Over the years the Lord has shown me more times than I want to count that I was thinking wrong.   He used last weeks teaching "HANG IN THERE BABY!"  to bring something  to my realization that I still do not fully understand.   I do not know if you caught the importance of this or not.  I did right between the eyes.  And I have learned that what Solomon said is true. Proverbs 16:18-19 (NLT) 18Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. 19It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.  If you can believe it, this old pastor used to have an ego as big as Montana.   Hey! It is hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way.  Well anyway that was then and this is now.  The Lord has done some real refining and I know that the most important thing in my life is serving Him and being true to His words.  Some advice from an old pastor, if you want to serve the Lord the way He wants get rid of your ego and pride. 
        So, I bet you are wondering what lesson I learned from last weeks teaching.  Well it is this.  As I was studying the seven churches in Revelation I realized that in each case the Lord started talking to a religious group.  But, when He finished He was talking to the individuals in that religious group or church.  There were two things that the Lord pointed out to me.  The first was that six of the seven churches (religious groups) faced losing their rewards.   I do not see how you can read it any other way but this meant their salvation.  In Sardis He tells the church that they will be blotted out of the book of life.  I do not know how you are going to get into heaven and eternal joy, peace and happiness if you are not in the book of life.  In these short chapters Jesus gives us in no uncertain terms how he feels about certain sins.           
        The second and most startling to me is that in each church no matter how bad they are, there is a small group of individuals that have not yet compromised.  Even in Thyatira where they are teaching the deep things of Satan there are still a small group who have not accepted these teachings.  Ok, this is where I was really humbled.  I have always believed that there just cannot be any true Christians in any religion that goes against Jesus.  Just like the Episcopal Church who this year said they no longer accept that Jesus is the way, the true, the life and the ONLY way to the Father.  I was totally convinced that there just could not be any Christians in such a religion.  But I was WRONG!  OUCH!   If we believe the Word of God (which I do 100%) then even in the most debauched church in Revelation there were still a few hold outs.  Come on, lets just look at a few of their sins,  abandoned first love, practice immorality, witchcraft, have idols, commit adultery, seek the deep things of satan, are dead spiritually and are lukewarm just to mention a few.  Yet in each church Jesus says 7'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, …'   So the individuals that are in these churches must overcome, have victory over, must prevail  and come out and then they will receive the reward.  I still do not fully understand how there can be any true Christians in some of these false religions, but my Lord and Saviors words say there can be and that makes it true whether my small educated idiot box (mind) can understand it or not!
        Why must they overcome?  Because if they do not they become assimilated into the religious group.   They slowly lose their fire for Christ and fall into the norm of their particular church group.  They no longer call themselves Christians after their beautiful Savior.  They call themselves after their religious name.  It does not matter what church or religious group you belong to, but, think if you refer to yourself as that, then who are you following. Paul said it better than I can: 1 Corinthians 1:10 (KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
        Are you Catholic, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, Assemblies, Mormon, etc.  or are you a Christian.?  No I am not talking to  any religious group.  I, like Jesus am talking to the individual.   I am asking you to whom do you give your alliance when asked what you believe.   Do you say " I am a Baptist!" or do you say " I am a Christian!"    These are not my words they are Jesus'.  Read in depth chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation and see that there are two groups that Jesus is talking to.  The churches or religious groups of the day and those individuals that have not followed their teachings but have held to the true word of God and a personal relationship with Jesus. 
        I learned from last weeks teaching that in all these religions and religious groups no matter how false they are there can still be true Christians in them.   But I also learned that if those Christians do not overcome that religion and come out,  they will not and I repeat they will not get their rewards promised in God's word.  Not my words my friends, but the words of Jesus Himself.  Study it and you will see I am correct. 

God Bless
Pastor  A. J.

        My Savior and You

Each day that wonders by, I see my Jesus in your eyes.
It seems He walks with you through this mortal life.
No matter what sorrow or strife My Savior is there in your heart. 
I do not have to ask, for I know you and He will never part.
You want only to serve, He wants only to love.
Come to me my children! Is His only cry.
Why won't they listen?
Why oh why?

Oh how sad to see all those eyes that reflect emptiness for all to read.
They reflect not joy, only sorrow at another day that must be faced.
Another day with no hope only strive. 
Each day they wonder is this all there is to life?

Oh my friend why can't you ask Jesus into your heart?
He only wants to set you free.
  He only wants to walk through life with thee.

He does not really ask much. 
Only open your heart to His Love.
Only open your mind to His cleansing touch.
Let Him in to remove all the past
He will give the only peace that lasts

So simple to live a live full of joy.
So easy to be set free.
Oh, how I wonder why they cannot see.
No need to sink in your sin.  No reason to worry yourself sick.
Jesus is the answer!
Yes, ask Him into your life quick.
Soon it could be too late so you mustn't wait. 

Ask and He will fill your heart . He will give live more abundant than you can think.  His hand will reach out and never let you sink. 

What does the world see when they look at thee. 
Peace, Hope, love and dreams beyond all compare?
Or
Darkness, loneliness and despair?

Jesus is the answer to all life's questions.
Will you ask?
Pastor A. J. 2007