How To Find Happiness In A World Full Of Trouble

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them 

that commit adultery with her into great 

tribulation, except they repent of their

 of their deeds. And I will kill her children

 with death;  and all the churches shall know that

 I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: 

and I will give unto every one of you 

according to your works. But unto you I say, 

and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as 

have not this doctrine, and which have 

not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;

 I will put upon you none other burden. But that 

which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Revelation 2:22-24 

     The Greek word for bed used here has an interesting meaning as it means to cause to slope or bend, to bow down, to decline.  Therefore a good translation is that to put a person, a sinner to be cast into a decline, to be have tribulation due to their adultery. Do not think of adultery to be just a sexual adultery as adultery can be done in several other ways outside of sex. To go after other things that God opposes is to commit adultery the One who has adopted you and has made you a bride of Christ. It is interesting that the children of Satan, Jezebel will be killed with death. How can a person be killed with death are we not all going to die? Yes! But there is a death that all who will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be their personal Savior will die in Gehenna (Revelation 20:11-15). Some will say that a person who is not going to heaven and is cast into Gehenna will suffer alive for eternity. What fear this may bring to a person but fear of this death will not save you. Gehenna, and I will address this thoroughly when we come to these verses in chapter 20, is a place called the Valley of Hinnon, a garbage dump where sulphur and brimstone burned day and night, where the edges of Gehenna had worms to eat decaying flesh and food particles. Even those considered to vile and evil to be buried where cast in this garbage dump and destroyed as their bodies burned to ashes. There is a death beyond the death that all men on this earth will have to pass through, then they too will rise to be judged and they will see how evil they are and will be killed with death. But those who repent, truly and honestly repent will be saved. God searches the heart and the "reins." The Greek word used here for "reins" means the kidneys, and reins is to be understood as a seat of desire and affection. What desire holds your affection and priority? What are your works that God will consider? You cannot work to be saved and has little to do with you being saved but is an outcrop of being saved. Faith, Authentic Christian Faith is demonstrated in your works and your works according to Scripture is to follow the law of God, the Ten Commandments and to spread the Gospel. Nothing added or taken away as some so-called Christian Churches have done. 

     The Church in Thyratira were following false doctrine. Do you belong to a "Church" that insists upon formality, and a self-righteousness shown by as in at least one Church I know to run through tunnels of fire, or to lay on tombstones and "suck up" the dead person' spirit. Or that some liturgical doctrine and will not allow others to have their liturgy without their condemnation. A person is always taking communion, even may be daily reading Scripture, you may have a deep hope of eternal life, never missing a Sunday Sermon, keeping the Sabbath holy, but where is the work of the Spirit? Where are the evidences of your regeneration? To do these things that hold a priority over the foundation of salvation is to make your Christianity a little religion. Beware, as we have learned to not be as the Church in Ephesus who left their first love, or to become lukewarm as we will see in the Church at Laodicea of tolerating false practices like Pergamos, of tampering with false doctrines like in Thyratira, of becoming half dead, ready to die. 

     Let all who desire to be Authentic Christians to be one who covets the best gifts and to aim at eminent holiness. Let us be known unmistakenable Christians. Be men and women of God and live that all may see that God is first, holds the priority in your life and follow Jesus Christ who is our Savior and will come to take you home to be with Him eternally.  

     God puts no other burden upon you and His burden is not that which you cannot bear for you have the Holy Spirit to guide you, to be with you, in all circumstances of life. You and I are commanded to hold fast that which God has revealed to us in Scripture until He comes. Repent, and return to your first love that love of Jesus Christ. Do you want to be happy? Well there is where the answer for happiness lies. God will not do this for you without you taking responsibility. 

Turn thou to us unto thee LORD,

     and we shall be turned;

renew our days as of old.

                      Lamentations 5:21

Be intentional to spread the Gospel

Richard L. Crumb