Poor Yet Rich?

"I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! Revelation 2:9 (NIV)

Jesus had only praise and encouragement for the church at Smyrna. They represent the persecuted church--and we in America have no idea what that means. The Christians there had lost their employment and their belongings because of their unwillingness to compromise their faith. Today in America, we think we are taking a strong stand for Jesus if we have a Bible tucked away in our desk at work or wear a 14 carat gold cross around our neck. The church at Smyrna was facing more than loss of income or belongings--they were facing death. In that day, people were required to worship Ceasar. Those who refused were sentenced to a horrible death. But Jesus assures them that He knows their circumstances. He reminds them that it is the second death (God's final judgment) that is to be feared and that they will not be hurt by it. For all their poverty and hardship, Jesus says they are rich--their treasure is in heaven. Where is yours?

What's Wrong with this Picture?

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV)

Jesus knows the works of the Laodiceans--they reflect the true condition of the church. Hot water is soothing--cold water is refreshing--lukewarm water is disgusting and good for nothing. Jesus is about to spit them out! These people are in danger of being rejected by Christ! What's more--they don't even know it!

The Laodicean church described themselves as being rich, wealthy, and in need of nothing. Jesus described them as wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. This is scary--these people don't have a clue. They think their fine building and expensive furnishings are money well spent, when what they really should be buying is treasure in heaven. Their exquisite clothing and fancy jewelry mean nothing to Jesus--He wants to see them dressed in robes of righteousness. They are so blind, they think they have everything when the reality is that they are destitute. What is missing in this church is Jesus--this is the church of the Laodiceans, not the church of Jesus Christ! If Christ isn't in the church, can He be in their hearts?

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and him with me." (Revelation 3:20)

Wake Up!

"I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive--but you are dead." Revelation 3:1 (NLT)

Jesus pronounced the church at Sardis dead, although those in the church and the surrounding neighborhood apparently had not noticed. They had a reputation for being alive--there was movement, there was activity, but they did not meet God's requirements. Nothing they did was reaching the heart of God--not their prayers, not their worship, not their service.

What is the prescription for revival?

"WAKE UP!", Jesus says. "Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead...Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don't wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief." (Revelation 3:2-3)

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols." Revelation 2:20 (NIV)

The church at Thyatira looked good on the outside, just as many churches do today. They had love for God and love for each other. Jesus commends them for their deeds, their love, their faith, service and perseverance--and they were growing in these things. But inside the church it was a different story. A woman named Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, was leading God's servants into sexual immorality and idolatry. This woman was evil, yet she was allowed to prophesy and teach Satan's "deep secrets". Why would the leaders of the church tolerate such obvious heresy? How does this apply to us and to the church today?

I think this is a stern warning to pastors and leaders to jealously guard what is being taught in their churches--just because someone calls themself a prophetess doesn't mean that they speak for God. There is a tendency today to be all-inclusive--to tolerate things that God condemns, leading many people astray. There is no compromise with the Word of God--we cannot add to it or take from it. This truth is the very thing that causes the world to categorize Christians as narrow minded and hateful but, in the end, is our loyalty to God or to the world?

 

Looking the Other Way

"But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin...Repent of your sin or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Revelation 2:14, 16 (NLT)

The church in Pergamum was located in "the city where Satan has his throne". That could be almost any city in America today, with a few exceptions. In spite of that, they remained loyal to Christ, refusing to deny Him even when one of their own was martyred. God approves of shining His light in a dark place--it's a hard assignment though, to keep those evil influences out of the church. That was the problem at Pergamum--they allowed people into their church that thought it was okay to believe in Christ and not give up their sinful habits. They, in turn, were causing others in the church to sin.

Don't we see the same thing today? We are so afraid of offending people. Couples living together outside of marriage has almost become acceptable in the church. Dabbling in pornography, drinking, watching impure movies and television programs--all these things cause others to stumble. In his book, Messages on Revival, Vance Havner says, ,"We sin when we tolerate what God condemns and look some other way instead of dealing with it...Sometimes we become so sentimental about offending one person and so sorry for him that we risk the health of a whole church." He also says that we do harm to the offender by tolerating their sin. We lead them to think they are right with God when they really face His judgment.

To paraphrase Jesus' message to Pergamum, and to us--Repent! If you don't take care of this problem, I will!

Repent or Else

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place." Revelation 2:4-5 (NIV)

The church in Ephesus was doing everything right--or so it seemed. Jesus commended them for their deeds, their hard work and perseverance. They didn't tolerate wicked men, they put false apostles to the test, and endured hardships in Christ's name without growing weary. Sounds like a resume most churches today would be proud of. But Jesus, the One who knew them intimately, saw something serious that no one else could see--their love for Him had grown cold. All the good works could not cover or make up for this painful loss. It was so serious that, if they did not repent, Jesus would remove their light and His presence.

Let's make it personal. What was it like when we first loved Christ? Did we love Him extravagantly, not caring what it cost us? Did we serve Him joyfully, considering it a privilege rather than a duty? Did we give out of a heart overflowing with gratitude? Where are we now? Are we bogged down in the details? Just going through the motions? Finding our satisfaction in other things? Jesus has the remedy for those of us who have forsaken our first love, but it's not optional: remember and repent--do the things you once did!

Follow the Leader

"Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it and repent." Revelation 3:3 (NIV)

So who is Jesus talking to when He says "Repent"? He's not just talking to churches that have long since died--he's talking to every church and every Christ follower. Most of us act as if these words were meant for someone else. Specifically, Jesus' letters to the seven churches in Revelation are addressed to the angels or ministers of those churches. Why would He be writing to them, unless He expected the ministers to lead their churches in repentance? The pastors are to set the tone for those who are under their leadership. Revival should start from the pulpit. Jesus addressed those letters to the ones He held responsible for the condition of the churches. It has been said that a church will be no more spiritual than its leader. That does not mean we have no personal responsibility for our condition. But the pastor is the leader--if he is satisfied with business as usual, his church will be too. If he is not broken over sin, it's hard for the people, themselves, to feel that "godly sorrow that leads to repentance".

 

Jesus' Last Words to Us

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 2:7 (NIV)

If you had one last opportunity to share some final words with your loved ones, what would they be? Wouldn't you want them to be the most meaningful, most important things you could think of? Wouldn't you want to warn them if they were headed down the wrong path? Jesus' last words to the seven churches in Asia can be found in the book of Revelation (chapters 2 and 3). He wrote a letter to each one and commended them for the good they had done. One thing about Jesus, though--He sees everything. In five of the seven letters, He gave them the same advice--"Repent". These letters are written for us--that we might see ourselves and our churches as Jesus sees them. We need to take God's word seriously. I think Jesus wants us to get ready for His return, but most of us are too in love with the world to care. We are the "Bride of Christ"! He expects her to be spotless and without blemish. How will it be if He returns for His Bride, only to find her with her hair disheveled, her veil ripped,and her gown and shoes muddy?

Jesus said, "Repent".

What Revival Is--What It Is Not

"Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" Psalm 85:6 (NIV)

Many think of revival as a week of church meetings with a guest evangelist, scheduled far in advance and focused on reaching the lost. Some do get saved. The rest of us are fired up for a few weeks, then things settle back to "normal". This is not what revival is. Most of the people I know, myself included, have never witnessed the real thing. The fact that the word itself starts with "re" should tell us something--bringing back to life something that was dead or close to it. Vance Havner says, "Revival is a work of the Spirit among God's own people whereby they get right with God and with each other." This is not the same thing as evangelism, although salvation of the lost should result from revival. It starts with God's people--maybe in the heart of just one person--realizing just how far from God they have drifted. God has so much more for us than we typically experience--we are content with crumbs, when God wants to invite us to a banquet! Prayer plays an essential role--it's been said that no great movement of God takes place without it. When people get things right with God, they will get right with others: marriages and family relationships are restored, forgiveness is asked for and given, genuine love for each other overflows. When the church looks nothing like the world, people of the world will be drawn to God. That is revival!

Pray

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT)

Our country is deeply divided over many issues. Our default behavior seems to be to criticize anyone we don’t agree with, but what does that really accomplish? Is that approach leading to ‘peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity’? Praying for all people, even those we don’t agree with, pleases God ‘who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.’ Paul’s advice to Timothy was inspired by God—why not try it?

Our Love Affair with the World

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4 (NIV)

This is the church in America. We love the world and all its toys. But let’s get personal. What consumes the majority of our time? Is it reading and studying God’s Word? Are we ministering to the widows and orphans? Are we caring for the needy, setting the oppressed free? Are we showing love and compassion to a hurting world?

God doesn’t want us isolated from the world—He wants us to be in it, but not defined by it. Is our allegiance to God or to our own selfish desires? Would we skip church to attend a sporting event? Do we waste time doing mindless things on the computer? Are we caught up with having the latest toys and gadgets that are so prized by the world? I confess to you that these questions are convicting to me. It’s easy to get caught up in the attractions of this world, but when we do, we are investing our time and money in something that is perishable—it will have no lasting effect on anyone. And, it is seductive. We cannot play around with it—it leads to adultery. God takes it seriously, and so should we.

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

Repentance

“For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy; ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)

Repentance is the message for the church in America. Why is it not being preached? I believe we are like the frog in the pot of warm water. The water is gradually getting hotter, but we haven’t noticed—in fact, it feels pretty good. We have become comfortable with our little sins to the point that we don’t even recognize them as sins. We think that some of the things in God’s word are optional. Do we realize it is sin…

To worry—“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” (Matt. 6:25).

To speak carelessly—“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matt. 12:36).

To not show mercy—“judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” (James 2:13).

To prefer the things of the world over God—“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?” (James 4:4).

Vance Havner once said, “The times are desperate, but we are not.” The church is worldly and lethargic—we do not take God, or His Word, seriously. James 4:17 says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” We will not see revival until we are broken over our sinful condition.

Isaiah 57:15 says that God lives in a high and holy place, but also with the contrite and lowly in spirit—to them He will bring revival.

True Worship

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:

Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;

lighten the burden of those who work for you.

Let the oppressed go free,

and remove the chains that bind people.

Share your food with the hungry,

and give shelter to the homeless.

Give clothes to those who need them,

and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

Then your salvation will come like the dawn,

and your wounds will quickly heal.

Your godliness will lead you forward,

and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.

Then when you call, the LORD will answer.

‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

Going Through the Motions

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.

Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.

Tell my people Israel of their sins!

Yet they act so pious!

They come to the Temple every day

and seem delighted to learn all about me.

They act like a righteous nation

that would never abandon the laws of its God.

They ask me to take action on their behalf,

pretending they want to be near me.

‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.

“Why aren’t you impressed?

We have been very hard on ourselves,

and you don’t even notice it!’

‘I will tell you why!’ I respond.

‘It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.

Even when you fast,

you keep oppressing your workers.

What good is fasting

when you keep on fighting and quarreling?

This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.

You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance,

bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind.

You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes.

Is this what you call fasting?

Do you really think this will please the LORD?

Isaiah 57:1-5 (NLT)