Revelation 2:5-7

 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

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Critique and Call to Repentance

Despite their commendable deeds, Christ reproves them for forsaking their first love—the passionate devotion and heartfelt commitment they initially had for Him (Revelation 2:4) BibleGateway.com+1. He warns them to repent and return to their original works, emphasizing that failure to do so will result in the removal of their "lampstand," symbolizing the loss of their spiritual influence and witness (Revelation 2:5) BibleGateway.com+2.

Spiritual and Historical Context

Ephesus was a major port city and religious center in Asia Minor, known for commerce and the temple of Artemis. The church there faced pressures from surrounding pagan practices and false teachers, which may have contributed to their waning love despite their doctrinal vigilance (Revelation 2:1-5 commentary) Bible Hub. The passage serves as both a warning and encouragement, illustrating that faithful works alone are insufficient without love and devotion to Christ.

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Hello, Friends

Today's post has to be fairly generic.

Not that God's word is generic. 

Because it is the most important part. 

But I woke up this morning at 5 am with a terrible headache. And no matter what I have done, I have not been able to get rid of it.

And so as not to make it any worse, 

I'm staying off my computers today as 

much as possible.

I plan to be back here, Lord willing, with the usual post tomorrow, which I wanted to work on for today. 

I hope and pray your day is a blessing for you.

Thanks for coming by.

Is Trump the Anti-christ? (part 8)

 

6. Persecution of Believers

SLIDE 6 OF 8

Since the Antichrist requires everyone to worship him and uses his military and political power to oppose worshipping Yahweh, he will punish and persecute those of us who bow to God. Revelation 13 teaches this persecution as a deliberate and systematic effort to suppress and eradicate those who hold fast to faith in Christ.

Revelation 13 describes how the beast, representing the Antichrist, makes war against the saints to overcome them (Revelation 13:7). The Antichrist orchestrates this persecution as part of his campaign to assert dominion over all peoples and nations. We must be prepared to endure suffering and persecution for the sake of their allegiance to Christ, as warned in Revelation 13:10.

The Bible teaches us important truths to help us endure this persecution. First, we gain rewards for enduring persecution. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me,” Jesus says in Matthew 5:11, as part of the Sermon on the Mount. We identify with Christ since he also suffered violence and persecution for speaking the truth and honoring only his Father. And we will share in his reward.

Second, these persecutions won’t last forever (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). God will save and redeem his people (Isaiah 4)

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1Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love

Revelation 2:1-4

In these verses, Jesus instructs John to write to the angel of the church in Ephesus, emphasizing the importance of the message (Rev 2:1) stepbible.org+1. He begins with a description of Himself that highlights His authority and divine knowledge, showing that He fully knows the deeds, labor, and perseverance of the believers, as well as their ability to discern truth from falsehood (Rev 2:2-3) stepbible.org+1.
While the Ephesians are praised for their faithfulness, hard work, and doctrinal integrity, they are rebuked for losing the passionate love they had at first for Christ and for one another (Rev 2:4) stepbible.org. Jesus calls them to repent and return to their initial devotion, warning that failure to do so could result in the removal of their lampstand, symbolizing the loss of their status as a faithful church (Rev 2:5) stepbible.org+1.
The passage also references the Nicolaitans, a group associated with idolatry and immorality, indicating that the church must remain vigilant against false teachings and corrupt influences (Rev 2:6) stepbible.org. Overall, these verses combine commendation, correction, and a call to renewed love and faithfulness, illustrating the balance of grace and accountability in Christ’s message to His churches.

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Have you ever "lost your first love?"

That is the fire for Jesus Christ when you were first saved.

I know I did. 

I didn't exactly leave Christ.

Nor did I deny Him.

But life had come along,

presenting daily living situations.

Good and not so good.

They stole that fire from me.

Until things got so bad one day,

that I knew I had to repent

and get close to Him again.

That is what I believe these verses mean.

He gave me a second chance.  

But during the Tribulation,

there may be many people 

that find themselves in the same boat.

Will their time run out?

I don't know. 

And I sure don't want to be one who finds out.

The best way to know for sure

is to miss those days altogether. 

May God have mercy on us, Friends.

Thanks for coming by.

Have a blessed day.

Is Trump the Anti-Christ ( part 7)

 

5. False Miracles

SLIDE 5 OF 8

When Jesus appeared publicly and began his ministry, he performed miracles, like healing. The Antichrist will do false miracles to claim himself as a messiah, further deceiving many.

Scripture warns us of false prophets who perform signs and wonders to deceive, as mentioned in Matthew 24:24. These false miracles validate the Antichrist’s counterfeit claims, enticing individuals to follow him instead of the true God. The book of Revelation describes the Antichrist's associate, the false prophet, who performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men (Revelation 13:13). These false miracles serve to lead people to worship the Antichrist and receive his mark (Revelation 13:14-15).

However, Jesus never performed a miracle to draw attention to himself. Again, even though he alone is worthy of worship, he often healed a person and told them to keep quiet. The act of compassion and obedience satisfied Jesus. He had rejected worldwide fame in the wilderness when Satan tempted him. In contrast, the Antichrist uses these supposed supernatural events to draw attention to himself and gain more earthly power.

As Christians, we must test the spirits to see if they are from God, as 1 John 4:1 cautions us, and remain rooted in Jesus. Jesus alone can keep us faithful to the end.

(Source: Crosswalk.org)

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16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Revelation 1:16-20

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An Anti-Christ will appear during the tribulation to deceive people.

But make no mistake. 

There are already plenty of them here now.

God does perform miracles today just as He did when He walked the earth. But we must be careful because so many are fake. And they come from false teachers that try to convince their followers of them who will give money because they think the miracles are real. Don't just believe these people without really knowing who they are and comparing them to what the Bible says. God's Word is our best resource to know. Jesus did not have to get the people of His day hyped up to heal people in a church setting, for example. And this happens in many churches today because these people do not care about the people who come to their church. They want to extract the money from your wallet to load it (and I do mean load it) into theirs. 

There is one so-called female preacher who told her congregation that she was not going to "bless anyone" until they started to bring their seed offerings up to her. 

Did Jesus do that? Absolutely not. And that was just downright sickening to me. And it should be to all Christians. But many people are deceived and give as much as they can to get her worthless blessings. Whether they can afford it or not.

If she doesn't repent of this kind of hogwash, one day, God will tell her that He never knew her. 

That is just one example. There are many so-called healings that have never been documented, promises for riches that have never happened, and more.

Jesus told us himself that these false teachers, etc., had already come into the world in His day. And there were many more to come.

And Friends, they are here. Many of them. We have a mandate from our Lord to be ever watchful for them, so that we don't fall into following the evil they are doing.

Does God heal today? Yes. Does he perform miracles today? Yes.

But His are not fake. And He doesn't promise them to everyone who gives to a ministry that wants your money first before you can expect your prayers to be answered.

Thanks for coming by today. God bless you!

Is Trump the Anti-Christ? (part six)

 

4. Opposition to Jesus Christ

SLIDE 4 OF 8

As already mentioned, “Christ” refers to the Messiah, so the “antichrist” would be a person who actively opposes the Messiah, fulfilled in King Jesus. To recognize the Antichrist, we must comprehend his rejection of any worship of the true God, as outlined in 1 John 2:22.

In his first letter to the Church, the apostle John warns believers against those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, denying both the Father and the Son. This denial is not merely a theological disagreement but a deliberate rejection of the foundational truth of Christian faith—that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, deserving of worship and adoration. Because the Antichrist sets himself up as a false messiah to be worshipped, he will actively resist any worship of God or truth speaking.

God, in his love, allows people to choose to worship him, even though he alone is worthy. God doesn’t force anyone in this life to bow the knee. The Antichrist won’t give people a choice. Worshipping God will threaten his lies, which he can’t allow.

For Christians, worshipping God alone is a form of resistance, as Daniel prayed when the law forbade it, and his three friends refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s massive statue. Not because we stand against any government but because we must give honor and submit to the only God. This will prove a difficult time for us in the last few days, so we need to rest in the Holy Spirit’s power and the fellowship of the saints for strength.

(Source: Crosswalk.org)

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13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. Revelation 1:13-15

Revelation 1:13-15 depicts the glorified Jesus Christ standing among the lampstands, symbolizing His authority, wisdom, and divine judgment.

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Hello, Friends.

If you find any mistakes in today's post, please forgive me. 

I did find some and corrected them. 

I hope that I did not miss any.

It has been a different week as I alluded to in yesterday's post. 

At any rate, thanks for coming by today.

God bless!