The Return of Christ
It's in the news - wars and rumors of wars, famine, disease, earthquakes and other natural disasters. What does it all mean? Is Jesus returning soon? For decades, Christian ministers have been proclaiming that Christ could return at any time. Yet Christ has not returned. The Bible indicates what must first come to pass before Jesus returns to rule this Earth for 1,000 years. Study these things so that you can avoid being caught up in mis-guided teachings about when Jesus will return.
Revelation CD Set
Could Christ return tomorrow or even just soon? How often do you hear it said that "Christ could return at any time." Learn the truth about this and other famous biblical individuals - the beast, the false prophet and the Great Whore. Who or what do these things represent? This CD set is available at cost price from our eBay store
. Gain understanding about the events leading up to Jesus' return.Gospel Tract #
Seven Messages to the Seven Pastors
The seven messages given to John on the isle of Patmos were messages to the seven pastors ("messengers") of seven congregations in the Roman province then called "Asia". The only way to rightly understand these messages is to read them as messages to individual pastors instead of as messages to the congregations themselves.
Messages to Seven Individuals
In my second year Greek class at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, we were given the choice of several books from the New Testament to learn. As our final exam, we were expected to be able to read, directly from the Greek, any passage which our Greek professor might pick. I chose the book of Revelation. By the time for final exams arrived, there was virtually nothing I didn't know about the Book of Revelation, so far as vocabulary, syntax, and other matters of grammar were concerned. I could parse every noun and conjugate every verb. So comfortable did I become with the Greek, that I found that I would rather read the New Testament in the original language than in English. And so impressed was the professor with my reading of Revelation at the final exam that he dashed abroad to other segments of the New Testament, testing my knowledge of texts which I had not been required to know. He also invited me to stay an extra year, after graduation, to study Greek with him on a higher level.
I say all that, to say this. Even though I had studied with great care and thoroughness the book of Revelation, it took God to open my eyes to what Jesus was saying here in these chapters. I surely had seen the singular form of the pronoun "you" many, many times in these messages to the messengers, yet it took God to bring it to my attention that Jesus was speaking to one man, not to a group.
Again I have learned, that regardless of the education, the experience or the reputation a man possesses, if God does not teach him, he has no choice but to be ignorant of the truth which, in plain sight, is hidden in the scriptures. I magnify the God of heaven, for his kindness, to help me to understand the truth concerning the messages to the messengers of the congregations in Revelation. To God be the glory!
To the Pastor in Ephesus
The congregation in Ephesus had been tested by "false apostles" who taught wrong doctrines. This faithful pastor successfully opposed them, but in the process of exposing them as false teachers, he had lost his love for them. He had become proud against those in God's family who were wrong. His struggle against their error had robbed him of his original love for them. Jesus admonished him to recover his first love if he hoped to continue in the service of God.
Lesson: Jesus demands that his messengers do all things, even hating and condemning evil, in the love of God. We must remember that, no matter how wrong our brothers are, the only difference between them and us is the mercy of God.
To The Pastor in Smyrna
The pastor of the saints in Smyrna had pleased the Lord in all things. He was warned by Jesus to prepare to see some of his congregation cast into prison. The love of God that this good man had for his flock made their suffering a trial of his faith. If he could with patience and faith endure their being cast into "great tribulation", Jesus would give him a "crown of life".
Lesson: Obedience to the Lord does not exempt one from suffering. And the faith of a true pastor is tried when members of the congregation suffer.
To The Pastor in Pergamos
This pastor had faithfully preached the truth in Pergamos, where "Satan's seat" was. At the same time, however, he had permitted others to teach false doctrines to the congregation. The good pastor in Ephesus had exposed false apostles as liars, but this pastor had chosen to tolerate rather than condemn them. Jesus was displeased.
Lesson: A pastor is responsible for more than his own conduct. Not only must the pastor's personal life and doctrine be pure, but he is also accountable to God for the conduct and spiritual well-being of the saints over which the Lord places him.
To The Pastor in Thyatira
The pastor of the saints in Thyatira had faith and zeal, yet he had allowed doctrines of seducing spirits to be taught among the saints for such a long time that evil had taken over his work and the situation was now beyond his control. Drastic measures were needed, which only Jesus had the wisdom, power, and love of God to take.
Lesson: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." The pastor who allows evil to continue among his flock will see evil grow beyond his ability to correct it. Secondly, Jesus will sever a member of his body in order to save the whole, as he threatened to do here.
To The Pastor in Sardis
The pastor in Sardis was spiritually near death, yet he enjoyed a reputation for being spiritually alive. He had forgotten how he humbled himself to receive Christ. In spite of the miserable spiritual condition of this pastor, however, a few saints in Sardis had remained faithful to the Lord. Jesus promised them blessing but bluntly threatened their pastor.
Lesson: It is possible to be thought of as righteous without being righteous. Secondly, it is possible for individual saints to keep themselves pure even if their pastor is backslidden.
To The Pastor in Philadelphia
The pastor in Philadelphia had done well in adverse situations. Jesus promised to expose his adversaries as liars and to spare him from the horrible "hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world." He was warned, though, to continue in holiness; otherwise, he could lose the glorious crown laid up in heaven for him.
Lesson: No one ever grows so close to God that he is allowed to become slack in his responsibilities or is excused for disobedience. The Master had no complaints against this faithful servant; yet, he demanded that he continue in holiness or lose the crown of life which was promised him. "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful," wrote Paul, adding, "Woe to me if I preach not the gospel."
To The Pastor in Laodicea
The pastor in Laodicea was double-minded and mistook God's patience for God's approval. He also taught that earthly gain was evidence of genuine faith and godliness. He boasted of his worldly possessions, claiming to be worthy of them all. Jesus threatened to cast him out of the kingdom of God unless he repented.
Lesson: God blesses everyone, but He chastens only those whom He loves. It is foolish to assume that an increase in earthly goods and worldly prestige is proof of godliness.
Written to Individuals
In my second year Greek class at the seminary which I attended, we were given the choice of several books from the New Testament to learn. I chose Revelation. As our final exam, we were expected to be able to read, directly from the Greek, any passage that our professor might pick. When the time for final exams arrived, there was virtually nothing I didn't know about the book, so far as vocabulary, syntax, and other matters of grammar were concerned. I could parse every noun and conjugate every verb. So comfortable did I become with the Greek, that I found that I would rather read Revelation in the original language than in English. However, even though I studied Revelation with great care and thoroughness, it took God to open my eyes to the truths contained in the book, which He did, years after I had graduated from the seminary. I had seen the singular form of the Greek pronoun, "you", many times in reading these messages to the pastors, yet it was God, years later, who brought it to my attention that Jesus was speaking to one man, not to the whole body.
Regardless of the education, the experience, or the reputation a man possesses, if God does not teach him, he has no choice but to be ignorant of the truth which in plain sight is hidden in the Scriptures. When Jesus said that he would send the Spirit to guide us into all truth, he intended for us to understand that without the Spirit guiding us, we would never know any truth. As Paul worded it, "The things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God." And again, "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned " (1Cor. 2:11,14). For this reason, it is true that only those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God (Rom. 8:14). And for this reason, we pray for a new outpouring of the Spirit of God, that we might truly come to know our heavenly Father and the mysteries of His kingdom.