The Revelation Given To John Through The Angel Part two of lesson five

 

 

The Revelation Given to John by Jesus Through the Angel

Lesson five continued

The letter to the Church at Paramus

“But I have a few things against you because you have some who hold to the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, so they ate things sacrificed to idols and committed fornication.”

II Peter 2:10-22 will tell us what God thinks of this kind of people who are not only sinning themselves but lead others into sin and enjoy the results.

Barkley[i] reminds us it is very important to keep in mind that the principle of the Christian life is not escape, but conquest. And[ii] later he says, “Here is a rebuke to us. So many are prepared to demonstrate their Christianity in Christian circles but are equally prepared to play it down in circles where Christianity is met with opposition.”

The assembly at Paramus was true to the faith even though they lied where emperor worship was compulsory, but some of them believed that compromise was the order of the day. Like Balaam, their way was contrary to God’s way.

Balaam first went to God and asked him if what he wanted to do to gain wealth for himself would be alright. When God said “no” he turned from it, bet when he was tempted again, he asked for permission again. God said “no” again of course, but he promised to tell Balaam what to do if he was tempted again. Balaam didn’t wait for the temptation to come to him again, he walked right into it. He spoke God’s word with his mouth, but his heart looked for a way to please god and himself too.

Those who held to the teachings of Balaam not only encouraged compromise, but the ate food sacrificed to idols – a sign of allegiance to the idol – and committed fornication.

Barkley[iii]points out the difference between being uniquely like Mashiach[iv], who ate with sinners so he could show them the way out of their sin; and following the policy of compromise “solely to save themselves from trouble” as the Nicolaitans did. He also points out that Mashiach makes war with his word, the sword of his mouth. And he goes to war with those who seduce the Church with evil teachings. Included in his word[v] are conviction of sin, invitation to God, and assurance of salvation.

We will pause here to look at the makeup of the soul and the spirit.

• Soul: the Greek word is πσυχηε psuche and means “to breath”
• Spirit: the Greek word is πνμα pneuma and means “the breath of life”
• Soul and spirit are distinguished by one (soul) meaning “animal life” and the other (spirit) meaning “immortal life.”
• In Hebrew the word soul is nephesh and is translated “a breathing creature; in other words an animal vitality – body and mind.
• In Hebrew the Greek word pneuma is runiuch, which means “to breath, or “forceful life.”
• Heart: the Greek word is ηεαρτ Kardia and is interpreted “thoughts, feelings, mind, middle (as the core of an apple).

 

Therefore, the living word of God is able to separate the breath of life from the act of breathing; or animal life from immortal life, and is familiar with every thought, or feeling from the core of our being. There is nothing hidden from him.

 

When we compare our goals to those of these Paramus Christians, if we find that we are running greedily after the rewards of this world we had better do an immediate about face. Run, instead, hungrily after the inheritance that Peter tells us is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading. Jude calls Christians, who run after the fame and fortune of this world, sunken rocks and clouds without water carried around in the winds and never being a blessing to anyone[vi].

We who overcome by the blood of the Lamb have the promise of “hidden manna” – spiritual nourishment. We are also promised the white stone of equital – or the admission stone to the Messianic Banquet. We have been exonerated from guilt because our guilt nailed Yeshua to the cross.

 

Prayer: Lord, we will grow in grace. We desire to know you better and grow strong in your strength and power. We will spend our energy and time in an ever-closer association with you; and we have your promise that we will grow more in your image as we spend time with you.

 

Lord, you know how hard and discouraging it gets for your children when everyone around us is trying to get us to deny the faith. Even the people we expect to support us make remarks and sneer at us for being faithful to you. When someone, who we expect to pray with and for us, ridicules us instead, it is mighty discouraging. Nevertheless, we will fight the good fight of faith. We will stand fast, guarded with the truth and covered with your righteousness. We will be consistently prepared to give and answer for our faith, ready always to make peace between God and man. We will suffer hard times as good soldiers, free from the entanglements of this life because we have cast all our care on you. We will rejoice that you have allowed others to make it hard for us to live a faithful Christian life and pray for the ones who make it hard. Lord, please teach us to love them as you do. We want to know you and the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your suffering.

 

Lord, help us to be obedient children who do not mold ourselves according to the way we lived when we were ignorant of your eternal glory and power. We will be set apart to live in the light of your love. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of your Lamb who is without spot or blemish. We hunger and thirst after your righteousness and will follow your pattern for the way we live. We will glory in our eternal treasures. Thank you for being our God.

 

[i] Volume I, page 91

[ii] Ibid, 92

[iii] Ibid, page 93

[iv] Christ

[v] Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17

[vi] I Peter 1:4 from the KJV and Proverbs 1:10 from the Message Bible

Oh How I love you! Part Three

Oh How I Love You!

Continued – Part Three

A good wife isn’t rude to her husband, isn’t self-centered, doesn’t get angry easily, and isn’t suspicious. She is as polite and respectful to her husband as she would be to the king; she treats him with the same care and attention as she gives herself because they two are one; she is as patient with him as she wants him to be with her; and she always expects the best from him, as she naturally does of herself.

Since mortal marriage is a picture of Mashiach[i]’s relationship to the Church and the Church’s relationship to Mashiach, a wife who loves the Lord will cooperate with her own husband in the Lord. Of course, if he asks her to sin, she will meekly, humbly, and with love refuse. She will treat him with respect, love, co-operation[ii], and awe that are a good demonstration of the Church’s behavior toward Mashiach. She won’t be manipulated by her husband’s behavior – she will be responsible for her own emotions and reactions. She will not try to supervise her husband’s reactions in order to control any given situation in her marriage; she will subjugate to her own emotions and reactions and prayerfully leave her husband’s in the capable hands of the Lord to work in his own way and time.

She will recognize the power and right of God to work in her life and in her marriage as he wills. She will reject her own tendency to try to direct the situation – she will reject any thought of her own rights and remember the high price paid for her redemption, who it was that created her, and from whence she came. She will recognize God’s right and mercy in training her to look for lessons to learn and strengths to gain in each new trial. She will not be envious of another Christian’s lot because she knows that, no matter how it looks to her, every Christian has his own proving ground on which he learns to lean on God and trust his guidance. Each trial is tailor-made to suit each child of God. He knows what we need and will give it to us – so the good wife will live as she is called to live and thank God for her own proving ground. She is in training for holiness and will practice for holiness so faithfully – with love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control – that whenever occasion to sin arises – naturally and without deliberation – she knows what to do and does it with ease and expertise. An angry and unreasonable husband may be the training tool of the Holy Spirit. It may be the environment he uses to get the good wife to practice regularly, systematically, ad habitually until holiness is dominate, natural, and easy. Practice will etch the pattern of holiness permanently into her life. It is on this proving ground that she will find the rest Paul speaks of in the fourth chapter of the letter to the Hebrews. She will sow discipline, reap righteousness, and acquire peace.

This does not mean a couple can have a happy marriage without the cooperation of the husband, but the wife can be happy in the Lord without her husband’s cooperation.

A happy marriage; however, requires the full involvement of both partners. Most of the things that make a good wife also make a good husband with a lot more required of the husband, as in our relationship with the Lord; he accepts the greatest responsibility.

The Bible says it is required of a steward that he be found faithful and the husband is the guardian of his wife’s affections, possessions, and life. He is to love his wife as Mashiach[iii] loved the Church and gave himself for it. When he sees that his wife has feet of clay he will say, with the prophet of old, “and now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay and thou art the potter…” recognizing that he is also clay.

A good husband will watch out for his wife’s spiritual well-being and if she starts to stumble on the track, he will guide her back to a steady run, gently and humbly with a forgiving spirit. He will be in control of and responsible for his own actions to emotions and events, controlled by the Spirit. His love will be a good picture of Mashiach’s love for the Church.

Marriage is an exclusive union, toward each other and away from parents – both must let go. It is a private union of a male and female, no other included. It is an effective union, the two shall become one – he the head and she the body – neither can survive without the other. They are one flesh, a single organism. Couples must cleave tightly to each other emotionally, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. The Almighty God said it should be permanent – enduring, and he is the only one who can make it so with the cooperation of both parts of the whole. Divorce is a dismembering of a living being.

A good husband will be patient and tolerant of his wife’s weakness and lack of knowledge. He will please her when he is able. He will be concerned for her spiritual improvement, patiently using the comfort of the Scriptures to give her hope so God will be glorified in their collective life.

A good husband requires accountability from his wife and assumes she expects his behavior will also be trustworthy. They are patient and supportive of one another, encouraging and cooperating with each other. They are unselfish and honest with each other and demonstrate mercy, kindness and patience toward each other; in love forgiving and comforting other. They will not want to grumble about or to each other; but, rather show understanding and compassion. They will be faithful, affectionate, and thoughtful in every aspect of live. They will dwell together in the conditions God has placed them in and cultivate faithfulness together. They will think not as “he and me” or “she and me” but “Us” or “We”.

 

 

[i] Christ

[ii] Obedience

[iii] Christ