FBC Daily Devotions

Read Revelation 2:13.

Have you ever lived in the city where Satan dwells? Some might think that to be Las Vegas! (No offense if you have roots there.) But actually, we live in a world in which Satan dwells. His influence is felt everywhere, and his throne? Well, the Bible says that Satan is the ruler of darkness and the ruler of this world (Acts 26:18). Satan’s dominion includes everyone who is not in the kingdom of God (John 12:46). With that in mind, though the revelation puts Satan’s throne in the city of Pergamum (probably figurative of the throne in the temple of Zeus), Satan could be said to be sitting on the throne of every heart that is without Christ. That is a harsh reality, and the Scriptures make no room for anything in between. There are those walking in darkness and probably don’t realize it!

Next, Jesus commends the church’s perseverance in the face of great persecution and opposition. Antipas, who was martyred there in the first century is thought to be the first bishop of the church at Pergamum. His execution apparently did little or nothing to discourage the faithful Christians. Their own leader taken from them only strengthened their resolve. Like all of the churches in the revelation, this church underwent great persecution, and this one persevered. The great strength of the church at Pergamum was their perseverance. They stayed true to Christ in the face of great adversity.

Adversity has a way of revealing one’s faith. What is adversity revealing in you? My prayer is that like the church at Pergamum, your faith will be revealed in perseverance. When the going gets tough, don’t stop walking with Christ. Don’t stop reading the Word. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop meeting together with fellow believers. In fact, do more of these things! If life has got you down, then get down to the essentials of your walk with Christ.

As we begin the week with the third message – to the church at Pergamum – take a minute and read through the entire message: Revelation 2:12-17.

Jesus comes to the church at Pergamum with what He describes as a “sharp, double-edged sword.” It was noted earlier in the revelation that the sword was a symbol of the Word of God and more specifically the Word of truth being wielded in judgment against those whose actions and beliefs were contrary to and in opposition to the truth (cf. Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). Why would this be significant to this church? Pergamum was a city rich in culture. But with that culture came the worship of many gods. A complex for Aesclepius, the god of healing, included a spring which would one could visit to be healed. Athena was the patron goddess of protection for the city. The Great Altar of Pergamum (once figured in lists of the Wonders of the World) was dedicated to Zeus. Here, too, the practice of worshipping the emperor (known as imperial cult practices) began. Is it any wonder truth is emphasized by Christ’s words? Add to this the fact that the city housed one of the greatest libraries in ancient Greek civilization (second only to the library in Alexandria) and one can see truth’s competition was fierce. A city filled with knowledge and culture led to tolerance and confusion for the early church. As we will see in coming days, the future would be difficult for the church at Pergamum.

As you go through the day, consider how much the influences of the world and Christ conflict with one another. It requires a certain amount of attention to mine through the messages of the day for God’s gems. Don’t let the world influence your decisions today. Allow Christ and His double-edged Word help you live with the mind of Christ.

Thinking back over Sunday’s message, what things did God impress on you? How can it make a difference in your life this week?

Read Revelation 2:11.

There is nothing worse in all of time, in all of eternity, in all of suffering and torment and pain; there is nothing worse that we can even imagine than this:  the second death.  

The second death… makes one wonder what the first death was. The first death could refer to the outcome of Adam’s sin whereby all mankind died a spiritual death. While this is true, the first death would here probably mean physical death as alluded to in v. 10. Therefore, the “second death” is a death that comes after our physical death. We are fortunate enough to have this second death defined for us in Rev. 20:14, called the “lake of fire”. The lake of fire is the ultimate destiny of all whose names are not written in the book of Life. We know it more commonly as “hell”. Those who do not have eternal life will experience eternal death in hell. There is no worse place to be than hell.

The promise of protection from this second death is given to those who “overcome”. This speaks of the perseverance of those who are truly God’s chosen ones. Those who overcome the hardships and persecutions of this life will experience not a second death, but eternal life. And what of those who do not overcome? It would appear that those who do not persevere to the end will experience the second death. The mark of true believers is perseverance to the finish not because they have some strength on their own, but because God dwells within them in the person of the Holy Spirit, who will not allow His true children to fall away (Eph. 1:13-14). This is not said to the church at Smyrna as a warning, but as an encouragement to their faithful commitment to the Lord – they will be protected. The same is true for those who are truly His children. If you are His child, then know that you will protected from the coming day when all evil will be thrown into the lake of fire forever out of God’s presence. That will surely be a blessed day!     

But let me ask you, will you be protected from the second death? Are you His child with the assurance of overcoming? If your answer is no, consider what awaits those who are not His. Give your life to Christ by accepting His death for your sins and following after Him. It is the most important decision anyone could make because as you can see, the consequences couldn’t be worse. Give Him your life today by believing Jesus Christ died for your sins, that He rose from the dead, and that you want to live a life pleasing to Him. Take a moment and have a little conversation with God and tell Him these things. You will never die to regret that decision.

Read Revelation 2:10.

That they were afraid is clear in the Greek – lit. “stop being afraid.” The afflictions they had suffered brought fear to what the future might hold for them. As often seems the case, God doesn’t reward their past and current faithfulness with relief, but with more trials. Don’t get me wrong, but if I received this message from Jesus, I am sure those words, “do not fear” might seem a little trite! But that seems to be God’s modus operandi. Look at what’s coming their way:

• Imprisonment for some
• Tribulation for 10 days (details unknown)
• Possibly death (as in “be faithful until death”)

Why would God put faithful people who are already facing hardship through even more? I believe the answer is found in this verse. First, imprisonment is meant to test them – not to show their unfaithfulness, but to prove their faithfulness. Of course God knows their faithfulness already, but sometimes we need to prove it to ourselves that we are truly His and to know He is truly with us. It strengthens our faith while proving its genuineness. Second, I would like to suggest that the testing Jesus is referring to isn’t just those who will be imprisoned, but to the entire church. The “you” to be tested was the church. And I believe God puts people among us through hardships to test us all to prove our faithfulness. How we respond to others who are suffering in our midst is a test of our faith. And lastly, God has a bigger plan for our life. It is to receive the “crown of life” when this life is over. What we experience here is simply preparation for eternity. Just as a parent would never want to keep their child from growing, they know that their responsibility is to raise their child to prepare them for life ahead. God’s plans are no different. The suffering and hardships we face today will not go unnoticed or unrewarded.

So the next time God says to you in the midst of an onslaught, “do not fear”, recognize that it is not because He wants to make your life miserable. God is interested in strengthening and developing your faith and the faith of others. He wants you to look ahead to eternal things, which are so much better.