Isaiah 43:1-2, “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

² When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Hey OTP Friends! We are continuing our series on the 7 Churches as noted in Revelations chapters 2-3.

Church 3 – Pergamos – Revelations 2:12-17

1 John 3:20 tells us that God knows everything. What I find absolutely amazing is that God knows me personally and in depth. He knows the situations we find ourselves in. He knows the things that tempt us. He knows our thoughts and our heart.

God allows us the space to work on/work out things in our life. But we are not alone. He is there routing for us, praying for us, whispering guidance in our ears, and reminding us of his word (through various avenues) to help us make better choices.

Ultimately, this is a faith walk that is routed and grounded in faith in his word. God wants us to choose him and his word over everything else. We have to choose to obey his word and live our life based on the fundamental tenets of his word.

In Revelations 2:12-17, God writes to the church at Pergamos – “These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;” This sword is his word (the Holy Scriptures). Just as the word is in his mouth, it should also be in ours. We must know it, so we can live according to it.

In verse 13, “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”

To help us understand this verse a little better, one commentary provides some additional insight: “In this verse the one who walks among the churches shows His perfect understanding of the situation the church at Pergamum faced. He understood the church existed in Satan’s stronghold. People in Pergamum worshiped Zeus, the chief god of the Olympian gods. Perhaps the mention of Satan’s throne at Pergamum was a reference to the Altar of Zeus. Residents of Pergamum also worshiped the Roman emperor; Dionysius, the god of wine and vegetation; Athena, the goddess of Athens; and Asklepios, the god of healing. 

Satan had arrayed a conglomerate of false worship that made it difficult for Christians to declare that they worshiped Christ. This is one of four times that Satan is mentioned in these messages to the seven churches (Revelation 2:9, 24; 3:9).”

This helps us to understand the strongholds this church had to face on a daily basis. He spoke to their situation directly. As most of us can attest, it is easy to receive from someone who knows what we are going through and who can speak to our “right now”. They were in a constant battle – influences from these satanic worshipers was always seeking to invade the church. Many of these false doctrines were infiltrating the church doctrine, tempting and persuading the people to follow after Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

Just as the church at Pergamos faced these evil influences, we face our own today. We have everything at our fingertips through our cell phones, tablets, and laptops. Social media and the internet gives us access to far more information than is wanted or needed. Sadly, we are not always equipped to distinguish truth from lies. We are bombarded with so much evil all the time. If we are not careful, we will find our spirits polluted with this evil. With the purpose to turn us away from God.

God knows your struggle!

God is so awesome, that he provides a warning before judgement. He advises the church to repent or else I will come to you quickly. God says – I will you judge you by the same word that is in my mouth. The same word that he wants us to know and live by. There is enough power in his word to sustain us in all things.

God also promises a reward to those who repent and overcome. Verse 17 says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

The manna is hidden because it is reserved for believers only. While non-believers will reject God and his word, believers embrace it and can partake in the benefits and rewards promised therein. Those who reject him will never know the joy of salvation and the satisfaction of living by faith in him. God will give us a new name that has importance that is know only to God and to the one who receives it.

This is amazing because some will want to keep us trapped in the past, to the person we used to be with the our sins attached. But when we repent God sees us as he called us and gives us a name that reflects what he sees – victorious over comers!

Yes, God knows your struggles, but gives us what we need to overcome them. He sees us beyond where we are currently. He knows our up rising and down sitting. He calls us victorious even in those times when we feel defeated.

In Isaiah 43, God tells us he created us, formed us, redeemed us, and called us by name. He states emphatically that we are his. We do not have to fear. When we mess up – and yes, we will do this frequently – we only need to repent to get back in right standing. He goes on further to tell us he is with us, through the water or the fire – he is our protection! The water will not overflow us, the fire will not burn us because God is with us. Our struggle will not defeat us, it will only work to make us better.

So, let us take the advice given to the Pergamos church – Repent and do better. Get back in right standing with God.

Have a blessed night.