A Glutton and Friend of Sinners
Read: Luke 7:24-35 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (v. 34) It was the worst thing they could say about him. The Pharisees, threatened by the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus, looked […]
The Living One
Read: Revelation 2:8; Mark 16:1-8 The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. (Rev. 2:8) We have already heard God call himself the Alpha and Omega, the first and last (Rev. 1:8). Now Jesus does the same. His second letter, addressed to the church of Smyrna, is introduced as, […]
The Tree of Life
Read: Revelation 2:7; 22:1-5 To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7) The original Tree of Life was in the Garden of Eden, along with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After Adam and Eve ate […]
May 2025 Prayer Guide
TÜRKIYE — The team in Türkiye gives thanks for God’s faithfulness. They are grateful to have solidified departmental leadership, which is allowing them to focus more fully on production. Pray for continued growth and wisdom for the social media team as they implement new training. Praise God that meaningful conversations with seekers are beginning to […]
Where Are We Rooted?
Read: Colossians 2:6-13 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (vv. 6-7) If a plant in a pot does not flower, then we have to carefully examine it. We can check […]
The Alpha and the Omega
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God. (Rev. 1:8) Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In today’s reading, God says, in essence, “I’m the beginning and the end—and everything in between.” Nothing exists apart from God or outside of God. […]
Lost Love
Read: Revelation 2:2-6; Luke 7:36-50 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Rev. 2:4) In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the main character, beset by the uncertainties swirling around his life and family, asks his wife, “Do you love me?” She replies, “Do I what? […]
Among the Lampstands
Read: Revelation 2:1; Matthew 18:18-20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matt. 18:20) The Lord Jesus dictated seven letters to John for distribution among the churches of Asia Minor. Each letter is addressed to the “angel” of the church. Since angellos in Greek means “messenger,” it […]
What Jesus Looks Like Now
Read: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Revelation 1:12-17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. (Rev. 1:17) What’s your mental picture of Jesus? Some might think of a painting that once hung in many a church lounge, a portrait of an olive-skinned Jesus with brown hair and beard and a rather dreamy […]