30th March 2014

Jesus and the prophets. Today’s reading Revelation3: 1-6.

The Spirit of Jesus brings a message to the church at Sardis.

Before going out of the church building in groups to pray for the people of our community and our outreach we looked at God’s Word together. We remembered that just as Jesus moved around the cities that surrounded the churches so Jesus is walking our streets and workplaces. It seems the church at Sardis has taken on the complacency of the wealthy City of Sardis and Jesus says that the church has the reputation of being alive but really it’s dead. Situated at the junction of 5 roads & therefore successful in trade it is apparently impregnable to enemies. Nevertheless they failed to post guards and twice the city was captured: by Cyrus the Persian in 549BC and by Antiochus in 218BC. Jesus tells the church that they need to become watchful or he himself will creep up on them like a thief. He says that there are some in the church who have not soiled their white robes and they will walk with him.  An amazing privilege of friendship with God. Jesus calls the others to recall what they learnt before and change their ways and he promises that if they do they also will wear white robes and not forfeit their names being in the Book of Life. We explored the symbolism of these white robes and what it means to be “justified” and walk with Jesus now. Then we walked out of the building to pray for our community.
 

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

23rd March 2014 

 Jesus and the prophets: today’s reading Revelation 2: 18-29.

The Spirit of Jesus brings a message to the Thyatira church.

Thyatira and the church there are known to Jesus and he moves both in and around the city and the church. The city is small does this mean that the church is small?  Ford fiesta types of church through to  Mercedes style types of churches?  A city of trade and commerce & many trade guilds. The challenges faced by the church were how to behave in the work place, in the guilds. There was a division in the church on behaviour lines and  there were the “rest” and the “others”.  Once again the issue of what diversity can be celebrated and what cannot be tolerated rears its head. The issues that Jesus raises which call for repentance (change of mind, heart and action) are grouped around sexual immorality and also idolatry. What does this mean for us a church situated in London and rich in diversity but also an “anything goes” mentality? How do we read our Bibles? 

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website

 16th March 2014

The reading is from Revelation 2: 12- 17 continuing with the “ Spirit of Jesus” and looking at the message to the church at Pergamum. The city was significant because of its great library and also it’s close relationship with Rome. People came from all over the world seeking healing – from the godAsclepius. There were temples to Zeus, Dionysus, Athene, and it was also a centre for Caesar worship. Pergamum was a dark and difficult place to live as God’s people and to shine out in witness.

 He tells them v14 that they are tolerating false teaching (probably from some within the church). The talk raises the question with regard to diversity “. What can be tolerated within the membership of the churches and what must not be tolerated? “Or rather "what diversity will Jesus celebrate and encourage and what won’t he tolerate?" Together we therefore have to rely on learning from God in how to read our Bibles and to see what God says.

 

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

 9th March 2014

 Continuing with Jesus and the prophets and the readings from Revelation to the churches this time Rev 2: 8 - 11.in what  the message of the Spirit of Jesus brings to Smyrna. The talk draws a pen portrait of what was Smyrna like. God knows what is going on in the churches and follows a now familiar pattern from greetings to promises.   Prophecy draws back a curtain on a seen and unseen world. The question is raised what would your response be if you were warned in advance of a time of testing? E.g. here or as with Agabus? Acts 21:10.11. How do we prepare these times of testing?

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

2nd March 2014 

The reading is from Revelation 2:1-7 and looks at the Spirit speaking to the church at Ephesus, making the point that God knows what is going on in the churches and brings greetings, insight, praise, criticism, warring and exhortation as well as promises to over comers. The talk looks at the temporal and spiritual significance of Ephesus and the danger they were under of Jesus personally coming for ”  the removal of their lamp stand “ and looks at what that might mean, but it ends with looking at the points in their favour and to what the promises of “ they will eat of the Tree of Life in garden of God “ could  mean as a promise to overcoming.

 

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website .