Friday, May 8, 2020

SARDIS

Today’s Reading: Revelation 3:1-6

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Backed onto one wall of the synagogue in ancient Sardis is a row of Byzantine-era (4th century AD) shops along the main road of the city (below). The road once formed the westernmost stretch of the Royal Road. Some of the shops can still be identified from inscriptions, such as: “shop of Jacob, elder of the synagogue,” “hardware shop,” “office,” “Jacob’s paint shop” and “restaurant.”

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: Revelation 3:5

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

 

Let’s understand that Jesus said, “I will NOT blot out his name from the book of life.” Some will immediately assume that He does blot out some names. That’s not what this means. Jesus does not do that! John tells us that not only does He not blot out names, but He confesses the names of the persons in the Book of Life before His Father. The other three writers of the Gospels all refer to this (Matthew 10:32, Mark 8:32, Luke 9:26) Read Matthew 10:28-33. The Jewish synagogue in Sardis was huge and it occupied the very centre of the city. Let us remember that until the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Christians worshipped with their fellow Jews in the Temple. It was the same for the synagogues throughout the world. Those believers in Jesus who were Jews continued singing the Psalms and sitting under the teaching of the Rabbis. On what became known as “The Lord’s Day” (the day of Jesus’ resurrection and the day of the birthday of the Church) those who were Christians gathered in each other’s homes where they were taught all about Jesus through the writings of the Apostles, and those of the lead Christian Pastor in the city. In these home churches, John’s “Revelation” would have been read. There may have been only one handwritten scroll of each of the Gospels, of the letters of Paul, and of the book of Revelation. They passed the scrolls around. To bring their Bibles to church they would’ve needed a cart to hold all the scrolls! Thank God for the invention of the printing press, and now the Bible is all over the World Wide Web (e.g. www.100words.ca). We have no excuse for not reading every Word of God’s Message to us over and over throughout our lives.

According to Jesus, the Sardis church was dead (3:1b). Yes, they said they believed in Jesus. Yes, they gathered together with other believers. Yes, they had a reputation of life. But where was the life which Jesus gives by the Holy Spirit? A few of the believers had genuine life in Christ, but the majority did not. Do we have ears, not just for decoration, but to hear God speak through His Word?

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, as I read and hear Your message to the believers of Sardis, I am moved to pray fervently that I will “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die” (3:2a). I ask for grace daily that I may “remember” why I have “received and heard.” May I “hold fast and repent!” (3:3a). Grant me consistency in daily overcoming sin and living in the purity which will enable me to accept Your invitation, “Walk with Me in white!” (3:4b). Amen! Amen! Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m aware of a Pastor (Bishop) called Melito of Sardis. Some of his written sermons have been passed on to us by Eusebius, Pastor/Bishop of Caesarea, who wrote the first church history book. Melito would probably have been a young man in the church in Sardis when “Revelation” was read to the believers. No doubt he was one of whom Jesus said, “walked with Me in white.” I’m going to include below in my “P.S.” just the conclusion of three of Melito’s sermons written around 160 A.D. (take a moment to read them now…). Based on this powerful preaching, I think that the “Dead” church of Sardis had experienced a revival and had come fully ALIVE! Of course, I am an incurable optimist! Jesus talked to dead people. There was the little girl in Capernaum. Jesus said to her, “Talitha cumi,” “Little girl, arise!” Jesus said to Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, “Come forth!” He specializes in resurrection!!! It is said that when a person is dying, hearing is the last sense still active, perhaps right up until rigor mortis sets in. Let’s never give up!

Yours for being faithful like Melito of Sardis,

David

P.S. Below is the last paragraph from three of Melito’s sermons, written in Sardis around 160 A.D.

1. From “The Easter Praise of Christ”:

Come, then, all you nations of men, receive forgiveness for the sins that defile you. I am your forgiveness. I am the Passover that brings salvation. I am the lamb who was immolated for you. I am your ransom, your life, your resurrection, your light, I am your salvation and your king. I will bring you to the heights of heaven. With my own right hand I will raise you up, and I will show you the eternal Father.

2. From “The Lamb That Was Slain”: 

It is he who was made man of the Virgin, he who was hung on the tree; it is he who was buried in the earth, raised from the dead, and taken up to the heights of heaven. He is the mute lamb, the slain lamb, the lamb born of Mary, the fair ewe. He was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the evening, and buried at night. On the tree no bone of his was broken; in the earth his body knew no decay. He is the One who rose from the dead, and who raised man from the depths of the tomb.

3. From “On The Passover”: 

This is the alpha and the omega. This is the beginning and the end–an indescribable beginning and an incomprehensible end. This is the Christ. This is the king. This is Jesus. This is the general. This is the Lord. This is the one who rose up from the dead. This is the one who sits at the right hand of the Father. He bears the Father and is borne by the Father, to whom be the glory and the power forever. Amen.

One of the shops in ancient Sardis appears to have served as a Christian baptistery, with a rectangular basin (below) made of reused marble slabs with crosses superimposed over pagan inscriptions and decorations.

Among the ruins of ancient Sardis are the remains of the celebrated Temple of Artemis. It was built on the site of a former temple dedicated to the cult of the Anatolian goddess Cybele (burned down by the Athenians). Construction began about 334 BC, soon after Sardis was liberated from Alexander the Great. Artemis was the main goddess of the city and the Sardis temple was one of the seven largest Greek temples (more than double the size of the Parthenon in Athens). Artemis, known to the Romans as Diana, was the daughter of Zeus and twin of Apollo. She was the goddess of the hunt, the moon and fertility.

17 thoughts on “Friday, May 8, 2020

  1. Amen to the prayers of Melito of Sardis. We give You all the thanks and praise, Lord Jesus, our Messiah, our Redeemer, our Saviour, our Friend. Praying for blessings upon all saints. May His Hand be upon you. May His love fill your hearts. May His peace and comfort become you. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

    O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. Isaiah 26:12 ESV

    Brother Nathaniel Bassey – Is your name In The Book of Life?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPudc9Taqz4

  2. Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul!
    Thank You, Lord, for making me whole!
    Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
    Thy great salvation so rich and free!

    Free for me, that is, but so costly for You. Thank You for giving Your Son, Your life, Your all, for us. Draw people today into that personal relationship with You, Lord, that transforms us by Your Spirit into Your likeness more and more every day. May people see more of You, dear Lord God, in all of Your people, we ask in Jesus’s great name, amen

  3. Thanks,Rob.
    He paid the price
    so we don’t die twice.Most teaching would have been word-of-mouth as not all could read and there was not much access to the written word due to logistics.
    I wrote this before I began to read the bible or even owned one.God bless
    The King’s Task

    Set fire to my soul,oh Lord,
    Make me burn with truth and love,
    So our honour can be restored,
    With wisdom from Your throne above .

    Oh Master,you lifted me up high
    From the depths of hell’s pit,
    To complete me and quell my cry,
    But there’s no debt I can remit.

    You have shared with me your strength
    And buoyed my heart from grief,
    So I can go with you to any length
    To give your words of truth’s relief.

    Sorrow has no power over your word,
    But when Satan’s lies are believed,
    Faith is robbed by what’s inferred,
    So your light now must be retrieved.

    Because of shadows over this land,
    I ask you now to let me speak,
    In words you place in my hand,
    That shows your might beside the meek.

    I seek humility to keep me strong,
    So give me that is all I can ask,
    Then I will seek within the throng,
    With this beggar doing the King’s task.
    G W (Bill) Marshall /January 08, 2013

  4. Amen Bill, a beautiful spirit-led poem it is! And Amen to your prayer, Rob!
    Don’t you just find it fascinating and thrilling to read the words, prayers and messages of godly ones such a Melito, from that long ago, who lived so much closer to the time of Jesus here on earth? Such powerful words, and just as powerful and true today as back then!

  5. Thanks so much 100 Huntley for keeping our dear friend and mentor, David Mainse’ powerful teaching alive through this daily blog. I read it every day and share it with friends. May God bless you richly, the whole Mainse family. We are the beneficiaries of David and Norma-Jeans vision and prayers and sacrificial life. Thanks Ron and Anne for posting and Reynold for the magnificent photos every single day. And even if we may not always see, God has perfect vision and beyond. He sees and will reward. Let’s all be encouraged to “Hold fast”…we are closer to the day when He will come for us for sure, than we were yesterday! Jesus may come today! “Even so come Lord Jesus.”

  6. I just received a message saying that Ravi Zacharias’ family is gathering to be near him. Cancer has metastasized and no treatment will be helpful at this point. Feeling sad as he is such a brilliant and amazing man. He really understands and reaches universities & all people so well. May God’s perfect will take over. Amen

    • Ravi is an incredible man of God. Praying for his final time with his family by his side to be special for them. Safe in the arms of Jesus. Safe on His gentle breast. Sweetly thou shalt rest, Ravi. Amen.

  7. Amen Beverlee. Ravi is such a wonderful and gifted man. Have missed him on tv and will continue to miss him but he will be with his wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom he faithfully loved and served. God bless you Ravi and thank you for your wonderful ministry to us which we will not forget!

  8. Amen Beverlee, Ravi is a wonderful man of God and we will miss him. So appreciated his ministry and he was so effective with the university students! Thank you Ravi for ministering to us as well. You have fought a good fight and now will receive your reward!

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