Burunche’s Blog

Revelation 3:3:7-13 “And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia, write: These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no man will shut, and shuts and no man opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you a door which stands open and which no man shuts, because you have a little strength and because you have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Behold, I will give you those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who call themselves Jews and who are not, but who lie. Behold, I will make them come and kneel before your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. Because you have kept my command to endure, I, too, will keep you safe from the hour of testing, which is to come upon the whole inhabited world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, that no one may take your crown.

I will make him who overcomes a pillar in the temple of my God and he will go out no more; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, of the new Jerusalem, which is coming down from heaven from my God, and my new name. Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.“

Here in Ghana, people are fond of saying, “God is wonderful!” And the story of the Church in Philadelphia really underscores that fact. The Greeks founded Philadelphia at a critical location to peacefully spread the Greek language and culture into two non – Greek areas. Three hundred years later, Philadelphia now had an open opportunity to spread the Gospel to these same areas. God had all His plans in place and these plans were now coming to fulfillment.

“These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no man will shut, and shuts and no man opens.” Jesus is speaking, reminding the Christians of Philadelphia that He has ultimate authority and control over times and seasons. Jesus is holy; His holiness is beyond dispute. There are two words used to indicate “true” in Greek. The first merely indicates something is not false, but the second word, alethinos, means to be real. Jesus is proclaiming His reality. “The key of David” refers to the keys to the city of New Jerusalem. Jesus has defeated hell, death, and the grave, and He controls entrance to the heavenly city.

Sometimes Christians wonder if God is really guiding them and leading in a particular direction, particularly when they encounter lots of obstacles. Nearly twenty – eight years ago, my husband and I came to a small village in northeastern Ghana to run the mission clinic there. At the time, it seemed totally crazy because I was and am a fully – trained general and pediatric surgeon and this was a tiny facility with eleven workers, no laboratory, no operating theater, and no electricity. When we had been in that location for a little over one year, a tribal conflict broke out and suddenly I became the only doctor for more than 100,000 people who had nowhere else to go. We started a small theater (OR), and I became the first laboratory technician. We also started transfusing blood from walk – in donors. As the only non – tribal workers in the hospital, we had to travel out to do all the purchasing for the clinic. We squeezed 37 inpatient beds, a pharmacy, a laboratory, an OR, and a consulting room into a health center – sized structure. We sterilized items in a big pressure cooker over a coal pot on the verandah. Today that town is a district capital and that small clinic is now a 112 – bed district hospital.

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you a door which stands open and which no man shuts, because you have a little strength and because you have kept my word, and have not denied my name.” God knows us better than we know ourselves. Frankly, it was a good thing that we had no idea how many obstacles we were going to encounter; we might have given up before we had even started! And God knows our strength. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says “Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.” If we will make ourselves available, God will work through us. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” Notice, it does NOT say “successful!”

“Behold, I will give you those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who call themselves Jews and who are not, but who lie. Behold, I will make them come and kneel before your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.” Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” John 5:45-47 Throughout history, there have always been sincere Jewish believers who have sought after God and who have longed for fellowship with Him. On the other hand, there have also been those who have used religion as a pretext for all kinds of evil. It is possible that the synagogue at Philadelphia had degenerated into a kind of cult with a Jewish overlay. Christians must constantly be on guard that our churches do not devolve into similar degenerate conditions!

There is a lot to learn from the Church at Philadelphia:

1. He Who calls us is Holy, True (Real), and has ultimate authority.

2. God controls the times and the seasons. God’s timing is perfect.

3. God is not nearly so interested in our ability as in our availability. While that sounds like something that might show up on a meme, nonetheless, it is perfectly true. Many times, God has to wound us so that we will back off and allow Him to work.

4. No matter how severe the hardships that we encounter, we must continue to bear the Name of Jesus Christ at all times.

5. If we are faithful, at some point, God will even cause those who have troubled us to come under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. The worse the persecution, the more we must pray for those who persecute us. (Matthew 5:44) Persecution demonstrates that those attacking us desperately need salvation. If we are unwilling to pray for them, who else will do so?

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for the example of the believers in ancient Philadelphia! Lord, help us to be faithful. Help us to be true. Help us to watch for open doors and to go through them despite our fears! In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 3:3 – 6 “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you. But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

First Church in Your USA, was a sight to see on Sundays! Some shopping malls were smaller than the First Church building. Many of the richest people in town were there dressed in their finery. The worship leader and the preacher were outstanding, and the 100 – voice choir and 75 – piece orchestra gave polished performances. There were huge video screens so that everyone in the huge auditorium or in other overflow areas could view the services. Yes, First Church really had it all together! But then one Sunday morning, a stranger showed up. Nobody noticed him at first; he was neatly dressed but not particularly impressive. Before anyone realized what was happening, the stranger ascended the platform and walked to the front of the stage. The head pastor and the deacons attempted to get up to stop the man, but found themselves paralyzed where they sat. With eyes flashing fire, the stranger spoke in a voice like thunder, “Let all the living come to me!” In an instant, a small part of the congregation disappeared, while those remaining looked around in horror! Instead of beautiful clothing and carefully arranged hairdos, those left in the congregation had the appearance of zombies – living corpses. Those who remained were literally dead men and women walking. Looking on the congregation with eyes full of tears, the stranger said, “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.” The stranger disappeared, and the congregation found themselves returned to normal appearances… but some of the members were still missing.

Yesterday we spoke about the church at Sardis and the fact that most of its members were spiritually dead! The church was literally on the brink of ruin, and most of its members had no idea how close they were to extinction. Just like the members of First Church in the story, those in Sardis had stopped watching. Barclay tells us that believers must be watchful at all times. We must be on the watch against the wiles of the devil. The Sardians didn’t all fall away at once; they slid away gradually, and it was their success that seduced them. Proverbs 30:7 – 9 says, “Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.”

Christians are to be on the watch against temptation. Oswald Chambers points out that many times we don’t fail at our weakest point, but at our strongest points, because it is there that we think we don’t need God to help us. We are to be on the watch for the coming of the Lord. Jesus himself warned his disciples that they were to be watchful at all times. (Matthew 24:42-43) Barclay says, “No man knows the day and the hour when for him eternity will invade time.” “The last day is a secret,” says Augustine, “that every day may be watched.”

Christians must watch out for false teaching. There have always been heresies and today there are more of them than ever. There are many who are attempting to combine various other religions with Christianity; however, Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except by Me.” This is no time for sloppy thinking; we must study the Scriptures and know what we believe and why.

Christians are to live in the reality of the fact that Jesus is watching us. “I have not found your works perfect,” says the Risen Christ, “in the sight of my God.” Barclay comments, “Here two great truths meet us. (a) Christ is looking for something from us. We so often regard him as the one to whom we look for things; for his strength, his help, his support, his comfort. But we must never forget that he is looking for our love, our loyalty and our service. (b) The things a man must do lie to his hand. The old saying is true: “Fate is what we must do; destiny is what we are meant to do.” The Christian does not believe in an inescapable fate; but he does believe in a destiny which he can accept or refuse.”

Verse 3 has 4 commands for us: “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.” Remember – we are to REMEMBER the Gospel. We are to KEEP the Gospel. We are to continuously REPENT. Repentance is not a one – time act but a continuous heart searching coupled with confession of sins so that we might receive forgiveness. And we are to WATCH!

“ But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Throughout the ages, white garments have had many meanings. White robes have symbolized purity and victory and celebration. Here in Ghana, people wear white clothes for special celebrations.

“they will walk with me…” Enoch was a man who pleased God and who walked with God. One day, Enoch simply went home with God. Jesus is promising believers that those who continue to confess Him and to follow him will walk with Him. Kings kept registers of the names of citizens and anyone who died had their name removed from the register. Jesus is promising that if we remain true to Him, our names will remain in His Book of Life forever and that Jesus will tell His Heavenly Father and the angels that we are His forever.

Today, we have a choice: will we be dead men and women walking, or will we repent, believe, follow and watch? The choice is ours, but remember that today is the only day in which we can make that choice. Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow!

PRAYER: Father God, let everyone who reads this devotional choose to follow you! Let them remember what Jesus has done for all of us, repent, keep the Gospel and watch! In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen. .

Revelation 3:1 – 6 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.”

In the ancient world, Sardis was the city that had it all! The original city sat on top of a mountain, making it almost impregnable. The River Pactolus running in the valley below had gold. Seven major roads came together at Sardis, making it an obvious center for trading. Seven hundred years before Revelation was written, King Croesus ruled over Sardis; even today, someone who is very wealthy is said to be “as rich as Croesus.” Sardis may have been the first place in the ancient world where money was coined.

But even in the time of Croesus, things were starting to go downhill. The citizens were becoming degenerate, relying on their riches. Croesus fought with Cyrus of Persia and had to retreat to Sardis. Feeling that the position of Sardis was impregnable, King Croesus did not put any watchmen on the city walls; meanwhile, soldiers from Cyrus’ army found a way up the cliffs and swarmed into the city. Sardis fell because its citizens failed to WATCH. Two centuries later, the same scenario repeated itself and Sardis fell again to its enemies. Again, those ruling the city failed to remember history and did not place watchmen on the walls.

William Barclay says in his commentary:

When John wrote his letter to Sardis, it was wealthy but degenerate. Even the once great citadel was now only an ancient monument on the hill top. There was no life or spirit there. The once great Sardians were soft, and twice they had lost their city because they were too lazy to watch. In that enervating atmosphere the Christian Church too had lost its vitality and was a corpse instead of a living Church. The Sardians had thought themselves too safe to need a guard; and so Sardis fell. A city with a history like that knew what the Risen Christ was talking about when he said: “Watch!”

“These are the words of the One who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” Jesus Christ the Risen Lord is speaking. The number seven has traditionally been considered as the number of perfection. The seven Spirits of God referred to here can mean the Holy Spirit with His sevenfold gifts and operation. These letters are directed to seven different churches, but more broadly, they are directed to Christians throughout all time. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are complete and continue to act throughout the body of believers wherever they are. The seven stars represent the seven churches and their angels who have been assigned to guard them. Jesus is reminding the Church at Sardis of His Authority.

“I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.”

Barclay has this to say about sin and death:

(i) Sin is the death of the will. If a man accepts the invitations of sin for long enough, the time comes when he cannot accept anything else. Habits grow upon him until he can no longer break them. A man comes, as Seneca had it, to hate his sins and to love them at the same rime. There can be few of us who have not experienced the power of some habit into which we have fallen.

(ii) Sin is the death of the feelings. The process of becoming the slave of sin does not happen overnight. The first time a man sins he does so with many a qualm. But the day comes, if he goes on taking what is forbidden, when he does without a qualm that which once he would have been horrified to do. Sin, as Burns had it, “petrifies the feeling.”

(iii) Sin is the death of all loveliness. The terrible thing about sin is that it can take the loveliest things and turn them into ugliness. Through sin the yearning for the highest can become the craving for power; the wish to serve can become the intoxication of ambition; the desire of love can become the passion of lust. Sin is the killer of life’s loveliness. It is only by the grace of God that we can escape the death of sin.

The problem with the church at Sardis was that as a group, it didn’t bother about heresy because most of its members had subsided into spiritual death and didn’t care.

In addition, the church of Sardis wasn’t bothered by anyone attacking it because it wasn’t worth attacking! There is a legend about John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. Wesley was forced to preach in open fields because he was banned from preaching in churches. Many times, Wesley was attacked by mobs and had rotten vegetables, rocks, and other missiles thrown at him. One day, Wesley was riding down a country road and wondering if he was still preaching what God wanted him to; after all, he hadn’t been attacked for several days. A man on the other side of the hedge bordering the road heard Wesley and said to himself, “There’s that rascal Wesley! I’ll fix him!” The man heaved a large rock over the hedge in Wesley’s direction. Wesley is alleged to have responded, “Praise God! I must be doing something right!”

Barclay concludes his description of the spiritual lassitude at Sardis by observing “If anything is to be rescued from the impending ruin of the Church in Sardis the Christians there must wake from their deadly lethargy and watch. No commandment appears more frequently in the New Testament than that to watch.”

As we read these warnings to the Christians at Sardis, we need to search our hearts. Are we alive spiritually, or have we allowed our wills and our feelings to become numb? Do we appreciate loveliness, or are we emotionally frozen? If Christians were being persecuted, would there be enough evidence in our lives that we would be attacked, or would we be ignored?

PRAYER: Lord, set our hearts on fire for you! Don’t let our wills and our feelings die! Let us truly follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 2:18 – 29 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze. I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first. But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.

Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you. Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who is victorious and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery —just as I have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

At first, it’s difficult to understand why Thyatira was included in the list of seven churches. Most of the other cities were huge important trading centers or political capitals. So what’s so important about Thyatira? Thyatira was the center of a number of trade guilds, and each of these guilds had its own deity to which guild members dedicated their work. Thyatira also had a very special place in the textile trade because it was here that a highly – prized purple dye was produced. But what also set the church at Thyatira apart was the presence of a prophetess who had come into the local church and created havoc. We don’t know if this woman’s name was really Jezebel or if that was Jesus’s designation for her.

Who was the original Jezebel? The story of Jezebel is told in 1 Kings 17 – 21. Jezebel was the daughter of a priest – king of Baal from Tyre and Sidon. God had specifically forbidden the Israelites to marry anyone from the tribes surrounding them; however, Ahab did so. Jezebel promoted Baal worship, persecuted the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and also persecuted common people. To this day, when people speak about a woman having a Jezebel spirit, they are describing an evil woman, possibly involved in witchcraft, and certainly attempting to manipulate and to rebel against the one true living God.

The original Jezebel was beautiful, and perhaps the one in Thyatira was beautiful as well. At any rate, this woman had gained a position of great influence within the local church. She was encouraging wide – spread sexual immorality and the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. Paul covered the problems associated with eating such meat in a discussion in 1 Corinthians 10:27 – 29 “If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own.” For a believer to eat meat that had been offered to an idol after being informed that this had been a sacrifice meant that believer was taking part in idol worship. This Jezebel was encouraging people to engage in idol worship by eating sacrificial meat.

“Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling. Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” Jesus died for the sins of this woman just as much as for the sins of anyone else in the world. But that did not mean that this woman’s sins would be tolerated forever. And Jesus was warning all those who had had anything to do with this woman to repent and to confess their sins while they still had time.

One problem that is not well tackled by churches is the fact that demons transfer through sexual intercourse. Evidently there were many in this church who had been having sex with this prophetess. And the more they became involved with her, the more difficult it would be for them to repent and get free of her demonic influence.

“But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you. Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who is victorious and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery —just as I have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Those who were faithful in little Thyatira were given incredible promises, promises that were for all believers for all time. We who share the same faith should take heart! Even if we are laboring in obscure locations or under incredibly difficult circumstances, Jesus knows! Jesus sees! And some day, Jesus will reward.

Perhaps you have been very discouraged recently. You took a stand for righteousness at work or at school and found yourself being abused for your actions. Perhaps you have even lost a promotion or a position over your unwillingness to compromise. Do not give up! God is still on the throne and He is still watching. Hold on and keep following Jesus, and you will yet receive the morning star!

PRAYER: Father God, sometimes we feel like giving up! Our circumstances seem to overwhelm us and we find little light in the darkness. Help us to know that you are always with us, that you will never leave us or forsake us, and that you are a rewarder of those who seek you. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 2:12 – To 17 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.”

The name “Pergamum” doesn’t mean too much to most people these days, but Pergamum or Pergamos was the political capital of the Roman Province of Asia Minor and a very important city. Pergamos had a huge library, many temples to various gods, and three temples dedicated to Roman Emperor worship. Notable is the fact that among the temples, one of the temples was dedicated to Dionysus, a god noted for drinking, orgies, etc.

Pergamos was also the center of worship for Asclepios, a god of medicine and healing. There was a large medical school and a treatment center associated with the temple. Treatments included sleeping in the temple at night and allowing tame snakes to crawl over one’s body; the touch of the snake was believed to bring healing. (It is from Asclepios that the snakes on the Caduceus symbol traditionally used in medical circles originated.)

Remember the Nicolaitans? Pergamos/Pergamum and Ephesus were the two cities where the Nicolaitan cult flourished. One wonders if the orgies associated with the worship of Dionysus might have fed into the practices of the Nicolaitans.

“These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.” God says in Hebrews 4:12 – 13 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” This sword represents the word of God. Jesus is assuring all those who hear or read this message that He knows everything and that nothing is hidden from Him.

“I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits.” Pagan temples, people allowing snakes to crawl over them, Nicolaitans indulging in all kinds of immorality and idol worship – all of these things combined to make ancient Pergamos a center for Satanic activity. One believer named Antipas had even died for his faith. And the Christians at Pergamos were generally holding fast and standing firm in the face of all this demonic activity……. but…

 Somewhere in the congregation, there were those who had begun compromising with the Nicolaitans. Perhaps they were eating meat sacrificed to idols when they knew that they were essentially taking part in the idol worship. Perhaps they were visiting temple cult prostitutes. All we know is that some believers were falling away. Jesus refers here to Balaam because it was Balaam who tried to earn his high payments from the king of Moab by teaching the Children of Israel to indulge in idol worship and orgies when God refused to allow him to curse the Israelites. (Numbers 23 – 24)

“Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” There is a traditional hymn entitled “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.” Unfortunately, many people only think of Jesus as a wimp in robes and sandals. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus has conquered death, hell and the grave and he is the risen and glorified Lord. Now Jesus is warning the Christians in Pergamum to repent because he is about to come clean house!

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.” Jesus is promising believers that they will not always face persecution. On the day when Jesus returns, those who have been true to Him will be rewarded. “Hidden manna” refers to the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness. This substance appeared every morning 6 days a week and was very nutritious. All the Israelites had to do was to go out and gather the manna. Jesus is promising his followers that he will give them special nourishment to strengthen and uphold them. There are special blessings that only those who love Jesus will ever know. Jesus also promises that those who have been faithful to Him will receive new names signifying their faithfulness and love for Him. It is impossible for us to know those names now because they will be in the language of heaven, a language as yet unknown to any of us! Hearing those names will be like hearing the voices of all our loved ones at once.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to be faithful. Help us to follow hard after you, no matter what happens, no matter our circumstances, no matter the opposition. Thank you for your wonderful and precious promises that are beyond anything we can think or imagine. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 2:8 – 11” To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life. I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.”

If Ephesus was a center of worship to the goddess Artemis and the Oracle of Delphi, Smyrna was a center of emperor worship. Although Smyrna started out with temples to several Greek gods, the citizens of Smyrna erected the first temple to Dea Roma, the spiritual goddess of Rome, in B.C. 196. Dea Roma was the spiritual symbol of the Roman Empire. For most of the citizens of Smyrna, it was probably a no – brainer. Smyrna was already a busy trading center due to its location at the lower end of a rich valley that produced high quality wine. In addition, Smyrna also had an excellent harbor. Why not add one more goddess to those already honored if it meant currying favor with Rome? In AD 23 Smyrna won a competition to build the first temple to worship Tiberius Caesar. Later the emperor Domitian demanded worship of himself as a god. (Domitian was also the one who sent John to Patmos.) This worship was thoroughly organized; all one had to do was to go to the temple once a year, offer a pinch of incense, recite the phrase “Caesar is Lord,” and get a certificate. Presto! You were good for another year, and you had established yourself as a loyal subject of Rome. You could rest assured that everyone would do business with you and that there would be no harassment from Roman officials.

But Christians refused to acknowledge anyone else as Lord apart from Jesus, and Domitian was obsessed with making sure EVERYBODY worshiped him! For Christians in Smyrna, this collision of wills must have meant tremendous financial hardships. So even though there were many rich people in Smyrna, the Christians existed in grinding poverty due to their faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today throughout the world, there are those who are paying the same price for their faith. The question facing those of us who are NOT suffering financially for our faith is this: have we already offered incense on Caesar’s altar? Have we already compromised, “going along to get along.”

A second question is this: what constitutes true riches? The Christians in Smyrna were extremely poor and yet Jesus commended them, saying that they were actually rich! Those believers were rich in faith and rich in their trust in God. Money is actually a worthless commodity; you can’t eat it, wear it, or do much of anything with it. If you have paper money, it can burn up. If you have on – line bank accounts, they can be hacked. Here in Ghana there is a new scam in which people call you up, claiming that someone has accidentally deposited money into your mobile money account. They are actually attempting to establish a link with your account. The second you access your account, these scammers collect your pin number and drain your account. Jesus told his followers in Matthew 6:19 – 21 “ – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” As we think about the Christians in Smyrna, we should ask ourselves where is OUR treasure?

Not only were the Christians facing persecution from the Roman government, but there was evidently a large Jewish synagogue whose members were also aggressively persecuting the Christians. It is possible that some of these Jewish leaders were acting as did Saul prior to his conversion; they truly thought they were trying to eliminate heretics. On the other hand, many of the members of this synagogue might have been persecuting the Christians because they were coming under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and were reacting against that conviction. There may have been those members who were trying go gain favor with Roman officials in hopes of better business deals with Imperial Rome. Most houses of worship contain a mixture of members, some of whom truly are seeking God and many who have joined due to cultural or business reasons.

What’s so important about this message from Jesus to the Church of Smyrna? JESUS IS AWARE OF THEIR SUFFERINGS! JESUS KNOWS ALL THE DETAILS OF THEIR SITUATION! JESUS EVEN KNOWS WHAT IS ABOUT TO BEFALL THEM! Many times when we suffer, we wonder if anybody knows or cares what is happening to us. Take heart! Jesus knows! Jesus is aware! Jesus cares!

What about the warnings about imprisonment and additional persecution? Generally, Rome didn’t bother putting someone in jail unless they were facing death sentences. Jesus is warning these believers that they may have to pay for their faith with their lives. (Polycarp, a bishop in Smyrna at this time, was stabbed and burned while being martyred for his faith. The story of his death is incredible; however, similar stories are coming out of countries closed to the Gospel.)

“Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.” What is important here? Jesus is telling believers to hold on, to keep the faith, and to never fall away. Those who remain faithful will ultimately be victorious.

Years ago, there was a famous American ski racing champion who shared one of the secrets of his success: he said that he never worried about the finish line; instead, he visualized a finish line beyond the finish line and tried to increase his momentum accordingly. Here Jesus is telling the Christians in Smyrna that they will receive crowns and that hell will never touch them. What a promise!

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you are faithful and that you reward those who seek you and who follow hard after you. Lord, help us to be faithful even if we must die for our faith. Help us to love you so much that no sacrifice will be too much for us to make. And thank you for your promises of eternal life and heavenly rewards. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 2:1 – 7 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.”

Jesus is beginning to give specific messages to the various churches. Ephesus was a very important trading town located on a fine harbor with a huge library and a theater seating 25,000 people. Close to Ephesus was the Temple of Artemis (Diana.)Diana was the goddess of the hunt but also was considered a fertility goddess as well. According to legend, Ephesus was originally built on the site of the Oracle of Delphi, a pagan oracle whose utterances were likely demonic. During the time of Paul one of the major industries in Ephesus involved making of silver images of Artemis/Diana for sale to tourists. At one point, the silversmiths staged a riot against Paul because he was teaching about Jesus. (Acts 19) Between the worshipers of Artemis and those seeking answers from the Oracle of Delphi, there was a lot of demonic activity going on in Ephesus.

WHOO! Surrounded by pagan worshipers and libertines! It wasn’t easy being a Christian in Ephesus, and Jesus recognizes this. “I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.” What a ringing endorsement! When the Christians at Ephesus heard those statements, they were probably looking around the room and smiling at one another. YES! God has recognized all our good works! Aren’t we wonderful!”

But wait! Jesus isn’t through! “But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” OUCH! Wait a minute, Jesus! You just commended us for being faithful! Couldn’t you have just left it there?

What does Jesus mean when he tells the Ephesian church that they have abandoned their first love? When we first come to know Jesus, no sacrifice is too great for us to make. We are so thrilled to be free from our sins that we would do anything for Jesus, go anywhere, speak with anybody. We have holy boldness and we want to tell all our family and friends about the fantastic changes in our lives. But as time goes on, that fire dies down. We start to become “sensible” and to mitigate our enthusiasm. After all, we don’t want to appear odd. Sometimes we substitute rules for faith and begin checking off duties as a substitute for prayer and praise and sacrifice. And those around us who are not Christians are trying to dampen the fires of our enthusiasm as much as possible.

As Christians we must continually subject ourselves to the inspection of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can thoroughly search our hearts and minds and root out hidden sins. And it is not enough to merely ask the Holy Spirit to show us our hidden faults, we must confess these faults, seek forgiveness, and ask God to change us into His Likeness. Jesus is not criticizing the Ephesians for a failure to maintain a heightened level of emotion; Jesus wants the Ephesians to remember their original level of devotion to Him and to return to that level.

“But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ” Who were the Nicolaitans? The original Nicolas was one of the first seven deacons ordained in A.D. 33. It is unclear whether or not he later fell away from the faith or if there was another man named Nicolas who inspired the group known as the Nicolaitans. The Nicolaitans were a small sect limited to Ephesus and Pergamum. Irenaeus, one of the early church fathers, believed that Nicolas gradually fell away from the faith and founded this sect: “The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.”

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.”

Jesus is calling the Christians at Ephesus to return to their original level of dedication to Him, but He is also giving them an incredible Promise. Remember that when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, they were cast out of Eden. But now Jesus is promising that all those Christians who are victorious will have eternal life and be with Him in Paradise.

What does this letter to the Christians at Ephesus have to do with us? These letters were not merely written to specific churches but also to the Church Universal for all time. The admonitions and promises in these letters are for all believers in all generations.

Today, we must ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and minds. Where are we relaxing? Where are we giving up? Where are we compromising? Have we abandoned our first love, if we have ever loved God at all? And then we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power to change and be transformed into the Image of God’s Son, Jesus.

PRAYER; Father God, help us to listen when you are speaking to us. Show us our faults and help us to repudiate them. Please transform us into the likeness of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:12 – 20 “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,f dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this. This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Throughout John’s time with Jesus, he was the disciple closest to Jesus. John was described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and was also the one to whom Jesus assigned the care of his mother Mary when Jesus was dying on the cross. When Jesus arose from the dead, John was there for every major event. If anybody would recognize Jesus, it would be John.

The last time John had seen Jesus, Jesus was ascending into heaven and was still dressed as he had been throughout his ministry on earth. But now John was encountering the risen and glorified Jesus as the Son of God as well as Son of Man. It’s interesting that the description John gives of Jesus as the Son of Man is identical with that given by the prophet Daniel when he was describing his visions. The overall impression is one of inutterable brightness and purity. No wonder that when John saw Jesus in this fashion, he fell at Jesus’s feet like a dead man!

If you ask many people for their idea of what Jesus looks like, you might get some kind of a stained glass window image – a skinny, pale, undernourished man with long hair and a beard and a sorrowful look on his face as if his dinner had not agreed with him. Not a particularly appealing image! But nothing could be further from the truth about Jesus as the risen and conquering Son of God and Son of Man. If your idea of Jesus is that of a simpering stained glass window figure, forget it! That figure only existed in the mind of some artist.

“But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades…” Through subjecting Himself to death as a perfect sinless sacrifice, Jesus overcame death and hell. What no mortal man could do, Jesus has accomplished for all time. And Jesus was assuring John that He was alive forevermore. Never again would John have to follow Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to the High Priests’ House or to the Roman Praetorium or even to Calvary. All that has been done away with and Jesus is now triumphant.

Jesus was holding seven stars in His right hand. These stars were the seven angels guarding the seven churches to which the revelation was to be circulated. The seven lampstands were the seven churches. These churches were selected to serve as lights in the darkness surrounding them in the Roman province of Asia.

All Christians are supposed to be lights in a dark world. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 – 16”You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” If we truly follow Jesus, people will see His glory, His grace, and His love shining through us and will be attracted to that light… or repelled. Those who are hungry for the light of God will be attracted. Those who have already turned away from God will be repelled.

It is incredibly comforting to know that Jesus was holding the angels guarding those churches in His right hand. Traditionally, the right hand has always been the hand of blessing and honor. Those churches and the people in them were so precious to Jesus that he was guarding the guardians. Many times we wonder if anyone cares for us at all. Take heart! Jesus loved you so much that he suffered, bled, and died for your sins. You are every bit as precious to Jesus as were those seven churches with their angels.

“Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.” God doesn’t choose just anybody to write down His Word. Throughout the ages, God has chosen those who loved Him and who would carefully listen to His voice to transmit his Will and his Teachings. Now Jesus was commissioning John, his closest human friend, to record this vision. What an honor! What a privilege! How scary could it get? By this point, John’s knees were probably knocking together in anxiety and fright….. and yet…. and yet, this was Jesus, John’s closest Friend. Jesus, who knew John better than he knew himself. Jesus, who had loved John even before the foundations of the world and who was now calling John to do one final great work for him. It must have been with fear and trembling that John agreed and waited on the vision.

I once saw a book entitled, “Here Am I, God. Send Aaron.” The thought was that Moses probably wished God had chosen his brother Aaron to lead Israel rather than forcing him into leadership. Many times we might feel totally inadequate to fulfill the calling God puts on our lives. But we should rest assured that if God calls us, He will empower us.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to listen for your voice and to look for you to break into our lives. Help us to follow hard after you and to trust that if you call us to do a difficult thing, you will give us the power to carry out that calling. Thank you for loving us! Thank you that Jesus is not a poor dying figure on a cross or a dead body in a grave, but that He is the risen and conquering King. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:9 – 11 “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Stuck on a bare rocky island in the middle of the sea! Not exactly the retirement plan most of us would consider! Sitting outside that cave half – way up the mountain on Patmos, all John could see was the sea, the rocks, and the blinding sunlight. The Emperor Domitian exiled John to this remote prison island because John was preaching Jesus Christ while Domitian wanted everyone to worship him. As the Roman Empire continued to crumble from the inside, the emperors became increasingly insistent on total submission to their every whim. Given those circumstances, it’s quite likely that John had plenty of Christian company on Patmos. But isolation also has advantages. For one thing, if John wanted to preach to his fellow prisoners and even to the guards, it’s likely that people were happy to listen just to break up the monotony. John truly had a captive audience. We will never know this side of heaven how many guards and prisoners on Patmos became believers through John’s witness.

As a faithful believer, John continued to worship regularly by himself. It was while John was worshiping that God sent him the vision that became the Book of Revelation.

“On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit…” When we worship the Lord, great things happen! That morning, John began praying as he usually did, possibly by praying, “Blessed art Thou, O King of the Universe…” and suddenly, the Holy Spirit empowered John and he realized that he was truly in the Presence of the King of the Universe!

 “I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” How do we know the Voice of God? Many times, the Holy Spirit speaks very softly, so softly that we must strain to hear. But God had instituted the use of trumpets in the temple as far back as the time of Moses. In Numbers 10:2 God commanded Moses to make two trumpets of hammered silver. These trumpets were used for worship, for alarms, and for giving instructions when the Israelites were traveling. Now God is making a whole series of critically important announcements, so it makes sense that He would use a voice like a trumpet.

Why was John commanded to write what he was about to see? God wanted to make sure that John knew he was to share this vision with the churches. Visions are sacred and not to be shared indiscriminately. Sharing something at the wrong time or to the wrong audience may bring all kinds of confusion and misunderstanding.

What is the significance of the churches listed? All those churches were in the Roman province of Asia and they were located roughly in a circle. In addition, each of these cities was also a Roman postal district, making widespread distribution of these writings relatively easy. Some other Bible teachers also feel that the number of seven churches has spiritual significance. In many parts of the Bible, the number seven is regarded as the number of perfection or completeness. These seven churches might have been chosen to represent churches in every place and in every age. Personally, I think all of these theories are accurate. God is the Ultimate Multitasker and He is always doing far more than we can possibly imagine or think.

Very few of us may ever have the kind of experience that John had. Many of us might not WANT that kind of experience; after all, if God asks you to write something down, what if you make a mistake??? But we can praise God that John was faithful and carried out instructions.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are always speaking to your people. Thank you that you don’t play favorites and that you will reveal your Will to anyone who sincerely asks. Help all who read this devotional to learn how to hear your voice, even when you are speaking softly. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:7 – 8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”

Even before Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples were already getting anxious as to when he would return. Acts 1:7-11 describes the scene: Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

By this time, John is the last man standing among the disciples. All the other disciples have already been martyred for their faith. Now there are second and third and even fourth generation believers in the church. John wants to make sure that these believers don’t get discouraged and that they realize that Jesus could come back at any moment. Believers in Christ need to live in the expectation of that return.

Weddings were a big deal in Jesus’ day! The date would be announced, and the venue, but nobody knew exactly when the bridegroom would show up. Potential wedding guests had to be ready; festivities would begin as soon as the bridegroom arrived. Jesus told a story about twenty young ladies who were waiting to take part in a wedding. The bridegroom didn’t show up when expected, and night fell. Ten of these ladies had planned ahead and had enough oil for their lamps to burn all night; however, the other ten found their lamps running out of oil. And while the second group was off buying more oil, the bridegroom showed up, the wedding guests entered the wedding hall, and the door was locked. The feckless young ladies who had not been prepared found themselves locked out of the celebration. The moral of the story was obvious: Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and warning his followers to be ready at all times for his return.

“and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” When Jesus came as a baby, he was born to a poor family in an obscure village in a small country. He was a nobody. But when Jesus returns as the conquering King who has vanquished hell, death, and the grave, EVERYBODY is going to see Him! Jesus warned his disciples of this shortly before he was crucified. “Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  (Matthew 24:26-27).

Before Jesus was crucified, he was beaten with whips having sharp pieces of broken pottery to help tear the flesh further. Then Jesus was nailed to the cross and eventually a Roman soldier thrust a spear into his left side to make sure that he was dead. None of us were there that day at Calvary; yet, we are all just as guilty as if we were in the crowds that screamed “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Jesus did not die on Calvary for his own sins, but for ours. When Jesus returns, everyone will see him in his majesty and his glory. At the same time, all of us will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that WE are the ones who caused those wounds! We are the ones who caused Jesus to be pierced! And all of the human race will grieve because of the way Jesus suffered and the fact that he suffered for us!

So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.” When we say something is going to happen, there is always a chance that circumstances will change. But when God says “So shall it be,”  that ends the matter! In the Greek alphabet, Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. God is assuring us that He is the beginning and end of everything, that He is Almighty, and that He has always existed, still exists and always will exist.

Today, where is your confidence? Are you trusting in financial security or a job or family connections? Perhaps you are a physical fitness buff and run marathons. As long as you are trusting in anything or anyone less than the One True Living God, you are making a terrible mistake. If COVID has taught us little else, we should have learned that businesses, jobs, social position and health can all vanish in an instant. In Psalm 95:7-8 the Psalmist tells us, “Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts…”

Remember the story of the wedding party. Jesus is going to return, but nobody knows the day or the hour. If we are not ready, if we have not chosen to follow Jesus, we will be like the young ladies who found themselves locked out of the wedding feast.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you allowed yourself to be pierced for our sins and nailed to the cross! Thank you that you have made a way for us to be with you in heaven forever if we will only believe on you and what you have done for us. Help everyone who reads this devotional to come to a saving knowledge of your love for them. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.