Day 319 – Revelation – Letters to the churches

“This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne;” Revelation 1:4 NLT

Read Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 3:22

The vision John received begins with instructions for him to write to seven churches located in Asia Minor (today known as Turkey). He both commends them for their strengths and rebukes five of them for their flaws. Each letter was directed to a church then in existence, but also speaks to conditions in the church throughout history. Both in the churches we attend and in our individual lives, we must constantly fight against the temptation to become loveless, immoral, lenient, compromising, lifeless, or casual about our faith. The letters make it clear how our Lord feels about these qualities.

Christ came to earth as the Lamb, the symbol of His perfect sacrifice for our sins. He will return as the triumphant Lion, the rightful ruler and conqueror. He will defeat Satan, settle accounts with all those who have rejected Him, and bring His faithful people into eternity. The assurance of Christ’s return gives suffering Christians the strength to endure. We can look forward to His return as King and Judge. Since no one knows when He will appear, we must be ready at all times by keeping our faith strong.

Prayer: Father, help us to understand the letters to the churches and to guard against the flaws Jesus points out. May we be pillars in our churches, standing on Your truth and advocating for holiness. Amen.