What can we learn from them? To the Church in Laodicea-the lukewarm church Laodicea was built on a confluence of three major highways and became a successful commercial and trade city. Located near hot springs the water temperature analogy would be particularly clear to these believers. Likewise the city had at that time a well-known school of medicine and so the analogy of eye salve would be understood . The citizens had a reputation for being very rich and knowing it and hence were considered conceited and proud. So too the church in this city had been influenced by such worldly thinking and had started to boast about their spiritual riches. Revelation 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Jesus is disgusted with these Christians because of their tepidness, half-heartedness, and spiritual blindness. He warns them in severe tones to get sorted out from their delusions because He wants to see them return to spiritual vitality and to be able to see clearly again . He wants them zealous and passionate about Him and His things. Their affluence had blinded them to their true spiritual state which was of poverty rather than riches. True gold will be those works inspired by the Holy Spirit that will stand the trial by fire at the bema judgement of the righteous. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me. Jesus now speaks tenderly to them... 21 To those who are victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Those who obey Jesus will receive tremendous rewards.... Their affluence had blinded them to their true spiritual state which was of poverty rather than riches. Further Commentary from Linda Morris (see reference materials at the end) LAODICEA Laodicea was founded around 250BC by the Greek Antiochus and named after his wife. It was the capital of the region of Phrygia. It had 3 roads and 2 rivers and was a trading centre, bringing lots of Jews to the town. In the census of 62BC there were 7,500 Jews living there. The main industry was clothing, particularly clothes made from the wool produced there which was black and shiny. (Compare v18 ‘buy from me white garments’ It was a wealthy town which had everything, including theatre, stadium, etc. One of the things it was known for was a centre for banking and finance. Cicero changed his letters of credit in the banks there (like travellers’ cheques). There were a lot of wealthy homes therefore the city teemed with beggars hoping to be given money. (Compare v17 ‘you say “I am rich”...you are poor’). The other thing it was known for was a city for health. The local god they worshipped was ‘Men’, the god of healing. They had a medical school where a famous ophthalmologist practiced, a hospital, and offered expensive treatments. It was famous for its perfumes, ointments, and medicines. They had ointment for sore ears, and powder known as ‘ Phrygian powder ’ was an ingredient of eye lotions. (Compare v18 ‘anoint yourselves with eye salve’) It was 10 miles from Hierapolis where Philip was martyred and buried, and the same distance from Colossae. The water supply in the city was lukewarm , probably carried by the aqueduct. Hierapolis had hot springs and Colossae had cold, pure water so the water was tepid by the time it reached Laodicea. You could drink the water hot or cold, but if you drank it lukewarm it made you sick. (Compare v16 ‘you are lukewarm.... I will vomit you out of my mouth’) The church was founded by Epaphras and was meeting in the house of a lady called Nympha. Onesimus came from Laodicea. Later it mentions a leader of that name, so could be the same person. Unlike most of the other churches, the church in Laodicea had no problems. They were large and prosperous. Laodicea is mentioned a few times in Colossians, and the letter to the Colossians was also to be read out to the people in Laodicea. Paul wrote a letter to the church in Laodicea (Col 4:16) which was also to be read out in Colossae, but nobody knows where it went. Perhaps the fact that it was lost shows that it did not do any good. The letter to the church in Laodicea begins with the most intense description Jesus gives of Himself – the ‘Amen’ (meaning absolute truth), ‘Faithful and True Witness’, ‘the beginning of the creation of God (the source of God’s creation, the Creator). The accusations against them They are neither hot nor cold – they are insipid, cannot be bothered. When a house is on fire, people come and look! You cannot do anything when people are tepid because they are satisfied. It is a hopeless situation. Jesus says lukewarm people make Him sick! They are independent. Self-sufficient. They are proud. They needed no help and could fall into the trap of thinking that God was blessing them. When they were struck by an earthquake in 60AD they refused help from the Roman Empire and rebuilt the city by themselves. They were ignorant . Self-deceived. Jesus’ “ counsels ” (advises) them (v18). It is not a command . He knows they will not obey His orders. We cannot buy spiritual gold from Jesus but here (v18) Jesus is speaking to them as people who measure everything in monetary terms. He is saying, ‘ do business with me !’ He is telling them to exert themselves (v19) - it takes effort to lift yourself out of apathy and turn from sin. Jesus wants them to let Him in so that He can have fellowship and be intimate with them (v20). Summary It is interesting seeing the comparisons between how they live their lives and how Jesus uses these things to challenge them, and made me think – if Jesus were to write to a church in our city/town what aspects could He use? Does that relate to our churches? Even today rich, self-made people do not see their need for Jesus and there is more openness to the Gospel in poor countries than it is in the Western world. We need missionaries to come to the UK from Africa!! Amen Reference materials: Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern Studies by David Pawson

No more puny prayers! Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Do you ever get fed up with making or hearing puny prayers? That is not how the apostles prayed , they prayed mighty and powerful prayers, prayers that changed the world they lived in. This prayer contains a progressive revelation (each of the 5 steps from v16-20 builds onto the previous step). Step 1 v16 , to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. We need the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit indwelling us to help us progress spiritually and without this power we cannot proceed with steps 2-5. Step 2 v17 tells us that the consequences of  Christ may dwelling in our hearts through faith; is that we become  rooted like a tree and grounded in love like a building with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means that our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based on us responding to the love Jesus first gave us. Step 3 v18 When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith, we become rooted and grounded in his love. We then are in a position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually what are the dimensions of God’s which cannot discerned by mere human knowledge. Here are some features of God’s love. Breadth a -boundless           Length b-endless Depth c-fathomless             Height d- measureless a How broad? All men of every race and colour at every stage of development from a foetus to an old man on his death bed, embraces every man from Adam onwards. This breadth of the fathers have told the early Jewish believers the He even loves the Gentiles. It speaks to our heart of the different parts of the body pf Christ, Baptist, Pentecostal, faith people, love people in my father’s house there are many mansions. God’s love is so broad it takes in all barriers of rank or position intelligence, personality etc. b How long? Invites us to meditate on the eternal nature of God’s love. He loved us before the world was made and has promised to love us from everlasting to everlasting [Jeremiah 31:3] is for each one of us. c How deep? Let’s look back to where we came from spiritually dead on the way to hell, no joy, peace or hope. Take a minute to think on the depth of love that caused Jesus to go through the cross for you to pluck you out of Satan’s hand. [Ephesians 2:3] We were children of wrath by nature, engrossed in sinful lives. He loved us so deeply he paid the full price of our sins. d Height, breadth boundless, length endless depth fathomless then the height is measureless in trying to comprehend the height we may look to both our present privileges and our future promises as clearly identified in the word of God. To describe God’s love as a sea is not enough since seas have limits Think of God’s love on the cross. Step 4 v19  We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us that agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). For when we are filled to overflowing with divine love then we attain the fourth part of the progression that is we have the richest measure of the divine presence, and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. To be filled with all the fulness of God in the Greek suggests a continuous process where the vessel expands to continue being filled i.e. our hearts will expand and take in more and more of God. Step 5 v20 Paul goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word that the Lord can give us infinitely more than we dare to ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts or dreams . Wow! Conclusion No more puny prayers! Would you dare to make such a prayer for yourself or your church fellowship?    Closing prayer Father God, we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and we say Amen and Glory to your name.

The width, length, depth, and height of God's love Ephesians 3:18-19 Picking up from Part 1 in Ephesians 3:18 we see that there is a supernatural order of the dimensions of God’s love. The Holy Spirit directs our attention as follows. A. What is Breadth? We have some difficulty in seeing the breadth of God’s love to all men of every race and colour, every age from a foetus in the mother’s womb to a man on his death bed, embracing each one of these. In all time past, back to Adam and forward to Christ’s second advent. This breadth tells the Jewish believers of God’s love for the Gentiles and tells us now of His love for all the various parts of the body of Christ. In my Father’s house there are many mansions. God’s love is so broad it embraces His whole family beyond any man-made barriers. He is not a respecter of rank or position. His love is so broad it includes from the humblest to the most exalted of his people. B. Length , this invites us to meditate on the eternal nature of God’s love. Christ loved us before we got born again. 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love him, because he first loved us and as his love knows no end, so it has no beginning and is from everlasting to everlasting. Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness. I have drawn thee the Lord says this to each one of us. His drawing of us unto himself is the effect of his love. John 13:1 Jesus loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Romans 8:35-39 Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Are you catching a glimpse of its length? C. Depth, another way to look at the depth of God’s love is to look back to where we came from, dying and on the way to eternal death. Each one of us can take a minute to meditate on how deep our Father’s love was to raise us up out of the pit of our sinful lives. We were children wrath by nature see Ephesians 2:1-6. Does this not speak to your heart of the Depth of our Father’s love? D. Height, so far, we have seen the love of God has a boundless breadth, an endless length, a fathomless depth then surely its height is measureless? In trying to comprehend the height we may look to both our present privileges and our future promises as clearly identified in the word of God. 1 Samuel 2:8, Isaiah 56:5 Romans 8:16-17, 1 John 3:1, and Revelation 22:4-5,19 that we might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge by the Holy Spirit that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Did Paul get carried away with it here or was the Holy Spirit showing us the summit of the prayer? Are we not heirs of the Father, joint heirs of Christ? If we ask for bread, will he give us a stone or a snake instead of a fish? This is the point; the word of God tells us that God wants us at filled with all His own fullness. Our hearts and minds must constantly be occupied with the love of Christ to be prepared for the being filled with all his fullness. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness as in Matthew 5:6? The Greek for ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive and enlarging experience. As a vessel is filled to the brim the vessel then expands and the process continues thus our hearts will grow and take in more of him on an ongoing basis. Suggestion: Let us agree not to pray any more weak and feeble prayers! Pray for yourself and others in this manner. Prayer Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses mere human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us, and we say. Amen

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 In this study we consider the Spirit-anointed prayers of the Apostle Paul. These prayers were given of the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray for ourselves and others. The prayer we are focusing on today is in Ephesians 3:14-21. The prayers of Paul listed below are not in the word of God by chance but are there that Holy Spirit can use them to lead us into how we might to pray. They are found in Ephesians 1:17-19, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11. In Ephesians 3:14-21 we see a stepwise progressive revelation of the God’s Word. Step 1. Being strengthened with might in our inner man by Holy Spirit Step 2. That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, that we be rooted and grounded in love Step 3. That we might comprehend the dimensions of God’s love, practically experiencing it for ourselves Step 4. That we might be filled with all the fullness of God Comments Verse 16; It is the dunamis or dynamite power of the Holy Spirit that will strengthen us spiritually. It is part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to build us up that we might be ready for the next step of this progression. It is that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that dwells in us so we can ask Him to strengthen us. Verse 17 ; As Christ dwells (is at home) in our heart by faith we become rooted like a tall tree. A tree planted by running water yielding its fruit in season, prospering in every way. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, our roots are in Him grounded like a building on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ the Solid Rock. Jesus is building the stones in his body into a perfect temple for the Father (1 John 4:19). The Christian walk of obedience is in response to his love which was given first to us. As we are strengthened with might in the inner man by Holy Spirit, Christ begins to live in our hearts by faith and we become rooted and grounded on his divine love. Verse 18 ; Then we are in the position to begin to discern the dimensions of God’s love. We can only hope to have any possibility of achieving this through the Lord’s grace i.e. through the Holy Spirit revelations to our hearts. Verse 19 ; To know the love of Christ that surpasses and bypasses mere head knowledge. Amen Personal Prayer In part 2 we consider the individual dimensions of width, length, depth, and height in Verse 18.

The Prayers of the Apostles: Paul The prayers of the Apostle Paul a) The prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 (read) This prayer contains a progressive revelation. Please note there are five main steps in this prayer. Step 1 Verse 16; To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man . This strengthening with might in your inner man is an essential prerequisite before partaking of steps 2-5. For it is only through the ‘dynamite’ power of the Holy Spirit in us that we can progress spiritually. Step 2 Verse 17; Tells us that consequences of Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith is that we become rooted like a tree in love and grounded like a building , with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based upon our responding in love to his love which Jesus gave first. Step 3 Verse 18 ; When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith and we grow rooted and grounded in love then we are in the position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually the dimensions of God`s love where it surpasses humanly discerned knowledge. Things to consider about the dimensions of God’s love. Breadth – boundless Length – endless Depth – fathomless Height [1] – measureless Even to describe God’s love as a sea is inadequate since seas have limits. Step 4 Verse 19 We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us. That agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts ( Romans 5:5 ). When we are filled to overflowing with his divine love then we attain the fourth step of the progression, which is that we have the richest measure of the divine presence and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. If this is true, it is possible that we can experience the richest measure of the divine presence! Wow! The Greek rendering of ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive enlarging experience like a vessel being filled to the brim. Then the vessel expands, and the process goes on and on. Thus, our hearts will grow and take in more and more of Him. Amen. Step 5 Verse 20 Paul then goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word, that the Lord can do infinitely more than all that we dare ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts, or dreams. Wow! Fellow saints, the word of God tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16) . Would you dare to make such a prayer as this, a prayer for yourself and for those you lead, would you dare to pray this prayer right now? In verse 20 did Paul get carried away with himself? Or was the Holy Spirit showing the church how we also ought to pray for ourselves and others, so that we can aim for the summit of God`s fullness in us in bodily form. If we ask Him for bread will he give us stone or snake for a fish? He knows what good gifts to give to His children. Matthew 5:6 Conclusion Would you dare to ask God for his best for yourself and others, or do you think that the Lord can only just keep you saved? See Ephesians 3:10 concerning the multi-faceted wisdom of God. The Word of God says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much ( James 5:16 ). Will you dare make such a spirit anointed prayer your fervent prayer? Dare to pray this prayer! Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and so we say. Amen and Glory to your name. [1] Height How high does God`s love extend? Look at the privileges we now enjoy and those the Lord has promised will come. I Samuel 2:8 Isaiah 56:5 Romans 8:16-17 I John 3:1 Revelation 22:4-5

What can we learn from them? Each church usually has a commendation, a criticism, and a correction To the Church in Smyrna –the persecuted church-under Satanic attack Smyrna was a beautiful city with a temperate climate and was a loyal Roman colony. The church in Smyrna was probably founded by Paul between 53-56 AD). The church father Polycarp lived in Smyrna in those days and beyond but was martyred at the stake at age eighty six (in 155 AD). According to the story the flames would not touch him so they had to kill him with a sharp weapon. He died refusing to recant his faith in Jesus Christ. 2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test [1] you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Jesus knows about life and death having experienced both. Jesus also knew all about their suffering church in Smyrna. Many were thrown out of their jobs for being Christian and lost their livelihoods. Their goods would be confiscated and they would be badly beaten. Jesus considered these faithful brothers and sisters as rich in the things of God. Many Jews were the first to be the accusers of the Christians who as such were more like Satan the chief accuser of the brethren than like the righteous Jews they ought to be as commanded by the Law. Jesus warns them about the intensifying of their suffering which is about to happen in which they will be imprisoned and after ten days they will be put to death for holding onto their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells them to be faithful even though it costs them their lives. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. These saints in Smyrna were called to be bearers of the Gospel light. The first death may engulf them but they will never be affected by the second death where the devil and his angels will be cast into the everlasting lake of fire (Gehenna). Smyrna continued THE COMMENDATION & CRITICISM Jesus’s commendation is highly significant because He has no major criticism ! Ephesians 2:9 says: “ I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Sata n." Jesus said He knew four things about the church in Smyrna: 1. Jesus knows their good works. "I know your works:" That is the same phrase Jesus used when speaking to the church of Ephesus. The church in Smyrna likewise was working as unto the Lord, and Jesus recognized their ministry. God knows your works today. God sees. God knows. God will not overlook it. 2. Jesus knows their pain. The Greek word can be translated: tribulation, affliction, trouble, anguish, persecution, burdens. We could probably add the word pain. Jesus is saying, “I know you look afflicted and poor, but I consider you rich!" God sees your afflictions today. Why does it seem to take suffering to remind us that God is sovereign and will work everything out for our good and His glory? Romans 8:28 ("All things work together for good to those who love God"). We have the choice of how we to respond to all our problems. We need to have a scriptural view of suffering. Consider myrrh, of which the city of Smyrna was named after. When the myrrh fruit was crushed, it releases an aroma and was also used to anoint the priests. If you have suffered, you are now someone who can use that pain to minister to others. What an appropriate gift for Jesus from the Magi: gold (for a king), frankincense (for a burial) and myrrh (to anoint a priest). We can be most effective after we have been greatly bruised and crushed--and an aroma that is pleasing to the Lord arises from our suffering.” 3. Jesus knows their poverty. In fact, Jesus states that they are rich! The word for poverty means abject or absolute poverty. They had absolutely nothing . That was because of the persecution from Satan they were facing. Jesus is aware of us when we are in a helpless state, both spiritually and otherwise. Jesus sees what you are going through today. 4. Jesus knows their persecution. "And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan." The Jews in Smyrna were particularly against Christianity. It didn't help that Christians replaced the catchphrase of Caesar worship, "Caesar is LORD" with "Jesus is LORD’’ when you are abandoning the compulsory worship of the state emperor. Jesus is saying that when we face persecution and trouble from people, do not forget who your adversary is really. It is not the person in front of you, it is Satan ! Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." You are not fighting against your colleagues, your teachers, your in-laws, your clients, that especially hostile guy in the workplace, the people slandering you on their blog, or through that email they sent you—your struggle is not against flesh and blood! It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms! Who writes their lines ? THE CORRECTION "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death , and I will give you the crown of life. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’ Jesus' correction for them is not to fear . They were about to have 10 days of tribulation, including prison. This could have literally been 10 days, or as some have said there were the 10 years that the Rome violently persecuted Christians during this time. Either way, what is most important is that their suffering would be temporary . This promise would encourage them that there was an end in sight to their suffering . It is a sobering thought that Jesus did not spare them, but rather told them it is about to get worse, a lot worse, perhaps even resulting in death. The Christians had a choice, to compromise or to be faithful. You see, Caesar worship was required by Rome. If you persisted with Jesus is Lord and not Caesar, you would be at risk of execution. What would you do? Many of us would probably run from suffering because of fear, and we would just lie and get the certificate to spare our lives and the lives of our families. But Jesus here says, “ Don’t be afraid; don’t run! ” THE REWARD-THE CROWN Sometimes we are surprised by our suffering. It seems to come out of nowhere. And sometimes it seems like it will never end. But we are not to be surprised. We are to be ready . We are to endure to the end, even if that end includes death. Why? Because Jesus promises a crown. For the Smyrnaeans, it would be the crown of life--to not be hurt by the second death. Consider Jesus, and the suffering He endured. "Gethsemane" means "olive press." It has the same meaning that myrrh does. Jesus had to suffer, to give His life as a ransom for many. He did so for others, for you and me. Peter, who was eyewitness to Jesus' suffering, uses this as the motivation for you and me in our sufferings: " Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for human desires, but rather for the will of God" ( 1 Peter 4:1-2 ). "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings . And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen"( 1 Peter 5:8-11 ). Further thoughts Had the church in Smyrna been the most prepared of the 7 churches for the ultimate test of probable martyrdom? What do you think? For those who stand strong amid severe trials, the best is yet to come . We will receive the “crown of life” and reign with Jesus forever. Be encouraged, child of God. Buckle up your armour and get back into the fray . Do not run from the troubles of life. You are richer and better equipped than you think. Jesus is coming back soon! Jesus knows your troubles. He knows your poverty. He knows your enemies. Jesus says, “ Do not fear. Be faithful, and I will give you the crown of lif e.” Are we willing to be faithful to the Lord no matter the cost? Amen Personal Prayer For an in depth study on the church at Smyrna see Pilgrim Benham (Calvary Chapel)-COMFORT THROUGH THE HARD TIMES: LESSONS FROM THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA [1] Greek peirazo Lit; test, try , assay. The testing of the believer’s strength , loyalty, faith , patience etc. i.e. testing of direction and character. [2] Numbers chapters 22-25 and 31 see also 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 11.

What can we learn from them? With almost all these churches, there is a commendation, a criticism, and a correction. To the Church in Ephesus-wrong priorities Ephesus was the first church to be founded in Asia Minor and could be described as the church that no longer loves as it should. Revelation 2:1 “To the angel [ a ] of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Jesus Christ is speaking and shows His authority over the angels of the seven churches by indicating that they are in His right hand and shows His intimate care and concern for the seven churches by walking amongst them. Jesus praises their works, their endeavour and the ‘stick-ability’ to His cause. He also praises the fact that they cannot stomach false teachers and have rightly discerned such even including false apostles. Nevertheless the Ephesian church had stuck fast to their faith putting up with the various difficulties and persecutions and continued in a tireless way with their Christian service. 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Their initial spiritual spontaneity and vitality had given way to a dour routine service done out of duty rather than out of love. They have fallen away from the intimate first love of the Saviour and he commands them to do a U-turn back to Him and rekindle the first love with Him again. If they refuse to do this Jesus threatens that He will take away the witness of this church, in other words they will no longer bear the light of the Gospel and will cease to be a ‘spiritually alive’ church. It is sad to think that this actually happened. The Nicolaitans are thought to be those people who made light of sin (anti-nomianism) and were happy to join in the pagan festivals eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols and taking part in immoral pagan practices. 2:7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who are victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God . They need to hear this message with their spiritual ears and take onboard what the Holy Spirit is saying to them. This is like military combat and the prize of eternal life is waiting for those who overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. The fruit of the tree of life is infinitely better food than the meat that has been sacrificed to idols and brings everlasting life. The Ephesus church had got its priorities mixed up! If your church is like the one in Ephesus, you will be getting some things right. J esus commends them for three things: 1. Duty and responsibilities : They were hard-working, busy servants. Lots of work--but busyness in a church does not always mean the Spirit is at work. Often when things are simple, you can focus your energy on what is most important, things like in Acts 2:42 instead of all the flurry of things some churches expend all their energy doing. But Jesus was commending them for their good works. 2. Doctrine : The church at Ephesus could not bear those who were evil. They would check out, test, and confirm if someone were true or false according to Biblical orthodoxy, and if they were false, the church would rightly reject with their teaching. The word "bear" is the same word used of Jesus carrying the cross. This church could not bear the weight of wrong doctrine. They could not carry it and would not tolerate it. The church of Ephesus knew good doctrine; they knew what they believed. Oh that, the church of Jesus Christ today be more like Ephesus on that specific point! Many Christians today cannot even explain the Gospel clearly or communicate sound doctrine. 3. Determination : They were persevering and hanging on in there despite a lot of hardship, attack, and suffering. Jesus says, "You have not become weary." That is incredible! They were the marathon runners of the church! Many people give up as soon as there is a problem in their faith, but not the church of Ephesus. So, with all these positives, did Jesus just stop there? Ephesus seems a great church to be a part of. However it is less important if you are doing amazing things for God, than if you have separated yourself from the love of God. The Criticism How could we possibly forget our first love, the Lord Jesus? Here are four possible ways that we can leave our first love: 1. We can replace love for the Lord with rules and duty. Our dealings with the Lord must be more than a set of rules which are not based on a personal relationship with him. Perhaps this is what happened to the Ephesian Church? Perhaps they began to set up rigid rules and guidelines and end up serving God but out of duty, not out of desire. Obligation does not necessarily mean love. How does your own church rate in this matter? 2. We can replace love for the Lord with feelings and emotion Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. God created us with emotions, so we could be limiting our personal expression of the imago Dei if we suppressed all emotions? Jesus wept over Jerusalem, had compassion for the crowds who were unshepherded, drove out in anger the money changers from the temple. We read in Scripture that the Holy Spirit can be grieved. These are all emotional responses, and we would probably be stinting on our love for God if we were always suppressing our joy or sadness. But by the same token, we should not base the quality or reality of our love simply on how we raise our hands, pray our prayers, or cry our tears. ''True love is not a feeling by which we are overwhelmed. It is a committed, thoughtful decision ." (Dr M Scott Peck) Have we replaced our love for the Lord with emotion? Has your church fellowship left your first love? 3. We can replace love with works. The church at Ephesus had gotten so bogged down with their heresy hunting that they forgot that church is where people experience the love of God and the love of God’s people . What we tend to find in most modern churches is that our people are saturated with committed busy-ness. How many of us stand exposed as being bogged down in the busy works of Christianity instead of choosing what is better (like Mary vs Martha)? 4. We can replace love with disinterest Sometimes we become desensitized to the things of God because they become over familiar. Instead of keeping our zeal for the Lord as we serve Him, we get bored by the same old routines. When there is a lack of desire in your heart for the things of God it is time for a renewing of your mind! The church of Ephesus had warm hands but cold hearts . Could that describe us today in our relationship with God? Once a thriving spiritual community, the Ephesian believers diverted their attention from Christ, to works done in His name . They had lost sight of what was most important in their relationship with Christ— their love for Him. Perhaps that is where many modern churches are today. Forgetting the height from which we have fallen, we need to repent that we may experience times of refreshing from the Lord once again. We must return to our first love and remember that He first loved us. That first love--that pure love--the love that never lets you go--the love that accepts you even now--with all your rebellion and coolness toward Him--is available for each one of us. We may not find the perfect church--but we have certainly discovered perfect love. Summary: This type of church needs to get their priorities straightened out and return to their first love. Remedial Actions (pardon the alliteration): Remember. Repent. Return. Amen Personal Prayer Further thoughts on Ephesus It is widely accepted in business circles, that often our strengths and weaknesses can be two sides of the same coin. An example might be our determination to forge ahead is usually an asset but what about the other side of the coin, by which we ignore what other people are saying , this can indeed be a weakness! Could it be that the Ephesian church because of their zeal for duty and pure doctrine became desensitised to love and gave it a lower priority? Our first love for God cannot be easily separated from our love for the church. They had lost the balance and were putting doctrine and duty ahead of their for the church family. This is tricky because duty and doctrine are indeed important but must be balanced with our love and care for the Lord and his church family. It is possible today that many churches have got their priorities mixed up? What about your church? For an in depth treatment of the Church in Ephesus we recommend Pilgrim Benham (Calvary Chapel): A letter to a modern church.

Ch 1 Correcting the belief in Jesus plus anything else The gospel had been preached and received in Galatia, which region today would be found in modern Turkey. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the churches of Galatia. The main thrust of the letter is to bring correction to the churches because Judaizing teachers had arisen, saying, that faith in Christ alone was not enough for salvation but that the Christians had also to keep the mosaic law (including circumcision). These legalistic teachers had also tried to discredit Paul, by unfavourably comparing him with the other apostles. They tried to discredit Paul so that they could also discredit his teaching. The message of Galatians is still important today as there are still people around trying to add things (believe in Jesus and …something else) onto the gospel and bringing men into bondage. Paul then emphasises the great teaching of justification by faith alone without the works of the law and exhorts them to walk in the wonderful liberty given to them and us by Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- 2 and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age , according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. A true apostle and a true message. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one, we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned ! Not just life or death, but eternal. 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! There is only one true message. 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men ? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. What about you, are you a man-pleaser? 11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. How Paul became an apostle. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they praised God because of me. Paul did not go to the other apostles or bible school, nor a seminary, he was in no way inferior to them or dependent upon them. His calling was direct from the Lord. Summary of key learning points 1. Paul is a true apostle. He was not called, commissioned nor taught by any man; he was directly called by Our Lord. 2. There is one true gospel, that we are justified by faith alone without the works of the law. 3. The one true gospel is believed in Jesus, not believe and Jesus and anything else. 4. It is crucial we know and understand the basis of the gospel, so that no one can take away our wonderful liberty Christ has purchased by his blood and death for us. Amen Your prayer

Matthew 12:20 Jesus is gentle to his own Sometimes in our lives we all appear to go through seasons when we seem to be getting overwhelmed by the circumstances or by difficulties. Disappointment, rejection, apparent failure, illness, stress, family, and financial problems, or struggling to break free from the bondage of addiction to drink or drugs to name but a few of the things that come against people. Or in the case of the believer, when our spiritual childhood is over, and the Lord requires us to push on with no obvious results. It might not ne you who is hanging by a thread we have a duty of love to each other to bring Jesus’ gentle ministry of supporting those who are close to failing. When these things happen in our lives, this may give us a feeling that God is somewhat distant, uninvolved, or uncaring or at worst he has forgotten about you. But is this true? How does God feel about us when we feel that we are hanging by a thread? Let us turn to His word to see how God feels and how God deals with His people when they feel that they are hanging by a thread. First, let’s remind ourselves as to ‘Why did Jesus come’? The Lord’s platform Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.   This scripture is often called the Lord’s platform, or we could say Jesus’ manifesto, Jesus’ mission statement, Jesus’ vision, or even Jesus’ job description i.e. the reason that Jesus came as a man. As Jesus ‘ hands and feet we must remember that Jesus’ ministry has been passed down to us, his church, his body. Gentle and humble Jesus Matthew 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgement to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgement unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Jesus, your Jesus, my Jesus, our Jesus, mild and yet so strong, not seeking to draw attention to himself. Quietly going about his father’s business, not striving by his flesh, for the weapons of his warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Jesus is patient and kind towards his own, and you are his own! or you can become His own! When we are crushed and bruised, he sets a limit  but remember precious spices and ointments (for making holy oil) need to be crushed to give their aroma. He never allows us to be tempted above our measure. Remember the story of Joseph and his brothers. God has a plan for your life and mine. Isaiah prophesied about the Gentle Messiah Isaiah 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles.2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth.4  He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. When your faith flame is only smouldering (picture a candle just about to go out) he will not put it out, he never intended to, quite the opposite. The devil means to break us and snuff out our light (this little light of mine), Jesus wants us to be whole but to burn with a pure light. Jesus shows power and grace in bearing up the weak and the suffering, producing perseverance but never seeks to kill or destroy our faith in him. Sometimes, God needs to deal with the comfort  in our lives to confront and destroy pride of life, complacency, self-sufficiency, wrongful dependence on others, but whatever we go through it is for our benefit, Romans 8:28. This doesn’t make it easy, but produces confidence and faith that in the end, it will be for our benefit and blessing. In his name the gentiles trust, are you trusting him today in your situation? A Bruised Reed Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgement unto victory. A bruised reed God does not kill or destroy his own wounded. He binds up the broken-hearted and restores us to wholeness. The reed is made up of long strands or filaments but when enough of them are bruised or broken it just snaps in two and is no use for its purpose. Reeds can made into papyrus which as you know was the ancient worlds version of paper. God wants to heal your broken strands so that he can write his gospel message of love on you and in you. You as a believer, are God’s perfumed living love letter to your fellow man!   A Smouldering Wick/Flax Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he sends forth judgement unto victory. Smouldering wick Do you remember Elton John’s song, ‘candle in the wind’, a flame tossed to and fro, with no control? However, Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world . Yet it seems that the problems and difficulties in our lives often seem to cut off either the air flow or the flow of wax vapour. Perhaps in the case of the flax, it is left smouldering, which is the final stage before extinguishing completely.  However, it is just when we feel that we are hanging by a thread, or about to smoulder out, this is exactly when Jesus comes to strengthen and breathe his life into us again. If we will let Him! At school, in the chemistry class, the test for oxygen was that it relit a glowing or smouldering taper. In the same, the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ by his Spirit, relights our love and faith in God. We just need to get into his presence and allow the oxygen of his love to re-ignite our hearts. We must remember all his promises  to us! Then once again we can be God’s living love letter, and God’s perfumed epistles to our fellow man and bring the light of the world into the hearts of the unbelievers. Jesus does not just want to keep you hanging by a thread or smouldering but to bring you back into fullness. That is both whole and burning brightly! Amen Personal Prayer In Part 2 we consider many other wonderful promises given by gentle Jesus to his followers.

Catalysts to maturity: meditation and seeing in the spiritual realm Aim Priority #2 To produce mature & stable believers. (Our Commitment to God). We need all of these Christian practices (below) to be active in our lives to help us grow and mature. Prayer; personal and communal Bible study and walking in the Spirit-see next slides. Stop taking the Lord for granted. Thanksgiving , Praise, and Worship Fellowship with believers. Recognising and operating in your own gifts We will now focus on two of the above activities for growth, one  which is a  type of  bible study, and the other Walking in the Spirit. Clean animals and clean Christians Leviticus 11:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatsoever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Animals which are cloven-footed, and which also chew the cud are called clean animals and can be eaten by the Israelites. There is an interesting parallel between the clean animals and clean Christians  for if we chew the cud and learn how to be in two places at once then these things can accelerate us maturing. Catalysts to maturity 1. Chewing the cud: Meditation Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law, he meditates day and night. The best way to gain maximum benefit from your bible study is to learn how to meditate on God’s word. Christian meditation is a biblical practice encouraged in both the Old and New Testament. Christian meditation helps reinforce the truth of God's Word in believers' hearts so that they remember it and live by it. The purpose of Christian meditation is to bring a believer into closer fellowship with God through a greater understanding of his Word and a deeper commitment to his will and his ways. Bible teacher Roger Price likened  bible meditation  to the process of how cattle chew the cud. Cows have 4 stomachs and as chewed grass is regurgitated back up into the cow’s mouth the cow begins to chew on it again to get the absolute maximum nutrition from it. In the same we should revisit each portion of scripture we are studying to get the maximum benefit from it. In this way the truths of scripture are absorbed into our being which cause us to grow and mature. Meditation is a practice that should occur daily according to Psalm 1. The words of Scripture are not merely to be read but to be heard  and are meant to go to our heart! Muttering: Psalm 1 opens with a blessing on the man who “meditates day and night” on the law (Ps. 1:2). The word the psalmist uses for “meditates” means “to mutter.” St Augustine translated verse 2 with the catchy phrase “on his law he chatters day and night.” From this we understand that biblical meditation requires the use of both mind and mouth. Personally applied, this tells us that along with our systematic reading of the Bible, we ought to select especially meaningful passages to reverently mutter over (can be a verse or passage). Catalysts to maturity 2- Bilocation We need to become aware that believers live in two places at once i.e. in the spiritual realm and also in the natural realm.  Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, What I mean is that our lives are lived and governed in two places which are firstly in heaven and secondly on earth. We need to walk in both places. Some believers are so earth-bound that they are not aware of the spiritual realm in heaven. They forget that they need to walk in and live the heavenly realities as well such as all believers are seated in heavenly places. Spiritual truth may appear to contradict natural truth. When you are seated in your local church, you are also seated in heavenly places in Jesus Christ. Amen Chariots of Fire 2 Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Elisha was walking in two dimensions, but the servant’s eyes could only see the natural circumstances. Elisha had been reading the Psalms, particularly Psalm 91. The servant lacked the information that Elisha had. You might not be able to see the angels guarding the people of your local church family at present, but they are with you right now. Lord open our eyes that we may see all your protection and provision. We get our facts about the spiritual realm from the bible. We need to realise that the things that the Lord says about the spiritual realm in the bible are just as true, if not more so than what we can learn from our five senses. We need to be real about the spiritual realm as well as the natural realm and this will help us to grow and mature. Amen Personal Prayer Acknowledgement This study is a modified version from the following bible studies. Roger Price Fellowship Life Series Aims and Vision TaFLS 05. Roger Price  Special Topics Series   Christian Maturity  STS 141.

By Staff Blogger Steve Green   Dear Kenny, Thanks for your letter and your honesty, when you shared  “I don’t think anyone can be sure about God’s existence.” I can relate to this, there was a time in my life when I had doubts about God’s existence. During this period,  I experienced a series of significant personal setbacks. Things I held dearly, were slipping away from me . When I was at my lowest ebb and in considerable pain, I cried out to God, wondering if anyone would hear my cry. God heard my cry and responded.  Why on that particular day did God heard my cry ? . CS Lewis says, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (1) . With the chaos and pain in my life, God was able to speak directly to me, certainly that was how it felt. I felt God say, I should read John 3, a well-known chapter in the Bible, which speaks of having an entirely fresh start in life, once you accept Jesus as your saviour. Jesus says in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The words of Jesus became real and alive to me, from that moment on, my belief in God was unshakable. Whilst my belief is based on my personal experience and relationship with God, I take comfort in the fact the Bible contains no scientifically incorrect statements. There are also numerous examples of the Bible referencing science, thousand of years before man understood the science. Pleiades In Job 38:31 , God is talking to Job about his creation and omnipotence, he says: “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades ? Can you loosen Orion’s belt ?.” At the time, this statement would have made little sense. Pleiades also known as the Seven Sisters is a gravitationally bound star cluster, which means, the stars of Pleiades move through space together due to their mutual gravitational influence . Galileo Galilei was the first man to view Pleiades using a telescope and commented “the galaxy is nothing else, but a mass of innumerable stars planted together in clusters ” (2). However God knew the stars in Pleiades were held together by gravity  or as God described it at the time “Chains.”  Unlike Galileo, God knew exactly how many stars are in the sky, as God made a promise to Abraham that his dependents would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (3). Orion’s belt is an unbound asterism, a group of stars with no gravitational attraction or as God put it, “loosened Orion’s belt” as the stars freely move apart. God documented this scientific phenomenon in the Bible, thousands of years before Scientist became aware of the same phenomena. I am unable to explain how the Bible documented the movement of Pleiades, thousands of years before humans became aware that Pleiades was a bounded system, without reference to God and his omniscience.   The water cycle is the process by which water is continuously transferred between the surface of the earth and the atmosphere. The Met Office describe the Water Cycle (4) as: The sun warms the water on the surface of the planet; the water then vaporises and rises into the Earth’s atmosphere. The Water vapour will then return to liquid water or some variation (snow, ice, hail, or sleet) and fall to the Earth, where the water will gather in rivers and be transferred back to the sea. I have in very simplistic terms described the Water Cycle, which was first documented by Bernard Palissy in 1580 (5). Yet thousand of years before this, God wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes “All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.” (6), How could the book of Ecclesiastes give a very brief overview of the Water Cycle, thousands of years before Bernard Palissy first documented the process ? I believe that only God had this knowledge at this time.   I find the Scientific discoveries referenced in the Bible fascinating and interesting discussion points; However they may not be the conclusive proof you require. You have doubts about the very existence of God and that can only be addressed by communication between you and God. If you will get down on your knees and pray words to the effect of “God, you know my heart, you know the doubts I have, if you do exist then I want you in my life. God please come and change my heart and lead me on a path where I can learn more about you. The Bible says you are “Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Lord be gracious and have compassion on me and change my life forever.”   If sincerely prayed, your request will determine the issue. If God does not exist, your prayer is a sincere request to the atmosphere and heard by no one else. However if God does exist, you are about to begin the most wonderful life transforming journey, beyond your wildest expectations. As Jesus comes into your heart, the same promises he made in the Bible chapter John 3, will become available to you. A new start full of hope, a love that changes you and a true purpose in your life.   My friend, take your doubts to God in prayer and let him reassure you, as a loving Father would do with a doubting child.   You will remain in my prayers daily.   Your friend   Steve   Citations (1) C.S. Lewis, The problem with pain. “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world....No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. it removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.” (2)– Galileo Galilei, Sidereus Nuncius 1610. (3) Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (4) Met Office Website - https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/how-weather-works/water-cycle (5) Bernard Palissy, Discours Admirables (1580). (6) Ecclesiastes 1:7

Aim 1. To  show your love for the Lord. (Our Commitment to God). Aim 2. To produce mature & stable believers. (Our Commitment to God). The first pair of aims #1 and #2 are to show our love for the Lord and to produce stable and mature Christians. These  show our real  commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that comes tops. That is the first thing. Remember, please, that  we are here for His pleasure . We are here to love Him. We are here to worship him. We are here to adore Him. The head is here to receive from the body all that it ought to receive. Our primary function is that of our first commitment to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Explanation of the priorities [God-Church-World]  of the Aims You will notice in the Bible  that this is the order [God-Church-World] that is given in many places. In John 15 where Jesus spoke about the vine, he said I am the vine. If you read that carefully, You'll notice the first part He deals with abiding in him. It is about being in fellowship with the Lord and really having a strong relationship with him. And after he is dealt with that, he then goes on to talk about our relationships with one another. And then having dealt with our relationships with an another, he then finally goes on to the testimony to the world. [God]  John 15:4 KJV Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [Church] John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. [World] John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. Correct priority order in Colossians Do you know the first half of the book of Colossians is all about with the person of Christ? It is how glorious he is, how wonderful he is, you know, how everything centred in him, how all our vision has got to be of Him. It goes right through into chapter 3:1  says if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, get occupied up there. Do not get occupied down here. He is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. In all things, He has got to have the pre-eminence in everything. Jesus has got to come first. In everything in our lives, He's got to be the first one. He has got to be considered before anyone else. in Colossians 3:12 that you start dealing with our relationships with one another : Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering for bearing one another, forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against you, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And what he is saying is in our relationships with one another think about Christ and when you see how Christ works so it will look influence your life . Then finally in Colossians 4.:3-5, you get testimony to the world. The order here [GOD-Church-World] is in the correct order of priority. [God] Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [Church] Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another… [World] Colossians 4:3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.  A similar order can also be found in Ephesians. Q. How do we know the correct order of our aims ?  A. We find it in various scriptures. First and greatest commandment is about how we ought to love the Lord God with our whole beings. Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The Shorter Westminster Catechism below shows the chief aim of humankind, which is to glorify God. He is our number one priority.                         Westminster shorter catechism: Q1. What is the chief end of man? A1. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 3 we discover two catalysts for Christian maturity. Acknowledgement This study is a modified version from the following bible studies. Roger Price Fellowship Life Series Aims and Vision TaFLS 05. Roger Price  Special Topics Series   Christian Maturity  STS 141.