Dearest little girl - goodbye.

You have been in my prayers for many weeks now. Many have prayed for you and for a miracle; but it didn't happen. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I will never know you. But you have a name. You have existed. Your heart was beating, but now you are gone. I know you were much longed for. We were all looking forward to meet you. 

But now I picture you entering heavens gates; everything normal and all smiles when Jesus takes your in his arms and says:
There you are dearest Majken! Welcome!

Dearest little girl - Goodbye.

Phew!

That's how I felt after the seven letters to the churches of  Asia minor. Phew! I was glad I finally reached Laodicea and I planned as soon as possible to go on to something more interesting; like how Jesus describes himself in the book of Revelation. But no...

The Holy Spirit reminded me of a book I bought in the late 90th. It is called "How to survive Laodicea" and it is written by a Swedish priest called Bengt Pleijel. He is now a retired priest I believe, but I'm sure he never retires as a Christian. As far as I know the book only exists in Swedish and I just found out that the publisher called "Vetekornet"has ceased to exist.

Anyway; I think the Holy Spirit told me to stay in Laodicea for a while and also stay in the book  because he wanted me to see some more details about the church as well as my own life.

The book of Revelation is a book of serious business. No games played here and no walking about the bush; all is said straight forward and without any "religious wrapping" around it either. One church or the other, could in some ways remind me of a certain time in  life when Jesus word of warning would have applied to me also. No way to get around that either.

I was saved when I was 10 years old and after that you would think it was no worries for me. But back in those days I unfortunately  attended church meetings where the preachers often were more interested in talking about hell than heaven and there was always a risk that you had done something bad and so you were doomed to hell. As a child obviously every day included a risk to do something wrong and so I was a potential candidate for hell every time I came within hearing distance of a preacher. Repent! ... was the ongoing message. And I repented and repented and repented ... and it never seemed enough.  
I like to think that those "fire and brimstone" preachers just meant well and didn't know better; but they sure created a lot of uncertainty in me; was I saved or not?; was I destined for hell or could I just get inside heavens gate "by a whisker". God's burning eyes over my life continued for 40 years before I finally found "the smiling Jesus". Can you imagine that? What a waste of time ... when I had a loving Father in heaven,  waiting for his child to really understand that it wasn't up to me but to HIM. He had done it all once and for all and when I accepted his gift of salvation hell wasn't even an option for me any more.
So now when I read the book of Revelation today  I keep in mind that no matter what happens in this wretched world 

The blood of Jesus is enough

My life in Jesus is enough

My trust in Jesus is enough

My future in Jesus is safe

My death and new life with the resurrected Jesus is secured. 

So come along with me on a tour through Laodicea; it's a thriller with a happy ending as you will see. 
Sincerely yours, Ida 

//The video included is for Swedish speaking friends. It is Bengt Pleijel, talking about his new book "To love Sweden back to God" I'm sorry all English speaking friends that you cannot understand this. It is really funny. He has  great humor and that is also displayed in his books.//

Link to sermon

A link to a sermon about the letter to Laodicea.

http://www.crestwoodchurch.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=144454&programId=67764

I don't know how to put a recorded sermon here but copy and paste and I hope it works.
You can find more recorded sermons on this web site from Crestwood Presbyterian Church Virginia.

Letter to Laodicea

(click on image for higher resolution)

¹⁴ Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Laodicea. “These are the words of the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation:

¹⁵ “I know your works. You are neither cold with apathy nor hot with passion. It would be better if you were one or the other, but you are neither. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ You claim, ‘I am rich, I have accumulated riches, and I need nothing’; but you do not realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ So here is what I suggest you do: buy true gold from Me (gold refined by fire so that you can be truly rich), white garments (to cover you so that you can keep the shame of your nakedness from showing), and eye ointment (to treat your eyes so that you may see clearly).

¹⁹ “Those I love I also correct and discipline. Therefore, be shamelessly committed to Me, and turn back.^{[b] 20} Now pay attention; I am standing at the door and knocking. If any of you hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to visit with you and to share a meal at your table, and you will be with Me.

²¹ “The one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death I will place next to Me on My throne, just as I Myself conquered and took a place of honor with My Father on His throne.

²² “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches.”

To Philadelphia

⁷ Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True—David’s key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open—speaks:

⁸ “I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough.
⁹ “And watch as I take those who call themselves true believers but are nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the club of Satan—watch as I strip off their pretensions and they’re forced to acknowledge it’s you that I’ve loved.
¹⁰ “Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test.
¹¹ “I’m on my way; I’ll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown.
¹² “I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City—the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven—and my new Name.
¹³ “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

Valentine's Day ... could be every day?

(picture from google search )

Thyatira - the tolerance-of evil.

THYATIRA: the immoral church who tolerated a mix of paganism and Christianity. 

Jesus =“the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,

 and his feet like fine brass = Representing his omniscience and sense of justice.

God has committed all judgment into the hands of the Son (John 5:22).

Concerning believers, 2 Corinthians 5:10 says:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Compliment:

I know your: works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

It all sounds very good, doesn’t it? Jesus doesn’t forget the good deeds and he is pleased with them, BUT…

Nevertheless:

I have a few things against you,

you tolerate that woman Jezebel,

who calls herself a prophetess, who teach and seduce my servants

to commit sexual immorality

and eat things sacrificed to idols.

History:

King Ahab married the pagan princess Jezebel and she seduced the king and the people to worship the pagan god Baal. The prophet Elijah opposed this and you can read about it in 1 King chapter 16 – 21. Apostasy was openly rampant and the people said nothing against it. God had given the people his Law and it stated first of all that they should not have any god beside God.

 1 Kings 21:25  There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 

The "Jezebels of life" in our time has the same purpose as in the days of  Ahab  to lead a Christian away from God's plan and love.

Thyatira was controlled by strong trade guilds. To be able to work and earn money people had to live  in a certain way which also included participating in meals that were dedicated to idols. If you refused, the chances were that you would lose your income and life in society.

I remember reading a story from the former Soviet Union about how Christian children were persecuted at school for not wearing the special red “Pioneer's necktie” that showed that they were members of the communist pioneer movement. Their parents refused to sign them up as members

( children were entered  into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence) and  were punished in various ways. Mostly the parents lost their jobs and the children could not get higher education.  The control was the same as in Thyatira but with a different idol; the communist party and its leaders. 

THE WARNING

²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that

I am he who searches hearts and minds,

 and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

The tolerance of worshiping  idols and living a life that is opposed to the will of God is summed up in one word: Destruction” For both the advocate for it and the followers.

God is willing to grant mercy and wait before he executes his punishment; which is the consequence of our sins. Sin destroys on every level but Repentance brings new life in Jesus.

Comfort

²⁴ Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira,

to you who do NOT hold to her teaching and have Not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,

‘I will not impose any other burden on you, ²⁵ except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

THE PROMISE

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end,

I will give authority over the nations;

²⁷ that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery just as I have received authority from my Father.

 ²⁸ I will also give that one the morning star.

²⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

According to Revelation 22:16, the “bright and morning star” is Christ Himself.  

He was the “Star out of Jacob,” (Numbers 24:17),

 and “the daystar” of hope, that, according to Peter, shall “arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19)

Sandi Patty His Eye Is On The Sparrow

I know I have posted this song before but one more time will not hurt. Maybe this is a day that you need to be reminded  that God hasn't forgotten you. Take care.
Ida

The Compromising Church

The church of Pergamum = The compromising church.

Jesus = he who has the sharp two-edged sword. = the Word of God.

Greeting

“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to my name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

The Problem

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who

bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

The solution to the problem = Repent!

The warning

Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He will act. He is jealous of the truth and jealous of his blood bought people.

The promises

To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.’

John 6:48-58,

Jesus said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. Jesus is God’s hidden manna.

The white stone is explained by Herb Munson like this:

“In Asia, at the time that John was writing this book, it was a custom to give an intimate friend a tessara, which was a small smoothed stone or piece of ivory with writing on it. It became the secret private possession for the one who received it from the one who gave it. In like manner, I believe Jesus is speaking here of a heavenly tessara that will be inscribed with a secret and private new name that each child of God will be given from his hand one day. These individualized stones will ever remind us of the intimate and utterly unique … one on one … relationship that we have with our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Suffering Church

SMYRNA: the suffering church.

Christ = the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

The compliment

Christ tells them, I know your works, tribulation and poverty ...be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The suffering saints at Smyrna are scheduled for crowns! In the New Testament, crowns always refer to rewards.

Crown of life … Found here, in the letter to Smyrna, and in James 1:12. It awaits those who suffer and endure temptation, persecution and trials.

Incorruptible Crown … Found in 1 Corinthians 9:25. It awaits those who have run their race well in living for Christ.

Crown of Rejoicing … Found in 1 Thessalonians 2:19.

It has been called the soul winner’s crown. It awaits those who have faithfully helped to get the Word of God out, and have helped precious souls to come to Christ.

Crown of Righteousness … Found in 2 Timothy 4:8.

It will be given to those who love his appearing, who are eagerly watching and waiting for Christ to come.

Crown of glory … Found in 1 Peter 5:4.

It is the teacher and/or pastor's crown. It will be awarded to those faithful saints who have diligently fed God’s people with the Word of God.

The Lord concludes

He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. Hebrews 9:27

It was the avoidance of the second death that Jesus was referring to when he said to Martha;

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die [experience the second death]. Do you believe this? John 11:25-26

Dr. D. L. Moody, speaking of the necessity of being born again through faith in Jesus Christ, said, 

"He who is born once will die twice, but he who is born twice will die once". Christ assures his suffering believers at Smyrna that, as overcomers, they will never be hurt by the second death … the only real and permanent loss mankind has to fear.