ABS

From the first chpt of Revelation, the Trinity has been established. Here, again, we see the praise and worthiness of Jesus established as "every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue confess him Lord" Philippians 2:11. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one, and as such, worship and honor should be given to all the same. We were created for this -- to honor and praise God, the three in one in hopes that one day we shall be victors and receive crowns of glory.

Rev 5:10 "You have made them to be (1) a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and (2) they will reign on the earth." (1) This is a fulfillment of Exodus 19:6, "Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." See also 1Peter 2:5,9 "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ....But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." Corporately believers are a kingdom. Individually we are priests to God. (2)To reign -- because Jesus conquered, there's a promise that we will conquer, too. When reign is to take place isn't clear, but whenever, the destiny of believers is bound up with planet earth.

Chpts 2 & 3 were written to the church through the ages. Out of 7 churches there are only two that stand out. Jesus has no condemnations for the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia. What a blessing to see that even in strife they persevered and if faithful will receive riches beyond imagination. On the other hand, 4 churches are addressed as to their commendations before giving their condemnations and warnings. Of these we see the same issues we deal with in the church today - forgetting to put God first in our life, allowing Satan to enter our sanctuary by adhereing to the cultural worldview, and thinking "works" mean more than "love". The strongest commendation goes to Laodicea, a church that is lukewarm to the faith. God said he'd rather them be hot or cold than lukewarm, and that he will spew them out of his mouth. Without a heed to stern warnings, the church could cease to exist unless they renew their faith and ask Jesus to come into their hearts. The message to the 7 churches is a message to every church, and a thorough warning to all of us.

"Blessing and Honor"; "Crown Him with Many Crowns"; "Holy god, We Praise Your Name"; "Holy, Holy"; "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!"; "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"; "This is the Feast of Victory"; "Worthy is the Lamb"; and a new favorite of mine is Michael Chenoweth's "The Revelation Song".

Spiritual complacency means you are either moving toward God or moving away from him. Churches are caught up in the air of political correctness, not wanting to hurt feelings and watering down scripture to accomodate any and everyone, basically turning church into a social gathering instead of a fueling station. The age of our times has crept into the santuary. Most parishoners feel it's okay to be part of the whole philosophy of "whatever." They maintain the church to maintain an image - I go to church to say I went to church - I give only what is expected and leave with a clear mind that I did as much as the next guy. Where do I stand? Stuggling with it all, but fighting it all along the way. Trying to stand tall and put on that armor of strength, reading the WORD of truth and incorporating discernment in my choices.

By participating in the trade guilds, which were marked by guild dinners filled with pagan rituals and immoral conduct, you were expected to follow the status quo. To disassociate yourself from them, could mean loss of business and social standing. No one wanted to loose their jobs; their families depended on the income from these enterprises. It all boils down to how can a Christian live in a sinful world and not be affected by it. As Christians we have to become an Ephesian warrior (Eph 6:13-20), girded with truth and shielded with faith to withstand evil. What most of us do is to compromise our choice. Compromising our choices in life decisions is an action of non-commitment. We also compromise by making apologies for being a Christian by joining activiities that we know are not right. We do this instead of remembering that we are "heirs to the kingdom." Compromise is also about feelings. God's truth is not about feelings; it is a conviction. Compromise also leads us down the path of accomodation - with each sin, sin becomes easier. Compromise also negates accountability. We forget we are accountable to God and our fellow Christians to be who we say we are and who Jesus says we are.

Oh this is a cultural timebomb! We are all caught up in the cutural mores of our society, and it is hard to fight it. Satan is at his grandest work right now. He has full use of the media and technology. He boasts obsenities through beautiful pictues and alluring words. As a Christian, we know what is right and wrong, but wrong can feel so good sometimes. It's like my grandmother's saying, "If you do it once...if you cross that line one time, the next time will be easier, and the next time will even be easier, and the next time there will be no line." We are erasing the lines, and that is scary. We fold the scriptural words in half to accomodate the cultural view and make excuses why we are following the pack. I, too, have fallen victim. No one wants to be left out. No one wants to stand alone. So you compromise a little, but each time you loosen the guidewires (the Word), you loose your footing. I struggle daily...going back to God's Word to bolster myself against the onslaught of Satan's handiwork because that's what I have to do to survive.

With any relationship there must come a committment to maintain it...to keep the fires burning...to keep that magical feeling of wanting to be with that person and do everything you can to please them. The same goes for our relationship with Jesus. When we are new Chrisitans, we yearn and seek Him everywhere; it's like the greatest poem composed or read. Then we let things get in the way...busyness, pride, selfishness, etc. We forget those powerful "first" feelings. The same goes for a congregation -- on fire for Jesus, bringing in new converts, growing, evangelizing and then it begins to wane slowly and most of the time without consciousness. A lot of churches have fallen victim to Jesus as a fad rather than a lifelong commitment of keeping Him first in their lives. When I enter a church, I can tell pretty quickly who is on fire for Jesus and who is on fire for the idea of Jesus. The message delivered is scripture bound and not a scripture reading followed by half-way related stories before quickly ending. There is also true, genuine fellowship and love that reaches beyond the human touch or smile. It's like an aura surrounding the congregation. People understand love, and it is readily seen. The lack of love shows up in the lukewarm demonstration and waterdowned views of scripture and the change in character of the congregational members outside the walls of the church. For a church to regain their first love they must guide their heart and commit to the teachings and words of Christ. They must uphold one another in this endeavor. The often misused statment, "My heart leads and I must follow" is a cultural misnomer. We lead our heart, whether it's in recommitment to Jesus or recommitment to a marriage. Francesca Battistelli's song, "Forever Love," is a great example of using music to remind us of the power and commitment in loving Jesus with our whole heart.

I love this image - Christ in the midst of the church at all times. Jesus loves the church and is devoted to her. When we leave the church, we are the church and must carry the Word with us so that people will see Jesus in us. Just as Jesus walks amidst the church, so we walk in our communities. When we leave church, we are to display Jesus in our lives - those wonderful Beatitutes, and if we do, people will want what we have -- Jesus. Matthew 5:14-16 explains it better, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

What a beautiful and comforting picture -- Jesus standing in the midst of the church (the lampstands). He is present always, in our trials, persecutions and in those often highly debatable issues that keep cropping up within the various denominations that test scriptural application. He is there. What an encouragement, and something we should be mindful of in our actions, but more importantly, in our faith walk. The Son of Man is walking among us to trim the wicks and stir the flames to make our lamps more effective in transmitting His light. In our weakness, we need Jesus, His dominion and power that is right in our very midst.

Christians in every country across the globe experience tribulation and persecution, some more than others. Revelation calls for the perseverance and determination to stand firm for the Promise. Revelation embodies all the hope Jesus gave us in the New Testament through His teachings and life example - how to live strong during adversity and to live a life filled with joy because of it.

The Alpha and Omega - The First and the Last -- these are to establish the GodHead as uniquely one. It is established in the beginning of Genesis -- Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, in our likeness, and let them rule..." Just as the Holy Spirit hovered in Genesis 1:2, Jesus was present, too.

Revelation Chpt 1 -- The introduction reestablishes the power and unity of the Trinity. "Grace and peace to you from him who is, and was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faitful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." Even though the Trinity is one, the characteristics are set apart for us to see their unique role within the whole. Jesus, part of the God head, came to earth, walked as man, endured, died, was resurrected and now in Revelation will be fulfilling His destiny. Jesus as the faithful witness came to earth in order to testify to the Truth that man had weakened through his need to control. Jesus is the Truth. We can look at His life and His words for encouragement and support. Without this how could one possibly live in a world culture so counter to the Truth found in His Holy Word. And yet, knowing all this...the power of Jesus...it is still hard to stand firm on the foundation of Truth when everyone around distorts it through political correctness and social acceptance.