I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

    John begins this letter to the seven Churches with a description of God’s eternal existence which communicates more than just saying that God is eternal does. He writes that God is, always was, and is to come. God has always been, He is now, and He will always be. As part of his description of God, John writes that God is the beginning and the end. Then he goes on to connect Jesus to this description of God as eternal by writing that Jesus is the first and the last. Jesus died and yet He now lives for all eternity. Because of His death, He now holds the key to death and the grave. Through Him we too may have life eternal.

    In John’s message to the seven Churches he has one of two complaints with the various Churches. It is interesting that to this day these two complaints represent the primary failings which Churches fall into. One is a loss of enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel and doing God’s work. The other is a tolerance for teaching that sexual immorality is not a bad thing, perhaps even a good thing, and the idolatry of trying to fit in with the culture around us. Both are equally bad. There is nothing to be gained by holding fast to God’s commands to be sexually upright and separated from the evils of society if you do not love others enough to tell them about why they should change by accepting the Gospel. On the other hand, being enthusiastic about preaching God’s word to people has no value if you do not teach its transformative power.