Repent of their worshipping the emperor, and the god of Asklepios and holding to the teachings of the Nicolations.
People today often worship movie stars, now called super stars, and the church is no different. We have our own brand of super stars that we worship as they stand in the pulpit and we worship them as if they were infallable. God will not tolerate this and is calling for each of us to get back to our first love as He told the 1st church.
The teachings of the Nicholations was probably referring to Nicholas in Acts 6:5. He was a Jewish convert who was accused by the church fathers shortly thereafter of subverting the truth by teaching an extreme non-law Gospel. His gospel held that anything you wanted to do was alright, which of course led to over-indulgences. As you can see, God is NOT only NOT fond of being replaced with known idols, but doesn't want us to become idols unto ourselves either. Though Jesus redeemed us from the law, we must still obey His commands and words. I liken what they were doing to people of today who go in and play baseball by football rules, and then when this is pointed out as wrong, shout foul and legalism!! The Body of Christ has too long justified its sin of disobedience in the name of freedom. Amen? Do you compromise? Do you fail to put Christ in First place in your life? Are you afraid of what others might say? Would you, do you, give your worship, service, and allegiance to Caesar (the world, or anything or anyone other than God?)
~ "Dear friends, I've dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting - begging! - that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks, who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels(the scriptures warned us this would happen). Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license - which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.
I'm laying this out as clearly as I can, even though you once knew all this well enough and shouldn't need reminding. Here it is in brief:
The Master saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Later, He destroyed those who defected. And you know the story of the angels who didn't stick to their post, abandoning it for other darker missions. But they are now chained and jailed in a black hole until the great Judgement Day. Sodom and Gomorrah, which went to sexual rack and ruin along with the surrounding cities that acted just like them, are another example. Burning and burning and never burning up, they serve still as a stock warning.
This is exactly the same program of these latest infiltrators: dirty sex, rule and rulers thrown out, glory dragged in the mud.
These people are warts on your love feasts as you worship and eat together. They're giving you a black eye - carousing shamelessly, grabbing anything that isn't nailed down. They are:
Puffs of smoke pushed by gusts of wind;
late autumn trees stripped clean of leaf and fruit,
Doubly dead, pulled up by the roots;
wild ocean waves leaving nothing on the beach
but the foam of their shame;
Lost stars in outer space
on their way to the black hole.
These are the "grumpers", the bellyachers, grabbing for the biggest piece of the pie, talking big, saying anything they think will get them ahead.
But remember, dear friends, that the Apostles of our Master, Jesus Christ, told us this would happen: 'In the last days there will be people who don't take these things seriously anymore. They'll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts'. These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There's nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit!
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms opened and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the REAL life!
Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.
And now to Him, Who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in His bright presence, fresh and celebrating - to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. YES!
Jude 3-8, 12-13, 16-25 The Message Bible
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