Church and State

Revelation 2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 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. 14 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. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. 17 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 one knows except him who receives it."

Can you imagine a Christian nation with Christianity as the official state religion?

What if Christianity could be protected from all forms of religious persecution, and protected by law from any sort of discrimination?

Wouldn’t the church flourish in such a political environment?

It was October 28, 312AD, and Constantine was confronted by the massive army of Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, which crossed the Tiber River just north of Rome. Constantine was visited by a dream the night before the battle, wherein he was advised "to mark the heavenly sign of God on the shields of his soldiers...by means of a slanted letter X with the top of its head bent round, he marked Christ on their shields."

Eusebius describes another version, where, while marching at midday, "he saw with his own eyes in the heavens a trophy of the cross arising from the light of the sun, carrying the message, In Hoc Signo Vinces or "with this sign, you will conquer"; in Eusebius's account, Constantine had a dream the following night, in which Christ appeared with the same heavenly sign, and told him to make a standard, the labarum, for his army in that form.

By appearance anyway, Constantine became a Christian as a result of the visions he received, and with his upset victory over Maxentius, (whose army was twice the size of Constantine’s,) Constantine entered Rome and as emperor proclaimed Christianity to be free from all types of religious intolerance.

Finally, all forms of persecution suffered under the ‘ten days of tribulation,’ were ended. Christians were free to move about the building…

And then Christianity began a long, slow, downward spiral of official acceptance and spiritual compromise which Jesus notes and predicts here, in His letter to the Church in Pergamos. The reign of Constantine began with the merger of church and state. Was the church strengthened by political acceptance?

-Pastor Bill

Roses and Thorns

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: 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. 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. 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."

As the Lenny LeBlanc song goes, “Like a rose, trampled on the ground, He took the fall, and He thought of me…above all.”

While a beautiful, poetic lyric, it also defines exactly Who Christ was - in a form we can all relate to. Jesus WAS a rose.

Gentle and beautiful, fragile yet strong, wonderfully made, wonderfully aromatic - and -  crushed.

Who would crush a rose?

The trial and crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest act of evil in the history of mankind. That man could murder their Loving God come in the flesh is appalling, disgusting, embarrassing and shameful.

In committing deicide, (the murder of God,) men revealed themselves to be thorns. What a stark contrast…between the rose, and its thorns.

Prior to the commission of the crucifixion, Jesus looked very much like any other man. It was through the crucifixion Jesus was finally seen as the Rose.

And then…He rose indeed!

No one desires trial and tribulation. In fact, we hate it with every fiber of our being. But there is a necessary separation that takes place in the crucible, and this is what Jesus is saying to the church in Smyrna.

Jesus foresees 10 separate waves of persecution which will take place under ten proceeding Roman emperors. (“You will have tribulation ten days.”) Hundreds of thousands of Christians would be killed prior to Christianity becoming the accepted faith of the Roman dynasty.

Only those who were genuine in their faith were martyred. (Roses.) Also present in the church during those days were those who claimed faith but were actually followers of Satan. (Thorns.) Only tribulation would truly reveal the distinction.

-Pastor Bill

Church History Revised

Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 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; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 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 lampstand from its place--unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 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."

There should be no doubt the Church has a very special place in this world. Historically, the Church has accomplished what could not have been accomplished by any other organization or entity. Entire cultures and societies have been changed for the better by the influence of the Church.

We see this as powerful evidence of Jesus Christ working directly in the only organization He founded in His earthly ministry, the Church. The TRUE church, IS Jesus Christ working in the world. (This is why the Church is often referred to as the Body of Christ.)

And so we have greater personal freedom following in the wake of the Church. We have equality following in the wake of the Church, both by race and by gender. We see greater opportunity for education for all following in the wake of the Church, and we see the incorporation of impartial judgment of criminal and civil activities. We see charity and hospitals and care for the less-fortunate being a prominent example of the influence of the Church. We even see government structure following patterns of benevolent welfare practiced by the Church.

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine what this world may have become by now without the influence of the Church for the good of mankind.

I understand the Church has its flaws. Always has, always will. The main problem with the Church is the men who fill it. They are imperfect. And so the Church, even while serving as the best example of prospering benevolence and loving embrace of differences in the history of the world, has its problems. It is an imperfect institution populated by imperfect people. Sometimes, perhaps many times, we see the Church failing in its mission even with the best of intentions.

Who is in a better position to offer constructive criticism to the Church than its Founder, Jesus Christ? Who should listen to the constructive criticism He has to offer? Who has a greater interest in the SUCCESS of the Church than Christ?

-Pastor Bill

The Centrality of Christ

Revelation 1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

This letter to the churches from Jesus, the Founder of the Church, as transcribed by John, is an amazing anticipation of the development and the suffering the church will endure down through the ages. It is also an amazing anticipation of the excesses and gross departures the church will take with the essentials of the faith.

If this passage reminds us of nothing else, it should be this: Jesus must be at the VERY CENTER of the church.

What does it mean that Jesus must be at the center of the church? What happens when He is not?

Having Jesus at the center of the church means seeing Him (and desiring to see Him,) as He truly is rather than imagining a version of Christ for yourself.

Here, we have an eyewitness account of Jesus in Heaven, as He presently is. Is this how you imagined Him? Does what you imagine have any bearing at all upon reality? Should you adjust your imagining based upon the freshly-presented reality?

Now imagine the danger of moving Jesus away from the center of the church, where no attempt is legitimately made to see Jesus as He is, to a place where an imaginary Jesus is all anybody has.

This has indeed been the position of the church down through the centuries, and only the church which presents Jesus as He is and holds to His Word as it is escapes His rebuke. Where does Jesus stand in your church?

-Pastor Bill

Who is Your God?

Revelation 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

It is interesting to think about the character and the nature of God. It is also interesting to realize what we think about God does not change Who He is or how He is.

Many, maybe even most people in the world today - and perhaps it has always been this way - act as though their concept of who and what God is makes some kind of difference.

Many times you will hear someone exclaim, “Well, MY God would never do that!” (And this will be in the midst of some sort of discussion about the kinds of sin God will tolerate, or something of the like.) “Well, MY God would never judge me for that!”

(Of course the general idea is to escape the sense of pending judgment we are created with WITHOUT having to alter behavior in light of the pending judgment we perceive.)

So we attempt to escape the sense of what we know to be true by the creation of what is patently false. We create a God of our own making and in our own image.

It could be a statue or some kind of idol, but it is important to realize idolatry is not primarily physical. A statue is only an outward manifestation of the god that has been created for the wicked human heart to tangibly worship.

Who your God IS is the most important question you will ever answer. It will make a profound difference in your life. We can choose to worship the True and Living God – or not.

In an unavoidable pursuit of the True and Living God, John finds and identifies some of the key characteristics of Who He is. The fascinating thing is John wasn’t necessarily looking for God, he was just busy loving God. The next thing he knows, he finds himself in the presence of the Living God in all His glory.

We have a marvelously wonderful revelation of God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior - our Triune God.  As you examine this text, ask yourself, “Is this what MY God looks like?”

If it isn’t then you’ve created one of your own. Probably looks and thinks a lot like you.

-Pastor Bill

The Unveiling

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

There comes a time in every deep and growing relationship when an unveiling takes place. This is referred to as “intimacy,” and it has everything to do with developing trust.

How fascinating that as we arrive at the very end of God’s Word to us and for us, a complete unveiling takes place. The Revelation of Jesus Christ is the book where we learn of the, “…things we have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” (This is indeed the outline of the Book.) (Rev 1:19)

All of it, every bit of it, is revealed. Unveiled. Laid bare for those in relationship with Jesus to see.

The word ‘apocalypse’ is often misused and misunderstood. People speak of an ‘apocalypse’ as if the meaning of the word is some sort of great cataclysmic event. That is simply not true. The definition of the word ‘apocalypse’ is ‘unveiling.’

Thus the English translation of the Greek ‘apokalypsis’ is: ‘revelation.’ Everything is ‘revealed’ to those who are willing to look.

Note that all we are shown here in the Book of Revelation is a single, unified revelation, and so it is not correct to speak of this as, “the Book of Revelation(s).”

What exactly is revealed to those willing to look? (By the way, the Book promises a blessing to all who DO look. See Rev 1:3)

I believe the blessing is the complete understanding of Who God in Christ IS, and what God in Christ is going to accomplish on behalf of His people. One of the greatest understandings to come from this unveiling is: God is in control. Total control. The events of this world have not spun out wildly, they have spun out as God has directed and will direct, and we who are in Christ may have perfect peace even in the midst of all the events described even as they are literally taking place because we know God is driving, and He promises to protect (bless) all those who “hear” the words of this book.

-Pastor Bill

Those Left Standing

Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Those who speak falsely, or speak falsehoods, have no fear of God.

The record of those who do speak falsely is not good. Jude, (most likely Jesus’ half-brother,) relates the less-than-hopeful future of those who do. To see that more clearly, all we need to do is look to the past to see how God has dealt with those who have brazenly opposed His message, or His messenger.

Sometimes we may think those who oppose God somehow escape His notice. They do not. Jude writes an important reminder of that fact. If nothing else is made clear here – and there is plenty made clear - it is that God is watching men’s hearts, and that He opposes those who oppose Him.

It has often been said, (and it is a true saying,) that you plus God is a majority opinion. It may not seem like it, and it may not feel like it, but it is true and always has been. Pleasing God must be our only motivation, even when, (especially when,) all the world is against us.

Jude speaks to the observable fact the world is a battleground for Christians. Of this world he exhorts we who believe to contend for the faith, which can only mean at some point we have to stand for it.

-Pastor Bill