The Church At The Crossroads

THE CHURCH AT THE CROSSROADS (REVELATION 2)

https://bible.ryl.hk/web_en Grammar Bible (English)

https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Bah Tatabahasa Alkitab (Indonesian)

https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Esp Biblia de Gramática (Spanish)

https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Tag Gramatika Bibliya (Filipino)

https://bible.ryl.hk Chinese Bible (Chinese)

"Which way to town?" the stranger asked.

The local resident pointed to the right.

"And how long will it take to get there?"

The native stared at the stranger intently and shrugged.

"I know you can hear me!" the stranger shouted. "How long will it take me to get to town?"

The host shrugged again, and the stranger stomped off angrily.

A minute later, the resident shouted, "About half an hour."

The stranger turned and shouted back, "Why didn't you say so?"

"I had to see how quickly you were walking," The local replied, smiling.

The seven churches of present-day Turkey may be seen from a historical perspective, geographical nearest to the island Patmos, and ever-present challenges. Two churches are good (2nd and 6th), and the others bad and so-so. Chapter 2 rightly begins with the seven churches since the letter or the book was meant for them in the first place, as stated in the first chapter (1:4).

How would you, the church, the bride of Christ react to the Lord’s coming? Are you flippant, favorable or fearful of His coming? Would you make the turnaround, make a U-turn, return to God and turn things around?

Recall and Repent

1 "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: 2 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. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 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. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 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.

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Doris’ loss (1963-2016). I have done a few things to remember her death, as a beloved husband should do. More importantly, my grief was increasing and not decreasing at that time. On my Mondays off, I go to Flower street to buy flowers to remember her. Next, I started wearing a small locket with a sprinkle of her ashes in it. I do kiss it occasionally. Her other two sisters have the same locket. Later I wore a pair of glasses that attracted a lot of attention because one of the lenses was round and the other was square, but few noticed it immediately. Most young people would say, “Cool!” when they found out, but they looked uneasy when I told them the glasses reflect my life as a “square peg in a round hole, nothing seems to fit” mentality. A year later I decided to cut my hair off every 22nd of the month on the day she passed away. That, surprisingly, took much of my grief away. We have our names on all our books even now.

I KNOW

AGAINST YOU

IMPERATIVE

OVERCOME

VIEW

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V 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.

4 Yet I hold this against you: (that) You have forsaken your first love.

V 5 Remember

Repent

do

V 7 hear

V 7 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The Functional Church:

Good vv 2-3

Bad v 4

Imperative v 5

Good v 6

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V 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty

V 10 (not) be afraid Be faithful

V 11 hear

V 11 He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

The Faithful

Church:

v 9 Good

v 10 Imperative

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V 13 I know where you live — where Satan has his throne.

V 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: (that) You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam

V 16 Repent

V 17 hear

V 17 To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.