When I was a teenager, my family moved to a farming community in Missouri for a time. I had lived my whole life in the city in California, and I understood grapes and peaches and wheat from a distance, but had never worked in produce myself.
When we later lived on the farm, I wanted to plant a garden, vegetables not flowers, and I worked hard to till the ground and plant the seed. Did you know that the hardest thing to do is realize that it takes a lot of time for a seed to start growing? It takes a whole season for the seed to germinate, poke up through the ground and then begin to develop into a sturdy plant that can handle rain and wind, and still come to age where it produces the fruit you expected a week after you planted.
There were days I felt like tearing up one just to see what in the world was taking so long!
Eventually though, the little plants would appear and growth could be measured. You had the faith then to know you would be eating of this garden and that all the work you invested was worth it. But the first time you plant a garden, it seems almost forever before you can see it growing.
I have recently seen growth in my church that amazes me because it has seemed forever that some young person was so immature and worthless and unable to do anything, and I worried about the future of the church because that young person is part of the future church. I would be sitting in the church as an oldster while they ministered in service! Boy, how is that person going to be able to do that in the shape they are in?
I thought about this several times throughout the last few years. I thought that about my own children, too. I thought that about me; what can I do like this God? How am I supposed to work in the kingdom while I am still trying to figure things out myself?
Well, I am amazed in what I see. Strong sturdy burdened workers where before there was just a lazy or troubled kid. Leadership in the most unlikely places is popping up out of the ground. God has been developing some seeds into tough stalks that can withstand the wind and the rain and still produce fruit!
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
The time has come when vision is to be executed. God has given vision, and we have struggled to understand how that can come to pass. I am amazed at the workings of the Almighty to bring to pass that which He promised. Everything is popping up out of the ground ready for the task at hand; the task of the end-time; the task of the harvest.
A door is open, and we are to go through it. How? By listening and waiting for the leadership God has provided, by praying and listening to God’s voice; by study and careful watching for opportunity.
There is an open door before us, what lies beyond is the burden of your heart. For me, it is a harvest of souls white and ready. For you it may be a mission field, a calling to the ministry, or a desire to stand in the gap for those who cannot or a combination of the above. Whatever the burden of your heart, the door is open.
Changes are going to take place in your life, and you will not recognize yourself in the near future. You will change to the purpose God has for you. You will be doing things you never felt able to do, and your desire will change to the task before you.
God has opened a door and no man can shut it. It is time for work.
What if I do not want to go through the door? What if I just want to sit on the pew like I have for twenty years and be preached to and go home and fix dinner and live like I have always lived?
Let me tell you that you will not stay the same. Not going through that door causes God to re-position you. Maybe there will be another door in your future, but you have not helped yourself.
Jeremiah was a prophet to Israel, and He had the sad job of foretelling for Israel the result of not going through the door. This passage sums up the whole chapter:
Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
The one positive event that took place in Jeremiah’s day was the great end-time revival. The one positive event that we anticipate is a great end-time revival and a harvest of souls.
There is a harvest, white and ready. The door in your life is opening, go through it. When God opens a door, no one will shut it; be not discouraged or afraid, but proceed with the confidence that God has grown you to this task, for such a time as this.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Asian Churches
The second and third books of Revelation were written for our edification in the area of spiritual growth, or the lack thereof. Each of these churches is described allegorically, providing us with information about how Jesus sees the church (and the person in the church) and what remedy for the particular problem might be. Each of these churches are described so that the person can envision success if the remedy is followed. One church, the Philadelphia Church, has the best situation as far as salvation is concerned. This church will be an exception from the appointed suffering of tribulation coming on the world in the last days, because they had not denied the Name of Jesus.
This is the subject of discussion, what it means to deny the name of Jesus, and what consequences there might be as a result. It is not as it seems, and it is done very commonly in the church today. Many people suffer form this Laodicean spirit.
The Laodicean church is the actual focus of this discussion because it is here that we learn of the conditions and inferences that surround the rest of the church descriptions. A little history and geography will help because the words used by the Revelator are allegorical and idiomatic.
The book of Colossians refers to Laodicea a number of times, referring to several people in that city nearby to Colossae, eleven miles away. This is in present day Turkey, but was at that time a Roman city. These cities were supplied water from springs; the hot springs at nearby Hierapolis and the pure cold water of Colossae are well known. The archeology of the area shows Laodicea had an aqueduct that carried water from hot mineral springs some five miles south, which would have become cooler, of course, before entering the city.
This is an allegory that people understand well. Who would want to drink tepid water? Being spiritually lukewarm therefore is a bad thing. Hot water has a purpose, it can carry energy to the tissues for increasing healing and relaxing muscles, and very little harmful bacteria would thrive in it. Cold water is great for drinking, and bacterial bloom would be minimal or zero. It should taste great. Spiritual states hot and cold are preferable. Why would they be preferable?
A bacterial bloom occurs when the conditions of high oxygen content and warm temperatures exist. The count of bacterial cells per unit volume of water becomes significant, and the waste products of the bacteria produce a foul smell and a bad taste. So this water supply to Laodicea could be pretty foul smelling and tasting. Therefore, when you drink of that water, you spew it out of your mouth because of the taste.
3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
According to Strabo there was a medical school in this very wealthy city, where a famous ophthalmologist practiced. The city also lies within the boundaries of ancient Phrygia, from where an ingredient of eye-lotions, the so-called 'Phrygian powder', was supposed to have originated. Therefore the references in these scriptures have particular import not only to those who were in that church at that time, but would be unmistakable to us, far in the future.
3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The nakedness and lack of wealth speaks of the spiritual destitution of this body of people. Surely it does not refer to the lack of finances and clothing for these people of such a wealthy city. The Jewish population of the church alone would have cared for this destitute state of the people if they were able. Why are they naked and destitute?
An idiom is a phrase that says one thing but means another thing and is built upon common knowledge of the time. This is important to know because it is very prevalent in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The concept of nakedness comes from an Old Testament referent. To “see the nakedness” is a Hebrew idiom that means “to have a relationship with a man’s wife” or to expose and take advantage of the other internal secrets of a family’s weakness.Ultimately, it results in an interruption of the proper authority and organization of the family. The Bible says the wife of a man is his “covering”. Uncovering a man’s nakedness was referring to a an illicit relationship with his spouse. This was an abomination to God and represents, as an idiom used in Revelations, the decadence or the destruction of the family. This happened to Noah with Ham, Jacob with Rueben and Lot with his daughters. In each case horrendous family circumstance ensued.
The Laodicean family was fragmented and facing destruction. The fabric of family life was becoming frayed because a particular component was missing.
The words “poor and wretched, and miserable” in the literal sense mean: “having weak faith, the inability to survive trials and temptations, and the inability to learn from chastisements and rebukes”.
From these translations we are now able to understand these symptoms of the Laodicean spirit. The remedy is given in verse 18:
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
This is a clear dichotomy that is intensified by the allegorical statements. Contrasting to “poor” is “faith” as gold tried in the fire, nakedness with the “white raiment” of the sinless saint, and eye salve as the healing balm of Gilead found in the blood of the sacrifice which gives back sight of the spiritual sort; the ability to see your need.
How does this happen? The answer is in the name.
Laodicea is translated form the Greek words laos (of the people) and dikio (to rule).
The translation literally means “the rule by the people”.
The destruction starts when the authority of God and the ministry is subverted in the mind of a person. This is denying the Name of Jesus.
Ways that denying the authority of Jesus can occur:
1. Rationalization- this is not my sin
2. I am like this, just ignore me
3. I am not wrong, I am just misunderstood. That preacher is not talking about me. I am fine.
What is the authority of God? The Philadelphia church knew it- the name of Jesus Christ. Adam was required to name all things on the Earth to give him authority over everything on the Earth. God named the Earth and the Universe (he even calls the stars by name)and holds authority over them. When you gave your heart to God at the altar, you gave him authority over you, as you took on his name in baptism. The Laodicean spirit removes that authority of that name-you deny the name of Jesus.
God was telling the Laodiceans exactly the same thing he was telling Jerusalem-
“O Jerusalem Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together as a hen does her chicks, but you would not”
Jesus said He came to save that which was lost: was that not everyone? No it was not. Some could not be saved for they did not know they were lost. This is the spirit of Laodicea, to remove the ability of Jesus to address the sin in your life. A single hidden sin will keep you from heaven.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Zealous: careful to miss nothing. David prayed that God would search his heart for the hidden errors. To be zealous here requires that you are certain everything is out of your heart, and every sin is repented. Holding a grudge, bitterness, or other interpersonal issues are very common. These will give rise to a denial of the Holy Ghost to remove them, and God cannot forgive them without your authority to do so. You need to re-negotiate the covenant to begin the process of repentance. You must request exposure by God before He can save you.
Luke warm then is a condition that prevents conviction from working for you. You cannot be saved if you do not know you are wrong or do not believe you are wrong. You cannot be convicted if you have the attitude that "I am o.k."
If you are not worried about your heart when you pray, as any person should be(work out your own salvation with fear and trembling), and you are not backslid (cold-you know you need to pray and the Holy Ghost can then convict you as in the Ephesus church), you should examine yourself and pray for God to reveal to you the hidden errors, the things which will condemn you because you do not know they are there. Seek His face, be zealous, repent and be saved.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
You must open the door, You must hear, before you can recover form the Laodecian spirit.
This is the subject of discussion, what it means to deny the name of Jesus, and what consequences there might be as a result. It is not as it seems, and it is done very commonly in the church today. Many people suffer form this Laodicean spirit.
The Laodicean church is the actual focus of this discussion because it is here that we learn of the conditions and inferences that surround the rest of the church descriptions. A little history and geography will help because the words used by the Revelator are allegorical and idiomatic.
The book of Colossians refers to Laodicea a number of times, referring to several people in that city nearby to Colossae, eleven miles away. This is in present day Turkey, but was at that time a Roman city. These cities were supplied water from springs; the hot springs at nearby Hierapolis and the pure cold water of Colossae are well known. The archeology of the area shows Laodicea had an aqueduct that carried water from hot mineral springs some five miles south, which would have become cooler, of course, before entering the city.
This is an allegory that people understand well. Who would want to drink tepid water? Being spiritually lukewarm therefore is a bad thing. Hot water has a purpose, it can carry energy to the tissues for increasing healing and relaxing muscles, and very little harmful bacteria would thrive in it. Cold water is great for drinking, and bacterial bloom would be minimal or zero. It should taste great. Spiritual states hot and cold are preferable. Why would they be preferable?
A bacterial bloom occurs when the conditions of high oxygen content and warm temperatures exist. The count of bacterial cells per unit volume of water becomes significant, and the waste products of the bacteria produce a foul smell and a bad taste. So this water supply to Laodicea could be pretty foul smelling and tasting. Therefore, when you drink of that water, you spew it out of your mouth because of the taste.
3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
According to Strabo there was a medical school in this very wealthy city, where a famous ophthalmologist practiced. The city also lies within the boundaries of ancient Phrygia, from where an ingredient of eye-lotions, the so-called 'Phrygian powder', was supposed to have originated. Therefore the references in these scriptures have particular import not only to those who were in that church at that time, but would be unmistakable to us, far in the future.
3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
The nakedness and lack of wealth speaks of the spiritual destitution of this body of people. Surely it does not refer to the lack of finances and clothing for these people of such a wealthy city. The Jewish population of the church alone would have cared for this destitute state of the people if they were able. Why are they naked and destitute?
An idiom is a phrase that says one thing but means another thing and is built upon common knowledge of the time. This is important to know because it is very prevalent in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The concept of nakedness comes from an Old Testament referent. To “see the nakedness” is a Hebrew idiom that means “to have a relationship with a man’s wife” or to expose and take advantage of the other internal secrets of a family’s weakness.Ultimately, it results in an interruption of the proper authority and organization of the family. The Bible says the wife of a man is his “covering”. Uncovering a man’s nakedness was referring to a an illicit relationship with his spouse. This was an abomination to God and represents, as an idiom used in Revelations, the decadence or the destruction of the family. This happened to Noah with Ham, Jacob with Rueben and Lot with his daughters. In each case horrendous family circumstance ensued.
The Laodicean family was fragmented and facing destruction. The fabric of family life was becoming frayed because a particular component was missing.
The words “poor and wretched, and miserable” in the literal sense mean: “having weak faith, the inability to survive trials and temptations, and the inability to learn from chastisements and rebukes”.
From these translations we are now able to understand these symptoms of the Laodicean spirit. The remedy is given in verse 18:
“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
This is a clear dichotomy that is intensified by the allegorical statements. Contrasting to “poor” is “faith” as gold tried in the fire, nakedness with the “white raiment” of the sinless saint, and eye salve as the healing balm of Gilead found in the blood of the sacrifice which gives back sight of the spiritual sort; the ability to see your need.
How does this happen? The answer is in the name.
Laodicea is translated form the Greek words laos (of the people) and dikio (to rule).
The translation literally means “the rule by the people”.
The destruction starts when the authority of God and the ministry is subverted in the mind of a person. This is denying the Name of Jesus.
Ways that denying the authority of Jesus can occur:
1. Rationalization- this is not my sin
2. I am like this, just ignore me
3. I am not wrong, I am just misunderstood. That preacher is not talking about me. I am fine.
What is the authority of God? The Philadelphia church knew it- the name of Jesus Christ. Adam was required to name all things on the Earth to give him authority over everything on the Earth. God named the Earth and the Universe (he even calls the stars by name)and holds authority over them. When you gave your heart to God at the altar, you gave him authority over you, as you took on his name in baptism. The Laodicean spirit removes that authority of that name-you deny the name of Jesus.
God was telling the Laodiceans exactly the same thing he was telling Jerusalem-
“O Jerusalem Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together as a hen does her chicks, but you would not”
Jesus said He came to save that which was lost: was that not everyone? No it was not. Some could not be saved for they did not know they were lost. This is the spirit of Laodicea, to remove the ability of Jesus to address the sin in your life. A single hidden sin will keep you from heaven.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Zealous: careful to miss nothing. David prayed that God would search his heart for the hidden errors. To be zealous here requires that you are certain everything is out of your heart, and every sin is repented. Holding a grudge, bitterness, or other interpersonal issues are very common. These will give rise to a denial of the Holy Ghost to remove them, and God cannot forgive them without your authority to do so. You need to re-negotiate the covenant to begin the process of repentance. You must request exposure by God before He can save you.
Luke warm then is a condition that prevents conviction from working for you. You cannot be saved if you do not know you are wrong or do not believe you are wrong. You cannot be convicted if you have the attitude that "I am o.k."
If you are not worried about your heart when you pray, as any person should be(work out your own salvation with fear and trembling), and you are not backslid (cold-you know you need to pray and the Holy Ghost can then convict you as in the Ephesus church), you should examine yourself and pray for God to reveal to you the hidden errors, the things which will condemn you because you do not know they are there. Seek His face, be zealous, repent and be saved.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
You must open the door, You must hear, before you can recover form the Laodecian spirit.
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