Meadowbrooke Church

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. I first read those words more than twenty years ago in John Pipers The Pleasures of God. Second only to the Bible, that book has had a profound impact on my life. I have owned several copies over the years; my first copy had to be replaced because I wore it out, and the copy on my shelf today is well marked. To give you a sense of why...

We now come to the passage in the Bible that some of you have heard so much about. For some of you, you are already familiar with the story of how God miraculously healed me, so I will not spend much time retelling it. However, there is something I have not talked much about, and it has to do with my response to this passage in Revelation 7:9-17. When I was serving as the senior pastor at Northwes...

In the 1870s, Charles Taze Russell began leading Bible classes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a small group that came to be known as Bible Students. In 1879, he began publishing a Bible journal later known asThe Watch Tower. Then, in 1884, he incorporated what became the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Through Russells publishing work, the movement spread beyond Pennsylvania and eventually...

During the week leading up to Jesus crucifixion, He was asked by His disciples, What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matt. 24:3). As you are already aware, Jesus warned that before His coming there would be false christs claiming to be Him, wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, kingdoms rising against kingdoms, famines, and earthquakes in various pla...

My friend Shana Reif suffered from Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and other organs. It causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the airways, leading to repeated infections, inflammation, and progressive lung damage. In many cases, the disease can advance until the lungs can no longer do what God created them to dobring oxygen into the body and sustain life. Cy...

We all wear glasses in this room. I am not referring to your contacts or the physical glasses your eye doctor prescribed. I am referring to your worldviewthe lenses through which you interpret everything you see: God, yourself, others, suffering, evil, history, the purpose of life, and the future. In our world today, people use a wide range of worldviews to make sense of reality. Theism holds that...

About the same time the book of Revelation was written, a Jewish historian named Josephus, who was not a Christian, wrote about Jesus. Though the wording of the full passage has been debated, the basic testimony is striking: Jesus was known as a wise man, a worker of remarkable deeds, a teacher, one who gained followers, was crucified under Pilate, and whose followers did not disappear: Around thi...

The cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals! That was the warningJohn G. Patonreceived when he announced his call to take the gospel to the New Hebrides. An older man in his churchknown simply as Mr. Dicksontried to dissuade him. From a human standpoint, the concern was understandable. Patons ministry in Glasgow was thriving. Hundreds gathered each week, lives were being changed, and the work wa...

In 2016, I was gifted a second-generation Apple Watch. Since then, Ive worn a smartwatch almost exclusivelyuntil recently. I still wear my Apple Watch, but I now also wear a mechanical watchone that needs neither a battery nor a charging cable. It runs on a finely engineered system of gears, springs, and a self-winding rotor that winds as I move my wrist. When I wear it, Im wearing a timepiece wit...

We live in a day when worship is often treated casuallybut Scripture makes it clear that God does not take worship lightly. And yet, many of us rarely stop to consider what is actually taking place in heaven right now what true worship really looks like before the throne of God. Last week, we were given a glimpse into that throne room, where everything centers on the One who sits upon the thronesu...

Revelation 4 is one of those chapters in the Bible that should leave us breathless by its sheer majesty and beauty. There are moments in this world that cause us to step back and marvelyet even those are only a faint glimpse of something far greater: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens (Ps. 8:1). Scripture gives us glimpses that p...

The problem with man-made religion is that it creates a system where you must go up to God. Let me give you some examples: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) said, By oneself is evil done; by oneself is one defiled. By oneself is evil left undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity depend on oneself; no one can purify another. Confucius taught that personal excellence is achieved through dis...

I want to read you some quotes from some theologians and authors that you could have found or may even still be able to find in your local Christian books store: Bob Wilkin: One can be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and yet not be a disciple. Jesus: You have abandoned the love you had at first. (Rev. 2:4) Joel Osteen: God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh idea...

In the ancient world, few cities were as impressive as Laodicea. It was a place of wealth, influence, and self-made success. Known for its thriving textile industry, its production of luxurious black wool, and its advanced medical practices, Laodicea stood as a symbol of prosperity. When disaster struck with a devastating earthquake, the city famously refused outside help and rebuilt on its own. I...

There is a passage in the Bible that has challenged my pride while also encouraging me when I feel completely inadequate. By the worlds standards of intelligence or success, I probably shouldnt be serving as a pastor, teaching, or writing. Growing up, my parents were told that I probably wouldnt go to college because I wasnt considered smart enough. I spent much of junior high and high school in l...

The city of Sardis once symbolized wealth, power, and security. During the reign of King Croesus in the sixth century B.C., it gained fame for its riches, much of which came from the gold deposits of the Pactolus River flowing through the city. Situated strategically at the western end of the Royal Road, Sardis prospered as a central hub of commerce and influence. Yet the city also harbored a hidd...

What you see, hear, and say matters. I once heard a pastor say, Your eyes and your ears are the gateways into your mind and heart. That is exactly right. What we allow in shapes what we believe, and what we believe shapes what we say and do. This is one of the reasons God takes very seriously what people say in His name. It is not only what you claim about Him, but how you represent Him before you...

Cities are known for their slogans. New York is called The City That Never Sleeps. Paris is The City of Light. Philadelphia is The City of Brotherly Love. Chicago is The Windy City. Every city has a name it embracessomething that captures its identity and the image it wants the world to believe about it. But in Revelation 2, Jesus gives Pergamum a name no city would ever choose for itself. He call...

Smyrna wore its grandeur like a crown. Proudly calling itself the Pride of Asia, it was fiercely loyal to Rome and a leading center of emperor worship. To live in Smyrna was to participate in public allegiance to Caesaroffering incense and declaring, Caesar is Lord. For most citizens, this was routine patriotism. For Christians, it was impossible. Worship belonged to Jesus alone. Refusing meant su...

I believe the book of Revelation is intentionally shaped by the rhythm of the seven Jewish feasts, with deep echoes of the Exodus and Israels wilderness journey woven throughout its visions. We have already seen how this works in chapter 1, where the imagery echoes Passover. Passover marked Israels deliverance from slavery through the blood of a substituteand in Revelation 1:1216, that substitute...

Permit me to share a story from my own experience that helps explain why it took me so long to preach a sermon series on the book of Revelation. When I was twenty-eight, I had been ordained as a minister of the gospel only a short time earlier and was serving as an interim pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, a congregation of roughly three hundred people. The church was struggling. Years of poor lea...

Keith Miller Meadowbrooke Church January 25, 2026 Behold Our Great God Revelation 1:1-8 Introduction In a world that exalts earthly power and demands allegiance, the book of Revelation pulls back the curtain and shows us the true throne of heaven. It calls Gods people to place their hope and loyalty not in the rulers of this age, but in Jesus Christthe One who governs history and alone deserves ou...

Introduction I remember the first time I sat down to read the book of Revelation. It was the summer of 1992a pleasant Pennsylvania eveningsitting on the back patio of the small house where I spent my teenage years. That night, I read all twenty-two chapters in one sitting. Early on, I underlined a verse that encouraged me:Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy(Rev. 1:3). Tho...