THURSDAY, JULY 21
Scripture: Revelation 2:12-14,16

Revelation 2:12-14 says, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”‘” Verse 16 says, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.“ The same doctrine that appears in Deuteronomy 4 was a problem with the church at Pergamus. They were warned about what not to do. They were warned about the doctrine of Balaam which taught that sexual immorality was not a problem. The doctrine was wrong. The men who departed from God’s righteous standard did not survive in Deuteronomy 4. In Revelation 2, the ascended Christ tells the church at Pergamus to “Repent for your sexual immorality for I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the word of My mouth.” Now I am not quite sure how to interpret Jesus coming to fight against them with the sword of His mouth. I rather suspect that would look like Ananias and Sapphira. It could resemble a Herod’s angelic visitation. Are we about to encounter the Jesus of Revelation? All those who say that Jesus does not do that in the New Testament have to cut the book of Revelation out of their Bible. Why do we not think He is the same yesterday, today and forever? Jesus has not changed. In the winding up of the age the book or Revelation gives us two incidents where God executes one third and one quarter of the population of the earth in two separate judgments because they refuse to repent. To say that God does not judge today is to foster the doctrine of Balaam and to guarantee a sword released in our midst. I can think of nothing more dangerous than going to a church where the doctrine of Balaam is allowed because the church is never ever warned. Silence about evil is passive promotion. The church that is silent on what God does to sin is passively promoting sin in its midst. It is, in effect, welcoming the doctrine of Balaam and one day Jesus will show up and fight against them with the sword of His mouth. I suspect there will be a few dead bodies on that day. Do not be among them! Flee for your life!