who remained spotless and undefiled, who will walk with Christ, being clothed in white, clothed in holiness and righteousness just as the Lord is clothed for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:5, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

The Sardis condition is more difficult to overcome than all the other maladies thus far presented in the letters to the churches. Unfortunately it is also one of the most common conditions found in today’s churches as well. The dangers of having a form of godliness, an outward appearance of holiness, a reputation of being alive and sanctified while being wrought with sin and wickedness gasping what amounts to the last few shallow breaths of a once vibrant spiritual existence, are so vast and real that they are beyond my ability to adequately describe.

Imagine a man who by all appearances is at the peak of his physical conditioning, who to the physical eye is worthy of envy for his chiseled physique and ruddy cheeks, but on the inside is a mass of decay and disease. He knows something is not right, but then looks in the mirror, flexes a few times, and talks himself into believing that nothing is wrong because the outward parts look so good, even though in reality he is a breath away from succumbing to the malady that is slowly eating away at him, shutting down his organs one by one, bringing him one step closer to a sure death. When a church, a ministry, or a minister projects an image that is the opposite of what lies beneath the outward shell, they are likened to such a man, who although dying on the inside, keeps up the external appearance of being alive.

It is very difficult for those who have the words of truth on their lips, but not in their hearts to see the light, to repent and thereby be restored. Such souls cling to empty ceremony, to teaching absent of substance, to men who flatter, and words that tickle the ears. They resent those who would point the way to Christ, and despise those who give the Word of God its rightful place of honor as the final authority when it comes to spiritual matters. Although in name they are of Christ, their actions and conduct prove otherwise, squandering the time they’ve been given on earthly pursuits and material excesses, neglecting the spiritual altogether.

It is difficult to overcome the Sardis condition, but not impossible. The healthy glow and rugged features notwithstanding, when one grows exceedingly symptomatic he or she comes to the realization that all is not well, that even if on the outside they may as yet not show it, they are gravely ill on the inside and begin to seek after a cure. Just as physicians prescribe medication for our physical bodies, the Word of God has prescriptions for our spiritual restoration. If we find ourselves in the Sardis condition, suffering the symptoms which Christ pointed out, we must with determined steadfastness employ the spiritual arsenal to which we have access, girding our waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, taking up the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, and mercilessly wielding the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, cutting down anything that would hinder our walk or endanger our spiritual well being. We cannot coddle sin; we cannot tolerate or overlook compromise, for they are the harbingers of spiritual death. The journey of faith is a lifelong, and the putting on of the whole armor of God is a mandatory prerequisite for victorious and sanctified spiritual continuity. Falling at the foot of the cross in repentance, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is not the end of the journey, but the beginning. Once we have received, once we are saved and redeemed, the battle begins, and we must be equipped that we might stand against the wiles of the devil, and quench all the fiery darts of the wicket one.

The promise and reward for those who overcome the Sardis condition is threefold. First, he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. Only Christ can prepare these white garments, only He is able to distribute them to His beloved and His faithful, made possible by His shed blood.

Revelation 7:13-14, “ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Revelation 19:8, “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

These white garments, are in recognition of the righteous life, the overcoming believers lived here on earth. While on earth the true believer might suffer at the hands of the wicked, he might be mocked and hated, persecuted and degraded because he was not of the world, because the world looked upon him as something odd and off-putting, because the nature of Christ so radiated from him that those of the darkness could not help but have an aversion toward the light, but their reward for all that they endured was established in the heavens, and administered by Christ. Do not grow weary in pursuing righteousness, do not grow sad when the world mocks you and hates you, your reward awaits, that white garment, that fine linen clean and bright, which is the righteous acts of the saints.

The very life of the righteous will serve as testimony against those who chose to grovel in the darkness. The very acts of the saints will be the overwhelming evidence on the Day of Judgment that it was within man’s ability to worship God, to serve Him, and be a true ambassador for the Kingdom even in the midst of a wicked world.

Even now, those who have clothed themselves in Christ, those who strive for righteousness and hunger after holiness stir up hatred and resentment in the hearts of those who are Christian in name only. Some part of them must know the futility of false humility, it must know the vanity of false worship and that which is in them which is still of the world, rebels against the agents of light and goodness, it rebels against those who carry the Christ not only on their lips but in their hearts as well.

The true servants of Christ, those who pick up their crosses daily and follow after Him, are arrayed in white garments, absent of identifying insignia as to denomination, nationality, skin color, social standing, education level, gender or age. They are as one, the body of Christ, shining from within with the glory of the glorified One. We do not recognize a true servant of God by their title, their lapel pin, or by their diploma, but by the white garment of righteousness that they wear, made so by the blood of the Lamb; those fine linens which have been placed upon them not by an elder, a deacon a preacher or even an angel, but by the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior of mankind.

The second promise to those who overcome the Sardis condition is He (Christ) will not blot out their names from the Book of Life. I realize full well that we have happened upon a touchy and sensitive topic, a topic that is the dividing line between some denominations, but these are the words that Christ spoke and they cannot be twisted to fit our own agendas or our own way of thinking. To put it bluntly, God’s pencil has an eraser.

Exodus, 32:33, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”

I know full well I will not make any friends with the following assertions, but if we believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, then we can’t just choose the good parts, the wholesome verses, those which exhort and edify, but must accept even those which challenge our preconceived notions, those which rebuke, correct, and warn.

I also realize that some will hold to denominational dogma rather than accept the truth of Scripture, but I must press on, and state the Bible’s case, for it is that to which I was called.

Whenever this verse is brought up, even in general conversation with other brothers, an argument always arises. The foundational question is most often, ‘if God knew a man was going to fall, why would He write their name in the Book to begin with?’ Every time we try to dig a little deeper into what has become known as the ‘once saved always saved’ doctrine, we realize the inconsistency of it, and can’t help but be drawn into a tailspin of paradox from which there is no ascend to greater understanding.

‘Well, if they raise their hand in church, get baptized, but fall into sin again, it means they were never really saved, and thus the once saved always saved doctrine still holds.’ This is the comment I hear most often when this topic is discussed, whether it’s coming from a preacher, or someone who’s just repeating what they heard someone else say when the topic was discussed on a previous occasion.

In order to wrap our minds around the idea that a name can be blotted from the Book of Life, just as Christ asserts in the third chapter and fifth verse of the book of Revelation, I will have to employ the use of a parable:

After much contemplation and soul searching a young man decides to enlist in the army. He goes to the nearest recruiting office, signs the papers required for enlistment, and soon is sent off to boot camp. The minute he arrives, he is by all rights considered a soldier of his nation, the requisite dog tags having already been imprinted, his name entered in the necessary database. Upon finishing boot camp, the young man discovers that within the week he will be sent to a far off country, to join a war already in progress, in the hopes of bringing democracy and stability to the entire region. Suddenly the young man has a change of heart, he does not want to fight, he does not want to go to war, and in a panicked rush runs off. Days go buy, and he does not report for duty, his brothers in arms hear nothing from him, and finally the powers that be come to the conclusion that he has deserted. His name is removed from the database, and the man who was once a soldier, serving his country, is now a deserter and a fugitive from the law. Whether due to desertion or conduct unbecoming, a dishonorable discharge is still the end result.

When we come to Christ, when we repent of our sins and receive Him, our names are written in the Book of Life. God does not wait until the end of our existence on earth to enter our name, but the second that we receive salvation, the angel to whom the duty was assigned, writes our name within the great book. When we believe and are saved, God is constrained by His own word to write our names in the Book of Life even though in His omniscience He knows who will remain faithful, and who will squander the gift, and reject salvation. God would not be just if knowing one’s end He would not place their name in the Book even though all the requirements had been fulfilled.

The tragic truth is that the Word tells us men can fall from grace, they can return to the pit and the mire from which they were once freed. Yes there is room for repentance, however the more often one stumbles and repents, it seems the more calloused and hardened the heart gets, wherein it becomes more difficult to bend one’s knee and honestly repent of what had pained and offended God. Better not to stumble, better not to fall into the snares of the enemy than betting eternity on whether or not we will feel true and heartfelt remorse. Man treats sin lightly because he knows repentance is always available, all the while forgetting that the heart of man is exceedingly evil.

God is merciful but He is also just, and in His righteous judgment He rightly divides. We are no more entitled to ask God why, than we are entitled to ask the sun why it rises every morning. As obedient servants all we can do is humbly say, ‘God’s will be done.’ This foolish notion that we can somehow demand of God, like some spoiled little child who stomps its feet and shakes its fists, is lunacy worthy of being committed in a mental facility. How can creation demand anything of its Creator? We can ask, and He who is a loving Father will surely give good gifts to His children, but this idea that we can demand God change His mind on what He has already established in His Word, or that by our will alone we will nullify His will is preposterous.

The third blessing that is promised to those who overcome is that Christ will confess their name before His Father and before His angels. A man’s good name is a prized possession, a treasure, which exceeds wealth and success in its true value and worth. This is an undisputed truth that has held through the ages, for a man’s good name, a man’s reputation echoes long after the flesh has returned to the earth. Once a good name is tarnished, once a reputation is ruined by a man’s actions or choices, it is difficult to regain, and almost impossible to return to its former luster.

Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”

Ecclesiastes 7:1, “A good name is better than precious ointment.”

Every one can name a name that will forever live in infamy due to their actions. Every one can point to someone who chose great riches rather than a good name, sacrificing relationships, reputation, and even their own morals in order to achieve something they belatedly realized was void of warmth, meaningless and vain. To have laid waste to everything that would have brought love, peace, and joy into one’s life in order to achieve a certain success, or amass a certain fortune all to look back on the life that was and realize that it was not worth the tradeoff. So often men dismiss the examples of those that came before them, and pursue the same goals, which ultimately lead to the selfsame conclusions as their predecessors.

There is an underlying mystery in the words of Jesus, concerning confessing the name of those who will overcome before the Father and before His angels. The true believer is also given a new name. It is a name that is good, eternal, well known, and necessary for us to posses when we stand before the throne of God, for no other name under the sun will suffice or be received as an acceptable surrogate or replacement. There is one name that every child of God must have etched upon their foreheads, and burned upon their hearts, and that name is Christ. This is not just another name, another empty word, but a powerful reality that stands as testimony before the heavens and the earth. To be endowed with the name of Christ, one must posses the nature of Christ, live the life of Christ, and follow in the footsteps of Christ. Christ must be our all in all, our sufficiency, our portion, our provision and our fulfillment.

When Christ will confess our name before the Father and His angels, it will not be Bob, Ruth, George or Linda that He speaks, but He will speak the words ‘redeemed, blood bought, saved and sanctified’. He will confess His nature in us before the Father, the fruit of His sacrifice, the offspring of His work on the cross, His bride, and His beloved.

Remember the name you carry with you, always ensuring that you bring glory and not shame to it. It is not the name of a nation, it is not the name of a prince or a president, it is the name of the King of Kings, the only begotten Son of God, who was with Him in the beginning. We cannot take such a name lightly, we cannot besmirch ourselves, and by association His name. If this were any other study, I could continue with this line of thought for there is much to say, but we are studying the book of Revelation, and so I must control my desire to stray from the topic at hand.

Revelation 3:6, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

We serve a God whose singular desire is to draw us nearer to Him. He bestows us with gifts among which are our five senses, which work to reveal Him, that we might know, and in knowing submit and worship Him.

God gave us ears that we might hear His voice, which is the voice of truth, and in hearing it obey it. Obeying the voice of God is never in detriment to man, but is always, and indisputably, a benefit to him. Even when in the present it might seem to the human eye that there can’t possibly be anything good in a certain situation, the God who sees beyond today, into tomorrow and the far off future, has already established the good and the benefit one will experience due to a present circumstance. We often beat our own chests screaming to anyone within earshot how much we trust God, when all along our actions betray our true hearts. In times of trial we moan and complain, we murmur and grow bitter at the hardships that we experience, indifferent toward the reality that something good will come out of it. There isn’t a chance that something good will come of it; it is a certainty.

We are all endowed with gifts, with talents, which we must lay at His feet, and make available for His service. Whether spiritual gifts, or physical talents, it is incumbent upon all the children of God to offer themselves without reservation or preamble. It is our duty, God comes first, and whatever He requires of us we do as unto Him.

We have ears that we might hear the voice of truth, eyes that we might see the works of truth and follow them, hearts to receive the love of truth and live it in perpetuity, mouths to confess the truth for the truth is God, feet to walk the path of truth, and hands with which to work in the harvest field of truth.

When one has ears, yet does not hear what the Spirit is saying, it means he or she has lent their ear to another voice, to some other whisper that is hindering them from hearing what the Spirit is saying. When our ears our focused on the things of this earth, on the voices all around us, it becomes increasingly more difficult to hear the voice form heaven. If we are the body of Christ, if we are part of the congregation of believers, then we must with all diligence be tuned in to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. It is our duty, and there is none greater, for to hear what God is saying, is to know His will, and to know His will is to walk in His ways.

In His final words to the church of Sardis, Jesus also accentuates the fact that these letters to the seven churches, were not intended singularly for them, but for all the churches, throughout time, for He says, ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

The plurality of the word church, should cause us to understand that He was not writing to one specific body of believers, but to the spiritual conditions that are found within every church, in every generation, that we might look into the mirror of the word and right the wrongs, repent of the forbidden things, and walk humbly with Him.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

By Michael Boldea Jr.


Message to Ephesus Part 1
July 27, 2006

Before we commence our study of the individual messages to the churches, I would like to take a moment and point out a few important details that apply to all the churches. All seven letters, to all seven churches, are personal, from the mouth of Christ Jesus from a position of glory and power, and all seven letters are divided into seven different parts.

1.The recipient, the church to whom the letter is addressed.
2.The author, The Sovereign author of the letter.
3.A word of praise.
4.A word of rebuke.
5.A word of warning.
6.Promise to those who overcome.
7.The stern admonition to hear, and heed the message.
Two of the churches, namely Smyrna and Philadelphia receive a special word of praise, from Christ, for their faithfulness and obedience.

Revelation 2:1, “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, these things says He who holds the seven stars in is right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands:”

As one believer so aptly put it, John was placed in the position of being Christ’s secretary throughout these messages to the churches. He writes, only what the Lord tells him to write, without adding or taking away anything. In His obedience, John was simply taking dictation, as Christ was speaking these messages, and in his humility he was content in fulfilling this task. I mention this because so many today are called of God simply to be messengers, to take dictation if you will, and pass it on, and for some unexplained reason pride unfurls its wretched wings within them, and rather than give God the credit, and the glory, they greedily place it upon themselves, giving themselves titles and positions, when all they were asked to be was lowly laborers, secretaries.

I abhor the idea of honoring men, and have not an ounce of respect for anyone who would receive the honor as their own.

Galatians 6:3, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Imagine the self promotion and self praise, if such a revelation as what John was shown, would be revealed to one of the evangelical luminaries of our time. Imagine the titles, and awards imagine the fanfare, the bodyguards, the private jets, the stretch limos, and the self-righteous, I am better than you air. Something is amiss in Christendom today, something is tragically amiss, for we behold the humility and piety of those who came before us, those whom God used in ways we can scarcely even imagine, and see the pride, excess and opulence of the so called modern day servants, and even with the naked eye the inconsistencies are too vivid, too clear to ignore. Humility has taken a backseat to prime time exposure, piety has been silenced for the sake of diamond rings and fancy suits, obedience has been corralled for the sake of broader viewer ship, and Christianity is all the worse for it. Truth suffers in silence, while deceivers boast, and its guardians are seduced away by promises of fame and fortune.

Although this letter is addressed to the church of Ephesus, and the other letters to specific churches in Asia, the entire message of these letters is an actual call to every believer: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The spiritual condition of these seven churches can readily be found in the world, at any given time, as well as in individual Christians. As we read these words, these admonishments, and corrections, these warnings and encouragements, may we receive them as for ourselves, for it is the individual Christian, and church bodies that they were intended for.

There is a great difference between the Ephesians that Paul wrote to, and the church of Ephesus to which Christ was addressing His letter, for the church remains in Ephesus only for a season, in the spiritual condition that Christ described the church of Ephesus as being in, but it does not belong to the Ephesians. The name itself has a symbolic significance, and the message is for the Church in its entirety, which at some point has found itself in the spiritual condition of the church of Ephesus.

This is why Christ proceeded to dictate these letters to John, that in the light of that which would be written, we would examine our hearts, and hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It does not say to hear what the Spirit says to the church, but rather, to the churches all seven, as a whole, so that we may learn from their shortcomings, strengthen that which needs to be strengthened, that we may have victory, and be found sanctified in His eyes.

The word Ephesus, in its simplest interpretation, means desirable, or worthy of wanting. The spiritual condition of Ephesus had many positive aspects that are indeed desirable; however along the way they allowed a cooling down of their desire to know all of God to creep into the congregation, and a fissure was soon visible in the fortress of righteousness and love.

Christ wants us wholly for Himself, and jealously so, for only a whole vessel, a complete servant can be of use to the kingdom of God. The question that begs to be asked, is do we have some of Ephesus’s traits in our hearts? A chipped vessel, or one that is broken is no longer usable, but rather becomes a stumbling block in the way of its master.

One other aspect worthy of noting is Christ’s introduction of Himself, to the church of Ephesus. To every church, and in every letter, He precedes the message to the church with a different introduction of Himself. To the church of Ephesus, He introduced Himself as He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands. In every letter the introduction is different depending on the situation, and spiritual condition of the church. Here, for the second time in the book of Revelation, He reaffirms His position as He who holds the seven stars in His hand, a truth that should strengthen the heart of every believer, for nothing can pluck a true follower of Christ from His all powerful hand. This is our blessed assurance.

Now many have taken this truth to mean that once you make a commitment to Christ, it is impossible to fall away, and comforting as this may be for some, it simply has no scriptural foundation. It is true that no one can pluck you from Christ’s hand, but one can willfully walk away from under His protection and guidance. The gift of salvation can be rejected, just as it can be received. God does all He can to keep us by His side, but if we choose to stray, if we choose to walk out from under His covering, He cannot follow us into the world of sin and defilement, for His righteousness will not allow it of Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”

Hebrews 10:26-27, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

Hebrews 10:36-38, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

I could go on for many pages, quoting scripture that point to the seriousness with which our commitment to Christ and the cross must be taken, and to the seriousness with which we must study our hearts, walk in humility and righteousness, and continually look into the mirror of God’s word, seeking to see if we are the image of Christ, or if there is something still deep within the recesses of our hearts that we must do away with in order for God to perfect His will in us.

The tragedy of it all is that the Church has lowered the standards of God, when God never lowered His standards. We came upon the revelation that the lower the standards, the more people in the seats a decade or so ago, and we have pursued this with great zeal and much enthusiasm, to the point that rarely is true spirituality, righteousness, or maturity found in God’s house anymore. A counterfeit gospel is being preached in America, one of easy salvation, and cheap commitment, one wherein no sacrifice is required, and all can come as they are, leave as they came, and as long as they sign up for membership, and throw a little money in the plate, their spirituality is a non issue.

A question however, begs to be asked especially considering the times we are currently living in, that question being, what will become of those who never pressed in, who never sought out, who never desired the fullness of God, but were merely content with a shadow of what they were destined to be? What will become of the spiritually immature, weaponless and defenseless churchgoers of today’s modern age, when trials and tribulations begin to assail them on all sides, and their only refuge will be a God they never took the time to know, whose will they never bothered to do?

As we return to the letter to the Ephesians, we notice that Christ not only stands in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands, but also walks among them. There is a circle among which the Lord moves here on earth, namely His beloved, and His movements are visible to those who have eyes to see, and those who have ears to hear can hear His voice.

The ways of the Lord, those among which He walks, are not resigned to a certain nationality, or religious denomination. He walks among them, and works among them, but not to lift up any given grouping. His intent is to strengthen, perfect, and purify His bride, the entire body, not just one member of the body.

The writers of church history speak to us of movements, and the works of men in the churches, they highlight the accomplishments of the leaders in individual denominations, and alas, also point out their shortcomings and downfalls, and when perceived as a whole man’s history of God’s church solicits sadness and disappointment. Our inner struggles, our denominational divisions, our warring with each other, and underscoring of doctrinal differences, have taken away from the time that would have been better spent simply trying to lead people to Christ, and further the kingdom of God.

Although every denomination has its heroes, each one lauding the accomplishments of their leaders, very little is written concerning the Lord who walks among the seven golden lamp stands, His bride, and only when we stand before our Creator, and are welcomed into paradise will we know the fullness of His work among us here on earth.

As we’ve already discussed the seven golden lamp stands signify the churches of believers, but also denote their responsibility here on earth. As the fruit of Christ’s labors, they are set apart, purified, and sanctified by His blood, and are perceived by God, as precious gold. It is the spiritual condition of a church that makes it a golden lamp stand, and only in a constant state of maturity, and righteousness can they maintain the testimony of Christ here on earth. If they fall away from spiritual maturity, if they lose the bond, and fellowship with God and do not repent, they lose their place, and their lamp stand will be removed from its place because they are no longer fulfilling the purpose for which they were made a lamp stand in the first place. They are no longer bringing light to the darkness they are no longer as a lighthouse on a stormy night, compelling weary travelers to come to its shores in order to find peace and shelter from the storms of life.

We must perceive this message as it was intended, and understand the mind of God, that the Church is accountable toward Christ, as is every individual, to shine with the love and grace of He who redeemed and delivered us, to ceaselessly cry out to a dying world that in Him there is life, and life more abundantly.

Every day of our lives, we are given unique opportunities to be that lamp stand of which this scripture speaks, to be a witness, to be a living testimony, to show Christ through our actions and our conduct, and failure to take advantage of these opportunities, failure to see God’s plan in what many deem chance encounters, will require an answer. We are accountable to God not only for the things we do, but also for those opportunities He brings into our lives that we fail to take advantage of.

Revelation 2:2, “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;”

Although we can readily hide from, and deceive other men, we can never deceive God. He knows the very depths of our being, He knows the intent of every action, and pierces the thoughts of men before they spread their wings and take flight. There is nothing hid from His eye, and no matter where one may run to, no matter where one may try to hide, God is always there, always aware of our actions, always seeing whether we bring glory or shame to His name.

Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”

God knows the good, and the evil that is in the hearts of men, and He is impartial in His judgment, for He is a just and holy God. Too often I hear men think themselves entitled to a wider path, or greater tolerance from God, because they are in ministry, or because they’ve given a certain amount of money to the poor. The thought that we can purchase more grace and tolerance than our brethren when it comes to disobedience has been around for centuries, and although the story has changed, the punch line has remained the same; if you do more for God than your brother, then He will overlook more of your sins. It is a doctrine with no Biblical foundation, and one that leads many to a lukewarm walk with God. God judges without partiality, regardless of your lineage, who you are in the eyes of your peers, what you’ve done, or where you come from.

Romans 2:11-12, “For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law, will be judged by the law.”

To the eyes of men, we can seem better, or worse than how we truly are. Others perceive us not as a whole, but by certain individual actions they see us perform, by how consistent our church attendance is, by how generous and open hearted our giving, or by how often we volunteer for new projects or duties in the body of Christ. God however, sees us as we are wholly, and bases His conclusions of our spiritual state, our walk, and our faithfulness not by a few hours in a day but by the perpetuity of our lives. God stands before every one who calls themselves a Christian, and says to them, as He said to the church of Ephesus, “I know your works.”

We often lose sight of the fact that we serve an all knowing, and all seeing God, a God from which one cannot hide, a God that one cannot fool. Not only does He know our works, He also knows the intent with which they were performed. Whether for His glory, or for our own personal vainglory, whether to further His kingdom, or build our own kingdoms on earth, He knows the intent, the root cause of why we do what we do.

I have often seen men perform good works, but for the wrong reasons. The intent of their heart was not pure, and just as Cain’s sacrifice was not received because it was not birthed of a pure heart, so it is with many believers today, their sacrifice being a worthless act in the eyes of God, because the intent of their heart was not simply to do good.

Whatever it may be that we are called to do, to further God’s kingdom, whether give of our time or finances, it must be done out of a pure and sincere heart. If I give simply to receive a greater return on my money, looking at my sacrifice as simply a good investment, or if I give just so I can say I gave more than my brother, or for the promise of a plaque with my name on some soon forgotten wall, I have given for the wrong reasons. May God give us wisdom to do as Able did, and bring our sacrifices to the altar with the right heart, that our offering may be pleasing, and acceptable in His sight.

One doesn’t have to give millions for God to take note, one doesn’t have to travel halfway around the world and preach to savages for God to write it down in His book of remembrance. One simply has to be obedient to the voice of God, and do, as God requires, comforted in the knowledge that God rewards the obedience of what we do for His name’s sake, and not an amount, or an action.

Men will never see, or respect, your works, on the contrary perhaps many will even despise them, but God sees every glass of water you give to the thirsty, every crust of bread you give to the hungry, every tear you wipe away, every heart you comfort with your words, every prayer you utter for your neighbors, and for all these things, though men may not consider them worthy of mention, God will reward the obedient with eternal life.

Mark 9:41, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

As we return to the message to the church of Ephesus, we see that Christ begins with a word of praise, commending them on their works, their labors, their patience, and also on the fact that they could not bear those who are evil. As mentioned earlier, there are some desirable things in the spiritual condition of the church of Ephesus, some things worthy of aspiring toward, and God is quick to recognize the good in them, for they not only labor, and are patient, but they also do not bear those who are evil, and have tested those who are apostles, and are not and have found them liars. By this we are led to believe that there is a certain amount of spiritual enlightenment among the church of Ephesus, and they did not merely receive all that came in their midst claming to be apostles, but rather tested the spirit, to see whether or not they were of God.

Even in its fallen state, as we will see later, having abandoned their first love, the church of Ephesus, was wiser than most churches are today. Even though they were not as God required them to be, they still retained the presence of mind to test those that came among them, to see whether or not the teachings were rooted in God’s word, to see if truth was found within the words they spoke.

Tragically, the church today has become like some crippled invalid, unable to feed itself, dependent on others to spoon feed it whatever they choose, absent of objection no matter how wretched and befouled that food may be. Mouths agape, they receive whatever is on the menu, masticating with glee spiritual poisons that slowly but surely strip the spirit of any power, any zeal, and any desire for the greater things of God.

If only we were as wise as the church of Ephesus, and tested those who come among us, if only we peeked into their little bag of goodies, and were not enchanted by the wrapping, but tore it away to see what they are about to feed us, we might indeed discover that there are more wolves among the sheep than there are shepherds.

Throughout the Bible the warning has gone forth to the Children of God, concerning those that would deceive the flock in the latter days. In these, the end times we are living, the onslaught of false teaching and baseless doctrine is reaching its crescendo, and we as faithful servants can do nothing less than know the word, test the spirits, and stand on the promise of God. These are dangerous times, not for the true believers, who are rooted in God’s word, who are mature in their walk, but for those who still wander, who still seek out more tolerant doctrines, more enigmatic speakers, for surely the wolves await them with open arms.

When I first came to America, my mother would take us to the supermarket with her, and as young children are want to do, my brothers and I would always search out the candy and cakes. The packaging was enticing, and the promise of a nice sugar buzz was enough to start crying in the middle of the store if my mother refused to buy it for us. During one of these trips, as we returned to the shopping cart with enough candy to feed a school, my mother looked at us and said something that is relevant in this discussion as well. “Just because it looks good,” she said, “it doesn’t mean its good for you.”

Words of wisdom from a concerned mother that echo the words of a concerned God. Just because it looks good, it doesn’t mean its good for you. Often times however, we are as little children distracted and drawn to the shiny things, the entertaining things, the new things, leaving by the wayside the tried and true path of righteousness that has been more than sufficient for all who came before us.

1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”

There is a proven way to avoid the spiritual condition of the church of Ephesus, namely having some virtues worthy of praise, but also some worthy of condemnation. If daily we stand before our God, and ask Him to search the innermost parts of our being, to burn out all that is not pleasing in His sight, and to show us with clarity the path of righteousness that He has set before us, we will never be in the precarious condition the church of Ephesus found itself in, wherein due to the combination of good and evil, the final product brought shame rather than glory to God.

God is holy, he is unleavened, and He desires us to be unleavened. The amalgamation of good and evil, the mixture of virtue and sin, can only bring about the ruination and destruction of the vessel. The two cannot coexist they cannot cohabitate in one vessel.

This is why I take issue with the idea that although a man’s doctrine is not founded on God’s word, you can still wade through the muck and pick out some good things, and some interesting ideas that he puts forth. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump, a little deceit corrupts the entire message.

Leaven is a symbol not only of sin, but also of false teaching, a teaching that has its origins in something other than Christ, and the grace of God. The Galatians are a good example of what can happen when one allows a little leaven, when one allows a false teaching to take root in their heart, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. Just one doctrine absent of Christ, and the Galatians found themselves unsure of the grace that had been poured upon them, and the sun that had warmed their hearts, the reality of salvation was overshadowed by doubt.

We can have no tolerance toward something that we know is foreign to God’s word, something that would lead us away from the path of righteousness, and trust in our heavenly Father. There can be no compromise when it comes to sin, the spirit of the world, or doctrine that would lead us astray.

Revelation 2:3, “And you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.”

The church of Ephesus was by no means an indifferent church. It was by no means a church that did not see its share of trials and hardships, for they persevered and had patience, and even labored for His name’s sake. All these are great virtues, worthy of imitation, and Christ praises them that all may know these are desirable traits.

A virtue praised, is an encouragement to even greater virtue, and a powerful example for others to follow. On the other hand, a sin exposed, is a warning sign, a stumbling block in the way of the sin that it would proceed no further. It is troubling that many leaders today overlook sin in the camp, and define it as love for their brethren. If sin is not confronted, it will continue to infect and pollute the entire body, only when sin is confronted and dealt with, can the restoration and healing commence. If the thorn is not removed, if the sin is not cast out from among the brethren there can be no healing, but rather a growing and spreading cancer that will consume all in its path.

Jesus praises the virtues of the Church of Ephesus, as an encouragement to a deeper more thorough introspection, and examination of their spiritual walk, that no link would be missing from the chain of virtue, and that they be a whole, and complete body, ready to stand and do battle against the darkness. A broken chain, or mere links of a chain is useless, as is a body beset with sin and indecision.

Christ was not the first to use this means of encouraging a body to examine itself, and even Paul used praise to compel the Thessalonians to draw closer, and seek a deeper spirituality.

1 Thessalonians 2-5, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

Although Paul began his letter to the Thessalonians with a word of praise, and encouragement, commending them on their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope, as the letter continues to evolve Paul begins to point out certain things that they must accomplish in order to grow, and encourages them to an even closer walk with God. This is the same method that Christ used when writing to the church of Ephesus, for although they had some desirable virtues, worthy of commendation there were still certain issues they had to confront and resolve in order to return to the place wherein they would be in God’s perfect will.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received form us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.”

It is worthy of note, that whenever we receive a commendation from Christ, it would be wise to take a moment and search our hearts, to study the inner depths of our being, and with sincerity, and openness see whether there is anything there that still remains to be weeded out. If we are sincere with God, and ourselves, the truth will be revealed to us, and as faithful servants, without delay we must remedy that which requires our attention.

One hundred virtues, can readily be overshadowed by one sin, and most often it is a sin we could have easily sidestepped, avoided, or resisted. This is why the word of God continually encourages us to search our hearts, and examine ourselves, that throughout our walk we may be pleasing in the sight of God, and bring only glory to His name.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

By Michael Boldea Jr.

Message to Ephesus Part 2
August 14, 2006

As we begin the second part of this study, the commendations, and praises have ended, what was desirable in the church of Ephesus has already been related, and now Christ begins to reveal what He has against them.

Revelation 2:4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

What can be more fearful to a single soul, or an entire church body, than to hear the Son of God utter the words, ‘I have this against you?’ Surely the first part of this letter, made the church of Ephesus smile, and perhaps think themselves superior spiritual beings, but if the first part of this letter caused them to smile, surely the second part caused them to weep bitter tears.

It would be wise to place ourselves before these words from time to time, and see if Christ has anything against us. To see whether our conduct, our speech, our actions or our practices have caused the Eternal One to have good reason to rebuke and chasten us, as He did the church of Ephesus. If we are sincere and honest with ourselves, and if we examine and analyze the inner most parts of our being, we will soon discover if there is anything we must correct, before the sentence is passed, before we hear the words of an omnipotent God say, ‘I have this against you.’

Contrary to some men’s thinking, that spiritual gifts allow for a wider path, and more questionable behavior, the Bible teaches that a multitude of virtues, talents and good works, cannot cover up even one evil, one sin, one satanic microbe, that would cling to the heart of man and make its home there. One evil, can, with time, destroy all my good works, and all my virtues. This is why our walk with God must be an all or nothing endeavor. Either I give God my all, either I let Him be Lord of my heart and do with it what He will, or He wants none of it. We cannot bargain with God, and piecemeal our hearts to Him, we cannot serve Him only part time and expect a full time reward, or any reward for that matter. The church of Ephesus had virtues to be sure; in fact, it had virtues worthy of admiration, and worthy of wanting and desiring. Yet because they had left their first love, because the fire did not burn in them as it once had, they would fall under judgment if the situation were not remedied, but more on that later.

When one retains Godly virtues in abundance, it is easy for the enemy to try and deceive as to the importance of righteousness, of keeping their first love kindled and burning brightly. Especially when one is endowed with gifts, and is placed at the forefront of a work, the enemy quickly whispers that because you are such a faithful servant, God will overlook certain shortcomings and failures on your part. Remember, the church of Ephesus was located in one of the metropolises of the old world, they were at the forefront of Christianity, and perhaps this, the pride of being one of the first, and most visible of churches, among other things, had something to with their leaving their first love. All are equal in the eyes of God, and He will judge all men equally.

The key to walking in humility, and righteousness before God, is not to look at the multitude of virtues in our life with pride, but to perceive them as a chain, weary and cautious that no link in that chain may be broken. Many believers today, are like mother hens, who continue to guard their nest even though the eggs have been removed from it, time and time again. As long as one or two eggs remain, the mother hen is still vigilant and guards her nest. May we be wiser than the hen, and guard our hearts that we may not suffer a decrease in grace, or even a fall from grace, all the while comforting ourselves with the thought that some virtues still remain, that some good is still evident. Our duty as children of God is to be ever growing, from grace to grace, from strength to strength, never satisfied with the status quo, but always desiring more knowledge, more power, and more of God. Being satisfied with merely what is, or what we possess in God, never hungering for all that God has promised, all that God has to offer, is the recipe for a stagnant Christian, an immature servant, one who never truly realizes his potential in God. What’s worse, is that if we remain in the same state of spiritual infancy, the enemy will surely overcome us and make prey of us.

The church of Ephesus stopped growing, it stopped hungering, it stopped being desperate for the greater things of God, and was content with merely what they possessed. Suddenly they found themselves spiritually lethargic, unable to do battle against the enemy, having left their first love and their desire to stand, and having done all to stand.

There is an old proverb that says, the wound that is not mended, will not only deprive you of blood, but in the end, inevitably, claim your life as well.

As servants of Christ, as followers of God, as ones who proclaim truth not only with our lips but with our hearts, we must constantly guard against any cracks or fissures in our armor, always kindling the fire of God burning in our hearts, retaining that first love, that pure love, that love that saw no limits in our willingness to do the work of God, and our desire to obey His every command.

What amazed me is that Christ did not have a laundry list of things He had against the church of Ephesus, but only one. What He had against them was that they had left their first love. Keep in mind, they had not lost, or misplaced their first love, but willingly abandoned it, whether for the sake of convenience or acceptance we will never know.

Much has been written concerning love, love has inspired poets, and song writers, love is the central theme of sonnets and novels, yet the love that man perceives as love, is not the love to which Christ was referring.

By overuse, and baseless uttering the definition of love has been brought down to pure emotion of the heart, to chemical reactions of the brain, to certain synapses firing in tandem causing the giddy feeling, that overwhelming sense of euphoria one has come to equate with love. True love however is more rare than the rarest flower among men, and as Charles Spurgeon so aptly put it in one of his sermons, ‘as the lily among the thorns, so is true love among the sons of men.’

True love, the love of God, cannot be perceived by unspiritual men, and the world, those that have found neither salvation or redemption are at odds with true love. A thorough discussion on the true meaning of love in its purest form, would take far too long, for it is a deep well from which much can be learned. However for the truest and most profound archetype of love, we need look no further than God the Father, giving His only begotten Son. This is where the true definition of love has its origins, and where we must first venture if we are to understand the true meaning of what it was that the church of Ephesus had left or abandoned.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

If the love of God is lacking, that burning, blinding, all encompassing, sacrificial, immutable, sovereign love, then nothing in the life of any man, or church for that matter, can be good, virtuous or noble. Love is what gives life to our actions, our benevolence, our charity and our works. Absent of love, there is nothing more than a dark vortex of emptiness that consumes our good intentions, our plans, our dreams and our desires. The most selfless acts, the most charitable deeds, the most noble of intentions, the greatest of ministries, are worthless without love, and even though God may commend them and praise them, He cannot receive them. Without love, our new life in God withers.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

I am often asked by brothers I meet for the first time, why I do what I do, why I would travel for months on end simply to speak to groups of people, without requiring any financial remunerations, why I would spend much of my free time writing what God inspires me to write, then posting the things I write on a free website, and the one answer I can give consistently, is love. Love compels me, it drives me, and love demands that I do what I do, for the sake of the sheep, for the sake of those seeking knowledge, for the sake of those seeking truth. True love will always urge you, compel you, inspire you, and insist that you do the work of the Father, that you obey His call on your life.

As I went back to reread something I had written, I happened upon a sentence that I believe deserves deeper introspection. The sentence I am referring to is, without love, our new life in God withers. I remember my freshman year of high school, I was required to take a class on botany, and I learned that although the roots of a tree may be dead, the leaves will still remain green for a while but eventually they too will wither, dry up, and fall off the now dead branches. It is the same when love dies in a heart, for love is the root, and heart of all our other endeavors. Whether knowledge, tongues, faith, charity, or even prophecy, are the focus of our ministry, they are as nothing when love is not the center of our calling, our ministry and our drive.

If a believer’s love toward Christ withers and dies, then all the other virtues die along with it, for love was the root of them all.

Our primary concern, should be keeping the roots strong, and deep. Our hearts must always be alive, and filled with thankfulness, and gratitude toward our heavenly Father, loving Him, not for what He can do for us, or what He can give us, but simply for having first loved us, and for the priceless gift He has already bestowed upon us, namely salvation. Absent of this constant state of love, the leaves cannot remain green for long.

What is the condition of your soul today my dear friend? Are your roots deep, and strong and alive? Do you love God simply for being God, or for what you hope to get from Him in the material sense? Is Christ precious to you, above all else? Is the name of the heavenly Father a treasure for you in and of itself? Does the Holy Spirit move you toward righteous works? Are you perpetually thankful for all that He allows in your life?

These are heavy questions, but questions worth considering, and reflecting upon. Though some may consider them harsh, or inappropriate given the politically correct climate in which we live, they are questions with which we must confront our own individual selves, for it is better to know that which ails us, and find a remedy, then to never know, and slowly wither into nothingness. Love compels me to ask the hard questions, love should compel you to answer them.

The man who doubts his love for Christ, most often doubts Christ’s love for him.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul illustrated the downfall of a people that knew God that saw His invisible attributes, and even understood His eternal power and Godhead. The first signs of this dark and terrible fall were the lack of glorifying Him as God, and an absence of thankfulness.

Romans 1:20-21, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Now that we’ve skimmed the surface as to the need for love, and what love is, the question begs to be asked, what is first love? For what Christ had against the church of Ephesus, was not that they had left love, but that they had left their first love.

So what is first love? Is it the love of truth? Is it the love for the work of God? Is it the love for the things of God? Is it the love of spreading the Gospel? Is it the love of defending the truth? As the first three verses of this chapter clearly point out, it is none of these things. For the church of Ephesus was not lacking in either works, nor labor, nor patience, nor testing the spirits, neither was it lacking in perseverance, patience, or sacrifice on behalf of God.

First love is something that surpasses the love of truth, something greater than love for the work of the Gospel here on earth, something more than perseverance and patience on the spiritual battlefield that is the life of the believer. First love is love for Jesus, the person of Christ, the Son of God.

First Christ, love for His Person, then love for His virtues, nature, attributes and gifts. Most remember the story of Mary and Martha, the two sisters that welcomed Christ into their home, and the contrast that was made between the two. Martha loved Christ, for it was she that welcomed Him into her home, but between her and Christ, there stood as a stumbling block her labors, and her distractions. Well intentioned as they might have been for she was indeed distracted with much serving, it was Mary that became the shining example that has withstood the test of time itself. For Mary, had no distractions when it came to her and the Love of her heart, she could not bear to leave His presence for an instant, and simply sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His words. When Martha approached Christ, voicing her complaint that her sister was not helping, but merely listening to His words, sitting at His feet the answer she was given is good reason for pause, and examination of our own hearts.

Luke 10:41-42, “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

No matter what it is that we have been called to do, if we love the work, more than we love the Christ, we have indeed left our first love. If we love prophecy, dreams, visions, theology, doctrine, or dogma, more than we love the Christ, we have left our first love. If we love all the perks, and blessings, the prosperity and the honor that some believe come with serving Christ, more than we love the Christ, we have left our first love.

In the context of this knowledge, look about you, open your spiritual eyes, and allow God to speak to your heart, that you may truly see how many have left their first love.

How tragic indeed, that some love the ministry, the work, the calling, more than Christ, and thereby abandon their first love, the love for Christ and Christ alone, the Person of Christ.

How heartrending that today even many preachers and evangelists, pastors and worship leaders, would hear the omnipotent voice of a sovereign God utter the words on their behalf, ‘nevertheless, this I have against you, that you have left your first love.’

First love is the only means by which our works are quantified and appropriated as noble, good, of sovereign inspiration, and Godly.

First love, is the love that never grows old, but continually renews itself, it is the love whose fire burns brighter still with every passing moment, a love that can never die out, that can never be stifled, that will not be deterred. First love, is forever young, and endless in its giving of itself, always willing to sacrifice, always ready to be of service.

God once spoke of Israel’s first love toward Him, in such a way as to make even the most brilliant of poets seem as nothing more than a blubbering fool.

Jeremiah 2:2, “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after me in the wilderness, In a land that was not sown.”

It is this love of our betrothal to which God was referring through the prophet Jeremiah, that we must make certain never dies out, this love of the person rather than the ideal of the person.

Even humanly speaking, there is nothing sweeter than first love, when one is first betrothed, the sweetness, the newness, the freshness, the limitlessness of it all. This first love has no ulterior motives, no hidden agendas, no other interests, other than love itself, and the object of its love. This is the love, which Christ desires to find in our hearts; this is the love He longs for in us.

Is He our heart’s one and only desire? There can be nothing separating us from Him, there can be no hindrances, stumbling blocks, or distractions, even if it is work we do on His behalf. I remember an old church hymn whose chorus intoned just give me Jesus, and I have need of nothing more. May this be the plea of our heart, the desire and focus of our walk, may we truly yearn to know Him, and only Him, for mere appearances cannot replace true love. Yes, men may look upon us and think us good, virtuous, steadfast, and even righteous, but only Christ knows where our true love is, that for which the heart yearns and is desperate. May He truly find within us, a first love, a pure love a love for Him, where Christ is first in all things, a heart in which He can reside, and call His temple.

Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place – unless you repent.”

It is easy to forget. Everyone has done it, to some extent or another. Some things that are forgotten, such as checking the air in one’s tires before going down the block to pick up milk and eggs, carry little or no consequence. Other things however, such as forgetting your wife’s birthday for the third year in a row, carry great and terrible consequences, not that that’s ever happened to me, but I digress.

Forgetting all that God has done for us, forgetting the gift of salvation, is something that carries greater consequences than we may imagine, for to forget the good, is like an open door that allows evil and all its destructive forces to come in unhindered; to forget truth, is allowing deception to take root in your heart; to forget your own transgressions on the path of life is certain death. Yes, for some things that men willingly forget, there are great and terrible consequences indeed.

Here the church of Ephesus is admonished to remember, and namely to remember from where it had fallen, repent, and do the first works. The first step toward restoration, healing and renewal, is to remember from where one has fallen. To remember the tenderness with which God used to speak, the joy God used to bring, the peace God used to bestow, in short, to remember the goodness and grace of God, and consider his condition today, a condition of lukewarm ness, uncertainty, dread, and fear of tomorrow. If one remembers from where he has fallen, and the desire of his heart is to be restored, then as it was for the church of Ephesus, hope remains.

Man readily forgets the path of goodness, kindness, righteousness, and love, the path that God has so mercifully traced for us to follow, and begins to follow his own chosen path, the path that the sinful heart begins to trace of its own volition, which leads to all manner of turmoil, and in the end death. It is the choice with which all man is confronted, the decision all men must make, whether to follow the path that God has set out for them, or the imaginings of his own heart. The choices we make will echo with the consequences thereof, throughout eternity.

The command to remember from where we have fallen, and be appropriated singularly, for one believer in particular, or as was the case for the church of Ephesus, an entire body, or community of believers.

A man returns to the place where something valuable is lost, in order that he may find it once more. I have often watched, and must confess, with some measure of amusement, as people look for contact lenses that have somehow fallen from their eye, everyone cautiously concentrated on the last place the person felt that it had been where it belonged, and suddenly was no longer there. Surely any man, even one of limited intellect would seek out a priceless treasure he had lost, and would return to the place last remembered seeing it.

Although the church of Ephesus had desirable virtues, its admonishment was to return from where it had fallen, that it might be restored. If one does not fix a hole in a wall of his home, how well he cares for the rest of the rooms in his home becomes irrelevant.

Upon remembering from where it had fallen, the next instruction given to the church of Ephesus was to repent, and do the first works.

Throughout my years in ministry, I have seen many versions of repentance, from the collective prayer of repentance, to the raising of the hand in church, however every true act of repentance must have at its core the return to that place where the offense first took place, the regret and heartfelt sorrow for the offense itself, and a commitment never to return to that place again. If these elements are not found in one’s repentance, then it was not true repentance, not true contrition of heart.

As I said in the beginning of this study, there is no passage absent of relevance, and even this passage, that so many choose not to search out has spiritual relevance for us today. The root of every evil that leads to the ruination of a faithful soul, or the ruination of an entire church body, is the leaving, or abandonment of their first love. This is why some refer to repentance for having left first love, as the repentance of the believer. As previously mentioned, repentance is to recognize our faults, our offenses and trespasses, and before a sovereign God feel regret for that which we committed, never returning to that condition again. As one ancient philosopher so aptly put it, ‘repentance is the ladder that elevates us to the place from which we have fallen.’ Some centuries later another philosopher completed the statement by saying, ‘there is no sin that cannot be forgiven, save for the sin of which one does not repent.’

It is a precious thing to know oneself, to study oneself, and to be honest with oneself, and in light of these words a question begs to be asked. Do I love Christ, the person of Christ, His nature, less today than when I began my walk in Him? Do I love Him less today than the first day He revealed Himself to me? If in the sincerity of our hearts the answer is yes, than we too are fallen as the church of Ephesus was, and are admonished to repent, and return to our first love, those first works done out of sheer love, with no interest, or shadow of hidden motive. Repentance is the life of the redeemed, the lamp that allows their light to shine brighter still in the darkness that surrounds them.

First love, and its works are so consequential, that once it is left, once it is abandoned, the very lamp stand, the light, is in danger of being removed from its place.

It is the warning that Christ gave to the church of Ephesus, the sobering admonition, that if indeed it did not repent, and do the first works, He would come and remove its lamp stand from its place. This is a heavy and fearful thing, one that many churches are unwilling to acknowledge, namely the possibility of Christ Himself removing the lamp stand from the midst of a congregation.

What this means in essence, seeing as the lamp stand signifies light, and light can only be received by true repentance, and that sin of any kind puts out the light in us, is that the removal of the lamp stand is nothing less than the removal of His light from the midst of the congregation, leaving it in utter darkness. For in the absence of light, darkness prevails.

When the lamp stand is removed, spiritual darkness reigns supreme, and neither Godly revelation, nor even the Word itself can be perceived or rightly divided any longer. This is the true danger in leaving one’s first love. Absent of repentance, the inevitable end, is spiritual darkness.

It is even possible that the outward appearance, the external seem good and righteous, but if the heart connection has been lost with the living Christ, if He is no longer our all in all, then all that we endeavor to do has no worth in his eyes.

Why such hard reprimand one may ask? Why go as far as removing the lamp stand? The simple explanation would be because of God’s nature. I know some are wondering what exactly that means, so I will try to put into words what I know to be true in my heart.

I have written often that the nature of God is holiness and righteousness. He cannot bear to see evil among His children, nor can He stand to be in the presence of evil. Seeing as the lamp stands stood before the Lord, and He walked among them, as stated in previous verses, the imminent removal of said lamp stand from before His presence is justified if repentance is not found, for darkness and light cannot coexist. One who has fallen, and has not from the depths of his heart sought repentance, is no longer suitable to do the work of God.

Every believer, and every community of believers, is given a lamp stand upon their rebirth. When one is born again, he is a new creature in Christ, and as such is given the light that he may live and be a beacon in the terrible darkness that is the world of sin. The lamp stand, the light, is kept safe only in an atmosphere of repentance. When this atmosphere ceases to be, the lamp stand is removed, for if left in its place the winds of sin would surely put out its flame. Repentance is the Christian soul’s protection against the enemy’s attempt to put out his flame. Now a heavy question must be asked, one that I am sure will be controversial to some. If our light goes out, if our flame stops burning, and we are thrust into darkness, what difference is there between us, who once possessed the light but no longer do, and those that simply lived in perpetual darkness?

The only difference, between those who were once enlightened, but by their own choosing and lack of repentance returned to the darkness, and those who have always been in the darkness, is that those who once retained light live with the memory of how sweet and blessed it was to see, to know, to feel the presence, the warmth and the comfort of the light, and with the regret that their willful disobedience, and lack of repentance has separated them from that light. To have once seen, then plucked out one’s own spiritual eyes, what could be more tragic?

2 Peter 3:21, “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”

The church of Ephesus, the ‘Ephesus condition’ is that it has all the works of the Holy Spirit in order, save one, namely love. They left their first love.

How can one continue to have the light of God, if they do not retain the love of God? Love is what keeps the light burning in our hearts, for love in and of itself is a fire that burns away sin and vice, a fire that illuminates our thoughts as well as the mysteries of God.

1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.”

I can retain the gold and pearls of truth, but if I do not retain the light of love along with them, I will never be able to make use of these great treasures. Only in the light can one tell the difference between the precious and the worthless, only in the light can a man labor.

The church of Ephesus was not a hateful church by any means. It still retained love for the brethren, for the work of God, and for the things of God, but they had left their first love, that love of Christ, that love without partiality. Human sentiment, and love with partiality, does not first love make, for first love is deeper, purer, and above all sovereign.

Christ’s last option, if repentance is not seen, is to remove the lamp stand from its place. He takes no pleasure in doing this, but being constrained by righteousness He must. We serve a God of infinite patience who does not set about to do a work, unless He has first warned, and admonished, as He did the church of Ephesus that there is an imminent need of repentance, and if repentance is not found, there will be dire consequences.

What can be more tragic than being left to our own devices, and be given over to a debased mind? That after all is what occurs when the lamp stand is removed.

Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”

May we this day search our hearts, may we bare our souls to Him who knows all things, and if there is a need for repentance, may we with all diligence do our utmost to be that faithful servant, obedient in all things, willing to do what is asked without excuse or delay.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

By Michael Boldea Jr.

Message to Ephesus Part 3
August 23, 2006

We are nearing the end of the letter to the church of Ephesus, a church with much virtue, and desirable traits, yet with one glaring shortcoming, namely the abandonment of their first love. To those who have a heart, to hear the message that Christ was speaking to this church, and by association to us, His Bride, there is much wisdom to be received, and much knowledge to be absorbed. As most may have gathered thus far, this is not a study for the faint of heart, or for the cursory Christian. It is truly the meat of God’s word, the nourishment of the mature servant, and I pray that His light shine upon you with all wisdom and understanding, that you may grow into the fullness of what He created you to be.

Revelation 2:6, “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

If I could live a hundred lifetimes, I would still be in awe of the goodness and mercy of our God. In His wisdom He searches our hearts, and looks upon our lives, desiring to see the good, and virtuous things that we possess, and not only does He commend these virtues, but He encourages them and strengthens them.

After having warned the Church of Ephesus, and admonished them concerning their need for repentance, Christ returns to a positive aspect, a virtue that they possessed, that of hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as He also hated their deeds.

Who were these Nicolaitans? In truth, opinions vary greatly as to who they were, and it would be a wasted effort to go expound on said opinions. In short, I believe the Nicolaitans were those not of the house of God, those not born again, who still managed to creep in unnoticed, and preaching heresies, abusing the doctrine of grace, attempting to deceive the gullible and immature among the brethren, sought their own exaltation and vainglory.

Translated literally, from the Greek language, Nicolaitans means conquerors of the people, while its Hebrew counterpart gives a more sinister translation, interpreting the word as destroyers of the people. So literally translated, the Nicolaitans were a group of men who would attempt to conquer, or lord over, and then destroy the house of God.

Their primary objective was to bring division to the house of God, and cause confusion among the brethren. Driven by their vanity, and blinded by their pride, they fought against order in the house of God, dismissed the doctrine of equality in the eyes of God, dividing the brethren into camps of leaders or followers, lord or servant, cleric or layman.

Luke 22:24-26, “But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.”

It is neither schooling, talent, age, nor seniority in a church that makes of us spiritual men, holy vessels, able and competent to serve God, but rather, the rebirth, being born again.

Any man who seeks to subjugate and hold captive the people of God by their talents, elected offices, or a degree on a wall, is deemed a Nicolaitan.

Any man who guards and defends with ferocity the spirit of denomination and division, impeding by his very actions fellowship with the brethren, and other servants of Christ, is deemed a Nicolaitan.

Any man that seeks to be elevated and honored before men, and is void of humility and self-denial, seeking rather to showcase his talents than present Christ, is a Nicolaitan, and does not have the Spirit of Christ.

All these things that the Nicolaitans did, were hateful in the eyes of God, and continued to be so regardless of their deeds or works, no matter how religious. For that which is not born of God, is unrecognizable to Him as His own, and as was mentioned already, although these men seemed to have zeal, perhaps even religiosity, they were not born again. A true believer, a member of the body of Christ, cannot help but hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as God himself hates them. If time permitted, there is a deeper truth to be gleaned from this verse, that of Christians loving those things that are not of Christ and thereby by their very actions negating their Christianity. For what friendship or bond can truth form with deception, what truce can there be between the light and the darkness? It is a topic upon which I can readily fill many a page, but perhaps it would be best to leave it for another time, and another study. For now, we return to those whom the word calls Nicolaitans, those who have not entered the sheepfold by the narrow gate of repentance and salvation, but attempted to sneak in, bringing with them strange doctrine that would endeavor to subjugate and persecute those who follow the true path, and impede the work of God from going forward. One truth is constant, and its veracity cannot be challenged, that those born according to the flesh will always persecute those who are born according to the Spirit.

John 10:1, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Galatians 4:29, “But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.”

There have always been Nicolaitans within the body of Christ, men who would distort, deform, disfigure and otherwise pervert the Gospel of truth in order that it fit neatly into their preconceived notions and imaginings, or do so merely to take away from the sting, the confrontation and provocation upon men’s souls once the unadulterated truth is heard, for truth compels change, and there is no way around that singular fact.

“It is not easy, speedily to bring into the right way the man who has a long time previously been held fast by error. It may, however, be effected: for, when a man turns away ever so little from error, the mention of the truth is acceptable to him. For, just as when the cloud breaks ever so little there comes fair weather, even so, when a man turns toward God, the thick cloud of error which deprived him of true vision is quickly withdrawn from before him. For error, like disease and sleep, long holds fast those who come under its influence; but truth uses the word as a goad, and smites the slumberous, and awakens them; and when they are awake they look at the truth, and also understand it: they hear, and distinguish that which is from that which is not. For there are men who call iniquity righteousness: they think, for example, that it is righteousness for a man to err with the many. But I, for my part, affirm that it is not a good excuse for error that a man errs with the many. For, if one man only sin, his sin is great: how much greater will be the sin when many sin together!” - Melito

Even within an individual heart there can be times when Nicolaitan thoughts spring up, and our sure defense against such thoughts is perpetual vigilance and watchfulness, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Truth is powerful, and it is truth that crushes these thoughts into the dust, that we may truly live for the glory of God, not being encumbered with aspirations of the flesh.

Revelation 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Within this verse we find whom the seven letters of Revelation were truly written for. It is for the first time that Christ confirms what was stated at the beginning of this study, namely that these letters were written for the church in its entirety, for all who have an ear to hear throughout the generations that would follow. In their entirety these seven letters were addressed exclusively to the children of God, for no man absent of God’s light, no matter how much he endeavors will understand them. These servants of God have the necessary spiritual attributes to hear what the Spirit of God is saying, for they are born again, having spiritual ears, spiritual eyes, and a spiritual mind. They are those of the spirit or the spiritual men of whom Paul speaks, able to judge all things, while the natural man, those not born again, cannot receive the Spirit of God. For the natural man, the spiritual things of God are foolishness, having an inability to discern the spiritual things, being limited in their understanding only to the natural things; For as with carnal eyes no man could learn the things in the heavens, so neither the soul unaided, the things of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.”

It is wisdom, to understand the spirit of Scripture, rather than just the letter. For the messages to the churches, are messages to the entire body, and every believer. It is the chorus that runs through every one of these letters that we should take to heart, that of ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ The Spirit is speaking, but are we as the body of Christ hearing the message, are we receiving its truth and being obedient to its instruction? It is not enough to hear, but upon hearing act accordingly so that we may be complete in Him.

There has not been a second, since the day of Pentecost that the Spirit has stopped speaking to the churches. By the unction of the Holy Spirit God has continually brought to light timely warnings, and reiterations of the truth, which we must live. If we do not hear what the Spirit is saying, than we have no fellowship with Him, and absent of fellowship with Him, we are as anchorless ships in the midst of a stormy sea.

The tragedy of it all is that those who would consider themselves enlightened, spiritual beings dismiss the very notion that the Holy Spirit continues to communicate and fellowship with the servants of God. In their minds, it would seem that after the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God became distracted with other aspects of His creation, and recalled the blessed gift, meant to comfort and guide us until the end of time. It is because we reject the power of God, that we are a powerless generation, absent of the signs and wonders that should be evident among believers.

John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

The form of godliness is still intact, and we continue to cling to tradition, but we deny the power, which in these last days will be poured out in greater measure than ever in the history of mankind. The choice must be made by every individual heart as to whether we will receive and believe the words of Christ, who Himself promised would not leave us orphans, but would send the Helper, the Comforter, who would not only dwell with us, but be in us, or believe the words of men who say it is no longer so. ‘But the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not the issue being disputed brother, the issue is the span of time which the Holy Spirit was present and on earth.’ To that I simply ask what part of forever don’t we understand? Again, the very words of Christ dispel the myth that the Holy Spirit and the gifts thereof were only among men for a season, for it was He who said, ‘I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide with you forever.’

Romans 3:4, “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”

God cannot force upon precepts, which we willingly reject; He cannot impose upon us the power of the Holy Spirit, which we no longer believe is attainable. Herein lies the reason why so many of today’s Christians are powerless and impotent in the face of temptation, deception, and persecution, because they do not retain the power which itself makes them greater than the sum of all they ever were, or all they hoped to be. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that gave Peter the boldness to stand before the multitudes and proclaim the truth, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that gave the martyrs of the past the steadfastness to withstand the most horrid of persecutions for the sake of Christ.

(A study on the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the necessity of the Holy Spirit is forthcoming, for now we return to Revelation and the message to the church of Ephesus.)

As we continue to read what are the last words of the message to the church of Ephesus, we see the promise that Christ spoke to those who would overcome, who would prevail. It is a promise of significance, one that is priceless, for to him who overcomes, Christ will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

The Christian life is a life of uninterrupted battle, one, which we must fight with consistency until the end. By its very definition battle is not an easy thing. One must exert himself, one must suffer wounds, one must have endurance one must know the weapons of his warfare and learn to master them. Although our victory has been assured by Christ Jesus, we nonetheless fight a cunning enemy, one who will readily attack, who will not simply stand, immobile, and patiently wait for us to muster up the courage to strike at him. If a soldier of Christ, a warrior of the cross is not fearless, he will shrink from the onslaught of this enemy. If we are not constantly taking ground, we will inevitably lose ground, for this enemy is relentless in his pursuit of God’s beloved. This fearlessness that all of God’s children should possess comes from a singular and immutable fact, that in Him we are more than conquerors, more than victorious, and though a thousand may stand against us, in Him we are a majority.

Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conqueror through Him who loved us.”

If I receive Christ, as He is, if I have received His nature, and been transformed to mirror His nature, then I must live with the expectation of battle, I must live with the knowledge that I will be attacked by the enemy, that I will be persecuted, that I will be hated for His name’s sake. It is inevitable that the nature of Christ, and the nature of this present world clash on every level, that the world mock us, ridicule us, and hate us for they did so to the One in whose image we aspire to be transformed.

2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

1 John 3:13, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”

John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

What we must take away from the message to the church of Ephesus is the danger that losing one’s first love entails, for although the works were abundant, they were simply sustained by their works, not by fellowship with Christ, and the bond of intimate sovereign love. In His final words to them, Christ admonishes the church of Ephesus to overcome their present condition, and return to that first love.

To live in Christ, is to love, to have intimate fellowship with Him. The reward for such faithfulness, is that Christ Himself, gives the believer to eat of the tree of life, not only in the life to come, but also in this present life, the fruit thereof being as such that it satisfies the spiritual heart fully and completely. The tree of life from which the faithful are granted to eat bears twelve fruits, and having eaten of these fruits one has complete sanctification, complete peace, complete joy, complete rest, and complete truth.

Revelation 22:2, “In the middle of its streets and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.”

Knowing that we are only complete in Christ, and that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, we understand that the tree of life of which Christ speaks, is none other than Christ. When our love for Him proceeds from the depth of our heart, then he nourishes our spiritual man, and He becomes our singular desire. Once we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we will no longer desire anything of this earth, or this realm.

Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

In order to receive this blessed promise, we must be faithful in fighting the good fight of faith, warring against the nature of the flesh, and overcoming it. Whether indifference, a lukewarm heart, carnal thoughts, or temptations, our reaction should be that of standing firm on the foundation of God’s word, and striving against sin.

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Slaves are at the mercy of their masters, and prisoners at the mercy of their captors. Refusal to fight the good fight, and therefore lay hold of eternal life, will make us slaves and prisoners of sin, masters and captors void of mercy. Knowing this, we have but one option, to stand, to fight, and to be faithful in all that we endeavor to do for God.

Postscript:

As some may have noticed this study was shorter in length than most of the others, having been constrained by the need for continuity. As such I have included some thoughts and meditations from my personal journals, worthy of contemplation and introspection. Some may view them as confirmation, others as provocation, but I pray all see the truth they possess.

Michael Boldea Jr.

1.The greatness of God’s great men is observed not in their works or deeds but in their humility, utter lack of self-importance, dismissal of flattery, and a willingness to sacrifice their very lives for the Lord.
2.There is honor in humility, greatness in meekness, and valor in the resolute and unwavering faith that fills a heart to overflowing.
3.We have come to expect men of God to boast of their works, to glory in their own fame, and seek the honor and reverence of men. It was not always so, and we are the worse for it, for having lowered ourselves to praising men.
4.If your desire is the will of God, He will grant you the courage and strength to fulfill it. One must have desire God takes care of the rest.
5.Seek not the things of God amid the rubble of this world. For the things of God are life, and retain life, while these earthly things are mere shadows, shrouded in death.
6.So few live a life worth living, for absent of Christ it is but illusion.
7.I lay bare my soul, for He bore my sins, and nothing is hid from His eye.
8.For all that he has ever done, every man will be called to answer.
9.I would not dare place my hope in something as flawed and inadequate as myself.
10.Any man that truly understands God, cannot help but fear Him, and any man that truly receives Him, cannot help but love Him.
11.There has never been nor, will there never be a greater miracle than true repentance. It is the transformation of one who was dead into one who truly lives.
12.Repentance cannot be hid it is evident and defining.
13.It is neither what man thinks himself to be, or what others consider him to be that is of any relevance. In the end all that matters, the only opinion of any relevance is God’s. How does God consider you?
14.Men give themselves titles and positions, things that are worthless in the eyes of God.
15.You are only what the grace of God has made you; aspire to nothing more than to do His will.
16.Knowledge constrains the faithful.
17.Nothing lasts but for the truth. It is eternal as God is eternal.
18.What a savage enemy the fear of men can become when in pursuit of truth.
19.Fear destroys the fiercest of warrior, and the most devoted of servants.
20.Give heed to no man that would seek to teach you something other than the words of the Holy Scriptures.
21.No authority on earth, no power of this realm has the right to modify the word of God.
22.Man’s earthly origins are of no relevance to God. He judges without partiality.
23.When Christ came, the one and only reality, the one and only truth, there no longer remained a need for shadows, symbols, and empty traditions.
24.Faith is the kingdom of God without form.
25.Faith plucks us out of material law, and translates us into the laws of the Spirit of life. It lifts us from the temporary, and places us in the eternal.
26.Is it still faith if we trust only in those things we can see? Are we any different from the world if we find comfort and security in those selfsame things the world finds comfort and security in? How then are we set apart?
27.The law is an image of fire, a portrait, a picture, that gives no warmth, while grace is the fire itself, burning bright, and warming the hearts of all who draw near it.
28.Only in the light of the gospel can we see the utter tragedy that is sin, and the blinding beauty that is God’s grace.
29.Use, and make use, of every indicator that points the way to Christ, but do not surrender your heart to indicators. An indicator is never your final destination. Whether men, teachings, or denominations none can claim your heart but Christ.
30.Faith never misses its mark.
31.Nothing can hurt the man that has made God his refuge.
32.Just as the earthly vessels into which it is poured may taint the purest water, the best of God’s gifts may be abused by the lusts and desires of men.
33.Faith embraces trials and tribulations, because it knows the end result of all things, the glorious reward that awaits those who though haggard and worn by the hardships of life, press on ever enduring, ever hopeful in that which awaits beyond the veil of time and space, beyond temporal and passing things.
34.Love is the measure of all things.
35.The holy in heart seeks no reputation, but willingly becomes the servant.
36.The beauty of holiness is to be seen perpetually in the life that follows peacefully the guiding hand of God.
37.What manner of men those ought to be who are at every moment on the brink of eternity.
38.If all men who have momentary glimpses of goodness were truly good men, then good men would not be so rare in the world.
39.If the Gospel suffers and we do not, are we still one with the Gospel?
40.The gospel and today’s doctrines are at odds with each other. They conflict on so many levels that one is made to wonder if the Gospel is even taken into account anymore.
41.We have fashioned surrogate gods for ourselves, gods of flesh and dust, because our gods are more tolerant than the one true God. Is this not in the end the crux of this entire drama?
42.Dead gods ask nothing of sacrifice, they ask nothing of obedience, and those claiming to speak on behalf of the dead gods are lenient and duplicitous, because the more lenient they are the more they will attract to their cause.
43.If His grace is not sufficient, than God is a liar. By the same token if His grace is sufficient, then why do we seek after other things?
44.The problem lies not within God’s view of man, but in man’s view of God. We come before Him expecting not those deep and priceless spiritual gifts that He has promised, but the shallow and temporary material things of this world.
45.To true faith, God is sufficient.
46.We so readily abandon the truth of God’s word for strange doctrine, because the flesh has an easier time with it.
47.True faith does not follow after the gifts of God, but rather after God Himself.
48.Today men tend to have a form of godliness they possess the formula. They have the truth in their hands, they carry the name of Christ on their lips, but their hearts are empty. Rather than use the knowledge to live separate from the world, rather than burn with desire to be faithful disciples of Christ, not only don’t they know the power of truth, not only don’t they access this power, they deny it.
49.We desire perfection, yet fear it at the same time. We want to deny the flesh, pick up our cross, but in the back of our minds there will always be the nagging question: ‘Am I going to be getting splinters?’
50.In spite of our modern tendencies, it is still worthwhile to feel strongly, to believe intensely to live as though life had meaning.
51.There is nothing more damnable than the willful manipulation of God’s people for financial gain. One betrays God himself.
52.Morality is imposed upon society, yet the greatest of moral dictates we are asked to abandon. How tragic the human condition has become.
53.In our attempt to replace Christ with men, ceremony, and material possessions, we’ve lost our way and are doomed to wander in darkness due to our own pride.
54.Man inhibits God from working in him and through him, by not cleansing his heart of sin and vice.
55.The poverty God gives us is better than all the treasures the world and the enemy are willing to offer.
56.Heavenly peace is always sacrificial. We cannot have the pace of Christ if we do not sacrifice.
57.In the depths of humility we discover the glory and heights of heaven.
58.If God alone is to be the measure of our prayers, and if we are only to pray in ways and for things that are suitable to His glory, then why have the temporary things of this earth become so important and all consuming?
59.To God, the things of this earth were an inconsequential afterthought.
60.True worship is the blessed labor of a faithful heart.
61.The love of God is not subject to the changing world of men. It remains forever new, forever pure, and forever sufficient.
62.If you have committed yourself to the pursuit of truth, be prepared to suffer.
63.Why is the body of Christ so at home in a fallen world? Why do the precepts of the world so readily become the precepts of the church when we should be different and set apart?
64.The chain reaction of deficiency is quite startling to behold. Because of a deficient gospel message, we’ve reared up deficient disciples, and the deficient disciples have built for themselves a deficient church.
65.Why do we not mourn seeing the ruin that was once God’s house? That is the question of the hour that should cause many a sleepless night.
66.The core is rotted, riddled with decay, the fundamentals have been compromised and the reality of our Christianity is no longer that awe inspiring, self-evident virtue that shone in us, brighter than a thousand suns.
67.If we never realize how God made us, and what He intended us to be, we will never realize what sin has made of us.
68.If this age is in perpetual darkness, then for the sake of us all, let us flee from it.
69.If you desire for God to cover your sins, do not show men your virtues.
70.If you will never know tribulation, you will never discover rest.
71.The devil does not dare to blaspheme God, and so he urges man to do so. Our very words will one day condemn us.
72.God blinds the wayward heart.
73.The devil is always eager to aid man in his downfall.
74.What a man truly desires is always evident in his actions.
75.If we live our lives for the flesh, we leave no room for God.
76.Truth, need only whisper to be heard over the roaring crowd.
77.We perceive so little, yet purport to know so much.
78.In our overestimation of our own wisdom, intellect and understanding we’ve shut our hearts to the God who is trying to speak to us.
79.Absent of God, man’s nature cannot help but be tragic and contradictory.
80.The very blood of the martyr cries out, the very tears of those still suffering for the Gospel’s sake condemn the heresy that is the new gospel, the gospel of opulence and prosperity.
81.The world looks very little, and its honors and rewards very contemptible, in light of God’s eternal promises.

With Love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

 

[theword]

By Michael Boldea Jr.

Message to Ephesus Part 3
August 23, 2006

We are nearing the end of the letter to the church of Ephesus, a church with much virtue, and desirable traits, yet with one glaring shortcoming, namely the abandonment of their first love. To those who have a heart, to hear the message that Christ was speaking to this church, and by association to us, His Bride, there is much wisdom to be received, and much knowledge to be absorbed. As most may have gathered thus far, this is not a study for the faint of heart, or for the cursory Christian. It is truly the meat of God’s word, the nourishment of the mature servant, and I pray that His light shine upon you with all wisdom and understanding, that you may grow into the fullness of what He created you to be.

Revelation 2:6, “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

If I could live a hundred lifetimes, I would still be in awe of the goodness and mercy of our God. In His wisdom He searches our hearts, and looks upon our lives, desiring to see the good, and virtuous things that we possess, and not only does He commend these virtues, but He encourages them and strengthens them.

After having warned the Church of Ephesus, and admonished them concerning their need for repentance, Christ returns to a positive aspect, a virtue that they possessed, that of hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as He also hated their deeds.

Who were these Nicolaitans? In truth, opinions vary greatly as to who they were, and it would be a wasted effort to go expound on said opinions. In short, I believe the Nicolaitans were those not of the house of God, those not born again, who still managed to creep in unnoticed, and preaching heresies, abusing the doctrine of grace, attempting to deceive the gullible and immature among the brethren, sought their own exaltation and vainglory.

Translated literally, from the Greek language, Nicolaitans means conquerors of the people, while its Hebrew counterpart gives a more sinister translation, interpreting the word as destroyers of the people. So literally translated, the Nicolaitans were a group of men who would attempt to conquer, or lord over, and then destroy the house of God.

Their primary objective was to bring division to the house of God, and cause confusion among the brethren. Driven by their vanity, and blinded by their pride, they fought against order in the house of God, dismissed the doctrine of equality in the eyes of God, dividing the brethren into camps of leaders or followers, lord or servant, cleric or layman.

Luke 22:24-26, “But there was also rivalry among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.”

It is neither schooling, talent, age, nor seniority in a church that makes of us spiritual men, holy vessels, able and competent to serve God, but rather, the rebirth, being born again.

Any man who seeks to subjugate and hold captive the people of God by their talents, elected offices, or a degree on a wall, is deemed a Nicolaitan.

Any man who guards and defends with ferocity the spirit of denomination and division, impeding by his very actions fellowship with the brethren, and other servants of Christ, is deemed a Nicolaitan.

Any man that seeks to be elevated and honored before men, and is void of humility and self-denial, seeking rather to showcase his talents than present Christ, is a Nicolaitan, and does not have the Spirit of Christ.

All these things that the Nicolaitans did, were hateful in the eyes of God, and continued to be so regardless of their deeds or works, no matter how religious. For that which is not born of God, is unrecognizable to Him as His own, and as was mentioned already, although these men seemed to have zeal, perhaps even religiosity, they were not born again. A true believer, a member of the body of Christ, cannot help but hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as God himself hates them. If time permitted, there is a deeper truth to be gleaned from this verse, that of Christians loving those things that are not of Christ and thereby by their very actions negating their Christianity. For what friendship or bond can truth form with deception, what truce can there be between the light and the darkness? It is a topic upon which I can readily fill many a page, but perhaps it would be best to leave it for another time, and another study. For now, we return to those whom the word calls Nicolaitans, those who have not entered the sheepfold by the narrow gate of repentance and salvation, but attempted to sneak in, bringing with them strange doctrine that would endeavor to subjugate and persecute those who follow the true path, and impede the work of God from going forward. One truth is constant, and its veracity cannot be challenged, that those born according to the flesh will always persecute those who are born according to the Spirit.

John 10:1, “Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Galatians 4:29, “But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.”

There have always been Nicolaitans within the body of Christ, men who would distort, deform, disfigure and otherwise pervert the Gospel of truth in order that it fit neatly into their preconceived notions and imaginings, or do so merely to take away from the sting, the confrontation and provocation upon men’s souls once the unadulterated truth is heard, for truth compels change, and there is no way around that singular fact.

“It is not easy, speedily to bring into the right way the man who has a long time previously been held fast by error. It may, however, be effected: for, when a man turns away ever so little from error, the mention of the truth is acceptable to him. For, just as when the cloud breaks ever so little there comes fair weather, even so, when a man turns toward God, the thick cloud of error which deprived him of true vision is quickly withdrawn from before him. For error, like disease and sleep, long holds fast those who come under its influence; but truth uses the word as a goad, and smites the slumberous, and awakens them; and when they are awake they look at the truth, and also understand it: they hear, and distinguish that which is from that which is not. For there are men who call iniquity righteousness: they think, for example, that it is righteousness for a man to err with the many. But I, for my part, affirm that it is not a good excuse for error that a man errs with the many. For, if one man only sin, his sin is great: how much greater will be the sin when many sin together!” - Melito

Even within an individual heart there can be times when Nicolaitan thoughts spring up, and our sure defense against such thoughts is perpetual vigilance and watchfulness, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Truth is powerful, and it is truth that crushes these thoughts into the dust, that we may truly live for the glory of God, not being encumbered with aspirations of the flesh.

Revelation 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Within this verse we find whom the seven letters of Revelation were truly written for. It is for the first time that Christ confirms what was stated at the beginning of this study, namely that these letters were written for the church in its entirety, for all who have an ear to hear throughout the generations that would follow. In their entirety these seven letters were addressed exclusively to the children of God, for no man absent of God’s light, no matter how much he endeavors will understand them. These servants of God have the necessary spiritual attributes to hear what the Spirit of God is saying, for they are born again, having spiritual ears, spiritual eyes, and a spiritual mind. They are those of the spirit or the spiritual men of whom Paul speaks, able to judge all things, while the natural man, those not born again, cannot receive the Spirit of God. For the natural man, the spiritual things of God are foolishness, having an inability to discern the spiritual things, being limited in their understanding only to the natural things; For as with carnal eyes no man could learn the things in the heavens, so neither the soul unaided, the things of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14-15, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.”

It is wisdom, to understand the spirit of Scripture, rather than just the letter. For the messages to the churches, are messages to the entire body, and every believer. It is the chorus that runs through every one of these letters that we should take to heart, that of ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ The Spirit is speaking, but are we as the body of Christ hearing the message, are we receiving its truth and being obedient to its instruction? It is not enough to hear, but upon hearing act accordingly so that we may be complete in Him.

There has not been a second, since the day of Pentecost that the Spirit has stopped speaking to the churches. By the unction of the Holy Spirit God has continually brought to light timely warnings, and reiterations of the truth, which we must live. If we do not hear what the Spirit is saying, than we have no fellowship with Him, and absent of fellowship with Him, we are as anchorless ships in the midst of a stormy sea.

The tragedy of it all is that those who would consider themselves enlightened, spiritual beings dismiss the very notion that the Holy Spirit continues to communicate and fellowship with the servants of God. In their minds, it would seem that after the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God became distracted with other aspects of His creation, and recalled the blessed gift, meant to comfort and guide us until the end of time. It is because we reject the power of God, that we are a powerless generation, absent of the signs and wonders that should be evident among believers.

John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

The form of godliness is still intact, and we continue to cling to tradition, but we deny the power, which in these last days will be poured out in greater measure than ever in the history of mankind. The choice must be made by every individual heart as to whether we will receive and believe the words of Christ, who Himself promised would not leave us orphans, but would send the Helper, the Comforter, who would not only dwell with us, but be in us, or believe the words of men who say it is no longer so. ‘But the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not the issue being disputed brother, the issue is the span of time which the Holy Spirit was present and on earth.’ To that I simply ask what part of forever don’t we understand? Again, the very words of Christ dispel the myth that the Holy Spirit and the gifts thereof were only among men for a season, for it was He who said, ‘I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide with you forever.’

Romans 3:4, “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”

God cannot force upon precepts, which we willingly reject; He cannot impose upon us the power of the Holy Spirit, which we no longer believe is attainable. Herein lies the reason why so many of today’s Christians are powerless and impotent in the face of temptation, deception, and persecution, because they do not retain the power which itself makes them greater than the sum of all they ever were, or all they hoped to be. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that gave Peter the boldness to stand before the multitudes and proclaim the truth, and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that gave the martyrs of the past the steadfastness to withstand the most horrid of persecutions for the sake of Christ.

(A study on the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the necessity of the Holy Spirit is forthcoming, for now we return to Revelation and the message to the church of Ephesus.)

As we continue to read what are the last words of the message to the church of Ephesus, we see the promise that Christ spoke to those who would overcome, who would prevail. It is a promise of significance, one that is priceless, for to him who overcomes, Christ will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

The Christian life is a life of uninterrupted battle, one, which we must fight with consistency until the end. By its very definition battle is not an easy thing. One must exert himself, one must suffer wounds, one must have endurance one must know the weapons of his warfare and learn to master them. Although our victory has been assured by Christ Jesus, we nonetheless fight a cunning enemy, one who will readily attack, who will not simply stand, immobile, and patiently wait for us to muster up the courage to strike at him. If a soldier of Christ, a warrior of the cross is not fearless, he will shrink from the onslaught of this enemy. If we are not constantly taking ground, we will inevitably lose ground, for this enemy is relentless in his pursuit of God’s beloved. This fearlessness that all of God’s children should possess comes from a singular and immutable fact, that in Him we are more than conquerors, more than victorious, and though a thousand may stand against us, in Him we are a majority.

Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conqueror through Him who loved us.”

If I receive Christ, as He is, if I have received His nature, and been transformed to mirror His nature, then I must live with the expectation of battle, I must live with the knowledge that I will be attacked by the enemy, that I will be persecuted, that I will be hated for His name’s sake. It is inevitable that the nature of Christ, and the nature of this present world clash on every level, that the world mock us, ridicule us, and hate us for they did so to the One in whose image we aspire to be transformed.

2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

1 John 3:13, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”

John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

What we must take away from the message to the church of Ephesus is the danger that losing one’s first love entails, for although the works were abundant, they were simply sustained by their works, not by fellowship with Christ, and the bond of intimate sovereign love. In His final words to them, Christ admonishes the church of Ephesus to overcome their present condition, and return to that first love.

To live in Christ, is to love, to have intimate fellowship with Him. The reward for such faithfulness, is that Christ Himself, gives the believer to eat of the tree of life, not only in the life to come, but also in this present life, the fruit thereof being as such that it satisfies the spiritual heart fully and completely. The tree of life from which the faithful are granted to eat bears twelve fruits, and having eaten of these fruits one has complete sanctification, complete peace, complete joy, complete rest, and complete truth.

Revelation 22:2, “In the middle of its streets and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.”

Knowing that we are only complete in Christ, and that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily, we understand that the tree of life of which Christ speaks, is none other than Christ. When our love for Him proceeds from the depth of our heart, then he nourishes our spiritual man, and He becomes our singular desire. Once we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we will no longer desire anything of this earth, or this realm.

Colossians 2:9-10, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

In order to receive this blessed promise, we must be faithful in fighting the good fight of faith, warring against the nature of the flesh, and overcoming it. Whether indifference, a lukewarm heart, carnal thoughts, or temptations, our reaction should be that of standing firm on the foundation of God’s word, and striving against sin.

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Slaves are at the mercy of their masters, and prisoners at the mercy of their captors. Refusal to fight the good fight, and therefore lay hold of eternal life, will make us slaves and prisoners of sin, masters and captors void of mercy. Knowing this, we have but one option, to stand, to fight, and to be faithful in all that we endeavor to do for God.

Postscript:

As some may have noticed this study was shorter in length than most of the others, having been constrained by the need for continuity. As such I have included some thoughts and meditations from my personal journals, worthy of contemplation and introspection. Some may view them as confirmation, others as provocation, but I pray all see the truth they possess.

Michael Boldea Jr.

1.The greatness of God’s great men is observed not in their works or deeds but in their humility, utter lack of self-importance, dismissal of flattery, and a willingness to sacrifice their very lives for the Lord.
2.There is honor in humility, greatness in meekness, and valor in the resolute and unwavering faith that fills a heart to overflowing.
3.We have come to expect men of God to boast of their works, to glory in their own fame, and seek the honor and reverence of men. It was not always so, and we are the worse for it, for having lowered ourselves to praising men.
4.If your desire is the will of God, He will grant you the courage and strength to fulfill it. One must have desire God takes care of the rest.
5.Seek not the things of God amid the rubble of this world. For the things of God are life, and retain life, while these earthly things are mere shadows, shrouded in death.
6.So few live a life worth living, for absent of Christ it is but illusion.
7.I lay bare my soul, for He bore my sins, and nothing is hid from His eye.
8.For all that he has ever done, every man will be called to answer.
9.I would not dare place my hope in something as flawed and inadequate as myself.
10.Any man that truly understands God, cannot help but fear Him, and any man that truly receives Him, cannot help but love Him.
11.There has never been nor, will there never be a greater miracle than true repentance. It is the transformation of one who was dead into one who truly lives.
12.Repentance cannot be hid it is evident and defining.
13.It is neither what man thinks himself to be, or what others consider him to be that is of any relevance. In the end all that matters, the only opinion of any relevance is God’s. How does God consider you?
14.Men give themselves titles and positions, things that are worthless in the eyes of God.
15.You are only what the grace of God has made you; aspire to nothing more than to do His will.
16.Knowledge constrains the faithful.
17.Nothing lasts but for the truth. It is eternal as God is eternal.
18.What a savage enemy the fear of men can become when in pursuit of truth.
19.Fear destroys the fiercest of warrior, and the most devoted of servants.
20.Give heed to no man that would seek to teach you something other than the words of the Holy Scriptures.
21.No authority on earth, no power of this realm has the right to modify the word of God.
22.Man’s earthly origins are of no relevance to God. He judges without partiality.
23.When Christ came, the one and only reality, the one and only truth, there no longer remained a need for shadows, symbols, and empty traditions.
24.Faith is the kingdom of God without form.
25.Faith plucks us out of material law, and translates us into the laws of the Spirit of life. It lifts us from the temporary, and places us in the eternal.
26.Is it still faith if we trust only in those things we can see? Are we any different from the world if we find comfort and security in those selfsame things the world finds comfort and security in? How then are we set apart?
27.The law is an image of fire, a portrait, a picture, that gives no warmth, while grace is the fire itself, burning bright, and warming the hearts of all who draw near it.
28.Only in the light of the gospel can we see the utter tragedy that is sin, and the blinding beauty that is God’s grace.
29.Use, and make use, of every indicator that points the way to Christ, but do not surrender your heart to indicators. An indicator is never your final destination. Whether men, teachings, or denominations none can claim your heart but Christ.
30.Faith never misses its mark.
31.Nothing can hurt the man that has made God his refuge.
32.Just as the earthly vessels into which it is poured may taint the purest water, the best of God’s gifts may be abused by the lusts and desires of men.
33.Faith embraces trials and tribulations, because it knows the end result of all things, the glorious reward that awaits those who though haggard and worn by the hardships of life, press on ever enduring, ever hopeful in that which awaits beyond the veil of time and space, beyond temporal and passing things.
34.Love is the measure of all things.
35.The holy in heart seeks no reputation, but willingly becomes the servant.
36.The beauty of holiness is to be seen perpetually in the life that follows peacefully the guiding hand of God.
37.What manner of men those ought to be who are at every moment on the brink of eternity.
38.If all men who have momentary glimpses of goodness were truly good men, then good men would not be so rare in the world.
39.If the Gospel suffers and we do not, are we still one with the Gospel?
40.The gospel and today’s doctrines are at odds with each other. They conflict on so many levels that one is made to wonder if the Gospel is even taken into account anymore.
41.We have fashioned surrogate gods for ourselves, gods of flesh and dust, because our gods are more tolerant than the one true God. Is this not in the end the crux of this entire drama?
42.Dead gods ask nothing of sacrifice, they ask nothing of obedience, and those claiming to speak on behalf of the dead gods are lenient and duplicitous, because the more lenient they are the more they will attract to their cause.
43.If His grace is not sufficient, than God is a liar. By the same token if His grace is sufficient, then why do we seek after other things?
44.The problem lies not within God’s view of man, but in man’s view of God. We come before Him expecting not those deep and priceless spiritual gifts that He has promised, but the shallow and temporary material things of this world.
45.To true faith, God is sufficient.
46.We so readily abandon the truth of God’s word for strange doctrine, because the flesh has an easier time with it.
47.True faith does not follow after the gifts of God, but rather after God Himself.
48.Today men tend to have a form of godliness they possess the formula. They have the truth in their hands, they carry the name of Christ on their lips, but their hearts are empty. Rather than use the knowledge to live separate from the world, rather than burn with desire to be faithful disciples of Christ, not only don’t they know the power of truth, not only don’t they access this power, they deny it.
49.We desire perfection, yet fear it at the same time. We want to deny the flesh, pick up our cross, but in the back of our minds there will always be the nagging question: ‘Am I going to be getting splinters?’
50.In spite of our modern tendencies, it is still worthwhile to feel strongly, to believe intensely to live as though life had meaning.
51.There is nothing more damnable than the willful manipulation of God’s people for financial gain. One betrays God himself.
52.Morality is imposed upon society, yet the greatest of moral dictates we are asked to abandon. How tragic the human condition has become.
53.In our attempt to replace Christ with men, ceremony, and material possessions, we’ve lost our way and are doomed to wander in darkness due to our own pride.
54.Man inhibits God from working in him and through him, by not cleansing his heart of sin and vice.
55.The poverty God gives us is better than all the treasures the world and the enemy are willing to offer.
56.Heavenly peace is always sacrificial. We cannot have the pace of Christ if we do not sacrifice.
57.In the depths of humility we discover the glory and heights of heaven.
58.If God alone is to be the measure of our prayers, and if we are only to pray in ways and for things that are suitable to His glory, then why have the temporary things of this earth become so important and all consuming?
59.To God, the things of this earth were an inconsequential afterthought.
60.True worship is the blessed labor of a faithful heart.
61.The love of God is not subject to the changing world of men. It remains forever new, forever pure, and forever sufficient.
62.If you have committed yourself to the pursuit of truth, be prepared to suffer.
63.Why is the body of Christ so at home in a fallen world? Why do the precepts of the world so readily become the precepts of the church when we should be different and set apart?
64.The chain reaction of deficiency is quite startling to behold. Because of a deficient gospel message, we’ve reared up deficient disciples, and the deficient disciples have built for themselves a deficient church.
65.Why do we not mourn seeing the ruin that was once God’s house? That is the question of the hour that should cause many a sleepless night.
66.The core is rotted, riddled with decay, the fundamentals have been compromised and the reality of our Christianity is no longer that awe inspiring, self-evident virtue that shone in us, brighter than a thousand suns.
67.If we never realize how God made us, and what He intended us to be, we will never realize what sin has made of us.
68.If this age is in perpetual darkness, then for the sake of us all, let us flee from it.
69.If you desire for God to cover your sins, do not show men your virtues.
70.If you will never know tribulation, you will never discover rest.
71.The devil does not dare to blaspheme God, and so he urges man to do so. Our very words will one day condemn us.
72.God blinds the wayward heart.
73.The devil is always eager to aid man in his downfall.
74.What a man truly desires is always evident in his actions.
75.If we live our lives for the flesh, we leave no room for God.
76.Truth, need only whisper to be heard over the roaring crowd.
77.We perceive so little, yet purport to know so much.
78.In our overestimation of our own wisdom, intellect and understanding we’ve shut our hearts to the God who is trying to speak to us.
79.Absent of God, man’s nature cannot help but be tragic and contradictory.
80.The very blood of the martyr cries out, the very tears of those still suffering for the Gospel’s sake condemn the heresy that is the new gospel, the gospel of opulence and prosperity.
81.The world looks very little, and its honors and rewards very contemptible, in light of God’s eternal promises.

With Love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.

Hand of Help Ministries - Truth for Today

You shouldn't be using this false prophet as one who is a true testimony of our Creator. Everything this liar writes is from God's strong delusion called the "beast".