In the letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus had a surprise announcement for the church and promised a surprise visit if things did not change for the better. The announcement was that, in spite of appearances of vitality, the church was really quite dead, which would have fallen as a huge surprise to the church itself and to everyone who knew the church’s great reputation. Jesus had called the church in Ephesus to remember its earlier works, but Jesus called the church in Sardis to remember something even more foundational: how they received and heard the gospel. His call to them forces us to ask ourselves how we are hearing it today.
Daniel’s three friends preferred to die rather than renounce their faith, knowing that God would be with them no matter what.
In Jesus' final sign, recorded in John 11:1-54, he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. As a sign, it was not to be...
While the people cynically questioned God’s justice and longed for his intervention, in Malachi 2:17-3:5, God told them he would be coming in judgment...