Right before Revelation Chapter 4, we read in chapters 2-3 the words of Jesus who is exposing everything which He sees to be wrong in His churches. It is a discouraging revelation of the historical and present deficiencies in God’s people. Frankly, we could be tempted to get discouraged and walk away from these deeply flawed churches. But Jesus never does. Instead, we are given the remedy to overcoming all that we see that is wrong with churches. What is that remedy? To go up and up and up…into the very throne room of Heaven. When we get there, everything that we see, hear, and experience recenters and anchors us in the glorious victory that Jesus is accomplishing through a presently imperfect Church. When we go up, we find our hope, strength, and motivation to go forward.

Do you know that your deepest beliefs produce your most consistent behaviors? Whether for good or bad, we live out what we hold most closely in our belief systems. If you want to discern what a person believes about God, themselves, and other people, simply observe how they consistently live for a year. One of the reasons why doctrine and theology are so important is because they will powerfully shape how we live out our faith. We may be sincere in our walk of faith, but what if our faith is built upon faulty doctrine? What if we have been taught wrongly about God, ourselves, and others? In His message to the church at Pergamum, Jesus addresses the fact that their theology and teaching practices were deeply flawed - even dangerous. He commanded them to clean up their messy classrooms. If they did so, He would lead them into further glory. If they did not, He would shut them down. This message reminds us all how essential it is that we rightly divide God’s truth and live it out in intentional obedience.

There are 400+ years of prophetic silence between the last book of the Old Testament and the first book of the New Testament. Malachi’s prophecy ends with the promise of a God-sent messenger who will make the way for the King of kings. Matthew’s Gospel opens with that very prophet, John the Baptist, declaring that the Kingdom was now coming to earth. Jesus began His public ministry by calling people to repent and receive the Kingdom. His parables begin with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” His first beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount promises the Kingdom. He taught His disciples, in the Lord’s Prayer, that their first request was to be for the Kingdom to come. Paul taught the Kingdom. Peter proclaimed the Kingdom. John, James and Jude all wrote of the Kingdom of God. So…maybe it is time we made the effort to comprehend just exactly what the Kingdom of God truly is. This message will stir your heart to learn more. After all, the Kingdom of God is the mission of God which never ends.

Could you imagine a church that was so impressive, so wealthy, so refined, and so admired that…not even Jesus could get into it? This is not a theoretical type of church. It is an actual historical church where Jesus was on the outside, knocking at the door, and waiting to be welcomed inside. The ancient church at Laodicea is not unique in this description of being lukewarm, unwelcoming, and nauseating to Jesus. While we see powerful moves of the Spirit resulting in many churches experiencing revival today, the other side of the coin is that many (most?) churches have closed doors to the deepest and truest desires of Jesus. This message helps us to evaluate our own individual hearts to see if our internal passion for Jesus has turned to room temperature. Fortunately, Jesus allows us this type of examination to awaken us and to bring us again on the pathway of deep satisfaction and great reward. It is the time for may. To open the door to the One who stands and knocks.

In our present generation, it seems that the desire to be “an influencer” is permeating every sector of our culture. Personalities, products, and perceptions fill our social media feeds. So much of what is being communicated is empty and even deceptive. Sadly, much of what we are being exposed to falls into the category of fake-news. Even more sadly, churches and ministries are sometimes a part of the problem. The ancient church of Sardis received a personal wake-up letter from King Jesus which exposed the reality that they were a dead church even though everyone thought that they were amazing. Jesus does not mince words in His rebuke of their empty life as a congregation. What can modern Christians and churches use from His words so that we do not fall into the same pit of having a name with others of being spiritually alive while Jesus shakes His head and declares that we are actually dead?

If God is truly good, why does He not prevent bad things from happening? This question has been a torment to many theologians and philosophers throughout the centuries. The answer for Christians is not really a mystery. Why God allows difficulty and pain to find us is answered clearly in the verses covered in this message. The issue is not whether the question can be answered, it is whether or not the answer will be received by us.

The ancient letter from Jesus to the church at Thyatira is intense. The echo of His words to that spiritually polluted church needs to be heeded by churches in America. The spirit of Jezebel, and those under her influence, must be driven forth from all places in our churches. Leaders frequently tolerate Jezebel because she seems to have much to offer in the beginning. Left unchecked, her influence and presence will destroy a local church. If she is not removed, Jesus pledges to shut that church down Himself. What do we do with his counsel? These are radical days which require radical response to the holy expectations of the King.

For a group of people to get things right with God, it usually requires a leader who will say all the tough words that result in the right action. Even then, things can get dicey. Does God come to the aid of those who have been dodging Him? If the answer is NO, then we are all in grave danger. God frequently rescues the wanderers, the rebels, and the reluctant to obey. This is grace for the stubborn.

When Jesus wrote a personal letter to be delivered to the ancient church in Ephesus, He filled the note with all sorts of affirming words. These Christians were loyal, hard working, dedicated, and fiery against error and impurity. You can almost see King Jesus smiling as he dictated the opening words of the letter. Then, His beautiful smile over them is exchanged for a serious look of concern. This amazing group of believers was in danger of running completely out of their most essential resource: love for Jesus himself. These ancient words in Rev. 2:1-7 have served to help busy Christians and churches to stay aware of the risk of going through the motions of ministry without guarding their hearts against the danger of loveless work. The most dedicated believers we know occasionally need to revisit these words and do a deep soul-check. Jesus is ready to refill us when our love-tank for Him is near empty.

The issue of suffering as a Christian has become quite the controversy in the American Church in the last several decades. Interestingly, no other generation of believers in any other place has ever lastingly questioned the issue of suffering. It is only the modern American Christian that seems to feel entitled to a free pass on hardships. Our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world have no questions about the matter. They know that God allows suffering, and that He will harness it for our own good when we lean into Jesus during times of mistreatment. The words of Jesus to the ancient Church of Smyrna help us to both prepare for and to endure in real-time seasons of suffering as a believer. May Holy Spirit prepare us in body, mind, and spirit for the approaching time in America will it will cost much for all who are unashamed to be known as a follower of Jesus.