Months into living with COVID, many Christians are reading Revelation. Are we headed into End Times? Will we be the generations that live through the final book of the Bible? As I read Revelation and specifically the letters that were written to the seven churches, I couldn’t help but ask myself: what church am I attending and which church best reflects my current faith journey.
The seven letters provide both commendations and rebukes for each church and encouragement for action.
Is there a church today that is Philadelphia? If so, I don’t think I’ve come across it. I’ve attended or been a member of churches such as Ephesus, which did the hard work but missed the big picture—a personal relationship with Jesus. They were the Martha when they should have been the Mary (Luke 10:38 – 42).
Many churches are proud of their good works but compromise God’s Word. I’ve also been to churches such as Sardis who were effective but superficial. Since authenticity is one of my core values, these churches cause me the most pain. When you truly reflect on your home church, where does it lay on the continuum of superficiality?
In this day, I see many churches that follow the pattern of Thyatria. In living out faith, love, and service, they also adopt a heavy dose of acceptance for all things liberal in the world. They have sacrificed absolute truth and adopted the mindset that we should be inclusive of everyone’s truth. Christians are not called to judge others, but they are empowered to discern God’s truth and live according to his Word. God offers absolute truth.
My desire is to become Thyatira for its commendation with no rebuke for immorality. Where are you on the continuum? What type of church do you belong or attend? Based on the church and world conditions is there a trend toward the small home church?.
About the Author: Sandra Dillon is a marriage coach along with her husband, Darin, who help couples across the world via seminars, workshops, and private sessions. She customizes a relationship journey tailored based on curriculums from their own content, Prepare & Enrich, SYMBIS, FOCCUS, and Marriage on the Rock. Couples design their marriage, learn tools, and then work toward achieving their vision. Learn more about the ministry or sign up for a session by contacting Sandra at shinecrossings@gmail.com
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