Danger Ahead!

 The One who has the sharp two-edged sword speaks and says “remain faithful as Antipas.” [Revelation 2]

Just as then, today there are the faithful in their stand for Christ and do not deny the name of Christ. However, just as then, these had to navigate and choose the road that is narrow because they lived and moved amongst those who are part of the kingdom of darkness. The false teachers had infiltrated with and were accepting of immorality.  They, like many today, were failing to rebuke these teachers who espoused false doctrine. Although still bearing the title of being Christ’s church they were not rebuking and removing these teachers. And unlike the church at Ephesus who hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, this church was in danger of being like the frog placed in cold water which slowly dies when the heat is elevated. The danger is real and very present for these Pergamum believers and why Christ calls them to be like the Bereans to be discerning. Christ called them with His two-edged sword to repent and to remove the stumbling blocks that cause others to go astray.

Father God, today our churches are being assaulted by those who are the “pc” police. They seek to water down the truth of the gospel message and seek to cause our little ones to stumble. Give us Your spirit of discernment so that we may not compromise but be like Antipas who was faithful even to the point of death.

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Romans 12:2 “Are you a Duck, Frog, Salmon or Transformed Believer?”

The duck idiom says “if you look like a duck, swim like a duck, quack like a duck, you must be a duck.” According to abductive reasoning this may or may not be true but it does reflect how we might be seen in the world. We have melded into the fabric of society and no one knows we are not a duck but a believer in Christ.  Therefore, Paul reminded his readers to not be conformed or molded into the world’s system just like the frog scenario. We are put into the pot and the enemy heats up the water but we are unaware that we are being cooked!

Also, just as a salmon swims against the flow of the river to achieve its place to spawn so we must swim against the false current of the world’s philosophy. The salmon faces many trials to arrive so too we will trials and enemies. Therefore we must be saturated with the Word so that we can discern truth from error. [Heb 5:14] We have this promise: He who hath begun a good work in you will complete it at the day of Christ but until then we are moment by moment being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is His work that is being accomplished as we surrender and become a living sacrifice. It is all His power and all because we are a new creation in Christ. He enables us to “behold the glory of the Lord.” (2Cor 3:18] This is how the mind is renewed — by steadfastly gazing at the glories of Christ for what they really are.

How does the world see us; ducks, frogs, salmon or a transformed believer in Christ?