Heaven's Eyes

Rev 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Jesus is speaking here to the Thyatiran church of Asia. John's description of the Author of these words is the He is One of knowing and doing.

Jesus' eyes are like unto a flame of fire. This indicates that nothing escapes His all-seeing gaze. His feet are like fine brass, indicating that, in His purity and surety, He continues walking in the midst of the churches.

Notice what happens in our next verse, twice the Lord conveys that He knows the works of that church. "I know thy works...and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."

Is Jesus repeating Himself? Yes! The Greek word is "ergon" as in "ergonomic." It means exactly what you would expect "works" to mean, "deeds, doing, labor."

My studies of the Word cause me to conclude that when God repeats something, it is very important that we take notice and respond appropriately.

Consider it like this, “God knows your works, He knows your works.” Pretty emphatic, huh?

The works being observed by these flaming eyes of fire are the church's works of charity, service, faith and patience.

Charity = love in action
Service = ministry to God and to others
Faith = acting upon God's promises
Patience = performance under pressure

These are the types of works under scrutiny of Heaven's eyes. How does our church stack up?

Oh be careful little hands what you do
Oh be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little hands what you do

Oh be careful little feet where you go
Oh be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little feet where you go

Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Preaching, Its Good For You!

1 Thess 5:20 Despise not prophesyings

God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save the lost. Indeed, the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish. So says I Cor 1:18, 21.

Indeed, preaching does seem a little crazy at times. A guy mounts the pulpit, delivers the Word with passion to groups of people, some very large groups, and they respond with “Amens!” Sometimes they stream to altars for prayer following said screeching. Then they shake the ministers hand on the way out of the church and tell him what a fine message it was. Most of the time, he actually gets paid for his holy rants, replete with hyperbole, poetry, tears and amateur comedy.

It is no wonder non church types just don’t get it. Hey, I am a preacher and sometimes I am baffled by God’s preferred method of deliverance of the Bread of Life.

In I Thessalonians, the Apostle, in 3 short words, warns that we not deride, despise or deny the process of God’s man thundering forth God’s Word.

Two of the commentators are worth reading on this verse:

JFB - - Do not suppose that ye have no need of continual instruction; without it ye cannot preserve the Christian life, nor go on to perfection. God will ever send a message of salvation by each of his ministers to every faithful, attentive hearer. Do not suppose that ye are already wise enough; you are no more wise enough than you are holy enough. They who slight or neglect the means of grace, and especially the preaching of God’s holy word, are generally vain, empty, self-conceited people, and exceedingly superficial both in knowledge and piety.

Matthew Henry - - Despise not prophesyings (1Th_5:20); for, if we neglect the means of grace, we forfeit the Spirit of grace. By prophesyings here we are to understand the preaching of the word, the interpreting and applying of the scriptures; and this we must not despise, but should prize and value, because it is the ordinance of God, appointed of him for our furtherance and increase in knowledge and grace, in holiness and comfort. We must not despise preaching, though it be plain, and not with enticing words of men's wisdom, and though we be told no more than what we knew before. It is useful, and many times needful, to have our minds stirred up, our affections and resolutions excited, to those things that we knew before to be our interest and our duty.

With that, we pray that each reader finds a Bible preaching church this coming Lord’s day and soaks in the Word as it is preached in passionate sincerity.

Hyperbole?

John 21:24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they
should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could
not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

I have heard people say that this summation by the Apostle John could not be taken literally, it is just hyperbole.

But I know that all the things He has done, just in my life, would take several volumes if they were recorded and commentaries made. I suppose that I hardly know but a small percentage of what He has done for me.

Jesus has been very good to me and, I suspect He has been especially kind to you also. Perhaps, one day, we will get to read those volumes containing our own untold stories of His works on our behalf.

The Oil Lamp Came On

John 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

So, light bulbs hadn't been invented yet, so an oil lamp must have come on over John's head as the realization struck him about the Lord's promises of rising again from the dead.

The disciples just couldn't get a clue about the Lord's death and resurrection. The pieces of the puzzle puzzled them greatly.

The view of the empty tomb for the ladies, then John and Peter initially portended that the body of Jesus had been secreted away. This troubled them.

But finally, the realization washed over John that this is exactly what Jesus had been predicting all along. "Tear this temple down and I will raise it again in three days."

Don't be too hard on the learning disabled disciples. Every day, we Christians get frustrated at circumstances that are brought to us for our growth. We get angry over setbacks that are meant to protect us. We react faithlessly to events created to build our faith. We get bent out of shape by things intended to bend us toward the Lord.

Concerning our problems, the sun is soon coming up over an empty tomb. Our faith is set to evolve. We are being prepared to overcome. Yet, sticking our heads into the empty tomb, our understanding is still empty until an angel startles us to the reality that Christ is alive, God occupies the throne, peace is ours, we are sent out to minister to others of the risen Christ and that the Holy Ghost is within us.

The tomb is empty? That's not a problem but a promise. It is what God planned all along.

You are experiencing pain, confusion, bewilderment, setback, disappointment today, don't be perplexed. There is a plan and a reason. Soon the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place.

Christ died to rise again. John finally got it. Your problems come for reasons you cannot understand yet. But we are risen with Christ, we are more than conquerors, we have victory in Him. Soon the light bulb will come on for you and you will get it too.

Even This Could Have Been Forgiven

John 18:19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21 Why askest thou me? ask them which heard
me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

This slap in the face of the Savior, those who spit on Him, or mocked Him, those who gambled for His robe or drove the nails, it is hard to imagine, but Jesus prayed that they be forgiven for their ignorance. We don’t know if this man got his eyes opened the next day at Calvary, but he may well have.

I am not always as Christ like as I should be. I say let this guy burn, let ‘em all fry! But they really did think they were doing God a favor. Jesus said that they didn't know what they were doing. Forgiveness belonged to this man, if he would accept it. The same blood that poured from the Lord's body that would wash His sin away is the blood offered for you and me. The difference? His sin was in ignorance. Many of our sins are a slap in the face of the Lord, knowing full well we are breaking God's law!

Yet, God loves us, He forgives us, He shows mercy and grace. We are rotten to the core, yet we remain the apple of His eye!

Amazing stuff!

Powerful Words, Powerful Savior

John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

When you think of the words of Jesus while He was walked this sod, many remarkable quotes come to mind. The Words from the cross are powerful, "Father, forgive them.", "It is finished." Etc.

And then, there are the many dynamic teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, "Ye are the salt of the earth" and "Ye are the light of the world.", Etc.

What He said to Nicodemus, the woman at the well and other individuals are incomparable.

But here is something said by our Lord, simple and powerful, that literally knocked the listeners from their feet.

Two words, add the italicized word and the phrase becomes a mere 3 word phrase. "I am he." The group went backward and fell to the ground!

We have to realize the makeup of the arresting party. Verse 3 tells us, Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Additionally, verse 10 tells us of Malchus, a servant of the high priest, and verse 12, which indicates a captain and officers of the Jews.

These were apparently all Jews, religious ones at that, and not a Roman among them.

Commentator Adam Clarke has this take on the incident: "Our Lord chose to give them this proof of his infinite power, that they might know that their power could not prevail against him if he chose to exert his might, seeing that the very breath of his mouth confounded, drove back, and struck them down to the earth. Thus by the blast of God they might have perished, and by the breath of his nostrils they might have been consumed: Job 4:9."

Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown, put this take on what was taking place, "they went backward (recoiled) and fell to the ground — struck down by a power such as that which smote Saul of Tarsus and his companions to the earth (Act_26:14). It was the glorious effulgence of the majesty of Christ which overpowered them.”

And Mayer adds, “This, occurring before His surrender, would show His power over His enemies, and so the freedom with which He gave Himself up.”

I would link this display of power with the awesome significance of the very words, "I am." Not a one of the arresting party was unfamiliar with their significance. Prior to this arrest, Jesus used those very words to incite, possibly some of these very Pharisees, to take up stones to take our Lord out of commission. John 8:58, 59.

In fact, the book of John is replete with the "I Am’s" of Jesus. (More than 30 times!) John is the only one of the four evangelists to relate this "I am he" narrative.

Calmet speaks fluidly of the connotation of Jesus' claim of being the "I Am." “I am from all eternity. I have existed before all ages. You consider in me only the person who speaks to you, and who has appeared to you within a particular time. But besides this human nature, which ye think ye know, there is in me a Divine and eternal nature. Both, united, subsist together in my person."

We may not know this side of heaven what supernatural forces accompanied Jesus' proclamation of "I am he." My mind recalls the dove and the voice from heaven which accompanied His baptism. I think of the voice that thundered and the bright light that blinded as Paul and his companions were knocked to the ground on Damascus Road. I consider also the transfiguration of Jesus before His inner circle of disciples. Perhaps some of these very phenomenon occurred in the Garden when He proclaimed "I am he." When He repeated the phrase a few verses later, no such knock down power accompanied it. (vs 8)

I long for coronation day when all believers of all ages will fall before our King in humble adoration. I imagine the Father proclaiming "This is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased." Not one of the sainted billions will be able to stay afoot. What power! What glory! What display of eternal domination will we witness on that glorious day?

At Jesus' words, the arresting group lost their bearings, went backward and fell to the ground. Then they came to themselves, garnered their "honor" and proceeded with their dark mission.

At the words of our great I AM in celestial environs, we will be completely arrested. We will fall prone before Him to worship without inhibition. On that day and forevermore we will ascribe to Him salvation, glory, honor and power. That will be our eternal mission.

Clueless:

Acts 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

When I think of clueless, I don’t think about a movie starring a blonde girl who lacks common sense, but I think about the masses of ignorant people who are like lemmings running off a cliff into the ocean. They are getting their worldview from Hollywood, Nashville, 5th Ave., or CNN.

The Bible is jam-packed full of clueless people.
-I think of Samson! He should have known better than to mess around with heathen girls, than to get a haircut in the wrong barbershop.
-How about the whole world in the days of Noah? 120 years he told them to get right with God, 120 years they called Him a fool. Jesus says, “They knew not until the floods came and took them all away.”
-the best example of all would be the crowd that cried out for Jesus’ death. They were totally clueless. Then the Pharisees started milling through the crowd putting bugs in people’s ears, “When Pilate asks, shout out Barabbas’ name.”

If a person does not have a proper perspective of an event, they cannot rightly judge what is happening.

Cases in point:
*Occupy Wall Street
Some people are saying they support “Occupy Wall Street?”
Well, what do you support?
“They’re frustrated.” Who isn't?
“They can't pay the rent or their college loans.” Then, go get a job.
“They are protesting against the 1 percent.” What do you expect them to do, divide their money between you people?

*The fall of governments in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, (America?), etc.
*Rioting in Greece, and other parts of Europe.
*The breaking up of your family!
*The constant upheaval going on at your job and in your school Nobody trusts anybody. One department is against another, 2nd shift is against the day shift. The employees distrust the authority, and vice-versa.
*The same thing in our nation. People hate the politicians, the politicians disdain the people.

What, in Heaven’s name is going on? Nobody seems to know.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to any of it, unless you have the right perspective. A biblical one!

People are fighting and giving themselves to causes that are completely nonsensical.

You are not going to get the proper perspective from CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS or NBC, nor from Face Book. These are like the Pharisees inciting the crowd to proclaim, “Crucify Him” at the trial of Jesus. They are totally missing the point!

So, let’s get a clue as to what is really going on in these crazy days…

1. There is a spiritual warfare going on for the domination of souls, countries, the world.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Satan is pretty good at what he is doing. He is patient. He’s been at this game a long time. (the destruction of the nuclear family – took 70 years, but it was very effective.)
(the fall of America – it took about 100 years, but he is just about to get it done.)
(gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana, etc.)
However, he knows that time is very short, so he is stepping up his efforts, he knows his time is short.

God is not the author of confusion, so who is? Who is authoring all this craziness going on? The counsels of hell have hatched their plans to steal, kill and destroy. Jn 10:10. The enemy whispers and the masses pay heed!

2. The kings of the earth are conspiring together against God, Ps 2:1-3. There is a concerted effort by the true powerbrokers of the earth to establish a one world government apart from God. But, don’t worry, look at vs 4. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

3. PRIDE! Pro 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention:
Why are there wars? Pride. Why are there problems in your home? Pride. Families are breaking up because of pride. Churches split because of pride. All that strife down at work is because of pride.

Don’t be clueless. Know the wiles of the enemy. Avoid the traps he has set for you and your family, your church, your country.

Look to the Lord. Immerse yourself in the Word, pray, be filled with the Sprit. Renew your mind daily.

Don’t listen to the lying voices. The only reason anyone should ever watch CNN, etc. is to know what the enemy is up to. They are great at twisting, smoke and mirrors, distraction, etc.

Feed on truth! Don’t be willingly ignorant.
2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant…

One more thing that we must not be clueless about, Jesus is the answer! Jn 10:10, Jn 14:6. He is the only answer. The answer is not another pill, or infusing more money, or philosophy or any one of a million things. Jesus is the answer to every problem.

For your sin, He offers His salvation
For your sadness, He offers His joy
For your confusion, He offers His wisdom
For your turmoil, He offers His peace.
For your loneliness, He offers His presence.
For your lack, He offers His supply.
For your guilt, He offers His grace.

Now you don’t have to be clueless!