and this is wicked too...

http://abstract.cs.washington.edu/~renacer/ascii-matrix.html.gz

Random.. but strangely funny...

http://www.trevorvanmeter.com/flyguy/flyGuy.swf

I'm going here soon!!! And theres early season snow already! Woo!

oh yeah... John looking good!!! (Not so much...)

such a nice picture... aw... (if people have a problem with the pics being on here, let me know an I'll take em off...

yeah... everyone with their best pose there...

I have no idea what I'm pointing at...

oops... my leaving do from hsbc... it's been a while... there will be more...

Great weekend... went here Sunday night... was top! Got lots of free things.  Plus met up with quite a few old mates, made some new friends all of which snowboard... Yay! not long till I go to France for a break. Yay again.

[listening to:- Jamiroquai, Dynamite]

[contemplating:- sleeping much]

replies... did I offend?

anyone else out for a pound of my flesh?

[listening to:- collision course, yes with Jay-Z]
[comtemplating:- I don't know anymore]

Entropia!!! Online Gaming Living World!!!

Because life in the real world isn't enough to deal with...

They made this... I'm gonna join and buy some stuff and sell it to some geeks for more!

See what happens?

off to work...

[listening to:- the hum of my computer]
[contemplating:- the day ahead]

Revelation 6

Revelation 6

The Seals

¹I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” ²I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

³When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart^£ of wheat for a day’s wages,^£ and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages,^£ and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

⁷When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

¹²I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig-tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

¹⁵Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Who can stand??

Can you?

[listening to:- *E* talking]
[contemplating:- going to bed]

Revelation 5

Revelation 5

The Scroll and the Lamb

¹Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits^£ of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honour and glory and praise!”

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honour and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped.

I’m trying to read the accounts of Revelation 3 and 4 as a piece of fiction, and it conjures up all sorts of Lord of the Rings style imagery. It’s quality.

The best things, however, is knowing that they are not fiction. That one day every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them will sing “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!”

[listening to:- Taking Back Sunday, Tell all your Friends]

[contemplating:- nothing much today…eep]

Revelation 4...

Good morning again. (or evening if you're reading this in the evening)

Today there wasn’t many seats left on the train. Well there were but they were all in between people with as much elbow space as I had before a few days ago when I had real problems…

After what can only be described as an oh-too-short weekend, I’m back on the trains again. Lovely. This morning I’m actually sitting on the baggage rack which is quite entertaining. I can’t lean back or I disappear into the void that many a small package has been lost down before.

Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

¹After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ²At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits^£ of God. ⁶Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the centre, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.”

As I stated a few days ago, this is a picture book… And I can’t really put any further detailed theological conclusions behind any of the things described above. All I can say is, how terrifying must this have been for John to witness? And yet how re-affirming.

Well… I’m going to work as we know. Uh-oh, the trolley cart is coming. I’m so in the way!!!

There we go. I now look like a little hobbit creature cooped up in this rack. It’s quite amusing. Just wish I could share the sight with everyone. Oh well. Nevermind eh… Just got an odd look from the cart lady…

[listening to:- Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams]
[contemplating:- reading another chapter of Revelation later today]

2 of 2 then… again…

En route home again…

Train packed… quite cold… Minibus isn’t running again so I had to get a taxi to the station… charging that to the compay. Great.

Jack Johnson is good… Nice relaxing music to listen to after a hard day doing a job that’s wicked.

My Dad read my blog for the first time in about ever. He thinks I’m “memory Dumping or subconscious writing or something. Basically writing the first thing that comes to my mind. I agree. I like it… I also like reading what I’ve written when I’m publishing it onto the site because I can see just how introspective and self obsessed I’ve been throughout the day. Some days are worse then others.

Maybe I should try writing a novel or something. Or doing something creative, like learning some kind or horrendously difficult computer language or my daily two hours of traveling. Of course I could keep writing rubbish and enjoying it?

We’ll see… I may get bored of writing pap one day then we’ll see a change.

Maybe not.

[listening to:- Taking Back Sunday, Tell all your Friends]
[contemplating:- really going to bed...]

3rd for 3

Revelation 3

To the Church in Sardis

¹“To the angel^£ of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^£ of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

⁴Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. ⁶He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no-one can shut, and what he shuts no-one can open. ⁸I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

¹¹I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no-one will take your crown. ¹²Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. ¹³He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

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. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see.

¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰Here 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 him, and he with me.

²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Once again I fear I may have bitten off more then I could chew with regards to this chapter. The amount of information and concepts relayed in this chapter are many to say the least…

Still… what can I say…hmmm…

Sardis. Suffering from what is often a problem among Christians. Not only is it often a problem, but it is also quite a sticking point for non-believers. Hypocrisy. It would appear that the church in Sardis had a reputation that preceded them. A good one, but to God, whose understanding sees through peoples “fronts” and to their motivation for action, there was a problem. Wake Up! Is the cry from the most high. Now I don’t know about you. When people are falling asleep, especially in public places like the train for example, and they are caused to wake, you will see a sudden rush of blood to their faces, turning red briefly revealing the hint of embarrassment at losing consciousness. This wake up call must have done the same to this church. How embarrassing for a church whose reputation was clear and righteous, yet they are being called to wake up and to take guard. This sleep could have been caused by many things. It could be over tolerance of sinful practices. It could have been allowing detestable practices. Whatever it was specifically, the message to us is the same. Do not fall asleep with this bold and steadfast message of salvation which we have been blessed with delivering. The promise of what will happen if we continue to slumber is clear. V3.

Philadelphia: Another message to persevere. Unlike Sardis, the church in Philadelphia appears to holding fast, not falling asleep, despite fatigue (v8b). They will surely be rewarded for this clinging to Christ. The promise of deliverance is clear again, reward for their sure hope. As if the sure hope itself isn’t enough? How good is God?! Rewarding a sinner, in their sinful attempts to hold onto the salvation they could not earn. Is not this an amazing message. This is real, Steak on the plate whilst you wait talk, as opposed to pie in the sky when you die mentality that Christians often get harangued into accepting their present sufferings with.

Laodicea: This is something I remember from childhood. Water is no good tepid. Hot or cold has it’s uses. Warm has neither. In these days, this can be taken from a scientific point of view and confirmed. Warmth breeds bacteria, especially with moistness… Hot water cleanses. Cold water has a multitude of uses. Warm water cannot be consumed, unless you’re snorting it as per the doctors instructions when mixed with salt to stop an infection in your sinus… enough about that though eh?!

These people were building riches in the material, “here and know” environment. The “Amen” as they are called, are here urging the readers to store up treasures where moth and rust cannot destroy, where man cannot break and steal. These are the things of eternity.

And once again we are left with a fantastic prospect of a reward! How good is it to have a reward likened to that which Jesus himself received? V21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

I believe the word you are looking for is “Awesome”…?

Final note. On all of the separate passages listed in Revelation 2-3, the notes to the churches end with the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Those of you who have read this. You are without excuse. If you have read the passages of which I have spoken and written over thepast few days, you are without excuse. The words are clear! My interpretation may be flawed. I am but a man after all. My mind is tainted with the stains of sin. I’m neither professing to perfect nor expecting that you will see what I have been writing about being lived out 100% in my own life as you may expect from someone writing such things.

I would refer back to the poem I posted a while ago… This Christian life is not something I, nor anyone else except from the God-Man Christ himself can live in unison with their desires and heart, for what I want to do I do not do, and what I do not want to do I do. But all I would say is, I’m trying. I know He will help me try as he has promised. I know he will not leave the work he has started in me uncomplete. I know there will be challenges ahead, but I look forward to them. I look forward to them knowing that I can and will stand up against them with the help of Him who first called me.

Praise be to God! He deserves more then I could ever give. That wont stop me trying.

[listeing to:- Coldplay, X&X]

[contemplating:- Friday X tonight]

2 in one tonight... aren't you lukcy?!

I remembered something that I heard about yesterday. It was the absolutely ridiculous concept of Lamworth Council not calling the Christmas lights they were putting up, “Christmas lights” instead they were to be called “Winter Lights”. The reason for this new wording was because they didn’t want to offend the non-Christians.

“Hmm…” says I. Does that mean therefore that they’re going to stop Muslim women wearing the all over black dress number? I’m not being factitious (if that is even how you spell it) but so far no-one has considered that the “Christian” contingent might be offended by the sudden expectation that they should tolerate all this petty bullying? Nick Ferrarri, possibly the worst Morning show DJ I have ever heard actually said something of use, as hard as it is to believe, when he said that there would not be a single Jew or Muslim who would have a problem with the Christmas lights being called such. It’s a touch worrying if you ask me.

But then if you look at it from the other side of the coin. Christians shouldn’t have a problem with the council removing Christ’s namesake from the more commercial aspects of the upcoming festive period. Christians should however have kicked up a serious fuss when they proposed to outlaw the preaching of the Word of God, through the Hate literature and Religious Intolerance rubbish that recently got rejected in the House of Lords. (By a majority of 149 I might add) But why should Christians settle for this rubbish that we are being given…? Granted, we should respect the Authorities that God has put in place over us and respect the laws of the land. And to what effect would the removal of “Christmas Lights” actually have on the message which we profess? It should have none! This doesn’t affect the message, the portrayal of Christians throughout the land, the unity of the church, or the love of an individual for his or her Saviour.

If anything, by kicking up a stink over this, Christians are saying, in my humble opinion, that the naming of something (which actually means nothing) as something else matters more then something of far greater importance, the preaching of the Word.

I’m sure that I’m not making my point incredibly clearly. And for that I apologise. I will try to collect my thoughts further on the matter and see what I can come up with.

Christian’s should also have kicked up more of a fuss when the majority of chain stores removed the name of Christ from their “festive cards”, opting for “Xmas” cards, instead of Christmas cards.

I can’t help but think that the country has gone a bit politically correct crazy. Whilst I write I feel it necessary to write one final comment on the lights situation. Hindus are shortly to celebrate the festival of light, Divali, therefore by saying Christians are unprepared to saying Winter Lights, instead of Christmas lights, in somewhat shortsighted when people say “There aren’t any other festivals that use lights in the Winter”. Clearly there are. But my initial points remain. Why don’t the Christians say instead of whatever it is they’re saying now, “Here you go, have the lights! Have the trees! Have Santa Clause! Have the little elves and the after season sales! Leave us with the one thing that defines us as Christians. Leave us Christ, born of a virgin, nailed to a cross, risen from the dead, interceding for all believers in Him at His Fathers right hand. Leave us Christ and we will survive as He has promised we would.”

[listening to:- Portishead, Epoymous]
[contemplating:- the rest of the train journey]

2 of 2

Another day another dollar as they say.

Journey home is more cramped then yesterday… oh well eh?!

Ooh, excitement, nearly forgot that’s how exciting it was. I got my “business cards” through the post today. Absolutely ridiculous… they look dead good though. But I’m still not needing them at all. Granted working for yourself has it's benefits. But I don’t need them… at all… still I can show them to Dad and tell him that they cost less then his. Teach him.

I also forgot I’m supposed to be calling both Laura and who else… hmm… this is going to hurt thinking this hard… who else…

It’ll come to me.

So yesterday I downloaded Portishead’s eponymous album. Listening to it now as it happens. It’s quality. I’m going to get more of their music. Maybe even fork out for a full CD one day… I have a voucher…

Speaking of vouchers, I also have a voucher for 10 for Threshers which I may get my parents a bottle of wine with just to apologise for delaying my rent last month, that’d be nice wouldn’t it? I’m sure it would. A nice bottle too. Not a cheap bit of tat that could also be sold to clean engines.

The train I got today was the delayed 17:03! John the minibus driver sped through Croydon at a remarkable rate of knots, which although had me terrified for most of the journey did the job of getting me to the station dead early. There’s still something wrong with the trams. I don’t really know what it is, I’m just thankful for the minibus and the fact that it’s complimentary.

Well, I can’t really think of much more to write at the moment so I’ll leave you all here… have fun reading and you guys had better write back soon!

[listening to:- Portishead as stated above!!]
[contemplating:- sleeping when I get home for once]

Second installment of Rev 2...

Pergamum:- this church has been less solid then Smyrna apparently, with some of the crowd deserting the gospel to following Baal. And not only this but some have also started to following the teaching of the Nicolatians, which as we saw earlier, were preaching a form of Gospel “plus”. And here is a re-instatement of the other reason, or the other outcome if you will, should you not turn around from the fallen away state. Verse 16. Yo realy don’t want to be on the losing side come the day when He comes back eh?

Thyatira:- if you were to take the first couple of verses and those alone you would think that this church has got it right. Moving onwards and upwards; furthering their walk with the Lord.

But read on. You see that although they have got many things right they are still struggling with this woman Jezebel. From the passage this woman doesn’t appear to be the soundest of characters. And much like the above she appears to be doing the same, Gospel “plus”, preaching.

Again however, we see the compassion of the Lord, in His dealing with this so called “prophetess” in giving her time to repent, to change her ways. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” ringing in my mind I wonder if this Jezebel did once know the saving message of the Gospel and if she too had fallen from the dizzying heights of God’s grace.

Again we must note that God has given her time to repent but she was unwilling. What can we note from this then?

Something I noted, is that God is not constantly throwing pearls to pigs, to use another analogy. Matthew 7v6. And we shouldn’t either be afraid to use our time wisely in choosing who and what we spend our time doing, talking to, ministering to and such. The challenge lies within this concept of knowing how much is enough. Obviously God is the only one that can break down peoples objections and barriers to the gospel. We can but ask to be used faithfully as his vehicle by the Holy Spirit. Praise God that he uses us at all! And we can rest safely in the knowledge that we don’t need to have every answer like some kind of diploma level theology student. We can rest entirely safe in the knowledge that God will supply us with the words we need to convey exactly what we need to in God’s providence and infinite wisdom. One last thing that flows from this is the responsibility of our to request that God would give us the words. Ephesian 6v19. If even Paul was man enough to ask for help shouldn’t we be?

Anyway… I’ve now written quite a lot. Didn’t get to write about my actual day… Needless to say it was pretty uneventful and nothing needs to be written about. Haha indeed!

Write to you all soon!

[listening to:- Kanye West, Tomorrow Today]
[contemplating the rainy walk home]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Rev 2

OK so this morning is somewhat less comfortable then yesterday morning.

This morning I had to slot myself in between two gents. My elbow room is nil. In fact it's actually less then nil. Now I’ve leant back in fact I don’t think that I’ll be able to get up again until they move.

But hey… they can still probably read this over my shoulders so I think I’ll write about something else.

If I’m not mistaken, this morning is November 1^st… which means that last night was Halloween. What a ridiculous invention that was. Unfortunately we didn’t have anyone knocking on our door asking for trick or treats… That’s a lie… we didn’t have anyone knock on the door when I was there. My mum, the poor unsuspecting soul that she is, answered to one lad, only to turn the lad away empty handed. Fortunately we didn’t have any tricks played on us.

*E* came round last night. I have to apologise to her as last nights romantic activities comprised of me tidying my room and her being bored senseless. On the plus side, I did show her some card tricks that I had found. And I also moved my drawers back to their rightful place at my right hand of my desk…

Down to proper business now however. It’s time for the Revelation!

Revelation 2

To the Church in Ephesus

¹“To the angel^£ 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: ²I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ⁵Remember the height from which 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. ⁶But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

To the Church in Smyrna

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. ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

To the Church in Pergamum

¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

¹⁴Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. ¹⁵Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

¹⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ¹⁹I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²²So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. ²⁴Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): ²⁵Only hold on to what you have until I come.

²⁶To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

²⁷ ‘He will rule them with an iron sceptre;

he will dash them to pieces like pottery’^£—

just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸I will also give him the morning star. ²⁹He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Whoa… that’s a lot right there. I remember when we had this Revelation book expounded at church. They took a different Angels’ message each week. I am therefore not going to try to go into the detail which would often be necessary when looking at these things.

Rather I’m just going to comment on a couple of things that are quite interesting (to me at least).

Firstly, Nicolations… these were well… if you go to this link…

http://goodnewschristianministry.org/footnote_R101.htm

you’ll exactly why there is a problem here…

Now if anyone wanted proof that God is prepared to search out His wandering sheep, here it is. Those at the church in Ephesus have wandered from their first love. Yet God reminds them prior to removing their lampstand, giving the church an opportunity to re-focus on where they were heading and straighten up their operation.

Just like this for believers now! Read this passage as a wake up call to centre yourself back on the calling you have received! This is a battlefield, it has been said. Following that analogy, a soldier who is facing the wrong way is not useful, and will be removed from duty. Only the punishment in the case of Ephesus is far more grave. The removal of their lampstand, a symbol for the church itself, is clearly something that should be fought for.

Secondly then, Smyrna appears to be the only church which doesn’t have something against them… This doesn’t mean that they are a perfect church by any means. It shows God’s compassion, and caring Shepherd like nature, the church at Smyrna was clearly undergoing some kind of pressure and they needed to be picked up and held by a comforting hand. Check out the reassurance – “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer” It doesn’t pull any punches. God states there will likely be something to suffer. And yet, reminds that there should be no worrying! Not only because of who has got their back, but also reminds the church of the future prize. Something we often lose sight of these days. We often get bogged down in, “Oh, it’s ok to suffer, as Jesus suffered, so should we…” we often lose sight of a couple of things, opposite in their nature.

1 – We lose sight of the future glory that has been promised! This Promise is just as real as the air in your lungs or the screen that you are reading this on.

2 – We lose sight of the fact that even in these last days we have the very same God who was issuing the comfort to the church in Smyrna, working for us on our behalf these days.

Recently we had the privilege, hope he doesn’t blush, of having Andrew King preaching at our congregation in little old Haywards Heath. His sermons on Jacob were fantastic. One sermon was on Genesis 28 verses 10 to the end. The account details the dream Jacob had at the newly named Bethel. And in particular God working through His angels to work all things for the good of those who love Him. This was a great sermon and those of you who want to hear it really should, and I'm trying to find out when we are going to get the sermons from our services on the internet so you can all listen to it. Jacobs ladder was renamed Jacobs staircase though it was discussed that this still did not do justice to the concept being portrayed of Angels being constantly sent back and forth, a very active turnover of beings sorting thongs out. Wow! How good is that?

Right, matter at hand...

Basically I had to keep writing this at home because the computer battery died on the train. I'm real tired and gonna have to go to bed...
I may finish my writings tomo... probably best as there's so much going on in this passage! and it keeps relating to other things I wanna write about.

So I bid you all a fond farewell and hope that you all read and post replies back.
Take care one and all!

[listening to: Jason Mraz: various short songs]
[contemplating: how tired I really am]