This is not a political post; this is a biblical post.
“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God I give you. … Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Deuteronomy 4:2, 6).
The truthfulness of this passage has been proven in history time and time again. Nations who have followed God’s laws have been blessed; nations who ignore or depart from His laws suffer defeat.
America has been blessed because of her God-fearing Founding Fathers who fashioned our Constitution on biblically-sound wisdom, and because her God-fearing citizenry recognized we were one nation under God. But America has departed so grievously from that foundation that we will suffer defeat unless we repent.
It reminds me of what Jesus said to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dying. Wake up! Strengthen what remains before it’s too late!”
Lord God, we as a nation have ignored Your laws and are subject to Your judgment. I pray You would send us another Great Awakening! Let hearts turn to You once again in this nation. Extend Your mercy to this land, giving us time to nationally repent. I don’t believe it’s too late for America … yet. But we will suffer defeat if we persist on this current path. Oh God, help us repent and turn back to You!
It’s a focus of far too many people: “I’ve got to make a name for myself.” It’s nothing new but has been going on as long as men have been on earth.
In Revelation 3, Jesus is addressing the church in Sardis about their pursuit of a reputation. Jesus tells them, “You have definitely made a name for yourself. People know you are making things happen, and you have a reputation of being successful.” Sounds good, right? Except Jesus goes on to say, “But I’m not concerned about your reputation; I’m more interested in your character.”
Jesus uses the same Greek word four times in just six short verses to show the progression He is looking for to go from a popular reputation to godly character:
You have tried to make a name for yourself, but your focus is wrong (Rev. 3:1).
The name you should focus on is My name—you should be glorifying Me, not yourself (v. 4).
If you glorify Me, I will make sure your name is never erased from the Book of Life (v. 5a).
Not only that, if you glorify Me, I will personally introduce you to My Father. I will say, “This one is Mine!” (v. 5b)
Wow!
Contrast that with people who say, “Jesus, didn’t we do some pretty amazing things in Your name? Did you check us out?!?” And Jesus will reply to them, “I never knew you because you were only using Me to make yourself look good” (see Matthew 7:21-23; Revelation 3:2).
I am not living for the applause of men, but only for the applause of nail-scarred Hands.
I don’t want the headlines here, but I want to hear my Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
I don’t want a reputation here, but I want a godly character in Heaven.
That’s the name I want!!
If you are near Cedar Springs this weekend, please join us for part six of this series The 7-Star Church.
Jesus takes the church of Thyatira to task because they are tolerating someone with a Jezebel spirit to remain in a position of leadership and influence (Revelation 2:18-29). This is still a message to the church today!
However, for some reason Christians have made “confrontation” a dirty word. We don’t confront people in error, especially those who are in leadership positions within their church. Perhaps equally as wrong: when we do confront, we do it in a way that is destructive.
The goal of confrontation is restoration, not destruction!
In Revelation 2, Jesus gives us five steps toward healthy, biblical, God-honoring confrontation:
Don’t tolerate a Jezebel spirit by remaining silent (v. 20). Instead we need to follow the principles in Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Timothy 5:19.
Allow the one whom you’ve confronted time to repent (v. 21a).
If they don’t repent, don’t rescue them from God-inflicted punishment (vv. 21b-23).
Run away from secrets (v. 24). If something more than Scripture is required by the Jezebel leader, reject it.
Don’t run away from the situation, but hold on to Jesus until Jesus returns (vv. 25-28).
Not one human is infallible, but Jezebel not only claims infallibility, but also demands blind allegiance to her teachings. But it is just as wrong to tolerate Jezebel as it is to confront her unbiblically; Jesus opposed both.
One way for us to always avoid these two extremes: Try to out-serve one another, just as Jesus directed us—
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)
If you are near Cedar Springs next Sunday, please join me as we continue our series on The 7-Star Church.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” —Edmund Burke
This is as true for Christians as it is for anyone else.
In addressing the church at Pergamum (see Revelation 2:12-17), Jesus calls the Christians out for their silence. He tells them that what He has against them is their close relationship with those who hold to unbiblical ideas.
Pergamum’s sin is our sin in the USA today: tolerance. We let things slide, hoping to get along with others, trying not to rock the boat, trying to avoid being labeled a “hater,” and finding ways to be everyone’s friend.
There is a Latin phrase used in legal circles that says: Qui tacet consentire, which means Silence gives consent. If you don’t speak up to challenge what is stated, it is assumed that you believe it.
Jesus calls the church at Pergamum to repent for their tolerance. He calls for them to speak the truth of God’s Word. Twice the phrase is used to remind us of God’s Word being sharper than a double-edged sword.
Our job as Christians is not to win an argument, bring conviction, or become the sin police. Our job is to speak God’s truth in love.
True friends speak out when someone they care about is making a foolish choice. True Christians loving speak The Truth when the world around them is selling out to a convenient lie.
“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousandfold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers … we are ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.” —Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The message Jesus had to deliver to the church at Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11), was a heavy message. It’s a message I believe Christ is still speaking to the church today. In essence Jesus said, “I know how hard it’s been for you as a Christian. You’ve stood tall so far, but brace yourselves because more persecution is coming.”
Charles Spurgeon said, “There are no crown-wearers in Heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” How true!
But I love the message from Jesus to us: “Yes,” He says, “things are hard, but weigh those things against the rewards I have for you! Hang in there! You will bring Me glory and you will earn the very highest rewards I can give!”
I tried to illustrate Christ’s message this way—
I will be continuing my series on The 7-Star Church next Sunday. If you are in the Cedar Springs area, I would love to have you join us!
I love our annual Q Series where the subject matter for those Sundays is driven by the questions people have submitted to me. It’s a bit scary too! Over the last couple of Sundays I’ve fielded questions on topics like freewill versus predestination, divorce and remarriage, the Trinity, backsliding, and more.
As is usually the case, there were more questions than I had time for, so I’ve attempted to answer a couple of remaining questions via video—
Just because The Q Series is done for this year doesn’t mean I’m done answering questions. I love having these sorts of conversations! So feel free to keep sending the questions my way and let’s search the Bible together.
“Heaven will solve our problems, but not, I think, by showing us subtle reconciliations between all our apparently contradictory notions. The notions will all be knocked from under our feet. We shall see that there never was any problem.” —C.S. Lewis
Seven times in just two chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” That same Spirit is still speaking to the churches today.
As you may know, the number seven in the Bible stands for completion. Although there were many more churches in Asia minor, Jesus delivered a message to seven of them. In other words, He delivered a complete, well-rounded message to all churches by speaking to those seven. Those messages are still speaking to us today.
This Sunday I’m beginning a new series of messages called The 7-Star Church—Becoming The Church That Pleases Christ from this text in Revelation. It’s going to be a challenging word, but an encouraging word at the same time.
If you are near Cedar Springs, please join me at Calvary Assembly of God on Sunday morning at 10:30am. Come with an ear to hear what the Spirit is still saying to us today.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
John opens the book of Revelation with this greeting: Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, AND WHO IS TO COME… (Revelation 1:4). This is so significant because of the other descriptive phrases John uses for Jesus:
Jesus was pre-existent before creation (John 1:1).
John was witness to everything Jesus did during His public ministry, including all of the claims Jesus made about Himself (1 John 1:1).
And now John says not only has Jesus existed before time existed, not only is He alive now, but He is coming back again!
This is what makes the resurrection of Jesus so important. Jesus Himself told us exactly what was going to happen with His death by crucifixion and His resurrection three days later. The fact that these statements all turned out to be true gives us greater assurance that His promise that He is coming back is also true.
In His very first sermon, Jesus quoted from Isaiah about how He would conduct His earthly ministry (see Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:18-19). But when He quotes the passage from Isaiah, He leaves off a phrase “and a day of vengeance of our God.” God’s wrath against sin is being held back for now, but the day of judgment is coming.
John says Jesus is the One Who is to come, and records later on how Jesus will come—
I saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of Heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (Revelation 19:11-15)
God made Jesus to be sin for us. He suffered and died to pay the penalty for our sins, and those who are still found in their sins—unforgiven, without placing their faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection—must face the wrath of God.
Jesus is not only our Risen Savior, but He is the soon-returning King and Judge.
Three times the last book of the Bible records Jesus Himself saying, “I am coming soon!” This isn’t a scare tactic, it’s real. As certainly as Jesus rose from the grave, He is returning soon.
Are you ready for His return? Are you telling others that Jesus is our soon-returning King? I hope you know what it means to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and I hope you are telling as many other people as you can about our soon coming King!
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
One of the misconceptions about Jesus is that He first appears on the scene in a manger in Bethlehem. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus appears in the opening words of the Bible—In the beginning God created—and in the last words of the Bible—Yes, I am coming soon. And He appears in every word in between!
B.B. Warfield has a great picture of the Old Testament being a mansion with richly-decorated, beautifully-ornate rooms, but which are dimly lit. So with just the Old Testament by itself, it is hard to appreciate the magnificent beauty that’s there. In Jesus, the light is turned on, and we can now appreciate the glory and majesty that was always there!
So notice how the “I Am” statements shine a bright light on the titles of “Jehovah”—
Jehovah Jireh (I Am Your Provider) → I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
Jehovah Rapha (I Am Your Healing) → I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-26)
Jehovah Nissi (I Am Your Source) → I am the Vine (John 15:5)
Jehovah Shalom (I Am Your Peace) → I am the Light of the world (John 8:12)
Jehovah Raah (I Am Your Shepherd) → I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)
Jehovah Sabaoth (I Am Your Wall Of Protection) → I am the Gate (John 10:9)
Jehovah Tsid-kenu (I Am Your Righteousness) → I am the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6)
Jehovah Shammah (I Am Here) → I am the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8; 22:13).
In essence Jesus is saying “I Am Jehovah in all His fullness.” So what are we to make of that? What are we to make of Jesus Christ? Here’s how C.S. Lewis addressed that very question:
“This is a question which has, in a sense, a frantically comic side. For the real question is not what are we to make of Christ, but what is He to make of us? The picture of a fly sitting deciding what it is going to make of an elephant has comic elements about it. But perhaps the questioner meant what are we to make of Him in the sense of ‘How are we to solve the historical problem set us by the recorded sayings of this Man?’
“The problem is to reconcile two things. On the one hand you have got the almost generally admitted depth of sanity of His moral teaching, which is not very seriously questioned, even by those who are opposed to Christianity. In fact, I find when I am arguing with very anti-God people that they rather make a point of saying, ‘I am entirely in favor of the moral teaching of Christianity….’
“On the one side clear, definite moral teaching. On the other, claims which, if not true, are those of a megalomaniac, compared with whom Hitler was the most sane and humble of men. There is no halfway house and there is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked him, ‘Are you the son of Bramah?’ he would have said, ‘My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.’ If you had gone to Socrates and asked, ‘Are you Zeus?’ he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, ‘Are you Allah?’ he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, ‘Are you Heaven?’ I think he would have probably replied, ‘Remarks which are not in accordance with Nature are in bad taste.’
“The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man.” (emphasis mine)
In this quote, C.S. Lewis gives us three choices about Jesus. We can either say (1) He is a liar, (2) He is a lunatic, or (3) He is who He says He is.
This morning I shared this quote from Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola’s book Jesus: A Theography—
“When Jesus said to satan, ‘Get behind Me,’ He was acknowledging that we all live with the devil. We cannot escape evil on this earth. But as long as we are in front and he is behind us, we are protected. The devil ought not be in our line of vision but in our shadow.”
It reminds me of the old song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Stop looking at that loser named satan! Stop listening to the one who’s been defeated and whose fate is already sealed! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus! Keep your ears tuned into His voice!
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)
Jesus says: I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18)
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
This is not a political post; this is a biblical post. 
![The 7-Star Church [web]](https://craigtowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/the-7-star-church-web.jpg)
Craig T. Owens 