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Standing Strong in the "Shine": Lessons from Philadelphia

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    Have you ever experienced a season where everything in your spiritual life just seemed to "click"? Perhaps you felt an unshakeable passion for the Word, a deep sense of peace in prayer, or an undeniable excitement to share your faith with others. Perhaps these moments came about by a personal alone time with the Lord, or through a powerful spirit filled church service. These "on fire" moments are beautiful, but they often come with a lingering question: What do I do now to keep this flame from burning out?.      The church in Philadelphia was in exactly that kind of season. Out of all the churches addressed in Revelation, Philadelphia shines the brightest. They weren't perfect, but they were faithful. They were a people who didn't just read the Word; they lived it out in their daily lives. They didn't rely on their own strength, but on God’s. Because of their "evangelistic fervor," Jesus didn't give them a list of failures to fix; inst...
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In Too Deep: The Road Back from Thyatira

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     Have you ever felt like sin has its "hooks" in you and won't let go? Sometimes we aren't just flirting with a bad habit or "straddling the fence"—we have fallen into outright depravity. It often starts small: a single look, one drink, or hanging out with the wrong crowd. But eventually, we find ourselves like the Prodigal Son, sitting in a pig trough and trying to satisfy our souls with the "slop" of this world.      The church in Thyatira reached this point. Outwardly, they looked like a "super-church"—they had love, service, faith, and patience. But inwardly, they had a major blemish: they readily accepted a false teacher whom Jesus calls "Jezebel". This woman led the church into deep wickedness, and because she was charming or perhaps a major contributor, they allowed her to stay.      If you feel like you are struggling alone, remember: church is for recovering sinners. Every one of us is, in a sense, addicted to sin. Y...
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Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA
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When the Heart Stops Beating: Jesus’ Instructions for Sardis

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     Have you ever felt like you were just "going through the motions" in your faith? On the outside, everything looks fine—you attend church, you say the right things, and you might even be involved in various programs. But on the inside, the fire has gone out. You feel spiritually cold, dry, and perhaps even "dead."       The church in Sardis was the ultimate "zombie" church. They had a reputation for being alive and active, but Jesus—who sees past the surface—delivered a staggering diagnosis: "You are dead."       It is a sobering reminder that a church's health isn't measured by the size of its budget, the number of its programs, or the crowd in the pews. There are churches that are filled with thousands upon thousand of people but that does not mean that they are a church or that the pastor is a true man of God. One pastor reminded me that not everything that "grows" is good, because tumors grow too! God’s standard for a li...
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Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA
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Straddling the Fence: Christ’s Treatment for a Divided Heart

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     Have you ever found yourself "straddling the fence"—holding onto your faith with one hand while flirting with the world’s values with the other? It is a common struggle in our modern walk. This is especially true as we see the divide between God and the world to continue to widen.       We often try to hide our compromises and our hypocrisies. We strive to keep on pretending we have it all together, but Jesus reminds us clearly: "I know where you dwell". You might try to cover the scent of compromise with the "perfume" of religious activity, but God sees right through to the truth of our conduct. We play church on Sunday and live like the Devil throughout the week and think that we have fooled everyone. Yet you will never fool God!       The church in Pergamum was exactly in this position. They were living in a "corrosive culture" and, while they held onto their faith in some areas, they had begun to ignore sin and false teachi...
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Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA
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