Coffee With Pat Ministries

The Church In Pergamum
Author: Pat Aman…

““To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Revelation‬ ‭2:12-17‬ ‭

Satan has often used two ways to render the church powerless. The first is that he persecutes the church and the second is he seduces the church.

Most often, at least with true believers, persecution has back fired on the Devil and made the church much stronger and purer. Like a fire melting away the dross and refining metal, the church is often made purer.

It means something to be a Christian in places where it cost you. Would we remain faithful to Christ if being a Christian meant you would be unemployed, live in poverty, and chased down?

Satan’s other way is more subtle and often much more effective, he doesn’t attack us from without but he lulls us to sleep from within. He gets us off track and switches the real gospel with a false gospel; he tricks us into thinking that there are other things as important as serving Christ and loving the lost. . He gets us to believe that holiness is an option and that a true commitment to Christ is too radical and weird. He seduces us as we sometimes might think sin is not all that bad. He wants us to think that we can have the best of both worlds. He says you can have Christ and all that the world has to offer as well. Look around, he says, every other church is doing it. Because of our sinful nature and the desires of our flesh we take the bait and swallow the lie hook line and sinker. We often forget,

James 4:4 (ESV)You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Unfortunately with the church suffering had not perfected it but had caused it to give in, a little here and a little there. Oh they still considered themselves Christian but they were not the pure church that the Lord wanted them to be. They had allowed compromise to remain within the church. While this compromise was in some respect doctrinal it was mainly in holiness. This church upheld the name of Christ and faith in Christ but compromised its commitment to Christ. The church told the truth with it’s lips but lied with it’s life.

Are you living and worshipping in a compromise church?

How about your personal relationship with God, are you living a compromised life?

Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2030, “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” and Westbow Press a division of Thomas Nelson