In the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, Jesus spoke to John about the seven churches in Asia and their works. While the messages to the churches differed from each other, there was one thing Jesus said to all the seven churches, մասնավորապես, Ով ականջ ունի, թող լսի, թե Հոգին ինչ է ասում եկեղեցիներին. The words of Jesus applied to the churches then and still apply to the churches. But do the churches still listen to what the Spirit says unto the churches? Do Christians have ears to hear? Do pastors speak from the Spirit or themselves (նրանց մարմնական միտքը) and the world unto the church?
Why John lived in exile on the isle of Patmos
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Հայտնություն 1:9)
John had been banished for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. He lived in exile on the isle of Patmos.
But even though John lived in exile, the banishment from society and his captivity didn’t withhold John from being in the Spirit and listening to the Holy Spirit.
The eyes of John were not focused on himself. John didn’t look at his situation, the circumstances, and his state on earth. Նա չտրտնջաց և չբողոքեց.
But the eyes of John were focused on Jesus and His Kingdom.
John sought the things, which were above, where Christ sits on the right hand of the Father.
Ի վերջո, his love for God the Father and Jesus Christ and his obedience and devotion to the Holy Spirit had brought him there.
If his love for himself was greater than his love for God, John was never exiled to Patmos. Because he would have succumbed to the pressure of society on him as a Christian (a follower and witness of Jesus Christ). John would have compromised and adjusted the words of God to the will of people, who belong to the world and denied Jesus.
John wasn’t ashamed of the gospel
But John loved Jesus. John wasn’t ashamed of Jesus and of being His witness. Therefore John didn’t keep silent. John preached boldly the gospel of Jesus Christ. He spoke the words of God and was His witness on earth, which had consequences for his life on earth. But John had laid down his life. Therefore he was prepared and able to bear all this for Christ’s sake.
Despite the persecution and tribulation and the exile to Patmos, the Holy Spirit dwelled in John. John lived in communion with Christ and God the Father, and all this was part of God’s plan for his life. (Կարդացեք նաև: Աստված ծրագիր ունի ձեր կյանքի համար).
In his exile, in the silence, John received one of the biggest and most important visions written in the Bible. God revealed to John what would take place in the end times.
The message of Jesus to the seven churches
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Ասելով, Ես Ալֆան և Օմեգան եմ, the first and the last: և, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea (Հայտնություն 1:10-11)
On the Lord’s day, Jesus appeared to John, who was in the Spirit. Jesus trusted John with a portion of the treasures of His Kingdom, by revealing to Him the future until the end of the world and showing him the new heaven and the new earth.
Jesus commanded John to write in a book all that he would see and send it to the seven churches in Asia.
The message of Jesus differed per church, since no church was equal to the other.
Միայն մի բան կար, that Jesus said to all the seven churches, մասնավորապես, He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches (Հայտնություն 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
John was meek and had a listening ear and didn’t rebel with his ‘yes buts’, his insights, փորձառություններ, և գիտելիք. John listened and was submissive and obedient to Jesus and wrote down everything that Jesus commanded him to write down.
The messenger of the church
Բայց դուք մարմնով չեք, բայց Հոգով, եթե այդպես է, որ Աստծո Հոգին բնակվի ձեր մեջ. Իսկ եթէ մէկը չունի Քրիստոսի Հոգին, նա իրենից ոչ մեկը չէ (Հռոմեացիներ 8:9)
Հավատացյալները, who are born again in Christ and received the Holy Spirit belong to the Body of Christ. They are the church in a place.
All born-again Christians should have the Holy Spirit abiding in them. Որովհետև առանց Սուրբ Հոգու, they don’t belong to God and can’t communicate with Jesus and the Father. Every Christian should have a living relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit (Կարդացեք նաև: Կրոն կամ հարաբերություն?).
In every local church, a messenger, a pastor (shepherd) is appointed, who is born again and seated in Christ and lives after the Spirit and from the Head, Հիսուս Քրիստոս; բառը, և Սուրբ Հոգին. A pastor, who teaches, ուղղում է, and keeps the believers.
Meekness towards God and a listening ear are essential. If someone is not meek and does not have a listening ear, the person is not able to hear the words of the Holy Spirit.
Ով ականջ ունի, թող լսի, թե Հոգին ինչ է ասում եկեղեցիներին
Այնուամենայնիվ, երբ Նա, ճշմարտության Հոգին, եկել է, Նա ձեզ կառաջնորդի դեպի ողջ ճշմարտությունը: քանզի Նա ինքն իրենից չի խոսի; բայց ինչ էլ որ նա լսի, որ Նա պիտի խօսի: և Նա ձեզ ցույց կտա գալիք բաները. Նա կփառավորի Ինձ: for He shall receive of mine, և դա ձեզ ցույց կտա. All things that the Father hath are mine: ուստի ասացի ես, that he shall take of mine, և դա ձեզ ցույց կտա (Ջոն 16:13-15)
Jesus commanded those, who have an ear to hear, what the Spirit says unto the churches. The Holy Spirit speaks not of Himself but the Holy Spirit speaks what He hears from Jesus. Therefore the Holy Spirit shall speak the words of Jesus unto man.
The Spirit searches all things, այո, Աստծո խորը բաները
Բայց ինչպես գրված է, Աչք չի տեսել, ոչ էլ ականջ լսվեց, ոչ էլ մտել են մարդու սիրտը, այն բաները, որոնք Աստված պատրաստել է Իրեն սիրողների համար. Բայց Աստուած զանոնք յայտնեց մեզ իր Հոգիով: քանզի Հոգին քննում է ամեն ինչ, այո, Աստծո խորը բաները. Որովհետև մարդը գիտի մարդու բաները, փրկիր մարդու հոգին, որ նրա մեջ է? այնպես էլ Աստծո բաները ոչ ոք չգիտի, բայց Աստծո Հոգին. Հիմա մենք ստացել ենք, ոչ թե աշխարհի ոգին, but the Spirit which is of God; որպէսզի իմանանք այն բաները, որոնք մեզի ձրի տրուած են Աստուծմէ (1 Կորնթացիս 2:9-12)
The Holy Spirit searches all things and knows all things. He knows the deep things of God.
Բոլորը, who listens to Him and is led by Him also knows the things of God. They know the thoughts of God and His ways and know the things that God gave them freely. (Կարդացեք նաև: Աստծո մտքերը մեր մտքերն են?).
The unbelievers don’t belong to God. Նրանք չունեն Սուրբ Հոգի, որը բնակվում է իրենց մեջ. But they have the spirit of the world. Հետեւաբար, they don’t know the Holy Spirit and don’t have ears to hear His voice. Դրա պատճառով, they don’t hear His words.
They don’t know God and His will. But they walk after the flesh on self-chosen paths following their vain thoughts.
Բայց հավատացյալները, ովքեր ծնվել են Աստծուց, belong to God. Believers have the Holy Spirit abiding in them. They know the Holy Spirit and have ears to hear His voice. They hear what the Spirit says. They’re led by the Spirit and know His thoughts (Նրա կամքը). Նրանք ներս են մտնում Նրա ուղիները եւ հետեւիր նրան.
The Holy Spirit has a personal message for every church
Since no area is the same, which means that no village, city, or country is the same, the message for the local churches is not the same.
When we look at the messages of Jesus for the seven churches, no message was the same.
Although the Head and the Spirit of the Body were the same, the local churches operated and walked differently. Because every church dealt with different lives of people and different (տարածքային) լիազորություններ, իշխանությունները, այս աշխարհի խավարի տիրակալները, և հոգևոր ամբարշտությունը բարձր տեղերում.
Therefore Jesus had a specific message and mission for each church.
The message for the church of Pergamos did not apply to the church of Ephesus. Because the Christians in Ephesus hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, ճիշտ այնպես, ինչպես Հիսուսը, and had abstained themselves from them.
But there were some Christians of the church in Pergamos, who held both the Բաղաամի վարդապետությունը և նիկոլականների վարդապետությունը, որը Հիսուսն ատում էր. Therefore Jesus called the church of Pergamos to repentance.
If the warning and corrective message of Jesus, which was meant for the church of Pergamos, was read in the church of Ephesus, the members of the church would have said, but we don’t adhere to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, don’t we? We hate this doctrine, ճիշտ այնպես, ինչպես Հիսուսը. Why do we have to repent?
The church would have doubted the reliability of the Holy Spirit and the reliability and relevance of the words of Jesus.
Therefore it’s necessary that every pastor, who delivers the message to the church, must have an ear to hear and take time to listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the church
Do pastors have ears to hear what the Spirit says unto the churches?
But are the pastors, who preach behind the pulpit, Նորից ծնված Քրիստոսում? Are they baptized in Christ and born of water and Spirit? Do they have the Holy Spirit abiding in them? Are their eyes and ears opened, so that they see and hear what the Spirit says unto the churches?
This does not mean, seeing and hearing the things that are happening in the natural world and being led by the news. Because through the written words in the newspaper(ս) or on the internet and the spoken words on the news on television, this is revealed to everyone. Ամբողջ աշխարհում, everyone knows what is happening in the world.
But it means, are the spiritual eyes and ears opened through regeneration in Christ? Have they entered the Kingdom of God? Do they see the spiritual realm operating behind the natural realm and do they discern the spirits?
Do their eyes see clearly, so that pastors see the things that the Spirit shows them? Is their hearing clear, so that they hear what the Spirit says?
Or have their eyes become cloudy and their ears constipated? Do they have jammers on their channel caused by their flesh and the world?
The Holy Spirit reveals the will of God to the church
The Holy Spirit knows everything. Nothing is hidden before God. He knows the thoughts and the works of people. The Holy Spirit knows what happens in the church and what is according to the will of God and what is not according to the will of God. He calls the church, անհրաժեշտության դեպքում, ապաշխարության.
The Holy Spirit also knows what happens outside the church, մարդկանց կյանքում, who live in the area where the church is located.
He knows which powers, իշխանությունները, այս աշխարհի խավարի տիրակալները, and spiritual wickedness in high places are ruling and operating in a village or a city.
This is essential for the church to know. Since the people are influenced and controlled by these (տարածքային) evil spirits of darkness, who gain access through the lives of people.
The Holy Spirit also knows what will happen. He reveals the future, so that the church stays awake, prepared, and equipped, and stands on the truth of God and be a victorious church.
But it’s up to the pastor to trust God and rely on Him.
It’s up to the pastor to submit to the will of the Holy Spirit and be led by the Holy Spirit and spend (շատ) time alone to listen to His message and preach His words, which derive from Jesus, without fear for (the reaction and opinions) of people in the church, so that the will of God be known and soul and spirit be divided and the works of the flesh be put off and the church shall live holy and righteous before God and be militant in prayer and spiritual warfare.
Pastors are too busy to spend time with God
Բայց շատ անգամներ, pastors are too busy to spend time with God in the Word and in prayer. They plan their day in such a way that they are continuously busy with other things. When the weekend approaches, they become agitated, since they have no message for the church. They look for what they can quickly throw together and use as a sermon
Some use the knowledge, իմաստություն, and trends of the world as their inspiration. They add some Bible verses to it, so that it looks like it’s coming from God.
Others use Christian books or look at the internet, searching for a good sermon they can use.
But using these motivational messages and words of the world or using sermons and words from other preachers, shall not do anything in the church. They shall not cause changed lives and make a holy and victorious church in the spiritual battle.
That’s because the Holy Spirit has a specific message for each church in every area and at every time.
A message that still contains the unchanged truth of God and the preaching of the cross, Հիսուս Քրիստոսի հարությունը, and the new creation. A message that calls the people to repentance and to live holy lives after the Spirit. And a message to equip and activate believers in the spiritual army of Christ and the spiritual warfare.
Every shepherd is responsible for taking care of the sheep
Every shepherd is responsible for taking care of the sheep and feeding and keeping the sheep. And that is only possible through the leading of the Word and the Spirit. Without the Word and the Holy Spirit, որ light of the church shall be extinguished.
The church can call Jesus Lord, but if the church doesn’t listen to Jesus, Սուրբ Հոգու միջոցով, and doesn’t do what Jesus says, what shows and what proves that Jesus is the Lord and the Head of the church? Why would Jesus leave the candlestick, if the church compromises with the world and obeys and serves sin instead of righteousness?
The spiritual state of many churches is pitiful
The spiritual state of all countries on earth is pitiful. Just because the spiritual state of many local churches is pitiful.
Many churches are carnal and seated in darkness. Instead of being the light in the area, they have compromised and have become one with the darkness. Արդյունքում, there is no difference between those, who belong to the church, and the other inhabitants of the area, who don’t belong to the church. (Կարդացեք նաև: Եթե քրիստոնյաները ապրում են աշխարհի պես, ինչից պետք է աշխարհը զղջա?).
Somewhere on the way, the spiritual leaders of the Church of Christ have deviated from the faith. They have become carnal and influenced by the poor worldly spirits
They allowed the knowledge and wisdom of the world and the seductive spirits in the church. Դրա պատճառով, they created false doctrines in which (Կամքը) the flesh of man became the center and sin is approved
But Jesus wants the pastors of the churches to repent and return to Him. Jesus wants them to anoint their eyes and ears, so that they hear what the Spirit says unto the churches and see the spiritual state of the church and the future by the Spirit. He wants them to preach boldly the words of God and be His witness, despite the resistance and persecution of people and the consequences. So that sinners repent and souls are saved and stay saved.
«Եղիր երկրի աղը’
