America the Beautiful - a Vision Lost?

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. The people He has chosen as His own inheritance." - Psalm 33:12

As a nation we proved this promise as our history clearly proves. One of our founders, who is responsible for the famous Webster’s Dictionary said this: 

Noah Webster's Dictionary

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed ... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." - Preface by Noah Webster in his 1828 Dictionary.

Our early universities had similar statements of purpose:

"The main end of the scholar’s life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Therefore, to lay Christ in the bottom is the only foundation of all sound knowledge and harmony.” – Harvard Rules and Precepts, 1638

As long as we adhered to these sentiments, we did indeed prosper in every arena of human endeavor. We became that “city on a hill” that Puritan John Winthrop preached about. However, in the 50’s we began the downward slide away from God. By the 60’s we had declared God was not important enough to remain in our schools, preferring instead the doctrine of ‘pluralism’, which is just another name for idolatry, and was quickly followed by the concept of ‘Separation of Church and State’ which was falsely attributed to our founding fathers intents. Soon we were removing God’s Ten Commandments from public places and even baring students from praying in school. This has been followed by a host of evils all resulting in the destruction of our foundational principles.

When we did try to address long standing problems, such as slavery, evil forces quickly turned what should have been forgiveness and brotherhood into bitter envy and racism. What could have been a strengthening of our national fabric was turned instead to further strife and division, not at all what Martin Luther King had in mind, and certainly not what our Christian Founders had in mind.

By kicking God out of our schools, we have allowed Satin to come in like a flood. He came with Humanism and evolution, which deny God and His Word, the Bible. He came with unrestrained sexual activity that has destroyed the American family. He came with abortion that has destroyed our humanity and released a spirit of murder upon our land. And he opened the door to homosexuality, which the Bible declares is the last stage of moral decay before a nation is judged (Romans 1). That is because once they are inside the schools they will multiply like viruses and that is their intent as one of their own has recently written:

"In response to NOM's ad we say, "NOOO! We're not gonna make kids learn about homosexuality, we swear! It's not like we're trying to recruit your children or anything." But let's face it—that's a lie. We want educators to teach future generations of children to accept queer sexuality. In fact, our very future depends on it." (emphasis added) (NOM is the National Organization for Marriage which advocates marriage between a man and a woman.)

Montebello High in CA

Immigrants no longer come to our shores seeking the foundational principles that made us strong and enabled such great liberty and justice, now they come just for the prosperity, not understanding what the underlying source of that prosperity was. Mexicans don’t come to be Americans – they just come for a job. They cling to their cultural mores seeming to not understand that those ways gave them a Mexico that they are all trying to escape from! In Tucson, Arizona the schools are teaching that America stole California, Arizona, etc from Mexico. They are also condemning Capitalism and lauding Communism. At this year’s May Day celebrations in Los Angeles, California unions join forces with Communism openly displaying their affinity for each other. SEIU (Service Employees International Union), one of President Obama’s favorites, clearly declares their Communist affiliation. No wonder California is failing as a state.

SEIU Marcher Carries Communist Flag

The Apostle Paul warned us what would happen:

"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Women soldier in Afghanistan

America, we are there! God has given us leaders that are under “strong delusion”. We desert and insult our allies; the Shah of Iran-deserted, Georgia by reneging on our promises for protection, Mubarak of Egypt-deserted, and insulting the Queen of England by sending her gifts back. We think we can appease our enemies with money or buy adopting their way, such as forcing our soldiers to not carry their Bibles or to wear Muslim headscarf’s. Our actions in throwing Mubarak, a long time ally, under the bus has angered another key ally in the Mideast, Saudi Arabia. Then there is the shameful way we have treated Israel, forcing her to give up land and other concessions to an enemy who will not be satisfied by anything less than Israel’s destruction. Our leaders, both Republican and Democrat prefer Muslim disciples of terror over a long time ally that is the only one in the Mideast that is a true democratic state, Israel. But, the biggest proof that our leaders are devoid of judgment is their willingness to stand against God in favor of those that hate us. God calls Israel ‘My land’ (Joel 3:2) and He takes a dim view of all those who try to ‘divide’ it! On the other hand, when the twin towers were brought down by Muslim extremists, the Palestinians were dancing in the streets and handing out gifts!

I have written about just a few of the signs that indicate we are in trouble. As we approach another Presidential election, many are holding out their solutions to the problems, mostly blaming the other guy or party. But the real problem is us! We have left our foundational roots in God. We have become ashamed of Him, the Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If we do not return to Him, we have no hope as a nation, no matter what the politicians promise!

To the Church of Sardis

“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. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

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. 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.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:1-6

What a terrible thing to have said about you, that you have a name of being alive but you are dead! How can this be? It can only be because of deception. This church is not judging by God's standards but by their own. They are like Cain of old, who thought he could please God by giving an offering that he determined was right instead of obeying God. You see Cain gave an offering of the very ground that God had cursed, deliberately forgetting that God had told them that sin could only be atoned for by the shedding of innocent blood.

Like a glass house the worldly church
 will withstand God's shaking

How many churches today are going through rituals that they have thought up, thinking to please God, forgetting that God said, "obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). They may even shout to the Lord in their 'worship' services, but then they go out and commit adultery. The church now has a divorce rate higher than the world and the Assembly of God General Counsel recently passed Resolution 8, which allows as many divorces and remarriages sanctioned by the church as wanted. Their church divorce lobby accused the negative statements by Jesus against divorce as "hate speech!"

Jesus reminds the church at Sardis to remember how they received and heard the word of truth. Paul encourages Timothy the same way:

“O Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge - by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.” - 1 Timothy 6:20, 21

Sardis had mixed worldly wisdom and knowledge with Godly counsel. They forgot what Job knew - "With Him is wisdom and strength: He hath counsel and understanding." (Job 12:15). The modern church in America has made the same error. Paul’s warning to Timothy about what “is falsely called knowledge” can also be interpreted as “is falsely called science.” Much of the church today no longer confesses the creation account, having accepted the world's idle babbling about evolution, for which there is no proof. They blindly send their children to the public schools to be indoctrinated in evolution, humanistic religion, and a pluralistic philosophy which holds all religions equal and preaches sexual aberrations as normal. Then they wonder why abortions and divorces in the church are as abundant as in the world. It is in these schools that the seed of doubt is first planted in their children's minds, which leads to their rebellion against Christianity. But, who is guilty? - the world for being what it is, or the church for surrendering it's posterity to the world?

The spirit of Jezebel
will control the Harlot

The world preaches, "Be yourself" and makes idols of those who say "I did it my way!" TV is full of self-help programs and advertisements aimed at making you dissatisfied with what you have, so you will buy their product. But Scripture reveals - "If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts ... this wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." (James 3:14-16). Much of the American economy is based on dissatisfaction with what we have. This is a bold denial of what Scripture tells us - "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.'" (Heb. 13:5). Many churches today do not function as ‘the body of Christ’ where the Holy Spirit gives the giftings He desires to whom He desires, because it may threaten the ‘leadership’s’ perceived position. This is nothing but envy and self-seeking that James writes about. The ‘spirit of Jezebel’ is alive and well in many churches.

I fear Jesus would say to many churches today, "You have used My promise to never leave or forsake you" as an excuse for your love affair with the world! And who could say “I have never succumbed to the same temptation? However, I do know this is the main reason the American church is weak. At a time of history when Jesus said we would be doing greater things than He did, we can't even approach what He did! (John 14:12).

Jesus warned Sardis, "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." (Rev. 3:3).

"If you will not watch" is such an indictment of the modern church in America. How much time do we spend in our prayer closets? How often do we fast? How much time do we spend in the word of God? Entertainment has taken the place of meeting with God, and what spiritual things remain are in danger of dying!

How ironic that the modern church has even twisted this warning into a pre-tribulation rapture! They say we can't know when He is coming because He comes like a thief. But, what they forget to say is that He comes like a thief on the wicked! Paul writes that the Lord's coming should not be like a thief to the believer for "you brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4).

There are some, even in Sardis, that have not defiled their garments. They are seeking God still. Without the guidance of the church, they are holding home meetings, talking to one another about the things of the Lord as Malachi 3:16 describes, and learning how to walk with God. And they are seeking the righteousness of the Lord. Jesus will walk with them, even as the Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden before they fell.

This letter should bring forth the fear of the Lord in us as He declares that some names may be blotted out of the Book of Life. This letter is not a 'once saved- always saved' message. The Lord is serious - no easy grace here. Jesus told a parable of those invited to the son's wedding feast. When the father came in, he saw a man who didn't have on a wedding garment, so he had the man thrown into outer darkness. (Matt. 22:2-14). Though he was invited, he didn't have on a wedding garment and so was cast out. Our wedding garment is a robe of righteousness.

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness,.." (Isaiah 61:10)

The Lord has provided salvation for us but we have the responsibility to put on the robe of righteousness and keep it on. It is what Paul referred to as 'work out your salvation.' Even this responsibility the Lord will help us with, if we try. It is why the Lord ends this letter with “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments".

He gives us the way to overcome in the beginning of the letter - He has the seven Spirits of God and holds the seven stars. Oh how we need all the Holy Spirit we can get! If we turn wholeheartedly to Him, He will send the fullness of the Holy Spirit to aid us so we can shine like the stars.

The Church of Thyatira

Jezebel - the 1st Harlot

"These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 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.

"Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations --

'He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels' -

as I have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

                        Revelation 2:18-29

Jesus introduces this letter as the Son of God with eyes like flames of fire and feet like fine brass. He has walked through the fires of testing for us and He has eyes that burn away all flesh and deception to see us as we really are. And He is the Son of God. Thyatira had those who were giving place to idols, partaking of their deception. Jesus is declaring from the beginning there is only one true God and He is His Son. He alone will ride out of heaven on a white horse and bring judgment to the wicked. Many today, who claim to be Christians, are saying our God is the same God as the Muslims follow. To them Jesus is saying He alone is the Son of God and he who denies the Son does not have the Father either! (1 John 2:23).

The church in Thyatira had many good qualities and works, and their works were increasing. But, they had the cart before the horse, so to speak. Right relationship with the Son and Father will lead to good works, but good works alone can never lead to right relationship with the Son and the Father.Jesus told a story that has always put the fear of God into me -

"Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

Matthew 7:21-23

Who then can be saved? Those who are not lawless, who obey Him. God told King Saul, through Samuel, "Obedience is better than sacrifice."

While Thyatira was doing many good things, they were allowing disobedience to God's word in their midst. They were allowing women to usurp the authority God placed in men. The Apostle Paul said to not allow women to teach men (1 Tim. 2:12). Why? Is it because women cannot be as spiritual as men or as able to teach? No! It is because God set up the order of authority and it is not up to man to change it. Can women be prophetesses? Yes, many have, but they were all under proper authority. Jezebel was not, and it led to her deception. This opened the door to sexual immorality and compromise with idolatry. Jesus' will judge such actions, even in the church, with sickness and death. He cannot allow lawlessness to corrupt His bride to be. Lawlessness can be the result of willful disobedience, as it was with Adam, or the result of deception, as it was with Eve, but it's consequence is always death.

Some in the church of Thyatira did not practice these sins and Jesus encourages them to continue faithfully. In most churches today, there are probably true believers mixed in with the apostate. Jesus knows those that are His. The time of separation in the church is coming soon. Persecution and tribulation are going to do God's work of purifying His Body.

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." - Matt. 24:12

Lawlessness hinders us from obeying the commands of Jesus, which causes the love of Christ to grow cold. Persecution will cause those who are lawless to compromise with the world, denying Christ, and eventually these so-called Christians will turn on the true believers and deny them. This happened in the New Testament and it is happening even now in various parts of the world, and it will happen here as well.

At the end of John's revelation, he was given this message -

"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." - Revelation 22:11

In other words, make your choice. If you want to be unjust, go on and be more unjust; if you want to be filthy, go on and be more filthy. You don't have long. But, if you want to be righteous, go on and be more righteous; and if you want to holy, go on and be more holy.

Some preach that grace covers it all, so don't be judgmental! It is true that if we repent, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our sin. But, that does not mean we can be forgiven and then go right back to our sin! Peter says those who have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then fall back into them are worse off than they were before they repented. He says they are like a dog returning to his own vomit (2 Pet. 2:20-22).

That is why Jesus says, "he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end" will receive My blessing. He gives us a great gift - the fear of the Lord. He begins by saying He has eyes of fire, in other words, nothing is hidden from Him! Also, He encourages us, with Him in our lives, we too can walk through the fires that only serve to purify us.

I pray we will all be warned by this letter. As we are faithful to meet with Jesus in prayer and in His word, we will be delivered from the deception that is increasing all around us. Keep your heart pure and be zealous for the purity of His word in your life and in the church if you want to escape the great trial that is coming.

The Call

In May of 2011, the situation in the Mid East looks anything but glad and there is certainly not much to rejoice over. The nations are in a turmoil over Israel and Jerusalem. So called democracy and freedom movements among the Arab nations have resulted in even more radical Islamic control. Pressures for war have increased with sides threatening to switch almost daily. The entire region is unstable and I doubt even the nations of the region know what they will do next.


However, God knows, for it is Him alone that is in control. He is the One who, after the captives of Judah and Jerusalem are brought back to the land of Israel, will bring the nations down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment, because they tried to divide His land and scatter His people - Joel 3:2. We Americans have a vital interest in remembering how the story of the Mid East all started. It began with a call from God and the faithful obedience to that call.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8

Israel was founded on a call from God and as long as the Israelites followed God and looked to Him for guidance, they prospered. Through Abraham, Israel became the first, and only, Jewish nation. God promised that the desert would blossom and the wilderness would rejoice for them and though it became a desert wasteland during Israel's dispersal among the nations, now that they are back, the desert is once more blooming, almost as if the land itself is rejoicing at their return. Although many thought Israel was no more, God was not worried for His Word always comes to pass in His own time.

There is one other nation on earth that has a similar history – America. History calls its founders Pilgrims and Puritans but they did not call themselves that. They simply called themselves Christians. They came to America following the call of God, just as Abraham had done for Israel.  The Pilgrims already lived a life based on covenant relationship with God and each other but, as they were about to form a legitimate government, they drew up the Mayflower Compact, their covenant agreement with each other which stated:

“Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith and the honor of our King and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by the presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid, and by the virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, sets, constitutions and offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony …”

 

This Mayflower Compact became the pivotal document in the development of constitutional government in America. The Puritans likewise came with a call from God. John Winthrop, in his sermon titled ‘A Model of Christian Charity’ made that famous statement of purpose: “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all the people upon us.”, quoting Matthew 5:14. Winthrop spelled out clearly his vision for America:

“We are a company, he said, … professing ourselves fellow members of Christ … The end is to improve our lives and to do more service to the Lord … that ourselves and our posterity may be better preserved from the common corruptions in this world …. We must love brotherly without dissimulation; we must love one another with pure heart fervently.”

Because of them, America did indeed become the beacon to the world for freedom and liberty. They taught the only path to true freedom is freedom from sin through Jesus Christ. They not only taught this in their churches but also in their schools. Harvard was founded in 1636 for just such a purpose. The Harvard Rules and Precepts stated:

“The main end of the scholar’s life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Therefore, to lay Christ in the bottom is the only foundation of all sound knowledge and harmony.”

Years later, this truth was still strong in the minds of those early Americans –

In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.
                     - Preface by Noah Webster in his 1828 Dictionary

So here we have two nations being formed out of a call from God. One epitomizes the Old Testament and one epitomizes the New Testament. But, the purpose of God is to bring the two together in Christ Jesus to form one – Ephesians 2:15, the ‘one’ being the people of God, made up of both Jew and Gentile believers.

God deals with them much the same: He prospers them when they follow Him and He punishes with natural and man-made disasters when they turn away from Him. History teaches us how Israel ceased from being a nation for a time because of consistent sin and rebellion. Is there any reason to think that will not be true for America as well?

The Holy Spirit is saying to us, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.” - Revelation 2:4, 5

As we have just had our national Day of Prayer, we should remember what we were like when we first started as a nation. But, I want to say to you, ‘No nation is any stronger than the individuals in it! And no church is any stronger than the members in it! Matthew Henry, who wrote the well known Bible Commentary of yesteryear, commented "If you don't first have church at home, you will not have it when you come together either."

Please, Oh please, remember what Jesus taught, "Many are called, but few are chosen." Abraham was called and our Pilgrim and Puritan fathers were called, but they were also chosen because they were faithful to obey the call.

We must take this message PERSONALLY and not think someone else will do it. God is calling to YOU. Will you obey and answer the call?

The Church of Pergamos

Aesculapius, god of medicine

"To the angel of the church in Pergamos write, 
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no man knows except him who receives it."

Revelation 2:12-17

Jesus has a 'sharp two-edged sword' coming out of His mouth (Rev 1:19). Nothing is hidden from Him. He can divide between the soul and the spirit of man knowing the intents of the heart. Pergamos was the center of emperor worship, having a 200 ft statue of Zeus. They also worshipped Aesclepius, the god of healing whose symbol was the serpent. Doctors today still use this symbol to identify their profession. I am not saying the use of medicine is wrong, but putting medicine or doctors in the place of God is wrong!

Pergamos was the center of political, religious, and social idolatry in Asia. No wonder Jesus said it was where Satan dwells. Satan lived in Pergamos and had his throne there and Pergamos is in modern day Turkey. (It is not surprising to me to find that many of the last-day wars either begin with or involve Turkey. Although it has been in NATO and friendly to the U.S. and Israel, expect that to change.)

Smyrna was not the only church to suffer persecution. Here in Pergamos Antipas was martyred. This social and political pressure from the government of Pergamos not only led to some in the church compromising with idolatry but also to sexual immorality. Faced with martyrdom for being too obedient or different, many were willing to allow the world to have an inroad into the church. Satan was able to deceive them with the spirit of Balaam. (You remember Balaam, who could not curse Israel so he instead advised Israel's enemies to entice her into immoral relationships, knowing this would weaken her.) Pergamos also had those who held to the teaching of the Nicolaitans,  which Christ hates.

Why does Christ react so strongly to sexual immorality? Because, the Church is called to be the Bride of Christ and sexual impurity is the same as apostasy and the breaking of covenant relationship.

The same spirit is at work in the Church today. Rampant divorce and remarriage amounts to the same problem Pergamos had. Jesus likens it to adultery.

"But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. 

In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Mark 10:2-12

The Apostles also taught the same thing (Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 5:11. 7:10-11, 18-20). This is a serious problem. Adultery will keep us out of heaven! But, is it a more serious problem than any other sin? No, because all sin is a result of lawlessness. Jesus taught -

"Because lawlessness (wickedness) will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved." - Matthew 24:12-13

Paul even addresses the situation of a believer and an unbeliever being married. He teaches that if the unbeliever is willing to stay married, the believer should not  divorce, but if the unbeliever leaves, the  believer is not to blame. Yet, they are not given the right to remarry (1 Cor 7:11, 12, 15, 17).

What do believers do if they divorce and remarry as believers? The same as you do for any other sin - repent. Until you do, the devil has a foothold in your life. Nevertheless, even though you can be forgiven, that may not erase the harm that has been done, especially if children are involved. Many people have been divorced and remarried before they became believers. To them, the Scriptures say remain in the situation you were in when you came to the Lord.

The best approach is to teach God's standards and live by them. Then believers should not be yoked to unbelievers. Don't rely on the hope that you will change them after marriage. Why hope that God will honor your prayers after you have rebelled and disobeyed Him? I do not say these things in a legalistic way. The only way to bring peace and stability into our lives is to obey God's rules for living.

We have come to a time in history when we can no longer trust society, it is too spoiled by lawlessness. We must trust only God and His precepts. The political system is corrupt and truth takes a back seat to power. The education system is presenting false idols of humanism (the religion of man) as the standards to live by. The religious system, like Pergamos, has allowed the world to influence it. Society is filled with violence and sexual immorality.

Judgment is about to fall on America because the shedding of innocent blood through abortion and because of lawlessness. Only those who take the message given to the church of Pergamos to heart will be protected from it by the Lord.

Jesus gives the way to overcome these deceptions - the sword of the Lord. Paul also refers to this sword as the word of God -

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Eph. 6:17

Before Jesus Christ returns, the Church must purge itself of all impurities, as it declares in Revelation 19:7 -

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

Notice, it is the Bride that makes herself ready! There is a separation coming between the holy and the profane, between the fully committed and the 'lukewarm', between the 'faithful even unto death' and those who compromise with the world system because it is easier.


Even so, come Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

To the Church of Smyna

Saint Ignatius and the Lions

“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: “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. 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.

“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.”’ – Revelation 2:8-11

Jesus is dictating a letter to seven churches in Asia Minor through John. We know historically that there were more than seven churches at that time but, these were selected to represent messages to all churches in any circumstance. Smyrna is the second church selected by Jesus, and the only one identified as experiencing persecution. Does this mean they alone suffered persecution? No, we know historically that this was not the case. It is rather a message to the Church at large about how to act in the midst of persecution. They were not an affluent church and besides suffering persecution also suffered from poverty.

No one likes to think about persecution, but, all the writers of the New Testament warn us that we will suffer persecution. Paul writes, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” – 2 Timothy 3:12. Even Jesus promised His followers would be persecuted – Luke 21:12. What is the source of this hatred? It is Satan. Jesus said, “If they have hated Me, they will hate you, for the servant is not above his Master.” As Jesus warned the church of Smyrna, this persecution will mostly come from ‘religious’ sources. Remember, who was it that persecuted Jesus? It was basically religious Jews. The Roman Pilate went along with it to keep peace, but Jewish religious leaders were the force behind it. Jewish synagogues, (or congregations), who didn’t want to embrace the truth of the Gospel persecuted those in Smyrna. However, this is not just a Jewish problem for true followers of Jesus have always been persecuted by the ‘religious’ church down through the centuries, and it will intensify at the end of the age. Catholics persecute Lutherans, Lutherans persecute other Protestants, and they all have persecuted each other from time to time. Today Christians are persecuted and martyred in China by Communists, in India by Hindus and Muslims, and all over the Mid East by Muslims. It is even beginning in western countries, although not as violently but the threat is there.

Muslims march in England

Notice, in the letter to the church of Smyrna, Jesus refers to ‘poverty’ before He mentions the persecution. That is because when pressures of poverty strike any people they look for a scapegoat, and the devil sees to it that Christians are blamed. We are seeing this happen in our day. In Egypt people are rioting, even over-throwing their government – why? There is no food and what food is available is too expensive for the common people to buy. Now the Coptic Christians are suffering just as much as the Muslim Egyptians but, the Muslims used it as an excuse to turn on the Christians, burning their churches, killing Christians, and causing them to flee Egypt. The lack of food and its associated problems are behind many of the revolts going on around the globe. This problem is not going to go away, but is intensifying for the following reasons:

1. The World Bank declares 44 million people around the globe are living in extreme poverty because of the increase of food prices – up 36% since June, 2010.
2. Water shortages in Middle East lead to food shortages. Saudi Arabia will have no more wheat production by 2012.
3.  In the United States, extreme weather and floods cut food production and depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer could produce another ‘dust bowl’.
4. Plant diseases such as UG99 wheat rust are wiping out increasingly large segments of the world food supply.
5. Rising oil prices may be the biggest factor of all.
6. The commodity price of wheat has approximately doubled since last summer.
7. The commodity price of corn has also about doubled since last summer.
8. The commodity price of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.
9.  The commodity price of orange juice has doubled since 2009.
10. 3 billion people around the globe live on $2 a day and the world was already on the verge of economic disaster before this year began.

These are just a few of the reasons why riots and violence against Christians will increase in the days ahead.

Another reason for the persecution will be rebellion against the truth. As Christians live godly lives, they will automatically be a witness against ungodliness. Their light will expose the darkness – and those in darkness will not like it, even though they may have a name for following Jesus.

“Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” – Psalm 2:1-3

But to those who suffer for Christ’s sake, He has a word of comfort – it will only last 10 days, in other words, a short time. If we are faithful, He will give us the “crown of life” which is eternal. “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Remember, we must all die once but, the second death will come to the unfaithful at the judgment throne of God as they are thrown into the lake of fire to be forever. Instead of that death, the faithful saints will have the crown of eternal life.