Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Revelation 2-3 and Psalm 54

In Revelation 2-3, the glorious, risen and ascended Lord Jesus communicates His words of encouragement, correction, rebuke and exhortation to the seven churches under John’s apostolic leadership. His words were for them, but they are also for us today.

Scanning the seven communiques in chapters 2-3, we find that there are common dangers that threaten to derail the faith and faithfulness of the People of Christ. These have proven to be common through every age.

False teaching attacks the truth that underpins our faith. Hardships and persecution tempt us to turn back from faithfulness to Christ. Sexual immorality and seeking sexual pleasure in ungodly ways was and is a huge threat to the moral purity of Christ’s Bride. Compromise with the standards and cultural norms of this fallen world are possibly less obvious, but no less dangerous. Then there are the dangers posed by apathy, lethargy, and lovelessness, which would cause us to simply drift away from our allegiance to Christ into a slow but steady spiritual decay.

To all believers, faced with these spiritual dangers, Jesus’ call goes out to return to our first love, to fan our passion for Him into flame, to repent of compromise and immorality, to eject all false teaching, to pursue purity of belief and lifestyle, and to be faithful to Christ, even to the point of death if necessary!

These very direct words of instruction will be echoed throughout the prophetic imagery and symbolism of the rest of the Revelation, so we would do well to heed them carefully today.

Life Application: Which call of Jesus resonates most deeply with your own life today? LIsten to it and respond accordingly!