Devotionals
DAY TWENTY-NINE
PERGAMOS
HER FOCUS WAS CORRUPTED
‘And to the Angel of the church and Pergamos write; these things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 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 An-ti-pas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwellest.’(Revelation 2:12, 13)
There are many lessons we can learn in our study of the church in Pergamos. If we compare Pergamos to Ephesus, we find the difference lies in its leadership. Ephesus had strong leadership, but Pergamos did not. As we view the verses before us we find a church that had a great history and God had many good things to say about her, Because of her weak leadership, she became infected by the society surrounding her. The reference to the sharp two-edged word is both positive and negative. The sword first represents judgment for failure to deal with the problem. It also is positive because it, like a surgeon’s scalpel, is used to remove the infection and bring healing. The reference to the double edge reveals that judgment is certain and no matter which way they turn, they cannot escape what God has determined to take place. The sword is also referred to as ‘the word ofGod’, that penetrates and brings healing to the infected.
At first, this message to Pergamos seems harsh, but closer examination reveals the God of love who really cares about that which has overtaken them. God begins this message as He does to the other churches with the words’ I know’. It is important to know the specific things that God says he knows about this church. First, God says He knows their works. He knows the successes and failures along with the motives behind them. The second thing God says that He knows is their location. He knows the pressures they face by being where they are. So we might say he knows the pressures we face due to our circumstances. The third thing he knows is that Satan is behind all of these.Fourth he knows that they have been faithful and have not denied Hs name. Fifth God knows about their past history and the struggles they faced and the leadership they once had. God knows all of that. Sometimes our problem in trusting God is, simply knowing that He knows. We may often say “If God only knew what bothers me.” The good news is that He does know and those words should offer us some encouragement while we are facing difficulties
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