Songs in the Key of Faith: Introduction to Songs of the Bible. Music refuses definition. Music can be described, it can be lived, it cannot be defined. Music goes too deep for that. Deeper than we can imagine and deeper than we can possibly know until heaven, where music seems to be the common language. …
Introduction to the Seven Churches in Revelation. Please read Revelation 1. WHO (a.) John. The author of Revelation is the apostle John, an original member of the Twelve, the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” John was a fisherman transformed into the Apostle of Love. He was one of the Zebedee brothers, with James, and was most …
Thyatira: Loving but Corrupted. Please read Revelation 2:18-29. Thyatira. A blue-collar town, out in the backwoods. A small military outpost of the Empire that has no political importance or significance. The city is known for its commercial activities, with many trades and small businesses. If people wanted to engage with wool-workers, linen-workers, dyers of cloth, …
Philadelphia: Small but Steady Please Read Revelation 3:7-13. A city rebuilt after a devastating earthquake. An outpost city, out on the frontier, designed to advance Greek culture. A temple built for emperor worship. Another temple maintained for ritual worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility and debauchery. A relatively new, small city with a …
Ephesus: Orthodox but Loveless. Please read Revelation 2:1-7. The center of all commerce in that region. The political capital. Where all the trade routes converge. The meeting place of all religious travelers and residents, all those who worship the gods and goddesses of the age. The place where those who dabble in occult practices like …
Sardis: Alive but Dead. Please read Revelation 3:1-6. Fortified city. Impregnable, seemingly impossible to attack successfully. Confident in its security from enemies. Safe enough to be made the capital city of western Asia. One of the richest and most powerful of all the ancient cities. A flourishing church with a solid reputation, known for its …
Smyrna: Poor but Rich. Please read Revelation 2:8-11. Church members are hauled off to prison for believing in Jesus. Pastors are tortured and killed by the authorities. The church is under attack from all sides, from hostile mobs to civil authorities. Yet the struggling church remains strong. They endure the persecution and continue to function …
Pergamum: Impressive but Compromised. Please read Revelation 2:12-17. A stunning library. A spectacular theater. Amazing architecture everywhere. Top-of-the-line medical school. Renowned for its sophisticated culture and the arts. Celebrity worship. A favorite vacation spot for the leaders of government. A wide variety of distracting things to experience. A group of believers willing to compromise Christian …
Laodicea: Rich but Poor. Please read Revelation 3:14-22. Lots of spending money. Plenty of possessions. Comfort, luxury. A lifestyle in the pursuit of entertainment and material things… The latest fashions, the best investments, the most up-do-date medical care. An interesting mix of ethnic groups. Convenient transportation and ease of travel. Believers that have grown accustomed …
Summing Up: Love One Another. “This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 15:12-13; 13:34-35). a. We …
Wash One Another’s Feet. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14-15, KJV). Foot-Washing: A simple act of hospitality; a house servant task, involving placing someone else’s dirty, smelly feet into a bowl of water and carefully cleansing those feet of all …
Confess to One Another. “Confess your sins to each other.” (James 5:16). Confess: to acknowledge openly; to freely admit to wrongdoing; to announce one’s guilt; to concede one’s shortcomings; to repent of sins; to agree with God that the sin is a sin. a. Mutual Confession. The research of the Orthodox Church states that the …