Revelation is a work of art, doing what only good art can do: activating our imagination; giving us an interpretive lens through which to see the moments of life so that you can respond correctly. Revelation is a book about practicing the way of Jesus in the now and not yet....
The church at Ephesus was a good church-going people who diligently did things right, but in focusing on doing the "right things," they had become people who were not loving. Truth and sound doctrine are essential, but we need to speak and live the truth from a heart of love....
The Church at Smyrna was in the midst of much suffering in their city, and they were trying to persevere as Christ followers. Jesus was very aware of the landscape of their world and lives, just as he is aware of our current trials and hardships in our cultural context. More trials are coming, but he commands us to be faithful....
Compromise is when we accommodate our Christian beliefs and practices to align with or at least harmonize with whatever the culture holds dear. It might seem harmless, but compromise is a cancer that threatens Christ’s church in 2023, just as it did the church at Pergamum....
Have you ever been in a fight or conflict knowing you are at fault? You may begin to excuse, justify, or try to craft a narrative in your head that you are right. In pursuing being "right," you often don't look for information but affirmation. And this is precisely what we see happening in the church of Thyatira in Revelation. The tendency that we ...
The issue for the church at Sardis was spiritual apathy. They were coasting off their experiences of the past and had settled into a complacent place - not moving or sinking, simply existing. And it was killing them, whether they realized it or not....
The church of Philadelphia stands out as different because Jesus has nothing negative to say about them. Jesus wanted the church to see its position differently. Through salvation, He held the keys to the eternal kingdom, dispensing his riches, grace, and love to everyone. As a result of the open door of salvation, the church of Philadelphia had th...
The church at Laodicea is typically recognized as the "lukewarm" church. Jesus had absolutely nothing good to say about them. And the crazy thing is that the church of Laodicea did not see themselves the same way Jesus saw them. Jesus was calling this church back to Him, and the same could be said about the church today. He desires His church to be...