Good Morning Wednesday......
Father thank You for this NEW DAY!
As we rise to meet this new day, please let us be filled with Your Spirit. Wherever we go, let us SPREAD LOVE, JOY, PEACE, GOODNESS, and FAITHFULNESS. Let us desire to become more like You and to worship You IN ALL WE DO. Help us desire these things so much more than the sin that entices us. In Yeshua, Jesus Christ's Name we pray. Amen.
- The Great Revelation: Unfolding Eternity Today (9)
The Church in Pergamon had a problem. They were weakened as a people. The Church had endured intense cultural pressure to give up The Truth. They began to break. They started allowing false teachings to mix with The Truth and the social pressure culminated with the tolerating of pagan traditions and customs. Outwardly The Church seemed to be following The Truth, but inwardly they had bent to the will of the world instead of The Will Of God Almighty. While claiming to be followers of Christ, they had given into peer pressure and quietly stopped following The King to follow society. Sound familiar? Let's take a look in God's Word to see what Our King is saying:
““And 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 also 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 one knows except him who receives it. ”
Revelation 2:12-17
Our Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ, encourages The Church in Pergamon in their suffering. He disciplines them for putting up with allowing false teachings to mix with The Truth and allowing those doctrines to proliferate.
We can see that the ails of following society manifest themselves in: creating stumbling blocks to Israel (us), eating things sacrificed to idols, and committing sexual immorality. Ancient Israel isn't any different than today, and we don't have to look too far to see these same plagues affecting our world.
Yeshua, Jesus Christ was well aware The Church had dealt with severe persecution because of their faith, proclaiming The Truth, and following Jesus. Our Savior was well aware then on how Satan had a stronghold in their city, and he knows the strongholds in society still today. In fact God's Word States:
“That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9
Our Messiah knows about the pressures of society, He Dealt With Them just as we have to deal with them today. That being said, He makes it absolutely clear that there is no excuse, no matter the opposition, to stop speaking unadulterated Truth. He was telling them, and us, that we must speak against "the unfruitful works of darkness." Our Father and Our Savior expect us to stand for His Name, His Truth, and His Love no matter what the world throws at us because... He Has Told Us:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33
Prayer:
Father God, we live in a harsh world. Without You it would be impossible to deal with the evil that surrounds us. No matter how tough the pressure may be, no matter the difficulties we may face, Father, please help us stand with You, with Truth, and without shame. Give us the strength, courage, and Your Countenance to help us endure all that we may face. We Love You, We Praise You, and we humbly ask these things for us, Your Children, in The Mighty Name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ The Redeemer. Amen.
The Great Revelation, The Word of God:
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
I Peter 4:14-17
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Ephesians 5:11
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
I John 4:1-6
“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 one knows except him who receives it. ”
Revelation 2:16-17
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Thank You and Yahweh Yeshua Ha'Mashiach, God Our Father and His Son, Bless You!