LAND COVENANT 5 of 8 Scriptural Covenants-Part 3

 

 

Scriptural References:  Deuteronomy 29:1- 30;20
Part 3: Deuteronomy 29:21-29

(V21) “And the Lord shall separate him unto evil
out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:”

(V21) God is sternly warning the Israelites that because they received His blessings by obeying His commandments they should expect the curses that accompanies disobedience. Here again, I must warn this present generation that when our forefathers drafted the articles of our constitution they quoted some of the words used by Moses in this covenant.  Now it would stand to reason that if this nation has been blessed because we were obedient to the commandments of this covenant, then for our disobedience we should be prepared for the curses that are now coming upon us.

(V22) “So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it;”

(V22) The children of Israel are reminded of the book of the law where the curses are written down, so when people from faraway places arrive on the scene they can view the results of the judgments of God upon a disobedient land.

(V23) “And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass growth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”

(V23) The entire land is discolored, salty, and on fire and not even suitable for a blade of grass to take root.   In fact, it’s compared to the condition of the land when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

(V24) “Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? What meaneth the heat of this great anger?”

(V24) When other nations question why the Lord did so unto this land the answer would be given because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to serve pagan gods.

(V25) “Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their father, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:”

(V25) At that time it was said that the reason for God’s judgment against that land was because they forsook the covenant that God had made with them when they were delivered out of the evil hands of Pharaoh.

(V26) “For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:”

(V26) After leaving Egypt, the wilderness multitude turned to idol worship and served false gods that had not been introduced to them by Jehovah - the one true God of the Israelites.

(V27) “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:”

(V27) In this verse the righteous anger of the Lord was ignited against the land to bring all the curses upon it that were written in the book.

(V28) “And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.”

(V28) Because of their rejecting of the Lord in fury, wrath, and great exasperation He displaced them from their homeland and hurled them into another country just like it is today.

(V29) “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

(V29) William MacDonald says that while there are certain secret things that belong to the Lord, especially matters concerning His judgments Moses reminded the people that their responsibility was clearly revealed--to keep the covenant of the Lord.

This is the end of this blog, but before I lay the computer to rest there is one question I must ask: ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY  RAPTURE READY????

　

　

LAND COVENANT 5 OF 8- PART 2

Deuteronomy 29:1 - 30-20
Part 2: Deuteronomy 29:14 - 29
(V14) “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;”
(V14) Moses once again explains the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We find that the covenant and oath were not exclusionary, but comprehensive and included not only those who were present but also those who were not present at that time.

(V15) “But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:”
(V15) The articles of the covenant called for all of the Israelites present and those who were not to share it’s blessings and entitlements.

(V16) “(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;”
(V16) Anarchists should look out for temptations to serve gentile idols and think that they would escape the wrath of God.

(V17) “And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)”
(V17) On page 226 of William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, stated that “one who when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart saying, I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart his would lead to the sweeping away of the moist and dry alike.” No one would escape.

(V18) “Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;”
(V18) Here we have a warning to all the men, women, families and tribes to sever out from among them those whose hearts have been turned to serve the gods of the nations around them.  They were also warned not to cultivate a root of bitterness among them.  At this point I must warn this present generation that is being bombarded on every side by opportunities to serve the false gods of the foreign nations that are among us.  Since the early sixties when Jesus was expelled from America’s educational systems some schools teach our children that all so called gods are to be revered while from their lips the name of Jesus must be whispered.

(V19) “And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:”
(V19) This is instructing them not to call a curse a blessing while declaring that they have peace even though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts while adding drunkenness to thirst.

(V20) “The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.”
(V20) The Lord will not exempt him from the wrath of His anger when His flaming jealousy smokes against that person when all of the curses written in God’s book are laid upon him and his name blotted out from under heaven.

This concludes this post, but before I shut the ole computer down, Dear Reader, I must ask this question: ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY RAPTURE READY!!!!

　

LAND COVENANT 5 of 8 Scriptural Covenants

 

THE LAND COVENANT

Scripture references: Deuteronomy 29:1 - 30:20
Part One: Deuteronomy 29:1-13

(V1) “These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.”
(V1) From chapter 28 we discover that God’s purpose for Israel was not made without expected reciprocation for He purposely blessed them according to their obedience to Him. In chapter 29 we are told that God made two covenants with Israel, one in mount Horeb and the other in the land of Moab. In chapter 29:12, 13  Moses urged the children of Israel to enter into a covenant with God in order to establish a people for Himself that He may be all that he can be to them as he swore to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(V2) “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;”
(V2) In this verse Moses reminds God’s chosen people to remember what God did when they were enslaved in Egypt and saw with their own eyes and testified to His mighty miracles. When He set them free and delivered them against the stubborn will of Pharaoh the vacillator who could not make up his mind if they should stay or go, God decided to make up his mind for him and made the wicked king wish he had never held the brick makers in captivity and made their lives bitter with hard bondage and great difficulty.

(V3) “The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:”
(V3) Here we find that God had not given Israel an heart to perceive, an eye to see or ears to hear the temptations, signs, and the powerful miraculous things He had done. In other words they were spiritually numb to all that was happening around them. That is much like today when people profess to be so spiritual but are completely clueless to what’s happening around them. Today many preachers offer nothing but feel good sermons to a lifeless congregation who are starving to death for a good Holy Ghost anointed sermon that can reach their loved ones and bring them to an altar of repentance. Today when the old hymn books have been replaced by the thump, thump, thump of modern day songs with their repetitious phrasing that works the saved into a frenzy, but absent is the anointing it takes to break the yoke, soften the heart, and bend the sinner's knees at the altar of God.

(V4) “Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.”
(V4) Again on another day, Moses speaks directly to the children of Israel and reminds them God still had not given them a discerning heart, eyes to see, and ears to hear.

(V5) “And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.”
(V5) God reminds the Israelites that for forty years through their wilderness journey He had been their leader and that they never wanted for bread, meat, and water. As to apparel they walked in indestructible shoes and permanent clothing.

(V6) “Ye had not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.”
(V6) Since Israelites had enjoyed the heavenly manna and drank water from a rock they learned not to put their dependence on the earthly provisions of man. Both the heavenly wafer and the rock water were provided by God so they might know the faithfulness and love of the Great I AM who was still the Lord their God.

(V7) “And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:”
(V7) As a stimulus to encourage the Israelites, once again Moses calls on them to remember the covenant God made with them. He reminds them to recall the time they were victorious in battle when they smote Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan.

(V8) “And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.”
(V8) After conquering those two kings the victorious Israelites confiscated their land and distributed it among the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

(V9) “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.”
(V9) Here Moses warns the people of Israel to comply with the words in the covenant and to perform them that they might be prosperous in all their endeavors.

(V10) “Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel.”
(V10) In this we find multitudes of Israelites including tribe captains, elders, and officers standing all together with the Israelite men.

(V11) “Your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water:”
(V11) This verse informs us that their wives and the strangers among them from the wood chopper to the water boy should respect this covenant. The children from a small child should become familiar with this covenant, then when they are grown they will understand and obey it.

(V12) “That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day:”
(V12) Then the Hebrew pilgrims of a later day were told that they should also enter into the contract and oath that the Lord their God was making with them on that day.

(V13) “That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
(V13) God’s purpose for them to enter into covenant and oath with Him on that day gave Him the opportunity to establish a people unto himself so that He may be to them all that He ever was to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
 
Before I shut down the ole computer, there is one question I want to ask: Dear Reader, ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY RAPTURE READY????


　

ABRAHAMIC COVENANT 4 OF 8 SCRIPTURAL

Part 4 of 4

Scripture References:  Genesis 32:12; 17:2,6; 24:60

(V12) "And thou saidst, I will surely to thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude."
(V12) Here Jacob while running from his offended brother, Esau, reminded God of his promise that he made to Abraham.  The Abrahamic promise contained God's goodness toward him and that He would cause his offspring to be as the sand of the sea.
Three times I have had the awesome opportunity to stand in the great Caribbean sea.  I also took part in an unforgetable baptizing in those mighty waters where boatmen have been lost and never found.  It would be totally impossible and fruitless for me to try to count the sands of that great sea.

Genesis 17:2, 6
(V2) "And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."
(V2)  Again God reiterates His covenant with Abraham.  However, this time He made it a personal covenant just between the two of them and also reassured him that He would still multiply him to the extreme. 
(V6) "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee."
(V6) History verifies this verse when we read about Israel, Iraq, Iran and other Middle Eastern cities that sprang from Abraham's seed and great kings like David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah, just to name a few, ultimately leading to the eternal reign of King Jesus in the Millennial Temple at Jerusalem.

Genesis 24:60
(V60) "And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them."
(V60) Abraham's wife, Sarah, died at the ripe old age of one hundred and twenty seven and was laid to rest in a cave in the field of Mach-pe-lah.  While suffering from old age Abraham sent his servant to Mesopotamia to find a wife for his son, Isaac.  On his journey the servant found and chose Rebekah who willingly went with him to be a wife to Isaac.  Here in this verse we find that she was evidently accepted by the Abrahamic family, because they pronounced a blessing that told her to be a mother of thousands of millions and that her seed would own the entrance of those that hate them. 
This concludes our series of posts on the Abrahamic covenant.

Before I shut down the computer I want to ask you, Dear Reader, "ARE YOU RAPTURE READY????

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT - 4 OF 8

Part 3
Scriptural References: Genesis 17:4-6; 35:11; Romans 4:16-18

Genesis 17:4-6
(V4)  "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations."
(V4) In 16:16 we learn that Abram when 86 years old fathered a son whose mother's name was Hagar.  Ishmael's name meant "God hears".  This is in reference to God hearing Hagar when she was miserably pregnant with Ishmael.

(V5) "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee."
(V5) At this time God makes a decision to change the name of the wondering patriarch from Abram meaning "exalted father" to Abraham which means "father of many nations" or "father of multitudes".  The name of his laughing wife Sarai had been changed to Sarah meaning "princess".

(V6) "And I will make thee exceeding frutful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee."
(V6) Even though Abraham begged God to favor Ishmael God told him that the covenant that they had made would be fulfilled only through Isaac.  Nevertheless, Ishmael would also multiply greatly and eventually grow into a great nation that would demonstrate a lot of fruit.  On the other hand, Isaac was a symbol of Christ who through the cross brought the covenant to it greatest fulfillment.

Genesis 35:11
(Vll) "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;"
(V11) Here we see the royal covenant line pass from Abraham to Isaac then to Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10,11).  When God talked with Jacob He introduced Himself as God Almighty (El-Shaddi - all efficient God) and told him to be productive and increase.  He further told him that out of his loins would come forth a plurality of nations.

Romans 4:16-18

(V16) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,"
(V16) Paul is letting us know that justification doesn't come by the law or by works, but only by faith so that it can be free by grace so that all of the seed could share the promise.

(V17) "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickened the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."
(V17) The viability of the word of God is made manifest in the first three words of this verse that simply state that whatever follows will surely come to pass.  Another thing to notice when God told Abraham that he had made him a father of numerous nations He spoke in past tense.

(V18) "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of  many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."
(V18) Contrary to human hopelessness Abraham believed in hope that he would become what God said he would be and history verifies that to be the case.

Before I shut down the ole computer there's one question that I must ask,  Dear Reader, ARE YOU RAPTURE READY?!!!!

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT - 4 of 8

Part 2 of 3

Scripture References:  Genesis 12:1-3; 13: 1-5, 14, 15

Chapter 12
(V1) "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:"
(V1) Here in this verse we find that Abraham had received a call from God that would prove to be very challengeable.  Not only was he asked to leave his home country for parts unknown, but was divinely told to walk by faith.  As most bible students know the bible interpretation for faith is, "The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).  In other words, Abraham left with no intention of turning back because he had heard that still small voice from within whispering directions step by step, mile after mile, and hour after hour.  So faith was the materialized substance of everything he hoped for along the way and the evidence of things that he could not see.  This verse is spiritual dynamite for this generation when it is applied according to the scriptures.

(V2) "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:"
(V2) Because of Abraham's faithful obedience God began to shine the bright light of wisdom and knowledge that would dissipate and dispel the deep dark shadows of doubt and unbelief and replace them with hope and a deep abiding trust in the One who had called him.

(V3) "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
(V3) In this verse God begins to inform Abraham that He would always be with him and all who blessed him would be blessed.  The ones that cursed him would be cursed.  Some biblical writers today say that a curse is a reversed statement.  According to Genesis 2:17 this line of thought would seem to have some merit for we find that's exactly what happened in the garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (the Hebrew rendering of this statement is, "dying they shall die.")  In other words, that very day sin entered into the heart of God's first couple and has been passed on to every human being since.  Then the serpent told them that they would not die and that God had lied to them.

Chapter 13: 1-5, 14, 15

(V1) "And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south."
(V1) Because of a grievous famine in the land where he had erected an altar and called upon the name of the Lord, Abram journeyed on southward and stopped over in Egypt.  When he was near the entering of Egypt he talked unto Sarai, his wife, and told her that because she was a beautiful and attractive woman that the Egyptians would kill him and keep her alive.  So the devil convinced Abram that it would be better to tell a lie than to die by the hands of the Egyptians.  At this point the original lying sin in the garden of Eden seemed to be the fartherest thing from his troubled mind.  So without clear thinking Abraham told his wife to lie and tell the Egyptians that she was his sister.  It seems that his thoughts were totally void of the devastating consequences that these lies would produce over the many centuries since they were fabricated.

(V2) "And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold."
(V2) In this verse we learn that it is not a sin to have riches.  God just doesn't want the riches to have us.  In the New Testament we are told that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.  A great memory lesson to be learned here is at the end of your life's journey the only thing you will have left is what you gave away.

(V3) "And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between, Bethel and  Hai;" 
(V3) It is very evident that most of Abraham's life was one big journey with a faith that trusted God to lead the way and supply the daily needs.  When God told him to leave this country and kin folks and not to look back, he believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6)

(V4) "Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord."
(V4) During his journeys southward he returned to
Bethel to an altar which he had built there at the first. Throughout his life Abraham was an altar builder and a mighty man of prayer.  Today this is why Abraham should be a great example to all that walk and talk with God.

(V5) "And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents."
(V5) It would seem that anyone who was called a friend of God (James 2:23) would be a great person with whom to travel for those with the great would be blessed by the Greater because of the faithfulness of the great.

(V14) "And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:"
(V14) When Abraham left home he made a not so wise decision to take with him his nephew, Lot, who seemed to be a thorn in his side.  God patiently waited for Abraham to sever the thorn from the relationship before giving him his greatest blessing promises.

(V15) "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever."
(V15) After Lot's departure the big blessing from God was given to Abraham.  He told Abraham that all the land he could see would be given to him and to his seed forever.

This concludes Part 2 of 3 of the Covenant of Abraham.
DEAR READER:  Before we shut down the computer for this blog, we must ask, ARE YOU RAPTURE READY???

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT - 4 of 8

Part 4 of 8 Biblical Covenants
Part 1 of 3 of The Abrahamic Covenant
Scripture References:  Genesis 15:18-21; 12:1-3; 13:14,15.
Main Features of the Covenant:

Genesis 15:18-21

(V18) "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"
(V18) Since the Abrahamic Covenant is the most important of all the biblical covenants, we need to look back and glean from the wisdom and knowledge available to us from other associated sections of Genesis.  In chapter 12:1 where the Lord told Abram (later changed to Abraham) to leave his native country, all his kindred, and take a long faith walk from his father's house.  God told him that He would make of him a great nation.  In other words, from one obedient man walking in faith God would bring forth a nation that would become a powerful force to be reckoned with.  Here is where God began to expand the scope concerning Abraham.  He told him that those who blessed him would be blessed and over time his name would become great.  Today the name of Abraham has stood the test of time and still is considered great among the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

(V19) "The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites."
(V19) The Kadmonites are the tribe that God promised Israel would dispossess (Genesis 15:19).  They probably lived east of Canaan.  They may be related to the Qedemites, "the children of the east". 
   Little is known about the Kenites, but according to their traits and style of life, the Kenites could be associated with the descendents of Cain.  Some writers have written that they survived the flood of Noah.

(V20) "And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,"
(V20) According to Genesis 10:15 the Hittites are a Hamitic people and are the descendents of Heath (Heath means "the father of the Hittites)."  In Abraham's time they lived in the area of Hebron and were compared with Egypt in their greatness.  The Perrizzites, whose name actually means "villagers" or "dwellers in open country", were one of the people that lived in the land of promise.  They are one of the nations of Ham and lived around 2300 BC.  They stayed in Canaan prior to the time of the Jews.  They also were one of the tribes that God wanted to cast out from the land that He gave to Abraham and was later conquered by Joshua.

(V21) "And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
(V21) The Amorites were a wayfaring people who lived in the region of Mesopotamia west of the Euphrates River sometime in the third millennium BC.  Some writers believe that devastating droughts caused a mass migration of the Amorites into Mesopotamia in the 21st century BC.  Later on, the rise of the Amorite kingdoms became the way of life.
   Canaan's firstborn son was named Sidon and Heth and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathrites (Genesis 10:15-18: NRSV {New Revised Standard Version}).
   The passages in the Bible tell us about the Canaanites mirror writers a long time after the Patriarchs.  In Genesis chapter ten we find that the people who descended from Noah through his grandson Sidon and Heth are said to be the original inhabitants.  In 2 Chronicles 8:7 and 1 Kings 9:20 the name "Canaanite" was used to distinguish the Israelites from the other tribes living in the land.
   The Girgashites were a Canaanite tribe who joined others that fought against Israel.  It seems somehow this tribe melted into all of the other tribes and lost much of its identity.  To be a Girgasite meant that they were "sojourning with a deity".
   The Jebusites were a clan who originally controlled Jerusalem before David conquered the city.  In the time of the judges Jerusalem was attacked and burned by the men of Judah. (Judges 1:8), but the Jebusites were not expelled (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21; 3:5).  In later years David captured the city and made it his capital.  David purchased a stone threshing floor from a Jebusite named Araunah (2 Samuel 24:16-24).  This later became the site for Solomon's temple.  The remnants of the Jebusites became bond servants during Solomon's reign (1 Kings 9:20-21).

This concludes Part 1 of 3 of The Abrahamic Covenant. 
Are You Rapture Ready????

THE NOAHIC COVENANT PART 3 of 8

Part 3 of 8 Covenants:
Scripture References:  Genesis :20-22; 9:27

Genesis 8:20-22
(V20) "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
(V20) In Genesis chapter six we read where God decided to destroy man whom he had created because of his wickedness and moral depravity.  The holy scriptures also tell us that even the thoughts of their imagination were on evil twenty-four-seven, because the earth was overflowing with violence.  Before Noah and his family entered the ark to spend forty days and nights God established a covenant with them.

(V21) "And the Lord smelled a sweet savor and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."
(V21) Even though God thought to destroy the earth He savored a sweet smell coming from the midst of the putrefied ground.  Christians today should take notcie and do as God did and like Samson of old who found honey in the carcass of a lion (Judges 14:9). This is a hard virtue to find in today's modern congregations where they can't seem to find anything good to say about anyone or anything they do.

(V22) "While the earth remained, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
(V22) This scriptural promise from God should come to mind every time we see the farmer sowing seed and gathering corn from the field, the seasons change, and day follows night.  It should be lodged in our hearts and riveted in our minds that God is faithful and will fulfill every promise He has ever made.

CHAPTER 9:27
(V27) "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."
(V27) To find out why Canaan was a servant read 9:18-27.  In verse 25 we read where he was cursed by his father, Ham, because he had looked upon the nakedness of Noah, his grandfathr.  Shem was the line by which the Messiah came and Japheth was blessed in union with the line and the seed.  We now know the seed was the "Lord Jesus Christ".
DEAR READER: ARE YOU RAPTURE READY???

THE ADAMIC COVENANT - PART 2

The Adamic Covenant Part 2 of 8

Genesis 3:14-19
(V14) "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shall thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."
(V14) Here the Lord is not talking to a non-poisonous snake (the kind we see in our yards and gardens) But Satan the very devil himself.  As we have learned over the many years since this incident in this beautiful garden home that this serpent was full of deadly poison.  The first couple that would have lived forever began to die the very instant they believed the one whom Jesus called a liar from the beginning and the truth was not in him. (John 8:44)

(V15) "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;  it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
(V15) God put animosity between the devil and the seed of the woman and this enmity still exists today.  The serpent would bruise the heel of the woman's seed and the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent's seed.  All of this came to pass at Calvary when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead.  The war still goes on today between the two seeds in the form of Christians and non-Christians.

(V16) "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
(V16) Here God spoke directly to the sinning woman and told her that He would greatly multiply her afflictions and that she would bear her children in sorrow.

(V17) "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;"
(V17) Now God turns His attention to the man, Adam, and told him that because he had listened to his wife and partook of the forbidden tree that the ground is now cursed.  And for the rest of his life, Adam would eat of the cursed ground in sorrow.

(V18) "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;"
(V18) Then God further explained to him that thorns and thistles would come forth from the troublesome earth.

(V19) "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
(V19) Every time we see sweat dripping from a workman's sunburned face or a sweat soaked handkerchief dangling from his hip pocket we are reminded that this verse of scripture is still in effect today and will remain in effect until the man returns to the dust from which he came.  Because man was made out of dust, when he dies he will return to dust.

Dear Reader:  Since it's a fact that all living must die and one day you will receive your call, I ask you this question: ARE YOU READY TO GO???  If not, call on Jesus right now and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and confess that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, then denounce your sins, turn away from your sins, and begin to walk to the land of eternal bliss with Jesus Christ, our precious Lord and Savior.
It is our prayer for you that you will one day live forever in heaven as the eternal ages roll.  ARE YOU RAPTURE READY????

EIGHT SCRIPTURAL COVENANTS - EDENIC

The Edenic Covenant - #1 of 8
Genesis 1:28-30; 2:16-17

Genesis 1:28-30:
(V28) "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion (the position of being first in rank, power, or influence) over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
(V28) God made man in his innocence to multiply, populate, and subdue the earth.  Man was given authority over all animal life.  He was to cultivate the garden and eat of all its produce except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Disobedience to this latter command would bring death.

(V29) "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."
(V29) Here God revealed himself as a giver and sustainer of all mankind upon the face of the earth.  He is not like our Uncle Sam who has fathered a couch potato generation and the only time they move is to retrieve their welfare checks or food stamps from the mailbox.  But God on the other hand only gives the seed and man's labor is required to realize the final benefit.

(V30) "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
(V30) All living reptiles that ever slithered through the grass, crawled through the fields, or habitated in water from the beginning of creation until this present age has been part of the dominion God gave to man and was under his control.

Genesis 2:16-17:
(V16) "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:"
(V16) There were trees in the garden hanging full of legal fruit that was suitable for human consumption, but God plainly stipulated that they were forbidden to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

(V17) "But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
(V17) The lie and temptation of Satan was more than the first couple could bear.  Here James, the half brother of Jesus, would be very profitable in understanding the evil process by which Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve and all those who have been tempted since.  James 1:12:15 (V12) "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him."  (V13) "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:"  (V14) "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed." (V15) "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and when sin is finished it bringeth forth death."
We can see here that there is no way that God can be tempted, neither does he tempt any man as some misguided Christians believe.  This is the act of trying to move God into Satan's evil way of doing things.

This concludes The Edenic Covenant.

Dear Reader, It is our prayer for you that you will one day live forever in heaven as the eternal ages roll.
ARE YOU RAPTURE READY???

A SELF CORRUPTED NATION-PART 2

 

PART 2
Genesis 6:5-13; Deuteronomy 9:12; Daniel 9:24

Genesis 6:5-13
(V5) "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imaginatin of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continualy."
(V5) Here in the first book of the bible God appraised and evaluated the man that He had created and by His own words we learn that His appraisal was not very  high.  In His appraisal He saw that man's wickedness was so great that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil contnually.  Imagine this, that every thing a man could imagine while thinking twenty four hours per day would bring forth an evil result.

(V6) "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
(V6) God regretted that He ever made man on this earth, and it sorrowed Him at His heart.

(V7) "And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repentent me that I have made them."
(V7) The Lord threatened to annihilate His created man from the face of the earth; along with the beasts, the things that creep, and the fowls of the air.  He was sorry that He had made them also.

(V8) "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."
(V8) Though this verse is short, it is a remarkable verse.  To find grace anywhere in Noah's day would have been amazing, but for this preacher to find grace in the eyes of the Lord is almost beyond the ability of the finite mind to comprehend.  To find something you need to be searching for it.  So here's my thought taken from Jeremiah 29:13:  "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all of your heart".  In the NT Jesus tells us to ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened.  Matthew 7:7; Mark 11:4; Luke 11:9,10; John 2:2.  Another amazing thing about the grace Noah found is that we cannot be saved without it. Ephesians 2:8.

(V9) "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a  just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
(V9) This verse reveals why Noah found grace with God.  He was a just man.  He was also perfect in his generations, and he walked with God.  In other words he didn't lag behind or go before.  He walked in step with God Almighty.

(V10) "And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth."
(V10) Noah begat 3 sons and I can only imagine what it would have been like for those boys growing up under a father like Noah.  In this corrupt nation today we need more children growing up under a strong family head that can one day read where their daddy was a just man who was perfect and walked with God.

(V11) "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence."
(V11) The condition of the earth at this time was so corrupt before God that it was now filled with violence.

(V12) "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."
(V12) Once again God surveyed the earth and found it corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

(V13) "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
(V13) God speaks again to Noah and told him that the end of man's wickedness had finally come before Him; because through them the earth is filled with violence; and then He threatened to destroy the entire human race with the earth.

Deuteronomy 9:12

(V12) "And the Lord said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves."
(V12) Here we find a repeat of verses 2 and 7 in Exodus chapter 32.  This is common with the Hebrew writing style in the OT.  "And the Lord said unto Moses, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they had made them a molten image"  (to worship instead of Jehovah).

Daniel 9:24

(V24) "Seventy weeks are pre-determined upon the people and upon they holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy."
(V24) Seventy weeks of years are pre-determined upon the people and upon thy Holy City to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.  Take notice that there are six things God will accomplish here in this verse:
1)  To finish the transgression: this will end the rebellious apostasy that sent Israel into captivitry
2)  To make an end to sins: Israel as a nation will once again be restored back into God's fellowship
3)  To make reconciliation for iniquity
4)  To bring in everlasting righteousness: God will cause the restoration of Israel in the Millennium and will begin new norms where righteousness reigns.
5) To seal up the vision and prophecy: God will seal the prophecy until the restoration
6) To anoint the Most Holy: God will restore the Messiah in the restored temple.

To conclude this subject, I think it would be beneficial to make a comparison to the ancient Roman Empire and our present deteriorating nation.  Since there's no solid evidence supporting the beginning of that mighty empire, we are left with only bits and pieces of the date that it fell.  September 4, 476 is the date most commonly found for its fall.
Edward Gibbon, a well known English historian and parliament member, has attributed the fall of the Roman Empire to many things that are all around us today:  1) The rapid increase of divorce, 2) The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home which is the basis of society, 3) Higher and higher taxes, i.e., the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace, 4) The mad craze for pleasure, 5) Sports becoming more exciting and more brutal every year, 6) The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy is within, 7) The decadence of the people, 8) The decay of religion, 9) Losing touch with life, 10) Becoming impotent to warn and guide the people.

THIS IS WHERE AMERICA STANDS TODAY!!!
 ARE YOU RAPTURE READY?????

A SELF CORRUPTED NATION - PART 1

PART 1
Exodus 32:1-7

As I write this article I am thinking of the times I've returned from foreign countries and wanted to kiss the ground that I was standing on.  But that was then, now we must look at things as they are today.  In this endeavor we are so fortunate to have the historical records that provide us with the capability of comparing the present with the past.

At this point we must go to the Word of God to see what has happened to nations in the past for failing to follow the leading and direction of God.  In Exodus 32: 1-7:
(V1) "And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."
(V1) It seems that brotherly trust vanished between Moses and Aaron when the people thought that Moses tarried too long on the mountain with God.  So Aaron acting impatiently decided to take matters into his own hands.  The bible testifies to the fact that Moses was involved with law making and Aaron in idol fashioning.

(V2) "And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me."
(V2) While listening to the voice of the disgruntled multitude, Aaron gave the order to melt down all of the gold that was dangling from the ears of the people.

(V3) "And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron."
(V3) The outcome of this meltdown was that Aaron took all of the melted gold and fashioned it into a golden calf so that the faithless sojourners could worship it instead of Jehovah.  Much like today the impatient wilderness congregation could not wait for their great leader Moses to return so they bowed before the melted gods that could not speak, see, hear, or eat shouting these are the gods that brought us out of the land of Egypt.  Here we can't help but notice the comparison between Moses and Jesus.  Moses went to meet with God and while he tarried the people corrupted themselves.  Over two milleniums have passed since Jesus left the Mount of Olives after promising his faithful followers that He would return again (John 14:3).  Today we see numerous people duplicating the same idolatrous lifestyle as they did in the day of Moses.  Jesus Himself asked this troublesome question found in Luke 18:8.  "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"  When a nation begins to self destruct it will always start in the spiritual area and when moral decay sets in the nation little by little will soon be brought down by its own people within and by its enemies without.
In Matthew 7:26, 27 Jesus describes a man that had heard His sayings and did them not, "shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house on the Sand":  V27 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

(V4) "And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
(V4) After receiving the earrings Aaron used a graving tool to fashion a molten calf out of them and then the backslidden people began to shout "These be thy gods, that brought us out of the land of Egypt".  At this point they committed the awful sin of idolatry, a sin that God literally hates.

(V5) "And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord."
(V5) Then Aaron's eyes were opend and there was an altar erected before the idol and a proclamation that there would be a feast made unto the Lord the next day.

(V6) "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."
(V6) In today's modern mega churches it would read something like this, And the people rise up early every Sunday morning to go and offer up scorched offerings in their swanky lounges and fashionable coffee shops where who knows who is doing who knows what.

(V7) "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for the people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:"  (Read verse 2 again)
(V7) When God had finished talking to Moses on Mt. Sinai He commanded him to return to the unruly and irresponsible multitude that he had brought out of Egypt because they had corrupted themselves.  The word used here for corruption also means demoralized, perverted, and debauched.

To Be Continued in Part 2

Dear Reader, Are YOU Rapture Ready????

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

The Handwriting on the Wall - Part 1
Daniel 5:1-31

(V1) "Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand."
(V1) King Belshazzar prepared a huge feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine with them out of those holy vessels from the temple of Jerusalem.

(V2) "Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein."
(V2) After drinking much wine, Belshazzar commanded that the golden and silver vessels that his father (or grandfather) Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from the temple in Jerusalem be brought in so that he and his princes, his wives, and his concubines could drink wine from them.

(V3) "Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them."
(V3) The king and those that blindly followed him drank until they all got stoned (drunk) on wine.

(V4) "They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone."
(V4) As all drunks know, drinking too much wine or alcohol in any form can alter good judgment and impairs driving skills that too often proves disastrous or fatal.  Over the years I've seen many crying drunks start talking about God, but these sots started worshiping the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.  Now what they were about to witness sobered them up instantly and struck terror in every heart.

(V5) "In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote."
(V5) In the midst of the drunk fest with his mouth probably full of wine soaked food, the evil king's attention was drawn toward a candlestick upon the plaister of the palace wall as fingers of a man's hand began to write.  The king saw the hand that wrote.

(V6) "Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another."
(V6) At that time the expression on the king's face changed and he was no longer thinking about his kingdom or those that catered to him for his thoughts now troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote together.  What the hand wrote on the wall shook the king far beyond the fleshly temple, robe, and crown.  The message went beyond the temple of flesh completely bypassing the robe and crown and shook the skelton beyond.

(V7) " The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers.  And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."
(V7) Then the king desperately cried out and said, " bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers".  The king spoke to the wise men of Babylon and said the one among you that can both read and interpret this writing shall be arrayed in scarlet, and a chain of gold around his neck, and shall be the number three man in the kingdom.

(V8) \"Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof."
(V8) The offer made by the desperate king quickly brought in all of his wise men, but they couldn't read, neither could they make know to him the interpretation.  The same thing is true of today's fortune tellers, crystal ball gazers, palm and tea leaf readers.  They and the ones who go to them should be reading the writing on the wall.

(V9) "Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied."
(V9) This verse lets us know that it was not only the king that was greatly troubled and astounded.  All of his lords were greatly troubled also.  This clarifies and greatly establishes the truth in what my ole daddy used to tell me that, "if you run with the wolves you'll howl".

(V10) "Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O King, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:"
(V10) By this time the queen had overheard the words of the king and came into the banquet house.  Not understanding anything about the situation, she cries out "O king live forever, let not thy thoughts trouble thee."  Like many people today she didn't believe the writing on the wall was by the same finger that wrote the laws on tables of stone at Mt. Sinai.

(V11) "There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;"
(V11) The queen reminded the king that there was a man in his kingdom that was indwelt by the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of his father light and understanding.  Wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him so much that King Nebuchadnezzar made him master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. (Daniel 1:4; 2:46-49)

(V12) "Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation."
(V12) God always has a man or woman standing in the wings that He has filled with great wisdom, knowledge and understanding, but much too often they are overlooked and their great well of wisdom goes untapped.  This reminds me of the way modern day churches treat old men and women of the cloth.  They are put on the back burner to simmer while some young upstart tries to get a fire lit in the pulpit.

(V13) "Then was Daniel brought in before the king.  And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daneil which art of the children of the captivity of Judah whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?"
(V13) At that time Daniel was rushed into a question and answer session with the king.  The first thing the troubled king asked was if Daniel was the same Daniel who was captured by his father and brought there from Judah?

(V14) "I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee."
(V14)  Then the king told Daniel that his reputation preceded him and the spirit of the gods were in him.  He also told Daniel that he was aware of the light and understanding, and excellent wisdom that was found in him.

(V15) "And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:"
(V15) Belshazzar told of the failure of the wise men and the astrologers that had been brought before him and could neither read the writing on the wall nor make known the interpretation to him.

Conclusion of Part 1

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

LETTER TO THYATIRA
Reference (Rev. 2:18-29)

Introduction:
Thyatira means perpetual sacrifice or continual offering.  It was a city that had obtained great wealth and was the major business/commercial road between Pergamus and Sardis.  It was located in the northern part of Lydia on the river Lycus.  It was noted most as an important trade and manufacturing center.  Specifically, Thyatira was known for its purple dye and dyed cloths.  Remember in Acts 16:13-15 Lydia, who was converted under the Apostle Paul at Philippi, was from Thyatira and was a seller of "purple".  It was a genuinely wealthy city.  The pagan god that Thyatira worshiped was named Tyrimnos, but was also known as Apollo the Greek sun god.  The dispensational time frame for the church in Thyatira was 606 AD to 1520 AD.  It was called the pagan church or the corrupt church,.  Historians call this period "The Dark Ages".

(V18) "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saitheth the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass;"
(V18) In this letter to the church of Thyatira the Son of God is described as having eyes like a flame of fire and feet comparable to brass.  The eyes speak of penetrative vision, and the feet of brass speak of threatening judgment.

(V19) "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."
(V19) This church was prominent in many ways.  It was not deficient in good works, such as love, service, faith, and persistent continuation.  In reality, its good works augmented instead of diminishing.

(V20) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."
(V20) However I have a handful of things against thee, because you permit that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

(V21) "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."
(V21) Here it not only demonstrates God's great mercy,  it also magnifies the length of the nail scarred hands and the unexplainable grace of God toward the sinner.  I believe every person who dies and has lived long enough for their conscience to convict and register their sins has had at least one call from God to repent.

They may not have answered when the call came in, but many times on their death bed their feeble minds go searching back through the unprofitable years of long ago.  Often times they try to remember when they went to Sunday School or church but their memory cannot find something that is not there.  But like the man drowning in deep water and sliding over the slippery falls they will desperately grab onto a weed, a blade of grass, a rotten piece of wood or anything in a last ditch effort to extend life when it is ending.

(V22) "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."
(V22) Because Jezebel refused to repent, the Lord planned to give her a sick bed of tribulation instead of a bed of lust.  Those who committed adultery with her will be thrown into a bed of great tribulation and death unless they forsook her and escaped from her deeds.  Then all the churches would know that the Lord is watching and He rewards according to man's deeds.

(V23) "And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."
(V23) In this verse God warns that He would strike dead the very ones that committed adultery and fornication with her (not young innocent children).

(V24) "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden."
(V24) There was a faithful remnant in Thyatira that did not have this evil doctrine, which had not been initiated into the secret doctrines and rites of Jezebel, otherwise known as the depths of Satan.  God promises that He will put no other burden of responsibility upon them.

(V25) "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."
(V25) Here He tells them to hold fast to the truth until the coming of Christ.

(V26) "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:"
(V26) To the overcomer (the true believer who steadfastly perserved the true works of Christianity) in this church, the reward would be to reign with Christ during the Millennium.  He would have authority over the nations and would rule them with a rod of iron.  All sin and rebellion would be punished promptly and severely.  The Lord also promised the overcomer that He would give him the morning star.  The Lord Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16).  Just as the morning star appears in the heavens before the sunrise, so Christ will appear to rapture His church to heaven before He appears as the Sun of Righteousness to reign over the earth (I Thess. 4:13-18; Mal 4:2).  So the overcomer is promised a part in the rapture.  He does not earn this by his works, but his works demonstrate the reality of his faith.  Because he is genuinely converted he will be given the morning star.

(V27) "And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."
(V27) And He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels made of pottery they shall be shattered into fragments even as He received of His Father.

(V28) "And I will give him the morning star."
(V28) In Rev. 22:16 Jesus tells us that He is the root and offspring of David and the Bright and Morning Star.

(V29) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
(V29) The Holy Spirit gives His familiar call to all the churches.

Dear Reader,
We sincerely pray that these blogs continue to bless you.  We have truly put our hearts and souls into them.
Are YOU Rapture Ready?












(V22)

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

Letter to Laodicea
(Revelation 3:14-22)

Introduction:
The name Laodicea either means the people ruling or the judgment of the people.  Founded by Antiochus II of Syria in 250 B.C.  He named the city after his wife, Laodice, who poisoned him later.

Located on the main route between Ephesus and Syria, the city was well-known as a commercial and financial center, a large manufacturing center, and medical schools.  We have learned that the Apostle Paul struggled to help this unstable church (see Colossians 2:1).  In Rev. 3:15-17 we learn that God seems to be nauseated with this lukewarm congregation and warns them that He will spew (spit) them out of His mouth.  He would have been pleased with either cold or hot but their lukewarm condition He would not tolerate. 

(V14) "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;"
(V14) In this verse the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.  As the Amen, He is the embodiment of faithfulness and truth, and the One who guarantees and fulfills the promise of God.  Jesus is also the divine architect of God's creation both material and spiritual.  This doesn't mean that Jesus was the first person to be created; He was never created.  Instead it means that He was the creator and origin of all things, and He is pre-eminent over all creation (see John 3:3 and Colossians 1: 15-18)

(V15) "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor not: I would thou wert cold or hot."
(V15) Once again Jesus Christ tells the congregation at Laodicea that He knows all about them especially their works.  The church of Laodicea was neither cold nor hot.  It was nauseatingly lukewarm.  His preference for them would have been the extreme one way or the other in their disinterest or passion, but that was not the condition here.  It was lukewarm enough to deceive people into thinking that it was a faithful church of Jesus Christ, and so utterly unpleasant about sacred things to nauseate God Almighty.  In addition, the church was recognized for being prideful, ignorant, self sufficient, and complacent.

(V16) "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."
(V16) Here the Lord reveals to them the stiff penalty for trying to deceive the people by making them think they were God's true church and hiding their hypocrisy by their works. 

(V17) "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."
(V17) In this verse we must return to the Smyrna church, the second of the 7 churches, and show a comparison to the church in Laodicea, the seventh and last church.  The second church thought they were poor, but the Lord told them they were rich.  The seventh church thought they were rich, but the Lord told them they were poor.

(V18) "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."
(V18) Here the Lord counsels them to buy of Him gold tried in the fire that they may be rich (read the following scriptures: Zechariah 13:9; Job 23:10; Isaiah 13:12; I Peter 1:7); and white raiment, which represents the righteous deeds of the saints that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see.

(V19) "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous threfore, and repent."
(V19) Here the one that told them about their lukewarmness is now indicating to the Laodiceans that He loves them and offers a way out of their situation.  That's the way our Lord works today.  He first lines us out through the hearing of the word and causes us to realize that we are sinners.  Then after we confess our sins, denounce our sins, and turn away from our sins the Holy Spirit gently puts the abundant life within our reach, and with loving arms He pulls us into God's eternal love.

(V20) "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if anyone hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
(V20) Now the multitudes are gone.  The apostles are no longer there and we find Him alone on the outside of the church knocking on the door and offering to come in and have supper with anyone who would open the door, but nobody comes and the door is never opened.  This truly is the condition of many churches today.

(V21) "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
(V21) The Lord gave the overcomers in the church the golden oportunity to sit with Him in His throne, even as He overcame and set down with His father in His throne.

(V22) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
(V22) In this last verse, the Holy Spirit gives His familiar call to all the churches to hear what He has to say to them.

Now that we have come through the things which John had seen, and the things which were at the time of the Apostle John,  now we are going into the things which shall be hereafter the Laodicean Church Age.  The next event on God's prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the church (Revelation 4:1; I Corinthians 15:51-55; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Dear Reader, It is our sincere prayer that you will be among the missing after the Rapture and if someone knocks on your door there will be no one to answer.

Are YOU Rapture Ready??

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

Letter to Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)
Introduction:
Located about 28 miles southeast from Sardis on the Cogamus River was the city of Philadelphia named after it's founder King Attalus Philedelphos II of Pergamum.  The "city of brotherly love, or love for the brethern" was built out of affecdtion for his brother and predecessor Ecumenes II.  This city was also known for its spreading of the Greek language and culture.  Located on the major road between the east and the west, it was considered to be a wealthy trade center.
The epoch view of the letter to the church of Philadelphia is 1750 AD to 1900 AD.  The church of Philadelphia called the "favored or loved church" received no reprimands from the Lord.  This is the time period that launched the worldwide Missionary Movement.  It was a time of restoration when they reclaimed the doctrines of "the Imminent Return of Christ, the Pre-Millennial Coming of Jesus to the Earth and the Rapture of His Bride."  The Philadelphia church is a reversion to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna of the first three centuries.  Exactly as Sardis came out of Thyatira, so Philadelphia came out of Sardis.
There were two fundamentals that began the Missionary Movement:  (1) They were responsible for the Bible being printed in the language of the people, and making it available to read.  Prior to then the commonplace people were forbidden to read it.  (2) When the glad tidings came forth from the anointed pages, the doctrine of the Imminent Return of Christ for His people (at the Rapture), the second coming of Christ, the Millennial Reign of of Christ, and all of the time of the end doctrines were regenerated.  These cardinal teachings made great contributions in the first 300 years of the church.  This evangelistically minded congregation had a mind to reach the whole world.  While anticipating the Lord's return they were obediently preparing themselves to fulfill the great commission (Matthew 28: 19, 20). 

(V7) "And to the angel of the Philadelphia write;  These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth."

(V7) The Lord appears to the Philadelphian church as He who is Holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens.  In other words, He has adminisrative power and undisputable control:  the open door that the Jewish synagogue and heathen cults had no power to shut if the God-given opportunity to preach Christ to everyone who has a listening ear.  The key of David is an old testament allusion to the perfect sovereignty of God in opening doors and shutting mouths. (See Isaiah 22:22)

(V8) "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."

(V8) The Philadelphia assembly received only praise words from the Lord.  There are six things that were worthy of commendation:
(1) He found faithfullness among the saints, (2) They had been zealous of good works, (3) Though humanly weak they had trusted the Lord, (4) They were able to perserve the truth by living it out in their lives,  (5) They had not denied the name of Jesus Christ.  Because of those positive things He found in the church, He would set before them an open door of opportunity that no one would be able to shut.

(V9) "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."

(V9) The self appointed Jews who had resentfully stood against them were humbled before this unsophisticated congregation.  Those who were of the synagogue of Satan would be compelled to admit that the hated christians were really the chosen of God.

(V10) "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

(V10) Since men could actually see the word of God lived out in the daily lives of the Philadelphian christians, the Lord told them that He would keep them from the hour of great tribulation that is to come upon all earth dwellers.  In other words, He promised them that they would be exempt from the Tribulation Period described in Revelation chapters 6-19.  It's worth noting here that they will be kept from the hour of trial, that means from the whole time period.  In addition, they will be kept out of that period, not through it.  "Those who dwell on the earth" is a technical term meaning those who make this earth their home, "Worldly men who have their lot in this life" (Psalm 17:14).

(V11) "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take they crown."

(V11) As a reason for their steadfast endurance, the coming of Christ was always first and foremost in their spiritual thinking.  They refused to let anyone rob them of their crown of victory when it is so near at hand.

(V12) "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."

(V12) Here we are told that the overcomer will be made a pillar in the inner sanctuary of God.  There will be given 3 names to the overcomer:  (1) the name of God, (2) the name of the new Jerusalem, that descends down from God out of heaven, (3) and the new name of the Lord Jesus.  At that time He will be identified as pertaining to all three.

(V13) "He that hath an ear,  let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

(V13) In this verse the Holy Spirit gives His familiar invitation to all that have listening ears to hear what He is saying to the churches.

Dear Reader, I hope you will be one of those who escapes that terrible hour of tribulation and temptation.

Are YOU Rapture Ready??

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

Letter to Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6)

Sardis Information:  Located in W. Central Asia Minor, Sardis was located about 100 miles from the Mediterranean Sea; approximately 30-35 miles southeast of Thyatira.  It was positioned on the northern ridge of Mt. Tmolus, about 1500 feet over the Hermus (Pactolus) river.  Before the first century it was an excessively rich city.  Ancient history tell us that Sardis was the capital Lydia.  Their riches were due to mining of gold and minting of money.  Some Bible scholars tell us that there were sheer (flimsy) walls on three sides making the city practically invincible, providing its people with a feeling of safety and protection.  Nevertheless the city was captured by surprise when Cyrus, King of Persia, brought the city down in about 549-546 BC.  According to tradition a solider found a crack in the rocky hill and led a band of soldiers to the top.  The city was caught napping again when approximately 330 years later Antiochus the Great seized the city in the same way.

(V1) "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."
(V1) Sardis means those escaping or renovation.  Here the Lord reveals Himself as the One who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit God controls the churches and their messengers.  Sardis was a church with a lifeless profession.  The church was well known as a Christian congregation, but in all actuality it merely went through a powerless routine.  Glistening spiritual life was not flowing through the assembly.  It did not gleam from supernatural powers working among them.  Now God calls the lifeless church to a new enthusiasm and a new endeavor to strengthen what they had left for Him.

(V2) "Be watchful, and strength the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."
(V2) In the preceding verse God instructs the congregation to complete the works they had begun to reform the church.

(V3) "Remember therefore how thou has received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.  If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."
(V3) Now He warns them to remember how they had received and heard, and to hold fast, and to repent.  He sternly commands the church to keep a constant watch, for since He would come as a thief, they would not know the  hour that He would come upon them.  This should cause all false date setters to shake like King Belshazzar when he saw the fingers of a man's hand writing his doom on the plaster of the wall (see Daniel, chapter 5).

(V4) "Thou has a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy."
(V4) In verse 4 He finds a few names even in Sardis which held onto their Christian testimony.  These Christians who had not profaned their clothes with worldliness would walk in white with Jesus Christ.  Their white garments speak of the righteousness of their lives.

(V5) "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
(V5) Verse 5 speaks about the overcomer and 1 John 5:4,5 tells us, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."  Then he asked a question, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"  Since they were evidently true Christians, their names would not be blotted out of the book of life.  I would venture to say that in most Evangelical churches today, regardless of their size, you could find a few true believers that are still walking the old paths.  Our Lord then adds the promise that He would confess the names of the overcomers before His Father and the angels of heaven."

(V6) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
(V6) Again the Holy Spirit calls men to hear this serious warning against having a religious profession without ever being born again.  The Sardis congregation is frequently taken as a photograph of the post reformation period when the church became formal, ritualistic, and political.  The European protestant churches and the American colonies were leaders in the drift.

Dear Reader, Are YOU Rapture Ready??

Seven Churches of Asia Minor

Letter to Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17)
   Information about the church in Pergamos.  Pergamos (or Pergamum) means high tower or thoroughly married.  The Asian headquarters for the cult emperor worship was located in Pergamos and was called the place of Satan's throne.  Antipas was the first known Asian to die because he refused to worship the emperor.  But still with all the evil paganism that surrounded them the church had remained loyal to Christ.

  m  (V12) "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges."
   (V12) In this verse Christ presents Himself as the One who has a double-edged sword.

   (V13) "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and has not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth."
   (V13)  We find that He knew their works, where they lived, and their ability to hold fast to the faith.  Again, we find a church that should cause some of our churches to sit up and take notice, although what they were doing good did not furnish a covering for the bad.
  
   (V14)  "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
   (V14)  We find that nothing escapes the all seeing eye of God when He examines their record.  He graciously tells them that He has a few things against them.  Among their charges were eating things sacrificed to idols and fornication which was the Balaam doctrine.

   (V15) "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."
   (V15) I think all churches should use this not only as loving instructions to a troubled church, but as a stern warning to clean up their act and start preaching Jesus Christ, not only as our precious Savior, but the way, the truth, and the life: the only way to the Father!
  
   (V16) "Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and I will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth."
   (V16) He quickly turns from commending the church in Pergamos to warning them to repent or else He would come unto them quickly and would fight against them.  There is no way I could fathom God fighting against me.  If he were my enemy I would soon be falling in the loser's corner.

   (V17) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
   (V17)  In this last verse to the Pergamos church the Holy Spirit is calling out to all the seven churches to hear what he is saying.  The overcomer would be given hidden manna and a white stone.  According to some bible scholars manna is a type of Christ Himself.  It may speak of heavenly food in contrast to food offered to idols.  According to William MacDonald, in the Believer's Bible Commentary Hidden manna may be "some sweet, secret communion with Himself, known in the glory as the One who suffered here."  The white stone has been explained in several ways.  It was a token of acquittal in a legal case.  It was a symbol of victory in an athletic contest.  It was an expression of a welcome given by a host to his guest.  It seems clear that it is a reward given by the Lord to the overcomer and expressing individual approval by Him.  Alford says, "That the new name indicates acceptance by God and title to glory."  Historically, the church probably represents the time soon after Constantine, when the church was thoroughtly married to the state.  Thousands became nominal christians, and the church tolerated pagan practices in the midst.  The overcomer in Pergamos may be a child of God who refuses to tolerate false teaching in the local church.  This should be a great inspiration to the individual member of any church today.  By refusing to tolerate false teaching, he or she alone can be instrumental in waking up the sleeping giants and inspiring our wayward nation to turn back to the ONE TRUE GOD!

Are YOU Rapture ready??

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

Letter to Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11)

(V8) "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;"
(V8) Smyrna means myrrh or bitterness.  Here Jesus Christ presents Himself as the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life again.  Even today this representation of Him would be comforting to all who are threatened by death on a daily basis.

(V9) "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."
(V9) He told them that He knew the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not.  This could very well be for so-called Christians who will buy their way into the Last Day congregations and have never been born again.  So-called ministers who are called by daddy, mommy, church, wife or pulpit positioned by an organization, much too often turn out to be hirelings.  When everything is going smoothly they're in it for the long haul, but when the going gets rough and tough,  they break and run, as hirelings always do.   In verse 9 we find how the Lord dealt with this church.  First, He commended them for their works.  Secondly, He told them that He knew they were facing tribulation and poverty, but they were greatly comforted when he told them they were rich.  In verse 10 He again comforts them by telling them not to fear any of those things that they will suffer.

(V10) "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
(V10) This time of tribulation testing may refer to ten literal days; to ten distinct persecutions under the Roman emperors who preceded Constantine; or to ten years of persecution under Diocletian.  This verse tells those who will face death for their faith in Christ not to relent and He would give them the crown of life.  While some commentators believe that crown of life is eternal life, others including William MacDonald (Bible Believers Commentary) think that it is a special reward for martyrs.  If they stand their ground until the end they will not be affected by the second death, the doom of all unbelievers.  The second death implies that there is a first death.  The difference between the two deaths is that when we as Christians die the first time we will be raised from the dead to live eternally with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  As priests of God and Christ we will rule and reign with Him in the Millennial Kingdom.  At the second death, all sinners will be raised to stand at the great white throne.  Revelations 20:11 "And I (John) saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there has found no place for them."  John saw the great judge of all the universe sitting on the throne to judge all whose names that were not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (See Rev. 20:14) "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death."  (Rev. 20:15) "And whoseoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

(V11)  "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."
(V11)  Again those who have a hearing ear are encouraged to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying.  The overcomers in the church would be exempt from the second death.  An overcomer is someone whose genuine faith can be proven by making heaven his choice with a good conscience, rather than being left on earth with a bad one.

Are YOU Rapture ready??

SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR

Letter to Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)
    (V1) "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks."
(V1) The Lord introduces Himself to the church in Ephesus as the One who holds the seven stars (the angels or messengers) of the seven churches in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven lampstands (the churches themselves).  See Chapter 1 for more similarities of His introduction to the Ephesus church.
    (V2) "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou has tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars:"
(V2)  In this verse the Lord commended them for their good works.  In fact, they were increasing daily in good works.  Plus they had the ability to discern false Apostles and to deal with them accordingly.  In reality, I don't know a pastor that would not jump at the chance to have this church.  In the real world, many of the mega churches have become nothing but colossal sit-ins.  While they sit-in the warm plush sanctuary of their own titanic structurre, there are hungry multitudes under the shadow of their steeples sleeping on cold concrete and dying lost.
    (V3) "And hast borne, and hast patientce, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and has not fainted." (V4) "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
(V 3,4) "For the sake of the name of Christ, they had endured trials and adversity while tirelessly performing their daily labors.  But the tragedy of the church of Ephesus was that they had lost their first love.  The fire of their affection had gone out.  The glory of it's early days had lost its glow.  The true motive for all worship and service was missing.  They were still sound in doctrine and active in service but the love they once knew had faded away.
    (V5) "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
(V5) Then by the way of instruction He warns the church to return and repent and do their first works or else he would remove the church and it would no longer exist.
    (V6) "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."
(V6) He commends them again concerning the hatred deeds of the Nicolaitans.  Though no one knows for sure who these people were, some think they were followers of a man named Nicolas.  Others point out that the name means "rule over the laity" and see in this a reference to the rise of the clerical system.
    (V7) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
(V7) In this verse He encourages those who have ears to hear God's word to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.  A promise is then extended to the overcomer.  Generally speaking, an overcomer in the New Testament is one who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (See 1 John 5).  In other words, a true believer.  His faith enables him to overcome all the temptations and sinful enticements that would lure a Christian off the straight and narrow way.  Perhaps in each of the letters the Word has an additional thought connected with the condition in that particular church.  According to William MacDonald in the Believers Bible Commentary, "an overcomer in Ephesus may be one who shows the genuineness of his faith by repenting when he has backslidden from his first love."  All that do such things shall eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  This tells all overcomers that they will live in the paradise of God.  Ephesus is often taken to describe the church soon after the death of the Apostles.  In most modern churches today you will find 60 percent of the congregation comprise the gossiping section while the other 40 percent eyes the pastor to make sure he toes their mark and walks the committee line.

In closing, you will find information about the beginning of the church of Ephesus.  The church of Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey.  In Acts Chapters 18-20 we find a lengthy but very valuable description of it.  There the beloved Apostle entered into a synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. (Acts 18:19).  Among the other notables who labored with Paul were a Jewish couple named Aquila and Priscilla and because they were of the same craft as Paul (tentmakers) he abode with them.  And we must also add to the roster, Apollos, a Jew, who was an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures.  Time cannot erase the indelible touch that John the Apostle of Love added to this church.

Dear Reader:  There is one question that I want to ask you from the depths of my heart, "Are YOU Rapture ready??

Next week's blog:  Letter to the Church in Smyrna