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Judges Prophets  Kings  Ruth 1  7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 14 And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.  15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”  18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. 1 Samuel 3:19-20 — As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.  1 Samuel 8 4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.  5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”  6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.  7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.  8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.  1 Samuel 9:2 — Kish had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no one more handsome than Saul. He stood a head taller than any other man in Israel. 1 Samuel 15:11 — I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and he has not carried out my words.” Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 1 Samuel 16:7 — But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts. 2 Samuel 5:3-4 — So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. 1 Kings 11:4 — In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God.  2 Kings 18 2 Hezekiah was 25 years old when he began to rule. He ruled 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. 3 Hezekiah did what the Lord said was right, just as David his ancestor had done. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like Hezekiah among all the kings of Judah before him or after him. 6 He was very faithful to the Lord and did not stop following him. He obeyed the commands that the Lord had given to Moses. 7 The Lord was with Hezekiah, so he was successful in everything he did. Hezekiah broke away from the king of Assyria and stopped serving him. 2 Kings 21:1-2 — Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. ABUNDANCE When riches increase, the essence of religion decreases in the same proportion.  — John Wesley DISOBEDIENCE / PARTIAL OBEDIENCE  2 Kings 17 13 Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.” 14 But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God.  15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings.  ALLEGIANCE / ALIGNMENT  Psalm 20:7 — Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  FORGETFULNESS  Deuteronomy 5:15 — Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 6:12 — But be careful! Don’t forget the Lord. You were slaves in Egypt, but he brought you out of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 8:11 — Be careful. Don’t forget the Lord your God! Be careful to obey the commands, laws, and rules that I give you today. Deuteronomy 8:18 — Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Judges 2:10 — After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. Judges 8:33-35 — No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them. 1 Chronicles 16:12 — Remember the wonders he has done, his signs and his spoken judgments. Luke 22:19 — Do this in remembrance of Me. Does your family and friends know your salvation story?  Have you explained to them why __________________________? #MySalvationStory  Psalm 103:2 — Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Exodus 3 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.    TITLE: Rescued For A Reason     1. To Fulfill His Promise   Exodus 6 8 “I will bring you to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I will give it to you for your own. I am the Lord.”   God loves people who leave a legacy.   Genesis 19 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.         2. To Reveal His Power   Exodus 9 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.    Noah Rahab Moses Jochebed David       3. To Kneel With Praise   Exodus 3 11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”  12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”  Praise was proof that they had been rescued.

With God Without God  Isaiah 41:8 — The Lord says, “You, Israel, are my servant. Jacob, I chose you. You are from the family of my friend, Abraham. James 2:23 — And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. Matthew 1:1 — The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Genesis 12  1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.  Faith-filled families can still have failures and flaws. Hebrews 11:8 — Abraham trusted God, and when God told him to leave home and go far away to another land that he promised to give him, Abraham obeyed. Away he went, not even knowing where he was going. Have you been holding back from a risky, costly course to which you know in your heart God has called you? Hold back no longer. Your God is faithful to you, and adequate for you. You will never need more than He can supply, and what He supplies, both materially and spiritually, will always be enough for the present.  — J.I. Packer  God is faithful and true. Confess your inability and His ability, and keep your eyes on Him.  — David Jeremiah  The Altar Of Appearance (Presence)  Genesis 12:6-7 — The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” Abram built an altar to honor the Lord who appeared to him there. The Altar Of Prayer  Genesis 12:8 — From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. The Altar Of Procession And Progression  Genesis 13:17-18 — Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. The Altar Of Obedience  Genesis 22:1 — After these things God decided to test Abraham’s faith. God said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Yes!” Genesis 22:9 — When they came to the place where God told them to go, Abraham built an altar. He carefully laid the wood on the altar. Then he tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Genesis 21:5 — Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. How do I handle not always getting what I want, when I want it? Genesis 21:1-2 — The Lord came back to visit Sarah as he said he would, and he kept his promise to her. At exactly the time God said it would happen, Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Romans 4 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. All God's giants have been weak men and women who have gotten hold of God's faithfulness. — Missionary Hudson Taylor  Romans 15:4 — Everything that people wrote in the Bible in past times is there to teach us something. Those words help us to be patient and strong. As a result, we can trust God to do what he has promised

Acts 6 1 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.  2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables.  3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.  4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company.  5 So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…. Acts 6 8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.  9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen.  10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking. Stephen wasn’t famous, but he was full. Wisdom always wins!  Luke 21 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. What are you full of? Opposition Arose When you are a faithful follower of Jesus, you will have opposition.  “You have enemies? Good. That means you stood up for something, sometime in your life.” - Winston Churchill John 15 18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.  19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” John 16 33 Jesus said…”In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” Acts 6  11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”  12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin.  13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.  14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”  15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” While everyone was losing their minds, Stephen was glowing with peace. Acts 7 51 “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.” Acts 7 54 When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him.  55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”  57 They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him.  58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.  59 While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”  60 He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep. Stephen didn’t focus on the stones, He focused on the Savior.  When stones fly, will your faith stand?

Revelation 3 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,” not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.  22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” The Amen  The Faithful and True Witness The Beginning  I know… Laodicea Hierapolis Colossae  Colossians 4:13 — I can tell you this about Epaphras: He has worked very hard for you, and also for the people at Laodicea and at Hierapolis. Colossians 4:16 — And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. Water  It’s not flowing like it should.  Lukewarm (Chliaros)  You became warm You fluctuated  You say… Sometimes self-assessment is the most dangerous assessment. Wealth  Wretched / Talaipōros   Pitiable / Eleeinos  Poor Blind  Naked  Eleeinos  1 Corinthians 15:19 — If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone else in the world. Hold loosely to the things of this life, so that if God requires them of you, it will be easy to let them go. — Corrie ten Boom  I counsel you… Do I do business with God?   Wool Salve / Ointment  You left me out of it all.  Knock Knock

PC Sermon Notes 7/12/26 - Church in Philadelphia SOME DOORS LEAD TO ANOTHER ROOM OTHER DOORS LEAD TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FUTURE AM I GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT? GOD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING THE DOOR WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WALKING THROUGH IT REVELATION 3:7–13 ESV 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.  10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.  11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.  12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.  13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ BROTHERLY LOVE EARTHQUAKES What made them faithful?   STAY FAITHFUL IN SERVING   STAY FAITHFUL IN SHARING   "Christ has the keys and He opens the doors." John Stott "There are things which can only happen when a man sees the open door and has the courage to go through it." WILLIAM BARCLAY STAY FAITHFUL IN SUFFERING   STAY FAITHFUL IN SCRIPTURE  FAITHFULNESS DOESN’T BEGIN WITH OPPORTUNITY FAITHFULNESS BEGINS WITH OBEDIENCE I WANT TO STAY FAITHFUL IN MY _____________________. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR JESUS ALREADY DID THAT YOU HAVE TO WALK THROUGH IT

Revelation 3 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.  4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Isaiah 11:2 — And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord The Spirit of Wisdom The Spirit of Understanding The Spirit of Counsel The Spirit of Might  The Spirit of Knowledge The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord Unguarded Paths What are the unguarded paths in my life? The Titanic tragedy served as a wake-up call for the shipping industry, highlighting the importance of safety and preparedness at sea. The Careless Church The Complacent Church The Overconfident Church I know…  Would God agree with my reputation?  Wake up! If you will not wake up… What is left in my life? When is a revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep. — Billy Sunday  People are often ashamed to admit that they need revival.  — Mordecai Ham  If we want revivals, we must revive our reverence for the Word of God. — Charles Spurgeon  Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God's near presence and holiness. This reviving brings a vivid sense of sin, repentance, praise, and love, with an evangelistic outflow. — J.I. Packer  Revival is a renewed conviction of sin and repentance, followed by an intense desire to live in obedience to God. It is giving up one's will to God in deep humility. — Charles Finney  Revival is a divinely initiated work in which God’s people pray, repent of their sin, and return to a holy, Spirit-filled, obedient, love-relationship with God. — Henry Blackaby  A revival is the church falling in love with Jesus Christ all over again. — Vance Havner  Maybe you are the key to revival in your church. — Leonard Ravenhill  Wake-Up _______________________________.

Revelation 2 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.  20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,  23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.  24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.  25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.  26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.  29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Vulnerable Exposure  The Compromised Church The Corrupted Church  I know… Outside Inside  You tolerate Jezebel.  Silences  Substitutes  Tolerate  I've noticed that there's nothing as intolerant as the intolerance of the tolerant against the intolerance of the intolerant. — Adrian Rodgers  What do we tolerate? Why do we tolerate it?  Do I redefine biblical truth to fit culture? Do I excuse sin in the name of tolerance? Do I cave to the pressure of political correctness?  Am I aware that He knows and that He sees the deep things in my life?   Guild > God  We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. — A.W. Tozer  Revelation 2:21 — I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. I gave _______________ time to repent.  The REJECTION of REPENTANCE.

Revelation‬ ‭2‬ 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” Emperor Worship Altar of Zeus The Asclepion Temple of Athena Temple of Dionysus “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” Do I recognize Satan working in the world around me? ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬ 13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.’” “Hold Fast” “Teaching of Baalam” “Teaching of the Nicolaitans” What teaching have I started listening to? What teaching has caused me to stumble? Am I willing to repent? What is the Spirit speaking to me?

Revelation 2 8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.  11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ The Persecuted Church The Crushed Church  Death does not have the last word.  I know… Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. — C.S. Lewis  I thought my pain and suffering had taken me to a place where God could never be found; instead, it was a place where He became more real to me than I had ever known Him to be. — Annette  Don’t be so quick to get out of hard times that you don’t get anything out of them.  — Mark Batterson  John 16:33 — I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world! _________________________ Trouble  Keep The Faith Am I faithful?  Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? — Polycarp  Mark 15:39 — And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Will people watch my final breath and be moved by my faith all the way to the finish?  2 Timothy 4:7 — I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Mark 13:13 — All people will hate you because you follow me. But those who remain faithful to the end will be saved.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ Revelation 1 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,  2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.  10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet  11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,  13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,  15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.  16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face iwas like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,  18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.  19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.  20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Revelation 2 1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.  4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ I know… There are three persons living in each of us: the one we think we are, the one other people think we are, and the one God knows we are! — Leonard Ravenhill  Lost  Left Our ministry success can potentially hide our spiritual decline.  Do I still love Jesus deeply? Is Jesus still my first focus?  How does our first love fade? Revelation  Remember Repent / Return  Repeat / Restore  Ephesians 6:24 — Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace. — John Wesley  Repent  Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent until their dying day.  — Charles Spurgeon  What would God call me to return to?  O God, when my faith gets overladen with dust, blow it clean with the wind of your Spirit. When my habits of obedience get stiff and rusty, anoint them with the oil of your Spirit. Restore the enthusiasm of my first love for you. — Eugene H. Peterson