“Preppers”
are people who seriously prepare for the collapse of civilization. While watching a TV show with my grandson, it
struck me that these folks were preparing for the unknown by stocking up on
what they believed were the basic necessities of life. It occurred to me that in Revelation 2-3, Jesus
shares the basic necessities of life with the seven churches who lived in and
faced a real collapse of their civilization.
Each church is commended for a strength and then given a warning of something
lacking.
The
messages to these churches uncovers the basic necessities to continue being the
messianic community even under the worst of circumstances. Because when hard times come, religion built
on traditions and maintained by legalistic rules shows itself to not be
life-sustaining but rather life-draining.
The
messianic community of Jesus followers in the New Testament is not a religion. It is a living, organic community of people
in relationship with Jesus and each other. Jesus
delivers messages to these messianic communities (churches) and in them He
shares what is really basic, not just for survival, but for them to share in
His victory and enforcement of His defeat of the powers of darkness.
Let’s
look at these basics for overcoming as the messianic community while living in
a hostile world.
1. Ephesus- Keep Returning to Love.
This church had
been faithful and resisted false leaders.
They had been true to the truth they had received through the apostles,
holding up against persecution from the outside and deception brought on by
those on the inside.
Jesus
lovingly warns them “you have left your first love.” I think what Jesus is saying is that just
“doing right” when things get tough is not enough. We must also “be in right relationship” and
for Jesus followers that means to stay in love.
If the messianic community is not living rooted in the unconditional
love of Jesus…if we do not relate to others, even our enemies without
demonstrating the unconditional love of Jesus…then we will be defeated no
matter how sincerely we hold on to the “truth”.
2. Smyrna- Decide It’s Better To Die Faithful
Than To Live Denying the Faith.
Smyrna was the city where later the Bishop
Polycarp became one of the famous Christian martyrs. It was a city closely aligned with Rome who
eagerly wanted to show their allegiance through emperor worship. There was also a large group of unbelieving
Jews who were eager to use Rome’s disapproval against the messianic community
whom they considered against their God.
No
nice platitudes here from Jesus. He
tells them plainly they will be persecuted even more than they have been but
reminds them that it will come to an end.
His words to comfort and encourage them was to say, “Hang on no matter
what. And in the end you will not be
hurt by the second death.”
They
have to make the decision that suffering even physical death for their
relationship with Him is better than denying Him and suffering the second
death- being eternally separated from Him and the messianic community.
3. Pergamum- Don’t Be Blinded By Tolerance.
Jesus points out their
toleration of the false teaching of “Balaam”.
In the Old Testament, Balaam tried to destroy the messianic community
through teaching them to worship false gods which by definition leads to sexual
immorality. Jesus is warning this church
against tolerating false teachers. These
false teachers lead them into compromise with the surrounding culture of
emperor worship and temple prostitutes.
Deceptive
tolerance of false teaching and faulty presuppositions lead to enthroning other
“gods” and usually show up with increased immoral sexual behavior. Recall the old story of the frog who died by
sitting in a kettle of slowly boiling water.
As the water slowly heated up, the unaware frog remained in the kettle
until it was too late for the frog to easily hop out of the kettle. The warning here is for the messianic
community to not be afraid to identify any false teaching that runs counter to
the truths of Jesus and His kingdom.
Stay
tuned for Part 2,
John
P. Holsey, fellow prepper
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