A White Stone

Posted on by korgrocker

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”
Revelation‬ ‭2:17‬ ‭NLT

Jesus finishes His message to the Pergamum church with the non-negotiable instruction that we “must listen to the Spirit”. Looking at the converse, that means the Pergamums, at times, failed to listen to what God was saying to them. The same applies to modern churchgoers today, I’m sure. And because we don’t hear Him, we are unable to follow His instructions. I always think of God’s faithful servant in Damascus, Ananias. He heard the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit and listened to what God was saying about a man called Saul, who had been blinded by an encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road. Ananias had an always-on connection with God. He was ready to listen to the Holy Spirit and was able to discern what He was saying, to the extent that he was confident enough to put into practice what to some would have been a very unpopular request. 

To the pilgrim today we should carefully note the sequence. Firstly, we must have “ears to hear”. This means we must have a connection with God, with spiritual ears trained and ready to hear when God speaks. Secondly, we must “listen to the Spirit”. It is not enough to hear Him when He speaks. We must “listen”. This means we must concentrate on what God is saying, making sure we are hearing right. How many times has my wife spoken to me only to find I haven’t been listening? Confession time? Thirdly, having heard, having listened, we must make sure we “understand what He is saying”. This means we must convert what we hear into the thoughts and actions that God intends.

Moving on, we have a reference to “manna”. Manna was the food supplied by God to sustain the Israelite nation during their journey between Egypt and the promised land. We can read all about it in Exodus 16. The name “manna” is a Hebrew word meaning “What is it?”. But, as a food, it was unique and amazing. It was a miracle food containing all the nutrients required by a human being. And the miraculous extended to the way it was supplied. Just enough. Just for the day ahead. Much too can be written about the spiritual meaning of manna, the bread from Heaven. Jesus said that the victorious would have access to manna. The victorious are those who have overcome sin, who have stayed the course, who have reached their Heavenly goal. And, to me, the manna hidden away for the victorious in Heaven will have all that is needed for a life in God’s presence.

Something else awaiting the victorious in Heaven is a white stone. Apparently, in the culture of the time, white stones were used as a sort of ID, or calling card. But more than that, the white stones had a relational significance, of friendship and commitment. And to me, quite simply, Jesus was saying that He was giving us each a token of His love, but in a very special way. You see, He will give each one of us a special name that only we know. And notice that our unique names will be engraved on the stone. Not just written with a pen, with ink that will wash or wear off in time. Engraved means that it will be there for eternity.

Sometimes, married couples or others in close friendships will have an intimate name they use for each other. But how much more amazing to have our own individual relationships with Jesus. Relationships so special that each one of us uniquely and individually has their own new name. Bringing it home to me personally, I try and imagine what it must be like to hear Jesus calling my new name. A name only Him and I know. With a love so deep that it can’t be measured. With His presence so close that He is touching me. What else can I do than fall on my knees before Him in gratitude?

Dear Lord Jesus. With a deeply grateful heart I worship You today. The wonderful God who came to this world to show me the way into Your presence. Into a life of intimacy with You. Thank You. Amen.

Complaints

Posted on by korgrocker

“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:14-16‬ ‭NLT

The story of Balaam and Balak can be found in Numbers 22-24. It’s a fascinating read, involving angels with swords and a talking donkey. Balak, of Moabite royalty, wanted Balaam to curse the oncoming Israelite nation because he was concerned that they would “…devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” He involved the Midianites, and together they asked a man called Balaam to curse the Israelites, but instead he ended up blessing them, delivering the message God told him to say. The story concludes with Balaam cursing the surrounding nations after blessing the Israelites. Balaam wasn’t a Godly man, because the Scriptures record that he was involved in divination, a practice that carried the death penalty for the Jews. He was also a Gentile. However, that did not stop God using him to deliver His message. In several places in the Bible we see that if necessary, God will use influential people in Godless nations to carry out His plans. 

At the start of Numbers 25 we see that the Israelite men were starting to cohabit with Moabite women, even getting involved in their Baal worship. And as a result they were guilty of the sins in the complaint we read about in today’s Scripture, they sinned, “by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin”. Though we cannot find a direct Scriptural reference to Balaam teaching the Israelites how to sin, the theological consensus seems to be that Balaam advised Balak of a more devious response and solution – get them involved in the sinful practices of the Moabites and Midianites so that God will punish them. And in Numbers 25 the story of their sin and its consequences played out to a sad conclusion.

After referring to the story of Balaam, John continued in today’s verse, by exposing the Nicolaitans amongst them. They too followed the same practices of eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. As we found earlier, the Ephesian church had also been infiltrated by adherents of this sect. 

Jesus’ response to those engaging in these sinful practices was a warning. He said that He would come to fight them with “the sword of [His] mouth”. And this fight would happen suddenly. Back in the wayward Israelites’ day, when their sin with the Moabites had been uncovered, the solution was physical, with God sending a plague which only stopped with a gruesome ending – one of the ringleaders and his foreign partner were skewered by a spear. But “the sword of [His] mouth” attack against the Pergamums was not to be through some physical punishment. It was through God’s Word, the Scriptures, bringing repentance from sin. The Old Testament remedy was a physical death. The New Testament solution would end up a spiritual death. But in both cases, and in the context of eternity, the outcome was the same. Eternal death.

Back to our usual question – how do these verses help the 21st Century pilgrim? One lesson is that we pilgrims must diligently maintain the purity of our faith. Sin has a habit of creeping up on us, nibbling away at the margins, disguised as something minor or inoffensive, something easily rationalised away. Remember – our adversary the devil is extremely good at finding our weak spots. In the garden of Eden, the serpent found a chink in Eve’s armour, – “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1). And followed it with a plausible, subtle, and clever restatement of God’s instructions. 

Another lesson is that the worldly practices around us, and as portrayed on films and television, can numb our spiritual discernment. The constant bombardment from devil-backed lobby groups, from advertising, from conversations with people who aren’t Christians, will potentially dull our senses and, particularly when we’re tired, will lead to sin. Each day we must put on our Ephesians 6 armour, and take up the sword, God’s Word. By so doing we can be effective witnesses, counter-culturally standing as beacons of hope in a dying world. And if we have weak spots that the enemy will penetrate, we must avoid the circumstances that can give him an opening. 

A common tactic of the enemy is to revive our embarrassing memories. He will remind us that because we once did something bad, we are no good and not suitable to be a child of God. But we must tell him that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. We are new creations. No more defined by our past, but instead defined by our future. In Hebrews 12:1, we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us”. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13b-14, “… I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”.

The Pergamums earned a rebuke from Jesus because they allowed worldly customs and idolatry to prevail in their lives and in their church. Let us not fall into the same trap.

Dear Jesus. We thank You that You love us too much to allow us to wallow in customs that You disapprove of. We pray David’s prayer from Psalm 139 today, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Amen.

The Martyr

Posted on by korgrocker

“I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to Me. You refused to deny Me even when Antipas, My faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.”
Revelation‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Pergamum, or Pergamon, or Pergamos, depending on which history book or Bible version we read, was the Northernmost city of the seven cities mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. it was an important city with life spanning hundreds of years and several rulers. Many ruins remain today. But the reference to satan is interesting. A huge, throne-shaped structure was removed from the Acropolis in Pergamon in the nineteenth century and reassembled in a museum in Germany. And it was the shape and size of this, together with the association with Greek gods, that led to its name as the Throne of Satan. 

Pergamum must have been a difficult place to be a Christian in, steeped as it was in the worship of false gods, and where the counter-cultural believer and follower of Christ would have been severely persecuted. And that is what seems to have happened, with the martyrdom of a man called Antipas. However, in spite of the persecution, the congregation in Pergamum remained loyal to their faith. We don’t know how many church members there were, but subsequent verses in this section of Revelation 2 seem to indicate that it might have been at least a medium-sized fellowship of believers.

So the usual question – is there any relevance in this verse for Christian pilgrims today? I think there is. Loyalty to our faith is an important attribute of the followers of Christ, though loyalty to anything today in our Western societies is not exactly a popular trait. But a refusal to deny Christ, even when one of the followers in Pergamum was martyred, indicated how strong their loyalty was. So how loyal are we? First and foremost is our loyalty to God. Sadly, I know Christians who, when going through hard times, facing into health, family or financial issues, and finding that their prayers are not answered in the way they would like, take time out from their faith. They stop reading the Bible, and praying. They stop attending church services. They cut themselves off from their church friends, refusing to answer calls, ignoring social media posts, or the door when visited. But then after a time they will reappear, as though nothing has happened. I always think it strange that some people, when in times of greatest need, seem to turn away from God. A conditional loyalty isn’t an option in the Kingdom of God.

There is also our loyalty to our church leaders. They do a difficult job, often for little reward. But a loyal congregant gladdens their hearts. With loyal followers, they can build Jesus’ church, developing the vision God has given them. And we mustn’t forget our loyalty to each other. There is nothing more encouraging than being part of a church full of loyal believers.

When the going gets tough, loyalty is an essential quality. That moment when we can honestly say to God that no matter what is happening, or is about to happen, we will never desert Him. If faced with the dilemma Antipas was facing, can we stand firm, loyal to our faith? I believe God gave him the strength he needed and eased him into his new life in Heaven. God is always with us in our hours of need.

Dear God. We thank You for Your faithfulness to us. You are always watching over us 24/7. Please grant us the grace and courage to stand firm in difficult times. Amen.

Two-Edged Sword

Posted on by korgrocker

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the One with the sharp two-edged sword”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In his vision, the old Apostle John moves on to write down Jesus’ message to the church at Pergamum. This was a famous and illustrious city spanning Greek and Roman periods in history, and extensive ruins still exist. However, there is no longer a church there. But in the first century, it contained a Christian congregation, apparently active and thriving, but with a few problems that Jesus pointed out to them. More to come on that.

Again this message was directed to an angel. This time the “angel of the church in Pergamum”, probably a reference to both the church leaders and the whole church membership. But what is the significance of “the One with the sharp two-edged sword”? In the previous chapter, John received a vision of the Son of Man. He was standing in the middle of seven lampstands, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. We receive a good description of what the meaning of this sword is from Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires“. The “sharpest two-edged sword” is indeed a powerful weapon but the writer to the Hebrews informed them that the Word of God is even sharper. Imagine the most fearsome and devastating weapon available to our armies today and then realise that the Word of God is still even more powerful. It fact it is even more powerful than any man-made device, for one simple reason. Any earthly weapon can indeed kill a human being, bringing on their physical death, but the Word of God can bring condemnation, judgement and eternal death for the same human being, in his or her life after their physical death. But, uniquely amongst weapons of destruction, it can also bring life, everlasting life for those who obey its precepts. That is why the “sharp two-edged sword” is so powerful. The Word of God is His legacy, His power, His manual for a life to be lived His way, and all encapsulated in a book always accessible to His followers everywhere. No wonder that pariah and totalitarian states want the Bible banned – they are only too aware of its power. In fact, it is so powerful that it has the capability to bring down their evil regimes.

If a pilgrim was ever asked what he should take in his back pack, one of the most important items has to be his Bible. In our pilgrimage through life we must have it. We will not reach our Heavenly goal without it. And one day we will discover that the truths contained within the Book will be transformed into glory for our wonderful God and Father.

Dear Lord God. We thank Your word, the Bible. Please help us to never neglect its reading. May its truths indeed penetrate to our very “innermost thoughts and desires”, helping us to live our lives Your way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.