REVELATION 2 - part 2

Liberia: Although Liberia was the first independent republic in Africa (1847) it has experienced much turmoil over the last 50 years, leading to a coup in 1980, military rule and two civil wars, causing the displacement of 1/2 million people and devastation to the economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005 in which Ellen Sirleaf became the first elected president of Liberia and Africa's first female elected leader.

The Devil has many effective strategies for destroying individuals and the church of Christ. One of those strategies is immorality, stirring up natural desires into lust and promoting the fulfillment of that lust in disobedience and rebellion against God. We see the Devil's strategy at work in the churches of Ephesus, Pergamum and Thyatira in Revelation 2. The teachings behind the lies of lust vary in each church but the end goal of destroying the holy church of God with immorality is the same.
The followers of the teaching of Nicolaus. Nicolaitans (v6, 15) were followers of Nicolaus who Irenaeus writes was one of the deacons in Acts 6 who led the people into immorality. Clement of Alexander says, "They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence".
The followers of the teaching of Balaam (v14). Balaam (Numbers 22-25) encouraged Moabite women to seduce Israelite men into intermarriage and to participate in their idolatrous and sexual feasts with the intent of destroying the people of God.
The followers of Jezebel (v20-22). A woman who was a false teacher who encouraged immorality and idolatry. God was going to judge her and anyone who followed her teaching and example.

 Notice in all three of these examples the leadership of a false teacher who promotes the lie of immorality as acceptable behavior in the church. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11.13-15) and works in the church. The church is a mixture of born-again believers who strive for holiness before God and those who adopt christian words and behaviors but do not fully submit to God's authority and do not accept the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2.14-16). When a pragmatic, worldly, sensual teacher comes along these undiscerning church attenders willingly and willfully turn from the authority of God's Word.
The Devil's latest attack of immorality in the church is with the lie that same-sex marriage and other sexual sins are no longer sin because the Bible no longer has authoritative truth for our advanced and sophisticated culture. The strong attractions and deep affections of monogamous same-sex relationships and other sexual experiences cannot substitute for the truth that all sexual activity, even in the mind, outside of marriage is immorality and sin before a Holy God, whose truth has not changed. Immorality is destructive to the individual and to the church of God. God said, "Be holy as I am holy".

REVELATION 2 - part 1

Liberia: The population of Liberia is 4.7 million and growing. 43% of the population is under 15 years old so Liberia is a young country. The average income per person is $216 US. Liberia is about 42% Christian which includes about 5% Catholic, about 16% Muslim with a strong conversion rate to the Gospel but a strong push by Muslims to increase the Muslim presence, and about 43% Ethnoreligionist which comprises animism, secret societies, fetishes, cults and spiritism.

 I am slowly reading through Revelation and chapter 2, verse 4 called me to meditation this week, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first". I had to ask myself these questions, "What does Jesus mean by the love you had at first? and Have I abandoned the love I had at first for God and for Jesus?" The church at Ephesus is not preaching heresy or involved in immorality. This church is orthodox, active and zealous. It has works which are done with patient endurance, hates evil, exposes heretic teachers and is enduring persecution. This church is doctrinaly sound, persevering, pure and active but there is one big problem - Jesus has been left behind. They have forgotten why they are doing what they are doing. They have forgotten who they live for. They have become accustomed to action, and confessing their beliefs and their allegiance to Jesus but they are not embracing Jesus. Religion has replaced relationship. Some consequences may result from this kind of toil without relationship to Jesus such as bitterness toward God and others, exhaustion, resentment toward fellow workers and the church, abandonment of service, immoral behavior to replace the lack of intimacy with the Father.

 Over the last couple of years I have come to experience and know the compelling power of the love of God to live the Christian life. It is easy to default to religion when this is neglected. The most important pursuit in our life should be personal worship and communion with God. Growing knowledge and fervent service will enhance this personal relationship but we must beware that it not replace it. In our relationship with God our Father we are often led to repentance, learn our dependence on God, have insight into God's purposes, and are empowered for ministry. As John, the apostle of love wrote at the end of his life, around the same time he wrote these verses in Revelation "Little children, keep yourselves from idols". Those idols may be good works, sound knowledge and religious practices. (1 John 5.21) Jesus said, "come to me that you may have life".

PS: 1 John 2.12-14 is a good study of the stages of spiritual maturity. Notice what the "little children" and the "fathers" have in common. Don't lose that in the zealous "young man" stage.

TWO-SOULED

Liberia: The capital of Liberia is Monrovia. Monrovia is named in honor of US president James Monroe (1817-25), a prominent supporter of the colonization of Liberia and the American Colonization Society. Along with Washington DC, Monrovia is one of two national capitals named after a US president. Monrovia is ranked by the United Nations as the poorest city in the world. <https://wearetop10.com/most-poor-cities-of-the-world/>

Many Christians in the West suffer from dipsychos, the two-souled condition, without being conscious of the condition. The manifestation of symptoms varies with each person but three key elements of the condition are common to all. These elements are unbelief, love for the world and pride. Our English Bible calls this condition "double-minded" and James refers to it in his book in verses 1.8 and 4.8.

An overview of the book of James reflects a number of areas where this condition is active: instability, impartiality toward the rich, hearers of the word only, wild tongues, jealousy and selfish ambition, friendship with the world, judging others, doing your own thing, greed, broken promises. The fact that James does not accuse these double-minded believers of being hypocrites shows that this two-souled behavior is more unconscious than conscious. This unconscious behavior also shows that a standard of single-minded faith and holiness is lacking among them. Two-souled living has become common and acceptable making these believers spiritually weak and poor.
The remedy to this two-souled condition is to have a focused single-minded abandonment to Jesus, a choice made once and repeated a thousand times a day. The remedy is humble submission to God with repentance for our pride and resistance of the Devil (James 4.6-10, this would make a good meditation for the week). The remedy is to ask God for eyes that see the world as God sees it, and to become a true friend of God, and to grow in our understanding and application of the cross (James 4.1-5, and 1 John 2.15-17 and Galatians 6.14).
Jesus declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6.24). The Holy Spirit is the only one who can reveal to us our double-minded condition. Do I dare ask Him to do that?

NASHVILLE STATEMENT

Liberia: In 1825, Liberia was founded as a free land for American slaves. Even before the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born blacks, who faced legislated limits in the U.S., and 3,198, Afro-Caribbeans relocated to the settlement of Liberia, bringing their culture with them. The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after the United States. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected as Liberia's first president after the people proclaimed independence.

FLAG OF LIBERIA

Last week the Nashville Statement (select to read it) was released with strong reaction from many sides. I was surprised to read how many evangelical Christians negatively responded to this very straightforward declaration. As John Piper stated in his positive response, this statement certainly brings clarity to the beliefs of evangelical Christians. But obviously by the response the statement is not unanimously accepted by all evangelicals. It is always more comfortable to live in the shadows and this statement no longer allows that. I would encourage you to carefully read the statement for yourself and make up your own mind if this statement indeed reflects the teaching of the Bible on same-sex and gender issues and your own convictions.
I agree with the Nashville Statement but the most difficult article for me is article 10 which says, "

WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.

WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree.

This article affirms that it is sinful to approve of homosexual and transgenderism as acceptable biblical behavior and goes even further to say that such approval is a departure from Christian faithfulness and witness. Some have taken this to be a statement saying that approval of these unbiblical lifestyles means the loss of salvation. Had the statement said that I could not have agreed but I can agree that the acceptance of homosexual and transgender lifestyles is more than a matter of preference and is a sin issue and disobedience for the Christian.

I want to close by sharing a video that really impressed me. It is an interview with a former Lesbian. It is more about the church and compassionate Christians than her past lifestyle. It also shows how true conversion can radically change a sinner. So I really want to encourage you to grab a coffee or tea or a glass of water and take the time to view and think about this video from Rosaria Butterfield. You will not regret the 40 minutes it takes. You will be challenged.