Tag: Christianity

Unto The Churches Series: Ephesus 

~ Kim Balogh ~ 1 Comment

  In the Book of Revelation, in chapters two and three, Jesus addresses the churches. While I realize that the Lord is addressing these historical, literal churches, many scholars believe that these churches represent certain church ages. I would add that each church that Jesus addresses has specific warnings and exhortations from our Lord to individual believers. Let us begin with the first Church, Ephesus. 

Ephesus was an ancient port city in modern-day Turkey. It was known for the massive temple of Artemis, a Greek goddess or Diana, as the Romans called her. In 129 BC, King Attalos of Pergamon left Ephesus to the Roman Empire in his will. The city then became the seat of the regional Roman governor.

Ephesus was second only to Rome as a cosmopolitan center of culture and commerce. As a port city; goods arrived from the harbor, and caravans traveled the Royal road. Christianity spread in Ephesus in the first century A.D.

Many converts emerged from this goddess cult. Proselytizing did have its challenges in Ephesus, as recorded in the book of Acts. Those who made money from the goddess cult persecuted Christians because they put a dent in their income.

Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of Ephesus but in 262 A.D., the splendor of Ephesus was destroyed by the Goths. 

In Ephesus the Messianic Jews had a hard time accepting the Gentile converts. In Paul’s letters to the Ephesians, he tried rectifying this barrier by explaining that all believers were now one people through Jesus Christ. 

In the book of Revelation (given to the apostle John), Jesus commends the church of Ephesus for their diligent works in the kingdom of God. He also commends them for their patience in suffering.

Since the church of Ephesus consisted of a mix of Gentile pagans and Jewish converts, it was challenging to keep the faith pure and unadulterated. Port cities tend to flourish with all kinds of strange superstitions and weird ideologies. Ephesians were diligent in keeping out worldly practices and strange beliefs. They were doctrinal Puritans.   

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John. 4:1

While the Ephesians tested people’s ministries and doctrines, the Lord pointed out that they had a severe problem. He told them (in John’s vision) that they had left their first love! In other words, the Ephesians had a form of knowledge but not the whole truth. They knew the letter of the word, BUT they did not have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, who is THE WORD.

The Ephesians had religion. Doctrinal purity, while good, is not the end all to be all. Many apologists suffer from this ailment of religiously over relationship. Some don’t even know they have this problem. These doctrinal Puritans will strain over a gnat and swallow a camel!

I can say this because I was one of them. A complete freak for pure doctrine but couldn’t see the person of Jesus Christ past my nose! If you asked me if I knew the Jesus of the Bible, I would tell you most assuredly! I would get out my doctrinal purity chart and show you how much I knew about the Bible. I am a very educated person, you know! I could wrap a cult leader around my doctrinal yardstick! This same mindset goes for a lot of religious doctrinal Puritans. Just like the Ephesians! A lot of zeal but no fire.

Unless you know your Bible well, I would not recommend getting into the ring with one of them. They use a very sharp sword and can poke you a good one with it!  One thing these doctrinal Puritans don’t have though is the fire of God. They are scholars on ice! You won’t see many of them used to heal the sick, cast out devils, or raise the dead. They are too busy explaining it all away! Nor will you see them on their face worshipping the Lord, crying out in intercession for the lost to get saved, or feeding the poor. These doctrinal Puritans are busy studying the word! 

Now don’t get me wrong, knowledge of the Bible is good! Pure doctrine is good! Jesus commended the Ephesians for their doctrinal purity. But if you don’t have a passion for Jesus and love him with all your heart, what does doctrinal purity mean in our relationship to God?

 I know many uneducated Christians who have no clue about major doctrinal issues but they have the fire of God in their belly! These fools on fire are what changed the world! What education did the fishermen have? 

Are you a scholar on ice? A doctrinal Puritan with no Holy Spirit power in your life? Then you need to return to your first love! Seek the Lord while he may be found! Cry out to him to put his fire in your belly! It’s not enough to be doctrinally pure. Jesus himself, in his admonition to the Ephesians, said so himself!  

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. 

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Life Everlasting

~ Kim Balogh ~ 1 Comment

God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would die. That is they would experience physical death (which eventually they did) as well as spiritual death, separation from God or YHWY.

Death or maveth‘  in the Hebrew is the giving up of the spirit from the body. For the Christian death means to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 )

For the unsaved death is to be separated from God, cast into torments or hell which is a holding place for lost spirits. (Luke 16:19-31)

The “second death” is the everlasting perdition of the wicked in the lake of fire. (Revelations 2:11, Revelations 21:8)

Why would partaking of the tree of the “knowledge” of good and evil cause death?

According to Gnosticism (mystery Babylon ideology) da‛ath (Hebrew for knowledge) is the gateway to having “knowledge” or having mystery understanding of spiritual realities.

This concept of “knowledge” is known in all mystery Babylon religions. By that I mean all religious systems outside the gospel of Jesus Christ. These systems have one thing in common. Belief or “knowledge” that is contrary to the gospel.

In other words, this partaking of the knowledge of Satan’s religion causes both physical and spiritual death to occur. 

It is interesting to note, that the word for good, or the knowledge of mystery Babylon “good” is the word ţôb in Hebrew which means to prosper, be wealthy, having everything associated with temporal earthly pleasure.

Satan offers worldly pleasures to those who partake of his kingdom. He even tried to bribe the Lord with worldly gain. (Matthew 4:9)

Jesus on the other hand offers life abundantly. The same life YHWY offered to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

Scriptures tell us that whoever has the Son has life but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life but the wrath of God abides on him. (1 John 5:12)

This abundant life which Jesus wants to give is not the same as what Satan has to offer. It is not worldly pleasure and sensual gratification.

God’s life is chay in the Hebrew language. To be alive, renewed, revived, spiritual life in YHWY. Eternal life.

Jesus says he is THE LIFE.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25

This is the purpose that Jesus came to earth as God incarnate. To give life.

Jesus is the tree of life. He is the life offered to mankind.

Whoever partakes of Jesus Christ by being born again or revived with renewed life has eternal life. Life forever and always.

No death can keep the born again child of God in the grave. 

The thief or Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Satan offers worldly pleasures that in the end cause spiritual death.

Jesus offers life or eternal chay with him. Everlasting life. Life that never ends.

This abundant life that Jesus gives flows from the Kingdom of God. It is not of this world. It is not material temporal earthly pleasures. (John 18:36)

God’s life flows from his Son. It is a life expressed from a heavenly point of view. A life operating in God’s realm or through God’s Holy Spirit.

 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 16:25

The tree of knowledge is not just an evil or dark and sinister knowledge but a knowledge of earthy sensual wisdom which gratifies the carnal nature. Satan’s “good” is really a death trap for all who partake of it.

God’s life is in his Son. It is eternal life. Life with YHWY forever.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:12

Do you want to have God’s life? Eternal life that flows from his kingdom?

Jesus is the tree of life. Come to him Jesus Christ and be saved.

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.​

2 Timothy 1:9

About Me

Departing From The Faith

~ Kim Balogh ~ 1 Comment

What does it mean to depart from the faith?
To ‘depart’ in the Greek is aphistēmi which means to revolt against, remove from, desert, depart or draw away from.

You can’t depart or leave something unless you once were in something. Now its debatable whether the one who departs was once really saved or not but they had some understanding. They were enlightened. Scriptures tell us that if one has been enlightened and tasted of heavenly things and falls away it is impossible for them to repent.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4,6

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1

This “departing” is departing from the faith or pistis. That is the conviction of reliance upon Jesus Christ for salvation. Instead those who depart give heed to demonic doctrines which do not rely on Jesus Christ for salvation.

Some departing doctrines are obvious to most Christians but others are very subtle. That devil is a wily one.

The main theme to look for is if the teacher or preacher, prophet or apostle, pastor or evangelist moves away from trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. Even a teeny weeny bit.

There is no specific day of the week, no ritual or rite, no performance, no other way, no other man made book, no self help principle, no personal preference, no successful endeavor, no  jot or tittle, no other name, no addition, no subtraction. NOTHING.

There is nothing that can give you salvation with eternal life but complete trust and reliance on Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

It is written.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9,10

About Me
Remember Lot’s Wife?

RESTING IN CHRIST

~ Kim Balogh ~ 4 Comments

Resting in the finished work of Christ is the key to walking in victory. Regardless of how much we apply Biblical principles to our life, unless we have this main key to the kingdom of God, we will find failure at the end sooner or later.

What is resting in Christ’s complete work? It is a spiritual principle that is set right out in scriptures but missed by many of us.

One sure way to know that we are not resting in Christ is striving. That is to make great effort to achieve something.

When we find ourselves in this state we know right away that we are not resting. Then we must get immediately back to the cross.

Does resting in Christ equate to passivity? No indeed it does not! What resting in Christ does is to set our eyes on the victor for the victory and not on ourselves.

To rest in Christ is to set the Lord always before us. That is to acknowledge Jesus as our Captain. Our leader and victor over all difficulties that may come our way.

Paul knew this resting in Christ. He said that the life he now lived he lived by the faith of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he was accepted in the beloved. How could Christ who loved us enough to give his very life for us not also supply us with all the things we need to live victorious in this life?

To rest in Christ is to rest in his finished work. He beat the devil! He conquered sin! Jesus rose victorious!

What is our part? To rest in this fact! When we do we can be assured that Christ who lives in us will complete all the work that is needed in our lives.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Resting in Christ is to abide in Christ. To accept what Christ says as true. To remain fixed in. To continue to dwell in. To remain in.

“If you abide in me,” Jesus said and his words or his teachings abide in you then you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)

In other words all the things that we need will be given to us as we rest in Christ. To rest is to have complete faith in the Lord’s ability to perform his word. It is to nestle in his bosom with absolute confidence. Does the Lord not know what is best for each of us? Is his plan not the best plan?

Have faith in God!

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith in the finished work of Christ gives us hope. We never have to be worried that Jesus will not come through. He has promised! If he loved us enough to give his life for us how much more would he not freely meet our needs? We have only to patiently wait. (Romans 8:32)

Resting in Christ is to set our eyes on Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith. He will prefect that which concerns us as we trust in him!

It is Christ who lives! Christ who has conquered! Christ who is Lord of all! We rest in these facts and abide in his love.

Jesus is all our righteousness! He is working all things out for our good as scriptures tell us. (Romans 8:28)

We are complete in him!

“And you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power:” Colossians 2:10

To be complete is to have all things without lacking. It is to be full and entirely in Christ! Can you see this by faith? IN CHRIST!

Jesus is the head of all principality and power. That means that because we are seated with him in heavenly places we are also positioned with him high above the rulers of this dark world. We are more than conquerors because we are in him! Let us rest in this knowledge!

Jesus is the name above every name. His victory is our victory. His completed work is our completed work because we are in him! Can you see this by faith? Then you are resting! Resting in assurity that Jesus Christ is the head. The chief and principle power of all in this life. If you are in him then you are secure. Rest in this reality.

It is finished Jesus said. Whether we are wrestling in prayer, serving, teaching or ministering we are always resting in Christ. Always confident that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us and gave himself for us.

Are you resting in Christ today? If not won’t you get back to the cross? The place of your victory is there! The work has already been done! (Romans 8: 37)

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