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Greetings, brethren, and welcome to Day 49, the seventh Sabbath, the day before Pentecost. As we will see tomorrow, Pentecost is going to be an absolute worldwide shaking of the greatest magnitude possible! We need to understand about the Word of God, and we need to understand about the Churches. So, let’s come to the book of Revelation, because on this, the 7th Sabbath or the 49th day, we’re going to do a survey of the seven Churches in Rev. 2 & 3.
Comment
Greetings, brethren, and welcome to Day 49, the seventh Sabbath, the day before Pentecost. As we will see tomorrow, Pentecost is going to be an absolute worldwide shaking of the greatest magnitude possible! We need to understand about the Word of God, and we need to understand about the Churches. So, let’s come to the book of Revelation, because on this, the 7th Sabbath or the 49th day, we’re going to do a survey of the seven Churches in Rev. 2 & 3.
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In this transcription, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding the Word of God and the messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. They emphasize the need to listen intently to God's voice and to choose life and love for the Lord. The speaker also highlights the significance of the book of Revelation and its relevance to Christians throughout history. They explain that the book is a benefit to all Christians and that it contains messages from God to guide and protect them. The speaker emphasizes the active role of Christ and the importance of being close to God in times of trouble. They discuss the purpose of the seven spirits of God and the role of the Holy Spirit in opening our minds to God's truth. The speaker also mentions the sacrifice of Christ and the significance of his blood in washing away our sins. They explain that Jesus will return and every eye will see him, causing all to wail. The speaker concludes by affirming the authority and power of God Greetings, brethren, welcome to day 49, the seventh Sabbath, the day before Pentecost. And as we will see tomorrow, Pentecost is going to be an absolute worldwide shaking of the greatest magnitude possible. And we need to understand about the Word of God, and we need to understand about the churches. So let's come to the book of Revelation, because on this, the seventh Sabbath or the 49th day, we're going to do a survey of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. And we're going to learn what we need to do, because as we will see, Jesus says to every one of the churches, the one who has an ear, let him hear. That means listen intently so that you may believe, and you may obey, and you may love God the Father and Jesus Christ. Now one of the ways that God intends us to understand what is happening is to realize this. Remember what Jesus said back there in John the 10th chapter, that my sheep hear my voice. Now then, every time you read the Word of God, you're hearing the voice of God spoken to you that way, which is a miracle itself. And you need the Spirit of God within you, and you need to exercise your free moral agency to understand, first of all, the awesomeness of God and His great creation and what He has made and how He has made it, and the universe is so fantastic and so far beyond anything we can grasp or imagine, even with the greatest telescopes in the world, to view clear into the outer reaches of the heavens. And this is the God that is dealing with us. Guess why? Everything here is God spoke. The Word of God came to the prophet speaking, saying, whatever, Jesus Christ coming into flesh and speaking the very words of God as a human being, but the Son of God to those that the promise was given to that He would come, and He did. And then we have the four Gospels and the Book of Acts showing and preserving these words. So whenever you read anything in the Bible, it is the voice of God to you, to me, to anyone who reads it. And we know that in Deuteronomy 30, that God sets before us life and death, blessing and cursing, and He says, therefore, choose life, that you may love the Lord your God. We're going to see that's the theme of everything here with the seven churches. And we will see that too many times, just like it is in the Old Testament, men add to or delete from or neglect or try and compromise with the world, and they always get in trouble. So let's come to Revelation, the first chapter. Let's understand about this book and remember how many times we have covered that every introduction in the epistles of Paul or any of the other apostles, it is always from God to Father and Jesus Christ. So that means everything, the first two or three verses tell us that. And everything in there then is what God wants us to know. Now in this time with impending troubles and difficulties coming, we're going to see that we've got to take advantage of every minute of tranquility and lack of turmoil so that we can draw close to God, so that we can learn His Word, so that we can have it written in our hearts and in our minds, and so that we can love God and serve Him and do what He wants. So let's come to Revelation, the first chapter. Let's begin here in verse one and let's understand the importance of it. And as we will see that the messages to the seven churches are the direct messages to all the churches at all times so that they do not fall into the same traps. But this comes from God the Father. Do we understand that? So let that sink in. Let it sink into our hearts and minds that these words of God come directly from God to us. And with His Spirit in us, He gives us understanding. He gives us truth. He gives us knowledge. He gives us willingness. So let's pick it up right here, the first verse. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God, that is God the Father, gave to Him to show His servants the things that are ordained to come to pass shortly, and He made it known, having sent it by His angel to His servant John. Now then, isn't that interesting? John was the one that Jesus loved, who gave witness to the Word of God and a testimony of Jesus Christ and all the things that He saw. So here's a summary of the whole book of Revelation in the first two verses. Now notice what is to come of this. All of this is to be a benefit to every one of Christians down through time. And of course, we've had the opportunity, as it says on our letterhead, restoring original Christianity for today, the way that God wants it. So that's what we're going to focus in on for day 49. Now notice verse 3, blessed is the one, and that blessing comes from God, right? Who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and who keep, now mark that word, keep. That means not only to do and perform, but it also means to guard and protect. The things that are written therein for the time is at hand, and for every Christian in every age, the time for each one of us is always at hand. Whether it is day to day while we're living and overcoming, and staying close to God, or whether we are close to the end of our lives, or whether we are close to the return of Christ. All of those things apply here, see, because God's word is multi-layered, and it's not like any other book, because other books, without the word of God, have very little, if any, inspiration of value, spiritually, for God. So here's what John did, comes to him, so here's what he writes, verse 4. John to the seven churches that are in Asia, now why did he pick that? Because it was a mail route, from Ephesus all the way to Laodicea. So this shows that the connection of the churches down through time will be there. Grace and peace be to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before God. So right here, this tells us Christ is active, the seven spirits of God are the seven spirits sent in all the earth as the eyes of God to find those who are seeking him. And then the Spirit of the Father draws them, we come to repentance, we are baptized, we receive the Holy Spirit, and God opens our minds as we yield to him and takes away the hostility of the carnality of the human mind that is so desperately wicked and evil and deceitful above all things. And that is to be converted. But in the process we will see, there are difficulties that come along, and we need to be aware of those so we don't get entrapped by any of them. And from Jesus Christ, that is personally, the faithful witness to the firstborn from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth. Now that's over all the kings of the earth today. You can read that Jeremiah 18, he judges all nations all the time, and with his laws he's judging every human being all the time, for good or for evil, depending on how they live their lives. That has nothing to do with conversion, that's just physical existence. Conversion is another process. Conversion means you answer the call of God, God gives you his Spirit when you are baptized, and so it's for us doubly, because this is to educate us to be the kings and priests as we find in Revelation 20, to be kings and priests and reign with Christ a thousand years. Now notice, to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and his Father, to him be glory and sovereignty into the ages of eternity, Amen. So how's that for an introduction? That is tremendous, that is awesome. So he says, verse 7, this will happen, and as I wrote in my May-June letter, you know how it's going to happen, and we'll find out tomorrow at Pentecost some more of it. Behold, he is coming into clouds, and every eye shall see him. Now that means every eye of every human being on the earth, and those who pierced him. Now those who pierced him won't see him until the second resurrection, but they will see him. However, because our sins have been paid for through the sacrifice of Christ, and we are conjoined to the sacrifice of Christ, that piercing of him was part of letting out all of the blood so that he would shed all of his blood, because he was God in the flesh. There can't be any better blood, there can't be any better sacrifice, there can't be anything that any man can add to that to make it any better or to make it effective any more than God can himself personally. And all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him, even so, Amen. Two verses ending in Amen. That means so be it. Now notice what Jesus says, see. Now here's where we really get the feeling and the understanding of what is transpiring in our lives and our calling, and what we are doing, and why we have the Word of God, and why we need to study, why we need to pray, why we need to live in God's way, see. And always asking God to help us, to guide us, to direct us, to lead us, especially in this evil generation that we are living in now. Verse 8, I am Alpha and Omega, first letter and last letter of the Greek alphabet, showing that he intended this to be written in Greek. So all of those out there who say that it was written in Aramaic, you're liars. All those out there who say that it was written 200 or 300 years after the apostles, you're liars. The beginning and the ending. God started the whole process with creation, carrying it on down through time, the ending with things on the earth, and then a new beginning when we find in the last two chapters of the book of Revelation, the new heavens and the new earth, okay? Says the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. All right, if He's Almighty, can anybody do anything against Him and succeed? No. All you have to do is just read Isaiah 40. No one has been the counsel of God. No one was there when He laid the foundation. No one was there that is human being. There were angels, and there was Lucifer before he fell, and the angels that went with him before they fell, they were there, and they saw it. An amazing thing, see? This is what we need to grasp. Verse 9, I, John, who am also your brother and joint partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos because of the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. So he's saying now, all right, here's what happened, and here's what came to me. Now when we read this, and we understand, don't you think that John would write everything exactly as Jesus said? Yes, okay? But men, in all of their egotistical, intellectual ignorance, reject revelation, reject the word of God, say there is no God, well, just wait and see. All of you who believe that, huh? What are you going to do when you look at Christ in the face and He says, what have you done? Okay? So he says, I was in the Spirit in the day of the Lord. Now some egotistical Protestants try and say, that's Sunday. It's not. It's the day of the coming of the Lord and all of the events leading up to it. And the book of Revelation tells us all of the events leading up to the first resurrection in one straight line. And all of the time in between we find in other parts of the Bible so we can put the whole thing together. I heard a loud voice like a trumpet behind me saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and what you see, write in a book. That's why we have it. And it doesn't matter. God preserved it in spite of men, but though He used them, because He wanted His word preserved so that down through time all would have it. Write in a book and send it to the churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, Samarita, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Now notice what a startling revelation this was, see? Now this is important because it's just like when Isaiah saw God, okay? When Ezekiel had a vision of God. When Jeremiah had a vision of God. God does this to put it in our minds that God is the one who is doing this. Now if we get that, and we understand that, and we realize the greatness of God through it, then we can understand more of the word of God. Then we can love God more. Then we can draw close to God more. And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me, and I turned and I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands. Now in the middle, that means they were in a circle. And one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden breastplate, and his head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. Think about that. Think about the power. Think about what it is to be a spirit being. We're going to be the sons and daughters of God, right? Now we're not going to be exactly like that, but we'll have the same kind of existence as Christ, okay? And his feet were like fine brass as if they glowed in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters, and in his right hand he had seven stars. And a sharp two-edged sword went out of his mouth, and that's the Word of God, Hebrews the fourth chapter. The Word of God is living and sharper than any two-edged sword. All God has to do is speak it, and it is done. Now, let's think of that in relationship to the printed Word of God, because John was told to write it. And his countenance was as the sun shining in its full power, and when I saw him I fell at his feet as if dead, but he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid, I am the first, I am the last. I am the one who is living, for I was dead, and behold, I am alive evermore into the ages of eternity, amen. And I, Christ, alone, have the keys of the grave and death. Only he can unlock death. And that's through the power of the resurrection. So then again he says, write. He says that also, back in Revelation 19, write, for these are the true and faithful words of God. So how important is the Word of God written? Amazing, amazing. Write the things that you saw, and the things that are, and the things that are to take place hereafter. So then he revealed the mystery, verse 20, of the seven stars that you saw on my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands is this. The seven stars are the angels to the seven churches and the seven lampstands that you saw are the seven churches. So what's most important to God of everything that's on this earth? His people, his churches. And he wants every one of us, wherever we are, whatever time period it is, to understand as much as we can of the Word of God. These were the seven churches that were in Asia. They also depict the seven iterations of the church of God down through time to the coming of Christ. And also we can see from looking at history, looking it back as much as we're able to with the history that we are able to discern as the proper history, that even though one of the church's characteristics is predominant at any one period of time down through history, there are still parts of all seven churches. And at the end, we have all seven churches all together, wherever they are. Listen, brethren, there are churches of God we know nothing about in countries that we don't know and, brethren, that we have no idea about because God has them there and he knows them himself. Now, we know in some of the countries that we're able to do some things. We understand that. Okay? But what we're going to cover here now in the seven churches are all of the difficulties that the churches are confronted with in various times in varying degrees. But the lesson is here for us to learn. So let's pick it up in chapter 2. To the angel of the church, the Ephesian church, write, These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand. Now right hand means work, okay? And this means that the churches of God must be doing the work of Christ, okay? Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. Now then, that means Christ is always there guiding and directing what goes on as long as we are yielding to God. And he's still doing it even if there's sin involved. And we will see whenever there's sin involved that Jesus corrects it. Now then, we're coming to the most important thing for all the churches. Right here in the church of the Ephesians. So let's read it. I know your works. Now we're going to see he talks about works. He talks about faith. He talks about repentance. He talks about hearing. He talks about doing. He talks about repenting. So we'll see that in all of the seven churches. He says, I know your works, and remember, we're going to be judged by our works. So that tells you what? Never does he say you're going to be judged by your faith. Because if you have the faith of Christ, you're going to have the works. And so anyone says that because we have the grace of God, you don't need works. Well, you read Ephesians, the second chapter, and it says that for those who are under grace, that we are to walk in the works which God has beforehand provided or ordained for us to walk in. And that's the way of God with Christ. All right? And your labor and your endurance, and you cannot bear those who are evil because they stayed righteous. And that you did test those who proclaimed themselves to be apostles and did find them liars. Do we still do that today? Yes, indeed. So that element is still in the churches, correct? Yes. And you have borne much and have endured, and for my name's sake have labored and have not grown weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you. So, Christ always brings out the things that we need to repent of. And as long as we're in the flesh, we're going to have things to repent of every single day. Especially today with all of the digital and visual input and sound that comes into our minds today. Which were never there in the centuries leading up to us. You know, here we can just add into it right here. Remember when that helicopter crashed in Iran? Bang! We knew about it the instant that it happened, right after it happened. And here, that's halfway around the world. So we know the things that go on. So he says he has something against us. Here it is. Here's the thing. Here's the first step of problems that each one of us will have if we allow this to happen. You have left your first love. Now what is the first love? The first love is to love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your being, and with all your strength. Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Deuteronomy 6. It's there all through the Bible. Loving God is the most important thing. Now when we leave the love of God, what do we do? We start implementing the ways and mindset of men. Now can anything replace the love of God the way that God wants? No. So he says, remember from where you have fallen and repent. So there it is. Of the seven churches, only two were not told to repent. All the other five, and some of them especially, Pergamos, Thyatira, and Laodicea, wow. They had terrible problems. And he says, for if not, if you don't do the first works, isn't that interesting? Again, works. Question, is loving God a spiritual work as well as an emotional attachment, as well as devotion, as well as worshiping in awe? Yes, indeed. Are those spiritual works? Yes. Is that what God wants? Yes. That's why he told us that. So he says, if not, I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent. So that's why the daily prayer has repentance in it as the model for us. But this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans. Now, the Nicolaitans were those who believed in a hierarchical structure and that you could only get to God through that hierarchical structure. And that they would rule over their subjects or over the brethren. Remember what Jesus told the apostles back in Matthew 20? Ah, remember that? Even had Mother Zebedee bring James and John with her to Jesus and said, Lord, I've got something I want to ask you. And he said, what is it? That these two, my sons, one may sit on your right hand and one on your left hand in your kingdom. And Jesus said, woman, you don't know what you are asking. Then he turned to James and John and he said, you're going to be baptized with the same baptism as I am. You think you're going to take that? I said, oh, yes, we will. So then he went on to explain how not to have a hierarchy. And you take a look at the Roman Catholic Church. Where in the New Testament does it say you need a pope? Never. Where does it say you need a college of cardinals? Never. Where does it say that the pope has sole authority? Never. Where does it say that you cannot have any salvation unless you agree to the hierarchy and trinity of the Roman Catholic Church? Not in the Bible. So that's the end result of what was started right here. That's with us today. Hate to Nicolai Iotin, so what did Jesus say? He said, you know that the rulers of the earth lorded over them. And I don't think we understand about how powerful that overlording was in the days of Jesus. And their religious figures, they exercise authority upon them. That is, they tell them what to do in their lives. Rather than for the brethren to study the word of God and learn what to do in their lives, okay? So he says, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Now then, that's an answer to what happened to worldwide Church of God. You can kind of take all the sins of all the seven churches and mix them all together with everything that was in worldwide and understand why God destroyed it. And those of us who were scattered, that's a blessing today. Because great persecution and threats of death are going to come in increasing intensity like we have never known. So to be removed, to have small gatherings where they don't know where we're meeting, is a blessing. All right? So then he says, verse 7, the one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, we're always to be overcoming. He says this to all seven churches, right? I will give the right to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God. Okay? Then the church at Samarita. Now here's what we have. We have all the faults that lead to complacency by leaving the first love. When you leave the first love, what tries to enter in at that time? Satan, the devil. Okay? And we will find that was a powerful movement. And the way it was after the Apostle John died, with Polycarp, Poliquities, and all of those who followed him, that they stayed true. But Satan was there forming the Proto-Catholic Church. He was there denouncing everyone who kept the Sabbath and Holy Days. He was there proclaiming that they shouldn't keep the Sabbath. And all of those who didn't would be killed. So that's the church of Samarita. Okay? So let's read it. Verse 8. And to the angel of the church of the Samaritans write these things, says the first and the last, who was dead but is alive. I know your works. God knows all of our works. He knows what we do. He knows our thoughts. He knows our intent. But our free will agency, He hasn't taken away. We need to use that to draw close to God, to pray, to study, to live God's way. Okay? I know your works in tribulation and poverty, that you are rich. See, if you are close to God, there's no riches in the world that could pay for that. Verse 9. And the blasphemy of those who declare themselves to be Jews but are not, but are of a synagogue of Satan. And the synagogue of Satan resides in two places. Number one, in Rome. Number two, in Rabbinic Judaism. Those two places. And both of them exert power over a great deal of the earth. Okay? He says, Do not fear of any of the things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Now, that was the ten years of intense persecution, right after the Apostle John died, and on into the later 100s and 200s A.D. Be faithful unto death. Now, that's for every one of us, not just the Samaritans. We have to be faithful unto death. Remember, Hezekiah. He was faithful. Until, He showed the ambassadors from Babylon all of the wealth and gold and things that God delivered to them from the Assyrian army that He killed. And they had all the wealth and all the booty and all of that thing brought into Jerusalem. And then He made this stupid thing of vanity, of showing it to the ambassadors from Babylon. And Isaiah had to come to him and say, What is this that you have done? What did they see? Oh, he said, Well, I showed them everything. He said, All of this is going to Babylon. See? It wasn't going to go there until Hezekiah made that stupid decision, see? Likewise, okay? Likewise. So, you're going to be tried, you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. Now, notice verse 11. The one who has an ear, let him hear. Okay. What the Spirit, that is Christ in person, saying to the churches, The one who overcomes, meaning these things, you can overcome these things. You can't overcome death, but death can be overcome by Christ. Okay. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes shall not be heard of the second death. And that's a warning. That if you go too far, Huh. Guess what's going to happen? All right, the second death. Let's go ahead and take a break, and we'll come back, and we'll continue on with the seven churches. Because there are a lot of lessons in here for us, and we need to learn them. Now, you can look up other scriptures to add to this, to put in play here. But I want to concentrate on going through the seven churches so that we get the message for all the brethren everywhere that they are, and for us today, and for those in the future that God would call. See, so that we can help everyone come to love God with all their heart and mind and soul and being, and trust in Christ, and trust in his strength, and have their lives directed with the Spirit of God in them. So let's take a break, and we'll come back. Now, let's continue on with day 49. We're here in Revelation, the second chapter, and let's learn some lessons. We saw that the synagogue of Satan is introduced in the church of Samarna. And in a historical setting, we'll put this in the late 100s and through 400 AD. Okay, all of that. Now then, look what happens if you don't shut the door on Satan. We have the church in Pergamos, and so here we have the things that they introduce into the church, which seem good to them, because they use human reasoning instead of the Spirit of God, which seems right to them because it looked good, but were actually satanic. So let's read what he says to the church of Pergamos. And Pergamos was the city where they had the great altar to Zeus. It was Satan's headquarters at that time. Okay, now, when Satan is deceiving the whole world today, think how that affects the whole world. Because whenever Satan can get in through the door, he takes over the whole thing. Is that what's happening in the world today? All right, let's go on. Verse 12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword. Meaning that they weren't following the word of God, and God was going to execute upon them His word. Verse 13. I know your works where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is, but you are holding fast my name, and did not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas, my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelt. So they were faithful as long as they had a leader that was faithful. But when he was killed, look at what happened. Paganism creeps in. Changing of the Passover creeps in. And this is the introduction of the sacrifice of the mass that the Catholics have today, and the introduction of Easter, which Catholics and Protestants have today. Okay, so what it means is this. The thing that Satan likes to get after and likes to change and likes to destroy as much as possible is what? The Passover. Huh. Isn't that the thing that these churches of Satan have destroyed? And substituted their own sacrifice of things, which Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10, are sacrifices to demons. Okay. In the churches of God. Then obviously, they apostatized. Some few left, but it cost them their life. Now verse 14. But I have a few things against you because you have, they're those who hold the teachings of Balaam. Now the teachings of Balaam was this. You get them involved in adultery and illicit sex, and you can destroy them because God will destroy them for you if you get them involved in that. Huh. Doesn't that sound a lot like what's happening in the world today? Yes, indeed. Who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication? Now that's sexual immorality. Okay. So there you have it. All right. Not only physical sexual immorality, but look at the sexual immorality within the Catholic Church. Look at the sexual immorality that we have in this society today. Look at the sexual immorality that is in Islam. Look at the sexual morality that is in Judaism. Okay. And wherever it may be. Once any society, any group, any family, any person gets involved in sexual immorality, they bring the judgment of God upon them. Huh. What happened in worldwide? Remember a man called Garner Ted Armstrong? When he finally got caught, he admitted to during the time that he was a minister and having affairs with 200 women or more. Was that sexual immorality in the church? What happened to the church? And with the lies that came with it? Okay. Sound a little bit like Samarna here? Yes, exactly. Okay. Let's read on. Let's find out. Okay. Moreover, you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate, hierarchy, ruling over the brethren, all of those things combined. And then some people say, well, I wonder why God took down worldwide. And there are even some people that have a whole website devoted to Herbert W. Armstrong. Well, as long as he did good, he was fine. But when he started lying about his son, Ted, that all of these things were rumors and not true, and he started preaching another gospel that wasn't correct, it wasn't the coming kingdom of God. What is that called? What happened to the church? Just like right here, just like I said at the beginning, these things you can find in varying degrees in various churches of God down through time and history. Okay. So he says there, verse 16, repent. Well, Herbert Armstrong probably repented of his personal sins the last two years before he died. I have that on firsthand testimony of a woman who met with him every day for the last two years of his life. But he says if you do not repent, because that repentance was only for himself, because the church had gone too far. So let's see what Christ says he does when it goes too far. He says, I will come upon you quickly and will make war against them with the word of my mouth. Did God destroy worldwide? Yes. And it was Christ's war against the church for sin, just exactly as it was with me. Now notice what he says in verse 16. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Okay. That means hear, listen, learn, overcome, repent, and don't do the same things again. To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it. Now then with Pergamos. Okay. It got worse. Same way after God scattered worldwide. It got worse. They went converted to Protestantism. And now some of the remnants are thinking about how do we speak in tongues today? Listen, we don't need to speak in tongues today because English is the universal language, and the Bible is translated into over 3,000 different languages. Back in the days of the apostles, they didn't have that. So they had speaking in tongues to unbelievers, just like it was on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. But they also had the problem of satanic speaking in tongues, and that's what we have today. Okay. Church of Thyatira. Okay. They really got into it. So this is the time during when a Catholic church came to power, and when they persecuted the true Christians and those who were living in the place that God put them to protect them up in the Alps and so forth. Okay. All of this was going on, and the greatest compromises were coming. Okay. Those who remained steadfast to the truth were martyred, just like in Pergamos. Okay. Verse 18, to the church in Thyatira write these things, says, The Son of God, who has the eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass, I know your works. See, understand this. God knows the works of every one of us all the time. Right? So let's not let our deceitful mind trick us into thinking anything other than that. I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your endurance, and your works, and the last are more than the first. Very interesting. The Seventh-day Adventists tie their origin to this time in the history of the church. Okay. And look at how they're compromised today. The only thing they have left is the Sabbath. Now, most of them keep it from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, but some keep it from midnight to midnight. Okay. So he says, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel. Now, who was she? She was the daughter of the high priest of Baal. Huh. What do you have with the Roman Catholic Church? Huh. Baal. Sun worship. Right? Okay. Who calls herself a prophetess and to teach and seduce my servants into committing fornication, that spiritual fornication and physical fornication and eating things sacrificed to idols. They say this, that in their communion with the sacrifice of their mass, which they also call the Eucharist, which is this, that the priest has the power to command the bread to turn to Jesus' flesh and the wine to his blood. How blasphemous of a lie can there be than any such thing? Can any man tell God what to do? Never. Okay. So that's a lesson for all of us to learn as well. All right. Verse 21. And I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. And that was through the decades of the Council of Trent. And it went like this. The Protestants had left and their motto was solo scriptura, that is scriptures only. We just need to follow the scriptures. Let's get rid of all the idols and all the things. So the Protestants started out well, but they never came to the point of keeping the Sabbath. Now, a lot of those in Britain did. A lot of those in Holland did. And in days of Cromwell, he got rid of Christmas and these pagan things for 20 years. Okay. Now then, here we have it. Eating things sacrificed. Now, the space of repentance is this, the Council of Trent. Because there was within the Catholic Church at that time, a segment of the scripturalists within the Catholic Church that were wanting to get rid of the idols and all the traditions of men and follow the scriptures. Okay. But after Luther refused to keep the Sabbath and Carl Scott, one of his close friends, tried to convince him to keep the Sabbath, but he wouldn't do it. Okay. And then, Luther joined the Catholics in putting down the Farmers' Rebellion. And so, the decision of the Council of Trent was this. In order to understand what has happened here is this. There are those who say scriptures only and not tradition. But even those Protestants who left still keep Sunday, which is a tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. So therefore, we cannot go by scripture only, but by scripture and tradition. Now, when you come to that, you have a wide open door for Satan the devil to continue. And that's what happened here. They gave them space to repent, but they didn't. Behold, I will cast her into a bed and those who committed adultery with her into great tribulation. Look at all the tribulation that they had, and especially the 1100s through 1300s there in Europe. Amazing, amazing. And even the armies of the Mongols coming in right to the doorsteps of Vienna. Huh. Okay. Great tribulation unless they repent of their works. And I will kill her children with death. All right. Now, that's the second death. If you kill someone, they're dead. But if you say kill with death, I mean, can you kill someone and not have them die? So that means the second death. And all the churches shall know. Here's the lesson right smack in the middle of everything that Christ is saying to the seven churches and for us to learn. Okay, I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the reins and hearts. Christ is always actively looking, judging, evaluating, searching, trying, testing the hearts and reins. Now, the reins is that special thing that God has that he can know our thoughts. That he can test us that way spiritually. I search the reins and hearts and will give to each one of you according to your work. See, because as you think and as you do, you have worked and God is going to judge what you think and what you do and the works that are a result of what you do with that. Okay. But to you, I say, and to the rest of those in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine and who have not known the depths of Satan. Now, how far of a compromise did they get into? I mean, look at the Roman Catholic Church today and all of the things that they have. It's nothing but pure paganism with the name of Christ attached to it or the name of Mary or the name of some saint. Depths of Satan, as they speak, I will not cast upon you any other burden, but hold fast that you have until I come. And the one who overcomes, now notice, here we go again. Overcoming. And keeps my works. We're going to see a little later, keeps the word of God. Unto the end, I will give authority over the nations, and he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces, as I have also received from my Father. And I will give to him the morning star. Now, verse 29, the one who overcomes, the one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. All of the churches, all of these things apply at all times. There are times when in history, one of the churches of God will prevail much greater than the other. All right? Now then, let's come to chapter three. Let's come to chapter three. Now, after all of this, and down through the Middle Ages, and down through all the slaughtering of the Catholic Church, and the wearing out of the saints, the church became small. It became hard to hold to the true doctrines. And it looked like it was going to disappear, but it didn't. It was revived, beginning with the Church of God's seventh day. And in the 1800s, they did a lot of writing, they did a lot of preaching, they did a lot of teaching. Now, you can go to friendsofthesabbath.org, and there, Greg White has the history of the churches and all the things that Church of God's seventh day taught. Now, most of them did not keep the Holy Days. And because they didn't keep the Holy Days, they didn't have a very good understanding of prophecy. So, chapter three. And did the angel of the church in Sardis write these things, says he, who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars? I know your works. Stop and think about it. God knows what we're doing at any time, right? Yes. Okay. And that you have a name that you are alive, but are dead. In other words, they were just a warm corpse. Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die. See, because if we don't overcome every day, if we don't pray every day, if we don't study every day, if we don't hold fast to the Word of God, and if we're not learning to think with the Word of God, which is the greatest way to think that there is, would you not say? Yes. Okay. With the Spirit of God. Okay. Then, it can dwindle down to almost death. For I have not found your works complete before God. Now, isn't that interesting? A lot of them substitute faith for faithful works. Keep that in mind. Therefore, remember from what you have received and heard, and hold on to this, and repent. Now then, if you will not repent, I will come upon you as a thief, and you shall by no means know what hour I will come upon you. Okay. Isn't that interesting? Did that not happen to worldwide? They didn't know that Christ was going to come. And boom! All right. So, he says here, verse 4, You have a few names, even in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy. Okay. The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and his angels. Okay. So, they're still going to make it. They're still going to make it. They'll receive eternal life. How that fits in with everything that God is going to do, only Christ and God the Father know. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So, as we go through all of this, let's ask ourselves this. Are we going to hear what God is telling us? Are we going to learn the lessons that God has given us here? Are we going to apply ourselves with diligence every day, every Sabbath, every Passover, every holy day, everything that we do? Because we have the time right now to have in the forefronts of our mind, and all the Word of God, and everything that there is that He has provided for us, that we've been able to do, and make, and produce, and distribute. Okay. And that's why it's very important that all of you have been active passing out the Bibles. And remember this, the Bibles in the warehouse don't do anybody any good. See? And so God provided the funds, and provided the way, and provided the means that we could have these Bibles printed. And all of you brethren out there can now be part of helping get the Word of God out. And with the Holy Bible in its original order, a faithful version, with the commentaries and appendices we have, we give them more than just the Bible. We give them the tool, and how to understand it. And pray that God will use that as a means of calling new people, as a means of calling new brethren, as a means of helping those who have been in the church a long time that need to be encouraged, and rekindled, and stirred up, that this will help them do it. Now let's come to the next church here. Verse 7, chapter 3. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, and in Philadelphia means brotherly love. Okay? Now what happens when Satan enters in, as we saw in these other churches? Love disappears. Judgment and false doctrine come in. And you can't have brotherly love without loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and being. Isn't that true? Yes. Because if we have the love of God in us, that will come out as love of the brethren. Remember that. He says, right. These things says only the one who is true, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one shuts, and who shuts and no one opens. All right? What is the key of David? The key of David is to understand God in your heart and mind, through repentance and deep devotion to God. Okay? He says, I know your works. So we have our works. I've set before you an open door and no one has the power to shut it because you have a little strength and have kept my word. We're small, but we keep the word of God. And keep means to guard and protect. And in that sense, restoring original Christianity is part of what this is and what we do. And have kept my word and have not denied my name. Okay? Now then, notice, confrontation with the synagogue of Satan. And isn't that what happened with the church? The synagogue of Satan came in and took it over right in Pasadena. Huh. An amazing thing. And the auditorium that was supposed to be to the true God was dedicated by Benny Hinn to the Speaking in Tongues Chinese church. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Synagogue of Satan. So we need to be alert to that all the time. Who proclaim themselves to be Jews but are not, but do lie. Behold, I will cause them to come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you. Now, this is very important here. This is agape love. Agape love. Love directly from God because that's how we have the love of the brethren. Agape love. Now keep that in mind. And think about the last few verses of John the 21st chapter when Jesus came to Peter. And he said, Simon son of Jonah, do you love me, agape? And he says, Lord, you know I love you, phileo. Oh, that's friendly love. That's not the deep devoted love of agape. Then he said, feed my sheep. Asked him the second time and he answered the same way. And he said, shepherd my sheep. Then he asked him the third time and lowered it from agape to phileo. And asked Peter, do you love me? And he said, yes, Lord, you know I love you. And he said, feed my lambs. There's a lesson for us here. We'll see that in a little bit when we get to Laodicea. All right. All right. Verse 10. Because you have kept the word of my patience. Kept means to keep, to do, but to guard. And that's what we do. We are to guard the word of God from any encroachments of Satan the devil, the synagogue of Satan, or doctrines of men, thoughts of men, trying to be added to the word of God, we reject. Okay. He says, I will keep you from the time of temptation, which is about to come upon the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth. Now, we don't know exactly what that is. Temptation, is that referring just to the mark of the beast? Or is it also referring to tribulation? Well, both could fit. But however, it's saying that only Christ can deliver us from the troubles that we're going to be facing. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown. And that's what we do. That's why when we stand for the truth and protect the truth, and will not yield to any man, that that's what we are doing. Though it may be no one will stand with us for quite a while. But that's what God wants us to do. The one who overcomes, I will make a pillar and a temple of my God. The greatest promise given to any of the seven churches right here. See. And why? Because all the problems of the other churches leading up to this point, we don't partake of. Okay. A pillar and a temple of my God, and he shall not go out anymore. And I will write upon him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. A triple name. Name of God the Father, name of the city, name of Christ. Amazing. Okay. Let's go on. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write. These things says the Amen. So this is God's final word to the churches. The faithful and true witness were to follow his example. The beginner of the creation of God. Now that tells us something very interesting, isn't it? That he made everything that there was. Now again, notice what he says. It's interesting that when people begin to forget God, they don't think that he won't take it into account. Well, unless there is repentance and the kind of repentance worthy of whatever the transgression was, he is going to take it into account. Okay. Now, Laodicea at that time, they had every convenience. They had every wonderful thing that they could have at that time. And much like the society that we have today. Everything is here at our fingertips. And yet we don't realize how fragile that it really is. But complacency sets in. And so, this is what happened to the Laodiceans. They became dull of hearing. They became lukewarm in what they were doing to God. Now, God still hasn't given up on them. So, let's take this as a lesson for all of us today living in a society where everything we have is at the push of a button at our fingertips. An amazing thing indeed. And I think about that every day. Everything that we have. Walk into a store. What do you want? You pick up a catalog. And you can have hundreds of catalogs with thousands and thousands of things of every description of every kind. And you could go to your computer. You can order it. You can have it sent to you. You never see a person. You never talk to a person. But you get what you want. Amazing. Same thing with buying and selling. Okay. Same thing with the food that we have. Same thing with all the conveniences that we have. But remember, the Achilles heel of all of it is electricity. You take away electricity. Everything is gone. So, let's read. I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. He said, I would that you be either cold or hot. Because God can deal with you. In a better way. But, verse 16. So then because you are lukewarm and are neither cold or hot. I will spill you out of my mouth. Okay. Now, how many people are there even in the Church of God that wonder, well, where is God? Well, you might reverse the question. Where do you stand before God? Okay. And would you not say that destroying Pasadena and worldwide Church of God was really a massive spewing out of the mouth or the body of Christ? Yes. Well, have we learned anything? No. That's a question we all need to ask ourselves. And what are we going to do once we know and understand it? Are we going to repent? Are we going to come to God? Are we going to be zealous as Jesus says here? Okay. Now, notice. Notice the attitude. For you say, this is the reason he spews them out of his mouth. I am rich. Putting self first. And have become wealthy. That true? Look at worldwide. They had an income. The highest income was $120 million in a year. Think of that. You might ask the question, where did it all go? How was that all squandered? Huh. Lukewarm. Rich and wealthy. And have need of nothing. You know, it's like the parable is. The man had a wonderful crop and he said, oh, look, I got all of this. What am I going to do? Well, I'm going to say to my soul, my soul, you have all of this. So I'm going to build bigger barns and greater fields and have more. And just sit back and I have everything that I need. That's a paraphrase of it, right? What was God's answer to him? Know this. Tonight, your soul, I will require. Nothing like a little fast judgment here, okay? Now, have need of nothing. But you do not understand that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, physically and spiritually. Both. And isn't that what we have today? And I read this and I can't help but think about perhaps there may be a good number of Protestants that are part of this. They have a name. But what are they doing? Let's read on. Okay. Now, notice they are blind. Who does the blinding? Satan, the devil, and our own carnal nature. And naked, meaning you don't have the spiritual clothes of Christ. So here's God's word to them. God's word to each one of us. See? Because in all the seven churches, there are things we can apply to ourselves so that we can do as Jesus said, the one who has an ear, let him hear. Repent. Okay? Here's what God tells the Laodiceans. I counsel you to buy from me gold purified by fire. Now, what does that mean? You come to Christ. And the cost that it's going to cost you is all of the carnality that you have allowed to come into your life that you need to repent of and get the true spiritual riches from God. We've got a book coming out on that right away. The True Spiritual Riches of God. Purified by fire. That means by trial. You can put in there 1 Corinthians, the third chapter. You have gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, and stubble. All of this right here referring to the Laodiceans is wood, hay, and stubble. And they need to get the pure gold and the silver. Okay? So that you may be rich. In other words, the true riches that Jesus said, don't lay up treasure for you on the earth, but in heaven. Let your treasure be in heaven. Now, what does that mean? That means you receive from God all of the spiritual blessings and things for you to overcome and grow and develop into a son or daughter of God. So at the resurrection, you will shine in glory and splendor. Now, what can that be compared to any physical riches on the earth? It can't. All right? So that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. And anoint your eyes with eye salve so that you may see. So when real repentance comes, and it's just between you and God, and you really see what you are as God sees you, and that can only come through prayer and study and yielding to God and fasting. That you understand. And he says, as many as I love. Very interesting here. This is not agape. This is phileo. All right. I rebuke and chasten. So there are going to be things we'll go through that are difficult. There are rebukes and chastenings. Therefore, be zealous and repent. And this is what God wants from everyone. Repentance from the heart. True repentance. Honest evaluation of our own selves compared to the Word of God. Compared to what we are doing. Compared to our works. Compared to how we approach God. All of it together. Says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. Now this is the door of your mind. So this says they are lacking very much the Spirit of God. Or that the Spirit of God with Christ is on the outside knocking to get in. So is this where a lot of the Protestants stand? I don't know. I just bring this out as a possibility. Because many of the things that are here can apply to those Protestants who think they're really doing the will of God. But are not. And everything here applies to them as to even many members in the churches of God. If anyone hears my voice. Now, as I started out, how are you going to hear the voice of God? By study. You know what God has said. And opens the door. That is, you open your mind to Christ. You open your heart and your spirit to Christ. And you begin to love him with agape love. And obey him and keep his word. Be zealous. All right. And he says, and open the door. And I will come into him. And will sup with him. And he with me. That you can have that true spiritual riches of God. Of knowing his plan. Of understanding his plan. By loving him. By believing him. By doing the things that God wants. And the way that God wants. And coming close to God. Now, notice what he says here. Because he doesn't give up on the Laodiceans. The Laodiceans are not the unpardonable thieves. The Laodiceans are not the unpardonable sin. The Laodiceans are those who need to be zealous and come to God. And not handle all of these things in a lukewarm, half-hearted way. Okay. To the one who overcomes will I give authority to sit with me in my throne. Even as I overcame and am sat down with my father in his throne. And so, these are the messages to the seven churches. So, it's fitting on day 49, the day before Pentecost. Which pictures the resurrection. That we evaluate our lives. That we evaluate our relationship with God. That we as individuals and churches come to God. That we look at it the way that God looks at it. And through the lens of Scripture and the Holy Spirit. And not through the lens of our self-contentment and satisfaction of the good things that we have. And so, this is the message for today. And we'll end it with verse 22. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. See you tomorrow on Pentecost.
