Podcasts about emperor domitian

Join Pastor Gary on this Memorial Day Sunday as he guides the Church in remembering the 'Spiritual Warriors' who paved the way for us. He honors the sacrifices of over 600,000 men, women, and youth who died for freedom, paralleling their sacrifice to Christ's ultimate act of love. Pastor Gary stresses the significance of commemorating fallen soldiers and early Christians who faced persecution for their faith. He highlights the courage of these believers under rulers like Emperor Domitian and challenges us to see their legacy as part of our spiritual heritage. Referencing Matthew 5:10-12, he reminds us that following Christ includes enduring trials. From Hebrews 12:1-2, he encourages us to persevere, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. He honors those in his ministry, "fallen soldiers" of faith, who have shaped lives through their prayers and service.

Statius finally tells Virgil what we all want to know: the story of his conversion. How did this Latin poet who dedicated his great epic to a Roman emperor become a Christian.Through a long process and by subterfuge. Statius was a closeted or hidden (or to use the medieval Florentine term, "closed") Christian.Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look through this passage in which Dante the poet attempts to justify putting this pagan Roman poet in Purgatory and on his way to Paradise.If you'd like to help out with the costs of this podcast, please consider a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend, using this PayPal link right here.Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:[01:20] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 76 - 93. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.[03:27] Two minor issues: Who converted Statius? And was Dante the poet rethinking his position toward the neutrals in INFERNO?[08:08] Statius' journey in the afterlife to the fourth circle of Mount Purgatory . . . and where else?[08:40] Statius' improvised backstory and the inclusion of a historical figure: Emperor Domitian.[13:13] Dante's concept of conversion (v. modern conceptions).[16:36] Statius' words and the problem of the "above" text.[20:01] Texts in texts and the inevitable overlay of irony.[24:50] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 76 - 93.

In the latest episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast, Marc De Santis speaks with Murray Dahm about his new book, Roman Soldier vs Dacian Warrior: Dacian Wars AD 85–106. The wars between Rome and Dacia were some of the most intense and strategically important conflicts of the early 2nd century AD. Fought during the reign of Emperor Domitian and later under Trajan, these battles saw the disciplined Roman legions face off against the determined warriors of Dacia. The struggle ended with Rome's annexation of Dacia, a victory commemorated on Trajan's Column in Rome. Murray's new book, published by Osprey, examines the tactics, weaponry, and battlefield experiences of both Roman soldiers and their Dacian opponents. In this episode, he discusses the challenges faced by both sides, the effectiveness of Dacian weapons—such as the falx—and how Rome adapted its military approach to counter the threat. Listen to the episode to learn more about one of Rome's toughest adversaries and the warfare that shaped the empire's northern frontier.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

In this mid-season finale, explore the turbulent reign of Emperor Domitian, his ruthless ambition, and the oppressive persecution he unleashed upon early Christians. This episode looks into the history, paranoia, and imperial cult surrounding Domitian and highlights how faithful believers, including the Apostle John, stood firm against his tyranny. , To join The Church History Project Facebook group and engage in more discussion about released episodes and other fascinating nuggets of church history, you can visit the page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For other questions and comments, feel free to reach out to Jared at thechurchhistoryproject@gmail.com. For more content, visit the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or wherever you find your podcasts. Episode Overview Introduction to Domitian: Background on his rise to power and contrasts with his father, Vespasian, and brother, Titus. Domitian's Reign: His centralization of power, paranoia, and the establishment of emperor worship as a divine ruler. Persecution of Christians: Key incidents, including the exile of John to Patmos and the defiance of Flavia Domitilla. Revelation's Imagery: How Domitian's reign played a role in the apocalyptic visions in the Book of Revelation. Domitian's Death and Legacy: His assassination and the Christian hope that flourished in the aftermath of his reign. Discussion Questions for Small Groups Faith vs. Authority: How do Domitian's demands for worship as “Lord and God” challenge our understanding of allegiance to Christ over worldly powers? Modern Parallels: In what ways does today's culture tempt us to compromise our faith? How can we stand firm as early Christians did? Spiritual Resilience: The Apostle John remained faithful during exile. How can his example inspire us to maintain hope and faith during personal trials? Allegiance to Christ: How can we practically declare, “Jesus is Lord,” in a society that often demands our loyalty to other “idols” like success, comfort, or approval?

Pastor Chris Romig explores the deep connection between the Book of Revelation and the experience of persecution faced by early Christians. Drawing from his visit to the National Museum of Prisoners of War and the context of Roman Emperor Domitian's rule, Pastor Chris illustrates how John the Apostle's imprisonment on the island of Patmos symbolizes the cosmic conflict between good and evil. The sermon delves into the significance of John's authorship, the message to the seven churches of Asia, and the enduring promise of God's Word amidst tribulation. Join us as we unpack the profound revelations given to John and their implications for believers today.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

One of the many fun things about making this podcast is going from "this is cool!" (ironically) to "yo, this is pretty sick actually" (sincere), so it should be no surprise that breaking down the context around the creation of Revelation and the timeline of the Tribulation judgments was really fun to dig into. The start of this episode is a look into the actual book of Revelation and the history that led to its writing, along with necessary context to help ground this wild and weird book. Then, we enter the Final Terrible Week of The Lord and break down the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments that have either already affected our heroes, or will be thrown at them soon. Things are about to get extremely unchill for the Tribulation Force and I cannot wait to talk about it when we get deeper into the series. Even if some of the judgments are repeats... (Really, God? Three earthquakes??)This episode would not have possible without the fine folks over at patreon.com/contenthole. Thank you!Here is a list of some of the sources used:New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd EditionRevelation, Blackwell Bible Commentaries, by Judith Kovacs and Christopher RowlandPBS Frontline series on ApocalypseJones, Brian W. (1992). The Emperor Domitian.Revelation Unveiled, by Tim LaHayeSpecial Shoutout to the Bela Fleck album, My Bluegrass HeartOur intro and outro music and lyrics by Layne Smith and William WhiteBass: Jonas NewhouseExtra Vocals: Frannie K MorrisonFollow Glass Beach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A vile megalomaniac. Thank you for listening! Please leave a 5 star review, share and subscribe!

Friends of the Rosary: Today, on the third day of Christmas, the universal Church honors the apostle and evangelist St. John (d. 101), the beloved disciple of Jesus and author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Apocalypse. He is the evangelist of the divinity of Christ and His fraternal love. On Christmas Day, we read his passages on the pre-existence of the Word, who by His Incarnation became the light of the world and the life of our souls. Born in Bethsaida, son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother to St. James the Greater, both of whom were fishermen. The two were called by Jesus to be disciples as they were mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee. With James and Peter, he witnessed the Transfiguration. At the Last Supper, he leans on the Master's breast. At the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusts His Mother to his care. John's pure life kept him very close to Jesus and Mary for years to come. He was the only one of the Apostles who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion and Death. He was brought to Rome and, according to tradition, was cast into a caldron of boiling oil by order of Emperor Domitian, but he was miraculously preserved unhurt. John was then exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse or Revelation. Afterward returned to Ephesus where he founded many churches in Asia Minor and passed away in peace at about ninety-four years old. "My dear children, love one another," was his message. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!St. John, Pray for Us! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠December 27, 2023, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

You have more potential than you may realise. But one of the best ways to achieve actual fulfilment in your life is to be part of a team. Who would you say was the best team ever? In many areas of life, it has been great teams who have achieved more together than they ever would have done apart.   In church history it was a group of talented and dedicated U.K. Christians known as the Clapham sect who united to successfully campaign for the abolition of slavery and the promotion of global missions. The world's most famous evangelist, Billy Graham, was a highly charismatic personality, but he freely admitted that he owed everything to God, his wife and a close team of associates who stayed together and supported him throughout their long lives.    Yet for all the effectiveness of so many great teams there is one that stands out above all others. John Maxwell wrote: ‘one could argue that Jesus constructed the most important team ever assembled. In less than one generation, the disciples of Jesus progressed from ignorant labourers to bold spiritual leaders in what is now the largest organisation in the world.'  The team that Jesus chose and trained to become history makers were a very mixed group of characters as we have been discovering over these past months. We have seen how easy it is to identify with them as they were very ordinary people just like us, each with their particular strengths and weaknesses.   For all the differences in their personalities and roles, these disciples who became the world's most successful team, were united in key areas. They have much to teach us if we want to grow in our faith and as members of teams of disciples.  1. They had a personal encounter with Jesus (John 1:43-45; John 1:1-4, 14-16; Matthew 16; John 6:68-69; Colossians 2:7) 2. They committed to fully follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 19:27) 3. They needed to be developed as trained disciples of Jesus  4. They continued to be faithful witnesses of Jesus throughout their lives (Acts 12:2; Revelation 1:17-18; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 1:5-7)  Apply  1. They had a personal encounter with Jesus. Four fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James and John, all met Jesus along the shores of Lake Galilee. Matthew was called by Jesus while sitting at his booth as a tax collector. Philip and Nathanael also came into contact with Jesus (John 1:43-45). In one way and another Jesus entered the lives of each of the disciples and developed a close relationship with them over a three-year period. Jesus called this band of brothers ‘friends', but they clearly understood that that Jesus was no mere man, but the Promised Messiah, God in human form (John 1:45; John 1:1-4). John went on to clarify that Jesus was the Word He was speaking of (John 1:14). When Jesus asked the disciples who they really thought He was, Peter stated he believed Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16). As opposition increased towards Jesus, many left him, but not his core disciples (John 6:68-69). What held them together was they were ‘rooted and built up' in their personal faith in Christ (Colossians 2:7). That's why they weren't being blown all over the place. They knew Jesus for themselves. Being a true disciple then means far more than knowing about Jesus or even merely believing in Him at an intellectual level; it means that you must have a personal experience of knowing Jesus. Even if you would say that you are a Christian: do you really know the Lord in a personal way? Do you feel His presence? Do you know Him as your best friend who is always close by you? Are you confident to daily walk with Him because you are sure your sins have been forgiven because of your repentance and through Christ's blood? Well this is what the Lord wants for you. 2. They committed to fully follow Jesus. They decided to wholeheartedly follow Jesus from the start (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 19:27). Peter and his brother and colleagues left their fishing careers, Mathew gave up tax collecting for the Romans, Simon the Zealot split from the terrorist group that focused on killing Romans. Each disciple left their old way of life behind. And that is what every true follower of Jesus must do. You cannot continue with an old sinful lifestyle, with old attitudes, with old forms of behaviour and friendships with those who mock God. You have to make a clean break to follow Jesus. God's call on your life may also involve you changing from a previous career. But whether or not you stay or leave your chosen profession, what matters is that you die to an old way of life and that you choose to live God's way and to be a faithful ambassador for Christ. A true disciple is much more than someone who attends church but someone who has consciously decided to prioritise following the example and teachings of Jesus. That's what the first disciples did but that was only the start of their story.   3. They needed to be developed as trained disciples of Jesus. Once Jesus had called individual disciples, He then brought them together as a team to form them in their characters and capabilities. And that's what He did patiently, consistently, directly and ultimately very effectively. His training meant that the team of disciples: needed to stay close to their mentor and rabbi even when others had arguments and left; had to be prepared to accept correction, they weren't too proud to learn and change; and needed to be ready to respond to new challenges. At first, Jesus sent them out to spread the good news of the kingdom of God in their home areas but finally he sent them out to make disciples throughout the whole world. Everything depended on them succeeding as a team. The responsibility for the whole future of the church and the growth of Christianity rested with this small, imperfect team that Jesus had raised up. There was no plan B. Today also the numerical and spiritual growth of the Christian church, locally and globally, primarily depends not on big events and public services, but with the training of groups of small groups of committed disciples who will in turn multiply faithful and fruitful disciples.  4. They continued to be faithful witnesses of Jesus throughout their lives. They obediently carried out their commission to spread the gospel wherever they went, no matter what difficulties they faced. And they were prepared to pay the ultimate price. We know of the fate of Judas who betrayed Jesus and hung himself, while the faithful James, the son of Zebedee, was executed by Herod in 44AD (Acts 12:2). Even though Peter was miraculously saved at that time from a similar execution and the Bible doesn't give the details, numerous writers of the time (or shortly after) described his death as having occurred in Rome during the reign of the mad Emperor Nero in 64AD. According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. Although there are unreliable legends about the other disciples, there are strong traditions about their laying down of their lives for Christ. Russian Christians believe that Andrew was the first to bring the gospel to their land. Andrew also preached in modern-day Turkey, Asia Minor, and Greece, where it's believed he was crucified. Tradition says that Thomas preached as far as India, where he was killed. Many churches in the Middle East and southern Asia, including Sri Lanka, also mention Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as being the first evangelist to establish their churches. Philip likely had a powerful ministry in Asia Minor and in North Africa, where he was put to death. Matthew ministered in Persia and Ethiopia, where some believe he was killed. Of the other disciples who were reportedly martyred, Bartholomew had extensive missionary travels to Ethiopia, India with Thomas and to Armenia and Southern Arabia. James the son of Alpheus is believed to have ministered in Syria. Simon the Zealot ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to a sun god and Matthias, the replacement for Judas, went to Syria. John is one of the only disciples who's commonly thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was a church leader in Ephesus and is believed to have cared for Mary, Jesus' mother, in his home. During a time of persecution under Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia where he wrote the last book of the New Testament. At the end of his life, John had many revelations of Jesus in heaven. He had a vision of: - The conquering Christ: an awesome figure Revelation 1:17-18) - The compassionate Christ: He saw a vast crowd of people gathered (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 1:5-6) - The coming Christ: He foresaw that Jesus will return to earth in power and glory, overthrowing all evil, establishing His eternal kingdom and making all things new (Revelation 1:7). For John the past, present and future was all about Jesus. Jesus was the centre and meaning and hope of everything. That's why he and all the disciples had first followed Jesus and why they worked so effectively together as a team to shine his light in a dark world. We too need to encounter Jesus and live and work together as teams of real disciples to see Christ's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. 

You have more potential than you may realise. But one of the best ways to achieve actual fulfilment in your life is to be part of a team. Who would you say was the best team ever? In many areas of life, it has been great teams who have achieved more together than they ever would have done apart.   In church history it was a group of talented and dedicated U.K. Christians known as the Clapham sect who united to successfully campaign for the abolition of slavery and the promotion of global missions. The world's most famous evangelist, Billy Graham, was a highly charismatic personality, but he freely admitted that he owed everything to God, his wife and a close team of associates who stayed together and supported him throughout their long lives.    Yet for all the effectiveness of so many great teams there is one that stands out above all others. John Maxwell wrote: ‘one could argue that Jesus constructed the most important team ever assembled. In less than one generation, the disciples of Jesus progressed from ignorant labourers to bold spiritual leaders in what is now the largest organisation in the world.'  The team that Jesus chose and trained to become history makers were a very mixed group of characters as we have been discovering over these past months. We have seen how easy it is to identify with them as they were very ordinary people just like us, each with their particular strengths and weaknesses.   For all the differences in their personalities and roles, these disciples who became the world's most successful team, were united in key areas. They have much to teach us if we want to grow in our faith and as members of teams of disciples.  1. They had a personal encounter with Jesus (John 1:43-45; John 1:1-4, 14-16; Matthew 16; John 6:68-69; Colossians 2:7) 2. They committed to fully follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 19:27) 3. They needed to be developed as trained disciples of Jesus  4. They continued to be faithful witnesses of Jesus throughout their lives (Acts 12:2; Revelation 1:17-18; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 1:5-7)  Apply  1. They had a personal encounter with Jesus. Four fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James and John, all met Jesus along the shores of Lake Galilee. Matthew was called by Jesus while sitting at his booth as a tax collector. Philip and Nathanael also came into contact with Jesus (John 1:43-45). In one way and another Jesus entered the lives of each of the disciples and developed a close relationship with them over a three-year period. Jesus called this band of brothers ‘friends', but they clearly understood that that Jesus was no mere man, but the Promised Messiah, God in human form (John 1:45; John 1:1-4). John went on to clarify that Jesus was the Word He was speaking of (John 1:14). When Jesus asked the disciples who they really thought He was, Peter stated he believed Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16). As opposition increased towards Jesus, many left him, but not his core disciples (John 6:68-69). What held them together was they were ‘rooted and built up' in their personal faith in Christ (Colossians 2:7). That's why they weren't being blown all over the place. They knew Jesus for themselves. Being a true disciple then means far more than knowing about Jesus or even merely believing in Him at an intellectual level; it means that you must have a personal experience of knowing Jesus. Even if you would say that you are a Christian: do you really know the Lord in a personal way? Do you feel His presence? Do you know Him as your best friend who is always close by you? Are you confident to daily walk with Him because you are sure your sins have been forgiven because of your repentance and through Christ's blood? Well this is what the Lord wants for you. 2. They committed to fully follow Jesus. They decided to wholeheartedly follow Jesus from the start (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 19:27). Peter and his brother and colleagues left their fishing careers, Mathew gave up tax collecting for the Romans, Simon the Zealot split from the terrorist group that focused on killing Romans. Each disciple left their old way of life behind. And that is what every true follower of Jesus must do. You cannot continue with an old sinful lifestyle, with old attitudes, with old forms of behaviour and friendships with those who mock God. You have to make a clean break to follow Jesus. God's call on your life may also involve you changing from a previous career. But whether or not you stay or leave your chosen profession, what matters is that you die to an old way of life and that you choose to live God's way and to be a faithful ambassador for Christ. A true disciple is much more than someone who attends church but someone who has consciously decided to prioritise following the example and teachings of Jesus. That's what the first disciples did but that was only the start of their story.   3. They needed to be developed as trained disciples of Jesus. Once Jesus had called individual disciples, He then brought them together as a team to form them in their characters and capabilities. And that's what He did patiently, consistently, directly and ultimately very effectively. His training meant that the team of disciples: needed to stay close to their mentor and rabbi even when others had arguments and left; had to be prepared to accept correction, they weren't too proud to learn and change; and needed to be ready to respond to new challenges. At first, Jesus sent them out to spread the good news of the kingdom of God in their home areas but finally he sent them out to make disciples throughout the whole world. Everything depended on them succeeding as a team. The responsibility for the whole future of the church and the growth of Christianity rested with this small, imperfect team that Jesus had raised up. There was no plan B. Today also the numerical and spiritual growth of the Christian church, locally and globally, primarily depends not on big events and public services, but with the training of groups of small groups of committed disciples who will in turn multiply faithful and fruitful disciples.  4. They continued to be faithful witnesses of Jesus throughout their lives. They obediently carried out their commission to spread the gospel wherever they went, no matter what difficulties they faced. And they were prepared to pay the ultimate price. We know of the fate of Judas who betrayed Jesus and hung himself, while the faithful James, the son of Zebedee, was executed by Herod in 44AD (Acts 12:2). Even though Peter was miraculously saved at that time from a similar execution and the Bible doesn't give the details, numerous writers of the time (or shortly after) described his death as having occurred in Rome during the reign of the mad Emperor Nero in 64AD. According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. Although there are unreliable legends about the other disciples, there are strong traditions about their laying down of their lives for Christ. Russian Christians believe that Andrew was the first to bring the gospel to their land. Andrew also preached in modern-day Turkey, Asia Minor, and Greece, where it's believed he was crucified. Tradition says that Thomas preached as far as India, where he was killed. Many churches in the Middle East and southern Asia, including Sri Lanka, also mention Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as being the first evangelist to establish their churches. Philip likely had a powerful ministry in Asia Minor and in North Africa, where he was put to death. Matthew ministered in Persia and Ethiopia, where some believe he was killed. Of the other disciples who were reportedly martyred, Bartholomew had extensive missionary travels to Ethiopia, India with Thomas and to Armenia and Southern Arabia. James the son of Alpheus is believed to have ministered in Syria. Simon the Zealot ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to a sun god and Matthias, the replacement for Judas, went to Syria. John is one of the only disciples who's commonly thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was a church leader in Ephesus and is believed to have cared for Mary, Jesus' mother, in his home. During a time of persecution under Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia where he wrote the last book of the New Testament. At the end of his life, John had many revelations of Jesus in heaven. He had a vision of: - The conquering Christ: an awesome figure Revelation 1:17-18) - The compassionate Christ: He saw a vast crowd of people gathered (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 1:5-6) - The coming Christ: He foresaw that Jesus will return to earth in power and glory, overthrowing all evil, establishing His eternal kingdom and making all things new (Revelation 1:7). For John the past, present and future was all about Jesus. Jesus was the centre and meaning and hope of everything. That's why he and all the disciples had first followed Jesus and why they worked so effectively together as a team to shine his light in a dark world. We too need to encounter Jesus and live and work together as teams of real disciples to see Christ's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. 

In Part 2 of our series, Dr. Jeffrey D. Skinner and Rev. Brad Bellomy continue their insightful discussion and responsible reading of the Book of Revelation.**Episode 2: Context - The Seven Churches - Impact of Constantine**In this episode, we delve into the historical context of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Situated in Asia Minor, which corresponds to modern-day Turkey, these churches played a significant role in early Christianity. However, their context was marked by unique challenges:**1. Roman Occupation:** During the time of the book's writing, around 95-96 AD, the Roman Empire held sway over Asia Minor. The seven churches were scattered across this province, and their existence was intertwined with the broader Roman rule.**2. Persecution:** The early Christians faced periods of persecution within the Roman Empire. Emperor Domitian, known for his authoritarian rule, demanded unwavering loyalty to the Roman state, even to the extent of being worshiped as divine. This created a hostile environment for Christians who refused to bow to the emperor's demands, resulting in their persecution.The emergence of Constantine, a pivotal figure in Roman history, would later bring about significant changes. Prior to his reign, Christianity existed as a fringe religion, embraced mainly by the marginalized and oppressed. However, as Constantine embraced Christianity, it transformed from a faith of the few to a religion of the masses. This shift had profound implications for the future of Christianity.**3. Unveiling the Meaning of "Apocalypse"**Before we proceed, let's clarify the meaning of "apocalypse." In contemporary language, the term is often associated with visions of the end of the world—meteors, global warfare, or even the potential demise of humanity and the planet. However, the original Greek word, "apokalypsis," from which "apocalypse" is derived, carries a different connotation."Apocalypse" signifies an unveiling or revealing, and it can also denote the disclosure of hidden knowledge or secrets. In the context of the seven churches in Asia Minor, John's message to them was akin to saying, "Hey, there's a secret message meant for you. Get your 'decoder ring'!" (with a touch of humor).As we explore the historical and theological landscape of the seven churches and their place within the Roman Empire, we gain valuable insights into the early Christian experience. Join us in Episode 2 as we uncover the layers of history and meaning behind the Book of Revelation.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

Revelation - Part Fifteen: The Throne at the Center of the Universe. Epic title. Back to Revelation and a look into the Emperor Domitian, who reigned from 81-96. When Domitian (81-96 AD) became emperor there was significant change in the demand for deification. Domitian was obsessed with his own (and his brother Titus' and father Vespasian's) deity. Augustus once explicitly forbade his fellow citizens to address him with the title “Lord.” He did not want to be master of slaves, but first citizen of the empire. But Domitian ignored his forefather and followed in the ways of Nero….He did not wish to be a citizen among his fellow citizens, but a superhuman being in charge of the destiny of humanity. Coins of the era call Domitian the father of the gods... Domitian insisted on being called "Lord and God" whenever he was mentioned or addressed. How does John address this? What are we to take away? First, Tim shares some troubled times with how our language and words can incite violence against the LGBTQ community and how everyone, regardless of your opinion, needs to choose words more wisely. Laura Ann Carleton was murdered in Lake Arrowhead California for displaying a pride flag outside her shop. People can become militarized and violent by language they hear from the pulpit, news etc. Words carry power. Also, Mike and Tim discuss an email about therapy. Should you seek a Christian therapist or does it matter? As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Always feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

In this episode, Fr. Stephen and John unearth the secrets of the Book of Revelation as they navigate its historical context and rich symbolism. They go back to the time of Emperor Domitian and the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem's second temple to gain a deeper understanding, not just of the book but also of the tumultuous era that gave birth to it.Revelation is a book of the bible that teems with symbols and themes. From the woman adorned with the sun, moon, and stars and its connection to Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament, to the fascinating connection between the throne room, and incense imagery, and the Catholic Mass. As we journey through the Book of Revelation, we reveal its commentary on Rome and its eventual downfall.In the final part of our discussion, we delve further into the symbolism of the book and its connection to the heavenly liturgy, particularly through the Eucharist. We reflect on the profound quote "when we celebrate this, our redemption is accomplished" and its relation to God's will and the bride of Christ. The insightful letters to the churches serve as mirrors for our spiritual journey, making the intricacies of Revelation relatable. Tune in for an enlightening journey through this apocalyptic text. Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!

Welcome to Day 2133 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John - 1 – Who is the Apostle John? – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 01/23/2022 The Gospel of John – Who is the Apostle John? Today we begin a new Good News series according to John the Apostle. This message will examine John's identity and why he was unique among all Apostles. Have you ever started reading a novel, and you go to the last page of it to see how it ends before reading it?  That is what we will do today, so turn with me in your Bibles to John 21:24-25, or join me on page 1689 in the pew Bibles as I read the Scripture for today. Just two powerful verses as we begin this influential extended series of messages.  I would recommend keeping this passage open as we go throughout the message today: John 21:24-25  This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John had lived long enough to see it all, from the beginning to the end. As a bold, blustering young man, the idea of tramping around the wilderness of Judea after John the Baptizer appealed to him a great deal—so much so, that the young fisherman left a thriving fishing enterprise in the hands of his brother, James, and abandoned his privileged status for the Baptizer's diet of locusts and wild honey … and for the chance to help prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah. He helped the forerunner of the Messiah baptize thousands of repentant Jews. He supported the strange, Elijah-like figure as he called down judgment upon the corrupt leaders of the Jewish people. Then, finally, the day came when John saw the long-awaited Anointed One. He looked nothing like what John had imagined, but the declaration of his wilderness mentor, John the Baptizer, was unequivocal: This was the One. He and another of the Baptizer's disciples decided to get a closer look, to follow Jesus home, to hear what He had to say about Himself and Israel. Before the next day's dawn, he knew: They had found the Messiah. John's few years with Jesus flew by like a flash of lightning, yet remained vividly clear in his mind for more than seventy years. During that short time with Jesus, he saw the man he thought would be a conquering super-David, the Savior of Israel, stripped, beaten mercilessly, and hung on a cross like a petty thug. He saw the sky darken as the world's Light faded into death. Then he saw his hope resurrected to assume a more glorious form than he ever could have imagined, and he stood in awe as the presence of God filled the group of squabbling, self-promoting disciples and transformed them into the body of Christ—the bones and muscle, hands and feet of Christ. Then, as the blood of his martyred brothers and sisters yielded new believers, John nurtured them. As Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Apollos, Luke, Timothy, Titus, and other missionaries zealously expanded the church westward, John anchored its foundation. As critics bashed, John defended. As imposters subverted, John exposed them. As false prophets misled, John refuted their heretical message. He condensed his teaching into three letters (1–3 John), originally circulated within Asia Minor churches around AD 65. Having outlived all his martyred peers, John was exiled by Emperor Domitian to...

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

Rabbi Schiller looks at Daniel 11 today – the Rise of the False Messiah & the Mark of the Beast, showing how Antiochus in Dan 11 is a type and picture of the False Messiah to come. We look at the Roman origins of the Mark of the Beast under Emperor Domitian, and our call […]

Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and was known for her achievements in medicine, commerce, poetry, and the arts. Like the Greek goddess Athena, she was also known to have important temples in Rome. Her shrine on the Aventine in Rome was a meeting place for guilds of craftsmen, including at one time dramatic poets and actors.Originally, she was an Italian goddess of crafts. Scholars believe that she was indigenous to the Romans derived from the Etruscan goddess Menrva and that her name came from meminisse, which means "to remember." She was also worshipped as part of the Capitoline Triad along with Jupiter and Juno. In legends, Aeneas, who was a great escapee from Troy, brought a statue of the goddess to Rome, which was believed to keep the city safe from harm and was placed inside the Temple of Vesta.Her worship as a goddess of war was an encroachment on the realm of Mars, who was the primary god of war. During the time of the Eastern conquests, a temple dedicated to her was erected by the nobleman Pompey. Emperor Domitian pledged allegiance to Minerva and made her the focus of the city's worship.Read more at https://mythlok.com/minerva/

Photo: Portrait of Tsarevich Paul, later Tsar of Russia, by Alexander Roslin - Princeton University Art Museum @Batchelorshow #Londinium90AD: Emperor Domitian and Tsar Putin confront rebellion in their empires.  Michael Vlahos. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/magazine/ukraine-war.html

In this episode Richard shares from his library the books he has enjoyed in the last year and some that he is looking forward to reading in the new year. DONATE: Now, through the end of the year your donation can be doubled thanks to a generous donor. If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support what we do, click here. EVENTS: Find out more and sign up for either our in-person (May 2-4) or online (Feb. 28- Mar 2) Spiritual Leadership Coaching workshop. Click here. Richard will be at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove on March 28-30 for an event entitled, "SeniorCelebration: Living Victoriously in a Troubling, Confusing, and Dangerous World" Register here. RESOURCES: Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson. Find it here. The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Benner. Find it here. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl R. Trueman. Find it here. The Problem of the Old Testament by Duane A. Garrett. Find it here. Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1899-1981 by Iain H. Murray. Find it here. John G. Patton by John G. Patton. Find it here. With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. Find it here. Gently and Lowly by Dane C. Ortland. Find it here. On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior. Find it here. Gunlap by Robert Wolgemuth. Find it here. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Find it here. Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp. Find it here. Quiet by Susan Cain. Find it here. The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark. Find it here. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Find it here.  Paul: A biography by N.T. Wright. Find it here. Smart Leadership by Mark Miller. Find it here. The Emperor Domitian by Brian Jones. Find it here. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Find it here. The Organized Mind by Daniel Levitin. Find it here. Bismarck: A Life by Jonathan Steinberg. Find it here. Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie. Find it here. Louis XIV by Anthony Levi. Find it here. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. Find it here. CONNECT: Follow Richard on Twitter. Follow Richard on Facebook. Read Richard's latest blog posts at www.richardblackaby.com.

Readings* Psalm 72* Psalm 92* Isaiah 51:17—52:12* Matthew 2:1–12* Large Catechism, I, 245–253FestivalToday we celebrate the festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, son of Zebedee and brother of James the Elder, was among the first disciples to be called by Jesus, and became known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. During Christ's ministry, John witnessed many of Christ's miracles, was present for the Transfiguration, went with Peter to reserve the upper room for the Last Supper, and, alone among the Disciples, did not forsake Christ during His Passion, remaining near Christ through the crucifixion. From the cross, Jesus made John guardian of Mary, His mother. John would go on to be a founding father of the Early Church. From John, we have the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, which was revealed to him while he was banished to Patmos by Emperor Domitian. John outlived all of the other Apostles, dying in Ephesus at around age one hundred.ReaderCorey J. MahlerCopyright NoticesUnless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.Support the show (https://confident.faith/donate/)

I John 5 - Revelation 1 We are covering I John 5, II John, III John, Jude and Revelation 1 in The Message. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Jesus, thank you for your care for us that comes through in comforting letters of encouragement, instruction, warnings and pastoral inspiration. May we rise to the calling, the blessing, the deeds, and 'the rest' that you have planned for us. Amen. I John 5 - The issue in this chapter is that you know for certain.  The word "know" doesn't surface in today's translation but it is a chapter of confidence from what you know about our God and Savior, our relationships, our destiny, future and eternity.  The core is that we know we have eternal life. We know that our prayers are heard by God. We know that God has us for we are His children and chosen ones; we are His own.  And we can believe our God who never lies. And in typical fashion with the rest of John's writing we need to love others and keep God's commands. Part of loving others, btw! is to exhort them to get away from/out of/and refrain from sin.  E.g. we are each others' business, and helping fellow believers along in this way is part of our Christian experience. 2 John - is written to a beloved congregation. The "dear lady" doesn't show up in the translation we read today, but that has been fhis familiar greeting through history. Was she a "school marm" type that all were endeared to? Was John referring to them as another thread of precious affection in the wedding gown of the church that was spreading across the continent? Memo: We, His followers, are the Briiiide of Christ...  The alternate suggestions may be inconsequential. The paramount reminder is certainly a theme of John's - that they love each other.  This is John's "chorus" since leaning on Jesus during the Last Supper. The people in this congregation (it may well have been a house church in Ephesus) they love in truth, know the truth, live in it, have God's traits because of truth, and they walk in truth.  John also warned them, in their loving nature, to be alert to roving false teachers who are spreading lies that Jesus was never really here as a human-God-incarnate. These "anti-Christers" are to be labeled as such and 'blocked at the door'! Don't let them in or let them teach. They are "cancer" and should be dealt with like cancer.  John said as much in I John 2 - for 12 verses of that chapter. 3 John - John's welcome to Gaius sounds like the meeting up of old friends who, upon arrival, come bearing hugs, and gifts, and well wishes. Paul had trained a number of good men to be pastors and they had launched into ministry. Their hospitality ministry was thriving and a golden testimony in the Holy Spirit.  John continued the oversight of these ministries and leaders. And it's quite apparent that a certain man;  "Diotrephes" (another Pastor in Gaius' region-but a malcontent) was a man who needed to feel he was  "top Dachsund at the wiener-dog race." John gives him a talking to and advises others how to handle it.  Hey, pastoral care is not all cheery. John will tell them more in person when he arrives. And note that when John refers to himself as "the Elder", it's quite the label.  By this time, he is the only surviving member of the original 12 Apostles. It's a well-deserved term. Jude - this is another of Jesus' brothers who was Joseph's blood son and born to Mary. He was one of the 12 Apostles.  His original intent was to write a nice treatise about salvation. But that was abruptly eclipsed by the urgent need to address the issue of roving trouble makers who were scuttling around the Roman Empire and doing their devilish best to lead people of Church into pagan living.  Their insidious method was to teach cultic behavior and encourage people to do so AND remain in the church that they are in. Leviticus talks fo mixing things that shouldn't be mixed.  Remember rat poison is 99.99% good food. Only 1/10,000th of it is poison. It is the mixing them together that ushers in the danger.  These trolling gremlins are trying to illicitly sexualize the congregations. History teaches that doing this systematically blurs the drive and focus of any cultural movement and vulnerably steers them into darkened aimlessness. These tramps that Jude is exposing want this for the churches.  They are truly groomed for this task by the devil himself. They won't follow God, they deny Christ, they are moral "hyenas" (how's that!?), pigs who have snuck in, selfish, fruitless men. They complain, scoff, criticize, brag and are only in church to tear it apart. They work for the Devil. And darkest judgment awaits these people who probably won't even realize how bad they are and how bad their treatment is going to be.          But YOU, saints in the fold, keep to your doctrine and fellowship, for God is with you. Amen. Revelation is God revealing what is to come. Just as God told us how our world began in Genesis, He tells us where things are headed in Revelation. He doesn't leave us groping in the dark, wondering, sifting through pagan mysteries and man-made ideas which fill the heads of lost people. Revelation is the finale~, the triumph of Christ, the new heaven and new earth.  Know that Christ Jesus is the center of things in this book. It is prophecy as well as practicality. It calls for discussion, listening, searching, and prayer. !John didn't write Revelation to split all the churches! He wrote it to assure them that evil will be vanquished, that paradise lost will be returned, and God's children will be gathered once and for all in glorious manner. Remember to wait until you understand the book better before getting entrenched in opinions. It is interesting that commentaries on Revelation are very few. Biblical scholars (whose vocation is deducing and giving definitive answers) realize that doing this with Revelation is an extremely sketchy task. So most avoid it. We'll touch on this more in the weeks to come; the views, the categories, and the schools of thought that arise from Revelation.   Today, chapter one, is John talking to the church about the things they had seen; what had already taken place. Ch.'s 2-3 was what they were experiencing now. Ch's 4-22 is what will take place from then onward. Revelation is Holy Spirit driven. The number seven appears 16 times. There are seven beatitudes, 27 angel references, spiritual battles, smoke and fire, dragons, demons, signs and wonders.  Our prayer is that you are blessed beyond measure by Revelation this time through it - not confused or frightened - but inspired to press on to know that God that has such great plans for you. Rev. 1 - It is stated that this is a testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessing is promised to those who read this revelation. The book closes with the same promise of blessing for its readers [22:7].  John greets the seven churches and lists them. Their sites can still be visited today east of the Aegean Sea in Western Turkey. John in his visions and in his concern for these congregations is not a railing senile old man "losing it" on his way to hospice. He deeply cares for them in a pastoral way as if they were his own children. The grand memo is summed up in three words: CHRIST IS EVERYTHING.  There is so much that people do not know about Jesus. His wonders, His miracles, His infinite wisdom. What we read of His deeds in the four gospels is a miniscule introduction to what we will know when we all meet Him face to face! John is writing this in 95 A.D. from Patmos, an island where prisoners were sent. Emperor Domitian had just finished torturing and executing 40,000 Christians in Rome for sport and a spectacle. Emperor Trajan would soon assume the same disposition in 98 A.D. John is fortunate to be exiled and free to write this marvelous book. And His vision of Christ is dazzling; overwhelming. This vision is a memo to the churches to put their full trust in Jesus who is all things marvelous. He's been gentle and yet is a battle-suited and ready warrior set to conquer His frantic enemy.  This is all the more reason for the churches to make themselves ready for Christ; abandon all corruption, lukewarm living, disloyalty and such. The Thread Through the Streams The issue that kept coming up was that love is more than just feeling good and roses and such. Love also requires "house-keeping", cleansing, vigilance and removal of things that don't mix with God. Nov. 26 - Deut. 16-20   There were to be judges and officers, fairness and honesty must be adhered to. No sex cults in my country! No witchcraft, nor sorcery. And have cities of refuge so that the land isn't controlled by murderous rage and endless paybacks. Moses also explained very practical issues of management that are sensible and keen to people's needs.  I.e. Israel was not to be a crazy country filled with lunatic citizens. Nov. 27 - Ezra 9 - Neh. 04   Back in Israel, some of the men had taken foreign wives and ... painful as it all was, the wives (raised as pagans) had to go.  Israel couldn't press on as a nation under God until this is dealt with. And Nehemiah had a vision for seeing Jerusalem rebuilt ... but he had to get out of Persia. I.e. As with all of us, if we are going to grow, there are things that need to go. Nov. 28 - Prov. 30-31  .The beginning of Prov. 30 makes it clear that doubt needs to go so you can get anywhere spiritually. Agur also asks that there be no lies, no destitution, no squalid excess for him. King Lemuel's [mother] says, don't waste your life on women (plural) The wisdom is to "stay with your one". And for leaders especially, avoid the booze life.  Also don't become callous to the suffering. ALL those attitudes/tendencies need removing. Nov. 29 - Ezek. 36-38   Dry Bones: that was what's left of Israel's morale. And they best get ready to desert the hopeless, desolation, "whoa is me" mentality.  God is going to put it all back together. And there's no room in this plan for an Eeyore mindset (remember his gloom?!). And the enemies of Israel are going to be ever-decimated. They have to go and Israel has to thrive in order to be a blessing to the whole world. Nov. 30 - Zech 9:1-11:3  The neighbors of Jerusalem, harassing the Hebrews eternally, are going to be put down in a big way when Greece marches through. [Yet they left Jerusalem in tact!] Not only the pesky neighbors needed removal, the illicit leaders within the Hebrew culture; these "shepherds" who were virtually wolves at heart - they needed to be swept out! They were blocking people from understanding the love of God. Dec. 01 - John 13:31 - 16:4   It was Last Supper time, and after the foot-washing, it was time to tell some wonderful things that applied to all of them except Judas. Judas needed to vacate before Jesus could move forward with His faithful Disciples. Now as for you 11 disciples, the jousting for position is done with. Love each other!.As for the Way to God - tell the world to abandon all other spiritual pursuits except Jesus. And as for pruning the excess, counter-productive things in your own lives... just let the Holy Spirit do that in you - that is if you want to remain on "my team".  As for being accepted by the world --> let that go too Dec. 02 - I John 5 - Rev. 1   The Church Stream this week exhorted the people over and again to block/shun/expel all false teachers.  It was intense house cleaning that needed to take place and they [WE!] must remain vigilant about.  You could even call it "steam-cleaning", better yet "power-washing"!  It was a desperately vital task that needed to be executed immediately.  And vigilance against false teachers required eternal safeguards.    

With great power comes great spookability, or at least that's the excuse we're making for this week's SCARED HISTORY episode feat. Emperor Domitian's psychologically abusive Black Banquet and the Nigerian boarding school legend of Madame Koi Koi. We're so excited to be back y'all. SOURCES:  Domitian Story: The Smart Set, NPR, Roman Army Talk.com, https://daily.jstor.org/a-roman-feast-of-death/ Madame Koi Koi Story: Wiki, The Guardian, Education.gov.ng, USOSA, SOCIALS: Follow Shared History at @SharedPod on Twitter & Instagram SUPPORT: Buy us a "coffee" and fuel our next episode. (New Patreon info to-come) MERCH: Snag some Shared History merch and get stylin'! CREDITS: Original Theme: Garreth Spinn Original Art: Sarah Cruz Animations: The Banditry Co. About this podcast: Shared History, is a comedy podcast and history podcast in one. Hosted by Chicago comedians, each episode focuses on obscure, overlooked and underrepresented historical events and people. SPONSORS: This season of Shared History is sponsored by RAYGUN, Herbiery Brewing & The Banditry Co.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

Beau and Carl discuss the life and crimes of the emperor Domitian. The second son of the great Vespasian, the degree of Domitian's autocracy is hotly debated. With reference to the ancient historians Suetonius and Tacitus, learn about the censorship and tyranny of the last of the twelve Caesars.

Today we head back two thousand years to the rich, rowdy, ruthless Roman world of the Emperor Domitian. Our guide is the much-loved novelist Lindsey Davis. *** For years Lindsey Davis has been captivating readers with her series of detective novels set in the first century AD. Her great protagonists, Falco and Flavia Albia, are names that are probably already familiar to you and enough in themselves to conjure memories of thrilling, twisting tales in Ancient Britain or in the Eternal City itself. This spring Davis has published the latest book in her Flavia Albia series, A Comedy of Terrors, which is set in Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and more specifically during the week running up to the Festival of Saturnalia. For us this means the perfect guide and the perfect setting for a trip into the past. We’ll be giving a hardback copy of A Comedy of Terrors away to one of our newsletter subscribers this week – so to be in with a chance of winning it, make sure you visit our site and sign up. As ever, much, much more about this episode is to be found at our website tttpodcast.com. Show notes Scene One: Bay of Naples, ten years after Vesuvius. Scene Two: Syria, to witness – the (third) Falso Nero episode. Scene Three: The Black Banquet where senators and others were terrorised and Domitian’s big ‘friendly’ banquet for the entire Roman people. Memento: A giant Roman measure of Falernian Wine from the slopes of Vesuvius People/Social Presenter: Peter Moore Guest: Lindsey Davis Production: Maria Nolan Podcast partner: Colorgraph Follow us on Twitter: @tttpodcast_ Or on Facebook See where 89 AD fits on our Timeline 

Readings* Psalm 72* Psalm 92* Isaiah 51:17—52:12* Matthew 2:1–12* Large Catechism, Part I ¶¶ 245–253CommemorationToday we celebrate the festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, son of Zebedee and brother of James the Elder, was among the first disciples to be called by Jesus, and became known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. During Christ’s ministry, John witnessed many of Christ’s miracles, was present for the Transfiguration, went with Peter to reserve the upper room for the Last Supper, and, alone among the Disciples, did not forsake Christ during His Passion, remaining near Christ through the crucifixion. From the cross, Jesus made John guardian of Mary, His mother. John would go on to be a founding father of the Early Church. From John, we have the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, which was revealed to him while he was banished to Patmos by Emperor Domitian. John outlived all of the other Apostles, dying in Ephesus at around age one hundred.ReaderCorey J. MahlerCopyright NoticesUnless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.Support the show (https://confident.faith/donate/)

When you feel like a break from the hubbub of Rome, the Castelli Romani offer several good options. Today we make our first visit to Castelgandolfo, which is one of the dozen hill towns known collectively as the Castelli. Among its claims our attention are these: It sits on rim above a beautiful crater lake. It is the site of Alba Longa, and this is the very ancient town from which Rome descended, at least according to the legend of Romulus and Remus. Later, it was the site of summer villas enjoyed by the wealthy Romans of the Republican Period, and later still the Emperor Domitian built a villa here that included the entire volcanic lake and surrounding area. Meanwhile, the Romans had built a tunnel over a mile long that penetrated the crater and enabled them to limit the rise of the level of the lake. So different from the pagan Romans in other respects, the popes followed their example when it came to choosing locations for summer residences outside of Rome. We thus can visit a papal palace, papal gardens that—though narrow—are over a mile long, and a beautiful church built by Gianlorenzo Bernini, thanks to the patronage of Pope Alexander VII. This charming little town is also a good place to discuss World War II in Italy, since it was caught in the crossfire for four long months between Germans in the hills and Allies down on the beaches near Anzio and Nettuno. The summit of Monte Cavo was also occupied by the Germans for its advantages as an observation and communication post. The town also invites a discussion of the relationship between science and religion, since it turns out that it is the home of the Specola Vaticana, the astronomical observatory run by the papacy, and one of the most striking features of the Papal Palace is that it has two beautiful telescopes on its roof. Perhaps surprisingly, even before the condemnation of Giordano Bruno, scientists had figured out how to move away from the lunar calendar, according to which Christmas could turn up in the summer.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

It’s difficult to imagine it now, but the Piazza Navona we see today sits on the footprint of what was a major sporting stadium that accommodated roughly 30,000 spectators.  Known it its day as the Circus Agonalis it was commissioned by Emperor Domitian and opened in the year 86. This tour, which starts at the south end of the piazza, gives the history of the site as well as context and explanation of the 16th and 17th century fountains.

As part of this description I will provide some directions and guidance to specific locations to help you explore the site however it is difficult to provide an exact route as the access paths change depending on what archeological excavation or restoration work is taking place.  This tour starts at the entry gate on Via di San Gregorio.  Once inside the Palatine park, make your way up the hill until you are standing in a wide graveled area overlooking the sunken garden (also known as the Hippodrome). As you walk I will give you some of the general history of the site. Note that visiting the House of Livia and the House of Augustus requires arranging tickets in advance as only limited small group access is allowed and for both of these you will have a dedicated tour guide. For more details go to Coopculture.it The Palatine Hill is said to be the site of the first settlements in Rome and archeological evidence shows indeed that human habitation here extends back to the 10th century BCE.  Visible today are therefore the remains of multiple phases of building, rebuilding, stone robbing and overlaying of structures across three thousand years of people living on this hill. Although names have been given to some structures often there is no reliable evidence that links a person to a specific house however you will see that some structures are labelled with Roman names, these are largely a matter of convention rather than evidence that a particular person lived there. The rich and wealthy had long sought to live here overlooking the Roman Forum but it was Emperor Augustus who established the trend of Rome’s emperors making it their imperial residence from around the year 40 BCE.  Redevelopment of the hillside over the following centuries means that there is still some debate over the exact identification of buildings from Augustus’ time, some do remain but most of the major large-scale structures we see today were commissioned by Emperor Domitian in the first century or later revised or repaired by the Severan emperors of the third century. Domitian’s extensive palace, which is the first area we will explore, was designed by Rabirius, the construction and remodeling took roughly 10 years and was completed around the year 90.  This episode describes: - Domitian's Palace - The Temple of Apollo - The House of Livia - The House of Augustus - The House of Romulus - The Temple of Victory - The Temple of the Great Mother As well as other general history of the Palatine Hill.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20).   At the age of eighteen, when I first lived on my own at U.C. Berkeley, I had all my classes in the same vast lecture hall and the room across the corridor from it. I have vivid memories of sitting on the benches by Strawberry Creek among the sycamore trees, outside Dwinelle Plaza, listening to a folk singer dressed all in white.   His name was Julian. He had long flowing hair and was only a little older than me. He often sang a song by Neil Young called “Sugar Mountain.” “Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain / With the barkers and the colored balloons, / You can’t be twenty on Sugar Mountain / Though you’re thinking that you’re leaving there too soon, / You’re leaving there too soon.”[1]   “It’s so noisy at the fair / But all your friends are there / And the candy floss you had / And your mother and your dad. // Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain…”   At those moments, with such exquisite intensity, I missed my mom, my dad and my brother, and all those county fair moments of my other life. Something inside me resisted growing up and yet I knew I had to.   Many forms of Christianity emphasize a dramatic conversion experience above all else. In some churches you might even feel pressured to think that someone can’t be a Christian without a singular, defining mystical experience, without being “born again” in this way. The idea that a particularly moment might change everything certainly has a role in our tradition.   But I believe our form of faith focuses more on slow, steady progress over long periods of time. Coming to church, singing hymns, praying, trying to change how we treat people around us every day, working for a more just society – these actions ultimately shape our inner landscape so that we begin to respond to the world in a new way. Faith is this process of growing up. Luke describes it as, “knowing the ways of life” (Acts 2). John calls it having life in Jesus’ name (Jn. 20). Paul writes that, “all will be made alive in Christ” (1 Cor. 15:22).   Growing up can be painful. But Jesus promises that we can embrace change with equanimity, with a kind of deep, centered peace. This morning I want to study what it looks like to grow in faith. I’m using the Puritan sermon structure with a section each on the text, doctrine and application.   Text. Each reference to Jesus’ resurrection seems so unique and yet there are familiar patterns. For instance in the Gospels of John and Luke, Jesus’ closest friends have difficulty recognizing him. After the Roman Empire executes Jesus as an enemy, the disciples feel so disabled by fear that they will only gather behind locked doors.   Fear and surprise make Jesus invisible to his friends. They can only rejoice after seeing his wounds. He says, “peace be with you.” He breathes the Holy Spirit into them.[2] He teaches them that they can forgive the sins of others. But Thomas was not there and he feels shattered when his friends tell him that they, “have seen the Lord” (Jn. 20).   I don’t think of Thomas as primarily a doubter. He just wants to experience what the others saw. Perhaps he feels alone or guilty for abandoning Jesus or missing the meeting. But even in bitter despair Thomas keeps showing up to be with his friends. In English a double negative (like “ain’t no”) is bad grammar but in in Greek it adds emphasis. Thomas does this when he says that unless he sees Jesus’ wounds, “I will [absolutely] not believe.” A more literal translation of Jesus response would not use the word “doubt” but would be “do not be disbelieving but believe,” or, as my friend Herman Waetjen translates it, “do not be faith-less but faith-full.[3]”   Jesus is not against doubt. The theologian Paul Tillich (1886-1965) is right to point out that doubt is not opposed to belief but an element in it.[4] Jesus is talking about the kind of believing that involves a trusting relationship with God. Thomas feels full of such awe and joy that he uses the same expression that Romans used for Emperor Domitian (51-96 CE). He exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus says, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe.” And John writes that his book’s purpose is that through believing that, “Jesus is the Messiah… you may have life in his name” (Jn. 20).   My point is not that Thomas failed to grow in faith. His experience shows us that there is far more to faith than believing that a certain event, like the resurrection, happened in the past. There is indeed a believing that comes from seeing. But there is also a way of looking forward and seeing a transformed future because of what we believe. We see to believe. But we also believe in order to see. This is the advanced course, the deeper insight into reality that Jesus helps us to realize.   Doctrine. My next question has to do with doctrine. What is faith and why do we need it? The answer has to do with what Christians call sin. The twentieth century theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) writes that each person has a unique moral code. Almost inevitably this collection of rules about how the world should be is biased in our favor and we go about trying to impose it on everyone else.   Barth also believes that most of the time we live by the delusion that we can help our self. Our ego craves security, power, the admiration of others. And so we rush, grasping for things, “striving and fighting.” But every success is hollow, everything we get turns out to be only a symbol for the real thing that we will never win on our own.[5] Christians have this idea of original sin. For me it means that there never was and never will be a golden age. There is something in us as human beings that drives us toward chaos. And yet through Jesus a kind of peace is possible. To friends who had just betrayed him this peace says that whatever separated us before is in the past. This peace is the inner freedom that belongs only to someone who seeks and accepts help from God. It is the peace that is more than absence of conflict. It is the peace we experience when we move beyond the question of what happened in the past and into an exploration of what faith in God might mean for the future.   That’s what the disciples did. Through believing in Jesus they went from expecting the enemy and hiding in fear, to being witnesses of God who changed the world. Faith isn’t just an idea of what is real, it is a way of living, of encountering each other with an openness to being helped by God. Religion is less like a form of knowledge and more like a longing for closeness with the origin of all things. Faith is simply wanting what God wants for the world.   Application. My last section concerns the danger of a certain kind of disbelieving. Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It happened on Wednesday of Easter week. You can imagine a few days earlier the fanfare at the largest, grandest church in the city on Easter Sunday. Little did they know that day, the hundreds of our predecessors at Grace Church, that they would never step foot in that magnificent church again.[6]   In our time we think of it as a devastating earthquake. But the shaking lasted for only a minute while the subsequent fire raged for three days and did far more damage. Three thousand people died, 28,000 structures were destroyed. Half of the city was homeless – over a hundred thousand people were forced to camp out. Five square miles were completely obliterated making it the greatest urban fire in history before the aerial warfare of World War II.   As a young priest I remember hearing stories from survivors. One woman told me that this time camping in Golden Gate Park included some of the happiest days of her long life. People rescued and cared for each other. Money or social station didn’t matter as much anymore. Everyone helped in whatever way they could.   In fact, the natural disaster was not nearly as catastrophic as the human disaster. Rebecca Solnit writes that Frederick Funston the commanding officer of the Presidio simply took over the city. His lack of faith in ordinary citizens meant that his men shot people for trying to help in the catastrophe. Out of fears of looting, that never really materialized, they kept away citizens who could have stopped the fires.[7] In short this was a terrible spiritual failure. The leaders cared more about protecting the property of the few than about what the community might accomplish together.   As a nation we are in the midst of another terrible crisis of faith. At anti-government protests in Lansing Michigan, Huntington Beach, California, Austin, Texas and elsewhere we are seeing people taking to the streets because they do not trust the scientists, civic leaders and government officials who are trying to protect them from COVID19.[8] In our case growing spiritually means becoming wiser about what we disbelieve. But it also means caring about what God loves and not squandering this opportunity to build a more equal and just society. We were made for this.[9]   I remember the last Sunday before the Cathedral had to close. It was the first time we knew that we shouldn’t touch each other but before we realized that we couldn’t gather together at all anymore. That day a visiting family sat in the first row. We looked each other in the eyes as we passed the peace. I realized that when I say “the peace of the Lord be with you,” it means, “I want what is good for you and I believe that God does too.” That is what faith means.   Every disaster is different. Unlike the earthquake and fire of 1906 the structures of inequality and the walls that separate us from each other are growing. We know that when life begins to return to normal, we will not return to the same jobs, schools and favorite places. They will have changed and we will have changed too.   At eighteen I understood that we all have to grow up, in our life and in our faith. But we do not decide what to believe on our own. God offers us help. Jesus cannot be prevented by any locked door from calling us to a deep centered peace that passes all understanding. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe. May the peace of the Lord be always with you. [1] “Now you say you’re leaving home / ‘Cause you want to be alone. / Ain’t it funny how you feel / When you’re finding out it’s real.” “Sugar Mountain,” Track 6, Side 2, Decade, Warner Bros., 28 October 1977, Neil Young. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neilyoung/sugarmountain.html [2] This is the only time that the New Testament uses this word which describes how Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on to his disciples. [3] “Bring your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and cast it into my side and do not keep on being faith-less but faith-full” (Jn. 20:27). Herman Waetjen, The Gospel of the Beloved Disciple: A Work in Two Editions (NY: T&T Clark, 2005) 423. [4] “Why not take the risk of historical uncertainty as well? The affirmation that Jesus is the Christ is an act of faith and consequently of daring courage. It is not an arbitrary leap into darkness but a decision in which elements of immediate participation and therefore certitude are mixed with elements of strangeness and therefor incertitude and doubt. But doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith. Therefore, there is no faith without risk. The risk of faith is that it could affirm a wrong symbol of ultimate concern, a symbol which does not really express ultimacy…” Pau Tillich, Systematic Theology, Volume Two, Existence and Christ (Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1957) 116. [5] Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV:1 The Doctrine of Reconciliation, tr. G.W. Bromiley (NY: T&T Clark, 2004) 446, 460. [6] Our former church stands on the site of the Ritz Carlton Hotel down the California Street hill from us. Photographs of its burnt-out tower became a symbol of terrible destruction. [7] Rebecca Solnit, A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster (NY: Viking, 2009) 35ff. [8] Pastors in the Central Valley love their story of being persecuted for their faith so deeply that they are suing the same government officials who are so successfully limiting the spread of coronavirus through social distancing rules. [9] Some years ago Israeli archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery. They found an untouched burial cave of a family who survived the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Among the pottery and household objects, they found two amulets, little silver scrolls that had been unopened for 2600 years. With great gentleness they unrolled them and found the oldest parchment of any sacred scripture now in existence. On the scrolls was written, “May God bless you and keep you. May God cause His countenance to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May God turn his countenance to you and grant you peace.” David J. Wolpe, Why Faith Matters (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2008) 194.

The members of the original church at Ephesus lived in a very perverse, immoral, and dark city at a time when Emperor Domitian reigned.  He was the first Roman emperor to seriously persecute Christians.  Yet, even under heavy persecution and opposition, the Lord Jesus was able to commend the Ephesian believers for their strong doctrinal stand and their determination to not "faint" in their well doing for Him. In this lesson, we conclude looking at Christ's words to this first of seven Asia Minor churches (which prophetically pictured Church history, as well as individual churches throughout Church history).  We look at His words of accusation, "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:4)!  The early Apostolic church went "off track," not in doctrine, but in her personal love-relationship with Christ! When love for Christ "cools off," so does love for the brethren.  An atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust in the Church body is not good; it does not develop brotherly love.  This letter from the Lord is one we all need to use for serious self-examination.  It is so easy to fall into the trap of serving Him for a number of wrong reasons, when we should be serving Him from deep love for what He means to us personally.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

Readings* Psalm 72* Psalm 92* Isaiah 51:17—52:12* Matthew 2:1–12* Large Catechism, Part I ¶¶ 245–253FestivalToday we celebrate the festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, son of Zebedee and brother of James the Elder, was among the first disciples to be called by Jesus, and became known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. During Christ’s ministry, John witnessed many of Christ’s miracles, was present for the Transfiguration, went with Peter to reserve the upper room for the Last Supper, and, alone among the Disciples, did not forsake Christ during His Passion, remaining near Christ through the crucifixion. From the cross, Jesus made John guardian of Mary, His mother. John would go on to be a founding father of the Early Church. From John, we have the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, which was revealed to him while he was banished to Patmos by Emperor Domitian. John outlived all of the other Apostles, dying in Ephesus at around age one hundred.ReaderCorey J. MahlerCopyright NoticesUnless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Lutheran Confessions are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright © 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. To purchase a copy of Concordia, call 800-325-3040.Support the show (https://confident.faith/donate/)

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

One of the undeniable realities of the history of religion is persecution. The Christians have been persecuted. So have the Jews, the Muslims, the Hindus, the Mormons, even the Buddhists and Confucians. In some cases, these religions persecuted each other. In other cases, it was tyrannical governments that tried to stamp out all faiths with equal zeal. Although less common, philosophy and philosophers have been persecuted too (and persecuted others, as Marcus and other emperors did with early Christians). Epictetus, for instance, was banned from Rome as part of a blanket ban on philosophers by Emperor Domitian in 93 AD. Later, as the Christians took over Rome, philosophers were subjected to persecution and sometimes mob justice. The point is: Although it is less common today, ‘believing’ in something can cost you everything. We are not—and have not been—as tolerant as we like to think we have been and having faith in something in this world can be a revolutionary act. Which calls to mind an interesting question posed by a Christian theologian. He asked, as a kind of test to people who liked to call themselves Christians but ignore the actual tenets of the religion: If you were arrested and tried for being a Christian, would you be convicted? Or do your actions speak louder than any profession of belief?That’s a question for all of us today, whatever we believe, and most of all for this philosophy we are studying. Could you actually be convicted of being a Stoic? Does your behavior match what you claim to be? It was obvious that Epictetus was a philosopher, even if he’d denied it. Same with Marcus, same with Seneca. But you? Are you guilty of truly practicing philosophy? Or just the minor crime of association?

Seneca was exiled once in AD 41 and then again from Nero’s service at the end of his career. Epictetus was exiled in Nicopolis, Greece by the Emperor Domitian. Publius Rutilius Rufus, the Roman tax official who was convicted on false charges, was exiled to Asia. Stoicism and exile seems to go hand in hand. Winston Churchill, who himself spent about 10 years in political exile after WWI, once wrote that:“Every prophet has to come from civilization, but every prophet has to go into the wilderness. He must have a strong impression of a complex society and all that it has to give, and then he must serve periods of isolation and meditation. This is the process by which psychic dynamite is made.”The period of difficulty and loneliness and loss that Seneca and Epictetus went through—this was not simply some bad period in their life. No, it was a formative, soul-strengthening, priority-clarifying experience that made them who they were. Publius Rutilius Rufus not only wasn’t bitter about the slanderous accusations and the trumped up political attack he was a victim of, he chose Asia as his exile—where he could go back to be with the citizens who actually appreciated his honesty and hard work. It was an awful experience, to be sure, but he accepted it with cheerful Stoicism. Psychic dynamite is not just handed to us. We aren’t born resilient or with confidence. We have to earn it. We have to make it. And that is only possible in difficult circumstances, it can only be found in the wilderness, where we are alone, where we are forced to adapt and adjust to circumstances outside our control.It won’t be fun, but it is essential.

As the caretaker of GreenplanetFM.com and its ‘container’ Ourplanet.org how did Tim come to obtain two powerful US web names - especially now that Sir David Attenborough is the main focus for Ourplanet.com ? Of the 7.7 billion humans who inhabit ‘our planet spaceship earth’ - more and more are rapidly recognising that ‘we are Crew’ - who have been ‘absent without leave’ - AWOL. Now the message and command of the moment is for all crew to return to their posts and consciously cooperate and collaborate to stabilise both the ship and its complement - and save the mission!  But more so, they are finding out that their ship is a Mothership - a ‘super living organism’ that science is belatedly holding back in recognising. Tim says that back in 1996, when living in Australia and the www was still in its infancy, he met a web savvy youth who helped him immensely in building a site and to register Ourplanet.org  At that time ourplanet.com - was registered to the United Nations. So Ourplanet.org was the only option. He was happy with this as our planet is an organism - in actual fact, a super organism - whom the Greeks called Gaia, which was the basis of how Tim saw our planet. To him it was not a ‘com’ or anything to do with commerce - it was an organic unfoldment.   How it all started: Liz coaxes and finds out about his upbring in a remote farming community in the rural sector of NZ, surrounded by many impoverished Maori - and his realisation that there is a lot of inequality in the world. First Breath on Earth. She starts with some history of Tim and his place of conception Te Poi (the Ball) and his emergence in Matamata (point, summit, bluff) now known as Middle Earth where Hobbiton is situated where scenes from the movie Lord of the Rings took place - So Tim admits to being a hobbit. Rural Upbring Liz draws Tim out on his early life, that there were many Maori living as neighbours and the extremely poor living conditions that they lived in. Living in two room shacks, no power for lights, hot water, stove, plumbed toilets etc and he recognised early how fortunate that he was being a dairy farmer’s son. (Albeit a cowboy). One of the more profound experiences in 1972 and 73 was driving 16,000 kilometres through Africa and hitch hiking and catching trains throughout East and Western Europe and then from London travelling overland back to NZ, hitching, bussing, plus trains (boat to Perth Australia and Sydney NZ by air). That having witnessed so much suffering in his journey at the age of 22 and 23 that he thought that it was too difficult to bring about change - so ‘let’s have a good time instead.’ However, not far at all from where he was acting out ‘being a party animal’ - he met some Auckland people who made him think ... What was it that nothing living was permanent?  Why are our bodies continually breaking down? Who built the Egyptian Great Pyramid? Why are we here and why now? What are UFO’s and ET’s. Who was Apollonius of Tyana - and how did he de-materialise his body in front of Emperor Domitian in Rome. These were some of the subject matter that came up that he had not given much, if any thought to or knew anything about. This situation - this turning point - where he hit ‘critical mass’ and experienced and realised a spiritual awakening that over a profound few weeks - changed him forever. This was a major epiphany that in a matter of days -  turned his world not only upside down - but inside out as well. This was when he realised that ‘we are spiritual beings having an earth experience.’ This metaphysical overhaul was so transformational that daily he was recognising that we humans had all been conditioned by hundreds if not thousands of old outmoded stereotypes - especially the financial power controllers, politics  - the war machine - but more so we were destroying the ecology and biosphere at the same time. That the destruction of nature had to stop - hence Tim had to make a stand. That since this time in the Christmas of 1974 - he has continued this quest to both further his questioning whilst at the same time saying - if I, a fairly simple human can experience a major epiphany for want of a more defined word, then everyone else can. We just have to find the will, search for truth and be courageous and honest. However at the same time, with no job or income - his name came up for an interview with Air NZ - and he was accepted as ‘a trolley dolly on a big tin budgie’ - As a steward, later called a Cabin Attendant - flying on DC 8’s DC10 and 747s and 767’s. Budgie - a native bird of Australia and an Aussie and Kiwi slang term for wide bodied planes - especially 747s. Also, in those days it was not commonly known that aircraft were burning off huge amounts of C02, and there were nowhere the number of aircraft in the sky at that time either.    Perceptions of Flying in Low Earth Orbit This shift to long distance air travel opened him up to the whole planet, to what he called ‘open university’ where he eventually flew Trans Pacific, Trans Continental North America and Trans Atlantic into Europe - plus Trans Australia and up into the Near East. Tim describes his perspective of flying as always ‘flying around the curve’  - he saw our planet from the outside looking in - Like the Timothy Leary, Moody Blues song - “He’s outside ... looking in.” That (we, living in) NZ could be perceived as being situated - tucked around the underside of our planet and that when a flight takes off from NZ - the plane after gaining height of 10,000 metres would hour after hour ‘claw’ its way ‘up the planet wall’ over the Tropic of Capricorn then after numerous hours pass over the equator and eventually the Tropic of Cancer and down into Los Angeles, 11 and half hours later. That during this long haul flight, our planet would be also rotating on its axis towards our eventual landing.      This planetary overview allowed Tim when he was able to, to study all the ancient civilisations that had come and gone, and what caused their eventual demise  - usually corruption of the psych or self caused environmental, for example cutting down of all the forest.. He also studied the various world religions as well, to see that at their start they offered so much for the human spirit. Visiting Global Centres of Holistic Learning Tim also visited many ashrams, intentional communities, centers of learning, going to festivals like the Mind Body and Spirit Expositions, Whole Life Expos - as well as visiting gurus, teachers on consciousness and metaphysical scientists and experts in their field. Also checking out new technologies, like the solar farms in California and the large windmill farms there as well. This led him on to follow up on hydrogen power and free energy devices among many other things as well.      Liz asks; What can we do to become Empowered Tim talks to the metaphor that we are all seeds and we are have been underground and in darkness that when a certain timing occurs - that with an impulse - moisture, warmth etc - that seed can sprout and put down a tap root and push up a stem - that breaks out into the light of the sun and ... not being surrounded by blackness any more. This is a huge transition for a seed - to be in the light. Then with photovoltaic leaves growing until the plant grows many - that eventually a bud, and then a blossom - to flower - petals open up - a fragrance of perfume may unveil itself - where does this essence go? (this process includes pollination). Can the perfume of a flower be seen as a metaphysical analogy for something beyond the physical? Is the essence of a flower a hidden message for us all? If we were deciduous as a tree for example, this could happen year after year after year … and in another way … an egg,  a caterpillar - chrysalis - butterfly and a metamorphosis. The cycles of life … That we are also an energy field in a greater universal energy field. “That every baby born into this realm is an energy bundle of exponential potential.”   So what can we do? Liz asks; Doing good in the world. * Lifting up people’s vibes * Pay it Forward - very easy to do - * Random Acts of Kindness * Being a Volunteer - As Volunteerism is the glue that is keeping our planetary society together. Lia and Tim volunteer for GreenplanetFM.com Tim plants voluntarily plants trees to sequester C02 out of the atmosphere. Ask yourself daily during a quiet  time. How much love is in your heart at the moment? Remember that all of humanity shares the same breath The holy breath … connects us all. Our Inner Candle That we all have an inner candle inside of us - that Tim shares this thought with children all the time and that we have to keep our inner candle burning - and strongly - that there is one thing that flames like - and that’s oxygen and by breathing deeply - as in Tai chi and Yoga - or meditation - we can feed our inner candle with the rich breath of oxygen, albeit 21% of our breath. We are a Global Family That we are all a global family that are slowly awakening into being - that we need to innovatively and consciously find ways to connect with our society and community. Grass Roots Change Connect as cells and with other cells and then clusters of cells to initiate localised ‘grass roots' change - together we can be the change that is so necessary We are a global family awakening to our connection through the sharing of the invisible breath. All 7.7 billion of us. References: This below is the 1996 web site. The graphics have gone a bit awry and the population figures are old - but the idea is still very relevant today. https://www.ourplanet.org/original-site/index.html https://www.ourplanet.org/original-site/spaceshp.htmlPart One https://www.ourplanet.org/original-site/wakeup.htmlPart Two https://www.ourplanet.org/original-site/gaia.htmlGaia Gaia sees us as flowering jewels of our planet and that as the petals open up towards the sun - we can realise that we can also grow into the light of our own true selves - and in essence realise our spirituality - as extensions of God. Our Planet Lends us bodies Lends us free air As well as free rain water And until recently - a free food chain What do we do in reciprocity? Hence Ourplanet.org and GreenplanetFM.com A work in progress. How should Crew respond when meeting other Extraterrestrial Civilisations? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvDAHmQ1_tw 3 minutes. Star Trek - Errand of Mercy Ps - I spoke directly with Spock - Leonard Nimoy when in Moscow in 1986 on a Peace Mission, about this particular episode and he said he remembered it well. (Tim) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j_aGdMinIM    5 minutes    Star Trek - The Transfiguration. Local Earth Situations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdneZ4fIIHE&t=4s    7 minutes    This is about our - Heart    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAObE1r_RFM        9 minutes    The Way-shower manifestos     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OibqdwHyZxk        3.5 minutes  Some of the Challengers. Thrive movie    Our Planet Spaceship Earth 1964 "We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent upon its vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and, I will say, the love we give our fragile craft. We cannot maintain it half fortunate, half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half slave to the ancient enemies of man, half free in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this day. No craft, no crew can travel safely with such vast contradictions. On their resolution depends the survival of us all." Adlai Stevenson, John Kennedy’s US Ambassador to the United Nations, 2019 A message to Crew of Our Planet - Spaceship Earth Calling all crew … All crew to 'Action Stations' the ship needs you like never before … For eons she’s bequeathed us with her holy breath - Same with her sparkling waters - baptising our being to a higher frequency … And nourishing us with her tantalising foods. All within her overarching sun and moonlit vista’s, with eye quenching panoramas of her majestic biosphere and pulsating life. But, pirates have infiltrated the ships systems and leveraged into critical areas of control. These marauders have their hands on virtually all levers of power. Crew quarters have become expensive to live in - air, food and water quality are questioned. Inter deck fighting, wars and violence are throughout the ship, whilst drugs and alcohol are rife   Now propaganda has become the norm. Fragmentation, dysfunction and separation are causing alarm bells in more and more areas of our ship. At many levels, we are forced to give away more and more freedoms, whilst unknown agents snoop on every message and call. YET, there is a stirring throughout most decks, living quarters and compartments. A holistic notion - or knowing - that our spaceship is actually a mothership, that she is a colossal, living, pulsating - super organism from her - all life has issued. That we are here on board to be part of a greater galactic symphony - in a movement premised on team spirit, cooperation, creativity and fulfilment - of the potentialities of an unheralded, but exalted future - where a new human emerges … as a supra human the message being transmitted … that we at heart … are embryo gods and our time is now. We … are being compelled ... to wake up. If you wish to donate and assist GreenplanetFM share the message to all crew please click on this link. https://www.ourplanet.org/donate  Thank you . Naku Noa - Tim and Team - Lisa Er, Liz Gunn, Stephen Grant-Jones.  

The Apocalypse (2000) It is 90 A.D., and the Roman Empire is being run by the Emperor Domitian, who has declared himself to be God, and ruler over heaven and Earth. The Christians, who do not recognize his divinity, are a thorn in his side, and he is having them cruelly persecuted. The small village in Asia Minor, to which the aged apostle John has withdrawn, is also attacked by Roman soldiers. As if by a miracle, John is the only person to escape the slaughter, and he receives divine orders to write down the visions he will have, and communicate them to the Christian communities in the Roman provinces of Asia. The voice tells him that they should discover what is and what will happen thereafter. Among the Christians of Asia Minor, who believe that John is dead, everyone is deeply worried about being persecuted. Gaius, the community elder in Smyrna, is concerned that only a few believers still dare come to the ritual supper. Under these circumstances, Christianity can no longer exist. But at this point, the young Irene appears at the secret meeting. She is convinced that John, who could give the Christians back their courage, is still alive, because a certain Theophilus, who is being held captive by the Romans on the island of Patmos, is in contact with him, and had a letter sent to her. In it, John describes his vision of Heaven: And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book that was sealed with seven seals. Neither Gaius, nor the other adult believers, understand what John means by this. Only a little child among them, also named John, grasps the sense of it: John realizes that the throne belongs to God, and sees the seven lamps of fire as the seven Christian communities of Asia Minor, together with the four elements and the book of seals with the mystery of faith that brings salvation. Yet the letter's mysterious origins make Gaius skeptical. He is only prepared to believe in the integrity of this vision, if John really is still alive. Old Theophilus, who in reality is John himself, has been sent to the prison island of Patmos, ruled by the corrupt Roman official Corvus, as a scribe, while the other prisoners have to do hard labor in the mines. Many of them hate Theophilus (John) because of the special treatment he is receiving, but above all, because he is a Christian. Nevertheless, he does succeed in converting some of his fellow prisoners to Christianity, such as the young scribe Demetrius, who is planning to escape along a secret tunnel. When the shaken John tells his companions about the crucifixion of the Savior, they realize that he was there at the time, and is actually John. He falls into a trance and experiences a new vision of Heaven: And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. And he came and took the book. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the young Irene has taken her leave of Valerius, whom she loves with a pure heart. She does not realize that he is not a Christian at all, but a spy working for the notoriously brutal Roman general Rufus, who has been ordered by Domitian to persecute Christians in Asia Minor. Valerius is a Roman soldier, born as a slave, he has his foster-father Rufus to thank for everything he has now become. He therefore has to obey when Rufus sends him to Patmos. Disguised as a prisoner, Valerius is told to find out whether John is still alive, because there are incessant rumors that he is, and they are leading to unwelcome solidarity among the Christians. Meanwhile Irene, with the help of her brother Jonicus, who visits Patmos regularly as a trader, gains access to the prison camp there. She recognizes Valerius from a distance and gets very worried about him. She embarked on all these dangers for the sake of John. However, her greatest desire is to see the last living Apostle, and to tell everyone about him. John trusts her, and confides in her under the seal of secrecy. She receives his visions in written form and promises to circulate the text among the Christians. Meanwhile on Patmos, Valerius tries to gain the trust of the Christian prisoners by defending the old Sostenes against the guards and suffering severe punishment as a result. Bound to a cross, he is left in the burning sunshine, but John is the only one who dares give him any water. And to Valerius' great surprise, he seems to know all about him and Rufus. In the hell of the prison camp, where violence and resentment reign, John often wonders about his mission: why has the Lord trapped him on this island, instead of sending him out into the world to spread the glad tidings? Then, surrounded by his companions, he falls into a trance, and again he sees himself in Heaven, with the Lamb on the throne. It is being threatened by a heavily armed knight on a red horse who is bringing hatred and war to humanity. Then a black horse appears whose rider is holding a pair of scales: he is the bringer of injustice and selfishness. Meanwhile, Rufus has ordered the island's governor Corvus to come and see him to tell him to show more severity, especially toward the Christians. Corvus is worried about losing his lucrative job, and so he tells his guards to be even more watchful than before. As a result, he notices that Irene has slipped into the camp again with Jonicus, to collect John's latest message. However, Jonicus cleverly manages to talk the guards out of searching either himself or his sister. John's visions become increasingly frequent and exhaust his strength. Nevertheless, Demetrius is still hoping to be able to get him off the island. The tunnel is ready, and the escape is planned for that evening. But when John supports the maltreated Sostenes, he incurs the wrath of the governor. He is imprisoned and the escape plans are scrapped. In his prison cell, John has a new vision: the Lamb breaks the fourth seal and again a horse appears, the pale horse that brings death into the world, plagues and famines, accidents and earthquakes. Only the love of God can defeat it. That night, numerous prisoners want to use the tunnel to escape, but it is discovered by the guards, and the fugitives are slaughtered. For Demetrius, all hope of rescue has now vanished. But John consoles him, telling him that it is God's will that they remain here on the island. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus announces to him in the vision. And then he sees a huge number of people in Heaven: They called in a loud voice: Salvation cometh from our God. The Christians of Asia Minor, all in very great danger, cling to this belief, for the Romans are murdering them all, women and men, young and old alike. Irene and Ionicus put their lives into very great danger and, with the help of a guard, manage to free John and the other Christians from the camp, the Roman spy Valerius among them. A ship is waiting at the harbor. But John is too old and weak to shake off the guards pursuing them. He takes his leave of his companions and hides in a cave together with Valerius, who is transformed by the old man's influence, and becomes his helper. In the cave, John goes into a prophetic trance and has his last vision: And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. When the angels blew one after the other into the trumpets, hail, fire, and locusts destroyed the Earth, the sea turned to blood, darkness covered the Earth and the Day of Judgment arrived. And I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Meanwhile Irene, Jonicus and Demetrius are arrested by Corvus and his men, and Valerius and John are found in their cave, their lives are forfeited. But at this point, Rufus arrives, and not only frees his foster son Valerius, but also the other captive Christians. It turns out that the Emperor Domitian is dead, and his successor has announced an amnesty. The persecution of the Christians is over. John, his companions, and the Christian communities all thank God for their salvation. Freed from his duty toward his foster-father, Valerius is finally free to embrace his beloved Irene.

The Apocalypse (2000) It is 90 A.D., and the Roman Empire is being run by the Emperor Domitian, who has declared himself to be God, and ruler over heaven and Earth. The Christians, who do not recognize his divinity, are a thorn in his side, and he is having them cruelly persecuted. The small village in Asia Minor, to which the aged apostle John has withdrawn, is also attacked by Roman soldiers. As if by a miracle, John is the only person to escape the slaughter, and he receives divine orders to write down the visions he will have, and communicate them to the Christian communities in the Roman provinces of Asia. The voice tells him that they should discover what is and what will happen thereafter. Among the Christians of Asia Minor, who believe that John is dead, everyone is deeply worried about being persecuted. Gaius, the community elder in Smyrna, is concerned that only a few believers still dare come to the ritual supper. Under these circumstances, Christianity can no longer exist. But at this point, the young Irene appears at the secret meeting. She is convinced that John, who could give the Christians back their courage, is still alive, because a certain Theophilus, who is being held captive by the Romans on the island of Patmos, is in contact with him, and had a letter sent to her. In it, John describes his vision of Heaven: And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book that was sealed with seven seals. Neither Gaius, nor the other adult believers, understand what John means by this. Only a little child among them, also named John, grasps the sense of it: John realizes that the throne belongs to God, and sees the seven lamps of fire as the seven Christian communities of Asia Minor, together with the four elements and the book of seals with the mystery of faith that brings salvation. Yet the letter's mysterious origins make Gaius skeptical. He is only prepared to believe in the integrity of this vision, if John really is still alive. Old Theophilus, who in reality is John himself, has been sent to the prison island of Patmos, ruled by the corrupt Roman official Corvus, as a scribe, while the other prisoners have to do hard labor in the mines. Many of them hate Theophilus (John) because of the special treatment he is receiving, but above all, because he is a Christian. Nevertheless, he does succeed in converting some of his fellow prisoners to Christianity, such as the young scribe Demetrius, who is planning to escape along a secret tunnel. When the shaken John tells his companions about the crucifixion of the Savior, they realize that he was there at the time, and is actually John. He falls into a trance and experiences a new vision of Heaven: And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. And he came and took the book. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the young Irene has taken her leave of Valerius, whom she loves with a pure heart. She does not realize that he is not a Christian at all, but a spy working for the notoriously brutal Roman general Rufus, who has been ordered by Domitian to persecute Christians in Asia Minor. Valerius is a Roman soldier, born as a slave, he has his foster-father Rufus to thank for everything he has now become. He therefore has to obey when Rufus sends him to Patmos. Disguised as a prisoner, Valerius is told to find out whether John is still alive, because there are incessant rumors that he is, and they are leading to unwelcome solidarity among the Christians. Meanwhile Irene, with the help of her brother Jonicus, who visits Patmos regularly as a trader, gains access to the prison camp there. She recognizes Valerius from a distance and gets very worried about him. She embarked on all these dangers for the sake of John. However, her greatest desire is to see the last living Apostle, and to tell everyone about him. John trusts her, and confides in her under the seal of secrecy. She receives his visions in written form and promises to circulate the text among the Christians. Meanwhile on Patmos, Valerius tries to gain the trust of the Christian prisoners by defending the old Sostenes against the guards and suffering severe punishment as a result. Bound to a cross, he is left in the burning sunshine, but John is the only one who dares give him any water. And to Valerius' great surprise, he seems to know all about him and Rufus. In the hell of the prison camp, where violence and resentment reign, John often wonders about his mission: why has the Lord trapped him on this island, instead of sending him out into the world to spread the glad tidings? Then, surrounded by his companions, he falls into a trance, and again he sees himself in Heaven, with the Lamb on the throne. It is being threatened by a heavily armed knight on a red horse who is bringing hatred and war to humanity. Then a black horse appears whose rider is holding a pair of scales: he is the bringer of injustice and selfishness. Meanwhile, Rufus has ordered the island's governor Corvus to come and see him to tell him to show more severity, especially toward the Christians. Corvus is worried about losing his lucrative job, and so he tells his guards to be even more watchful than before. As a result, he notices that Irene has slipped into the camp again with Jonicus, to collect John's latest message. However, Jonicus cleverly manages to talk the guards out of searching either himself or his sister. John's visions become increasingly frequent and exhaust his strength. Nevertheless, Demetrius is still hoping to be able to get him off the island. The tunnel is ready, and the escape is planned for that evening. But when John supports the maltreated Sostenes, he incurs the wrath of the governor. He is imprisoned and the escape plans are scrapped. In his prison cell, John has a new vision: the Lamb breaks the fourth seal and again a horse appears, the pale horse that brings death into the world, plagues and famines, accidents and earthquakes. Only the love of God can defeat it. That night, numerous prisoners want to use the tunnel to escape, but it is discovered by the guards, and the fugitives are slaughtered. For Demetrius, all hope of rescue has now vanished. But John consoles him, telling him that it is God's will that they remain here on the island. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus announces to him in the vision. And then he sees a huge number of people in Heaven: They called in a loud voice: Salvation cometh from our God. The Christians of Asia Minor, all in very great danger, cling to this belief, for the Romans are murdering them all, women and men, young and old alike. Irene and Ionicus put their lives into very great danger and, with the help of a guard, manage to free John and the other Christians from the camp, the Roman spy Valerius among them. A ship is waiting at the harbor. But John is too old and weak to shake off the guards pursuing them. He takes his leave of his companions and hides in a cave together with Valerius, who is transformed by the old man's influence, and becomes his helper. In the cave, John goes into a prophetic trance and has his last vision: And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. When the angels blew one after the other into the trumpets, hail, fire, and locusts destroyed the Earth, the sea turned to blood, darkness covered the Earth and the Day of Judgment arrived. And I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Meanwhile Irene, Jonicus and Demetrius are arrested by Corvus and his men, and Valerius and John are found in their cave, their lives are forfeited. But at this point, Rufus arrives, and not only frees his foster son Valerius, but also the other captive Christians. It turns out that the Emperor Domitian is dead, and his successor has announced an amnesty. The persecution of the Christians is over. John, his companions, and the Christian communities all thank God for their salvation. Freed from his duty toward his foster-father, Valerius is finally free to embrace his beloved Irene.

I. Introduction For almost all of my Christian life, I've been drawn like a moth to a flame to accounts of the persecuted church. Very early in my Christian life, when I was still a student at MIT, I began to read accounts of the trail of blood that has led from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria, and now for 20 centuries to the ends of the earth to advance the Kingdom of Christ. I have been transfixed by accounts of courageous brothers and sisters who faced the rage and might of one Roman emperor after another and who, with unflinching courage, testified to their faith in Jesus as Lord of heaven and earth, crucified and resurrected, who holds the keys of death and the grave. I have delighted in stories of these persecuted brothers and sisters. I have shared many of them from this pulpit. I remember sharing some years ago the story of the Roman noble woman, Felicitas, who stood on trial for her life before a hostile Roman judge and she said, “While I live I shall defeat you and if you kill me, in my death I shall defeat you even more.” To think that she is my sister in Christ, that I actually get to be part of the same family of God with a woman like that. I have heard of 40 shivering Roman soldiers who, in the year 320, were members of the famed 12th Legion, called the Legion of Thunder, who were stripped naked and left to die in a frozen lake in Sebastia, in the modern day Turkey, because of their profession of faith in Christ. I have heard, as most of us have of Tertullian’s famous statement, “The blood of martyrs is seed for the church.” That is his version of “While we live we shall defeat you and if you kill us, in our death we shall defeat you even more.” I have yearned for these stories, to read about these martyrs and to drink in their faith, and their boldness, and their powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have utter disregard, it seems, for personal safety and unconcern for their own suffering and death. One story in particular that moved me came from the Romanian church from the era of Communist oppression under Ceaușescu. A Romanian pastor was arrested and dragged into a filthy, dark prison to be tortured until he should renounce his faith in Christ and surrender the names of all the Christians in their city, which he refused to do. Despite the savage beatings they gave him day and night, he would not surrender his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he certainly would not surrender his faith in Christ. When they saw that he would never yield, they sadistically took a different tactic, arresting and bringing his teenage son into the torture chamber with him. When the pastor saw his son, he became terrified in a way that he had not been in all the weeks that they had been beating him. They screamed that they would beat his son before his eyes until he renounce Christ and betrayed his fellow Christians. When they began their savage beating, the pastor began to waver. He begged them to stop, but like wolves seeing blood on the snow, they became more motivated and more enraged and more vicious. The son was clearly being beaten to his death. The man could bear it no longer and cried out for them to stop, saying he would give them whatever they wanted. Upon hearing this, the son begged him with the little strength he still had left, “I’m ready to die and be with Jesus. Please don't make me the son of a traitor.” This gave the father strength to endure; though the son was beaten to death, the father did not renounce his faith in Christ or surrender his brothers and sisters in Christ. These stories sparkle like diamonds scattered along the trail of redemptive history. They give us hope, they give us power, they give us conviction and shame for sin. It is hard, I think, for us as healthy Christians to read these and compare it with our own levels of boldness and willingness to suffer, and not to feel a sense of conviction and shame. But in a healthy way, they make us want to be more bold, more faithful, with the short time that we have left. They make us want to suffer for Jesus more than we have ever done before, if He would grant us the privilege. These stories have flowed right down to the present day and they are going on right now in the world around us; we know more and more about the persecuted church. Knowing that I was going to preach on this small persecuted church of Smyrna, I have been saturating myself in these accounts over the last number of weeks. I have been reading books like Extreme Devotion, which is the sequel to an earlier book called Jesus Freaks which was put out as a very powerful account of martyrs dating back to the beginning of the church. I have read portions of a book called By their Blood, which is account of 20th century martyrs for Christ organized geographically around the world. Last night, at about 11:30, I finished watching Nik Ripken's documentary called “The Insanity of God”. Nik Ripken is an amazing man. After he and his wife lost their son to disease while on a mission field — it was not a case of persecution but definitely they would have had better medical care if they hadn't gone on the mission field — and he died. Ripken reached a certain crisis of his own faith and began asking the question, “Is it all real?” He asked not from a doctrinal but experiential standpoint — is Christianity real? Is Christ risen from the dead with transforming powers, that are at work now in lives around the world. In his quest, he was drawn to the persecuted church; he felt a right instinct that he would get the answer there and his quest has led him all over the world. It began with an opportunity to go with the Red Cross to Somalia for a month. The bloody streets of anarchy in that dark country, country, he said, was the closest place to hell he had ever been on earth or probably ever would be. The terror was real as aggressive Muslim warlords unleashed young men, teenage warriors, with vehicles that had machine guns welded to the roofs, and they just scattered terror everywhere they went. Everyone was terrified of these people but especially Christians, whom they specifically targeted for death. Ripken met a group of significant Somalian evangelical church leaders, and they befriended each other. They opened themselves up to him — they prayed together and shared communion. He said that they were partaking in communion as if it were their last supper, which turned out to be the case, since over the next year all of them were dead. Ripken moved on in his search to Russia, where he began interviewing church leaders who had suffered bitter persecution in prison by the KGB during the era of the Soviet Union. One man had been arrested for pastoring a secret church, which got a little too large — in persecuted countries you're not looking for a mega church. They stay small, because once it gets to a certain level it will attract the attention of the state apparatus, and that is what happened to him. He was arrested, thrown in prison — a very severe prison, the kind reserved for the worst criminal elements in Russia. He was beaten again and again by the guards. But every morning when he woke up, he would stand and sing in his cell — what Ripken called his heart song, a Russian hymn that was his favorite. He would sing the same one every morning, in a loud voice, bringing jeers and derision from these hardened criminals. They would try to throw things at them and yell at him — they were rejecting him — but he would sing this song every morning. One day, the prison guards found a significant portion of scripture in his cell, and they dragged him out, clearly intending to beat him to his death at a post in the courtyard, where these kinds of things happen all the time. At that point something amazing happened. All of these male prisoners, 1500 of them, stood up in their cells and began singing the song he had been singing for months, in a united voice. The guards let go of this pastor and looked at him wondering and asking, “Who are you? What kind of man are you?” like he had electric shock on him. And he said, “I am a Christian, I am a son of the living God.” Ripken's travels took him to China, where he was led into the secret assembly of house church leaders — the church in China knows all about vicious persecution at the hands of Communist government leaders. 40% of the leaders of the house churches in China have been imprisoned at least three years. They call it their seminary. That is where they go to learn to be pastors. The church in China, though, has thrived in persecution. The Communists took over in 1948 and expelled western missionaries, and estimates put the size of the Protestant in church in China at somewhere between 400,000 to 700,000 people. In 1983, when China began to open again to the west, Christian leaders in the west wondered if there would be any Christians at all in China. Imagine the stunned surprise of the evangelical world to find out estimates at that point were well over 10 million believers in Christ. Now, the number stands at 10 times that — maybe over a hundred million evangelical believers in China — so the church has flourished in persecution. Ripken interviewed these house church leaders, and they peppered him with questions about the rest of the world. They honestly wanted to know if the story of Jesus had made it to any other country, or was it it just in China? That was the level of their ignorance of what was going on around the world. They were delighted to find out that there were Christians in other countries, delighted to find out that it extended to places all over the earth, but they asked, are any of them being persecuted as we are? So Ripken started telling the stories that he had already been developing, especially in Somalia, and they sat there for two hours, listening to his stories about Somalia and other places, like they were statues carved from stone; they didn't move, like they were hardly breathing. The next morning, he was awakened to the sound of people crying out, and he thought the police had found them and were dragging them out, but discovered that they were all praying, with their hands lifted up, praying fervently. He couldn't understand any of the Mandarin that they were speaking, but he heard this one word over and over: “Somalia, Somalia, Somalia.” He found out from his translator that they were so moved by the stories of persecution in Somalia that they had committed to get up one hour earlier than they are already were getting up to pray for the persecuted church in Somalia and around the world for the rest of their lives. They began that morning. The final story that Ripken zeroed in on was a man that he called the “toughest man I have ever met.” He would not say where this man was from. But they showed a map of central Asia and right in the center was Afghanistan more lit up than the other countries around. He said that this man had fought with other Muslim warriors in his country against an invading army that had come in. It was not hard to figure out that he was talking about the Russians who had invaded. This man was a Mujahideen leader who would led a cadre of fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan in the name of Allah. He stopped counting the number of soldiers he'd killed with his own hands, bloody deaths, at 150, probably many more than that. In the years that followed that war, he had recurring nightmares of his hands soaked in blood. In his nightmare, he was trying to wash his hands and he could never get the blood off no matter what he did. He tried scrubbing his hands with sand. Nothing would change. And then it got even worse. He started having visions during the day of his hands bloody, all the time. Then one night he had a different dream. And it was a dream of a man radiant in white, radiant in light with nail marks in His hands, in His feet, and wound in His side and scars on His forehead. And He said, “I am Isa,” which is Arabic for Jesus. “I am the Messiah and if you search for me, you will find me. I am the only one who can remove the blood from your hands.” There were no missionaries and no Christians in that country, nowhere to turn, but scraps of the gospel message got to him sufficiently. He did come to Christ, and then he felt strongly led by Christ to start reaching out to the former warriors, who were now fighting a different war. He went into the mountains and found some of the soldiers that used to fight with him. But when they emptied his backpack and found Bibles in there, they immediately started to beat him and were ready to kill him right there on the spot. What he didn't know was one of them had come to a secret faith in Christ like Nicodemus, and he spoke up for this man and saved his life. He got him out of there on the pretext of saying, “We can trace his contacts, who is getting him the Arabic Bibles. Then we can get them all.” When they considered that, they let him go. This man is now continuing his evangelistic ministry in the mountains of his country. Ripken’s final and main point in his documentary, “The Insanity of God”, is this: the gospel continues to be authenticated, proven to be true by what people are willing to suffer for Christ. II. Christ Sets Up the Suffering Church As we come to Revelation 2:8-11, we come to an account of a suffering church, the church of Smyrna. I think to some degree, Jesus’ letter to that church stands in front of all Christians for all time. Effectively, Jesus is asking, “What am I worth to you? What are you willing to suffer to take my gospel message to people who are not yet converted?” What are we willing to suffer to witness to this resurrecting power? Jesus said very plainly in John 12:24, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it [brings forth much fruit].” Godly men and women, boys and girls from the beginning of the church have been willing to pay the price to advance the gospel from the era of the Roman persecution right on to our present day. This church in Smyrna was one of the earliest example of a church crushed by Rome — crushed by the devil, crushed by false Jews who claimed to be Jews, but really weren't because they were rejecting Christ and were of the “Synagogue of Satan.” One of the sweetest fragrances in the ancient world was myrrh. Of course you have heard of it — it was used for burials and was stunningly costly. It was present at both Jesus’ birth — one of the gifts of the Magi — and at His death, when He was wrapped up in those grave clothes. The word “smyrna” is used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, to refer to the Hebrew word “myrrh.” Myrrh is a resinous substance, a natural gum that bleeds from the myrrh tree when it's sliced, wounded. People harvesting myrrh slice wounds in the branches, and allow the sap to bleed out. After it bleeds out, then it immediately becomes hard and glossy and forms itself in these sticky balls. Then those gummy balls of myrrh are crushed or burned to release the fragrant aroma. This is an apt picture of a small faithful church in Smyrna: a beautiful living parable of the suffering church throughout history. The church is wounded, it bleeds, it is crushed, it is burned, and it gives off this beautiful fragrance for the glory of God. God uses these sufferings and this incredible fragrance to purify His church and to advance it, to make progress in the internal journey of holiness and the external journey of gospel advance. He does it by suffering. It seems a paradox but the more the church is persecuted in this world the purer and stronger it becomes. It is a lesson that we who are so used to a comfortable relationship with the surrounding world in 21st century America would do well to take to heart. In this brief letter from Jesus Christ to Smyrna there is not a single word of criticism of the church. There is only a command to be faithful unto death and many encouragements from Christ. None of this was an accident. To some degree Christ is always putting His churches on display. Remember the image from Revelation 1 when Jesus is moving through the seven golden lamp stands: He is in His priestly robe, ministering to these seven churches, which are on lamp stands on a platform. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” Jesus set the church at Smyrna up on a pedestal and put it on display. He wants everyone to see them, not just their surrounding neighbors, and not even just their own generation. The Holy Spirit authored this letter and gave it to us, and we are told “He who has an ear, let him hear” what the Spirit says to the churches. Their testimonies echo through 20 centuries of church history and encourage us today. The suffering of that local church or any local church is never an accident. It does not mean that Christ has lost His power or that He does not love that church anymore. It does not mean that Satan has outwitted Him or outflanked Him on the battlefield. Not at all. Christ was intentionally setting Smyrna up on a pedestal to shine in that region. What was then the city of Smyrna is now called Izmir. I have a good friend who ministered in Izmir. He will be preaching to you on Easter Sunday when I will be in Cameroon. He has been faithful there in Izmir, and many other are witnessing in that area as well. It is five miles up the coast and due north from Ephesus. It is an ancient city, established perhaps as early as 3000 BC. Smyrna had long been a staunch, loyal ally of Rome. They even won a contest in that area to build a temple to the Emperor Tiberius in the year AD 25, so their loyalty to Caesar was a matter of both civic pride and prosperity. They were very loyal to the cult of Rome there in Smyrna. It was a beautiful place located right on the coast; a great port. We have no idea how the church in Smyrna was planted, no record of it in the book of Acts, but in Acts 19 it says, “The entire region of Asia Minor heard the word of God,” from Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. That is probably where it came from. Now look at versus 8-9. It says, “To the angel of the church in Smyrna, write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again: ‘I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!’” The word for “afflictions” here in the original language means “pressure,” literally crushed. Jesus begins his letter here to them by speaking of their afflictions. This is their time of testing, and it will get worse. What are the reasons for these afflictions? First and foremost, their commitment to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords; second, their refusal to submit to the fanatic cult of Rome and to burn incense to Caesar; third, the presence of this “Synagogue of Satan” which we will talk about in a moment — Jews there were slandering Him and persecuting Him and that is why they were having trouble. Here we see a major theme which will carry throughout the book of Revelation, not just here in the letters to the seven churches — Christ and Caesar, the battle between Christ and Rome. The battle is joined vigorously at this point. Things had gotten much worse when the Emperor Domitian had declared it to be a capital offense in Asia Minor to refuse to offer the annual sacrifice of incense to the Emperor. This burning of incense to the Emperor was a declaration of open loyalty to Rome. He demanded it of all the citizens of that region in the world. They went to a specific temple to be observed burning a small pinch of incense while saying, “Caesar is Lord,” and then received a certificate. If they did not have that certificate they were liable to punishments, even to the point of death. Obviously, this was the essence of the affliction that Smyrna faced, for their loyalty to King Jesus would not allow them to worship Caesar as a God or say the slogan, “Caesar is Lord.” They said instead, “No Jesus is Lord.” So it came down to a simple choice, Christ or Caesar, and they would not yield. Caesar threatened physical death, but Jesus (ultimately God) threatens eternal death and hell. We are told in several places in the Gospels, “Do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. Yes I tell you fear him.” To burn the incense, all that was required was to say, “Caesar is Lord”, but Christians could never do that, they could not violate their faith. They would only say, “Jesus is Lord.” This brought them into great affliction. The surrounding citizens would see this as a disgraceful lack of patriotism which, if it went unchecked, could threaten the city's special relationship with Rome. Along with this, as I've mentioned, is Jewish opposition to the gospel. There was, as Jesus said, here “a synagogue of Satan.” In verse 9, He says, “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.” The Jews as a group had been given an exemption from needing to burn the incense to Caesar. The Jews exploited their privilege and used it against this hated sect of the “Nazarenes,” as they called Christians. They curried favor with the Gentile overlords by luring the Christians into the temptation to deny their faith in Christ, whereupon they would have them in one sense. But if they refused to burn then they would turn them in to the authorities. They would speak about it, hence the word “slander.” Jewish hostility to the Gospel happened in Jesus’ lifetime. The Gospel of John in particular makes it plain that Jesus dealt with Jewish leaders who rejected his claim to be the Messiah, the Son of God. They would not believe in Him and so He was rejected by His own people. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” We see it also in Paul’s life and ministry, in the book of Acts — everywhere, it seemed, Paul went, he faced this. He went first to the Jews, to the synagogue, then there would be division. The Jews would start kicking up trouble for Paul and eventually would get him expelled from the city; if not, they were trying to get him killed. Some Jews even took a vow of starving themselves until they could murder Paul — that was the level of commitment they had. This Jewish opposition to the Gospel spread way into the second century AD and even beyond in terms of Smyrna, for when their godly leader Polycarp was burned at the stake, it was the Jews who were the most eager to gather the wood for the burning. Four Specific Trials: Poverty Jesus mentions four specific trials for the church at Smyrna: poverty, slander, prison and death. First, he mentions poverty. Look at verse 9: “I know your poverty,” He says. Undoubtedly this refers to economic poverty that came on them because they were Christians. Even during Jesus’ lifetime, the Jewish authorities had said that if anyone said that Jesus was the Messiah he would be put out of the synagogue. What that meant was disconnection from society. They probably then could not buy or sell or make a living and so it became immediately difficult to live in that situation. The same mentality, then, must have gone on in the Gentile world. Those who did not play ball or do the pagan thing the way that their other Gentile neighbors did would be ostracized. They would not be able to make a living. Beyond this, the persecution would impoverish them — being arrested and put in prison, they could not make money and became a drain at that point. As it says in Hebrews chapter 10 about some other persecuted Christians,“You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” So that's the nature of their poverty because they were Christians they were poor. Slander Second, slander: Jesus said, “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a Synagogue of Satan.” The word “slander” has to do with a false accusation. The Jews were turning the Christians in, providing their names to the authorities and that is how they knew whom to arrest. They were doing the work of the devil. The word “satan” means, in Hebrew, accuser; the Jews were doing that accusing work. Also, Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Prison Third, we have prison. He says in verse 10, “I tell you the devil will put some of you in prison to test you and you will suffer affliction for 10 days.” They lost their freedom as a result of these slanders. They were put in Roman prisons, which were horrible places — they were dark, they stank, there was no food, no water, no medical treatment, nothing. It was horrible. There was no habeas corpus — the authorities did not need to give any probable cause for incarcerating them. There was no requirement for a speedy trial, There was no possibility of a bond that would let them out until a trial happened. In many cases they were thrown in jail; in effect the jailers threw away the key and forgot about their prisoners. They may not have executed them but effectively their lives were over. Death Finally death: He says in verse 10, “Be faithful even to death and I will give you the crown of life.” Often throughout the history of the early church, death at the hands of legal authorities was common. “The blood of martyrs is seed for the church.” Christians died so that others might spring up from their bloody witness. We will see this later in Revelation 12:11. The Christians — courageous bold Christians — overcame Satan “by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Probably the most famous story of a martyr in the ancient world was that of Polycarp. Polycarp was the bishop (or overseer or elder) of the church there in Smyrna. Church tradition says that he had been discipled by the Apostle John. By the year 156 AD, he was a very old man. He was arrested. He had fled the city at the begging of his church. They did not want him to be arrested, though he was perfectly willing. But he complied and went out of the city. However, his pursuers tracked him down and found him, and he made no effort to flee at that point. In fact, he invited his captors in for a meal — showed them hospitality, fed them, gave them drink — and asked if he might have some time to pray. They granted it to him and he prayed for two hours. Those were some patient guards. As a matter of fact they were very favorably disposed toward him. The entire time that they drove him to the amphitheater they were pleading with him to recant. They wanted to save his life — he had a great reputation in that community. He was pulled up in front of the proconsul in the amphitheater, who said, “Respect your years, swear by Caesar, burn the incense, revile Christ and I'll set you free.” Polycarp said very famously, “For 86 years I have served Him and he has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?” It is one of the most famous statements ever made by a martyr. The proconsul said, “I have wild beasts.” Polycarp said, “Bring them. You get to choose how I die, I'm going to die today.” The proconsul replied, “If you disdain the beasts I will burn you with fire.” Polycarp said, “You threaten a fire that burns for a little while then it is extinguished, but God threatens a fire that burns forever. But what are you waiting for?” So immediately the trial was over, and the proconsul ordered him to be burned. He refused to be fastened to the stake but instead prayed, “Oh Lord Almighty God, the Father of your beloved Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to know you, I thank you for counting me worthy this day an hour of sharing in the cup of Christ among the number of your martyrs.” The fire was lit but a gust of wind blew the flame away from him, greatly increasing his torture, whereupon a sympathetic guard ran him through with a sword and ended his life. A Timeless Call from Christ to Suffer for Him This is the kind of witness that Christ was calling on Christians to make there in Smyrna, and indeed, around the world. This is really a timeless call from Christ to suffer for Him. Look at verse 10: “Be faithful, be faithful to me. Keep your promise to me.” “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you crown of life.” Suffering is foundational to our Christian faith. We talk about the internal journey of holiness and the external journey of gospel advance. Neither one happens without suffering. It is impossible to make any progress in holiness and any progress in spreading the gospel without suffering. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls in the ground and dies it remains a single seed. If it dies it brings forth much fruit.” A Mark of a True Church This is the mark, therefore, of a true church. The more faithful a church is, the more likely it will be to suffer persecution. In the parable of the seed in the soils, the rocky soil hears the word, receives it with joy — has a happy initial reaction to the gospel — but when trouble or persecution because of the word comes they quickly fall away. A church made up of cowards is no church at all. Our Temptation to Compromise Here in America, we are overwhelmingly tempted to compromise. What about us? How is the church in America? How is the church in Durham? How is this church, First Baptist Church in Durham, on this? Christianity is becoming increasingly unpopular in the United States. I am sure you have noticed. Our views on the exclusivity of Christ being the only way of salvation seems to be incredibly arrogant to people. Our views on gay marriage and transgenderism are seen ironically to be sick, mentally ill, and hateful. Our views on the inerrancy of scripture is laughable in the light of science’s advances. Our views on sexual purity, the unlawfulness of all sex outside marriage is seen to be prudish, and outmoded, and ridiculous. Our commitment to life contrary to abortion and euthanasia seems to make us hateful to the freedom of women to make choices and the freedom of others to die with dignity. The list goes on and on. We are under constant assault towards sin and compromise. The biggest question is, will we be faithful to share Christ with lost people? All these other issues are small compared to that. Are we willing to speak up to a lost person and say something about Jesus this week? We seem to be ashamed of Christ. In Mark 8:38, Jesus said, “If anyone is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in His Father's glory with the angels?” III. Christ Comforts the Suffering Church Christ’s Clear Command to Smyrna Christ gives comfort to his suffering church. Look what he says in verse 10. He gives them a clear command, “Do not be afraid of what you're about to suffer. I tell you the devil will put some of you in prison to test you and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.” Jesus is saying, in effect, “Be willing to die for me. Be faithful even if they're killing you.” This is the hardest command, I think, Jesus could ever give. “Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus is saying, “I’m asking greatest love of you, that you lay down your life for me if called to do it.” I believe this command is timeless, not just for this church at Smyrna, but for all of us. He says, “Do not be afraid of what you're about to suffer.” Faith and fear are frequently juxtaposed as opposites in the New Testament. Faith drives out fear. Do not fear and think about this, what you are about to suffer but have not been begun yet. And think about that. A suffering that has not come yet but is coming — that is fearful, is it not? It is the kind of thing we fear. “Sometime this week you will suffer greatly. Don't know when.” How would you go on? But don't be afraid of what you're about to suffer. Faith Drives Out Fear…the Stronger Our Faith, the Bolder We Become You know that the devil wants to harm you. Others have already been thrown in prison. The devil is coming after you. Your fears of the unknown rise and take your imagination to high levels. You start to have trouble breathing, and you break out and sweat, and you start being anxious. Do not do that, do not be afraid. Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you, I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” The strongest words in the Bible on this are found in Isaiah 8, which tells us to fear God more than we fear anything man can do. Isaiah 8:12-14 says, “Do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary for you.” So the more we see the invisible, eternal, majestic enthroned God, the less we will be afraid of people. Ultimately we need to focus on Christ above all. Look what he says about himself at verse 80: “These are the words of him who is the first and the last.” It is a claim to deity. Focus on Christ Above All: Christ is the Eternal God Jesus is saying, “I am the point of history. I am the beginning of history, I'll be the last of history.” It is the very thing God the Father had claimed in Revelation 1:8, when he said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.” Jesus is claiming deity. He is the first and the last and nothing can stop his purposes from happening. The flow of history will go on and nothing will stop it. And also as the first and the last, he's the same, as it says in Hebrews 13:8, “The same yesterday and today and forever.” Focus on the timeless unchanging Jesus. Christ is the Death Conqueror Verse 8 says, “These are the words of him who is the First and the Last who died and came to life again.” He is the death conqueror. “I hold the keys of death and Hades.” I love that. He said, “I died and behold, I'm alive.” Isn't that beautiful? “Behold. Just look at me I'm alive. What are you afraid of?” “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Hebrews 2 says, “He died, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” We are set free from fear of death, or should be. So what are we afraid of? Some years ago I preached an Easter message from Hebrews 2. I gave a series of quotes of saints about death and how we need to fear nothing at all. Spurgeon said this, “For these saints, to die has been so different a thing from what they expected it to be, so lightsome, so joyous; they have been so unloaded of all care, have felt so relieved instead of burden, that they have wondered whether this could be the monster that they had been afraid of all their days. They find it a pin's prick, when they feared it would be a sword thrust; it is the shutting of the eye on earth, and the opening of it in heaven.” Thomas Goodwin, Puritan pastor said, “Ah! Is this dying? This? How have I dreaded as an enemy this smiling friend?” William Preston said, “Blessed be God! Though I shall change my place, I shall not change my company.” Charles Wesley said, “I shall be satisfied with thy likeness… satisfied, satisfied!” He said that over and over — that is a good way to die. Adoniram Judson, who suffered more than we can possibly imagine in the spread of the gospel, was sick with the illness that would take him out of this world. He said, “I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet when Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school.” William Everett simply said, “Glory… Glory… Glory…” for 25 minutes, until he was finally out of this world. Christ has the power to free us from the fear of death. Christ Knows Our Suffering in Detail He knows our suffering in detail. He says to the church in Smyrna, “I know.” “I know your afflictions, your poverty. I know the slander of the Jews.” “[I am] close to the broken hearted and I save those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). “I am acutely aware of how many tears you have wept in prison or for those in prison.” Psalm 56:8 says, “You have kept count of my tossing. You put my tears in your bottle. Are they not written in your book?” “I am very aware of what you're going through. Christ is Sovereign Over Our Sufferings Not only is Christ aware of our sufferings, he orchestrated them. He is not saying, “Oh, you're suffering. Well, let's make the best of it.” He orchestrates the afflictions of his people to put them on display, and he controls them. Look at verse 10: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you … for 10 days.” It is measured, who gets put in prison and how long they will suffer. “Some of you will go in prison, not all of you, and it will be a narrow time, ten days.” Not literally 10, I don't think but just a very short amount of time. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Christ is Purposeful in Our Sufferings Christ will not allow the devil to do more than God in Christ wills, and He is purposeful in our sufferings. “He [Satan] will put you in prison, it says to test you.” In Luke 22, Jesus says, “Simon Simon, Satan has asked to sift you [all of them] as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And so these trials, 1 Peter 1, “have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes, though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Praise, glory, and honor for yourself, yes (Romans 2), but also praise, glory and honor for Jesus for saving you; and also for other people who are saved when they watch how you suffer. IV. Christ’s Rewards for the Suffering Church Temporarily Poor, Yet Eternally Rich Christ has rewards for the suffering church. He says in verse 9, “I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!” Isn't that beautiful? You appear poor, but you are actually rich. Later he will say to the church at Laodicea, “You appear rich. You are actually destitute.” To this suffering church, Jesus is clearly referring to the inestimable treasure waiting for these martyrs when they get to heaven. Heavenly treasure. What is the essence of that treasure? Rewards from God, which I believe is praise from God. Meditate on that — praise from God! He will praise you. He will honor you. He will say, “Well, done you good and faithful servant, you are faithful unto death.” He will praise you. And he talked about this crown: “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” It is an emblem of achievement and of honor. “You will not be hurt at all by the second death, which is hell. You are not going to go to hell; you will be freed from that. You will go to heaven, and I will give you emblems of honor, and you will take those crowns and put them at my feet, and you will give me full credit for all of your honor and glory, but it will be yours to give because I will give it to you. I will give you a crown of life.” I do not believe all Christians will be equally honored in heaven. Not at all. If I keep on living the kind of life that I am living right now, I will not receive these kinds of honors. Church history is filled with people who have suffered far more than me or most of you. Remember John and James said, “Grant that we may sit at your right and your left in your kingdom.” That is a bold thing to ask: "I want to sit right next to you in your kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “You do not know what you're asking. Can you drink from the cup I am going to drink?” We see how it is linked to suffering: the more we suffer, the more honor. The brothers and sisters who suffer the most will be honored the most — but we will all be perfectly happy in heaven. Perfectly happy, but not equally honored. Thus Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” V. Applications Trust in Christ for the Forgiveness of Your Sins Here are some applications beyond the ones I have already given. The first and greatest has to be to make an appeal directly to any of you who are outside of Christ, non-Christians who are here today. These letters to the seven churches were written from Jesus to Christians, and so as I said last week, and I will continue saying, if you are not a Christian you are listening into somebody else's mail. But it could be yours if you will just repent and trust Christ. God sent his son into the world to live a sinless life and to die an atoning death on the cross that you and me, sinners like us can be forgiven. Remember that man, that had that blood on his hands, he couldn't get it off. Jesus can cleanse us and purify us of all our sins, so trust in Christ. Understand the Main Message Here: In this World You Will Be Hated Second, understand the main message here: In this world you will have trouble, but take heart and overcome the world through faith in Christ. The more courageously and boldly we testify to Christ, the more the gospel advances. James Merritt, a pastor in Georgia and president of the southern Baptist convention, said this a number of years ago: “90% of evangelical Christians in America, who are effectively born in the church, raised in the church, married in the church, living in the church, raise their family in the church, get old in the church and die in the church. 90% of them never open their mouths and say anything to a lost person about Jesus.” 90%. The Chinese Christians, when asked in Ripken's documentary about remaining silent in the face of persecution, said they believe that when you are being persecuted and opposed and you remain silent and choose not to say anything about Jesus, you have identified with the persecutors. It is light and darkness, good and evil, life and death. You have associated with the enemies. If you are silent, you need to speak. Learn About and Pray for the Persecuted Church Third, learn about and pray for the persecuted church. Remember the Chinese Christians, who added one hour a day praying for the persecuted church in Somalia. It says in Hebrews 13:3, “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Study about the persecuted church. Read Extreme Devotion or Jesus Freaks; or get “The Insanity of God,” this DVD and watch it. Learn about Voice of the Martyrs and Persecution Project, and other groups that are putting the persecuted church more in focus to make people more and more aware. Learn about what is going on in the world. The worst persecuting nation on earth is North Korea, a communist country. However, 41 of the 50 worst nations for persecution on earth are dominated by Islam. Understand the Unity of the Church Fourth, understand the unity of the church. We are one body. 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” We are not different churches; we are a part of the suffering of persecuted churches. We show by prayer and by concern and by learning that we are a part of it. “When one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” When those brothers and sisters get huge, amazing crowns in heaven and we don't get them for suffering in the same way, we will be so thrilled and happy with them in heaven. Why? Because there is no bad stuff in heaven — no discontent, no pride, no arrogance. We will celebrate the achievement of those brothers and sisters in Christ, but the more we do that now, the better. Let's honor those who are worthy of honor. Delight in the Glory of a Church Advancing by Blood Fifth, delight in the glory of a church that advances by the blood of its messengers. In Colossians 1:24, Paul says, “I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” There is nothing lacking in the blood of Christ for atonement, but what is lacking is the application of the atonement to the elect who are as yet unconverted. And who does the persecuting in the world? Unconverted people. That makes sense, doesn't it? Unconverted people are in two categories: unconverted elect and unconverted non-elect. We will never know who the non-elect are in this world. Never. We always have good hopes that the persecuting people might some day come to Christ. So let's delight in the glory of that. Give Money to the Persecuted Suffering Church Sixth, let's give money to the persecuted suffering church. You have an opportunity to do that this very week. In your bulletins, there is a story about a famine in East Africa. The United Nations says this is the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War Two. There are certain criteria for labeling starvation in crisis, and what they are seeing is way beyond their markers. Five nations in particular, are starving to death. They are Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, and Kenya. The primary of cause of famine in four of the countries is Muslim extremism. The Muslims are trying to take over countries like Somalia and all that, and people cannot work. There is also a drought currently. This is a direct issue of the persecuted church suffering and unable to eat or even live. Baptist Global Relief — BGR — is there. You can give this afternoon to them to relieve our brothers and sisters who are starving to death in East Africa. Be Ready to Suffer Yourselves Finally, I urge you to be ready to suffer yourselves. The small persecution is not insignificant, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say things against you.” That is not a minor thing. Be bold. Share Christ with someone this week. Get outside your comfort zone. Realize the comfort zone is not from Christ but from Satan. Get outside the comfort zone and share Christ. VI. Closing Prayer Close with me in prayer. Father, thank you for the things that we've learned about the suffering church. Thank you for the examples, the stories of their courage, their boldness and faith. Thank you, oh, Lord, for the church at Smyrna and the way that they were exhorted by Christ to be faithful unto death. Help us to be willing to be faithful, to deny ourselves daily and take up the cross daily. Help us to fight the good fight of holiness, of private holiness, of purity, so that we can get stronger to fight the external battle of witnessing. Give us strength and courage, Lord. Thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray that you'd strengthen those in Somalia and those in North Korea and those in China and other places that are being persecuted for their faith. Give them strength. Help their faith not to fail. And help us, oh Lord, to be more faithful in praying for them in Jesus' name.

Most of the cities' names in the seven churches of Revelation sound foreign and unfamiliar (as they should being from ancient times and culture): Ephesus, Thyatira, Pergamum, Sardis, Laodicea. But not the city we are visiting today. Philadelphia is well known to us as a place in Pennsylvania. it's the home of the Liberty Bell. We most likely we even know what the name means: the city of brotherly love. Philadelphia the American city was named after Philadelphia the ancient Asia-Minor city, which was named after King Attalus II, whose loyalty and devotion to his brother Eumenes earned him the title Philadelphus (one who loves his brother). Philadelphia was situated in an area prone to earthquakes. In AD 17, a horrific earthquake nearly destroyed the city. So traumatized were the Philadelphians, many chose to live in the surrounding countryside, especially since the aftershocks continued to damage buildings for many days afterward. This disaster was known among the ancients as one of the worst in their history. In what we would know as disaster relief, the Roman emperor exempted them from paying tribute for five years so they could rebuild. Eventually, Philadelphia voluntarily took upon itself and embraced a new name, NeoCaesarea, to honor emperor Tiberius, who had especially helped them in time of distress. Some years after that, they were traumatized once again, but this time by Emperor Domitian (you may remember him from chapter one. John had been exiled to Patmos by him because of his faith in a wave of persecution against Christians). H ordered half of Philadelphia's vineyards destroyed to protect the interest of the vine growers in Italy. It caused great hardship since they were dependent on this trade. The city felt betrayed by him. This morning let's listen to what Jesus had to say to the Christians at Philadelphia and see what we can learn and apply to ourselves… Revelation 3:7 (ESV) — 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. As with every letter, Jesus introduced himself, giving his credentials in a sense. Almost always in these letters he drew from John's vision of him in chapter one. But not here. Christ described Himself to the church at Philadelphia as… The holy one The idea of holiness is hard for us modern Westerners to comprehend. In the OT and NT holiness is associated with the otherworldliness of God who is so infinitely above and set apart from us morally and in every other way imaginable we can barely grasp it. Holiness literally means set apart or consecrated. We seek to be holy or set apart as Christians. The word saint, which is a synonym in the NT for Christian, means holy ones. But not in the sense that Jesus is holy. Jesus is THE holy one; he is the actual embodiment of holiness. He's also… The true one John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 Jesus said … “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We seek truth in logic, reason, philosophy, and religion, and we find it to some degree in them all. But Jesus is the source of all truth. Just as he is the embodiment of holiness, so is he of truth. Next he described himself in an unusual way, drawing from the OT… The One who has the key of David John Walvoord explains: “Here the allusion seems to be to Isaiah 22:22 where, speaking of Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, it is recorded that ‘the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.' Eliakim had the key to all the treasures of the king, and when he opened the door it was opened, and when he closed the door it was closed. Christ, the great antitype of Eliakim, has the key to truth and holiness as well as to opportunity, service, and testimony.” Jesus' description of himself ties in very closely with his praise for the church at Philadelphia… Revelation 3:8 (ESV) — 8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. The One who has the keys of David, the One who opens a door and none can shut and closes a door and none can open, says he has set before them an open door. What does this mean? Some Bible scholars think it has to do with entrance into God's kingdom, so it's about salvation. But others think it means something else. The idea of an “open door” is found three other places in Scripture, and they all have to do with kingdom opportunities. The first is an open door… To share the gospel successfully In the book of Acts Paul was traveling the Roman Empire spreading the Gospel. He and his party went to Antioch… Acts 14:27 (ESV) — 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. The second is an open door… To perform Kingdom work powerfully As Paul bought his letter to the Corinthians to a close, he informed them of his plans to remain for a time in Ephesus because… 1 Corinthians 16:9 (ESV) — 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. The word “effective” in this verse comes from the Greek word energes which means active, and we get our word “energy” from that! A door of powerful effectiveness had been made and Paul didn't want to miss the opportunities that came with it. And the third is an open door… To preach the Word with clarity Paul gave the Colossian Christians a specific prayer request… Colossians 4:3–4 (ESV) — 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. I think when Jesus said he was opening a door for them it meant he was preparing Philadelphia for missionary opportunity. They were about to see all their hard work produce a harvest, as the word was going to be preached in truth and clarity. Why? Because, Jesus said… I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. “…I know that you have but little power…” That sounds like a criticism or complaint. But actually it's Jesus acknowledging their situation. Like Smyrna, the Christians at Philadelphia had suffered greatly for their faith, because, just like Smyrna, their city was big on Emperor worship - especially since the emperor had done so much to help them rebuild after the earthquake. Remember, they had even renamed themselves as the new city of the emperor. But veneration of the emperor involved a heavy emphasis on worshiping him by burning incense on his altar. Not to do so meant possible death. At Smyrna this led to death of their pastor. Because of this they were probably small in number since Philadelphia wasn't that big of a city anyway. They were also probably poor as a result as well. And maybe, just maybe, they didn't have much in the way of kingdom talent. No great preachers. No great teachers. C.H. Spurgeon said that perhaps… They were not like that famous church at Corinth, where everybody could teach everybody… They had but small ability to speak with tongues, or work miracles, or teach the word… In all probability they were, like most of the churches of that day, possessed of very little [monetary] strength. They could do but little where money would be required. They were a company of poor people with no man of means among them… How can this be a good thing? What does this have to do with God opening up a door? A “little” power was all they needed to take advantage of the future opportunities because we are talking about Jesus here! He took a little bread and fed thousands; He took a man's little faith and performed a mighty miracle (”Help thou my unbelief!” Mark 9:24). Christ said if we have the faith of a little mustard seed, it was enough to move mountains. In fact, he prefers to take the seemingly insignificant and powerless and use it to do great things! 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV) — 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Isn't this exactly what God did with Jesus? Born a helpless baby in a manger to poor parents who had little power or influence. Jesus also opened the door because they… “have kept My Word have not denied My name” They had been faithful to the gospel even under intense difficulty. There are two situations in which the church is tempted to fall short of keeping Jesus' word: in times of great prosperity (as we'll see next time) and times of great suffering. But they did not compromise. They did not bow down to Caesar. They didn't fall into error. What was this open door going to look like? Revelation 3:9 (ESV) — 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Just like Smyrna, the Jews at Philadelphia were a source of persecution and suffering for the Christians. They were exempt from having to burn incense at the emperor's altar, but they turned in Christians who didn't. Jesus promised that these very ones would come and “worship” at their feet. The very ones who had caused their distress would be worshiping alongside them one day! It makes me think of a documentary I watched this weekend called Accidental Courtesy. It's about a black man named Early Davis who befriends KKK members and wins them over. In his garage are 3 dozen or so hoods ands robes, from grand dragons to imperial wizards. We've got to wrap this up. Revelation 3:10-13 (ESV) — 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, Think about how this sounds to someone who was so frightened by an earthquake they had to move out the city in fear the pillars would fall on them. How they would have to go in and out of the city to do business. and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Think about his this sounds to someone who had been betrayed by their emperor, even after naming their city Neocaesarea (neo meaning new), after him. Conclusion: What does this mean to us? Remember, we are trying to answer that question as a church and as individual believers. We don't want to be a church or Christian who has lost their first love like Ephesus. We don't want to be a church or Christian that's compromised or tolerated sin and false teachings like Pergamum and Thyatira. We certainly don't want to be a church or Christian like Sardis: dead and without the spirit. Of all the seven churches we want to be like Smyrna and Philadelphia. The only two which received no criticism from Jesus. But there's a catch. They both suffered. I love what Tim Keller says about this… Do you see what it says? It says, “I'll bring you to the time, I'll bring things to the situation where they will come and fall down and acknowledge that I have loved you.” What is Jesus saying? He's saying, “You're puny. There are very few of you. You're not very talented, but people you never thought in a million years would listen to you will listen to you. You will win over people who you never thought you'd win over. People who you thought were absolutely hostile to you will be softened and melted into your friends.” How's that going to happen? He says, “The reason I'm going to open that door is because you patiently endure.” This is the irony. Jesus says the way you handle closed doors will open others. He says, “The reason I'm going to open that door, the reason people are going to see a greatness about you, the reason you're going to overcome, the reason you're going to be able to win people over is because of the way in which you handled the closed doors of your life.”… … Do you know what suffering is? It's closed doors. You expected to be this far by this time in your career. You expected to be making more money. You expected to have more friends. You expected to be this. You expected to be married. Closed doors are the things that make you suffer, that hurt you. Jesus says, “Because you have been so patient in handling your closed doors, I will open other ones.” That's a remarkable statement. He is saying, “Suffering is never for nothing. If you handle suffering properly, it will turn you into great people who can open other doors. If you handle closed doors right, I will use those closed doors in your life to enable you to open other ones.” Do you follow that? The failure in front of you, if you handle it properly, will turn you into somebody who will succeed in some other way. Without that failure, you never could succeed. “The way you handle the closed doors will turn you into the kind of people I can use in other ways.” Greatness comes from handling suffering. Are you here today and the phrase “you have but little power” describes you? You don't have much to offer: education or money or power or influence. Hang in there. be faithful. And Jesus will take that little and make it more than enough to be somebody in his kingdom. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Most of the cities’ names in the seven churches of Revelation sound foreign and unfamiliar (as they should being from ancient times and culture): Ephesus, Thyatira, Pergamum, Sardis, Laodicea. But not the city we are visiting today. Philadelphia is well known to us as a place in Pennsylvania. it’s the home of the Liberty Bell. We most likely we even know what the name means: the city of brotherly love. Philadelphia the American city was named after Philadelphia the ancient Asia-Minor city, which was named after King Attalus II, whose loyalty and devotion to his brother Eumenes earned him the title Philadelphus (one who loves his brother). Philadelphia was situated in an area prone to earthquakes. In AD 17, a horrific earthquake nearly destroyed the city. So traumatized were the Philadelphians, many chose to live in the surrounding countryside, especially since the aftershocks continued to damage buildings for many days afterward. This disaster was known among the ancients as one of the worst in their history. In what we would know as disaster relief, the Roman emperor exempted them from paying tribute for five years so they could rebuild. Eventually, Philadelphia voluntarily took upon itself and embraced a new name, NeoCaesarea, to honor emperor Tiberius, who had especially helped them in time of distress. Some years after that, they were traumatized once again, but this time by Emperor Domitian (you may remember him from chapter one. John had been exiled to Patmos by him because of his faith in a wave of persecution against Christians). H ordered half of Philadelphia's vineyards destroyed to protect the interest of the vine growers in Italy. It caused great hardship since they were dependent on this trade. The city felt betrayed by him. This morning let’s listen to what Jesus had to say to the Christians at Philadelphia and see what we can learn and apply to ourselves… Revelation 3:7 (ESV) — 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. As with every letter, Jesus introduced himself, giving his credentials in a sense. Almost always in these letters he drew from John’s vision of him in chapter one. But not here. Christ described Himself to the church at Philadelphia as… The holy one The idea of holiness is hard for us modern Westerners to comprehend. In the OT and NT holiness is associated with the otherworldliness of God who is so infinitely above and set apart from us morally and in every other way imaginable we can barely grasp it. Holiness literally means set apart or consecrated. We seek to be holy or set apart as Christians. The word saint, which is a synonym in the NT for Christian, means holy ones. But not in the sense that Jesus is holy. Jesus is THE holy one; he is the actual embodiment of holiness. He’s also… The true one John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 Jesus said … “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We seek truth in logic, reason, philosophy, and religion, and we find it to some degree in them all. But Jesus is the source of all truth. Just as he is the embodiment of holiness, so is he of truth. Next he described himself in an unusual way, drawing from the OT… The One who has the key of David John Walvoord explains: “Here the allusion seems to be to Isaiah 22:22 where, speaking of Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, it is recorded that ‘the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.’ Eliakim had the key to all the treasures of the king, and when he opened the door it was opened, and when he closed the door it was closed. Christ, the great antitype of Eliakim, has the key to truth and holiness as well as to opportunity, service, and testimony.” Jesus’ description of himself ties in very closely with his praise for the church at Philadelphia… Revelation 3:8 (ESV) — 8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. The One who has the keys of David, the One who opens a door and none can shut and closes a door and none can open, says he has set before them an open door. What does this mean? Some Bible scholars think it has to do with entrance into God’s kingdom, so it’s about salvation. But others think it means something else. The idea of an “open door” is found three other places in Scripture, and they all have to do with kingdom opportunities. The first is an open door… To share the gospel successfully In the book of Acts Paul was traveling the Roman Empire spreading the Gospel. He and his party went to Antioch… Acts 14:27 (ESV) — 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. The second is an open door… To perform Kingdom work powerfully As Paul bought his letter to the Corinthians to a close, he informed them of his plans to remain for a time in Ephesus because… 1 Corinthians 16:9 (ESV) — 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. The word “effective” in this verse comes from the Greek word energes which means active, and we get our word “energy” from that! A door of powerful effectiveness had been made and Paul didn’t want to miss the opportunities that came with it. And the third is an open door… To preach the Word with clarity Paul gave the Colossian Christians a specific prayer request… Colossians 4:3–4 (ESV) — 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. I think when Jesus said he was opening a door for them it meant he was preparing Philadelphia for missionary opportunity. They were about to see all their hard work produce a harvest, as the word was going to be preached in truth and clarity. Why? Because, Jesus said… I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. “…I know that you have but little power…” That sounds like a criticism or complaint. But actually it’s Jesus acknowledging their situation. Like Smyrna, the Christians at Philadelphia had suffered greatly for their faith, because, just like Smyrna, their city was big on Emperor worship - especially since the emperor had done so much to help them rebuild after the earthquake. Remember, they had even renamed themselves as the new city of the emperor. But veneration of the emperor involved a heavy emphasis on worshiping him by burning incense on his altar. Not to do so meant possible death. At Smyrna this led to death of their pastor. Because of this they were probably small in number since Philadelphia wasn’t that big of a city anyway. They were also probably poor as a result as well. And maybe, just maybe, they didn’t have much in the way of kingdom talent. No great preachers. No great teachers. C.H. Spurgeon said that perhaps… They were not like that famous church at Corinth, where everybody could teach everybody… They had but small ability to speak with tongues, or work miracles, or teach the word… In all probability they were, like most of the churches of that day, possessed of very little [monetary] strength. They could do but little where money would be required. They were a company of poor people with no man of means among them… How can this be a good thing? What does this have to do with God opening up a door? A “little” power was all they needed to take advantage of the future opportunities because we are talking about Jesus here! He took a little bread and fed thousands; He took a man’s little faith and performed a mighty miracle (”Help thou my unbelief!” Mark 9:24). Christ said if we have the faith of a little mustard seed, it was enough to move mountains. In fact, he prefers to take the seemingly insignificant and powerless and use it to do great things! 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV) — 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Isn’t this exactly what God did with Jesus? Born a helpless baby in a manger to poor parents who had little power or influence. Jesus also opened the door because they… “have kept My Word have not denied My name” They had been faithful to the gospel even under intense difficulty. There are two situations in which the church is tempted to fall short of keeping Jesus’ word: in times of great prosperity (as we’ll see next time) and times of great suffering. But they did not compromise. They did not bow down to Caesar. They didn’t fall into error. What was this open door going to look like? Revelation 3:9 (ESV) — 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Just like Smyrna, the Jews at Philadelphia were a source of persecution and suffering for the Christians. They were exempt from having to burn incense at the emperor’s altar, but they turned in Christians who didn’t. Jesus promised that these very ones would come and “worship” at their feet. The very ones who had caused their distress would be worshiping alongside them one day! It makes me think of a documentary I watched this weekend called Accidental Courtesy. It’s about a black man named Early Davis who befriends KKK members and wins them over. In his garage are 3 dozen or so hoods ands robes, from grand dragons to imperial wizards. We’ve got to wrap this up. Revelation 3:10-13 (ESV) — 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, Think about how this sounds to someone who was so frightened by an earthquake they had to move out the city in fear the pillars would fall on them. How they would have to go in and out of the city to do business. and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Think about his this sounds to someone who had been betrayed by their emperor, even after naming their city Neocaesarea (neo meaning new), after him. Conclusion: What does this mean to us? Remember, we are trying to answer that question as a church and as individual believers. We don’t want to be a church or Christian who has lost their first love like Ephesus. We don’t want to be a church or Christian that’s compromised or tolerated sin and false teachings like Pergamum and Thyatira. We certainly don’t want to be a church or Christian like Sardis: dead and without the spirit. Of all the seven churches we want to be like Smyrna and Philadelphia. The only two which received no criticism from Jesus. But there’s a catch. They both suffered. I love what Tim Keller says about this… Do you see what it says? It says, “I’ll bring you to the time, I’ll bring things to the situation where they will come and fall down and acknowledge that I have loved you.” What is Jesus saying? He’s saying, “You’re puny. There are very few of you. You’re not very talented, but people you never thought in a million years would listen to you will listen to you. You will win over people who you never thought you’d win over. People who you thought were absolutely hostile to you will be softened and melted into your friends.” How’s that going to happen? He says, “The reason I’m going to open that door is because you patiently endure.” This is the irony. Jesus says the way you handle closed doors will open others. He says, “The reason I’m going to open that door, the reason people are going to see a greatness about you, the reason you’re going to overcome, the reason you’re going to be able to win people over is because of the way in which you handled the closed doors of your life.”… … Do you know what suffering is? It’s closed doors. You expected to be this far by this time in your career. You expected to be making more money. You expected to have more friends. You expected to be this. You expected to be married. Closed doors are the things that make you suffer, that hurt you. Jesus says, “Because you have been so patient in handling your closed doors, I will open other ones.” That’s a remarkable statement. He is saying, “Suffering is never for nothing. If you handle suffering properly, it will turn you into great people who can open other doors. If you handle closed doors right, I will use those closed doors in your life to enable you to open other ones.” Do you follow that? The failure in front of you, if you handle it properly, will turn you into somebody who will succeed in some other way. Without that failure, you never could succeed. “The way you handle the closed doors will turn you into the kind of people I can use in other ways.” Greatness comes from handling suffering. Are you here today and the phrase “you have but little power” describes you? You don’t have much to offer: education or money or power or influence. Hang in there. be faithful. And Jesus will take that little and make it more than enough to be somebody in his kingdom. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

What if Mark was signaling that it was actually Simon Peter who was crucified and Andrew was the young man who fled naked from Gethsemane? What are our sources for the story that Antiochus forbade Hebrew worship? Do we have anything substantive beyond The Book of Maccabees, or Josephus -- who himself was probably echoing Macabees? Do you accept the opinion of Dr. James (Mickey) Efird and Bruce Metzger that Revelation was NOT about the end of the world but simply a book written in a well-known genre for that day to give people hope that their persecution under Emperor Domitian would soon be over if they just waited it out? Is it possible that the Synoptics used Marcion's Gospel, the Gospel of Peter, and the Infancy Gospel of James? Do you think the Masoretic text may have been edited in response to Christian doctrine? John's gospel never names Jesus' mother. Might he have been trying to de-objectify her by keeping all portrayals minimalistic, including the obscuring of a name?

From the ingeniously ghastly ways they killed their opponents to their weird forms of dress, Mary Beard reflects on the uncanny similarities between Colonel Gaddafi and the tyrants of ancient Rome. She argues that the similarities were present in life - and in death. "On 11 March 222 AD," she writes, "a posse of rebel soldiers tracked down the Roman emperor Elagabalus to his hiding place. The tyrant was holed up in a latrine, desperately hoping to keep clear of the liberators, who were out for his blood". She continues: "The story goes that the rebels rooted him out, killed him, triumphantly dragged his body through the streets of Rome and then threw his mutilated remains into a drain." Mary suggests modern and ancient tyrant are portrayed as sharing a penchant for eccentric accommodation, like Gaddafi's tent and Nero's infamous "Golden House". And they seem to enjoy dubious hobbies - such as Emperor Domitian's obsession with stabbing flies and Gaddafi's obsessive collection of pictures of Condoleeza Rice, which were stuck in a scrapbook. But she argues that these stereotypes of tyrants are little more than half-truths and hearsay....an easy way of making a figure of fear into a figure of fun. The reality, she says, is much more nuanced. "Badness", she suggests, "comes in inconveniently complicated ways. Most bad people are good in parts". How often, she asks, are we told that life expectancy in Libya far exceeds that of its neighbours, that Libya has substantially lower child mortality than its neighbours, the highest literacy rate in North Africa, free hospitals and free childcare. "My point is not that we should see Gaddafi as a good man" she says. Rather that "among all the things that have been going terribly wrong under the Gaddafi regime, some things have been going right". Producer: Adele Armstrong.

This video explores several monumental buildings in Imperial Rome, notably, the Imperial palaces of Rome.

Transcript -- This video explores several monumental buildings in Imperial Rome, notably, the Imperial palaces of Rome.

This video explores several monumental buildings in Imperial Rome, notably, the Imperial palaces of Rome.

Transcript -- This video explores several monumental buildings in Imperial Rome, notably, the Imperial palaces of Rome.

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We are going through Luke chapter by chapter. Weve been doing a mini-series the last few weeks called From the Comfort Zone to the War Zone. The comfort zone is that which is familiar. My comfort zone is sitting behind that table and that chair. This is unfamiliar territory to me. The comfort zone is that which is safe, that which we know and are comfortable with. Its the path of least resistance; its the path thats easiest for us. Its where you and I really gravitate towards. We gravitate toward the comfort zone. We gravitate toward what we know. The war zone is when you go [into an uncomfortable setting]. The war zone is when you encounter opposition. Now that opposition might be the devil; that opposition might be your own flesh. That opposition might be the apathy of others or other obstacles that are in your way. To enter the war zone, thats where opposition takes place. Its risk. Its faith. It is a place of dependency upon God. But thats what God has called us to. In this particular point of the ministry of Jesus, He is calling Disciples to go from having listened to Him, watched what He did, to actually preaching what He preached and doing what He did. So, they are having to leave their comfort zones, and they are having to go enter into ministry at a whole other level of experience. Jesus is still calling His followers to that. Lets read the passage in Luke 10:1 (page 1027 of pew Bibles), After this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go. He told them, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone on the road. We spoke on those four verses last week. Now, this is all new territory for us-Verse 5 and on. When you enter a house, first say Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. What Jesus is saying here is when you go in the house, you are on a peace mission. You pronounce a blessing on that house. If he does not receive your blessing-if he does not receive your peace, it comes back to you. Youre blessed for having blessed him. God is going to bless you for having spoken in His Word. Its not going to be wasted; its going to come right back to you. Then Hes going to give some protocol about staying in the house, not going from house to house, eat what is given to you, and some other protocol on their journey. Verse 9, Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God is near you. Jesus said a similar thing in Luke 9 when He sent out the 12. He said, Tell them the kingdom of God is at hand. That is what we call shorthand. Dont take that literal in the sense that theyre just going to go from town to town, person to person, just repeating this one sentence over and over again. Hi, were the Disciples. Were followers of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God is near you. Have a nice day, and then you move on. That was shorthand for saying, Youre going to tell them everything Ive told you about the kingdom. When the Apostles say earnestly contend for the faith once and for all delivered for the saints, the word faith is shorthand for everything the faith signifies and is. When Paul says, We preach the Gospel, that word Gospel is short for everything the Gospel represents. There is a lot of content there, so He says, Go and preach the kingdom of God that is near you, that is everything that Jesus taught them is what they are to do. They are to pray as He prayed; theyre to deliver; theyre to heal; and theyre to bring the message to the kingdom as He presented it to them. [Luke 10:10, page 1028), When you enter a town and you are not welcome, go into its streets and say, Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near. Notice they say this to cities, not to people. They go out in the streets… Its a Hebrew-idiom; its a way of saying-I guess the closest in our vernacular would be to say, [when] somebody gets hurt or stumbles, and youd say, Hey, shake it off. Shake it off! Get up! Get going! Dont let it stop you! Thats what Hes saying. We have a mission to do. Were going to keep going. Shake it off. [Picking up at Verse 12], I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Now, Hes going to talk about some towns that He ministered to in the region of Galilee. He says, Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. He who listens to you listens to Me; he who rejects you rejects Me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. So there is a lot at stake. To reject Jesus was to reject the Father. Were going to talk about that passage a little bit because some of it is a bit harder to understand than other parts are. Were going to attack this text in the idea of Myth Busters. There is a show on television called Myth Busters, if youve ever seen it, where they either confirm myths or prove certain myths are untrue. Were going to talk about some myths. Were going to talk about some myths that are untrue. Theyre regardless true within some circles of Christianity or regardless true within the world, but they are not true according to Scriptures. The first myth we are going to talk about is this whole understanding of a philosophy-way of thinking that Jesus came to give you a comfortable, easy, care-free life. Thats a myth. There is a lot of popular preaching going on, a lot of best-selling books talking about how life… Now, God loves you and wants to bless you, but anybody who thinks that God is here to give you a comfortable life, a care-free, problem-free life isnt reading their Bible very well. Id like to know what Bible they have because its not this one. In fact, what I have found, and what Scriptures attest to, is that when life gets too comfortable for Christians, it actually has a negative impact in their lives and ministries. Would you say the Apostles and the followers of Christ in the first century church had an easy life? Not at all. Did Jesus have an easy life? Not at all. It was a hard life. In fact, there is one church that had it pretty easy. There is one church that had it pretty nice. They had everything the world could offer. They were success in the eyes of the world. Remember the Book of Revelations written to seven churches in Asia Minor? Those were real churches, and these letters of John were really circulated there. There was a Sunday when the elder, or the pastor of the church in these various cities, would have stood up and read a letter from Jesus to the congregation. So the congregation in Thyatira received a letter; one in Pergamum received a letter; Philadelphia; Laodicea; Sardis; Smyrna; Ephesus; all these cities received a letter from Jesus. Imagine how nervous you are that Sunday. Nobody was falling asleep that Sunday. Okay, Im about to read a letter from Jesus to our congregation. Wow! Wed be listening intently. A couple of churches did really well. They had straight As. A couple churches got what Id call Bs or a couple Cs. There was one church that just flunked. It didnt have anything good said about it; a church called Smyrna went through tremendous persecution, and they were very poor. So here they are, humble in spirit, broken and they get this letter from Jesus. Boy, I hope we dont get in trouble from Jesus. Were just struggling here, but were trying to fight the fight. We know we dont have any money. We know were being persecuted, but were not going to give up, and its straight As. Jesus says, I know your persecution, and I know your poverty, but youre rich. They say, We are? Youre rich! Youre rich in what counts. Youre rich spiritually. Youre in the game! Youre fighting. Youre taking the risks. Youre defending My name. Now the other church that did not do so well is a church called Laodicea. They were so blessed to be right on a very prosperous trade route, so commercially they prospered and they had everything they wanted. Jesus says, You say I am wealthy, and I have need of nothing, but you are poor, blind, miserable and naked. Buy from Me gold that is refined with fire. He says, Youre just living the life of ease and comfort. There was nothing in there about them standing up for the Lord, standing up to opposition or taking risk. They simply existed. The Lord was not really happy with them. We find in history when the church became comfortable, the church became corrupt. We know about the persecutions of Nero, the emperor. We know of the persecutions when Revelation was written from Emperor Domitian. They were terrible. We know they continued on and off in different regions and in different intensity. It reached its apex right after the year 300. There was a man by the name of Diocletian who was emperor of Rome. Things were not going well. They said, Why are things going badly? Their theory was that it was the Christians. They werent worshipping the Roman gods, so they had to get rid of the Christians. If they got rid of the Christians, [they believed] that would placate the gods, and everything would go well for them again. So a time of intense persecution broke out against the church, and it lasted for eight years. They did things to Christians that Nero couldnt even think of. His purpose was not to punish the church. His purpose was to eradicate the church. Did it eradicate the church? Not at all. The church grew. The church showed that it was a supernatural entity. It was not the work of man. It continued to grow; it continued to thrive under the reign. He said, Christians, we were seen as atheists because we didnt believe in the Roman gods. We didnt follow the Pagan rituals, so we were atheists in the eyes of Rome. Finally, Diocletian gives up. Finally he says, Ah, you know. There is nothing I can do. So he stops. Then another emperor named Constantine comes to power. He passes whats called the Edict of Milan that says, Well, you Christians can be Christians, and you can move around freely. You can practice your faith. In fact, Constantine became a Christian too. Christians lived in peace and harmony. Then something happened in 380; another emperor by the name of Theodosius came to power. Remember him by just saying, supercalifragilisticexptheodosius. Theodosius came to power, and he said, Im going to make a rule that you can only be a Christian in Rome. If youre anything other than a Christian, youre in hot water. Isnt that interesting that in the span of 70 years, Christians went from being the persecuted ones to the persecutors. They went from being the lowest in society to in complete and utter power, and the church became corrupt. They lived in comfort; they called the shots; and they became corrupt. You can cite examples of that all the way through history. I can cite examples in my own life of what the comfort zone can do. When I started my education after high school, I was pretty young. I was 17 years old. I wanted to stay close to home, so I went to a local community college for a couple years. At that community college, my faith was challenged. It was challenged by professors. I had some science teachers who were saying some things about creation. I had some philosophy teachers who were saying things about theology. I had some English teachers who were attacking the Bible and attacking Christianity. Do you know what I would do? Id stand up for myself. Id stand up for my faith. I stood up to students who opposed the Gospel. Id raise my hand. Id respectfully disagree. I would debate. I would exchange, and my faith would be challenged. Id go to the Word, and Id study. Id go to my pastors, and Id ask, Hey, what about this? Id talk to friends, and then Id come back for round two and round three. I found my faith growing. I found my faith sharp. I found I was making an influence in our campus. I found that this little group of Christians would assemble for inner-varsity fellowship every Friday morning at 7 oclock. Wed ban together, and wed talk about what we were going through. Wed talk about the war, and wed pray for each other. Wed go back out determined to make a difference in our campus for Christ. Wed hold functions, have activities and invite the campus, trying to be alike for Christ, and my faith grew for those two years. I always envisioned, You know when I get to Trinity, and I really start preparing for the ministry, boy, lifes going to be good because were going to all be Christians. Were going to all love Jesus, and all of my professors are going to be Christians. Everything is going to be wonderful! All those things were true. All of my professors loved Jesus. All of my classmates were Christians, and guess what happened? I became very, very comfortable. There was a time when I started saying, I dont need to go to church this weekend. I dont need to serve right now. I was kind of apathetic. I was getting lazy and spoiled and getting very comfortable because nobody was challenging me. I found that I became very susceptible. I became very vulnerable. I began to not wane in my faith. I still believed in Jesus, but my life could not be described as being cutting edge in any way, shape or form. I was simply learning stuff. It wasnt until one of our courses challenged us to go to Northwestern every weekend and begin debating theology with the students at Northwestern. It wasnt until a professor got smart, and he would bring guest speakers into our class that would challenge our faith that I began to grow. I found that I grew out of the comfort zone, not in the comfort zone. Jesus is the One who says, Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Jesus did that. Jesus is the center. So this myth that He called us to live a comfortable, safe life is not in the Bible. Growth is in the warzone. Growth is when we go; growth is when we take risks and meet challenges; its when we serve Him with our whole heart. The second myth I want to address is in this passage, and you have your Bibles [to reference to]. Its a lot easier for me to just talk right now than try to hold it, look and turn pages. You can look and be my eyes. We dont have any power point we can show you. When you look in your text, do you notice that He says to those cities… Remember these are cities-regions-that He ministered to in Galilee? these are places Hed been. Theyd heard Him talk. Theyd seen the miracles. He compares them to some of these well-known rebellious cities like Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. He said, Its going to be worse for them in judgment because of what theyve seen and heard. The second myth I want to address is this myth that says, All sins are the same in Gods eyes. All sins are the same: have you ever heard that? All sins are the same to God; all sins are alike. Thats a myth. Thats not true. Thats not true from a common sense point of view, and its not true from a Biblical point of view. Just from a common sense point of view, Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, If you lust after a woman, you say dont commit adultery. I say if you lust, youve committed adultery in your heart. Now is lusting the same severity as actually committing the physical act of adultery? I understand that lusting is where it begins. If were going to equate that and say lust is the same degree of severity and the same sin as adultery… Im not going to ask for a raise of hand for how many men in this congregation have ever lusted, but Im going to guess that most women now would have Biblical grounds for divorce if those are the same thing. Jesus is trying to get them to understand that its not the letter of the law, that this is sin too. This lust is sin too. You say, Dont commit murder; I say to you, If you hate your brother, youve committed murder in your heart. Now is hating somebody the same severity as actually physically murdering them? Lets get real here. Lets think about what were saying. Those are not even close to being the same thing. Thats where it begins, with hate, but actually following through and taking a life, of course, would be a greater sin. Jesus says they have the greater sin for two reasons. Number one, because of what theyve seen. Theyve seen the miracles; theyve heard the teaching. To then reject that, Jesus says, is a greater sin. Remember in John 19, when Jesus is before Pilate. Pilate is a little worked up about whats happening and feeling a little bit funny about the decisions that hes making. Jesus says to Pilate, Those who turn Me over to you have the what? Greater sin. They have the greater sin. They knew better. They were the chief priests, teachers of law. They have the greater sin. There is more accountability. To whom much is given, much is required. There was a sin that was so great that Jesus says, If you blast through the Holy Spirit, you will not be forgiven. Its called the unpartable sin. To sin means to miss the mark. Thats what it literally means: hamartia, to miss the mark. You can miss the mark by a little, or you can miss the mark by a lot. The end result is the same: youve missed the mark. Sin separates me from God. All sin does that, but all sin is not the same. If Im playing basketball, and I miss a shot and hit the back iron, and it bounces out-which has happened once or twice-thats missing. But if I miss everything, thats called an air ball. If you do that in your opponents gym, theyll let you know it. Theyll say, Air ball! Air ball! Air ball! Air ball! Theyll remind you of that for awhile. They are saying, You really missed. You blew it. If Jesus is the target, if Jesus is the goal, to reject Jesus-thats the greatest sin. So what Hes saying to you [is], Listen, you cities of Galilee, your sin is worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah because the greatest sin you can possibly do is to reject the truth. Its to reject the love and grace of Jesus Christ. That is the greatest sin. If you reject Jesus, you have totally and completely missed the mark. What Jesus is saying is there is nothing left for Me to do for you. If you reject My love, if you reject My grace, theres nothing left I can offer. You have committed the most egregious sin. You have missed the mark completely. Thats the greatest sin, to reject Jesus. Thats why He says they have a greater judgment-because they have rejected the truth. Thats what is going to lead to the next warning here, this next declaration. Jesus knows their fate is sealed if they reject Him, so He says (Verse 13, page 1028), Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Woe to you Capernaum! When He says woe, at first we might interpret that and think Hes saying like a spiritual-trash talk kind of thing. Hes saying, Youre going to get it now. Youre busted! Youre in trouble. You rejected Me; Im going to have the last word. You might read through that and think thats what Jesus is saying. Thats myth number three. Myth number three is that God is vindictive, that God is a god who is out to get you. God wants revenge if you reject Him. Thats a misunderstanding of this Word. In fact, remember in Luke 9 when the Disciples realize they have the power. Theyve seen the miracles so they know in Jesus, they have the power. When the Samaritans reject Jesus, James and John say what? Do you want us to call down fire from Heaven and destroy them? Jesus probably wanted to slap them upside the head and go, What are you thinking? You dont know what spirit you are of. The Son of Man did not come to destroy mens lives, but to save mens lives. The word woe in the Greek is the word alas. Have you ever had somebody that you love and care about, and you see them going down a wrong path-you know the wrong path is going to lead to destruction, and you tell them it is, but they go down it anyway? Have you seen that happen? You see it happen, and it just breaks your heart. The closest thing we have to this word in our form of communication is not a word at all. The closest word we have to what Jesus said would probably be a sigh. You see them going down that wrong path; they ignore your counsel and advice. You see whats going to happen to their life if they dont turn around. You think, Hoohh. Thats what Jesus is doing here. He is mourning over these cities where He has invested, where Hes ministered, where He knows people. He says, If you reject My message, woe to you. There is nothing I can do for you. Many years ago when I was a pastor in Rockford, and I do mean many years ago, there was a lady who came to our church, and she had been beaten by her husband. She had bruises and cuts; she was crying, and she explained to me what happened. I remember being very angry. I just wanted to see this guy thrown in the slammer. I said, You know this has to stop. If you dont have him arrested and put in jail, hes going to continue to do this to you. Do you understand that? She said, I know. I said, Can I call the police? We should call the police? She said, Yeah, lets call the police. The police came out. We filled out a long report. He was in my office over an hour. We finally get to the end of the report, and he says, Okay, maam, can I press charges? She puts her head down, and she says, No. You see, her comfort zone was a dark place. He was all she knew. She didnt want to take the risk. Whats going to happen to me if he leaves? How will I live? How will I support myself? How will I support my children? So she was going to stay in that comfort zone even though that comfort zone was an awful place to be. She said, I dont want to fight that battle. The policeman said, You understand that unless you file charges, there is nothing I can do. She said, I know. I said, Maam, you understand if you go back to this home, the same thing is going to happen and only worse. He has to learn a lesson. I know, but I cant, she said, crying. I let out a sign when she left because I knew she was going to go back to that which was familiar, and I knew what was going to happen. A couple of years later, I received another call from a lady. I went to the house to go see how I could help, pray with her. Guess who it was? It was the same lady in the same situation. Sometimes people learn the hard way. Sometimes people want to stay in the comfort zone because its familiar, even if its destructive. So even though it was destructive, the people in Capernaum and these other towns wanted to stay there because it was all they knew. It was an easy path for them. We brought in a friend of Janet Bales, who is becoming a friend of mine, Jay Bellard and his wife Theresa from Beloit. He is going to share right now a short testimony of his life and what Christ did for him while he was in that comfort zone, when he was in that path of having a stubborn, unrepentant heart and how Christ brought him back into the way of the truth. Is this like the light FM crowd or this is the rocker crowd? Youre a little later, so the easy listening was the service before this. Welcome to Faith Community Church unplugged. Thank God for change. Id be thanking God for a pastor who wants to make changes. You dont want the same hairdo all the time. I cant change my hairdo. Its kind of the same, but its either that or the comb-over. My days with a comb are over, so thats why I dont do that. Anyway, Im here to just tell some things about what happened in my life and what my life was all about. I was born and raised in Beloit, the evil empire south of here that you all think it is. I basically had a non-resident father and a mother who was very liberal, so I pretty much raised myself. You start getting into things. You get into your teen years, and you start to see some things and do some things. When I was 13, I began smoking dope for the first time. When I was 13, I began drinking alcohol for the first time. I had sex for the first time when I was 13 years old. A lot of you are gasping right now. I thought they only did that now. Nothing is new. A lot of times when I was doing stuff, I was doing stuff with people you probably knew. Going through life, I was tearing it up. I went through my teen years, and I was just living the life that I knew, the life that I loved, the life that I wanted to do and be. Through a set of circumstances when God ordained circumstances by the time I was 18-19, I started wondering what was going on in the world, who was in charge, maybe there was some beings; maybe there were aliens; you just start to wonder where all this comes from. Whats happening? Through a set of circumstances, my wife and I were born-again and gave our lives to Christ. Okay, halleluiah, great! Whats the big deal? I was 19; she was 18, and we got married. That wasnt smart. It wasnt a good idea that young, but we thought we had it all figured out because we were born again; we knew what was going on. What happened was over time, my mind was not renewed with the Word of God. I was not changing my mind [set]. I was repentant, but I didnt change my mind. After awhile, my mind started to drag me down. I wanted my old life back, and just like it says in the Bible, my house was clean and swept, but I wanted my old life back, and it came back times seven. I was actually probably seven times worse than I was before. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy everybodys lives. He wants to rip you away from God. He knows that youre Gods anointed being, Gods creation, and he wants to ruin you because misery loves company. I began my decent on this slippery slope downward. Basically I was trying to destroy my own life with self-destructive behavior. I was drinking, smoking weed, riding my Harley. That was my life, but now I had a wife and pretty soon, two kids. Well, I didnt want anything to do with that. I couldnt be responsible for myself, let alone family. So, what did I do? I did what my dad wanted to do. I wanted to abandon. I left my wife; I left my kids. For two and a half years, I lived with another woman. My wife now says, Hey, I need to hear from God. She was praying, and God said to her, Your husband will come back. Otherwise, she would have been gone. She would have moved on. So I did go back to my family after two and a half years, but I was still a mess. I was not repentant. I wasnt saved, but hey, I was tearing it up. I was living the good life, or so I thought. Twelve and a half years goes by, and I was living that way. Twelve and a half years! Thats a long time for you; it seemed like 40 [to me]. Shes praying. Shes a woman of God. Shes praying and interceding for me all the time. Things in my life began to change. God began changing my heart. Circumstances began to turn and change in my life. My friends who I got high with a lot, partied with and did things with, things began to happen there. One of my best friends came over, and he and my wife began talking about church and what was going on at church. I was like, Shut up! Youre giving me a headache! Dont ruin my friend! So then he went to church the next day. This was on a Saturday night. He went to church the next day. He was saved! He was born again, and he gave his life to God. My wife has to be sitting there thinking, No, God! This one, over here is my husband! God doesnt know what Hes doing! Arent you glad that God is in charge? God operates in our lives without permission. How do you like that? Isnt that annoying sometimes? He began to change things in my life, and I didnt want Him to change things in my life, but my wife was praying. God was honoring that. As these things began changing, and my friend was born again, he was gone and out of my life. He still came to visit, but I wasnt impressed with that anymore. I just wanted to live a bad life. There were a lot of people out there who are happy that Im saved. Theyre happy Im saved. Even people who arent saved are happy Im saved. Thats where I was at. The devil was like, I cant hang with you no more. Youre giving me a bad reputation. Youre messing up my life. I used to sell dope. I had just sold him dope one day, and the very next day he was arrested for possession. He was out of my life. There was a falling out between my brother and me, and he was out of my life. Then, I was alone. God worked all of this out. It was all happening by the hand of God. God began to change my heart. Every day, every day, every day from the first day that I walked away from Him, God was still speaking to my heart-every single day, I love you, son. You matter to Me. You matter to me. Everybody is important to God. Every person, all of the people you know-even the people you dont like. That neighbor that acts like I used to, Oh, look at him. He needs to go to church. Well, get him to church. Be his friend! Its getting quiet (referring to the congregation). Anyway, I always said, If they had a first service at that church, Id go because, man, you guys get home late. I want to get in and get out, do my thing! As if God were interested in my thing. Anyway, my friend came over because he knew I always said that. He said, Hey, Pastor announced were starting a first service next week. I was just like, Oh, man. This is it. I had heard things this man of God said because my wife would come home and say, This is what Pastor said. I said, You know what? I know this is a man of God by the things he said because I knew other men of God. I knew them. I was like, No, I couldnt follow them guys because I actually knew them. I had to have somebody who was strong, that was a strong man of God. You have a strong man of God here. Thank God for him. So, I would hear things. I said, Man, I know this is the man of God that I will serve under. I knew it. Being a man of my word, such integrity, I said, Hey, I have to go. I have to go to church. I have to go to first service. So I did go to the first service, and I sat right in the front row just like many of you arent. Nothing changes, does it? Some things never change. There is plenty of room for people like me. Anyway, I sat right in the front row because I wanted it all. I wanted it right in my face. When altar-time came, I was like, Man, do I do it? Im done messing around! Im done! Im sick of my life! Im done messing around! I lifted my hand; I gave my heart to God, and my whole life changed that day. This was 14 years ago, and God has just blessed my life day by day by day. Your life is guided by your decisions, so if you make Godly decisions, your life will have a better outcome. God has blessed my life so much. My wife and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary yesterday, so we have been married 28 years now. Give God glory! Thats God! God did that! A week ago, I was ordained as a pastor in our church. So God has blessed my life so much. Just remember that. Every person counts. Every person is important to God. Every person God loves so much the same way He loved you when you were a mess or whatever you were. He loves every one of us as His children, just as you love your children. You might kick them out of the house, but you dont want to condemn them. You want them to serve God. Just remember that everybody is reachable. Everybody is teachable, and pray for them. Ask God to intervene in their lives the same way He did with mine. Thank you. (Pastor Jeff speaking) So for Jay, Theresa was a type of Christ, showing him unconditional love and praying for him. That is what God has called you to do for the people in your life, these people you see and that you know and love who are going down the wrong road. Sometimes our comfort zone is a place of destruction as well. We may or may not be blinded to, but its all we know. So, I pray that youll give your life to Christ, that youll choose His path. Lets stand together for prayer, and then were going to sing a couple more songs before we go. Id like you to pray with me. Father, first of all, I pray for Christians who are here this morning who are apathetic. Weve been living in a place in our lives where we no longer take risks. We no longer respond to challenges. We stay with whats familiar and known. Lord, as You spoke to believers and said, Go. I send you out as sheep among wolves, You are still giving that same command. Youve called us to go into our world to make a difference. We reach out to our community and invite people to come to our 12-step ministry. We reach out through our divorce recovery ministry and invite people to come. Were doing Your work. When we go outside our four walls, when we go to Monterey this afternoon and minister there, were leaving the comfort zone. When we go into nursing homes and reach the elderly, we are doing Your work. We reach out to children through Angel Tree. When we reach out to our community through camp, we are doing Your will. We are going where You want us to go. When we sit across a table over a cup of coffee or when were watching our children play sports and talk a parent about the things of God, we are leaving the comfort zone. So, I pray that Youd push us out of that nest. I also want to pray for us that we will have faithfulness to pray for those who are in harms way, that well not give up. Theresa did not give up on Jay. [I pray] that well not give up on family members and friends we care about. Lord, we pray, too, for those who are in a comfort zone thats destructive, but its all they know. Its like the children of Israel who wanted to go back into slavery in Egypt because at least there they knew they were going to have a meal and a place to stay. They wanted to go back. It was their comfort zone. I pray that Your Holy Spirit would personalize this message to each and every heart and life-that we might follow Your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen