Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good Morning RefleXion Community!             Grace and Peace to you!

This week I enjoyed a wine tasting event, which included Cabernet Sauvignons from France and California.  One comment that the Sommelier made caught my attention.  He said, because California wineries don’t have the same restrictions that French wineries do, there’s a distinctive in the philosophies of each. French wine is made under the regulations and required processes that are the French wine laws. Additives aren’t allowed; even irrigation was once forbidden–now allowed but is strictly regulated.  French vintners feel that the grapes should experience and express the natural soil, whether it be gravel or specific minerals.  The climate will also form the grapes.  That is expected and preferred. 

California wine doesn’t have those restrictions.  Here’s a quote from a Wine Spectator article June 2013:   “Today, winemakers can coax out their vision of a site and grape using a near-infinite permutation of fermentation styles, yeast regimens, rack-and-return cycles, chemical preservatives, acid enhancements, bleeding off, spinning out, reverse osmosis… artificial coloring, and the addition of sugar…”

My point: the wine expression is about the grape’s experience.  The wine can be made to taste  in various ways by tricks of the trade or simply to allow its grounded experience. 

That got me thinking about our own formation:  is it coaxed by manipulation and artificial means, or is it grounded in God, in the ground of all being?  If it’s left to the mysteries of deeply grounding, we won’t be able to know what it will overflow or express exactly; it won’t be curated, but is that preferred?  If the climate changes, and our soul absorbs suffering and joy—the rain and the sun—is that preferred to a more controlled formation?

A couple of scripture verses come to mind, because I think to experience and express the life of Christ is what we’re made for and what we really long for. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing,” and 2 Cor 9: 8, “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.”

What does life on the vine  and a grounded experience look like for me?  What does it look like for you?

Join me to pray will you:

Father, you have made us to be dependent on you, on grace.  May we learn to let go of everything that hinders the purity of our life in you.  You are ready to nourish us in good soil, for our own well-being and for the good of the world.  Help us to establish deep connections of oneness.  May our roots grow deeply into the source of life in you, the ground of all being, Creator-God. In Jesus,  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals Revelation 5:1

Intro: Among Jeremiah’s prophecies, we find one that is different from the rest

The difference is that this one brings a positive message regarding Israel’s future
– after receiving the prophecy, Jeremiah says,
At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me (Jer. 31:26)
• when I wake up from a pleasant dream, I want to go back to sleep and continue it
• that’s because some issue was resolved, finally “worked,” or I just got a lucky break
◦ dreams help our brains work through stresses, upsets, some puzzle is solved
– explaining the unconscious, some psychologists use an iceberg illustration
• our waking conscious is the small tip of the iceberg that is visible above water
◦ the great mountain of the iceberg is submerged beneath the surface
• there’s this huge repository of stored memories in our unconscious
◦ things that we never think about, yet they shape our perception of self and others, and of our behavior
◦ our brains access these hidden files and bring them into our dreams, usually by way of symbols

If there is value in paying attention to our dreams,
– it has to do with discovering our underlying “belief system”
• bringing it to light and looking at it objectively
• it’s very helpful if I discover things in my belief system that are not true
◦ negative and self-destructive beliefs about myself and engrained prejudices
– sometimes people try to rewrite their belief system with positive affirmations
• but the old beliefs have been rooted for a long time and have lots more momentum
◦ modifying our belief system usually takes harder work at a deeper level to make a difference
◦ we don’t heal deep cuts with topical ointments
• perhaps we just need to be with the symbols–let them work
Simone Weil, “Method for understanding images, symbols, etc. Not to try to interpret them, but to look at them till the light suddenly dawns.”

If we dreamed Revelation 5, what could it mean for us?

So far, the only picture we’ve been given of God, consists of
– colors, sounds, and the qualities of holiness and timeless being
• now we see that he is holding something in his right hand
• the scroll is secured with seven seals
◦ this introduces the first in a series of seven sevens (more on this later)
– for now, I’m going to explain my thoughts regarding the scroll
• but please understand, you are free to disagree with me
• I’ll give you my “theory” – that’s all it is

I think what we are shown here is a “magic scroll”
– normally, this would not be a biblical concept
• but Revelation is not a normal book
◦ it incorporates dream images and universal symbols
• the writing on the scroll takes up both sides–front and back
◦ but we’re never told what is written in the scroll,
◦ even thought the writing is what gives the scroll is magical power
– at the end of Revelation there’s a warning to the reader regarding the entire prophetic scroll (Rev. 22:18-19)
• if anyone messes with its contents, they will suffer accordingly
• the text as it stands has a built-in safety-system
◦ the scroll in this chapter has a similar power

What will happen, is that as each seal is broken a significant event occurs
– breaking one seal doesn’t open the scroll; it isn’t a book with page s
• the scroll can’t be read until after all the seals are broken, and it is unrolled,
• so it is not the writing in the scroll, but the scroll itself
◦ (later on John will be given a scroll, not to read but to eat)
◦ and though, like I said, a magical scroll is not a normal biblical concept, it is not alone
Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! And he said to me, “What do you see?” and I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width is ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. . . . I will send it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones” (Zech. 5:1-4)
– the scroll in Revelation 5 is powerful because it comes from the hand of God

Vv. 2-4, The drama of the scroll is suddenly sabotaged

To proceed, someone must be found who is worthy enough to open it
– I am reminded of the story when Jesus was pressured to say what should be done to woman caught committing adultery — he finally answered them,
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” . . . when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones (Jn. 8:7-8)
• the call in Revelation for any worthy person to open the scroll elicits a self-examination (and immediate exclusion)
• worthiness is a theme that runs through chapters 4 and 5 (Rev. 4:11; 5:2-4, 9, & 12)
◦ this moment produces a radical realization; namely, the universal unworthiness of all self-conscious beings–in heaven or on earth or the underworld
◦ (unworthy is not the same as “worthless”!)
– John is shattered by this realization
• I imagine three reasons for his intense reaction:
◦ first: utter disappointment that no one hit the mark
◦ second: that we would never discover the significance or power of the scroll
◦ third: his own sense of failure, that he had not been able to become that one worthy person

Now if I put myself in John’s place, and if I were dreaming this experience,
– I would consider it to be a window into myself
• beneath any illusion of innocence, any justification or rationalizations, I would see down into the truth
• and not just myself, but the tragic failure of humankind, written in the history of our wars and atrocities
– I would be overwhelmed with hopelessness
• for a instant, that is exactly how John felt
• however, no sooner does John feel the full weight of this human tragedy, than he is shown the remedy

Vv. 5-6, The heavenly drama is quickly put back on track

One of the elders approaches John to comfort and inform him – this is what elders do: they help others
– he informs John that there is a hero, one who was destined for this moment
• his title, “Lion of the tribe of Judah”
• he is the worthy one, because he has “conquered” (the same word is also translated “overcome” or “prevail”
◦ he succeeded where we failed (I think of his temptations)
– suddenly, Jesus takes center stage, between the throne and the four living creatures
– only, when John looks, he does not see the Lion of Judah, but a Lamb
• two animals on opposite ends of the food chain
◦ and not just a Lamb, but one as though it had been slain
• we could drive ourselves crazy trying to picture description
◦ e.g., how would seven eyes be located around the face?
◦ for now: eyes represent all seeing and all insight and the horns (generally in scripture) are a symbol of exaltation and power

So the Lion conquered and the Lamb was slain

C. S. Lewis understood this scene as well as anyone
Walter Hooper tells us about a time when, “Lewis, Tolkien, and another friend . . . were up all night discussing ‘myth’ and its relation to the revelation of God in Christ. . . .” Lewis was deeply moved by the conversation and later shared his experience with another friend, writing, the “story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened.’”
– in his own mythical story of the Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan the Lion is a Christ-type
• when Lucy hears about Aslan for the first time, she asks where he is safe
She is told, “Safe? . . . Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
• in a later adventure, Lucy and another child, Edmund, meet a Lamb on an island
◦ the scene is a replay of Jesus on the shore of Galilee, inviting his disciples to have breakfast (Jn. 21:9-12)
The Lamb tells Lucy and Edmund, “‘There is a way into my country from all the worlds,’ said the Lamb; but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.”
◦ one moment he was a Lamb and the next he was a Lion
(Exactly what John saw, except the order was reversed)

In the interest of time, I will print the remainder of the chapter here without comment. Read it slowly and allow the whole thing to enter you without trying to make sense of every detail. We are witnessing worship in heaven.

The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. They sang a new song:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to break open its seals.
For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God
people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.
You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God,
and they shall rule on earth.”

Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, and sang in a loud voice:
“The Lamb who was killed is worthy
to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength,
honor, glory, and praise!”

And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb,
be praise and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever!”

The four living creatures answered, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Revelation 5:7-14 (The Good News Bible)

Conclusion: Years ago I spent time seeing a Psychiatrist

After a few months, I said,
“Now that I understand a great deal about what has been programmed into me, how it has led to my insecurities and fear of trying, and all the other screwy things about my mood disorders, when are we going start working on all of this. What is the plan for change?”
I remember that he pointed upward and with a gentle smile, said, “Enlightenment is the first stage!”

In this chapter, John has led us to that first stage
We’ve been exposed to a unavoidable truth about ourselves
But we’ve also met our one true hope;
“the myth that really happened”

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning, RefleXion Community!  Grace and Peace to you!

Spiritual practices – we often talk about the value of having some form of these. And they are valuable, yet we must know that they are not the Real that we’re after; but they can help us get to the Real.  I think we have all moved past measuring our Christianity by church attendance, bible memorization, and the like.  The measure of our following Christ is becoming like him, being transformed by our relationship with him.

Practices always begin with intention, don’t they?  We practice the piano because we want to be able to play well.  Spiritual practices are the same:  what’s our intention, what are we after; what do we really want?  Jesus often asked those He was about to heal, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

We begin with intention, desire, or perhaps a better word, our longing.  The rituals, the traditions, the prayer practices can all hold our longings in the contemplative life.  We can see a practice as the door, the lens, the threshold; and we can see a practice as an embrace, the arms that hold us so we can rest within them.  My husband has routines, but it’s not really the routines themselves he’s after, it’s the feeling of security and safety they hold for him.  As a married couple, we have rituals.  It’s the rituals that give space for the love relationship, and that’s what we are after.  Let’s remember our intentions today.

We can manage our practices; we can work on our healing.  We may cross the threshold by our will.  But effort and willpower are not the energies that will carry us all the way.  If transformation is our goal, remember that it is beyond our control, yet very Real in Spirit.

So, what does the contemplative life look like for you?

May I pray for our time? 

Lord, thank you for this gathering of your people.  May we hear and reflect on your words, knowing that they are living and active, able to be a mirror or a scalpel, a comfort or an awakening.  May our responses always be “Yes” to the Spirit who dwells in us.  Open to us Truth and the Treasures you have for us and lead us to unity with Christ and with each other.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what may take place after this.”
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne Revelation 4:1-2

Intro: One day, a few years ago, I was visiting my oldest daughter

Her oldest daughter, came to me and said, “I dreamed you last night”
– she had told my daughter, “I dreamed grandpa”
• Jennifer asked her, “Which grandpa?” she said, “The bald one.”
• fortunately I have another dream story
– in 1992, my life had been shattered by divorce
• that summer a nine year old boy in the church sent me a letter
◦ he had colored a picture that looked like a church, with clouds in the sky
◦ a from one giant cloud a text bubble emerged with the message, “Hi Chuck”
◦ a little stick figure on the ground was saying, “Hi God!”
• with the picture I also received the following letter:

The book of Revelation comes at us more like a dream than a story
– it certainly doesn’t read like history, textbook, or poetry
• so going through it is more like dream interpretation, than a typical, technical Bible study
• Revelation wasn’t written to appeal to our rational mind
◦ it was written to give us an experience of God’s realm
◦ it speaks to us in pictures – like dreams–or nightmares
– chapter four is the first half of a two-part story
• the first will climax in worship of God for his creation
• the second part will climax in worship of Jesus for salvation

Verses 1-2, We are swept up to heaven

Verse 1 begins and ends with, After this (or these things)
– Steve Gregg, says those that interpret Revelation “spiritually” will remind us,
Gregg, “The opening words, ‘After these things,’ do not mean ‘This is what will happen next,’ but rather, ‘This is the vision I saw next.’”
• John is looking around and tells us “behold”
a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard . . . .
(this would be Jesus from chapter 1 and verse 10)
◦ doors hide mysteries – but this door is open – we’re allowed to see behind it
Come up here and I will show you . . .
◦ John is invited to ascend and walk through the door
• Paul tells of a related experience and he teases his readers with it
◦ not that he meant to tease us, but he doesn’t tell us everything
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which [humans] may not utter” (2 Cor. 12:2-4)
– John doesn’t bother to ask questions, like “Is this in the body or out of the body?”
• he just describes where he went and what he saw

Verse 2, At once I was in the Spirit – what does this mean?
– Jesus made a promise to disciples regarding a new experience in their relationship with God
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you (Jn. 14:17)
And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high (Lk. 24:49)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8)
• Paul talks about an inspiration that produces inspired “gifts” (1 Cor. 12)
◦ he gives instructions to Corinthians regarding the proper use of gifts
◦ he explains that:
a person may speak “in the Spirit” or “mysteries in the Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3)
each [one] is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7)
“tongues” speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:2)
• when the Spirit comes over a person it a supernatural effect
do not get drunk with wine . . . but be filled with the Spirit (Ep. 5:18)
– our first vision of heaven is a throne – there’s a reason for that
• this symbol doesn’t produce same effect on us that it would to a person in the first century
◦ but imagine a knock on the door, and when you open it, a sheriff is standing there
◦ or being in a courtroom and the judge calls your name
• what do you feel? typically the authority of the sheriff or judge
◦ they have a power we can’t ignore or fight off
◦ Revelation will keep bringing us back to the “throne” and “thrones”

It is important that a throne is first symbol in heaven we’re given
– the throne is a reality that moves through the entire book — it explains everything
• God’s will is absolute – he rules over heaven and earth
• John gingerly refers to one seated on the throne
– so the first thing, we come to a throne
• and we have to come to terms with this
• I have to ask myself, What rules me?
◦ my inner life–my unconscious motives, desires, fears, etc.?
◦ we have to sort this out – we have to understand our relation to the throne

John maintains his focus on the throne
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. Revelation 4:3-4

First, John the appearance of the One sitting on the throne
– unlike his vision in chapter 1, John says nothing about his features
• instead, he sees colors – and his pallet consists of precious gems
◦ the rainbow is probably what gave rise to “halos” in Christian art
– most people dream in color
• what made these colors stand out for John?
◦ it’s possible that they had substance
◦ what is ethereal on earth is solid in heaven
Michael Herbert, who had near death experience said, “Our four-dimensional universe is like a shadow, while heaven has is the reality that casts the shadow.”
• perhaps there was an energy in the colors, and John felt their vibrations

Next, looking around, John saw twenty-four other thrones
– “elders” in Paul’s letters, were (usually older men) who watched over the churches
• have you dreamt about people who have been mentors, care-givers, coaches, or bosses?
◦ we can hear those voices for the rest of our lives
• “white garments” tell us these leaders are good — they have qualified themselves for white garments
◦ “crown” is stephanos – it was not the crown of kings, but like a laurel wreath placed on the heads of winners in athletic competition
◦ their crowns are “golden” because what they do has value

Then the throne again:
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal Revelation 5-6
– now throne is making lots of noise – as if it were alive and communicating
(later on we’ll see that the throne can talk: from the throne came a voice (Rev. 19:5)
• in front of the throne, seven torches were burning – seven spirits of God
◦ do your have a favorite number?
◦ seven is a favorite number in Revelation
Edward Edinger says that “The number seven is being shouted at us!”
Philo, refers to seven as “the birthday of the world” (going back to the creation story)
– “a sea of glass” two spaces seemed wild, unpredictable and dangerous to ancient Israel: the and the wilderness
• a of glass like crystal would be awesome – do you think it would reflect colors?
• in dreams the sea, a lake, or pond is our unconscious mind
◦ but here it is transparent, allowing us to look into it and what is underneath

So far its been a magnificent spectacle–now it starts to get weird
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like and ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
– “live beings,” animal-like, are similar to beings described in Ezekiel’s and Isaiah’s visions
• Ezekiel also saw four living creatures, but they had four wings and each one had four faces
• Isaiah saw “seraphim” – we think angels, but seraphim is an odd name if you look at its root (the angels he saw also had six wings)
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up . . . Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two they covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts
the whole earth is full of his glory (Isa. 6:1-3)
◦ the description full of eyes tells us the creatures were all seeing, the visual equivalent of all knowing
◦ nothing escapes their view
◦ but its also that the seeing within indicates enlightenment (Mt. 6:22; Ep. 1:17-18)
– the animals (lion, ox, human, and eagle) may represent “the best in their class”
• again, they are watching everything, but their eyes are especially on God

All that we’ve seen builds to a crescendo
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:9-11

Their praise of God is ongoing, and like Isaiah they sing, Holy, holy, holy
– they refer to God as the one who was and is and is to come
• this has the same meaning as the Alpha and Omega
• the Greek alphabet used letters for numerals
◦ the Alpha and Omega contains all number to infinity
◦ some mathematicians and scientists experience “mystical states” moments of insight when they finally come to a breakthrough in an equation or theorem
– the worship that begins with the elders spreads throughout the heavenly vision
• the elders give up their golden crowns (in worship, God is everything)
◦ a verse is added to their previous song – note the word “worthy” — worship is “worthy-ship”
• every time the door to heaven cracks open in scripture, we hear echoes of worship
◦ every thing in heaven and earth owes its existence to God, so praise of him is that wide

Conclusion: I want to emphasize what we’re doing in Revelation

And why I’m treating the vision as a dreamlike experience
I don’t believe it is as important to study and interpret what’s here as it is to experience it
The goal isn’t to get all of this into our heads, but into our hearts
Experience enters a different part of our brains than logic and math
I affects us in ways science and reason cannot

What this means, is a world of possibilities we’ve never discovered
No eye has seen, nor ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9 NLB)

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning, RefleXion family!                      Grace and Peace to you!

I want to remind you that Chuck’s messages can be found in script at the website: reflexionsc.net or through our FaceBook page.  It’s always been helpful to me to read the words that I’ve heard on Sunday; I always catch something that Spirit wants to highlight.  I have a feeling that this series in Revelation will be especially important to my soul.  This phrase: “As for the mystery,” and Chuck’s concluding words from last week are ones that I want to bring as our opening today:
Revelation is difficult because it is full of mysteries. 
Those mysteries work the systems that drive our world.
Our lives are also driven by things hidden from us; we do not fully know why we are the way we are or do the things we do.
As for those mysteries, Revelation will help open our eyes as it opens to us the heavens and enable us to deal with what we see.

And then, I am reading a poem as our opening prayer this morning.  It is entitled “Every Given Light,” by Jan Richardson.  There are some copies on the counter if you’d like to pick one up after the service.

-Every Given Light-

There are days
we think
only so much is given—
a glint,
a gleam,
a light so small
we could carry it
in the palm of
our hand,
just enough
to let us see
the next step,
perhaps,
into the mystery.
There are days
grace comes
but in shadow,
days it gathers itself
into the corners,
days it seems
to turn its gaze
sidelong
as if distracted,
or pondering,
or paused.
Let it be said
this is not
that day.
This is the day
when grace
gives out
its radiance,
declaring itself
to everything
in sight.
This is the day
when every given light
bears forth
like a star,
turning its face
toward us
with the brilliance
that was there
all along,
that it had saved
just for us,
just for the joy
of seeing us
shine.

Jan Richardson
https://www.janrichardson.com/

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

Intro: Chapters 2 and 3 may be the most well known section of Revelation

At least two of our favorite quotations are found here
– what’s the theme of these chapters? Answer: “Church Repairs”
• in chapter 1 Jesus appears in a form not found in the Gospels
• in his right hand he held seven stars–which represented the angels of the seven churches
◦ in scripture, the hand represents power, control, and ownership
– so in these two chapters, Jesus acts as General Contractor has the seven churches in his hand
• he will tell each church what repairs need to be made

If you notice, reading the letters we are still on earth
– we aren’t taken to heaven until chapter 4
• but these letters build a stage on which the drama is played out
• this is a threshold we must cross to get to the heart of Revelation
– it begins with a self-examination – that’s the prerequisite for going forward

Although the seven letters are addressed to seven churches,

All the churches need to hear what is written in every letter
– but going even further, every member of each church needs to hear all seven letters
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
– did you hear the plural, churches?
• the messages are universal – not only in space but also time
• if we wonder what Jesus has to say to American churches today
◦ (and to our “spiritual community”) it’s here in these letters
– “church” isn’t a building, it’s a collection of human persons
• Jesus is the center, and each member is committed to him
◦ Jesus built his church in the world on behalf of the world
◦ the church is supposed to represent him and spread his truth
•but it’s also meant to demonstrate his love and mercy
◦ the world discovers God through his church
– each person can add energy and cohesiveness to the whole
• and any individual can suck the energy out a church and divide it
◦ every person is called to act on their own
◦ churches that don’t allow people to choose and act on their own become cults
• this is where we begin our journey through Revelation
◦ all of us receive it as a personal message in these letters (“You’ve got mail”)
◦ so God’s strange work in us begins here

One more, very important, thought as we proceed

Most letters in the New Testament begins with the authors introducing themselves
Paul, an apostle; James, a servant; Peter, an apostle; etcetera
• the seven letters begin same way; with Jesus introduces himself
◦ after the introduction each one begins with, “The words of . . .”
• but rather than saying, “Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God,”
◦ we find about who he is or what he does
◦ six of the letters draw his description from statements made about him in chapter 1
(letter to Philadelphia uses a crucial Old Testament identification: The words of the holy one, the tre one, who has the key of David . . . .)
– here’s my question for us, and I think it’s important:
• Can we hear each letter as if Jesus addressed it to us?
• can we “take it personally”?

Though the content of the letters differ, they all share the same structure

Every letter:
• begins, “To the angel of,” and then the specific city is designated
◦ “angel” can also be translated “messenger”
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are called to inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:14)
• begins its message with, “I know your works”
◦ with exception of Smyrna which reads, “I know your tribulation”
and Pergamum, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is”
◦ Jesus knows – our challenges, hardships, service, problems, and so on
• either contains a contrast (e.g., “But I have this against you”)or does not
◦ two of the letters don’t contain a contrast, because those church are all good
◦ two others letters lack the contrast, because those churches all bad
• in the middle section we find is Jesus’ specific message
◦ what’s right – what’s wrong – what to do about it
• makes the same two statements at the end
1. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”
◦ this is a capacity that we have to develop (see Mk. 8:18, “Having eyes do you not see?”)
2. “The one who conquers . . .” and after that a reward is promised

I’m going to paraphrase each letter (because it would take too long to explain everything in them)

Dear church in Ephesus, I know your hard work and that you have patiently endured it. It is wonderful that you don’t put up with evil people. In fact, you have looked into and fact-checked self-proclaimed apostles and exposed the ones who are imposters. Your endurance and patience are a good combination. I’m also pleased that you continue to hang in there for my sake. In all of this, you have not grown weary.
HOWEVER, not growing weary doesn’t mean that you’re zealous. Your heart is no longer in what you do, because you’ve given up the love you had at first. You must remember, because that’s what lovers do. Remember where you were before you fell. Go back to the beginning of our early romance and do those things again. If you don’t, I will withdraw my light from you and you will no longer be my church.
Then there is another thing you do that pleases me; you don’t put up with those Nicolaitans and their false teaching.
Develop your ability to hear what the Spirt is telling you. I will give to any one among you who wins this battle the privilege of eating from the “tree of life.” Doing that was forbidden before, but is possible now.

Dear church in Smyrna, I know your hardship and poverty, but the truth is, you really are rich. I know you have been slandered by people who claim to be legit, but they’re just the opposite, doing the devil’s work. It’s going to get worse for you, but don’t be afraid, not even when the devil throws some of you into prison. (You don’t have to take this literally, because there are different kinds of imprisonment.) There’s a purpose for this and it will be limited to a few days. Stay true, even if you face death, and I will reward you with a crown of victory .
Listen to the Spirit, and the one who wins this battle will escape the second death. (What that is will be explained to you later.)

Dear church in Pergamum, I know where you live, and that it’s a rough place, because Satan rules there. In spite of that, you’ve held onto my name and not turned away from your faith in me, even at the risk of martyrdom.
HOWEVER, there are a few things that are not right in your church. First, you tolerate the false teaching of Balaam, which in his case was compromise and tripping up true believers so that they did wrong. Secondly, you tolerate the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
So what you have to do is change, otherwise you will be fighting against Me–and you will lose.
Listen to the Spirit and the one who wins this battle will enjoy the “hidden manna”–the bread of life. And you will be given a white stone with you name engraved on it–a secret name.

Dear church in Thyatira, I know you are the perfect model of a Christian church or Christian individual. In love, faith, service, and patient endurance, your are doing even better now than at first.
HOWEVER, you tolerate that wicked Jezebel, whose very name is associated with evil. She acts like a queen and claims to be a prophet. Her message is seductive. She leads people into the adultery of embracing other gods. I gave her the chance to turn, but she hasn’t. Those among you who choose to follow her cult will be tossed onto a sickbed and into great tribulation, until your illness proves fatal. This is a lesson for all the churches: I search the mind and heart.
Each of you will be rewarded or punished according to your works. From those who have not bought into the Jezebel cult, I don’t require anything else from you, except to hang onto what you have, all the way until I return.
The one who wins this battle will be given authority and be able to authorize others to exercise it, even as I have received authority from the Father (as described in Psalm 2). I will also give them the morning star. Listen to the Spirit.

Dear church in Sardis, I know that you are a church with quite a reputation. People say, “That church is alive!” But you aren’t, you’re dead. WAKE UP! You have some life left in you, fan it into a flame, because it’s smoldering and about to go out. Remember what has been given to you and what you’ve been taught. Hang onto it and turn back to it. If not, I’ll come to you like a thief, when you’re not expecting me.
Nevertheless, there are a few of you whose clothes are still clean and have not been stained or disgraced. They will walk with me in white.
The one who wins this battle will be dressed in white; an honor not given to everyone. And that person’s name will remain forever in the book of life. I will acknowledge them before my Father as they have acknowledged Me.
Listen to the Spirit.

Dear church in Philadelphia, I know how well have done, and for that reason I’ve opened a door for you that no one can shut. I also know that even though you’re not a powerful church, you haven’t lost your grip on my word or who I am.
Look, here is what I’m going to do. I am going to take those posers who belong to Satan while claiming to be the true church, and bring them to you and cause them to show you respect. They are going to learn the truth, that I have loved you.
Because you have kept my word of patience and stamina, I’m going to protect you from the terrible ordeal that for a time will trouble the world and everyone in it.
I will come to you soon. Hang in there, doing what you’ve been doing, so that no one takes the victory crown that you’ve won. The one who wins this battle, will be made a pillar in the temple of my God. You will never have to leave it. I will sign you with the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, and the new Jerusalem from heaven, and my own new name.
Listen to the Spirit.

Dear church in Laodicea, I know what you’re about. First, you are tepid, neither hot nor cold, and unpalatable. In keeping with that metaphor, I’m going to spit you out. Secondly, you say you’re rich and prosperous –a materialistic boast. From my point of view, you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. I advise you to get the true wealth from me, which can not be had by money. My gold has real value, and has already been refined, and is therefore pure. Do this and you will be rich. With the blessing of my wealth, you will be able to have white clothing to cover your naked bodies; and eye salve to heal your blindness.
Now pay attention, those that I love, I also discipline. I am disciplining you now so that you will be passionate and turn back to me. Look, I am right here at your door knocking. Anyone inside may hear, and anyone can open the door. If you do, I will enter and share a meal with you.
The one who wins this battle, will be invited to my table and my throne. I also won my battle for you, and sit at my Father’s throne.
Listen to the Spirit.

Conclusion: Several words I would have liked to elaborate on

Pillar – door – thief – key – and white stone
– it is good for us to feel the depth of these metaphors

Now we have learned the purpose of Revelation
That it is meant to work in deep regions of our hearts and minds
That it is meant to prepare us for the new creation
And it does this by re-creating us

So having been here today,
and going over the messages of Jesus to his church,
something has entered us that is meant to change us
To make us more like the people we are supposed to be
Namely, agents of change in a world that is broken
A world than needs love and peace and healing
A world that needs God’s touch through God’s church

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Welcome to RefleXion!                                         Grace and Peace to you!

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Ready, Willing, and Able”?  I’ve always thought of it as kind of a formula:  You’re Ready if you’re Willing AND Able.  In other words, we need both aspects, willingness and ability, to be ready to move forward.

I’ve been in a kind of stuck place in one area of my life, wanting to do better, asking God to give me the ability to see differently, to act differently, trying to conjure up compassion and wisdom.  This week, when I was again talking to God about it, I heard kind of a catch in my Spirit and a Voice, “You are able, just not willing.”  “What?  Of course, I’m willing, I cried;“ That’s why I keep asking You to help me!”  But something in my heart knew that the Voice spoke truth, and that’s why I couldn’t move along.  My judgmental attitude, my attempt to control, my hidden anxiety, my rules all created blocks to my full willingness.  God used MY phrase against me!  Imagine that. 

We do have a loving Heavenly Father, and we have a Holy Spirit who is relentless about our freedom.  And that’s what it was for me, a lack of freedom from some things that did not allow for the free flow of the Spirit of Wisdom and Compassion.  When a Holy God arrests us and calls us to drop our weapons, we’d be best to listen. 

When you’re arrested for carrying deadly and loaded weapons, you can’t just agree with the authorities.  They ask you to raise your hands denoting surrender AND to drop your weapons.  I knew God was asking me to drop my weapons.  Well, I didn’t have a gun. MY weapons were stored and kept in place to protect me, to control, to cover.  They are weapons of offense and defense, swords and shields, my attempt at making life work. 

The act of surrender is only the beginning, of course, and it has been the only way forward for me.  The freedom to love wisely and well from a full, free heart…yes please.  Today, if we hear his Voice, let’s not harden our hearts as in the old ways of protecting, but surrender our weapons in faith to a True and Good God.

Join me to pray, will you:

God, we can see that the more we are free from the old ways, we can move forward in the new ways of Grace and Peace, Wisdom and Compassion.  We want to be whole and holy.  We’re learning to hear your voice; we’re learning to listen; we’re learning to love.  Thank you for calling us out and calling us forward.  May your kingdom come, your will be done, in us as it is in Heaven.  Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before the throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen Revelation 1:4-5a

Intro: Revelation gives us a unique picture of the inner life of our Christian experience

It is much different from Paul’s carefully structured teaching
– with his separation of the new self from the old self
• and his contrast of having the mind of the Spirit versus the mind of the “flesh”
• Revelation reaches into our inner lives through symbols and bizarre events

Therefore, I feel comforted when reading the first few words of verse 4
– they have a familiar ring–like finding a street you know when you’re lost
• we recognize this same type of greeting from many of Paul’s letters
i.e., “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus . . . . To the saints who are in Ephesus . . . . Grace to you and peace from God our Father” (Ep. 1:1-2)
• but already we see a difference: this introductory letter was written to seven churches!
◦ and then John takes a sharper turn, not identifying God specifically,
◦ but according to a timeless attribute – who is and who was and who is to come
– then it gets even weirder – John adds another source of grace and peace
“and from the seven spirits who are before his throne”
• this has caused a lot of discussion among commentators
◦ many of whom opt for the sevenfold Spirit of God
• I’m going to suggest something else

Seven may be the most important number in the Bible

For instance, reading through Leviticus over the last couple of weeks,
– it took seven days to complete ordination of priests and altar (8:33)
• there were seven weeks between the Feast of First-fruits and the Feast of Weeks (23:15)
◦ during that feast, they were to offer seven lambs (23:18)
◦ another feast was celebrated in the seventh month (23:24)
half-way through that month, there was another feast for seven days (23:36)
• every seventh year they were to let the fields go fallow
◦ after every forty-nine years (specifically 7X7) was a Jubilee year
– in verses 12-16 we’ll come to seven lamp stands and seven stars
• we’re told they represent seven angels and seven churches
• there are a lot more sevens in Revelation (seals, bowls, trumpets, etc.)
◦ some commentators divide Revelation into seven sections

The most frequent explanation I’ve read on meaning of seven,
– is that seven is the number of completion
(so some commentators interpret the seven spirits to be a sevenfold Spirit)
• but that may be too obvious and too rational
• it would simply substitute a different word for “complete”
◦ a word that means the same thing
◦ that is not how symbols work
– the number seven arrives in the world from primordial time
• it was no coincidence that Revelation was placed at end of Bible
◦ it corresponds to Genesis, where everything began
◦ and Revelation is the story of where everything ends;
and then, begins again!

It’s possible, each set of sevens–as destructive as they may appear in Revelation–
– are derived from the original seven days of creation
• that sequence of events brought something new into being each day for six days
◦ the new creation was the effect of an infinite power and wisdom
• although Revelation depicts the universe in upheaval,
◦ the message to the reader is about God at work in the cataclysms and catastrophes
◦ and that work is ultimately a creative work
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, [they are] a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God (2 Cor. 5:17-18)
– seven is God’s work in the world
• this is how I see the spiritual value and numerical value of seven
• however, even if that is so, any symbol can contain multiple truths
◦ that is the nature of symbols–they are fluid

Grace and peace come to us also from “Jesus Christ”

There are three statements made about Jesus:
– he is the “faithful witness” – not just his teaching, but Jesus himself,
◦ Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation of God ever to enter our world (Jn. 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:6; Heb. 1:1-3)
–“firstborn of the dead”; we’ll delve into this more in a moment
– “the ruler of kings on earth”
• we will encounter these themes elsewhere in Revelation

John moves from greeting to doxology
(a doxology is praise that includes the Greek word doxa, “glory”)
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen Revelation 1:5b-6
(By the way, there are seven doxologies in Revelation)

Here, the glory is given to Jesus – he liberated us into God
– the purpose of our liberation was so we could become “a kingdom, priests to his God”
• this, like much of Revelation, picks up a theme from the Old Testament
“and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6)
– this was God’s covenant with Israel
• in the New Testament, the covenant finds its fulfillment in Jesus
• John gives glory to Jesus for accomplishing this

John has more to say about Jesus
(this will be a preview of what lies ahead)
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:7-8

John uses “Behold” to call our attention to the arrival of Jesus
– the he draws on two quotations from the Old Testament
• coming with the clouds quotes Daniel 7:13 (Jesus also used this image in Mt. 24:30 and Mt. 26:64)
• every eye will see him and mourn – a paraphrase of Zechariah 12:10
◦ he is telling us, this event will fulfill biblical prophecy
– suddenly, without introduction, God speaks through John
• Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of Greek alphabet
◦ God is the beginning and end of everything
◦ he is the Genesis and the Revelation of the world, the promise and fulfillment of his kingdom
• who is and who was ad who is to come
◦ when Moses asked God to tell him his name, God said his name is I Am
◦ this tells us something about God himself — he simply IS – everywhere, all the time

The story begins in the next three verses
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book [scroll] and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Revelation 1:9-11

By John’s time, the Romans used Patmos Island for exiled offenders
– John described his experience there as:
the tribulation and the kingdom and endurance that are in Jesus
• in other words, it was a miserable place to be, but made tolerable in Jesus
– as far as Rome was concerned, John was there because of his ministry
• but while imprisoned on Patmos, he discovered it was God, not Rome, that placed him there
• and it was on Patmos that God gave him the Revelation

I imagine John alone, perhaps on a rocky bluff overlooking the Aegean Sea
– it was the Lord’s day, which could mean Sunday
• and he was in the Spirit – he was given an awareness of the presence of God’s Spirit
• his experience began with a sound behind him
◦ I wonder why that would matter that the sound was behind him — why would he mention it?
◦ perhaps the “behind him” means that it reverberated in the hidden depths of his own heart and mind
– he probably jumped at sudden sound of a loud voice
• immediately he was given instructions
• he was to document in a scroll what he was going to be told,
◦ and then send it to seven churches, listed in order

What John describes is almost exactly what Daniel experienced
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades Revelation 1:12-19

The gold belt, the shining face, the fiery eyes, the burnished bronze (feet), and the loud sound–
– even John collapsing, but then being touched and given strength to stand,
• all of it you can find in Daniel 10:5-10
• also in Daniel’s vision in chapter 7:13, we find a rare reference to the son of man of his prophecy
– missing from Daniel’s vision but included in John’s is the observation that
from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword
• the language here is similar to the image in Hebrews, where we read,|
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul an of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12)
• it is true that Jesus cuts with his words — he inflicts an inner wound without violence

John is given another writing assignment and explanation
Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches Revelation 1:19-20

What I think needs to be understood and emphasized is the following:
– First: Jesus is the first and last–not only of the history of humankind, but of each one of us
• he is the full distance of our spiritual journey
– Second: Jesus is the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore
• this is the whole story of Revelation, and Jesus is the model
• his death and resurrection were a necessity; through them he fulfilled his mission
◦ Revelation shows us end of the world, and then what follows is a new world
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Rev. 21:1)
◦ for a new world to come, the old has to be cleared away
– the events recorded in Revelation are to work us into a newness of creation
• to do that, we will follow Jesus through our own death and into life
• some things within us must die in order that other, better things, can come to life
◦ last night I heard a quote from Lao Tzu
Lau Tzu, “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”

John on Patmos, cut off from the world, his friends, the normal comforts,
– suffered tribulation, witnessing all the horrors of a worldwide destruction
• but at the same time that he was dying with the old world,
◦ he was being created into a new life in Christ
• this is the journey we will take through this book
◦ God will reveal to us all the things that must Go,
◦ reaching deep inside our hearts and minds to the place where dreams are formed
– for centuries, mystics have adopted death-like disciplines to enhance their spiritual perception
• fasting, sleep deprivation, wearing “practical” clothing for covering their bodies (neither for fashion or comfort), and so on
• John was forced into those sacrifices, and there he discovered the creative power of new life
◦ Revelation will bring to the surface the darkness within us and force us to do something about it

Conclusion: My final thought is the first line of verse 20, “As for the mystery”

Revelation is difficult, because it is full of mysteries
Those mysteries work the systems that drive our world
Our lives are also driven by things hidden from us
we do not fully why we are the way we are or do the things we do
As for those mysteries, Revelation will help open our eyes as it opens to us the heavens,
and enable us to deal with what we see