Another magnificent fall day! Yay, fall!

Here is our bulletin.

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Message: “Smyrna: The Poor, Rich Church!”
Message Text: Revelation 2:8-11

Jesus Christ: “I have a message for you, a message set in eternity.”

• The words of the first and the last, the One who became dead and came to life. I am the One who was before all creation, and I am the one who will be standing and remain when all else is gone. I am your Lord, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of kings on earth. I love you and have set you free from your sins by my blood and have made you a kingdom, priests to our God and Father. I am the Alpha and the Omega; I am the One who is and who was and who is to come; I am the Almighty. I have a message for you, a message set in eternity.

Message: “Smyrna: The Poor, Rich Church!”
Message Text: Revelation 2:8-11

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This Sunday—October 16!

Faith Fellowship “Barn” Service & Wiener Roast!

@ 5 pm 

@ Stan & Debbie Dixon’s!

Ya’ll Come Now!

• Wieners, buns and table service will be provided. Bring a dish to share and your own drink. Come for a great time of fellowship.
• Strings accompaniment. Mary Dixon on the keyboard. Yi-Haa!
• Meet at the church parking lot at 4:40 pm if you need a ride or want to follow someone.

Hello All,

Beautiful “day in the neighborhood” this Friday.

Here is our bulletin.

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“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Are we hearing God? Are you hearing God? And before you answer too quickly, I want you to understand that many don’t hear him but they think they do. Many—thousands upon ten thousands—will sit in churches across our land this morning assuming that they are hearing God, convinced that they are doing the right thing, because someone is standing in the pulpit of their church preaching from the Bible. But the problem is that even though the Bible is used, and a lesson is taught, God is not being honored as God. And the word of God is not being honored as the word of God.

How could this be? Is this even possible? In church, all dressed up and looking good, message from the Bible. How could this not be a good thing?

Let’s look at some precedent, an example of this very thing which is available to us in the biblical record in the OT. As crazy or unlikely or preposterous or outside of your religious box as it may sound, we will see from your Bible and mine, that the preacher, the prophet, picks up God’s word, tells lies and … the people love it.

Is that wild or what? But listen to the prophet Jeremiah:

• (Jeremiah 5:31 NIV84) The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

You may have noticed, probably have noticed, that people love having things their way, whether it is how their burger is prepared or their morality or immorality, as it may be, or their life direction. People love to choose what they believe is right for themselves. Some love to choose what is right for everyone else. People love to have things their way. But Jeremiah asks, what will that person do when the end comes? What will you do when the choice is in God’s hands and no longer yours?

We are in a time of turmoil as a nation, and we will have people, both liberal and conservative, many of them standing in pulpits, telling us what we should do, who we should believe, even who we should vote for. Some will, in the name of God, call us to certain choices. They will quote and misquote Bible verses and demand that we listen to God, telling us that God says this, and God says that. And what you had better do if you are a good person, or a good Christian, or a good whatever their context calls for.

But here’s the thing about speaking for God. If you say that God said it, then you better make sure that he did, or what will you do in the end when God calls you to account? What will you do in the end when God calls you to account for the words and agendas that you pushed in the name of God?

We can collect everyone’s opinion and analyze the data from the news services or from Gallup polls or examine the latest from George Barna, follow Breitbart on the web. Whatever suits your fancy. We can talk to all of our Christian friends and share opinions and read books and attend seminars and listen to all of our favorite preachers.

You’ve heard “last man standing”. Well, how about “last information standing”? Will our information stand up to the judgment of God?

We will not be ready if we are not hearing God!

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

God is talking to us now. Are we listening? What happens in the end is all about being prepared and ready for the end, having the right information, God’s information, before it is too late. The book of Revelation, really the entire Bible, is about preparation, and Revelation is the final chapter in the Book of Divine Preparation, the Bible.

REVELATION MESSAGE 4 –
Revelation-The Final Chapter of Preparation / Revelation 2 / 100916 AM

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Christ exhorts each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 with those words.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Are we hearing God? And before you answer too quickly, I want you to understand that many don’t hear who think they do. They have convinced themselves, but they have also had help in the convincing. Many—thousands upon ten thousands—will sit in churches across our land this morning convinced that they are hearing God because someone is standing in the pulpit of their church preaching from the Bible.

How can this be? Let’s look at the precedent we have available to us in the biblical record, and I believe that I can state without the least bit of hesitation or exaggeration, that we have overwhelming evidence of this very dynamic. As crazy or unlikely or preposterous as it may sound, we will see that the preacher, or the prophet, picks up God’s word, tells lies and … the people love to hear it.

Listen to the prophet Jeremiah:

• (Jeremiah 5:31 NIV84) The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

So what will we do when the end comes?

You can collect everyone’s opinion and analyze data from Gallup polls or examine the latest from George Barna or follow social trends at the Pew Research Center. You can talk to all of your Christian friends and read books and attend seminars and listen to all of your favorite preachers.

But will your information match God’s information?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

What will you do when the end comes? What happens in the end is all about being prepared before the end comes, having the right information before it is too late. The book of Revelation, really the entire Bible, is about preparation, and Revelation is the final chapter in the Book of Divine Preparation, the Bible.

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Scripture Reading … Beginning to end, first and last …

• (Revelation 2:7a NKJV) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
• (Psalm 90:2 NLT) Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
• (Isaiah 41:4 ESV) Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
• (Isaiah 44:6 ESV) Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”
• (Isaiah 46:9–10 ESV) Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”
• (Revelation 1:17 ESV) When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.”
• (Revelation 2:8 ESV) And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.”
• (Revelation 22:13 ESV) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

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Hello All,

Here is this week’s bulletin.

Dave

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The city of Ephesus, the “Light of Asia.”

• Ephesus was a captivating city, called Luminasia in Latin, the “Light of Asia” and was highly regarded for many reasons, one of which was having the greatest harbor in Asia Minor. Four highways connected Ephesus on an established trade route. Ephesus was also a prominent religious center, being the hub for the worship of Artemis.
• The church at Ephesus was regarded by some as “the leading church in the province of Asia.” Because of its size and dedication this church became a relevant threat to the local idol-making industry. The Ephesian church diligently pursued doctrinal purity, testing those who claimed to be authoritative teachers and leaders, and not tolerating those making false claims.

The Church at Ephesus …

• The church at Ephesus was built on a strong, biblical infrastructure, having been founded and instructed by what sounds like a Who’s Who list of famous first century Christian leaders. Some of the best of the best, including the Apostle Paul, Aquila and Priscilla, Apollos, Timothy, Tychicus and eventually the Apostle John.
• What a resume! By any human measurement or observation, right up until the time of this  letter addressed to them in Revelation, this appears to be a good, strong church. In fact, if you were to move to Ephesus around AD 95 and were looking for a new church home, you would be thrilled to find this church.
• Their commitment to faithfulness and duty was reflected in the words of Christ himself. They worked hard and patiently endured. They exposed fake church leaders, endured suffering and hardship for Jesus’ sake and did not grow weary in well-doing.
• This was one excellent church! And these people had it together.
• Except … it wasn’t and they didn’t. The church was flawed and unsound and was, in fact, in danger of Christ removing its gospel witness. Why? How could they appear to be so focused and on target and biblical and together and yet be so far off that Christ himself would threaten to level judgment if they didn’t repent? Why?
• Because in the busyness of doing church, and caught up in the importance of their agendas and programs, and in working hard at fighting the bad guys, they had forgotten what was most important.
• And so this church, which by all appearances was faithful and true, was on the brink of having the light of its testimony removed by Jesus himself.

Message: “First Love—Remember & Repent!”
Message Text: Revelation 2:1-7