HELP IS ON THE WAY

HELP IS ON THE WAY.

 

I was impressed by the devotional article in ODB today written by Joe Stowell, one of my favorite authors. He based it on (Rev 2:12-17) one of the 7 letters to various local churches that existed at the time John wrote Revelation. The city of Pergamos was probably located in a time and space much like the place we live in today. Read this passage to get the background, and compare it to that in which we live in 2012. Jesus refers to Pergamos, or Pergamum (in the NLT), as the city where "Satan has his throne". I'm not sure where he has his throne today, but I'm quite sure it is not in Saint John NB, but I do know he has his agents that work for him here as well as everywhere. But Joe points out in verse 13 where Jesus says "I know where you dwell", this should bring hope to all followers of His! Joe's closing line was "Our greatest hope here below is help from God above". This should be a comforting word for all of us who have been adopted into His Forever Family!

 

And of course we know from scripture that the moment we believe in and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Father adopts us as a member in His Family He gives us His Holy Spirit to abide with us forever. And when we read chapters 14, 15, and 16 of the Gospel of John and consider all the words describing the Holy Spirit who came to replace Jesus on earth after He returned to His Father in heaven, why should we ever worry? The fact is we are under the constant care of our loving heavenly Father who is real Agape Love, and has promised to never ever leave us, so we can be "Eternally Secure"! And that is not just a doctrine for different groups in some churches who have taught a different doctrine to argue about. That has always grieved me to see followers of Jesus arguing about their different church doctrines. The simple fact is that if we are all "born again" by the Spirit of God we are all brothers and sisters in the same family. As far as being members of the Church that Jesus said He would build (Matt 16:18), there can only be one True Church in every community or location on the globe, with many different cells, but all connected to One Head which is Jesus Christ. All these different groups that use the name "church" are either counterfeits of the real thing, or perhaps real Churches that have never found out yet where they belong in the "Body of Christ", which is the proper name for this Church that Jesus started, and continues to add to all over the world!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                                       30/06/12