Dwell On These Things

I find the words of Christ to the churches in Revelation to be both convicting and encouraging. They remind us that the risen Savior knows His people intimately, He sees what is hidden from human eyes, and He calls us to live faithfully in light of the gospel. In Revelation 3:1–13, we hear His message to two very different churches; Sardis and Philadelphia. One receives a warning; the other, a commendation. Taken together, these passages confront us with the dangers of spiritual complacency and the beauty of gospel perseverance.

Let’s walk through this passage carefully, asking the Lord to both awaken and encourage us.

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The book of Revelation can feel intimidating, filled with vivid images, heavenly visions, and prophetic words. Yet at its heart, it is a letter from Jesus to His church. Revelation 2:12–29 records two of His messages, one to the church in Pergamum and one to the church in Thyatira. Both communities of believers faced tremendous pressure to compromise their faith. Some were tempted by false teaching, others seduced by cultural practices, and many felt the daily weariness of living faithfully in a hostile world.

But in verse 25, Jesus gives a simple and powerful exhortation:

“Only hold fast what you have until I come.”

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

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The opening chapters of the book of Revelation contain seven letters dictated by the risen Christ to seven churches in Asia Minor. These were real churches, with real people and real struggles, yet the Spirit intended their messages to echo across the centuries into the life of the global church. In each letter, Christ examines the heart of His people, commends what is commendable, warns what is dangerous, and promises eternal reward to those who endure in faith.

Revelation 2:1–11 addresses two congregations, Ephesus and Smyrna. Both faced spiritual pressures, yet their challenges differed. The Ephesian church was orthodox and disciplined but spiritually drifting. The Smyrna church was persecuted and poor but spiritually rich. Taken together, these letters remind us of the deep concern Christ has for both the truth we proclaim and the love we cultivate.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

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Every one of us walks through seasons of grief. Sometimes it comes suddenly, like the loss of a loved one, the collapse of a dream, or the breaking apart of something we thought would stand forever. Other times, grief settles over us gradually, through the slow erosion of hope, the growing weight of discouragement, or the heaviness of living in a broken and sinful world.

But Scripture assures us that the God who created us is not distant from our grief. He sees it. He feels it with us. He promises to meet us in it. The psalmist declares in Psalm 147:3:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  (Psalm 147:3)

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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Revelation is, at its core, a Christ-centered and hope-filled book of prophecy. It reveals Jesus as the risen, glorified Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords, who holds authority over history, defeats Satan, and ushers in the new heavens and new earth. The book emphasizes that all of history is moving toward the day when every knee will bow before Christ. Its primary theme is the triumph of Jesus and the call for believers to persevere in faithful worship and witness until His return.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A few years back, we decided to make some updates in our kitchen.  After replacing the cabinets, floors, and appliances, it was time to paint and decorate the walls.  For a little while, we weren’t sure how we wanted the decorations to look, but then I suggested an idea to my wife that we both were in favor of.  I suggested placing a verse from Scripture on the wall that we face while we’re at the table eating.  I wanted the verse to be a powerful reminder of God’s nature, as well as His love for us and presence with us.  We agreed that Zephaniah 3:17 would be a great verse to begin and end our days reading, and that verse has been featured prominently on our kitchen wall ever since.

Zephaniah 3:17 is an encouraging verse that shines with warmth and tenderness, speaking of a God who is not distant, not indifferent, but present, mighty, and filled with joy over His redeemed people.

It’s also a verse of contrasts. Just a few lines earlier, Zephaniah was pronouncing judgment on nations steeped in rebellion. But then here, we find a picture of intimacy and delight.  We’re reminded of a God who saves, rejoices, loves, and sings. It’s a reminder that judgment is not God’s final word for His people. Redemption is.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

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“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

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Some passages in Scripture have such profound theological and practical significance that they form the very heartbeat of God’s people across generations. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 is one of those passages. Known as the Shema (from the Hebrew word shema, meaning “hear” or “listen”), these verses have been recited daily by devout Jewish people for centuries. Jesus Himself identified the command to love God with all our heart, soul, and might as the greatest commandment (Mark 12:29–30).

In these verses, we are invited into a life that is centered fully on God in our heart, mind, body, home, and community. This passage calls us to a faith that isn’t compartmentalized but all-encompassing. 

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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Proverbs 3:5–6 is really a call to a Christ-centered life. It’s an invitation to trade the uncertainty of self-reliance for the security of God’s wisdom. It asks for total trust, continual acknowledgment, and a willingness to follow His lead. And it holds out a beautiful promise: when we do, He will guide us faithfully.

Picture your life like a journey through unfamiliar terrain. The road may twist and turn, but you walk with a Guide who knows every step ahead. You don’t have to figure it all out; you simply trust Him, listen for His voice, and follow where He leads. That’s the essence of these verses, and the pathway to peace.  And for this reason, many believers throughout the centuries have committed the words of this proverb to heart.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
(Proverbs 3:5–6)

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.