It amazes me still, how some churches will teach a doctrine that differs than what is plainly taught in the Bible.

Paul writes to Titus:

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. –Titus 3:4-5.

How much more plain can God make this for us?

Whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. –Titus 3:6-7.

How are we justified? By His grace alone!

He did this for you and me. In spite of how much we have sinned, He still loves us enough to die for us. I still cannot fathom that kind of love. The human heart and mind are incapable of fathoming that kind of love. That kind of love belongs to the Creator of all things and one day, when we see Him face-to-face, we will understand the lengths to which He has gone to draw us to Himself for all eternity.

His grace is a free gift, but it’s also priceless. Have you accepted that gift? Do you need to accept the gift? Don’t wait. Do it now!

May He Increase!

The letters we have looked at so far are:

• Ephesus: “The Light of Asia“
• Smyrna: “The Church of Suffering“
• Pergamum: “The Pagan Church“
• Thyatira: “The Church of Romanism“
• Sardis: “The Protestant Church“

We now come to Philadelphia. It’s one of my favorite letters. It’s the letter that speaks to the church of our time!

Philadelphia: “The Revived Church”

Philadelphia is the smallest city of the seven. As you probably know, “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love.” It was located about 38 miles SE of Sardis.

Today, Philadelphia is a prosperous little Turkish town known as Alasehir. It sits on the Cogamis River, a tributary of the Hermus River. The city got its name from Attalus II. He had a great love for his brother, Eumenes who was king of Pergamum. Because of Attalus’ great love and loyalty to Eumenes, it is called “the city of brotherly love.”

Philadelphia is the only other church, besides Smyrna, that Jesus has no word of condemnation. It’s noteworthy that the two churches Jesus only has praise for, are the only to cities still in existence! The churches have disappeared, though, since that time.

The church in Philadelphia represents church history from about the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Rapture. This is the revived church: the church that turns back to the Word the God.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this.” –Revelation 3:7.

Here is yet another self-description of Jesus. Jesus describes Himself as the Holy One, the truth, and the All-Powerful One.

The “key of David” is a quote from Isaiah:

“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.” –Isaiah 22:22.

This is a different key from the “keys of death and of Hades” that were mentioned in Revelation 1:18 and the “keys of the kingdom” that are found in Matthew 16:19. The key of David signifies Jesus’ royal claim as Ruler of the Universe.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” –Luke 1:32-33.

Jesus is clear who has the authority:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” –Matthew 28:18.

The Good News

“‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’” –Revelation 3:8.

Jesus commends this church on several points:

• “I know your deeds”: Jesus is looking for our fruit (Ephesians 2:8-10).
• “An open door which no one can shut”: this is the Word of God.
• “You have a little power”: the Greek word used is “δύναμις” which is transliterated “dynamis” where we get our English word “dynamite.” As we have said, Philadelphia was the smallest of the churches. But their power was likened to dynamite. What was that power? The Word of God!
• “Kept My Word”: Jesus praises this church for keeping His word. Jesus would have the same praise for us today who treat His word–the Bible–as the authoritative and inspired Word of God!
• “Not denied My Name.”

“‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.’” –Revelation 3:9.

The true “Jews” spoken of here are those that left the synagogue and the practice of the law for Christ (Romans 9:6). Paul considered the true Jews to be those who gave up the law as a means of salvation and justification for Christ’s redemptive work of the cross.

• “I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you”: Jesus tells the church that the enemies of Philadelphia will know that Jesus loves this church.

“‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’” –Revelation 3:10.

• Perseverance: so often Jesus tells His followers to have patience and perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Jesus then promises to keep the believer from the “hour of testing.” Here Jesus specifically says that He will deliver His church from the Great Tribulation that “is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The Deliverance of the Church from the Great Tribulation

I believe the Bible teaches a pre-Tribulation rapture. There are different schools of thought on this point, but I believe that if you carefully study what the Bible teaches, it would appear that the church will be taken up to heaven before the Great Tribulation begins.

Paul sets the stage for this in his second letter to the Thessalonians:

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. –2 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

This is the believer’s “blessed hope”:

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. –Titus 2:13.

Because of this, the church should not anticipate the Great Tribulation with all of its judgment:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” –John 5:24.

And:

It was also given to [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. –Revelation 13:7-8.

Getting back to Revelation 3:10, Jesus specifically says that He will keep the church “from the hour of testing.”

If the rapture had occurred in the first century preceding the tribulation which the book of Revelation describes, they were assured of deliverance. By contrast, those sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel in [Revelation 7:4] clearly go through the time of trouble. This implies the rapture of the church before the time of trouble referred to as the great tribulation. Such a promise of deliverance to them would seemingly have been impossible if the rapture of the church were delayed until the end of the tribulation prior to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom. –Dr. John Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Believer’s Crown

“‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’” –Revelation 3:11.

This is a short, but interesting verse. The flip side of this verse is that you can lose your crown.

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. –2 Timothy 4:8.

Incredible. But keep in mind, this is not the believer’s salvation. That is completely different. The crown is the reward for works done in faith because of the believer’s free gift of salvation.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 6:23.

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 3:12-13.

J. Vernon McGee says of the pillars:

There are two pillars in Philadelphia today. One is that of the Byzantine church, which I do not think is the reference here. But there is also a pillar on the side of the hill, hidden among those cedar and laurel trees. That pillar is all that remains of the city of John’s day. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.” The church down here was destroyed, but the permanent pillar is up yonder. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Jesus’ statements about writing “the name of My God” and the “city of My God,” are the authorizations for the believer’s access anywhere in God’s kingdom. Much like a passport gives you access to other countries, this is our heavenly passport in the heavenlies!

The last letter, written to the church of Laodicea, we will look at next time. The church of Laodicea is the apostate church. It’s a sobering letter, but not one without hope.

May He Increase!

The fourth letter to the church of Thyatira has both words, with some additional stipulations. We look at this letter today.

Thyatira: The Church of Romanism

About 35 miles SE of Pergamum was the city of Thyatira. It was a city known for its numerous trade guilds and its wool and dyeing industry. In fact, Thyatira was the center of the dyeing industry at that time.

In the Greek, the name of the city is “Θυάτειρα,” transliterated it is “Thyateira.” The name means “odour of affliction.” Another picturesque name given what Jesus has to say to this church.

Thyatira is representative of church history between the Dark Ages of A.D. 590 to approximately A.D. 1000.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Thyatira

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this.” –Revelation 2:18.

We now see a fourth description of Jesus, in His role as the Son of God in judgment. Jesus says His eyes are like “a flame of fire.” These are eyes that see everything; nothing is hidden from Him.

He also says His feet are like “burnished bronze.” Whenever you see the element of bronze in the Bible, it’s figurative of judgment.

The word used in the Greek is “χαλκολίβανον.” Transliterated it is “chalkolibanon.” The King James version translated the word as “brass.” The New American Standard is “bronze.” Either way, the word is indicative of a highly precious metal. And that’s God’s judgment: it’s pure, undefiled, precious, and highly valuable. Moreover, it isn’t malleable. It’s unchangeable.

The Good News

“‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.’” –Revelation 2:19.

Jesus has six specific commendations for Thyatira:

1. Deeds or Works
2. Love
3. Faith
4. Service or Ministry
5. Perseverance or Patience
6. “Deeds of late are greater than at first.”

These are similar to the “fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The key to the commendation is the last one. Jesus’ praises the Thyatiran church for the increase in good works! Would Jesus say the same to your church? Would He write this letter to you personally?

The Bad News

“‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.’” –Revelation 2:20.

The character of “Jezebel” here hearkens back to the Jezebel of old, found in 1 Kings 16-21 and 2 Kings 9:30-37. Here in Revelation, the usage of the word “Jezebel” may not no much refer to it being a woman’s name, rather a title. In other words, it could be more like calling someone a “Judas” who is a traitor or “Hitler” of someone who is evil. Even today, calling a woman a “Jezebel” isn’t a term of endearment.

Either way, this woman is a prophetess in her own estimation. Jesus warned us of such a one as this:

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” –Matthew 24:11.

“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” –John 5:43.

J. Vernon McGee has this to say about the historical implications of this “Jezebel” as it relates to church history:

Concerning the historical period of the Dark Ages which the church at Thyatira represents, pagan practices and idolatry were mingled with Christian works and worship. The papacy was elevated to a place of secular power under under Gregory I (A.D. 590), and later by Gregory VII, better known as Hildebrand, (A.D. 1073-1085). The introduction of rituals and church doctrine supplanted personal faith in Jesus Christ. Worship of the Virgin and Child and the Mass were made a definite part of the church service. Purgatory became a positive doctrine, and Mass was said for the dead. The spurious documents labeled Donation of Constantine and Decretals of Isidore were circulated to give power and rulership to the pope.

As Jezebel killed Naboth and persecuted God’s prophets, so the Roman church instituted the Inquisition during this period.

More Bad News

“‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.’” –Revelation 2:21.

It’s interesting that Jesus specifically calls out the Roman church and still to this day, that church refuses to repent, even to the point of supplanting the Bible with “tradition” as being the authority.

“‘Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.’” –Revelation 2:22-23.

The imagery here reminds me of what God said in Hosea:

Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. Their liquor gone, they play the harlot continually; their rulers dearly love shame. The wind wraps them in its wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. –Hosea 4:17-19.

Jesus says in Revelation that he will throw the Thyatiran church on a “bed of sickness.” In other words, He will let them live out the consequences of their choices unless they repent.

“The minds and hearts” means that Jesus can see the thoughts, the feelings, and the purposes of the people.

A Little More Good News

“‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them–I place no other burden on you.’” –Revelation 2:23.

Another way of saying this is: “To those who have not been seduced by these false doctrines, these deep things of Satan, I will place no other burden upon you.”

“‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.’” –Revelation 2:25.

A short verse, but oh how we can see the fulfillment of this drawing nigh.

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken into pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 2:26-29.

Verses 26 and 27 are taken from Psalm 2:

“‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” –Psalm 2:8-9.

Here Jesus says that the overcomer will rule the nations with Him! We will share the millennial rule with Christ! But beware: this is during the Millennium: not now!

Jesus Himself is the “bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16). It is in this appearance that the believer’s hope rests:

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. –Titus 2:13.

This is Roman church: the church at Thyatira.

Next time we will look at the Protestant church, the church at Sardis.

May He Increase!

On Monday, I went to the bookstore and bought a new book called “Get the Job You Want Even When No One’s Hiring,” by Ford R. Myers. So far, I like it a lot. Today I will be going through one of the many exercises he has called “Your Ideal Workday.”

I’ve been doing this type of searching for over two and a half years. Some might say that I have to be over-analyzing it all if I’ve been doing it for that long. However, I suppose I look at from Socrates’ standpoint:

The unexamined life is not worth living.

Now, this is a Christian blog and I’m not necessarily putting man’s wisdom above God’s. Surely the Bible says the same when David says:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. –Psalm 139:23-24.

“My anxious thoughts.” Boy, is that me lately.

This whole season in my life has showed me my own covetousness and worries about “stuff.” It’s all junk! It’s all going to rot away. Why am I worried about “stuff?” I ran across a blog post today at Truth Matters, called “The Emptiness of the American Dream.” It was a re-posting from Shepherd’s Fellowship. I don’t want to re-post it here in it’s entirety, rather I would like to point out the highlights from Ecclesiastes as I feel they are appropriate for this time in my life (and maybe yours).

King Solomon was the richest and wisest man of his day. You may recall the story. God came to him in a dream and told him that He would give him anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. God rewarded his humility by granting him wisdom and all the worldly riches he could handle because he did not ask for riches. (1 Kings 3:3-15.)

However, God gave Solomon a few provisions for the granting of his desire.

If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.” –1 Kings 3:14.

Unfortunately, like all fallen and sinful men, Solomon used his great wealth and power to try to find fulfillment. He forgot that his fulfillment, joy, and contentment are found in God alone. His mistakes included trying to find joy and contentment with:

• Pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3)
• Hard work (Ecclesiastes 2:4–6)
• Material possessions (Ecclesiastes 2:7–8)
• Popularity and prestige (Ecclesiastes 2:9–10)
• His own wisdom (Ecclesiastes 2:12–14)

But remember, God did grant Solomon great wisdom. So although he he experienced “much grief, and increasing knowledge result[ed] in increasing pain,” (Ecclesiastes 1:18), Solomon discovered the secret to joy and contentment in this life, this side of heaven.

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. –Ecclesiastes 2:24-26.

God has given to each of us the gift of enjoying this life while living in obedience to Him. That is the the secret to joy and contentment in this life. Our lives will have ups and downs (Ecclesiastes 3:4), but through it all, we can be made whole through the love of God.

No matter what gets stripped away, there is something that no one can take away and that’s God’s love for you and I.

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” –John 16:22.

Jesus here is speaking of His Second Coming. That is the believer’s Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13). That’s where we can rest and find that joy and contentment no matter what our circumstances may be here.

May He Increase!

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is from Titus. Not only does it sum up the gospel, but it also reminds me that we’re not supposed to be living extravagantly and lavishly.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. –Titus 2:11.

This is Jesus’ first coming.

Instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. –Titus 2:12.

There is the great struggle for all of us. It’s so easy to get caught up in all that this world has to offer, especially as it relates to money and wealth. This is especially true for me as I’m looking to start a new career in the very near future.

One of the jobs I applied for pays an amount that I still can’t quite imagine. It’s more than I’ve ever made in my working life until now. It’s completely in God’s hands right now as I’m still waiting to get a response to my résumé. But that’s just the thing: do I even want that job?

There is the one voice that says: “You’ve worked hard for 20 years getting your skill set to where it is, you deserve a job like that and moreover, you can totally do that job!”

But then there is the other side to that that says: “If you make that amount of money, will you still remember to put your trust in God or will you trust in monetary riches?” I don’t want to get to a point to where I look back on the first half of 2009 and say: “Man, I miss those days. I completely relied on God for everything in my life . . . back then.” No!

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. –Titus 2:13-14.

This is what I need to be completely focused on: the blessed hope of Jesus’ return! This is why I want to live sensibly, righteously and godly. This is why I want to live the quiet life. My Savior is coming back for me. My Savior gave Himself for me not so that I would live in wealthy excesses and exorbitant spending. He wants me as His possession so that I will be zealous for good deeds.

Come, Lord Jesus!

May He Increase!