"Smyrna: The Persecuted Church” (Pt. 1) (June 19, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Smyrna: The Persecuted Church” (Pt. 1)

(June 19, 2019)

 

          Since the inception of Christianity, it has not been unusual for Christ’s followers to experience various levels of persecution.  It has/does range from the relatively minor to the major.  Each of us has probably experienced some level of minor persecution at school, at work, among our family, and among our friends.  In America as a whole, animosity and hostility is being ramped up quickly against Christians.  A few years ago one of the biggest news stories was that of the IRS targeting conservative political groups and also auditing Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family, Samaritans Purse, and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  Many view this, myself included, as a for-shadowing of things to come.

          Things we are seeing today, at least thus far, pale in comparison with what they were in the days of the early church and even what they are right now in other places around the globe.  Apart from America, where we have been relatively sheltered, there have been more Christian martyrs in recent years than there were during the first century.  According to a study by Regent University, nearly 164,000 Christians worldwide were martyred for their faith in 1999.  In 2000, that number rose to nearly 165,000.  With each passing year, the number of Christians who face death for their beliefs increases.  It has been estimated that since A.D. 70, over seventy million Christians have been put to death for refusing to renounce their faith.

          Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) came to be known as the “Persecuted Church,” because of the horrible difficulties it faced and also the fact it was addressed the way it was, here in Revelation by the Lord Himself.  Smyrna was an important seaport about 35-40 miles north of Ephesus.  The city received its name from one of its principle products – myrrh.  Smyrna probably goes back to about 3000 B.C.  It was destroyed at one point, and laid in ruins for over 3000 years but was rebuilt in 290 B.C.  It was a noted center of science and medicine according to various writings from the period.  The city was claimed to be the birthplace of Homer, the great epic poet of The Iliad and The Odyssey.   The city is the only one of the 7 churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3 that still exists today.  Today it is the Turkish city of Izmir.

          Jesus’ words are primarily words of comfort to the church in Smyrna.  He had no rebuke like what He did for Ephesus.  This church had power and purity on display.  Persecution had purified and purged it from sin and affirmed the reality of its member’s faith.  John MacArthur writes “Hypocrites do not stay to face persecution, because false believers do not want to endure the pain.  Trials and persecution strengthen and refine genuine saving faith, but uncover and destroy false faith.” (John MacArthur; New Testament Commentary; Revelation 1-11; 68)

          Christ is described to this congregation as “The first and the last, Who was dead, and came to life.” (vs. 8)  “The first and the last” is an Old Testament title for God, used about 3 times in Isaiah. (44:6; 48:12; 41:4)  Christ’s equality and very nature are affirmed as being equal to God the Father.  The “Resurrection” is affirmed as John reminds them Christ was dead but now is alive.  This was a quick and to-the-point reminder of Jesus to help encourage them in a time of suffering and uncertainty.  It is a sort of reminder He is eternal, while their suffering is only temporary.  It is so easy to lose sight of the big picture and get mired down in the cares of the moment and our suffering.  One can easily get bogged down and focus on the details of the moment and forget about nearly everything else.  This is true even of the things we hold most dear.  To illustrate this consider with me that when you are hungry, food may be all that is on your mind.  When you are really sleepy and tired, rest/sleep is about all you can focus on.  When you get really good news or really bad news your mind dwells there and you can hardly think about anything else.  The church at Smyrna had been dwelling on their present suffering/persecution and had not been dwelling upon Christ!

          Jesus offers encouragement for this congregation.  He assures them He knows what they are going through.  He is saying to all of us today “I know what you are going through, and I care.”  Jesus never tries to tell the people at this church, it is not as bad as it seems.  He just tries to help them keep it all in perspective.  Jesus frames their difficulties with hope in the broader picture.

          Jesus knew all about their work, the tribulation they were experiencing, and the physical poverty they were going through.  He reminds them though they are spiritually rich.  The word “tribulation” means “pressure.”  They were under enormous pressure!  In Acts 14:22 we are told “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”  In John 16:33 Jesus spoke “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  Every day of our lives we need to remember we have genuine reason to be of good cheer.  It is because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has overcome the world!

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Recommended Reading Winter/Spring 2019 (Pt. 2) (June 11, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: Recommended Reading Winter/Spring 2019 (Pt. 2)

(June 11, 2019)

         

          Cell phones have changed our lives.  One could argue for better or for worse, but there is little doubt they have changed us, and the world in which we live. Tony Reinke has written a fantastic book called 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You.  I found this book among the most fascinating reads of late.  He argues we have become addicted to distraction; that we devalue, perhaps even ignore flesh and blood in a way previously unknown; that we crave immediate approval through social media; that literacy to a large degree is being lost as people skim and speed-read in a way never done before; that we are losing a sense of true meaning; that we are lonelier now than ever before; that much of the clear sense of right and wrong we once knew is being lost; that we are more harsh to one another; we are more comfortable than we have ever been before in secret vises, and much more.  Before reading this book, I assumed I had a good grasp of the problem, but Reinke really made me think about many things.  Put this book on your “must read” list.

          Some books just make you say “Wow,” and that is the case with author Melvin Tinker’s book That Hideous Strength: How the West was Lost: The Cancer of Cultural Marxism in the Church, the World and the Gospel of Change.  Tinker explores how the worldview behind the attempt to build the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 is the same one that influenced Karl Marx and his socialistic descendants.  In recent decades we have seen a drastic change in western culture in how truth is viewed.  The secular worldview, sexually promiscuous, pro-homosexual, pro-abortion, anti-family mindset of today undermines the very idea of “truth” itself before any thoughts or ideas are shared!  Tinker writes this book in the backdrop of C. S. Lewis’ classic work That Hideous Strength where Lewis saw with remarkable precision and clarity where the thinking of even 70 years ago would take mankind.  Melvin Tinker’s book is pointed and eye-opening!

          Concerning the subject of church history I really enjoyed, and learned a lot from A Brief History of Sunday: From the New Testament to the New Creation by Justo L. Gonzalez.  The book traces the development of Sunday (The Lord’s Day) as the day of Christian worship moving from the Jewish Sabbath on the 7^th day of the week.  Many think this was simple, with only a few lingering issues, but it was not so cut and dry.  There are several intriguing historical truths of which I was unaware until I read this book.  Gonzalez takes one through the middle ages, through The Reformation, and shows how the reformers felt about The Lord’s Day. Gonzalez then moves on to the Puritans, and then up to the more modern issues concerning the day of worship. 

          The Five “Solas” or “Sole authorities” coming out of the Protestant Reformation were the sole authority of Scripture alone; Faith alone; Grace alone; Christ alone; and by God’s Glory alone.  Jason K. Allen is the editor of a great new book that came out earlier this year called Sola: How the Five Solas are Still Reforming the Church.  A handful of authors write each chapter and give a great overview of each of the 5 solas.  It is a great introductions for those new to the subject and a great reminder for those who hold these near and dear.

          David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was perhaps the most amazing Bible expositor of the 20^th century.  He preached with passion and precision to spellbound audiences.  I was blessed and inspired, while reading Steven J. Lawson’s book The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  This book is somewhat biographical but focuses mainly on the different aspects of his stellar preaching. 

          J. I. Packer has done a lot of research on English Puritanism and his writings celebrates these towering figures we know as “the Puritans.”  I enjoyed reading Packer’s book Puritan Portraits: Selected Classic Pastors and Pastoral Classics.  A handful of key Puritans are covered with a bit of biography and a summary of their major works.  This book is a great introduction for someone wanting to know more about the English Puritans.

          On the subject of prayer I was blessed by re-reading Alone with God: Rediscovering the Power and Passion of Prayer as I prepared to teach through the book on Wednesday Evenings.  John MacArthur gives many wonderful quotes from famous preachers and writers of the past concerning prayer, offers deep and heart-rendering insights, and gives wonderful explanations to the phrases found in the Lord’s Prayer/Model Prayer.  Another related book which both helped and challenged me was The Essential Guide to Fasting: What it is, How to do it, and Why it Matters by Elmer Towns.  Fasting may not get the notoriety that prayer gets but it is vitally important, biblical, and useful to our spiritual development.  Towns gives great insight into this oft neglected spiritual discipline.

          Christians believe a lot of lies that they think are either Scriptural, or nearly Scriptural.  However, many of the views held are nothing more than “urban legends.”  In his great book 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better, author Shane Pruitt dispels some of the most common of these lies.  These include such misconceptions and “one liners” as “God won’t give me more than I can handle,” “God gained another angel,” “God just wants me to be happy,” “I could never forgive that person,” “Just follow your heart,” “God does not really care,” “Believe in yourself,” etc.  This book will help you separate fact from fiction in your own life and help you help others shine the light of Scripture by dispelling falsehoods and “old wives tales” about the Bible.

          Believers are well aware that the normalization of homosexuality, and even same-sex marriage, has come in like a flood and radically changed the culture right before our very eyes!  We have heard so much rhetoric and many have suspected that much of what they were hearing was not true but they did not have the knowledge, in many cases, to really say for certain this rhetoric was not accurate.  One of the most popular practices of our day by the political left is to revise history, which is easily done with the help of the internet. What is the actual truth concerning  the historical view of homosexuality?  Authors S. Donald Fortson III and Rollin G. Grams have compiled an enormously helpful resource in their book Unchanging Witness: The Consistent Christian Teaching on Homosexuality in Scripture and Tradition.  The research for this 402 page book is extensive and thorough.  They trace and extensively quote ancient writers, philosophers, Jewish Rabbis, consult early church confessions, the Protestant Reformers, up to modern writers and theologians to show how the church, and society in general has always stood opposed to homosexual practice. The authors also examines many Scriptures that speak about homosexuality and show what they mean, and what they have been understood to mean historically.  They also spend significant time quoting and commenting on revisionist writers who have tried very hard to re-interpret the Bible to fit their lifestyle or simply accommodate the culture.  This is, by far, the most thorough treatment of the subject of homosexuality I have read to date.  I highly recommend all believers read this book.

          Abortion has been a hotly contested issue for a long time and figures to be for a long time to come, even though polls are showing a decline in the number of supporters.  Lives are at stake!  Believers must be educated on the issues in order to be able to argue the case for life.  John Ensor and Scott Klusendorf have done a great service by writing their book Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives.  The book is heartfelt, challenging, and educational as it explores the abortion issue and offers suggestions as to how to get involved in this battle for life.  Another great book I read recently on this topic is Randy Alcorn’s book Why Pro-Life?  Caring for the Unborn and their Mothers.  It can be read quickly, but offers a great challenge.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Recommended Reading Winter/Spring 2019 (Pt. 1) (June 10, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: Recommended Reading Winter/Spring 2019 (Pt. 1)

(June 10, 2019)

 

          I have been privileged to read some great books over the past Winter and Spring and want to share with you some of the best titles from among that group.  Hope you are able to find, at least a few of these helpful for your ongoing study!

          Evangelism, like the “Old Gray Mare” of song lore, ain’t what she used to be many long years ago!  I really enjoyed reading Evangelism After Pluralism: The Ethics of Christian Witness by Bryan Stone.  This is not a “how to” book, but a book that explores what is ethical and right in a very complicated world.  Stone deals extensively with issues such as evangelism and competing world views, the difference between “empire” building and biblical evangelism, and the right and wrong of linking evangelism to church growth.  He devotes significant space to the difficulty of the position of military chaplain in these days and offers suggestions as to how one can carry out their duties and still honor Christ.  He also examines evangelism from the standpoint of beauty rather than simply a means to an end as Americans have typically come to see it.  The most interesting chapter in the book to me was a chapter called “The Pluralism of Consumer Culture” which explores how American Christians tend to mesh together their faith, and the evangelistic aspects of it with patriotism.  In an epilogue Stone deals with “The Meaninglessness of Apologetics” which is an interesting discussion about the place of apologetics in our modern era.  An overall helpful book.  Another great book I read on the subject of the Gospel, and how we present it to a changing world, that stood out was Ken Ham’s book Gospel Reset: Salvation Made Relevant.  The basic premise of this book is that evangelistic efforts assume the Acts 2 model where we simply just share our faith with people; however this model assumes they have enough of a foundation to hear it and receive it.  Ham proposes what he calls the Acts 17 model which helps to establish the foundation they need.  This model is based on Paul’s encounter with the philosophers at Mars Hill where he took them back to the beginning as their starting place.  Ham believes that our present culture is without a biblical foundation and if we are going to build one, we have to be willing to go back to the beginning in Genesis.

          There are many books on tithing and/or stewardship.  I have read many of them but I recently read a book that helped me put it all into a new perspective.  I would argue that this book actually laid out for me the actual “New Testament” perspective more than any book I have read on the subject.  The book is God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School by John Cortines and Gregory Baumer.  These young men, only in their twenties, are wise beyond their years.  Both are exceptionally bright graduates of Harvard Business School and they could not help but notice many principles they learned concerning economics are highly applicable to Christian Stewardship; not only that, but are more in line with New Testament principles than the vast majority of books that address the subject.  The American mentality seems to be spend on yourself, save for yourself, financially plan and strategize for yourself, and even give money away essentially for yourself and your own satisfaction.  This book challenges that thinking by presenting a strong case for how Christians should view money and wealth in Kingdom perspective. The first part of the book presents foundational principles for stewardship and management of wealth.  The second part of the book lays out a framework for how people can become investors in the Kingdom of God rather than in themselves.  The third portion of the book gives many practical way a person can demonstrate true stewardship in their communities.  The book gives many real-life examples of those who have put the principles outlined in the book into practice.

          Books related to hermeneutics are needed for most Christians.  In fact, no one ever really gets to the place where these type books are not helpful.  I really enjoyed The Story of Scripture: How We God Our Bible and Why We Can Trust It by Robert L. Plummer.  It is short, straightforward, and easy to understand.  It can serve as a great reference for the average layman.  I also enjoyed a book called Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible by Mark Ward.  He raises and answers many questions related to this standard, and trusted translation of the Scripture.  Ward helps one consider, in what I believe to be a fair way, the strengths and weaknesses of the King James Version of Scripture.  Another great book in this area I benefited from was How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss.  It is a great tool to help the reader wade through much of the confusion concerning the multitude of Bible translations available today and know what strengths and weaknesses to look for in each.

          I enjoyed reading through Fatal Flaws: What Evolutionists Don’t Want You To Know by Hank Hanegraaff.  It is a quick and easy read but touches on many of the major issues where modern scientists/evolutionary theory and Scripture conflict.  It is a great beginners guide toward exploring these issues.

          One of my very favorite recent reads was a book called The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions by David Berlinski.  The author describes himself as a “Secular Jew.”  He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has written books on mathematics and Newtonian Physics, as well as served as a professor at various institutions.  He is a fellow at the Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and frequent writer for scientific journals.  Berlinski makes no claims to even being a Christian, but does two important things in this book.  First, he decimates contemporary Darwinists and their writings by exposing their fallacies, bias’s, unscientific conclusions, preconceived notions, arrogance, and pretentious attitudes.  Second, he shows how faith in the God of the Bible is quite reasonable in light of what we do know about life and the universe.  His perspective is both unique and interesting.

          Many Christians trust the Bible without being ready to defend the Bible in a highly skeptical age.  In recent decades there have been a flood of books published to defend the Christian faith to skeptics and strengthen the beliefs of the saints.  When we understand the reasons for our faith and why we can trust the things we believe we tend to be much more motivated to serve, witness, disciple others, and walk day by day with God.  Peter J. Williams’ book Can We Trust the Gospels? is a great tool to strengthen your faith in the 4 Gospels in particular.  I was expecting a review of what I already knew and believed, but Williams gave several new arguments, evidence, and information I had never really thought about in chapters such as “Undesigned Coincidences” and “Who Would Make All This Up?”  He takes you inside a thought process that I had never quite reached before, which led me to a greater and deeper understanding of these foundational documents of the Christian faith.

          Certainly one of the most intriguing books I have read recently was a book by author Timothy Dailey called The Paranormal Conspiracy: The Truth about Ghosts, Aliens, and Mysterious Beings.  I must confess that at a few points, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck while reading this book!  There are many unexplained things but it is important to understand that many things are simply in people’s mind; however if we do not grasp the fact that demons are hard at work in this world we will not get much of what is going on.  This book gives a number of historical case studies with bizarre endings.  Dailey does very thorough research and is an excellent writer.  This book will keep you riveted.

 

In Christ,

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

"Ephesus: The Loveless Church" (Pt. 2) (May 21, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Ephesus: The Loveless Church” (Pt. 2)

(May 21, 2019)

 

          Jesus rebukes the congregation at the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 by telling them that in the midst of all their business, activity, programs, evangelism, etc. they had forgotten what it was really all about.  The Ephesian church had taken on a life of it’s own and “Christ” was no longer its life!  Christ was to be their first love, their first concern, their top priority; but it had become about other things for this church.  He tells them “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Rev. 2:4)  Incidentally, just because there is “love” in a church does not mean Christ is their “first” love.  C. S. Lewis points out in Mere Christianity that many say “God is love” but what they really mean is “Love is God.”  In other words, the virtue of love itself is believed to make one somehow “Godly,” when in reality Godliness only comes by first truly loving the one true and living God and ordering all that is done around Him and His expectations.

          The greatest commandment of all is found in Matthew 22:37-38 where Jesus says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.”  How easy it is for us to not keep the main thing the main thing!  In marriage, we vow/promise to cherish one another but then how often we end up cherishing other thing (even other people) more.  How many have worked enormous amounts of overtime with the aim of helping their family, but in the end, it just took time away from the family and the extra money earned was insignificant.  How many professional athletes would continue playing the game if they no longer got paid to play?  But, at one time these people played, and gave their all, simply for the love of the game.  As the church, we can go through the motions of everything we do and be guilty of having “left our first love.”  Your first love has got to be Jesus!

          In verses 5-6 Jesus corrects the congregation.  God is a God of grace, yet uncompromising when it comes to truth.  He is also the great physician and He writes a prescription here for them.  The prescription is this: “Remember from where you have fallen.”  Remember where you once were.  Remember when you first were saved?  Remember how you felt?  The feeling of relief you experienced?  Most people report a strong desire to attend church, pray, read the Bible, tell others about Jesus, and be around other Christians right after getting saved.  All these things are completely normal behavior.  The question is, why do they slow down, or stop altogether for lots of people?  Jesus was calling the Ephesians back to the basics; back to the fundamentals.  The late, great football coach Vince Lombardi was a fanatic about fundamentals.  Those who played under his leadership often spoke of his intensity, drive, and endless enthusiasm for the game.  Time and time again he would come back to the basic techniques of blocking and tackling.  On one occasion his team, the Green Bay Packers, lost to an inferior squad.  It was bad enough to lose, but to lose to that team was absolutely inexcusable.  Coach Lombardi called a practice the very next morning. The men sat silently, looking more like whipped puppies than a team of champions.  They had no idea what to expect from the man they feared the most.  Gritting his teeth and staring holes through one athlete after another, Lombardi began: “Okay, we go back to the basics this morning . . .”  Holding a football high enough for all to see, he continued to yell: “Gentlemen, this is a football!”  Sometimes there is simply no substitute for getting back to the basics!  There is no substitute for your “first” love.

          Ephesus had to have seen a significant drop-off in a single generation.  The Ephesian church had been commended for love (Eph. 1:15-16; 6:24).  Now they are being commanded to “repent” of their “lovelessness” and get back to basics!  The word “repent” here means “change one’s thinking,” and it is clearly connected with changed behavior, which is clarified by the phrase “and do the first works.”  Even though this church did not love as it should, it still hated the evil, wicked works of the Nicolatians, whom Christ says He also hates.  So, the Lord’s rebuke for their lovelessness is surrounded by positive compliments.  The Nicolaitans were a heretical group that troubled the churches of Ephesus and Pergamos (vs. 15).  Apparently their teachings and practices were immoral and idolatrous.  This serves as a warning to all churches and believers as it is always easy to get off track and follow heretical teaching.

          In verse 7, there is a promise to the congregation.  Jesus’ words are similar to those used when He gave the Parable of the Sower (Mat. 13:9).  It is “The Spirit” of Christ who guides believers into all truth.  We read in Gal. 4:6 “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.”  He calls upon them to be “overcomers.”  An overcomer is one who perseveres in obedience and is victorious in the face of trials.  Some trials we face are big, coming about only occasionally in our lives, while some trials are daily.  Being an “overcomer” here does not mean earning your salvation by overcoming.  Salvation is secure in Christ for those who have truly trusted Him.  But, a failure to “overcome” means a loss of rewards one would otherwise have.  1 Corinthians 3:14-15 clarifies this a bit for us; “If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

          The reward for those who obey God and His promises will eat of “the tree of life.”  This symbolizes a renewing of the fellowship mankind had with God before the fall.  The special access Adam and Eve had with God will be enjoyed by overcomers.  Paradise is the place He told the thief on the cross that he would join Him after death.  Paul uses this term interchangeably with Heaven.  The most important question anyone is ever going to ask you in this life is, “Are you going to spend eternity in Heaven?”  Have you trusted Jesus Christ?  The only way to get to Heaven is through Him.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

“Ephesus: The Loveless Church” (Pt. 1) (May 16, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Ephesus: The Loveless Church” (Pt. 1)

(May 16, 2019)

 

          The famed “Seven Churches” in Revelation 2-3 are “types” of churches as well as literal churches in literal cities, which Jesus addressed.  The issues covered in chapters 2-3 with the seven churches of Asia Minor are characteristics/tendencies of “the church” throughout time.  Each of the letters to these churches are addressed to “The angel of the church of . . .”  The “angel” or “messenger” of the church is, most likely, referring to the pastors of these churches.  The letters are, with only minor exceptions, organized in a particular pattern.  1) A description of Christ based on the vision in Revelation 1.  2) A compliment(s) of the congregation.  3) A rebuke of a problem(s) or spiritual deficiency.  4) A correction of the problem or wrong.  5) A promise to those who overcome.

          The word “love,” and the concept of “love,” saturate our modern culture, but many only partially understand what love really means.  Those who have no real background in church, for instance, do not understand Christian (Christ-like) love.  Further, they do not understand the fact God sent His Son to die on the cross for the sins of people, therein demonstrating an incomprehensible love, for which all are undeserved.  The world’s understanding of love is severely limited.  Often lust is mistaken for love.  Frequently sentimentality is mistaken for love.  It is not unusual for warm and fuzzy feelings to be mistaken for love.  Even when there is real/genuine love it often lacks the depth it could have if Christ were involved. 

          Children, beginning at an early age, have an understanding of love that is developing.  It can be comical to listen to how they understand it, but there is also an unmistakable seriousness.  Ideally, children are simultaneously learning love by experiencing love given to them in their home by their parents and other family members.  Simply by observing the love between parents and other adults, children can potentially learn a lot about God’s love for them and people in general.  Children, even with limited knowledge and understanding, would really struggle to understand a “loveless” marriage, knowing it was just not supposed to be that way.  What about a “loveless” church (not loving one another), or a church that no longer loves Christ supremely?  These would seem like glaring contradictions!  Indeed this is a contradiction and it was exactly the problem identified by the first church Jesus addressed - Ephesus.

          In Revelation 2:1-7 we read Jesus’ Words “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.  And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars, and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.  But, this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’”

          Ephesus was the most important city in Asia Minor at the time Revelation was written.  It was the center/hub of the worship of Artemis (or Diana; Acts 19:28), who was the goddess of fertility.  It was a strategic commercial center and great seaport much like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco would be today.  Because of these realities, the Apostle Paul had invested a lot of time there.  Nearly 3 years he had spent establishing the church at Ephesus.  By the time of John’s writing, Ephesus had obviously declined from where it was when Ephesians was written and Timothy had been the pastor there.  The second half of vs. 1 clearly points back to the vision of chapter 1 of the book and points directly to the person of Christ.  Christ’s position was to be front and center, or in the place of the most prominence within that church and in all the churches.  Yet, often He is not.  Christ can be crowded out much easier than many realize.

          In verses 2-3 the Lord pays a compliment to the congregation.  As the judge of everything, Jesus particularly mentions that He has evaluated their works, their labor, their patience, and the fact they could not bear those who are evil.  Evidently, they were hard-working people.  They exhibited a great level of patience, or long-suffering.  And, they recognized and dealt with evil, or evil people very swiftly.  Further, they had held firm (persevered) with patient determination all in the name of Christ and had displayed no signs of weariness in doing so.  In modern terms, they were a church very busy with all sorts of programs and activities which were all done in the name of Christ.  They had sincere desire to see great things happen.  Jesus wants that from the modern church.  After all, He commends the Ephesian church for it all.  But, there is just one problem, and beginning in verse 4 we will see what it was.

 

In Christ,

Dr. Allen Raynor

“Jesus and All Authority” (Pt. 2) (May 7, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Jesus and All Authority” (Pt. 2)

(May 7, 2019)

 

          When someone writes a scholarly work or if they make a speech or give a presentation about something they will regularly cite other authoritative voices from the past and/or present.  These citations will include known scholars in their field who have weighed in on the subject.  If it is a book or article there are footnotes with names, book titles, titles of articles, publishers, dates, etc. as they are simply adding to the research and advancing and interacting with the thoughts of those who came before them.  The goal is to offer as much credibility as possible to the argument set forth.

          In Matthew 7:29 we read, in reference to Jesus, “For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”  In New Testament times, scribes would often cite other authorities in order to lend as much credibility to their statements as possible.  In sharp contrast to the common practice of the scribes, Jesus’s words were self-authenticating.  In the body of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had used clear, direct wording to establish authority for His Words.  These were words and concepts previously unknown.  In Matthew 5:20 He says “For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven.”  In 5:22 He says “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whoever says to his brother ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”  In 5:26 He says “Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.”  In 5:28 He says “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  In 5:32 He says “But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

          In John 7:45-52, John records an incident where Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders of the day.  In the midst of the back and forth seen there, we have an astonishing and candid comment made in vs. 46 by officers to the chief priests and Pharisees.  It says “The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’” (John 7:46)  Even those who were not necessarily looking to recognize “authority,” immediately recognized authority coming from Jesus.  It was obvious, undeniable, and right there in plain sight before their eyes and ears!  The authority of Jesus is obvious to anyone who will take an honest look.  There has never been another like Jesus!  The Sermon on the Mount Jesus preached is brimming with all manner of authority.  The implied question for those who first heard it and for anyone who ever reads it is “What will you do now?”  When I consider the response all should have, I cannot help but think of the words of the great hymn written by John H. Sammis, “Trust and Obey.”  The first stanza reads “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way; while we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.  (chorus) Trust and obey, for there’s no better way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”  The last stanza reads “Then in fellowship sweet, we will set at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way; what He says we will do, where He sends we will go; never fear only trust and obey.  (chorus) Trust and obey, for there’s no better way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

“Jesus and All Authority” (Pt. 1) (May 2, 2019)

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Jesus and All Authority” (Pt. 1)

(May 2, 2019)

 

          We live in a day and age where authority is highly questioned, and often outright rejected.  Young people are widely being taught to be their own person and reject their parent’s ideas, teachings, and even parental authority itself.  Many are rejecting the authority of elected officials to make decisions, laws, and policies.  Many are rejecting the police and all law enforcement officials because they do not see their “authority” as legitimate or worthy of being obeyed.  Many students are rejecting the authority of their teachers and causing chaos in the classroom and schools fearing lawsuits let students get away with things that would have been unheard of in previous generations.  College professors are frequently defiant of the authority of their supervisors and will say/teach off-the-wall things because they are not respectful of Deans, College Presidents, and Trustees.  Authority, as we knew it in our culture, is all but gone. 

          The single worst rejection of authority we see in our world however; is the rejection of biblical authority.  There are multiple ways this reality has displayed itself.  It is teaching kids things that are contrary to God’s Word. It may be rejecting God outright.  It may be silencing people from talking about their faith, about God, and about what the Bible has to say.  It is rejecting the ethical/moral teachings of Scripture.  The rejection of biblical authority is the root cause of the rejection of all authority.

          The rebellion against, and even total rejection of authority, is nothing new.  It has gone on since the Garden of Eden and continues to this day.  But, what is worse now is that there is no shame, no remorse, and no apologies for the rejection of God and His Word which carries all authority.  Adam and Eve, at least hid from God due to shame, but today there is no shame!  Jesus is, quite frankly, not very well received in modern culture.  Jesus was not very well received by the religious leaders and those in authority in His day either.  The people largely were astonished at the things He said and taught, but many saw their status/position on the line and therefore resisted and even rejected Jesus and His claims to authority.  In Matthew 7:28-29, as the Sermon on the Mount was concluded, we read “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

          Some were, we are told, astonished at His teaching.  Occasionally someone comes along and they have a special giftedness to get people to listen and even follow them in some way.  We have seen positive examples of this and we have seen negative as well throughout history.  Positive examples include people like Billy Graham, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and other great preachers, evangelists, and even some good politicians and world leaders.  Negative examples would be Hitler, cult leader Jim Jones, and many politicians, world leaders, and certainly false teachers within the church.  The ultimate example of the negative will one day be the “Antichrist” that the Scriptures speak of.

          The Jews were used to a certain type of teaching; a certain pattern of teaching; a certain type of teacher.  They noticed immediately that Jesus did not fit the norm at all – not even close!  As they tried to rationalize it all in their mind, they were somewhat confused because they could only really see things in earthly terms.  We see a clear example of their “earth-centered” pattern of thought recorded for us in Mat. 13:53-58 as Jesus was teaching in His home town of Nazareth.  There we read “Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.   When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”  It is made clear here the “unbelief” and “rejection” hindered the work of Jesus in that place.  It was not that His power was limited there or anywhere else, but He was not willing to show accompanying signs and wonders to people who were highly skeptical and rejected Him for earthly, worldly, non-sensical types of reasons.

          Today, men are often not “astonished,” not “impressed,” and not concerned with Jesus’ teaching.  Many reject the Bible who have never really read it, much less studied it.  They do not see it as relevant, believable, credible, or important in any way.  They simply dismiss it in favor of believing other things, whether they have solid evidence or not.  “Belief” is a matter of the will.  If we work hard enough we can find a reason or a way to reject almost anything we do not want to believe.  There is a saying which says “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”  This is the truth on display here.

          To know, to really know, Jesus’ teaching is to be utterly astonished!  It is to be blown away in the same way these people were here who heard The Sermon on the Mount.  Some people claim to be Christians, some even go to church, but they are not enamored with the teachings of Jesus.  There is no awe, no “Wow” factor.  The more one studies the Scripture, the more they should potentially be “wowed” by it.  God’s Word is truth, not only for the head, but also for the heart.  Jesus, the Son of God, has all authority.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor