Over the past week or so we have been looking at the letters to the seven churches of Asia to get insights into some of the things that take us out of the will of God or that misalign us with his heart. For those who want to walk in the fullness of God’s Spirit for a lifetime, staying aligned with the Father is crucial because being out of step with the Lord restricts the flow of the Spirit.

One thing we need to notice is that each of the churches who received a rebuke were still serving God in some ways and were still lifting up the name of Jesus. But they were also participating in or tolerating certain things that generated a warning from heaven that discipline was in the pipeline – even to the extent of Jesus removing their lampstand which might be a reference to the Holy Spirit.

However, for those who responded to the warning and realigned themselves with the Father, there were numerous promises. Some of the promises were primarily for the life to come but many can be understood as promises for the here and now. I want to look at those promises over the next few days because they are part of our motivation for staying in step with the Spirit in every facet of our lives.

To the church in Ephesus, Jesus said, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev.2:7). The word overcomes is significant because later in Revelation we are told that the saints overcame the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev.12:11. The word translated “overcomes” is the word “nikao” in Greek. It does not mean to simply endure but it means to triumph over, to win, to defeat, or to overwhelm the enemy. The word communicates aggressive action on our part rather than a passive endurance. It calls to mind the words of Jesus that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church. Victory for the believer comes from being on the offensive rather than the defensive. It reminds us that many great promises stand on our ability and willingness to wield the power and authority of heaven (divine weapons – 2 Cor. 10:3-6). Even though the promise of the tree of life in the paradise of God seems to be related to our heavenly state, we must remember that we are already citizens of heaven and are now seated with Christ in spiritual realms.

The promise seems to be that for those who align themselves with heaven and who aggressively take on the enemy, two things will be theirs in both this life and the life to come. One is the energy and power that flows from heaven that fuels an eternal life and the other is rest and the presence of God which paradise has always symbolized. In the book of Genesis the tree of life stood in the midst of the garden and those who ate of it could live forever. In John’s writings (which include his gospel. his letters and the book of Revelation) eternal life is not about duration as much as it is quality. Eternal life is the kind of life experienced by those who live in close fellowship with the Father. Jesus showed us that life in its fullness and that life is also available to those who live for Jesus no. The power and provision of heaven was a constant in the life of Jesus.

But in the paradise of God there was also rest and the presence of the Father. In the midst of threats and an almost chaotic schedule Jesus often stole away and found rest and comfort in the presence of the Father. How often did he go away to a private place exhausted, spend the night in prayer, and come back energized – even walking on water?

As Jesus closed his memorandum to the church at Ephesus he called them to repentance or “realignment” and promised that those who stayed faithful and maintained their alignment with the heart of the Father could live on this earth with access to the power and provision of heaven along with the rest and renewal that comes from being in the very presence of God. Ultimately, I believe that Jesus is the tree of life. Those who eat of the tree can live forever and those who eat of the bread of life will also live forever (Jn.6:51). It is through a close walk with Jesus that all these promises are ours. As we partake of Jesus we partake of life, rest, and presence. We partake of Jesus by submitting all that we are and all that we have to him with nothing reserved for ourselves. Be blessed today.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Rev.3:14-20)

The church at Laodicea is famous for the rebuke they received from Jesus rather than any praise. The church is mentioned several times in Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse. He mentioned how hard he had been working to establish the church in Laodicea and how much prayer he and others had been pouring into that church. Apparently he had great hopes for it. By the time John penned the Revelation he received from Jesus, Paul has been martyred for the faith and the church at Laodicea has slipped to a dangerous place.

Laodicea was a town famous for wealth and commerce in a region that produced medicines, including eye salves, along with wool for clothing. They were also famous for hot springs and fresh cold springs in the region that people travelled to for therapeutic reasons. Apparently the church there had prospered rather than being persecuted. Jesus does not mention any false teachers or persecution from the Jews or Romans. The church there had simply settled in to the good life and had stopped doing the works of God.

They considered themselves rich and in need of nothing which, biblically, is a very dangerous place to be. Apparently, their contentment and prosperity had taken the spiritual edge off their lives. Undoubtedly their prayer life was withering, their evangelism was probably aimed at the other prosperous citizens of Laodicea with whom they did business, and it’s possible that the poor had completely dropped off their radar because they didn’t live in “that part of town” anymore. Sometimes wealthy Christians and churches cocoon themselves off from poverty and suffering and take pride in great music, facilities and programs that rarely if ever touch the poor, the outcasts or the lost.

Jesus warned them that their worldly contentment made them of no use in the kingdom of God. Cold water and hot water both had therapeutic uses but lukewarm water had no healing properties so Jesus said he would spit it out on the ground. As believers we are to be salt and light for this world. We are to provide healing for the hurting and reconciliation for the alienated. Laodicea got not honorable mention for being any of that.

The church in Laodicea undoubted took their prosperity as a sign of God’s approval when, in fact, it was just the opposite. Jesus declared that, from the walls of heaven, those at Laodicea appeared poor, naked, miserable and blind. Jesus counseled them to reconsider their hearts and their position and to do business with him once again rather than the world. He counseled them to seek treasures in heaven where true and eternal riches could be stored up rather than pursuing what the world valued.

The most sobering part of this letter is the revelation that their self-sufficiency and prosperity had pushed Jesus out of their church. He was on the outside, knocking at the door, and seeking fellowship with them again. Their hearts had become misaligned with his and they were no longer walking together. This letter is not an indictment of prosperity because prosperity can fund the works of the kingdom but it is a warning that prosperity can give us a false sense of security and a false sense of God’s approval.

In the oil rich Permian Basin right now, many people are making more money than they ever imagined but in many churches giving has gone down, non-profits are not seeing their donations soar, and many believers are rarely seen on Sunday mornings because of work or travel. The prosperity God has provided seems to be flowing away from the kingdom rather than toward it. That is certainly not true for all but is apparently true for many.

One of the dangers of prosperity is that it forces believers to do business with the world and in doing so often promotes compromise and unequal yoking for the sake of business. Eventually, Jesus can be crowded out of our hearts by the priorities of the world and worldly thinking. Wise believers who are being blessed financially have to guard against those things. All of us need to listen carefully to make sure there is not a knock on our door because Jesus has found himself on the outside of our lives. If you hear it, open it quickly and let him back in. Ultimately, he is the only business partner you will ever need.

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Rev. 3:7-11)

The church at Philadelphia receives no rebuke from the Lord but only a commendation and a promise. When we are aligned with the Father’s heart we can expect the same. Let’s look to see what they did have. First of all, this church was faithful. Apparently it was not a large church full of resources and influence but it was a church that had continued to serve Jesus with good deeds, they have kept his word and been obedient to his commands, and had not denied his name even in the face of Jewish opposition or criticism. They had endured patiently and that fact caught the Lord’s attention in a big way.

Endurance and patience are spiritual qualities of the mature. It is easy to stay passionate and faithful when everything is going your way. When churches are growing and God is prospering his people the kingdom looks bright. When persecution is a short-lived event then people shake it off like a bad storm and move on feeling triumphant because they survived. The hard thing in the kingdom of God is grinding out a life of faith when the persecution keeps coming and you are not seeing massive breakthroughs. It is easy for discouragement to set in when God hasn’t answered the prayer or brought the solution as quickly as you thought he would. It’s even tougher if you see other churches or other believers prospering and having quick victories in their lives while you continue to slog it out.

The praise and the promise for Philadelphia came because they had continued to do what they could with little strength or power even in the face of constant discouragement. They were faithful and had endured. Because of that Jesus, determined to open a door for them that no man could close. Because they had endured long he was giving them success that would last long time…an open door for evangelism, ministry, or blessing. Not only that but he was going to protect them from trials that others would soon face because they had already faced their trials. In addition, he would cause those who had persecuted them to come and acknowledge that these believers were true children of God.

The principle in this is that those who must wait another season before prayers are answered are given a greater blessing if they endure the season with faith. The question of Job is whether God is worthy of our worship and service regardless of our circumstances or only if we always get what we want. Job answered that he was always worthy and because of that he was blessed more in the end than in the beginning.

Some believers wait for healing, others wait for pregnancy, others wait to be release from re-education camps in China, others wait for a child to come home. If they wait in faith and continue to serve and obey God will surely honor that faith when some kind of open door that no man will be able to shut. God declares, “Those who honor me, I will honor” (1 Sam.2:30). Patient endurance and faithfulness honors God. Be sure, he will honor you as he honored those in Philadelphia. Be blessed.

To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his names from the book of life. (Rev.3:1-5)

In his letter to the seven churches in Asia, Jesus delivers a stern rebuke to the church at Sardis. Although this city was the home of pagan temples, a huge Jewish synagogue, and a city under Roman rule, no enemies are mentioned as they have been with the previous churches. The problem with Sardis was that it was living on reputation but in actuality it’s passion and vision for the kingdom of God had diminished to the point of being lifeless.

Sardis was, apparently, an outstanding church at one time. But the church had grown weary. It had stopped serving and evangelizing as it had done in the past. It was a group of believers who had slipped into early retirement. Perhaps they felt that they had done their part for the kingdom and now it was time for others to bear the burden of service and sacrifice. But Jesus declares that there is not retirement in the kingdom. Retirement comes when we are transferred to the home office – not before. The King determines when we retire. We don’t. To Jesus this church had simply decided to stop running the race and had stepped off the track.

They were like servants who had not completed the tasks their master had assigned but decided they had done enough. It’s one thing to miss an assignment God has given us. It is another thing to choose to no longer accept any assignments. Jesus declared that they were dead and called them to renewal and repentance. All was not lost but if they were to receive any reward they had to step back on the track and begin running the race one more.

Years ago I was a campus minister in a small town with a small college. Many churches in tiny rural towns in the area sent their kids to the college where I served and they attended the church that directed and supported the campus ministry there. On occasion I was asked to preach at some of the small churches that supported the ministry. I was invited to preach a Sunday evening service in a particular town where one of the students in our ministry had grown up. The service was to begin at 6:00. I arrived at 5:30. No one showed up to unlock the building until 6:05 and then others straggled in for the next fifteen minutes or so. The girl in our ministry, who was 19 or 20 years old, was the last one who had been baptized in that church when she was twelve. The night I preached I discovered that the baptistery was where the church stored their lawn mower, rakes, and garden hose along with a plethora of dead leaves and spiders. That was a dead church with no passion, no vision, and no fruit. They were an older group who had retired from the kingdom. I’m not saying that no one there loved Jesus; they had just quit bearing fruit in the kingdom. However, the church at Sardis once again suggests that fruit bearing is a genuine indicator of alignment with the heart of the Father.

One consideration for each of us who want to walk in the grace and the power of God is whether we are still passionately engaged in the work of the kingdom or if we have stepped onto the sidelines just waiting for the power to flow again before we get in the game?   Are we bearing fruit worthy of our calling and are we still running the race with diligence? Or have we become consumers in the kingdom allowing others to serve us rather than serving them? Are we partaking of other people’s fruit but not bearing any of our own? Do we glory in what we used to do for Jesus or are we asking Jesus to do more through us now than ever before? Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (Jn.15:8).

Sometimes our greatest enemies lurk in the culture around us and populate the kingdom of darkness. But sometimes we are the enemy who has let our own passion grow cold and have stepped off the track while others run. Sometimes we have stopped taking assignments from God that were scheduled before the earth was created. If so we can repent, get back in the game, and begin once again to experience the power of God. Be blessed!!! Alignment includes fruitfulness.

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.      Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you). (Rev. 2:18-24)

As we continue to consider our own personal alignment with the heart and the will of the Father we want to look at the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira. Thyatira was a small city but because of it’s location was still a center of trade and commerce. In the city, trade unions controlled all skilled jobs. In order to work in that city you had to be a member of the union. That in itself was not a problem, but each of those unions was dedicated to a pagan god and when they met all the members were expected to participate in worship, eat food that had been dedicated to that god, and participate in any religious activities of the pagan temple. Nearly all those activities involved drunkenness and sexual immorality. As a result, it was difficult to work in Thyatira, provide for your family, and be faithful to Jesus.

The letter begins with a sobering description of Jesus as one having blazing eyes and feet of bronze. This is a picture of a righteous judge who can see through any pretense and who will deal out judgment and even harsh discipline if needed. Within the church was a woman who had all the qualities of Queen Jezebel from the Old Testament. She must have been domineering, manipulative, ruthless, and seductive. She presented herself as a prophetess and so she gave Satanic counsel in the name of the Lord.

Apparently, she encouraged the believers to practice situation ethics and to “go along to get along.” Her argument was that a man had to provide for his family. To provide he must work. To work he must be part of a guild. To be part of a guild he must participate in their idolatry and immorality.   To participate was acceptable, even for a believer, because it was the only way he could provide for his family.

This kind of reasoning was another form of compromise and a lack of faith in the God who will provide for those who serve him faithfully. Even today, some believers compromise their faith in order to maintain or move ahead in their career but somehow excuse it as “needful” because they “must provide for their family.” Sometimes it takes the form of entertaining clients with liquor and women or going to clubs. Sometimes it is participating in unethical business practices. At other times it is working so many hours a week that there is no time for God or spiritual family. And at other times it is just trying to fit in by participating in the gossip, the sexual humor, and the “one too many drinks” at happy hour every Friday so that their witness is compromised. Some of us are very different when we are with non-Christians on the golf course, the basketball court, or in the deer blind than we are at church in an effort to “fit in” and be one of the guys. The problem is that we were not called into the kingdom to fit in with the world. We are to be different – not self-righteous or judgmental – but distinctive. If non-believers don’t experience a distinct difference with us, then there is no witness.

We all live with the temptation to compartmentalize our lives by being Christian when we are with Christians and being worldly when we are with the world. But Jesus makes it very clear that he must be Lord over every part of our life all the time and not just when it is convenient. The Righteous Judge who did not compromise his mission finds no valid reasons to compromise the faith. The sad thing is that although there was evidence of love, faith, service, and perseverance in the church the people still allowed this “prophetess” to lead them into idolatry and immorality because it seemed pragmatic and kept them from having to face the potential for suffering and sacrifice.

In the letters to the churches of Asia we have read so far, each church had been doing praiseworthy things for the kingdom of God but had certain practices in their lives that were unacceptable to the righteous judge. Sometimes we think that doing good on the one hand buys us a wink from God about the unrepented sin in our life on the other hand. But that intentional, unrepented misalignment will cost us eventually. For the power of God to flow through us we must reserve nothing for ourselves and trust God in every part of our lives – even with our livelihood. The promise of great reward stands for those who entrust everything to him. That is alignment.

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Rev. 2:12-16).

We are continuing to look at the letters to the seven churches of Asia in the beginning chapters of the book of Revelation as an opportunity to check our alignment with the Father so that nothing hinders the flow of the Spirit in our lives. Frequent course corrections are usually needed for all of us if we are to stay aligned with our “true north.” These letters remind us that we can be on track spiritually in parts of our lives while being seriously out-of-step in other parts.

In his admonition to the church in Pergamum, Jesus acknowledged the things they had done that prompted praise from heaven. They had not renounced the name of Jesus or rejected the faith even in the face of brutal persecution. Within the city was a huge altar that was built for sacrifices to Zeus or Athena or both. Some believe this is the throne of Satan referenced in the letter. The city was a center for pagan worship. The bible is clear that demons rather than gods are the power behind any idol so that Satan had a stronghold within this city that warred against the church. The church had held its own when hell had broken out against them and even when Antipas was martyred for the faith. Jesus affirmed them for their faith that had been sustained in a demonic stronghold.

However, their faith wasn’t all that it could be. The real issue among the “faithful” of Pergamum was tolerance. Apparently they tolerated men and women in the church who still participated in idolatry and immorality and who were enticing other believers to join them. In a city with so much demonic influence and immorality it may have seemed that what these individuals promoted was “not so bad” compared to the culture around them and yet Jesus taught that a little leaven will eventually affect the entire loaf. In essence, the culture was impacting the church rather than the church impacting the culture. A little tolerance and a little political correctness may seem to buy the church a little acceptance by the culture but it is offensive to the Spirit. True alignment always seeks the praise of the Father over the praise of men.

Compromise with the culture misaligns us with the Father and his heart. That is true for churches but just as true in our personal lives as well. When we are surrounded by a demonic and debase culture it is easy to compromise with the flesh and the culture by engaging in things that seem “more moral” than what the culture at large is practicing.  After a while, the “more moral than the culture” may become a standard in our lives rather than biblical standards of righteousness. My guess is that this compromise shows up most in movies, television, books, magazines, and web sites that believers frequent.

For instance, many believers feel no hesitation to go to a PG-13 movie because our culture considers the content to be fairly tame. However, what is seen in PG-13 movies now would have been R-rated or even X-rated 50 years ago. The standard for each of us should not be not what the culture considers harmless but what the Spirit finds unoffensive.

Many of us watch television shows that promote homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, or greed as an acceptable lifestyle with no thought of those things being sin and being highly offensive to the Spirit of God. Compromise with the culture, even in what we watch or read, dulls our spiritual sensitivity to the things that are unholy. They also dull our sensitivity to the things that are holy.

Undoubtedly, when we are committed to live by biblical standards of righteousness we will seem fanatical or prudish to most of the people around us – even to other believers. And yet tolerance and compromise are the very things about which Jesus warned the church at Pergamum. The more aligned we are with the Father’s heart, the more of his Spirit we will experience. Alignment is about saying yes to the things of God and no to the things of the world. May we choose well today so that the power of heaven can flow easily in our lives and may we ask for a spiritual sensitivity to the things that please the Spirit or that grieve him.

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Rev. 2:8-11)

In the book of Revelation, Jesus delivers words of warning and encouragement to seven churches in the province of Asia. The second church is the church of Smyrna. This church existed in a wealthy city with a large Jewish population and yet the church is characterized by afflictions and poverty. The sense we get from the letter is that they were suffering persecution that was provoked by Jewish leaders in much the same way that Jesus was persecuted.

If we do the things that Jesus did, it is inevitable that we will also be slandered and persecuted in some way. Some of that slander and rejection will come from religious people. Just a few months ago, a prominent west coast preacher and author published a book that was an impassioned attack on all those who claim that God still does miracles through his people and that God still speaks in any way other than through the Bible. Although God is doing amazing things all over the globe there are many who will still declare that any such activity is a lie, a deception, or from the devil. If you walk in the power of the Spirit you will probably hear some of that from your own family members, from friends, or from your church or former church.

In the face of that slander or rejection you will be tempted to go underground with your faith and your prayers and to display your faith in Jesus and the power of his Spirit only in the presence of those who believe as you do. And yet, the power of the Spirit is to be displayed before unbelievers so that they might believe and so that they can experience the goodness of God which calls them into the kingdom.

The church in Smyrna had it right. Jesus said that though they were poor and afflicted by worldly standards, they were actually rich. The church in that Roman city was laying up treasure in heaven through faith and persistence in doing what God was calling them to do – regardless of the cost. The people that I know who walk most powerfully in the Spirit are those who do what the Spirit prompts them to do regardless of the cost or the risk. That mindset is alignment with Jesus because Jesus did exactly the same thing.

In this short statement to the church at Smyrna, Jesus simply told them that a season of persecution was coming and that they must remain faithful in the face of that persecution. Christianity is statistically the most persecuted faith on the planet. Even in America there is a war on Christianity. If we are to stay aligned with the Father, we must simply accept the fact that if we follow Jesus the world will reject us because it rejected him. We do not have to enjoy the fact but we must accept the fact as part of the cost of following Jesus.

On the other hand, when you walk in the power of the Spirit you will also be loved by many. Those individuals whose lives God touches through you will love you. Those who share your faith will love you. More importantly, God himself will delight in you. But others will not because they do not know God as they should or at all. If you read Chapters 8 and 9 of the gospel of John you will see what Jesus has to say about that.

In his letter to Smyrna, we discover that true alignment with the Father requires the acceptance of some level of persecution and rejection in our lives and the willingness to do the works of the Father regardless. As we become willing to endure that realty from time to time, the power of the Spirit will increase in our lives. For many of us that is a bitter pill to swallow because our greatest desire is to be loved and accepted by every person in our lives. There is nothing wrong with the desire to be loved but we must love Jesus more than any other. To do so will require experiencing the disapproval of those who do not love him or know him as they should. It is how you become rich in heaven and it is one of the qualities that invites a greater measure of the Spirit into our lives which is true wealth even in this world.

The key to walking in the power of the Spirit is to be consistently led by the Spirit. At the same time, Paul counsels us to avoid grieving (Eph.4:30) or quenching (1 Thess.5:19, ESV) the Spirit. How do we avoid quenching or grieving God’s Spirit? We avoid those two positions by keeping in step (Gal.5:25) with the Spirit, which is all about alignment and agreement. The famous “Amos Principal” is that two individuals can walk together only if they are in agreement with one another. If we want to walk with the Spirit we must stay in agreement with him. Staying in agreement is the key and that takes numerous course corrections as our priorities and perspectives tend to drift to one side of the road or the other. Because of that, a little self- examination from time to time is a good thing and the letters to the seven churches of Asia in the beginning chapters of Revelation is a good template to begin with. I’m going to examine these letters in each of my next seven blogs to find keys for course corrections for our alignment with the Spirit.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices 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 the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev.2:1-7)

Ephesus was a great church. Paul spent a great deal of time there as well as Timothy and the apostle John. In this letter, Jesus praises the church there for a number of things. They had worked hard, persevered in the face of unpopularity and persecution, defended the truth of the gospel and lived moral lives in a city of debauchery, false gods, and materialism.

We would probably rank any contemporary church as a great church if they met those standards. Yet Jesus calls them to repentance over one issue that might eventually cost them the presence and power of the Holy Spirit – they had fallen from their first love. Most commentators believe that “first love” was Jesus. I see no reason to disagree with that assessment. The truth is that many believers (myself included) have found ourselves doing the right things for the wrong reasons or at least for “less than the best” reasons.

As we live for Jesus year after year it is easy for our faith to become a lifestyle that we live out of conviction and habit rather than out of a love relationship with Jesus. Our Christianity can become like a long marriage in which the spouses stay together out of habit and the lack of better options rather than because of a love relationship that has deepened through the years. We can also find ourselves doing the right things to stay in the good graces of the Christian community we are a part of rather than because of a commitment to Jesus. We can even do outstanding things for the church simply to increase our standing with those we know rather than for the applause of heaven. The 13^th chapter of 1 Corinthians warns against doing great things without love being the primary motivation. He warns that great things done for reasons other than love count for nothing in the kingdom of heaven.

Paul counsels us to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” One of the reasons is that we can do very good things in the name of Jesus while our personal relationship with him withers. Those of us who find it easier to work for Jesus than to sit at his feet can make the work the thing more than the relationship. At the end of the letter to Ephesus Jesus simply calls on them to make him the center of all things again and to renew their love for him even above the church, service, and a godly lifestyle. If that descriptor fits any of us, then a course correction is in order if we are to stay in step with the Spirit.

Have you considered the implications of being made in the image of God? An image is a representation of someone or something. It is a re-presentation of the original. We are told that Jesus, as the Son of Man, was the exact representation of his heavenly Father (Heb.1:3). Jesus told Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14: 9). Jesus re-presented the Father to those whom he encountered on the earth. I’m not suggesting that Jesus was the exact representation of God in some physical way while on the earth, but that he carried within him the essence of his Father – his values, his purposes, his perspectives, his ways, his words, and his heart.

In the same way, we are made in the image of the Father and carry within us qualities of his divine nature. Some of those qualities have matured in certain believers. Other qualities are developing and still other qualities exist in seed form waiting to mature and bear fruit. All of mankind is made in the image of God. In many the image is distorted and fragmented and yet some of that image is still recognizable.

For those who have the Spirit of God within them, that image is in the process of being fully restored. As we become more like Jesus, we become more like the Father and as we mature in Christ, we are able to re-present the Father on earth in greater and greater ways. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor.3:17-18).

The implications of being made in God’s image cannot be overstated. That fact sets us apart from all of creation and in the beginning set us above creation. I wonder if Adam and Eve appreciated the exalted position they had been given and if they had understood who they were if they would have succumbed to the enemy so easily? I wonder if we understand who we are in Christ and the exalted position that we have? If we did, would we give in to the enemy so easily ourselves?

I suspect that we should spend the first part of every day considering who we are in Christ and who we are in the whole realm of creation – both in the natural and the spiritual realms. The Father has given us amazing positions in both realms. If we can ever grasp that reality in our hearts and see ourselves as God sees us it will change not only us but we in turn will change the world the Father has given us to rule.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.           Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. (2 Tim.2:2-7)

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul is alone and writing from a Roman prison. He assumes that his time of execution is near and so what he shares with his young protégé in the faith are essentials and, perhaps, his most important final declarations. The Holy Spirit called Timothy to a significant role of leadership in the church and yet it appears that Timothy didn’t see the greatness in himself that Paul or the Spirit saw. He often hesitated as a leader and, as a young man, seemed to avoid confrontation even at times when it was needed. As a result, Paul attempted to encourage Timothy to step up and fulfill the call that was on his life. Many of us struggle with the same hesitancy when it comes to fulfilling our destiny in Christ so, perhaps, Paul’ words might be helpful for us as well.

First of all, in his letter Paul reminded Timothy to be strong in Christ’s grace. Grace is God’s enabling power to fulfill the life he has assigned to us. Strength does not come because we have it all together. If we did, we wouldn’t need strength from God because we would possess it ourselves. Grace is given because we lack some quality or capacity and are desperate to receive it from God so we should ask for it often and expect to experience God’s strength in the moment of need or battle. As you scan the exploits of the Old Testament heroes of faith you see that strength came on them when they were already engaged in battle rather than before. They began with their strength but ended with God’s. We will need to accept the challenge God has given us before he will equip us for it. By faith and God’s grace he will strengthen us as we begin to move in the calling he has placed on our lives.

Secondly, Paul charged Timothy to entrust to others what he had learned so that they would also entrust the truths of the kingdom to others. Leadership is not just about doing something yourself but about equipping God’s people to take the baton, run the next leg of the race, and then pass it to another. Historically, great moves of God have died out after one generation because leaders did not equip the next generation or pass the torch to them. Sometimes leaders do not pass on their skills and experience to others or help others succeed because they enjoy being “the man” or because they actually fear their students will surpass them. The Spirit, however, is like a river that flows to us and then desires to flow through us. When we are conduits for the kingdom, more strength and capacity will be given to us.

Paul went on to adjust Timothy’s expectations for leadership. It will not always be easy, convenient, or popular. There will be times of hardship that require endurance. No leader in biblical history had a cakewalk. Each of them endured danger, risk, opposition, soul searching, betrayal, and attacks from the enemy. To expect less is to give up at the first sign of hardship. We are in a war. We have been dropped into enemy territory and must fight our way out. Soldiers expect hardship, cold nights, hunger, and even wounds. It goes with the territory. We will experience the same hardships from time to time.   In addition, we must maintain our focus. If we allow ourselves to be distracted from our primary mission we will fail. Satan loves to spread God’s leaders thin. He loves for us to get involved in more and more good things so that we loose focus and impact for our primary mission. Paul warns us to keep an eye on our primary mission.

As a sports fan, Paul suddenly draws another analogy – the runner. In order to win a runner must wait on the starting gun, stay in his own lane, and cross the finish line. He can’t compete by his own rules but must compete according to the rules of the Master of the Games. Too often leaders try to succeed in their mission by using worldly principles rather than kingdom principles. Worldly principles are shortcuts and draw the applause of men. Kingdom leaders can’t take shortcuts and must seek the applause of God rather than men.

Finally, Paul reminds Timothy that he must work hard, understand that there is a gap between planting and harvesting, but also remember that God will be faithful to reward him when the harvest comes. We live in a microwave culture. We want instant results and often jump from one ministry to another, one strategy to another, and one vision to another because we don’t see instant growth or the outcomes we expected. There are times to change but patience and hard work are also virtues in the kingdom. Great churches and ministries are built in years and decades not months. Great gifts are developed over time as well. To forget that sowing and reaping come in seasons and that the greatest trees take hundreds of years to grow rather than a few seasons sets us up for discouragement.

Paul asked Timothy to reflect on these things and to be blessed by doing so. You may want to do so as well. Be blessed.