New Series begins!

How are you doing these days?

Really. How are you REALLY doing?

Do you sense something going on with people?

Do they seem angrier? More fearful, more anxious, more depressed?

What's going on?

God has given us the GIFT of an array of powerful emotions. Jesus Himself experienced all of them (and managed not to sin).

In what seems like the most emotionally volatile time in a generation, there are some practical things we can do and some uniquely spiritual things we can do to ensure we healthily manage our emotions instead of our emotions managing US!

he Final Letter from our "Dear NAC: 7 Letters From Jesus" series.

The seventh letter is to the church in Laodecia

This is my (Jonathan's) favourite of the 7 letters (Is that weird to have favourites?)

It's an iconic letter that includes phrases you've definitely heard before. It includes perhaps the most dramatic rebuke... your "lukewarmness" makes me want to spew you from my mouth.

But it also includes Jesus' most tender invitation... "Behold, I stand at your door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."

And then in between, Jesus makes some observations about the church that are SO insightful, you'd think He'd been reading their diary.

Maybe Jesus has been reading your diary... or your heart... and has a word for you too. Will you let Him in though?

"HE IS RISEN INDEED!”

Our favourite Sunday of the year.

Death is defeated. The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive!

Even some Christians though may not know some of the significant points and impact of Easter.

You might just be surprised at the difference Easter can make!

Along with Smyrna, the church in Philadelphia is the only other church that receives no rebuke or correction. They were praised that even in their weakness they have been faithful and persevered through times of trial.

They had been excluded from their local synagogues because of their faith in Jesus. Even through the loss of community, and family they remain faithful.

Jesus doesn’t promise to restore them to their communities, rather He encourages them that He has opened a door for them that nobody can close. Jesus has offered an open door of salvation – to be citizens of the Kingdom of God that they will never be excluded from.

He also opens a door of opportunity, to BE THE CHURCH and share the open door of salvation to the world around them. Philadelphia was uniquely situated with access to the known world at their doorstep.

Sound familiar? Today the GTA is the most multicultural region in the WORLD.

They were given an open door of salvation and opportunity.

Both doors are still wide open today…the question is, will we walk through the door?

Does anyone else feel a little bit like you've been sleepwalking the last couple of years?

COVID has had that effect. Motivation, discipline, and initiative have all taken a hit. But if we're honest this is more than a COVID problem. The daily grind of making a living, the distractions meant to entertain us and the relative comfort of Canadian life have lulled many of us into a sleep-like complacency.

Is Jesus in fact telling us to "WAKE UP"? To stop resting on our laurels and ask for a fresh move of God in our generation.

The scariest part of this letter might be the self-deception in the Sardis church. They thought they were "alive" and Jesus has to break it to them that they are actually dead.

March 27, 2022

FENCE-SITTERS

Getting the balance of being "in" the world but not "OF" the world can be tricky.

Some err on the side of isolating, but as a result, never make a meaningful gospel impact on the world around them. They may COME to church but they never go and BE the church.

For others, the temptation is to compromise to the ways and values of the world.

The church in Thyatira had very obvious decisions to make... follow the ways of Jesus or the ways of the culture.

They were being faithful to the overt tests coming from the outside but once again, a church was compromising from the covert tests coming from INSIDE the church.

Which brings us to a lady named ... Jezebel.

Letter #3

So much talk of "battles" and "attack" and "war" in Revelation and most of it looks very different than what we are seeing in Ukraine (for instance). Jesus warns of a VISIBLE battle - (persecutors, bad rulers, and governments) which most churches were standing firm against, and he warns against the INVISIBLE battles (principalities and powers, lies, spiritual attack) which many churches were succumbing to, whether out of ignorance or ill-preparedness.

These are ultimately battles for hearts and minds! Will the propaganda of the culture win the day or the truth of Jesus that sets the enslaved free?

In this influential city of Pergamum, Jesus also says the battle is not only OUTSIDE the church but from WITHIN the church as well. Ouch!

Why is Pergamum the place where "Satan has his throne"?

What's the deal with this "Whitestone" Jesus will give us?

Why all this sword talk?

And most importantly, what does this even have to do with us in 2022?

This is the only letter where Jesus has no word of correction or rebuke. This was a good church, but they were going through some stuff.

They were going through (literally) "crushing pressure..."

You know, to be a true disciple of Jesus in 2022 means that at some point you will face "crushing pressure".

Pressure from the culture to compromise. Pressure from the world to conform to their ways. Pressure from bad-faith religious people. Visible and invisible pressures.

It's a pressure that comes when two opposing Kingdoms - a Kingdom of light and a Kingdom of darkness clash with each other. Jesus doesn't promise to REMOVE the pressure either. He promises something BETTER.

Letter #1 in our "Dear NAC: 7 Letters From Jesus" series.

This one may sting.

What if Jesus were saying something to us like... "You guys are working so hard. Your reputation in the community is one of high Christian character. The hungry are being fed. Missions are being supported. You are orthodox. I just have this one thing against you... It seems like you've lost your first love".

If this challenges or convicts you, know that we don't have to remain this way. Transformation is possible.

As we begin this new series "DEAR NAC..." we need a little context on this sometimes perplexing book (actually a letter) called Revelation.

Literally titled “The Apocalypse”.

Now when I say the word “Apocalypse” most of you are thinking “Oh no, the zombies are here”.

We talked about a couple of summers ago, that the word simply meant “unveiling”. It was used in the theatre world, as in “Pulling back the curtain”.

The word meant opening up. Or more poetically “Breaking through”

In fact, you could call Revelation… The “Breaking Through of Jesus Christ”,