Equipping University

Rev 3:7-13 - Philadelphia: The Little Church That Could 11.05.2011 1:01:00 ↓

Jesus will preserve his church and will present his bride to his Father at the end of the age. Realistically speaking, it seems an impossibility that the church made it through the first two hundred years of its existence alive. However, there are Christians in every nation and Christ will redeem "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and langua...

Rev 3:1-6 - Sardis: The Church of the Living Dead 04.05.2011 1:01:37 ↓

The words of Christ to the church in Sardis are the stuff of pastoral nightmares. No pastor or church member would ever want to hear the words delivered to the church in Sardis addressed to their own congregation. The letter suggests that the church in Sardis had slowly taken on the characteristics of its city, a group of people on the verge of death. Like the residents of Sardis, the Christians t...

Rev 2:18-29 - Thyatira: The Too-Tolerant Church 27.04.2011 1:00:27 ↓

The situation in the church in Thyatira is almost identical to that in Pergamum. Certain teachers are making inroads within the congregation and teaching a false doctrine of accommodation with the culture and condoning spiritual adultery. We do not know all we wish we knew about this city. Our difficulty in interpreting this particular letter comes from the many references to daily life that are n...

Rev 2:12-17 - Pergamum: Living Next Door To Satan 20.04.2011 1:00:59 ↓

People like to give nicknames to their favorite cities. In America, we have the Big Apple, the Windy City, the Motor City, the Big Easy, Sin City, the Mile High City, the Queen City, and the City of Progress. Most city nicknames try to highlight a memorable aspect of that city's history or lifestyle. Most cities are proud of their nicknames, although many have derogatory alternatives like Clevelan...

Rev 2:8-11 - Smyrna: Where Christians Go to Die 13.04.2011 59:01 ↓

In his words to the church in Smyrna, Jesus does not promise to save them from physical death or even that things will get better. In fact, Jesus does nothing! He allows their suffering to continue and worsen. Why? Have we not been told all our lives that Jesus will rescue us and keep us from suffering? Are these not the conditions under which many agree to come into a relationship with Christ? Ar...

Rev 2:1-7 - Ephesus: The Church of Loveless Orthodoxy 30.03.2011 1:01:24 ↓

Jesus is not interested in a church filled with sentimental ignorance any more than he wants a church filled with loveless orthodoxy. Christians must strive to have an informed mind and an enflamed heart. Sacrificing sound doctrine for love is just as bad as sacrificing love for doctrine. The church of Ephesus serves as a great model for us today. In a positive sense, we must continue the battle a...