Revelation speaks about our future condition to help us in our present condition. That is one of the main reasons our Lord gave John the vision. The church was under intense persecution, and John himself was in exile when he was told to write what he saw. Like all apocalyptic literature in scripture, Revelation is designed to increase … Continue reading Our Future Glory
When a man or woman of God invites you in as they process their grief of losing a loved one, they are giving you a spiritual gift to strengthen you. Throughout church history, many faithful Christians have suffered the loss of children and encouraged others through their experiences. Samuel Rutherford, John Flavel, John Bunyan, and George Whitfield … Continue reading Seasons of Sorrow
It started with the drama at the throne (Revelation 5). The scroll containing the inheritance of the children of God was sealed with seven seals, and no one could open it. No one, that was, until the slain Son of God appeared. Because he died and rose again, he is worthy. He had borne the wrath they deserved. Because of this, he is both just and … Continue reading The First Six Seals of Revelation
Remember from where you have fallen (Revelation 2:4). Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die (Revelation 3:2). These two phrases, the first spoken to the church in Ephesus, and the second spoken to the church in Sardis, summarize the condition of our spiritual lives from time to time. For countless Christians, it is easy to reflect … Continue reading Strengthen What Remains
Church is often dull because we think about it like secularists, not according to scripture. This world takes its stand against Christ, and Jesus tells us that as believers, we will have trouble. He also reminds us to take heart because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). For us to take heart, which leaves … Continue reading Why Church is Often Boring
There is joy and peace in believing. Once we know Jesus and the forgiveness he has granted us through faith, joy and peace begin to flow. The problem is if our faith weakens and our spiritual-mindedness begins to diminish, so does the joy and peace that flows from it. There is peace in knowing that we are no longer at … Continue reading Joy and Peace in Believing
Throughout history, we see the church expand and contract not only in size but also in terms of its faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his word. Today, in North America, the visible church as a whole seems to be in a time of decline. Many churches are shrinking or closing, and many others are giving into the … Continue reading The Remnant is Like a Fuse
“You have access to a world of knowledge on the phone in your pocket, but you have no wisdom.” Would this be something God would say to many of us in the church today if he were to speak to us in the same way he spoke to the church in Laodicea in the book of Revelation? … Continue reading If the Letter to Laodicea was Written to Us
Spiritual emptiness can manifest itself in countless ways, but in our culture, one of the ways it reveals itself is in shopping to find fulfillment. This is the kind of shopping that seeks to medicate a dry and thirsty soul with consumer products. In a consumer culture like ours, fulfillment shopping is exactly what we should expect. Many people will … Continue reading Never Shop on an Empty Soul
Put yourself in this situation. It is somewhere between 70 and 95 AD, and the church is under siege by the world. You have seen Nero take some of your brothers and sisters in Christ, tie them to poles, cover them in tar, and set them on fire to light his parties. The enemies of God have even … Continue reading When Downcast, Look to the Throne
The Fight of Faith 