Listen to what the Spirit says
‘Now turn from your sins! If you don’t, I will come to you soon and fight against those people with the sword that comes out of my mouth.
‘If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!
‘To those who win the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a white stone on which is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Read Revelations 2: 8-17
The Christian life is a serious business. It involves receiving gifts that will be ours for the whole of eternity: the victory over sin, and our special status, represented by the hidden manna, the white stone and the new name. But it also involves battling against sin, immoral living and false teaching. The world in which we live abounds in these things. With trust in Jesus, we are asked to take a stand and to refuse to be contaminated.
But with our weak, human natures we often fail, and we fall into situations that are contrary to our Christian beliefs and standards. So Jesus also calls us to repent, to turn from our evil ways and to return to the way he has set for us. This is something we need to do every day.
Every day the Spirit of God is speaking to the churches. To hear that voice of the Spirit, you need to keep tuned in to the Spirit, and you need to block out the evil and deceptive voices of the world. It may not be easy, but you have the promise of the Spirit’s help and the promise of final victory.
Holy Spirit, thank you for your challenging and life – giving messages for the churches. Help me to hear what you are saying to me, and help my church to listen, too. Amen.
by Kevin Schmidt, in ‘God’s Peace for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2005)
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