And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled
themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were first called
Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26). The
followers of Christ at Antioch were zealous believers in the gospel of Christ.
The writer of the history of the Acts referred to them as disciples. The word for disciple in the Greek means “a
learner”. These were people learning of
Christ. So meeting often together they were taught regularly by the more
spiritually advanced Apostles Paul and Barnabas and were in a continuous
learning process advancing in the faith. This happened in the very early days
of the church and provides the pattern of expectation for the future for all
who would come to identify themselves as Christian. To become disciples should thus
become the standard experience for any, whether a single individual or an
assembly making a profession to be Christian.
In recent blogs considerations have
been given of the seven churches in Asia Minor addressed early in Revelation by
the Apostle John. At the outset of this Book we saw Christ standing in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks which in metaphor represented the
churches. There was an anticipated testimony
for the light shining forth to be the reality of Christ and the Christian
faith. In the church at Ephesus a
deficiency was found in that they had left their first love. Repentance and a
turning back were necessary for them.
The church at Pergamos had adopted both the doctrine of the Nicolaitans
and also found there was the doctrine of Balaam.(see previous blogs for a full
explanation of these doctrines) These
each represent a man centered focus and each was judged to be short of the mark
and requiring repentance. The church at Philadelphia was praised by the Lord as
an assembly which was steadfast in their faith and had kept the word of
patience while demonstrating brotherly love. It was said of them that they would escape the
hour of temptation which is to come upon the entire world to try them that
dwell on the earth.
We have not spoken yet concerning
the assemblies at Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis and Laodocia. To him that overcomes are the prominent words of exhortation to
each and every one of the seven assemblies. Smyrna was given warning that they
would be tried and have great tribulation, but overcoming was attainable by
being faithful unto death. Thyatira was plagued with temptations leading to
spiritual seduction with the realization that there could and probably would be
some who would succumb. They were admonished to “hold fast till I come”. Sardis
had slipped further into apostasy having a name that they lived, but were in
truth dead. They were admonished to be
watchful and “strengthen the things that
remain”. There remained among them “a few who had not defiled their garments”. Moving
to the assembly at Laodocea we find a people who were “neither cold nor hot” The
Lord’s thought concerning their lukewarm attitude: “I will spue you out of my mouth”.
In
retrospect, what have we found within the seven assemblies which were meant to represent
the universal church down through the age even to the end? Clearly the tendency
is to fall away from the truth, to compromise, and to be deceived with false
doctrines, sometimes to a greater and sometimes to a lesser degree. Remember these assemblies were found to be
only a few decades after the death and resurrection of the Lord, and the
turning of the world upside down through the message of the gospel. If this was
then, what has happened to the church after nearly two millennia?
Regrettably, I believe
to be realistic concerning the broad scope of the Christian church as it
presents itself to the world today; we find it to be much further advanced in compromise and in a state
of almost total spiritual decay. What we have to choose from is multiplied
scores of denominations, tossed to and fro and “carried about with every wind of doctrine”.(Ephesians 4:14) Each sect professing their own private
interpretation of the Scripture, if they even subscribe to the Word of God at
all, and each one believing they possess the truth. Is there anyone who desires a more accurate
perspective on today’s apostasy, and at the same time seeks to receive
understanding of current world developments in light of what God’s real
prophets have revealed? The hour is
late. Start your search for truth with my title: These Prophets and the Revelation, covering accurate Biblical prophecy
interfacing world developments, and is available at Amazon. com and other major
book sellers. Follow it up with the
recent title, The Israel Deception.
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