Message to the Church in Pergamos — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge with Joshua Daniel. The Layman's Evangelical Fellowship International is a ministry reaching people from all walks of life since 1935. After a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ at the age of 16, Joshua Daniel has been declaring the marvellous deliverance from sin, which is freely given to all those who turn to the loving Saviour.

Wherever this message has gone out, broken relationships have been restored, sickness healed, ill-gotten money returned, and thieves turned into givers. We now invite you to watch and receive the invaluable blessing that God has for you.

Christ’s Rebuke to the Church in Pergamos

Now turn to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, and the second chapter. You know, the Lord addresses his word and his rebukes to these early churches. So my friends, let our good Lord administer whatever rebuke he has got for us this morning.

The 12th verse, second chapter in the 12th verse, and to the angel of the church in Pergamos, write these things, saith he which has the sharp sword with two edges. I know your works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is.

The Cost of Pioneering Gospel Work

My goodness, just imagine the churches, those early churches, what they had to contend with. A world that was contrary to the righteousness of God. Now suppose we had to conduct those early battles. You know, I often say, if the fellowship had to go into those forests where some of those wild thieves and lawless men were living literally on raw meat, and just living without any morality.

I think of this, you know, about a hundred thousand or more gather every year for our meetings there. Of course, this hundred thousand represent all kinds of people, including professors, and we even to find parking room is getting to be hard in that notorious little village.

But God has been changing so many things amongst them after the revival. But to begin with, some of these great men of the Salvation Army had somehow quarreled them, brought them in, and settled them in that place, and put a chapel there, and a school there, and tried to amend them.

And of course, unfortunately, certain setbacks this had suffered. But notwithstanding their great pioneer work, as I look on it, I say, suppose the fellowship had to do the same. Would we have done it?

Would we have done it? Come on, let's be honest. No. And I told one of the big bosses in London the same. But of course, after God sent us in, and there was revival, the whole thing became different. The scenario became different.

But I'm talking of the original state of the inhabitants. Would we have done it? Come on, ask yourself, some of you are computer men, and hold big jobs. Let's be honest. I fear we would not have done it.

You see, friends, the dirty work. Who wants to do the dirty work? The hard work, full of heartbreaks. Now here, when the churches began, it was like putting another world into this world. It was so different.

The Early Churches in a World of Ungodliness

Europe, all right, from Turkey, we are talking about Asia Minor, or modern Turkey. And some of these early churches were situated there. But, you know, soon the work spread into Europe. What a sea of ungodliness Europe was.

Now would we have pioneered? I doubt it. I doubt it. Most of the inhabitants, most of the people in the cities and so on were slaves, the majority. And to preach to the masters and to the slaves, well, do you think that we would have had the constancy and the love that it takes?

And here was a church, which was situated where Satan's seat is. You know, my dear folks, today, we have got all kinds of things sweeping in to the country. I, you know, multiculturalism, it's called in Britain.

And in Canada, it is, what is it called? Same word. Multiculturalism. And, you know, we are asked to tolerate everything. All right, would you tolerate the old custom, the custom of burning the widow along with the dead husband?

And would you expect her to dance around and prance and then to fall in upon the flames? Would you have little children thrown in the rivers saying they are sacred rivers? So we offer our children to sacred deities.

Idolatry and the Habitations of Cruelty

I want to tell you it is a bunch of rubbish. And people want to follow that here in the American continent. You know, if you had any idea of the barbarity and the cruelty that is around idolatry, you would have a little more sense, my dear people.

You know, I have had to preach in situations where babies were slaughtered in the arms of their mothers. Where the gospel has not gone. There are the habitations of cruelty. Some of you are sitting in very dignified, nice, comfortable pews, I presume.

But you know how real is the cruelty that is employed. Even today, girls have shown me where their parents had scalded them, not burnt them with hot irons, just because they were following Jesus. You see, friends, some of you are completely out of touch.

You're living in a cloud cuckoo land. I know your works and where you dwell. You know, we accommodate so much evil today. So much evil. Now, if the early church accommodated so much evil around them, there wouldn't have been a church at all.

I know your works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. And thou holdest fast my name. Why? Right where Satan's seat is. Thou holdest my name. You see, friends, a loose grip upon spiritual things.

Holding Fast to Christ and His Faith

What do you mean? Here is a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. And he decides, Oh, all I need is a loose grip upon this lifeline. You see, we need to have a fast hold. You have held fast to my name and hast not denied my faith.

Truth, Moral Law, and Human Dignity

You know, the question today is, are we going to toe the line and go along with all the wickedness that is going on? You see, and oh, it is sad. It is. People who are not grounded in the word of God are incapable of making just laws.

Lawbreakers are now become lawgivers. And I'm not going to be comfortable under that. I'm going to say, hey, you're first a lawbreaker and you're not going to legislate and make me subservient to absurd laws.

You see, friends, if the early church had toed the line, alas, there wouldn't have been this light in the world. This clear distinction between right and wrong. You know, wrong becomes right with usage.

But can wrong ever become right? Because the majority says so? No. God made them male and female. And if you study the first chapter of Romans, you will see how idolatry led on to homosexuality and lesbianism and then eventually ended in reprobation.

Those were the three steps. Reprobation, you know, where you kick around the truth like you kick a football or a soccer ball. My dear friends, and so in this early church, there was no denying the faith, even when there was martyrdom around the corner and before their eyes.

Martyrdom and Standing for the Truth

You see, martyrdom. And if you read anywhere the Fox's Book of Martyrs, the welcome which the saints gave to the flames that were burning them, they stood for the truth. You know, truth doesn't seem to matter at all to people.

Corruption, Justice, and the Collapse of Nations

Recently, we were in a tight corner and we hardly knew how to find a more commodious place because of the high cost of lands. Well, eventually we settled upon a piece of property, which was very expensive.

And the official who had to register this place to us, he came to visit me and I spoke to him about the Lord and he seemed to be quite a dignified person. But he wanted a kickback and he said, you know, my my other officers won't be pleased unless they are given some of this money.

Well, we don't give any bribes, of course not. And the matter appeared to be in limbo. At such a time, who trooped in? The anti-corruption officials came in. Oh, you engineered this? Of course, I didn't engineer anything.

When the anti-corruption department official trooped in, everything was in order. The matter went through because the man himself would lose his job. You know, when corruption comes into a land like this and yet there are no voices.

What, Detroit declining to bankruptcy? Can't believe it. Can't believe it. It ought to be one of the richest cities of this whole continent and of the world. Why is that? No truth. No people who will stand for the truth.

When there is no truth, when the truth has fallen in the streets, what does it mean? There's nobody to stand up for the truth. What? Unanimity? In evil? And do you build a nation like that? You destroy a nation.

A Prayer for Faithfulness Amid Spiritual Peril

So, even at the time of martyrdom and the danger to which they were exposed likewise, they would not knuckle under. Let us pray. Gracious Father, in what a great peril we are in today. We are also beginning to live where Satan's seat is, dwelling is.

And Lord, we seem to be ill-equipped. We profess so much love with our mouths. But alas, there are idols in the soul. Oh, this subtle temptation that arises from greed. Oh, greed in the pulpit? Greed in the heart of the preacher?

Oh Lord, have mercy on us. We want to be a humble people. Make us to follow in your footsteps. And that is enough for us. In Jesus' almighty name. Amen.

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Until we meet again next week, may God bless you.