Month: April 2026

Revelation 2:18 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:

¹⁹ “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.
²⁰ “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
²² “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
²⁴ “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you ²⁵ except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. ²⁶ To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,

To them I will give authority over all the nations.
²⁷ They will rule the nations with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.

²⁸ They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
²⁹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. (NLT)

We return today to the Book of Revelation, and we examine Jesus’ words to the church in Thyatira, which is the longest of the seven letters.  At that time, Thyatira was a huge commercial center.  All religions were welcomed, and there was not currently any persecution of Christians in the city. So what was the problem?

Because Thyatira was a great commercial center, there were a great number of trade guilds, or unions, designed for the mutual profit and pleasure of people in like businesses. The culture of the society was reflected in the guild activities.  There would be a meal sacrificed to various gods, and the people would eat and drink. Often they would become drunk and they would indulge in immoral activities.  Christians had been warned to stay away from these guilds, but there was a movement led by a woman of the church (Jesus calls her Jezebel) which called for compromise. She was teaching Christians to compromise with worldly standards for the sake of commercial prosperity. 

Can you see how current and timely the teachings of this book are for us today?  How many Christians seek compromise with worldly standards for the sake of profit?

I think it’s important to note that there was much good going on in the church in Thyatira. On the surface all looked well.  If a Christian from another city visited the church in Thyatira, they would have probably thought that all was well. It was not until one looked into the personal lives of the individual Christians that one would come to learn that all was not well. This tells us that numbers at church don’t really mean a thing! It is possible to have a crowded service, but in fact what is going on is entertainment, and not worship or learning.

Today, let us continue to live out our faith in all that we do.  In every relationship, and with every person with whom we have contact, let us strive to be as Christ-like as we possibly can. Let us remember to continually call upon the Holy Spirit for this strength! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Revelation 2:12 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:

¹³ “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
¹⁴ “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. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. ¹⁵ In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. ¹⁶ Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
¹⁷ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.” (NLT)

In today’s passage, Jesus sends a message to the church in Pergamum, which was the Roman capital in Asia Minor at that time.  As with all Roman cities of that era, there were various temples dedicated to various gods. There was one type of worship, however, for which Pergamum was noted – Caesar worship. In an effort to bring national solidarity to the empire, Caesar allowed the people to worship whatever they liked, as long as they also worshipped Caesar.  This is what Jesus calls ‘Satan’s throne’ in verse thirteen. 

In verse twelve we are told that Jesus has a sharp two-edged sword. This refers to the Word of God that Jesus brings. The Word of God has the power to bring healing for those who heed its teaching but is also has the power to condemn for those who reject it.

In verses fourteen and fifteen, Jesus shares his complaints’ against the church.  Some were holding onto to sexual sin, and to eating what was offered to idols. Balaam was associated with magic.  Magic was a big part of religious experiences in that part of the world.  As to the eating meat offered to an idol, this can be a troubling passage in light of Paul’s teaching on this subject. Basically, Paul said that there was nothing wrong with the meat, but not to eat it if it caused another to stumble.  The problem in Pergamum was that some people refused to worship Caesar, but they would buy the meat that had been offered to Caesar during worship. They did this in an effort to satisfy the Roman officials.  The problem was not the meat itself, but rather their motivation for eating the meat.  Eating the meat offered to Caesar was a compromise. 

The lesson for us here is that compromising our religious convictions is always wrong.  If we say that Jesus is Lord, then Jesus must be Lord of all of our life, not just certain parts of life. There are many behaviors that are accepted within our society, just as eating meat offered to Cesar was accepted in Pergamum. Being socially acceptable does not make something right. We cannot bow down to Jesus on Sunday and then bow down to other accepted behaviors during the week.

Today, let us hold fast to the teachings of God’s Word. Let us strive not to compromise.  Let Jesus be the Lord of All of Life! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Revelation 2:8 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

⁹ “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. ¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. (NLT) 

In this passage, Jesus speaks to the church in Smyrna.  Smyrna was an interesting city in that while it had a large pagan population, it also had a large Jewish population.  A number of these Jews became Christians, but many others did not follow Christ.  The Christians in Smyrna were facing opposition from several fronts.  Jesus makes it clear that whatever is opposing the Church – which is the Body of Christ at work in the world – is of Satan.  The opposition that they were facing was of Satan, and any opposition that we face as we follow Christ is from Satan, as well.

Jesus says that some will be thrown into prison for ten days.  Jewish writers (and John was a Jewish Christian) would often use ten to mean a short period of time, and when we read this we probably think that ten days is not so bad.  We must understand, however, that in those days, if one was in prison for a short period of time, it was probably because a sentence had already been passed, and they would soon be executed.  This is why Jesus calls for them to be faithful even when facing death.  Jesus tells them that if they were faithful they would soon wear the crown of life.  There were several words for crown in the Greek, and this crown was one signifying joy, the type of crown worn at a banquet.  The lesson for us is that while we may never achieve the things we desire in this life, thanks be to Jesus, we can still be victorious and experience true joy at God’s great banquet!

The ‘second death’ spoke of in verse eleven is the judgment that all must receive.  The Christians in Smyrna were told that if they were strong, and did not deny Jesus, then Jesus would not deny them at the time of judgment.  While, in this country, we do not face the persecution that these early Christians faced, we, too, must not deny Jesus.  Once again we are reminded that confessing with our mouth is great, but the proof of our faith is lived out daily in the ‘real world’. 

Today, let us be strong against that which would oppose our Christian walk.  Let us remain faithful, knowing that any trouble we face now is fleeting, and that the crown of life awaits us in our heavenly home. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Revelation 2:1 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

² “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. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. ³ You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
⁴ “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! ⁵ Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. ⁶ But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
⁷ “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. (NLT)

I seem to have found my way into the Book of Revelation, so we might as well continue for a while!  At the close of chapter one, we are told that it is the Risen Christ who speaks these words.  This section is written to the church in Ephesus.  Ephesus was a huge city, and like Rome, many roads led to Ephesus.  It was also a major center for the worship of various pagan gods, and was considered a wicked and dangerous place.

In verse one, Jesus says that he holds the seven stars in his right hand, and walks among the gold lampstands.  Lampstands was imagery of that day to signify the churches (think of letting your light shine).  Jesus is writing to seven churches, but seven was also a number that meant completeness.  This letter is for the Church universal.  The word we translate as hold had a stronger meaning in the Greek, it meant to have total control over something.  The Church belongs to Jesus, and the Apostle Paul even called the Church the Body of Christ.

In verses four and five Jesus shares his complaint against the Church in Ephesus.  The phrase is one that means that their first rush of enthusiasm has worn off.  Sadly, this is the case when many come to know Jesus – they are all excited at first, but as time goes on they let their enthusiasm die. With their lack of enthusiasm for Christ came a lack of love and concern for others, as well.  We are all called to love others, but we must nurture our love for Jesus first.  Without love for Jesus, our care and ministry for others will be replaced with a love and enthusiasm for the world.   

In verse six, Jesus says: “You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.” The Nicolaitans were associated with the teachings Balaam, a pagan god.  They were also associated with immoral sexual practices.  It seems as if the Nicolaitans were not willing to be different from the rest of the world. We are called to be different – to act and speak differently.  The difference in our lives should be easily noticed.

In verse seven Jesus promises the tree of life for those who overcome the desires of this world.  Are we saved by our actions?  No, but if Jesus is truly in our heart, then our actions will reflect Jesus.

In light of this ancient and difficult text, let us strive to make every effort to nurture our relationship with Jesus, so that our lives will reflect the one who is merciful and loving.  Let us strive to be noticeably different!   

Posted by Ramón Torres