The Seals Opened

Who Is Worthy?

In this glorious vision we still find ourselves in the throne room of God. A scroll sealed with seven seals appears which represents God's purposes for history in salvation and judgment. However, at first, no one is found who is worthy to open the scroll. But then, the elders declare that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lamb who was slain is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. And all of heaven erupts in a mighty and joyous chorus of praise to him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb.

The Gods We Keep: The God Who Keeps Us

The prophet Isaiah shows us how the idols we carry, weigh us down like a burden that cannot save us. These man-made gods, that we fashion for ourselves cannot be compared to the one true and living God, who has fashioned us. He alone is worthy of our worship, for he has promised us: "I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save."

Know That You Have Eternal Life

Through faith in the Lord Jesus we can know that we have eternal life. This gives us confidence to make requests and repent of sin before God in prayer. We have this assurance for Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life.

Believe in God's Testimony

By the threefold witness of water, blood and the Spirit God testifies to us that there is life in his Son. All who believe have the Son and have eternal life, but those who do not believe make God a liar and do not have the life.

Our Faith Will Overcome the World

All those who are born of God and have been united to Christ will overcome this world. We don't overcome by "believing in ourselves", but we overcome by believing in Christ. Our savior has already won the victory and his triumph becomes our triumph, his victory is our victory, his overcoming guarantees our overcoming.

God's Love Perfected in Us

God is Love. It is in his very nature to love. There was never a time when God did not love, for even before the foundation of the world the triune God - Father, Son and Spirit - enjoyed perfect fellowship within the Godhead. Remarkably our God doesn't keep his love to himself, but shared his love by sending his only Son to die for us and by giving us his Spirit to indwell us. And now he calls us to love each other just as he first loved us. As we do this his love is perfected and completed in us.

Test the Spirits

As believers we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. This means that we are able to discern truth from error, we can "test the spirits". Whether we're reading a Christian book, listening to a sermon, or watching a preacher online, we should always discern if the teaching is in line with the apostles' authoritative witness preserved for us in Holy Scripture. Any and every teaching that does not pass this test must be rejected.

Love in Deed & Truth

Jesus commands us to love one another and the Lord Jesus himself is the supreme example of what it means to love: "he laid down his life for us." Just like Jesus, our calling is not to merely love in word and talk, but in deed and in truth. By laying down our lives for our brothers we can reassure our hearts that we are of the truth.

Practice Righteousness

Our heavenly Father shows us his love by calling us his beloved children. All who are born of him, will resemble him: Since he is righteous, we will practice righteousness. Because he is pure, we will purify ourselves. By this is it will evident that we are his children.

Abide in the Truth

An important mark of born-again, Spirit-anointed believers is that we know the truth and abide in the truth. We hold firm to what we have heard from the beginning: that Jesus is the Christ. We do not change the truth, but we remain in the truth, by remaining in Christ.

The World's True Throne

The Apostle John is shown a glorious and spectacular vision of heaven's throne room. The Lord God Almighty is seated on his throne surrounded by heavenly creatures and the twenty-four elders and all them worship him unceasingly singing: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty." Will we join the chorus of never-ending praises?

A Lukewarm Church

A Faithful Church

Born at the Fullness of Time

A Dead Church

A Tolerant Church

A Church Threatened By False Teaching