Life Capsule for Today Date: 4th July,2023
Theme: To what Church do you belong (3)?
Memory Verse: Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Topic: The Church at Pergamos (Church That is Married the World)
Bible Reading: Rev 2:12-15
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Words of the Ministry
In the Greek, the word Pergamos means either marriage or fortified city. In Pergamos, we see a Church that is married to the world and has become a fortified city. The Lord rebukes the Church at Pergamos because it has become married to the world. The devil after failing to overcome the Church through persecution, he then turns to introducing the false doctrine of Balam (Num 25.1-3, 31.16) and Nicolatians. The doctrine of Balam meant they taught the people how to worship idols instead of Christ and how to engage in spiritual fornication instead of being faithful to the Lord and how to eat food dedicated to idols. Spiritual fornication is to have our devotion to any other thing or being outside Christ, it could be an item or a person. When our worship and allegiance is not devoted wholly to Christ and to his kingdom but the things we get from him, we engage in spiritual fornication, when we feed on any other spiritual food and not Christ we eat food sacrificed to idols.
The Church was described as dwelling where Satan dwelt, Satan’s throne is in the world. That is the place where he dwells and the sphere of his reign. To therefore dwell when Satan throne is, is to become worldly. Thankfully, they were a few individuals, the key person being Antipas (Rev.2.13), Antipas means against all, he was against all the worldly practices in the Church, he was a faithful witness though he was killed, the Lord noted his sacrificial life. To overcome the worldliness of today’s Church, we need a few Antipas’s, men and women that would care for nothing but Christ, stand for nothing but righteousness, be known for nothing but the truth. Regardless of the price, we must arise to say no to the decay in the Church. From Pergamos, we can see that a Church could be a fortified city, widely known and influential among men yet displacing to the Lord, full of prosperity and highly influential yet worldly.
Another matter the Lord raised against the Church at Pergamos was that some held to the teachings of Nicolaitans. This teaching of Nicolaitans directly opposes the functioning of the members in the Church. It introduces a form of strata where some are clergy and other are laity. It discourages the full participation of the members of the body of Christ, making a division as though some are special than others. While the doctrine of Balam affected our relationship with Christ the head of the body, the teachings of Nicolatians affected the members of the body of Christ. So we see the strategy of Satan, on the one hand he tries to dent our devotion to Christ and on the other hand tries to paralyze the proper functioning of the body. The Church today is not growing spiritually because of this two things, members are either serving idols, pursing men of God and what God can give instead of God and at the same time, some have been reduced to an audience, they don’t function in the Church, they see the Church as a place of entertainment, where they can access good music, comedy, jokes, preaching and make contacts. The Lord says repent else he would fight you with the sword of his mouth. May the Lord grant us light
Bible in one year: Psalm 52-59
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