Leigh Young: Letters in Revelation for Today’s Church

In the Bible in the book of Acts, early church members gathered together amid threats of persecution and prayed to the Lord for the strength and perseverance to continue in Christ and spread His word. God answered their prayer: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). God rocked the house and the gospel spread throughout the region. But in a relatively short time, the Lord had to address many issues within several area churches. The seven letters to the churches in the Book of Revelation were custom designed to specific congregations at that time. There are however, principles from each one we can appreciate and apply to our lives today. Jesus loves us enough to reprove and discipline us when necessary, and to warn us when we are becoming self-sufficient or have given in to subtle compromise.