Holiness “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8   During the last few days, we have been challenged by the risen Lord’s messages to the seven churches. They have been extremely down-to-earth and have spoken directly into the lives of those very different churches. We have been given a very clear insight into their strengths and weaknesses and the sharp challenges that they had to face. Now, o

Open the door “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”   Revelation 3:20   Holman Hunt’s painting Light of the World is probably the best known of all biblical pictures. Jesus stands outside a door which is overgrown and clearly hasn’t been opened for a long time. Hunt painted no handle on the door. Jesus has to wait for the person inside to open it up.   The risen Lord was sta

Discipline [The risen Lord said:] “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” Revelation 3:19   This letter to the church in Laodicea was a wake-up call. They were full of self-confidence, but the Lord told them that they had absolutely no reason to feel like that. In a city that prided itself on its wealth, they were told how poor they are. In a region famed for its wool, they were told that they were naked, and there was no hu

Truth about ourselves “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen – the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.”   Revelation 3:14   Nothing is more important in this life than knowing who can be trusted. It is fundamentally important within our family and among our friends, but it is also important with our work colleagues, garage mechanics, plumbers, electricians and all the people who p

Serving [The risen Lord said:] “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”   Revelation 3:8 These words were written to the church in the prosperous city of Philadelphia. Most of the seven churches were criticised for some aspect of their life, but not this one. They were probably small in number, but they had persevered in the face of opposition and been faithful

Spiritually strong and alert This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead. Wake up!”   Revelation 3:1-2 I love that these seven letters to the churches are all completely different. Each church had its own history, strengths and weaknesses, and the risen Lord addressed his words specifically to each situation. The church at Sardis seeme

Christian faith This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.” Revelation 2:18-19     This is the beginning of the letter to the church in Thyatira. It was the smallest and least significant of the seven towns which the risen Lord addressed, a

Change in Church [The risen Lord said:] “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.” Revelation 2:14     These letters to the churches in Revelation are wonderfully straightforward and personal. The risen Lord didn’t beat around the bush! He identified that the Christians in Pergamum had much to commend them. They had been loyal to the Lord in the face of gre

Loyalty This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me.” Revelation 2:12-13   The city of Pergamum was famous for its commitment to emperor worship. It had three temples that were exclusively devoted to the Roman emperor. Although it didn’t have the long history and grandeur of Ephesus, Pergamum was the Roman capital of this region. It was here that the proconsul

Live for God The risen Lord said: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.”   Revelation 2:10   It’s hard for most of us to imagine living with the continual likelihood of persecution for our Christian faith. The harshest treatment we are likely to receive is being laughed at because of it. Just

Riches This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: “I know about your suffering and your poverty – but you are rich!” Revelation 2:8-9   These words introduce the letter to the church in Smyrna. There was no surprise that the first letter went to Ephesus – it was viewed as the most influential of the cities. However, Smyrna was a close rival. It was a busy commercial centre with its own well-protected port. It had been founde

Listen [The risen Lord says:] “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 2:7   All seven of the letters to the churches end with these words. They make it clear that the letters have been written not merely to them specifically but to anyone with the ability to listen. They are the words of the Spirit, words of life for anyone who will hear them.   Tuning our ears into the voice of the Spirit is vital for

Today, Monday 1st December 2025, happens to be World AIDs Day. The day when we remember those living with HIV/AIDs and those who have lost their lives and the battle with the disease. We pray for those who are living with the disease, that they will receive the treatment they require, we remember those who have lost their battle with HIV/AIDs and we remember and pray for their friends and families. We also pray that the healthcare professionals who deal with research, treat

Love [The risen Lord said:] “I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Revelation 2:4   Many of us will be more familiar with an earlier translation of these words: “you have lost your first love”. The Christians in Ephesus had done so well. They had been strong in the face of opposition but, in the process, they had lost their early passionate love for the Lord and for one another.   We don’t know what had caused them to lose th

Ephesian church [The risen Lord said,] “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people.” Revelation 2:2 These words come from the first of the seven letters to the churches, and they were addressed to the church in Ephesus. Pergamum was the capital city of the province of Asia, but Ephesus was in every way the greatest city. It had the largest port in the area and many major roads converged on it. It

Christ stands with us John wrote: “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.” Revelation 1:12-14     In order to understand these amazing verses, we need to appreciate that the Church at the time was very small and facing the brutal and powerful

Worship It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshipping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.  It said: “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” Revelation 1:10-11 For many years after Jesus’ earthly ministry, his followers continued to meet on Saturday, and those from a Jewish background maintained their attendance at t

Encouragement I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.   Revelation 1:9 Unfortunately, we cannot be sure who this John was. Some people have thought of him as the disciple who wrote the fourth gospel, but that is unlikely. The writing style in Revelation is very different from that of the

Alpha and Omega “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.”   Revelation 1:8   Everybody is interested in the future, and the book of Revelation is designed to help us as we prepare ourselves for it. If you were looking for a map or a timetable of events, you will be sadly disappointed. What the book gives us is a vision of God, who is so powerful that howeve

The early Church Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.   Romans 16:3-5  This final chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans contains greetings to a number of specific people. It gives us a fascinating window into the early Church. We find that the Roman church