Good Thursday morning. Thank you to all of the followers of this study on Revelation. It is not easy stuff, but you are hanging in there. We are more than half way through!

N.T. Wright has this to say: “For Christians at the time John wrote Revelation, worshipping or not worshipping the Roman powers was quickly becoming the dividing line between people who were acceptable in the community and people who weren’t. Not long after this time, some local officials introduced a formal requirement that unless you had offered the required sacrifices you weren’t allowed in the market. From quite early on the Christians were faced with a stark alternative; stay true to the Lamb and risk losing your livelihood, the ability to sell or buy; or capitulate to the monster, sacrifice to Caesar at the behest of the local officials, and then everything will be all right–except your integrity as one of the Lamb’s followers.”


Just imagine the dilemma and ask yourself what you would do. How are we tempted to compromise our faith in order to make life easier?


Revelation 13:9-10

9 “Let anyone who has an ear listen:


10 If you are to be taken captive,

    into captivity you go;

if you kill with the sword,

    with the sword you must be killed.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”


See Matthew 26:52 for the same words spoken by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.


Pray for all who are tempted to give in to the pressures of the world to trade in our God for the gods of the world. Pray that our government officials govern in a way that stands up to evil. Pray for those whose faith is built on the sand.


Blessings on your day,

Pastor Sue