Philadelphia: Church of the Open Door
Read: Revelation 3:7-11 Behold, I have set before you an open door. (v. 8) Of all the churches, this one seems to have been the Lord’s favorite. It’s the only church of which he has no words of either criticism or warning. The same formula (“I know your works”) that introduces Christ’s judgment on churches like […]
Dressed in White
Read: Revelation 3:5-7; 7:9-17 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments. (3:5) Revelation 7 describes the church in two different but equally dramatic ways. First is a carefully numbered community of 144,000, drawn equally from the twelve tribes of Israel. This does not mean that only those descended from the original […]
Sardis: Wake Up!
Read: Revelation 3:1-4; Luke 13:1-5 . . . but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:5) I was driving along and noticed a billboard that had been put up by a local atheists’ group. “Millions of Americans are living happily without religion,” the sign said. “Of course they are,” I thought. When […]
The Seven Spirits
Read: Revelation 3:1; 4:1-11 The words of him who has the seven spirits of God. (3:1) In the book of Revelation, seven is the number of fullness or completeness. When Revelation speaks of the seven spirits of God as here (or in 4:5 or 1:4), it doesn’t mean that God has seven different spirits or […]
Listener Groups in Kasese, Uganda
In Western Uganda, people meet together in homes, under trees, or in churches to listen to and discuss the radio programs. In just a few years, dozens of Messiah RADIO 97.5 FM Kasese Listener Groups have sprouted up across the area.
The Morning Star
Read: Revelation 2:26-29; Psalm 2 And I will give him the morning star. (Rev. 2:28) Before we leave Thyatira, give a last thought to Jezebel, because what’s said about her is remarkably relevant to our church situation today. Jezebel called herself a prophetess, meaning she claimed the inspiration and authority of the Spirit for her […]
Thyatira: Hold Fast
Read: Revelation 2:18-25 Hold fast what you have until I come. (v. 25) Thyatira didn’t have great cultural importance, like Ephesus; it wasn’t a significant religious center, like Pergamum; it didn’t occupy a strategic site, like Laodicea. All Thyatira had was trade. The business of Thyatira was business. But that presented a problem for the […]
Eyes like Flame
Read: Revelation 2:18; Matthew 17:1-8 . . . the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire. (Rev. 2:18) When I was a pastor, my church had to fill out an annual report to our classis. In Reformed churches, the classis is the local assembly to which each congregation is accountable. So […]
A White Stone
Read: Revelation 2:17; Isaiah 43:1-7 I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. (Rev. 2:17) My older sister told me that my parents thought about naming me James. It’s weird to think that I might have gone through […]