January 23, 2006

• Update on the snow – four inches and still falling steadily. No school, the kids are rejoicing.

  
  

  The kids are again hoping for a snow day. I keep telling them not to count their snow days before they hatch, but my daughter still has her nose in a book this late at night. Granted it is a Redwall book so I can understand not wanting to close the cover, but still…..

  
  

  The next church in Revelation saddens me, it is the Dead Church, at Sardis. If you remember, the churches represent historical periods, and Sardis is from 1500-still going. It covers the Protestant reformation.

  
  

  It also is a particular church in that part of Turkey that Paul ministered to. And if we are really honest with ourselves, as the temple of God, it also represents things going on inside ourselves.

  
  

  Sardis was a very wealthy city, and rather arrogant. The city was on a cliff, that was 150 feet high, and there was only one way to approach the city. They felt they were impregnable, but that was proven wrong twice in their history – and in virtually the same way. In both instances a soldier lost a helmet down a cliff, and when they searched for the helmet the next day, the helmet was missing. This led the commanding office to infer that there must be a secret passageway to get into the city, and when they examined where the helmet fell, they found a crevice which led into the city, and the soldiers were able to conquer the city.

  
  

  I think Winston Churchill once quoted Hegel to state that the only thing man ever learns from history is that man doesn’t learn from history. I can see that at times in my life, for I often repeat the same, stupid errors.

  
  

  Anyway, Sardis, in Greek means remnant and it also means red (the color of blood).

  
  

  The particular part of the description of Jesus from chapter one is the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. In Chapter one verse 20 the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven spirits cover the 7 fold nature of the spirit listed in Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

  
  

  This church had fallen so low that Jesus did not have one good word to say about it, even the church in Thyatira had good points that Jesus mentioned. But Sardis, had no good qualities.

  
  

  Jesus told the church to be watchful, and strengthen what remains in the church. Their works were not perfect (mature) before God.

  
  

  Jesus indites them by saying, “I know your works that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” A point of interest is the Greek word for name is “onoma”, and it is the root word for denomination.

  
  

  Even today we sometimes get so caught up in what denomination we are, but not realizing that our relationship with Jesus is not vibrant or based on a denomination. Some churches are dead churches, they may have programs, do externals, but the Spirit of the Lord does not flow through the church. Some churches are so caught up in traditions and the way things are always done, that they miss where God wants them to go.

  
  

  I know that for me change is difficult, but the truth is that God and the Spirit are full of change, and if we want to flow with them, we have to be willing to change and go where God wants us to go, if not we are missing the mark.

  
  

  Jesus tells us to watch, that He will come upon us as a thief. This has been shown in 1 Thes 5:2, when he mentions that the Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. Jesus warned his disciples to be aware of things, for we will not know what hour He will come to us. Matthew 24 talks about this, as do many of his parables such as the 10 virgins and their lamps, etc.

  
  

  We, as members of the Body of Christ, we as churches, we as individuals cannot rest and sleep on tradition, we must be aware of God, come to God in prayer and seek direction of the Holy Spirit. The signs of the times are such that we cannot afford to sleep. Some will say, people have stated that the Day of the Lord is near 2000 years ago, and it still hasn’t come. But the truth is, the day of the Lord is far nearer now than it was then, and if it is true that one day for the Lord is as 1000 years, it may be much nearer than ever.

  
  

  The cool thing is that in Sardis, Jesus does not condemn all the people within that church, he searches the hearts and says that there are some who have not defiled their garments, and they will walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. This speaks of the remnant on the earth that will be preserved, for God will not destroy all (Jeremiah 5:10).

  
  

  Perhaps the most troubling verse for me is that those who overcome will be clothed in white garments, and their name will not be blotted out from the Book of Life. Jesus will confess their name before God and His angels. This reminds me of when Jesus said that some will say “Lord, Lord I did this or that for you, and Jesus will say to them I never knew you.” I do not want my name blotted from the Book of Life.

  
  

  It isn’t about works it is about heart placement, good works done in the wrong Spirit are not what God wants. He wants obedience not sacrifice. He wants our love. During the 5th seal, Revelation 6:9-11 Jesus clothes the martyrs in white robes and tells them to rest until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed was completed. To stand for the truth in the face of persecution was prevelent at the time that this church was historically active. And persecution continues at a tremendous pace today.

  
  

  The churches that John is writing to, faced tremendous challenges and many martyrs, at first it was the Romans who killed, then the church turned on those whom they labeled heretics. (Heather steps up on soapbox.) Sometimes I think that we, as Christians turn so easily on our fellow Christians over doctrine, ways of believing, dressing, etc, that we hurt ourselves more than the heathen hurt us.  (Heather steps off of soapbox).

  
  

  Whatever, the warning from Sardis is so important for us today. Let us not be so complacent, so arrogant that we settle in patterns that pull us off course from where God wants us to be.

  
  

  In Mark 2:22 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

  
  

  The “new” in the new wine is the Greek word “neos” which means brand new. The “new” in new wineskins is the Greek word “kinos” which means renewed.

  
  

  In those days wineskins were renewed by soaking them in a running stream, washing them with water, which would make them pliable for the storing of new wine and the pressures that having new wine would entail with fermentation.

  
  

  It is the same with us, we can get so hardened and stiff in our traditions that we are not flexible to absorb the new things God is trying to show us. It is so important for us to be washed in the Word of God and in His Spirit so that we are renewed each day, and ready to serve God where He wants us to go. To be sheep that follow their shepherd.

  
  

  Jesus was not ashamed to step out of His role and serve. He washed the disciples feet when they would not stoop to do so, He put aside traditions of the Sabbath to heal. Just like Jesus we need to be more flexible, more loving, more filled with God’s love so that we can be good servants for Him.

  
  

  I pray that Jesus never looks at me and says, “I never knew her” or that my works are dead works. I pray that I remain teachable and flexible.

  
  

  I am hoping you had a great night, I suppose I should go to bed soon because, just like I told my kids, we can’t count on the snow day or two hour delay before it happens.

  
  

  Have a blessed night.

  
  

  Heather

  • 8:30 am
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