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 […]
Pergamum: Where Satan Has His Throne
Read: Revelation 2:13-16 I know where you dwell. (v. 13) On the acropolis of ancient Pergamum stood the magnificent Temple of Zeus. Alongside it was another temple dedicated to Caesar—the first-ever building formally built for the worship of the Roman emperor. That hill and its temples dominated the skyline of Pergamum; you couldn’t escape the […]
The Sharp Two-edged Sword
Read: Revelation 2:12; Hebrews 4:11-13; Revelation 19:11-16 The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. (Rev. 2:12) In Revelation, as throughout the Bible, the two-edged sword is the Word of God. The key is that it issues from the mouth of the Lord Jesus. God does what he does by speaking. It’s how […]