To The Metal

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces ^[a]patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ^[b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4

Patience is a thing I have always been short on, and always prayed for more of.  The Lord regularly provides opportunities for me to be patient, and sometimes I am.  Each time though, I lean on my faith in God, which makes the next test a little less painful and a little more fruitful.

⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God’s grace, His favor which we do not deserve, is sufficient for us to carry us through our trials, to support us in our weakness.  We carry God’s favor!  His strength is made perfect in our weakness because there can be no doubt where that strength comes from, God.

Paul boasts in his infirmities, his sickness, his disease, so that any strength or power seen in Him may be attributed to the father.  It isn’t that he takes pride in these faults, but he sees them as glorious opportunities for the Father to work through him.  Paul takes pleasure in his weakness because he knows it means that God is near.

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, ⁹ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ¹⁰ but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

2 Timothy 1:7-10

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear (the world sure has!), but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  He has done this so we may be bold in our faith, righteous in our struggles, willing to love our neighbor and enemy as ourselves, with a sound mind to share the gospel with any who seek the truth.

God has given us glorious purpose in this life, to share in the sufferings for the gospel, enduring the torment and overcoming death as Christ did, so we may experience the fullness of salvation through Him.

³ We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. ⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much ^[a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶ by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ^[b]sincere love, ⁷ by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

We must give no offense in anything, so we remain blameless and through that our ministry remains blameless.  As saved men we are all called to be ministers of God.  These verses seem to ebb and flow like the sea, illustrating that through trials and triumphs, by the power of the Holy Spirit, protected by the full armor of God that is His word, we delivered sinners carry on the work of the Kingdom of God, humbly, to all with ears to hear and eyes to see, as living examples of Jesus Christ to those who seek Truth.

³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you ^[a]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Our world is a truly wicked place, damaged and fallen due to sin.  We face tribulation each day, but thanks to Jesus Christ, we confront those trials with the most magnificent peace in our hearts.  He set the example, the goal to strive for.  He overcame the world and showed us what is possible for all who have faith in Him.

Through Him we have peace, through Him we are of good cheer!  By faith in Him we shall overcome this world as He did.  Praise the Lord!

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

These verses ask the question, what can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?  In short?  Nothing!  That love is the only true constant in our lives.  He loved us before we were a twinkle in our father’s eye, and well before we loved or even knew who He was.

Psalm 44 tells a story of love and commitment to the Lord through great trials, even to the point of slaughter, even as He positions us throughout our lives for His purpose.  Jesus set the standard we must follow, allowing nothing to separate our love from Him is the challenge before us, that we will continue to fail at.

But God, in His steadfast grace, mercy, and love which we decidedly do not deserve, calls upon us to keep trying.  Praise the Lord!

⁷ “And to the ^[a]angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: ⁸ “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, ^[b]and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹ Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept ^[c]My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ^11 [d]Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

¹³ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Devotional – Revelation 3:7-13

The faithful church.  The church at Philadelphia has kept His word and never denied Him.  They have remained true and faithful to God and persevered through all trials.  Those who worship at the synagogue of Satan will see this faithful church, and come to worship the living God there.

This makes me think of those Christians I know who whether in calm or storm will glorify Him, they remain salt and light despite the tribulation they face, and those who do not believe see it and are drawn to Jesus because of it.  Recently I had a coworker tell me they do not cuss when I’m around.  

They don’t believe (yet) but they recognize the effect that Christ has had on me, and how I carry myself at work because of Him.  The faith of this body at Philadelphia draws those who seek God through their open door which will never close.  They will be protected from the tribulation to come and become pillars in the temple of God.

These believers will bear His name and the name of the New Jerusalem which comes down from heaven, from God.  They will be given a new name by Jesus.  This church is a shining example of what will come to those who run this race, enduring in faith until the day Christ returns.

“And to the ^[a]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, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before ^[b]God. ³ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ^4 [c]You have a few names ^[d]even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

⁶ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Revelation 3:1-6

The dead church.  Jesus addresses the church in Sardis.  He knows their works, their name, and that they are physically alive but in fact they are spiritually dead.  Perhaps at one point this church was alive in the spirit, it bore fruit, but what stands today is a shell of its former glory.

They should strengthen what remains, because what works are left are not perfect before God.  Remember what you were, who you were, the salvation you received by faith, hold fast and repent!  Psalm 77:11-12 tells us to remember the deeds of the Lord, to consider all His deeds.  We need to be reminded of all He has done for us.

In His mercy, Jesus told them what they needed to do, else He will come down unexpectedly, as a thief in the night, bringing judgment upon them. 

² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

The few who have not defiled their garments by siding with pagans and non-believers would be worthy to walk with Christ, dressed in white.  

Those few would remain in the book of life, and Jesus would confess them before the Father, as they confessed Him before man.

³² “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32

¹⁸ “And to the ^[a]angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ¹⁹ “I know your works, love, ^[b]service, faith, and your ^[c]patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have ^[d]a few things against you, because you allow ^[e]that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ^[f]to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time to ^[g]repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²² Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[h]their deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches^[i] the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, ^[j]and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I ^[k]will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

²⁷ ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him the morning star.

²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Revelation 2:18-29

The corrupt church.  Jesus begins by acknowledging that He knows their works, love, service, faith, and patience.  He recognizes the increase of all as He points out that the last is greater than their first.  Where they seem to excel however is quickly outshone by the sin they allow.

Jesus refers to a woman teacher here as Jezebel.  That’s not her name as far as I can tell, but a title and a reference to 1 Kings 16:31.  There, Jezebel leads Ahab astray from the Lord into worshiping Baal.  Now another Jezebel has come along who teaches that it is OK to eat things sacrificed in addition to committing sexual immorality, fornication.

Sexual immorality is a sin the Lord has never taken lightly, He makes it abundantly clear in several places that the only place for sex is between a husband and wife in marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1-5) and forbidden in any other context.

Our God being a gracious and merciful God gave her the opportunity to repent, but she chose not to.  This is a stark reminder that none of us have infinite time to repent.  That is something to consider when we’re living in sin, or compromising our faith to allow such sin to take place as was the case with this church of Thyatira.

In judgment, Jezebel would be cast into a sick bed while those who committed adultery with her would fall into tribulation should they also choose not to repent.  Her followers would also be killed by pestilence, which makes me wonder if this affliction, this tribulation was some lethal form of STD?  She would likely see all of this happen.

All the churches would know that Christ, with His eyes aflame, searched their hearts and minds.  He was the one who brought judgment to them.  Jesus promised to give to each according to their works, and singled out those who had not followed the false doctrine or known the depths of Satan.

They would receive no more burden if they held fast to Him until His return.  Those who overcame would be given power over the nations, as Christ rules with a rod of iron and dashes those who rebel against Him like clay pots.  The morning star, Jesus Christ, would be with them in those days.