NT: “After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

After Jesus Christ gave John messages for the seven churches in Asia (representatives of all churches), the Lord called John up through an open door into heaven. The Lord’s reason for calling John up was to show him, from a heavenly perspective, what must take place after the current moment of time that John was in. One thing to keep in mind as you view occurrences from a heavenly perspective is that heaven is eternal. It does not reside within time, but exists outside and above time. All of time, from beginning to end, can be seen from a heavenly perspective, and we should not try to force the things we see from heaven into a limited, single-threaded and linear timeline of earth.

The most significant thing that John saw as he spiritually entered heaven through his vision – and the most significant thing that we should see – is that at the center of it all is a throne… and that throne is occupied. Everything that John saw… all the things that must take place… at the center of them all is an occupied throne. The throne is not empty, nor is it occupied by a creature. It is occupied by the God and Creator of all – the First and Last – the ever-faithful, ever-present I AM.

John was not able, nor did he try to describe God. All he could see, comprehend, and attempt to describe was the appearance of the glory that emanated from God’s being. God’s glory had the appearance of two gemstones – one that was pure and white, and the other a deep red. Perhaps those colors symbolize both His perfect and pure holiness, and His sacrificial love and mercy. They may also represent the first and last stones that were sown on the Jewish High Priests ephod, showing that God is always cognizant of His covenant people. Around the throne emanated a green rainbow. The rainbow is symbolic of God’s covenant with mankind and green is often symbolic of life and vitality. The rainbow went completely around the throne, symbolizing the truth that God limits Himself with the covenant promises that He has made.

Just as Mount Sinai thundered and quaked under the weight of God’s glory, so the awesome and uncontainable glory of God caused the very throne of heaven to send forth terrifying lightning and quaking peals of thunder. Seated around God’s throne, was the full representation of God’s covenant people – twenty four elders, each seated on their own throne, representing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve disciples of Christ. Before God, was the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and flying around the throne were four seraphim – the same seraphim that were seen by the prophet Isaiah in the vision he had seen hundreds of years before.

The God that we serve is no creation from the mind of humanity. He is no second-class deity that can be depicted by a picture or image. He is the indescribable, all-powerful, perfectly holy, knee-shakingly awesome God that is the source of all life and set creation on its course. And the God that we serve is now, and forever will be, on the throne.

Psalms: “Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too wondrous for me. Instead, I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like a weaned child. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭131:1-3‬ ‭CSB)

King David, the psalmist who wrote Psalm 131, did not take his position of king too highly. What kept him firmly rooted to the ground and at peace was having an accurate understanding of himself. While he was indeed king of the people of God, there was another – far greater – king in heaven that he served under. He learned, just as a weaned child learns how to comfort himself in his mother’s presence, to calm and quiet his concerns and anxieties by seeing things from a heavenly perspective. Ultimately, God was on the throne. God was the true king of Israel, and in God’s presence, before His throne in worship, David could be at peace.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are now and forever will be on the throne, ruling and reigning over the affairs of men and the course of creation. Help me to not lose Heaven’s perspective of things, grow fearful and anxious, and end up putting myself on the throne of my life. Help me by Your grace to be humble and at peace before You as I lay my life before you in worship. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: ““Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent. See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:14-22‬ ‭CSB)

Laodicea was a wealthy city. It was located on major trade routes that connected several important cities. It was also a center of textile production and banking. Located in Laodicea was a medical school that was known worldwide for its production of an eye salve called Phyrigian powder. Phyrigian powder was made from a local stone. Laodicea was in the Lycus River Valley, and an aqueduct was built to pipe water from the river – some 6 miles away – into the city. The water from the river was rich with calcium, which over time would cause the pipes to clog and the water to flow very slowly. By the time the water reached the city, it was no longer cool, but lukewarm.

When the book of Revelation was written, Domitian was likely the reigning emperor of Rome. Domitian is viewed as one of the most tyrannical emperors in Roman history and was the first emperor to declare himself a god while he was still alive. During his rule, Christians were heavily persecuted. It is interesting that the Lord Christ did not commend any of the Laodicean church for their endurance or perseverance as He did the other churches. When you have much wealth, you also have much to lose. Instead of commending them, the Lord rebuked them. Just like the unsatisfying water that flowed into their city, Jesus called them lukewarm. Compromising your stand for the truth and your commitment to Christ is very distasteful to the Lord. It appears that the Laodicean church was more concerned with maintaining their material wealth than they were their unwavering commitment to the gospel and to Christ. They came from a town that was renowned for it’s textiles, yet Jesus said they were shamefully naked. They came from a town that was known the world over for it’s medicinal eye salve, yet Jesus said they were blind. They came from a town that was the center of banking in the region, yet Jesus said they were poor. Instead of putting their confidence in the success of the banking industry, Jesus called them to repent and put their trust in Him and He would give them pure gold refined through fire. Instead of putting their trust in the textile industry, Jesus called them to repent and trust in Him – and He would give them garments made of pure white. Instead of trusting in the medicinal eye salves that had made them famous, Jesus called them to put their trust in Him and He would heal their eyes and cause them to truly see.

When people refer to Jesus saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” they usually refer to it as having been addressed to non-believers. But in actuality, it was addressed to believers who had essentially closed the door to fellowship with Christ through their lukewarm “commitment” to the word, will and ways of the Lord. It really is somewhat sad that the Lord Christ our Savior would have to stand outside our lives and knock on the door because we have shut Him out due to compromise with the culture… because maintaining our things was more important than fellowshipping with Him. That is what the Laodiceans were guilty of, and the Lord Jesus Christ called them to repent from their lukewarm hearts and become zealous for the things of God. To those who resist the temptation to compromise and the lure to become complacent, Christ will give them the right to share His throne in glory.

Psalms: “I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning — more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord. For there is faithful love with the Lord, and with him is redemption in abundance. And he will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭130:6-8‬ ‭CSB)

The psalmist’s desire for the Lord was anything but lukewarm. He likened his desire for God to a watchman waiting for the morning. Watchmen would keep watch all night long… keeping watch over those under their care, preventing a surprise attack under the cover of darkness. The watchman would long for the light of day, for then, there would be safety in the light and he would be able to rest and be at peace. When we wait on the Lord, walking in His ways, honoring His words and obeying His will, there is safety… there is never-failing faithfulness… there is redemption from sin. Our hope should not be placed on the things of this world. Our hope, and thus our passions, should be centered squarely on the ever-faithful, never failing God.

Proverbs: “A rich person is wise in his own eyes, but a poor one who has discernment sees through him.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:11‬ ‭CSB)

People who are wealthy – who are essentially self-sufficient financially – will tend to think themselves to be self-sufficient in other things. People who are poor depend on others for the things they need and, to some degree, for their own lives. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will see God.” Those who realize that they have lack and place their faith and hope in the Lord will have true wisdom and see with clarity.

Prayer: Lord I thank You that everything that I need is found in You. I thank You that you fill me with true riches that do not lose value or eventually fail. I thank You that You clothe me in Your righteousness. I thank You that You heal my eyes that I may see things clearly from Your eternal perspective. I thank You that as I remain zealously committed to You, You will give me the right to rule and reign with you for eternity. In light of all that, how could I possibly be anything but passionate for Your word, Your will, Your ways, and the things of Your kingdom. Help me to remain white hot for You by grace through faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: ““Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens: I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God — the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God — and my new name. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:7-13‬ ‭CSB)

Ancient Philadelphia was located in a very earthquake prone region of Asia Minor. Its volcanic soil allowed it to produce grapes of renowned quality. Philadelphia was also known as “Little Athens” because of the many pagan temples that were erected in the city. The city stood at an important junction of the imperial road than ran from Rome through Troas, Pergamum, Sardis, and continued to Tarsus and the East. Because of its location on that key Roman road, the city had an “open door” to the rest of the world.

Apparently, the church in Philadelphia was not great in size or resources, but they faithfully kept the word of the Lord and did not deny His name – even in the midst of a city given over to pagan worship and an influential sect of people who claimed to be Jews, that Christ referred to as the synagogue of Satan. Despite their small size and lack of resources, the Lord Jesus said that He was giving them an open door that no one can close. Because they were faithful to Him and His word, He would give them influence and access beyond their natural size and resources. Even those who were of the synagogue of Satan would eventually submit to them because they were fully submitted to the Lord.

Throughout the Bible, that is a theme that is repeated over and over: in the kingdom of God, physical size and stature does not matter. When you are on the Lord’s side and remain faithfully submitted to Him, He will open doors that no man can shut… He will win battles that would be impossible to win… He will give influence that goes far beyond size and resources. God did that with Gideon. God did that with David when he faced Goliath. The Lord did that with a small uneducated group of disciples. The Lord still does that today. The church that I attend is not very large in number or in resources. My church has less than 1,000 members and a budget to match it size – yet it has influence in our city that matches and even surpasses some mega churches with thousands of members and an almost unlimited supply of funds. Right now, I am in a small village on the southern coast of Kenya, partnering with a small church family that was started by a man and his wife who simply began serving a leper colony here in the village. They are small and have very little resources, yet they have immense influence in the region and are making a powerful impact in this heavily Islamic region of Kenya.

When you remain faithfully rooted in the word, will and ways of the Lord, size does not matter. The King of kings and the Lord of lords – the one who has been given the keys of authority to heaven and earth – will open doors that no man can shut. And as you remain solidly rooted to His purposes in faith, He will firmly establish you forever in His presence and forever call you His own.

Psalms: “Out of the depths I call to you, Lord! Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears be attentive to my cry for help. Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in his word.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭130:1-5‬ ‭CSB)

In psalm 8, David wrote, “what is a human being that You remember him, a son of man that You look after him?” When you consider the vastness of the universe and the immensity of the God that could have created such a wonder… and then you consider a single human in the midst of that, that human being seems so insignificant. Then, when you add to that God’s perfect holiness and blazing glory, and mankind’s enormous weight of sin, you realize that it is a miracle of God’s mercy that we are even still alive. As insignificant as we may seem in the scope of all time and space, the truth is that we collectively and as individuals are very significant to the Lord. He loves us and desires to see us fellowship with Him and accomplish the purposes He has for us. Therefore, He has provided an open door of forgiveness through faith in His Son, that little insignificant us could approach Him in reverence and receive freely of His love, life and grace.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that in Your kingdom and Your economy, physical size and quantity of resources does not matter. You take small little mustard seeds and grow them into trees. You can take little insignificant me and use me to impact the world in a positive way that far exceeds my size or my resources. Lord, as I place my faith in You and lovingly walk in faith and obedience, open doors that no man can shut – not for my own acclaim, but for Your glory and fame. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Pursue good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Armies, will be with you as you have claimed. Hate evil and love good; establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph… Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! What will the day of the Lord be for you? It will be darkness and not light. It will be like a man who flees from a lion only to have a bear confront him. He goes home and rests his hand against the wall only to have a snake bite him. Won’t the day of the Lord be darkness rather than light, even gloom without any brightness in it? I hate, I despise, your feasts! I can’t stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Even if you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will have no regard for your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle. Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.” (‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:14-15, 18-24‬ ‭CSB)

Amos did not come from a family of priests. He did not come from a family of prophets. He was a common shepherd from the city of Tekoa, a small town just south of Jerusalem. Yet God moved in him and anointed him to bring a strong message of repentance to the nation of Israel. Amos ministered during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah and King Jeroboam II in Israel. Though Amos was from the southern kingdom of Judah, his prophecies were directed at the northern kingdom of Israel.

Under the reign of Jeroboam, the northern kingdom of Israel was quite profitable from a material sense, but were far from thriving in a spiritual sense. The people of Israel, in the midst of their material prosperity, had taken on a prideful and privileged attitude. They had no love for their neighbor, they took advantage of others, and only looked out for their own concerns. Through Amos, a simple farmer and shepherd, God held His people accountable for their ill-treatment of others and their failure to fully embrace God’s idea of justice.

Because of their prosperity, the people of Israel considered themselves to be blessed and safe from God’s judgement. Yet, God had another message for them. God told them that their confidence in their status was misplaced. Where they welcomed the day of the Lord out of their self-righteousness, God told them that His day of justice and vengeance would be a rude awakening for them. Where the Israelites continued going through the rituals of worship believing that God must be honoring their sacrifices, God said that their sacrifices were a stench to His nostrils because they did not offer them from a posture of humble worship, but from a posture of arrogance and pride. God said, if they truly wanted to be blessed and accepted by God, they needed to pursue Him and not evil… they needed to repent from their self-serving practices and allow God’s justice and righteousness to flow down like a river.

The world is full of injustice and unrighteousness. Sinful human nature is bent toward self-preservation and doing whatever it takes to get ahead and stay ahead. That is not the nature of God, nor should it be the nature of those who have been born again into the life and nature of Christ. What is the status of our hearts before God?  Do we truly walk in love and humility? Are we truly agents of God’s justice and righteousness? Or are we, like the nation of Israel, deceived into thinking that our self-serving prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing?

NT: ““Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

The city of Sardis was very wealthy and prosperous due to the fact that gold was found in the river that flowed through the city. In fact, King Croesus (a king of that region before the rise of the Roman Empire) was the first regent to ever issue pure gold coins. The people of Sardis had a reputation of living very voluptuous lifestyles because of their great prosperity.

Apparently, that voluptuous and self-serving lifestyle had infected the church in Sardis. The Lord spoke to them and said, I know your works… I know your reputation for living large. Though you appear to be very much alive, you are actually spiritually dead.

Though there were a few members of the congregation that had remained faithful to the word, will and ways of the Lord, the majority of the church were following their own ways and resting comfortably in their prosperity. They had received the truth of the gospel. At one time, they had placed their faith in Christ and surrendered to Him as Lord, they had been made alive and filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet, the Lord who has the Holy Spirit and sent the Holy Spirit knew that they were now dead. His word to them was to wake up, repent, and strengthen what little bit of spiritual life that remained in them. He told them to remember the powerful gospel that they had received and keep it. If they did not wake up now and repent, they would be rudely awakened on the Day of the Lord. They had sullied the garments of white that they were given at their rebirth, but if they fully repented from their dead works, they would be dressed in white once again.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for all the blessings that You have given me. I thank You for the abundance that has come my way from walking according to Your word, will and ways. Help me, through the leading and convicting work of Your Holy Spirit, to not place my confidence in my abundance, but to always remain humble, dependent and grateful to the Giver of All Good Things. Help me to strengthen what I have in You so that I will not be swept away by prosperity and can remain spiritually prosperous in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: I know your works — your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets of Satan” — as they say — I am not putting any other burden on you. Only hold on to what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations — and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery — just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:18-29‬ ‭CSB)

Thyatira was a wealthy Ancient Greek city in Asia Minor, now the modern Turkish city of Akhisar. Thyatira was a prosperous trading town that was situated on the Roman road from Pergamum to Laodicea. Thyatira was home to a major cult of the pagan god Apollo. The city was also famous for its dyeing and was a center of the indigo trade.

In Acts 16:11-15 is the story of Lydia. Lydia, who was a dealer in purple-dyed cloth, was from Thyatira. She encountered Paul and Silas on one of their missionary journeys, heard Paul speak, and came to faith in Christ. There is a good probability that Lydia returned home to Thyatira carrying the gospel and was instrumental in the birth of the church there.

Apparently, there was also another prominent woman involved in the church in Thyatira. However, this woman was not a positive influence. The Lord Christ referred to her as Jezebel. The real life Jezebel is considered one of the most evil people recorded in the Bible. She was the wife of King Ahab of the Northern kingdom of Israel. She was a priestess in the worship of Baal and was responsible for leading Israel into one of its darkest times. This “Jezebel” in the Thyatirian church was doing the same thing. Apollo was considered the god of prophecy, and “Jezebel” considered herself a prophetess.

Though the church in Thyatira had a reputation of love, faithfulness, service and endurance, there was a growing number of members who were being led into sexual immorality and pagan worship by this self-proclaimed prophetess who knew and was teaching the “so-called secrets of Satan.” The Lord said that He had given “Jezebel” time to repent, but she did not. Apollo was also considered the god of health and healing. In response to her pagan worship, the Lord said that He would allow sickness to overcome her to her demise – along with anyone else who followed her teachings and did not repent. Christ called Himself the one who had eyes of fire and feet of bronze. He was able to see all – even that which was done in secret – and would bring appropriate judgement to that which He considered evil.

Many time, immoral and unfaithful people who have the heart and spirit of Jezebel will seek to establish themselves within a family of faith and attempt to lead them astray. The easy thing to do is to tolerate those people instead of confronting them and driving them out. Those people may be wealthy and hold a great deal of power and influence in the world and may even threaten to bring about your ruin. But we serve the Lord who has eyes of fire and feet of bronze. He sees all, He knows all, and He will stomp out evil from our midst if we trust Him and obey Him.

To those who had not been led astray, Christ gave them one simple charge: “Hold on to what you have until I come.” In other words, don’t go looking for some new revelation or new truth. You have been given the words of truth… the words of life… true words of prophecy from God Himself. Hold on to those… guard them… treasure them… don’t stray from them…remain faithful to them until the end. Those who conquer the efforts of the enemy by remaining faithful to the word, will and ways of Christ will be given authority over the nations in the life to come.

Proverbs: “A destitute leader who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no food. Those who reject the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law pit themselves against them. The evil do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand everything.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:3-5‬ ‭CSB)

Destitute leaders, like the “Jezebel” who was maintaining prominence in Thyatira, do not bring life. They only bring destruction. Those who do not honor the word, will and ways of the Lord and keep the word of God hidden in their heart will be deceived by those destitute leaders and praise them. Those who do keep the word of God will find themselves pitted agains them. We do not need to leave in fear of destitute leaders and their followers. Instead, we need to place our faith in the One who sees all, knows all, and will judge all according to His righteousness. Hold on to what you have in the Lord and don’t allow yourself to be led astray by leaders who appear to bring life but only bring destruction.

Prayer: Lord I thank You that You are the one with eyes of fire and feet of bronze. You see all and judge all according to Your righteousness. As long as I hold on to You and what I have in You, I never have to be afraid of prominent and powerful people who have pitted themselves against You. Help me to resist the temptation to tolerate evil people, but instead resist evil and hold fast to You by grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: ““Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death. “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: I know where you live — where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:8-17‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord had an encouraging word to give to the church in Smyrna. That church was about to endure persecution and suffering, and the Lord wanted them to know, that though they thought they were poor and lacking, they were actually rich in Him. When you go through trials that test your faith and your endurance, you begin to wonder if you have what it takes to come out the other side victorious. In our own strength, we don’t have what it takes – but in the Lord and by His grace, we have everything we need in abundance. The Lord Christ told the church to not be afraid, but to be faithful… even to the point of death. The victory isn’t determined by whether you live or die. The victory is determined by whether you remain in the faith. To those who conquer the enemy by not losing faith in Christ will never be harmed by the fires of hell.

The Lord had a different word for the Church in Pergamum. There were many who were holding on to the name of Christ and were not denying their faith – even in the midst of severe persecution and death. However, the Lord had a warning for some. Apparently, there were some in the Pergamum church who were holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which the Lord hates.

Who were the Nicolaitans? Not much in known about them, but scholars have concluded this about them: They were likely followers of a man named Nicolas who was once a believer in Christ, but fell away from the faith due to the pressures of persecution. Instead of remaining sanctified from the world, he compromised and in the name of not being “canceled,” he accepted and allowed pagan practices and beliefs into his life. The Lord likened the Nicolaitans to Balaam. Balaam was a character who led the nation of Israel into sin by enticing them to compromise their sanctified status by engaging in pagan sexual rituals with Midianite women. The Nicolaitans were attempting to do the same with the church in Pergamum. Though they claimed to be friendly to the Christian believers, they were enticing them to compromise their faith by engaging in aspects of pagan worship.

To the church in Pergamum, Christ referred to Himself as the one with the sharp, double-edged sword. That sharp double-edged sword is the word of truth that is living and effective at judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The Lord said that if the people who were engaging in compromise didn’t repent, He would quickly fight against them and expose them with His word of truth. To those who conquered the onslaught of compromise, Christ would give them hidden manna (unfailing daily wisdom and sustenance from Him) and give them a new righteous identity.

The church today is much like the church in Pergamum. We have many in our midst who have capitulated to society in the name of being accepted and not cancelled. The Lord does not call us to be acceptable to the world. He calls us to live in the world but not of it… to remain holy as He is holy. The word of truth will both give us discernment to know what is of God and not of God, as well as expose those who engage in compromise and attempt to lead us astray. If we remain faithful to Him, we will have access to the Truth that never grows old… never grows stale… never becomes outdated – and we will be given a new name and the grace to live up to it.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your word of truth – the sharp, double-edged sword that is not swayed by popular opinion and the philosophies of the day – that will always lead me on the path of truth and righteousness if I heed it and remain faithful. Help me by Your grace to remain in spotted from the world and to remain faithful to You until the end. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: ““Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:1-7‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus, the Lord of the Church, had several commendations for the church in Ephesus. The worked, labored and endured. They did not tolerate evil and the people that perpetrated it. They tested people who claimed to be apostles and did not allow themselves to get led astray by false teachers and deceivers. They persevered through much hardships for the sake of Christ. However, Christ had one thing against them. They lost the love that they had when they first came to the Lord.

How easy it is to allow devotion to fade into mere discipline… for ministry to just become a job done out of obligation and habit instead of motivated by love. In all their work, vigilance, persevering and enduring, the Ephesian church lost the motivation of love, and as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, without love, we have nothing and we gain nothing. The truth that we speak as we confront evil becomes critical and harsh instead of loving and life-giving. Our work and perseverance becomes drudgery instead of worship born out of love. So serious is the loss of love as our primary motivation, that Christ said if they did not repent of their lovelessness, He would remove their lampstand – or their position of grace-infused favor and influence.

In recent days, I have seen the church in the United States become highly critical and loveless in their motivations and interactions. I believe the word that the Lord gave to the church in Ephesus, He would also give to the church in America: return to the love that you had at first – a pure, white-hot love for God, which results in an unconditional, sacrificial and servant-hearted love for people – or I will remove your place of favor and influence in the world. May we return to the love that we had at first.

Psalms: “How happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You will surely eat what your hands have worked for. You will be happy, and it will go well for you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children, like young olive trees around your table. In this very way the man who fears the Lord will be blessed.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭128:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

How happy and blessed is the one who both fears the Lord and walks in His ways. To fear the Lord is to love, honor and respect Him. To walk in His ways is to ultimately walk in love and truth, for God is love, God is truth, and everything He does and says is true and motivated for His love for us.

When we truly fear the Lord and walk in His ways, our home life will be peaceful, fruitful and satisfying. I wonder if one of the reasons why many Christian homes are no different, and in some ways worse, than worldly homes is that we do not truly fear the Lord and walk in His ways, which are motivated by love.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your love that You demonstrate to me every day. I know that I know love and am able to love because You first loved me and gave Your life for me. As I carry on the work of ministry, help me, as I keep my faith in You, to not lose my love for You and the love that You give me for people. May everything that I say and do be motivated by love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will cease their shining. The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.” (‭‭Joel‬ ‭3:14-17a‬ ‭CSB)

The Hebrew word for decision also means a place of threshing and judgement. Threshing is the process that separates wheat from chaff. After threshing, the wheat kernels are kept, while the chaff is burned up. On that ultimate day of the Lord, there will be a valley of decision. In the valley will be multitudes upon multitude – everyone who has ever lived. The time for people to decide will be over. The one doing the deciding will be the Lord God, the judge of all. It will be a terrible and terrifying time, but those who belong to the Lord… those who have placed their faith in the Lord God and His Son Jesus Christ… those who have been redeemed through faith in Christ and declared righteous… those who are found in Christ with their names written in the Book of Life need not be afraid. Instead of a source of terror, the Lord will be a refuge for His people. On that day, people will either be assured of eternal life or they will be assured of eternal death.

Even now, in this age, those who are in Christ diffuse a fragrance of the future to come. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 that those who are in Christ are in a triumph processional, and that through us, God spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. To those who are have chosen to walk with God through Christ, the fragrance they smell is the aroma of life leading to life. To those who have rejected the word, will and ways of God, the fragrance they smell is the aroma of death leading to death. Our time to decide between life and death is now. Eventually, on the day of the Lord, we will no longer have the opportunity to decide, and all the deciding will be done by the Lord God of All.

NT: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet… Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. The hair of his head was white as wool — white as snow  — and his eyes like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look — I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.”” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:10, 12-18‬ ‭CSB)

In the midst of all the horrible persecution that was terrorizing and taking the lives of believers in Rome and Jerusalem,  John was exiled on the island of Patmos –  “off the grid” and removed from society. I imagine all of that was weighing heavily on him as he walked along the beach, praying in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. Suddenly, from behind, he heard a loud and piercing voice. As he turned to see who or what it was, he saw a man so amazing and terrifying that he passed out.

John was one of the disciples who was present on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had seen the glorified Jesus before. Yet, when he saw the glorified Jesus this time, it knocked him off his feet in shock and awe. Worry, concern and fear can really influence our perspective and cause us to forget things that we know. Perhaps in John’s concern for the church and his inability to do anything about it, to some degree he forgot who Jesus was. I know that I am guilty of that from time to time, and I have to be reminded of the great God that I serve.

After John fell on his face, unconscious from the shock of what he had just seen, Jesus graciously bent over, placed his hand on John, and said, “John… don’t be afraid… It’s Me.” In an instant, Jesus took away John’s anxiety and fear by reminding him of Who He was. Jesus is the First and the Last. He was at the beginning and He will endure through all things. He is  the Ever Living One… the source of life itself. He is alive forever and He holds the keys of death and hades. John had no reason to fear… for his life or for the lives of those who were in Christ by faith. In Christ we do not need to fear. We don’t need to fear the trials and tribulations of this life, nor do we need to fear the end of days. As long as we are in Christ, we will love forever.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that as I remain in You by faith, my future is secure. I don’t need to fear present circumstances, for you hold the keys of death and hades in Your hand. I don’t need to fear the great tribulation nor the end of days, for in You, I am not appointed to wrath, but to eternal life with You. Help me, by Your Holy Spirit, to never lose sight of who You are, and who I am in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God… Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Have pity on your people, Lord, and do not make your inheritance a disgrace, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Then the Lord became jealous for his land and spared his people. The Lord answered his people: Look, I am about to send you grain, new wine, and fresh oil. You will be satiated with them, and I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations… Children of Zion, rejoice and be glad in the Lord your God, because he gives you the autumn rain for your vindication. He sends showers for you, both autumn and spring rain as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — my great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame. After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.” (‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:12-14, 17-19, 23-31‬ ‭CSB)

Many scholars believe that Joel prophesied during the reign of King Joash of Judah. The story of Joash is found in 2 Kings 11-12. This prophecy was written just after a time of great devastation to the entire land of Judah. An enormous plague of locusts – larger than had ever been experienced before – descended on the land and stripped Judah of all vegetation… even stripping the bark off of trees. After the swarm of locusts, a famine and drought seized the land. People and animals were dying everywhere. The destruction was so great that Joel concluded that it was the judgement of God.

The reverberating call from the Lord God through Joel was to repent. God wasn’t calling for the rituals of repentance, where people ripped their garments and wore sackcloth and ashes. God called for genuine and sincere repentance, where His people repented out of a truly broken and contrite heart. God is gracious and compassionate, ready to forgive and show mercy to those who genuinely repent from their sin and return to God. If the people of Judah would hear and keep the call to repent, God would miraculously restore everything that had been destroyed from the locusts and drought. That is what God does when we repent and turn fully to Him. God wipes away the devastation brought by sin and restores us to a place that is even better than it was before.

The devastation and drought that Judah experienced, though terrible, would be nothing compared to the actual and ultimate day of the Lord that comes at the end of the age. God gave Joel a prophetic glimpse into the future. One day – after the Lord restored Israel – God would pour out His Spirit, not just on a select few prophets, but on all flesh. Everyone who called on the name of the Lord would be saved. They would be filled with the Spirit of God and would dream dreams, see visions, and prophesy. Then, after God poured out His Spirit and saved those who called on Him, the great and terrible day of the Lord would come.

NT: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near. John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father — to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:3-6‬ ‭CSB)

Similar to the prophecy of Joel, this prophetic book was written during a period of extreme Christian persecution. Horrifying things were happening to Christians in Rome and Jerusalem, and John was exiled on the isle of Patmos – unable to come to the aid of his brothers and sisters in the faith. John was given this vision and prophecy to encourage, comfort and challenge the persecuted believers while proclaiming the sure and certain hope that all believers have in Christ. While this book contains revelation into things to come and events that will lead up to the day of the Lord, more than anything, it is a revelation of Jesus Christ. The Lord God Omnipotent reigns over all. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God is the victorious Lion of Judah, and He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

John began his letter by writing, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, hears the words of this prophecy, and keeps the words of this prophecy.” It is not enough to merely read these words. It is not enough to hear and register these words in our psyche. We must keep these words. The times for Christian believers at the writing of this letter were extremely challenging – but they would only get worse. As we progress toward the day of the Lord, the world that we live in will grow increasingly darker as the influence of the evil one grows. Yet, if we keep the words… the encouragement, comfort, and exhortation… we will receive grace and peace from the Triune Godhead to remain faithful priests until the end.

Psalms: “Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain. In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food —  yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭127:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

This song of ascent was written by King Solomon. It was under His rulership that the temple – the house of the Lord – was built. He also built other houses during his rule. He built grand palaces for himself, and homes for his many pagan wives. Solomon knew first-hand what it was to build a house by the grace of God and what happens when you try to build a house outside of the will and grace of God. When we read, hear and keep the word, will and ways of God, His grace attends our work – and though the work may be hard – it is effective and not overwhelming. Yet, whatever we do outside of the grace of God will bring on strife, anxiety, restless nights, and in the end, will amount to nothing.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your word. I thank You for words of prophecy that You give us through other trusted and anointed brothers and sisters. I thank You for the words of edification, encouragement, comfort and exhortation that come through those words of prophecy. Give me grace and peace as I read, hear and keep those words in faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.