Keep The Faith

The Seven Churches of Revelation Before we explore the Seven Churches of Revelation, it is important to understand the life of the man through whom Jesus delivered this message — John the Apostle. His journey from fisherman to beloved disciple to exiled prophet shapes the tone and urgency of the letters to the churches. The Life of John the Apostle A detailed look at the man through whom God gave us the Gospel of John, the Epistles, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. ← Read: The Life of John the Apostle The Seven Churches of Revelation With John’s life in view, we now turn to the seven churches he wrote to — real congregations in real cities, each facing unique pressures and receiving a specific message from Jesus Christ. 1. Ephesus — Revelation 2:1–7 Main takeaway: A church strong in doctrine and endurance, but drifting from its first love. Revelation 2:4–6 (NIV) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken t...

Faith • Truth • Hope A reflection born during quiet moments of exercise, prayer, and honest questions before Father God. My Thoughts While Exercising During my “almost daily” exercises, my mind becomes very active. I think, I pray, and I talk with Father God. I have to stay faithful to these exercises because of the issues with my spine. If I neglect them, I pay for it later with debilitating pain. Naturally, some of my thoughts drift toward the medical challenges I’m facing. I wonder why these things are happening to me. I think about the book of Job. I think about my dream — the “ Funny Dream ” — where the Lord and I shook hands, and He told me my spine issues wouldn’t be as bad as I feared. I think about Satan, why he is the way he is, and why God allows him to continue for now. So many questions rise up during these moments. In my last post, Dictators and Wannabes , I wrote about dictators, their characteristics, and what happens when ...

Intro There is a tension many believers feel but rarely speak aloud—the fear that when we talk about grace, others may think we are excusing sin. My heart in writing this is not to justify disobedience, but to point us back to the only One who can make us righteous. It may look, from some of my previous posts, as though I am trying to justify our disobedience to God. I pray earnestly that no reader takes it this way. We can never be justified in our disobedience, nor can we be justified by our works. I believe many people today—many who want to be chosen—are creating saviors for themselves while missing the message of God. There is only one Savior, and He is our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no work I can do that will save me. God has done it all for all of us, and we owe Him our honor, praise, and reverence. Does this mean we should give up trying to do good works? Not at all. The good works we do should be done through Jesus. The one receiving the good works should be ab...