R.S. Helms Commentary

 By: R.S. Helms The church at Thyatira, the corrupt church.   Today there are a number of churches and denominations of the Christian faith that fall into this category.   This is one of the churches that some of the most corrupt Christians deny they belong.   Perhaps it is one of the reasons that some mainline denominations are losing people, and churches.   Part of the reason that so many millennials deny being Christian at all.   After all, Christianity has many houses, and not all of them are without fault.   Jesus’ letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor demonstrate two of seven have a problem; this could mean that two in every seven Christians have a problem. Rev. 2:18—29 … 29). “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write.   ‘These things says the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass.   19). ‘I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  

A House Divided Jesus, at a point in His ministry and being harassed by the Pharisees, (as was normal) and when they seen what He was doing, they said “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, (Satan, or ‘Lord of the Flies’).  That is like the liberals of today, making accusations about conservatives and Christians without any fact or foundation, just to make someone look bad, nevertheless, Jesus points to the facts, then covertly accuses them, by way of their sons, of the very same thing in the form of a question, followed by a truism.      Matthew 12: 25b – 27.    v.25). “But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  v.26).  “if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?”  v.27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by who

Teach us to pray… D uring one of the many times that I truly examine my relationship with the Lord, I often find that I am not measuring up to what I preach.  What I preach is, the necessity of a consistent maintenance of that relationship, what I find is my life and actions are not hitting the mark, the prize that is laid before me seems unattainable.  Too often the sin of omission overtakes us while we journey through this world.  It is too easy to get away from being Christ centered and slip to the world, and our human nature.  Point is without the intimacy in our relationship with God it will become an estranged relationship.  It is in times like these that when we ask, and don’t receive, it is because we ask amiss; ask over a broken connection.  Sin, can be either in action, or in apathy; that does not change the fact that sin is sin and alienates us from the intimate love relationship with Jesus. Now t

Christian Persecution Being a dinner for a lion The gospel of Mark was penned AD 64, after a fire destroyed most of the city. Four districts were untouched, three completely reduced to ash, leaving seven in some sort of destruction, which brought about rumors that the emperor was behind it. This was countered by blame being leveled at the Christians. Of course Christians became the focus of government persecution, many was arrested and tortured then put to death, most was sentenced to death. This led to the climate of uncertainty for the Christian, as an invitation to make several choices: 1) Deny the Lordship of Jesus, and affirm the pagan gods and loyalty to the emperor. Thinking in the weakness of their faith, that God was unable to defend them. 2) They could become as the chameleon and change, only not color but gods, and just melt away into the mass of humanity. 3) They could fall into a state of apathy waiting to be found out, draining their spirits and stre