Be the Lighthouse

Revelation 2:12-13 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 

When we study the Seven Churches of Asia the Lord shows us three things. First, they were literal churches that our Lord Jesus was writing to. Second, whatever the Lord said to a particular church we as a church can apply those things to us, either to realize what we need to do or to stop something that the Lord disapproves of. Third, the seven churches are also time lines. For instance, the first church was Ephesus and if you will notice where the position of the Lord was, He was walking among the candle sticks, which is the church.   

This is a picture of the early church. But then the last of the seven churches is the Church at Laodicea and where is the Lord? He is knocking at the door asking to come in (Revelation 3:20) which is a picture I am afraid to say is the church today. 

One thing about the church at Pergamos, they were not perfect and the Lord had some negative remarks about them, but He also had some positive things to say. He said to them that “He knew where they dwelled, and that was where Satan’s throne was.” Then He said “but you hold fast to my name.” 

Many people will say the we need to go back to be like the early church as if the early church had no problems, but that is not true. Just read the book of Corinthians and you find they had all kinds of difficult problems, from one brother living with his step mother, to a great deal of division as to which preacher they were following.   

The one thing about the early church wherever they were they had an impact on the culture and the city where they were. For instance, in Acts 19 the church was having such an impact that it affected the silver smith business for worshiping idols. The great Welch Revival of 1904 which started with one young man getting a burden for his city so he began to pray. The revival had such an impact that the bars closed down for good. It wasn’t that the Christians went and protested the bars, no, people were getting converted at such record numbers that no one went to the bars. The mules that they used in the coal mines had to be retrained because the workers quit cursing. 

I believe and many will probably disagree with me but there are forces at work in Winchester and if it is not stopped, we will wake up one morning and this town will not be the same. You will not be able to take your family out to eat because of things you don’t want your children to see. Winchester will be known for the sin in it rather than who we really are.   

Is there a cost? You bet there will be a cost and we could be labeled as a church that is causing trouble.   

So, what do we do? Well, I am praying at this time for the Lord to show me what stand we should take, but until we do, we need to talk to our representatives and city and county officials. 

If we don’t, the next thing will be Story Time for little kids with Gay and Lesbian Men. What can you do first above all things is that you begin to pray that those elements are stifled from coming into our community.   

Pastor Lee Cruse who believes that if we are to be the church in this community that is a light house that points the way to the Lord and better lives then we must stand, stand in love yes, but stand.