This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Sharp Double-Edged Sword

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Mark Shields

Pergamum is located about 55 miles north of Smyrna in what is today Turkey. At the time of writing Revelation 2:12-17, the city was under Roman rule and was a political center so many of the rulings affected Asia Minor.

Prevalent within the city was idol worship. In fact, within the city were three temples dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor, another for the goddess Athena, and the Great Altar of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. Many scholars believe this altar mentioned in the book of Revelation is the “Throne of Satan”.

We become like those we associate. That’s why what we read, watch, and listen to is so important. God hates sin and it separates us from His blessings but because of Jesus who paid the price for that sin, we are able to be in a His presence. Jesus told the believers at Pergamum that He has the sharp double-edged sword to take care of the faithful (v. 12).

God’s word is the sword that can divide or make a distinction between things we generally think of as being closely related or indistinguishable. For example: what is the difference between a person’s thoughts and their intent? God’s Word can also penetrate to the heart of a person and cause change.

This day with God will be amazing because we can go to God with our needs or challenges and He will bless us with the strength to overcome.

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Posted in Overcome Difficulty, Revelation | Tagged Blessings, double edged sword, God, God's Presence, Idol Worship, Jesus, Overcome Difficulty, Pergamum, Roman Empire, Smyrna, Turkey | 3 Comments

Sermon Outline – What Makes an Awesome Mom?

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Mark Shields

This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey

Moms are always honored in the Bible. They matter because they have such an awesome capacity to bless their little ones and to continue to bless them as they grow into adults to become parents themselves. I liked the funny Mothers Day card examples Pastor Steve read. One card said, “Mom, take it easy today. Lay on the couch and rest. Be like Dad for a day”.

Below is the outline from the sermon message. One idea might be to use this outline or write notes from your church’s sermon message and go through them in a small group. Sermon outlines can also be used if you get together with an accountability partner or with a small Bible Study group. You are welcome to view podcast of sermons at this Link.

AN AWESOME EXAMPLE

“Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” John 13:34b (NLT)

“And…

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Week in Review – Revelation 2:1-11

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Mark Shields

This week, I have posting some thoughts from Revelation 2:1-11; that Christ was telling the church at Ephesus the need for more passion in their ministry. Here is a link to a poem with this in mind: Delight Yourself in the LORD.

The early Christian church faced persecution but hope in Christ brought them the courage needed to stand up to their fear. Here is a link to another poem inspired by this week in review: Inhale Courage.

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Posted in Courage, Desire, Poems | Tagged Christ, Church at Ephesus, Courage, Fear, Ministry, Passion, Poems, revelation, Review, Thoughts | Leave a comment

Standing Up to Fear

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Mark Shields

The early Christian church faced persecution but Christ’s description of himself as the ONE who is the First (with God from the beginning) and the Last (the judge of all); who died and came to life again (Rev. 2:8) brought a reason to stand up to their fear. He gave them hope and comfort in serving a higher purpose than themselves. They were not shaken; just like this video points out: We won’t Be Shaken – Building 429.

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the LORD. – Psalms 31:24

Posted in Courage, Rewards | Tagged Christ, Christian, Church, Comfort, Courage, God, Hope, Persecution, Purpose | 5 Comments

Hope and Confidence Confounds the Enemy

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Mark Shields

The Christians at Smyrna were being persecuted by pagan Gentiles, hostile Jews, and by Satan himself. Smyrna, a large city that reached metropolitan proportions during the period of the Roman Empire, was rebuilt by Alexander the Great. Since it was located in a strategic point near the coast of what is today Izmir Turkey, it rose to prominence as a wealthy and famous city. But as described in Revelation 2:8-11, the Christians there faced persecution because of their allegiance to Jesus.

Church of Smyrna was located in a strategic point near the coast of what is today Izmir Turkey

Christ’s description of himself as the ONE who is the First (with God from the beginning) and the Last (the judge of all); who died and came to life again (v. 8) brought comfort to the church at Smyrna. Even in persecution, there was always hope and a confidence because of the help that was gained from the Holy Spirit. This same hope and confidence is available to us today to confound the enemy.

In verse 11, the concept called the second death is mentioned. This type of death is much worse than the first death because it is eternal death in the lake of fire. Patiently enduring whatever challenges this world dispenses is worth it when the reward is with Christ and eternal happiness with Him.

The church at Smyrna was persecuted but they had a powerful testimony and set their site on the “Crown of Life”. The lesson from the Christians at Smyrna is to have the courage to stand even when everything seems to be against you. This day with God can be incredible because we have history to fall back on with great examples of courage like the one in today’s passage inspiring us toward God and His high purpose.

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