As Jesus continues His evaluation of the seven churches in Asia, He comes to two very different congregations.  With Sardis there was almost nothing good to say.  They had a reputation of being alive but they were dead.   Jesus warns them to wake up, to be watchful and repent.   The one positive was that there were at Sardis those who would walk with Him "in white, for they are worthy."  Meanwhile with Philadelphia, there was nothing bad to say, so Jesus spends His time encouraging them.  He talks about how they had a little strength yet they had kept His words and not denied His name.    Because of their perseverance, Jesus was going to spare them from the trial God was sending "to test those who dwell on the earth."

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The church of at Thyatira was a loving, faithful church full of good deeds.  Despite this, two common problems had infiltrated the believers - idolatry and sexual immorality, in particular adultery.  This was because a false teacher was teaching the church that they needed to know "the depths of Satan" / "Satan's deep secrets".  Jesus had given this so-called prophetess time to repent, but she had refused.  So He warns the church about what was coming assuming they did not repent.  He reminds us that He searches the hearts and minds.  Finally he encourages the faithful to hold on to what they had and to be keep His words until the end.  

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As we continue to learn what Jesus wants from the church, we also learn more and more about Jesus Himself.  With Pergamos (aka Pergamum), we learn how Jesus speaks the powerful words of God, how He knows what we have been through, how He praises us when we do what is right and how He lets us know when we need to repent.   

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

We begin looking at Jesus' personal evaluation of the seven churches of in Asia by examining what Jesus said to the church at Ephesus.  Some of the main things we will see is that Jesus knows our works, love is what is most important, some deeds should be hated, and an eternal life in paradise awaits those who overcome. 

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

If you are wondering what Jesus' church should look like, you are not alone.  Fortunately for us, Jesus did not leave it a mystery.  In the book of Revelation chapters 1 to 3, Jesus Himself appears to the apostle John and gives him a message to share with  seven churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  These messages give us powerful insights into what Jesus wants out of His church.  In part 1 of this series, we look at Jesus' appearance to John and lay the foundation for understanding the messages to come. 

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

Thanks to Jesus we have the hope of eternal life in paradise with God.  That being the case, how should we respond to it?  And what about all the pain and hurt that we carry inside?  Some of the things we will see is the power of focusing on the joy that is coming,  the beauty of giving our worries to a God who cares for us, and the comfort of knowing that we are not alone, neither in pain nor in faith.  

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So why keep going?  Why believe?  Because in Jesus, there is hope, not just any hope, but the hope of life after death, the hope of the resurrection.  There is the hope of immortality, of eternal life, in paradise, in a new existence where God is going to wipe away all tears from our eyes - no more death, sorrow, crying or pain.  God is going to make all things new.  That's why we must put our trust in Him even in the most difficult of circumstances.  

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

We take a Biblical look at how dangerous and bad adultery actually is followed by five tips for keeping infidelity out of one's marriage - 

1.  Never assume your marriage is adultery proof
2.  Mentally train yourself to abhor adultery
3.  Stay away from things like porn, strip clubs, etc.
4.  Stay out of high risk situations where you are alone with someone to whom you are attracted
5.  Love your spouse (Listen to them, spend time with them, don't neglect your physical relationship with them, etc.)

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.

What does God want His children to do now that the Supreme Court has overturned the decision that made abortion legal across the United States?  And how does God feel about unborn children and pregnant women anyway?  It comes down to remembering that Jesus died for all and to loving one another, including both mother and child. 

To see David Hicks on YouTube, click here.