Dit was op 'n Sondag, dat ek na 'n groot bekende kerk gegaan het. When I entered the church it was dark, because the lights were not turned on yet. I walked to the front and sat down. Die pastoor het na die kansel gestap en gesê ons moet ons Bybels oopmaak, maar ek kon nie lees nie. I waited until someone turned on the lights, but nobody did anything. Ek het gevra of iemand die ligte kan aansit. Maar niemand het gereageer nie. Toe die dominee begin lees het, die hele kerk lees die Bybel in duisternis, except for me. Daarom, I stood up and walked out of the church. Dit is 'n droom van 'n tyd gelede. Hierdie droom het my gesteur en ek het begin wonder wat hierdie droom beteken. Is die kerk in duisternis gesit?
Dink Christene hulle wandel in die lig, terwyl hulle in die duisternis wandel?
Dink Christene dat hulle in die lig wandel, terwyl dit in werklikheid is (in die geestelike ryk) Christene wandel in duisternis? Is groei en die aantal mense tekens dat die kerk op die regte pad is en geestelik voorspoedig is?
Is prosperity and are supernatural miracles a sign of God? Do Christians think that they do good works for God, while God doesn’t consider their works good?
Do Christians think that they know Jesus, terwyl dit in werklikheid is, Jesus doesn’t know them? Are there Bible verses about a church that is seated in darkness that confirm this dream?
Are there Bible verses about a church that is seated in darkness?
Ja, daar is! Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about a church that was seated in darkness in the Book of Revelation chapter 3. In Openbaring 3:1-4, Jesus said the following to the church in Sardis that was dead:
En skryf aan die engel van die gemeente in Sardis; Dit sê hy wat die sewe Geeste van God het, en die sewe sterre; Ek ken u werke, dat jy 'n naam het wat jy leef, en kuns dood (but you are dead). Wees waaksaam, en versterk die dinge wat oorbly, wat gereed is om te sterf: want ek het jou werke nie volmaak voor God gevind nie. Onthou dan hoe jy dit ontvang en gehoor het, en hou vas, en bekeer. As jy dan nie waak nie, Ek sal op jou afkom soos 'n dief, en jy sal nie weet watter uur Ek oor jou sal kom nie. U het selfs 'n paar name in Sardis wat hul klere nie besoedel het nie; en hulle sal saam met My in wit wandel: want hulle is waardig (Openbaring 3:1-4)
What does the Bible say about the church in Sardis?
When we look at the church in Sardis, we can conclude that it was a well-known church. Because the church had a name among the people that the church lived.
The believers of the church in Sardis did the works and thought they pleased God.
They assumed that they found the life and walked therein. Egter, the truth was that the church in Sardis was not alive, but dead.
The church in Sardis wasn’t seated in the light but in darkness.
The church was spiritually dead to Jesus and dead to God. None of their works were found perfect before God.
Jesus urged the believers of the church in Sardis to wees waaksaam and to strengthen the things which remain, wat gereed was om te sterf, sodat hulle nie sou sterf nie, maar leef.
Vanuit 'n natuurlike oogpunt was die kerk van Sardis lewendig, maar vanuit 'n geestelike oogpunt was die kerk dood
From a human point of view, the church in Sardis was a living church. Blykbaar, the church was successful and famous and probably had many church members.
The church in Sardis did many works and everything seemed to be prosperous. But from God’s view (a spiritual view), die kerk van Sardis was dood en het in duisternis gelewe. The believers didn’t do the works out of Jesus; uit die Lig. Maar die kerk het die werke uit hulself gedoen; uit die vlees (duisternis).
Want om vleeslik gesind te wees, is die dood; maar om geestelik gesind te wees, is lewe en vrede. Want die vleeslike verstand is vyandskap teen God: want dit is nie onderworpe aan die wet van God nie, nie een van die twee kan inderdaad wees nie. So dan kan hulle wat in die vlees is, God nie behaag nie
Romeine 8:5-8
The Holy Spirit knows what’s in the heart of man
Only the Holy Spirit knows people’s hearts and what’s inside of people. Hierdie ouderlinge van die gemeente van Sardis het nie na die Gees gewandel nie, alhoewel hulle dalk gedink het hulle is.
If they would have had the Holy Spirit and had walked after the Spirit, they would have discerned the spirits and good and evil and what is right and what is wrong. They would have discerned their dead works and the dead works of the members of the church and would have berou het.
Maar die ouderlinge (the leaders) of this church, was verduister in hulle gemoed en het in duisternis geleef. Their garments were defiled by sin and the world. Because you can only defile the garments of righteousness through ongehoorsaamheid aan God, wanneer jy na die vlees aanhou loop; in sonde en ongeregtigheid.
Was die kerk van Sardis voorspoedig en suksesvol?
The believers thought they possessed the Holy Spirit and did the works out of the Spirit, omdat hulle voorspoedig en suksesvol was. But God’s truth was, dat hulle geestelik aan die slaap en dood was.
The devil and demons come as an angel of light. They present themselves in the best way possible.
They imitate God, Jesus, en die Heilige Gees om Christene te versoek en te mislei sodat hulle hul lewens sal oopstel vir die magte van die duisternis en glo, Gehoorsaam, en volg hulle.
Carnal Christians that are led by their feelings, emosies, vleeslike verstand, ens. will be misled.
If Christians don’t know the Bible and don’t hold on to the Word of God, but open themselves to the spiritual realm from their soul, then these powers of darkness will tempt the believers and take possession of them.
Hierdie magte van duisternis kan ook God navolg en wonderwerke verrig. Hulle kan die toekoms voorspel (en profesie), reveal the hidden things of their neighbor, give visions and dreams, imitate tongues, bonatuurlike kragte verskaf, ja ... selfs genesings (Reiki, herkonnektiewe genesing, Akupunktuur, toordokters, masseerterapie, ens).
Why was the church of Sardis not alive but dead?
The church of Sardis was not alive but dead. Daar was geen lewe in die kerk van Sardis nie, although the church thought there was. The believers had received the truth, maar hulle het gekompromitteer. They probably adjusted the truth and permitted lies and doctrines of man into the church, whereby the truth was no longer the truth.
They had turned die evangelie van Jesus Christus into a gospel of man.
The believers were not awake, maar geslaap. There were only a few church members, who walked in the ways of the Lord in holiness and righteousness. These believers hadn’t defiled their garments but walked worthy before the Lord.
Jesus urged the church of Sardis to awaken and repent.
If they didn’t wake up and repent, then Jesus would come like a thief and they wouldn’t know the hour of Sy koms. As hulle hulle nie bekeer het van hulle dooie werke nie, hulle sou die ewige dood binnegaan in plaas van die ewige lewe.
Is today’s church alive or seated in darkness and dead?
There are many churches today that are seated in darkness and are (Geestelik) dood. Most Christians are not spiritual but carnal and focused on themselves.
Instead of Christians becoming born again and seeking the things which are above and focus on Jesus and be His witnesses on earth , the majority of Christians stay carnal and seek the things on earth and focus on themselves.
They focus on success, welvaart, finansies, ens. instead of focusing on the lost souls of man and being busy with the Kingdom of God and the preaching of the cross.
In baie kerke, Daar is mense, wat dink hulle is gered, terwyl dit in werklikheid is, hulle is verlore siele, wat op pad is na vernietiging: Ewige dood.
Die meeste herders slaap, Dus, they don’t see their sheep walking into the abyss.
These shepherds don’t warn and chastise their sheep and don’t guide them with the truth of God anymore. In plaas daarvan, they let the sheep go their own way.
Die liefde het verdwyn. Alhoewel baie dink hulle loop in liefde, by tolerating everything, Insluitend sonde.
But the love of God calls to repentance and obedience to the words of God and keeping His commandments (O. John 14:15-23; 15:10).
In baie kerke, the fivefold ministry or actually the fourfold ministry (apostels, profete, evangeliste, and shepherds, wat ook onderwysers is) is not functioning correctly anymore.
As a result Christians are not taught in the Bible. They don’t know the will of God and don’t grow up in the image of Jesus Christ (which is the purpose of the fivefold ministry). In plaas daarvan, they remain spiritual babies.
Die Woord is vervang deur die leerstellings en filosofieë van die mens. Baie humanistiese, filosofies, wetenskaplike, en nuwe era leerstellings die kerk binnegegaan het.
Many churches have become entertaining centers
Mense wil vermaak word. They want to get attention, and sing, dans, gemeenskap, eat and drink and have a good time, instead of studying the Bible, praying and fighting spiritually and crying about the state of the church.
Die mens het die middelpunt van aandag geword; in preke, church service, seminare, lofprysing en aanbidding, ens. As as result, sermons have been shortened. Die gebedsdienste is verkort, gekanselleer, of vervang deur lofprysings- en eredienste.
have preachers become entertainers?
Many preachers and elders of the church have become entertainers, komediante, and actors on stage instead of being spiritual fathers. They not only try to be intellectual, but also funny and witty, sodat hulle gehou sal word, geprys, aanbid, and exalted by the church audience and attract more people.
Many Christians love the world and the things that are in the world, and can’t give it up. As gevolg hiervan, they have adjusted the words of God and mixed His words with their own philosophies, opinions and findings.
Op hierdie manier, Christians won’t have to change but can continue their carnal life and live like the world, and walk in sin and iniquity in darkness.
The church has thrown out the Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit and welcomed the words and wisdom of the world into the church. (Lees ook: Jesus uit die kerk gegooi en Die Heilige Gees het uit die hart verban en in 'n gebou teruggesit).
Die wêreld sit in die kerk. and the devil (die heerser van hierdie wêreld (die donkerte)) established sy troon.
In baie kerke, Jesus is no longer the Head, but the devil has become the head.
Dit behoort nie verbasend te wees nie, because Jesus foretold this, when He spoke to His disciples about the gruwel van verwoesting.
Has Jesus removed the candlestick?
Jesus removed the candlestick from many churches that are seated in darkness and are spiritually dead and refused to repent.
Despite the fact that a church has a name and is famous (in the nation or all over the world), has many members, has written books, speaks charismatic words, preaches motivational sermons, does good humanitarian works, and performs miracles and people are healed, the church can still be seated in darkness.
The church may think to live closely to Jesus and confesses His Name, terwyl dit in werklikheid is, the church deviated from Jesus the Word and walks outside the will of the Father
That’s why it’s time to repent and return to Jesus, die lewende Woord, en gehoorsaam Sy woorde en onderhou Sy gebooie.
update: This dream has come to pass and this church no longer exists.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
