Rev 2:12-19
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Letters to 7 Churches 3 - Pergamum and Thyatira
As we move on from Ephesus and Smyrna to Pergamum and Thyatira we see the intensity of opposition and persecution increasing. While in Smyrna there was a warning of possible death for Christ, in Pergamum we find it's happened. Here maintaining belief in Christ has cost Antipas his life.
Yet even the reality of that sort of opposition hasn't stopped them holding fast to the name of Christ. He knows their context: "where Satan's throne is". Like the other 2 cities, Pergamum was a large city with a well established pagan system of worship. The greatest of these altars was that of Zeus, decorated with sculptures of serpents - which may be the reference to Satan's throne, though there were plenty of other possibilities.
Rev 2:1-11
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- Written by: Chris Appleby
Letters to the 7 Churches 2 - Ephesus and Smyrna
I receive lots of letters each week, from various organisations, and I have to say, most of them end up in the cardboard file on my floor - waiting to be recycled. Some, though, I take more notice of than others. Some I deal with immediately. Others I put in the pile in the centre of my desk to be dealt with as soon as I can get to them. How do I differentiate between these three groups? Sometimes I glance at the contents briefly and if it's something like an offer for life insurance or another credit card they go straight in the bin. But in other cases I check who they're from. I got one from the tax office last week, talking about my next tax return. That one I carefully put aside until I do my tax. The sender of a letter makes a big difference to the attention we pay it doesn't it?
Well look at the way this first letter begins: "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands." Think back, if you were here two weeks ago, to the vision that John saw of the Son of Man standing in the midst of the 7 lampstands, clothed with a long robe and a golden sash, with his head and hair as white as wool, as white as snow, eyes like flames of fire, feet like burnished bronze, a voice like the sound of many waters, holding the 7 stars in his hand and with a sharp 2-edged sword coming from his mouth, and his face shining like the full force of the sun. It was an overwhelming image of glory and majesty. And now the postman arrives and in his pouch is a letter from that same Son of Man.
Series: 66: Letters to the 7 Churches
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Letters to the 7 Churches
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1. Letters to the 7 Churches 1 - 7 stars and 7 Lampstands |
Rev 1:1-20 |
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2. Letters to the 7 Churches 2 - Ephesus and Smyrna |
Rev 2:1-11 |
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3. Letters to the 7 Churches 3 - Pergamum and Thyatira |
Rev 2:12-29 |
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4. Letters to the 7 Churches 4 - Sardis and Philadelphia |
Rev 3:1-13 |
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5. Letters to the 7 Churches 5 - Laodicea |
Rev 3:14-22 |
Series: Theme: Users Guide to the Bible
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Users Guide to the Bible
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1. Users Guide to the Bible - Introduction |
2 Timothy 3:1-17 |
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2. The pattern of the Kingdom |
Gen 2:4-25 |
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3. The perished Kingdom |
Gen 3:1-24 |
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4. The promised Kingdom 1 |
Gen 12:1-9 |
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5. The promised Kingdom 2 - Roy Hamer |
Gen 17:1-22 |
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6. The partial kingdom 1 - Land of Hope and Glory |
Exod 3:1-12 |
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7. The partial kingdom 2 - Three Kings |
1 Samuel 16:1-13 |
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8. The prophesied Kingdom 1 - Divided we Fall |
Is 5:1-17 |
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9. The prophesied Kingdom 2 - Waiting for God |
Ezek 37:1-14 |
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10. The present Kingdom - The King has Come |
Jer 31:30-34 |
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11.The proclaimed Kingdom - Treasure in Clay Vessels |
2 Corinthians 4 |
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12. The perfected Kingdom - The City of God |
Rev 21:22-22:9 |
Series: Theme: Wisdom
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Wisdom
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1. Wisdom: The Path to Godliness |
Prov 1:1-7 |
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2. Wisdom : A Matter of Life and Death |
Prov 7:1-27 |
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3. Wisdom: 2 Ways to Live |
Prov 9:15 |
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4. The Wisdom from Above |
James 3:13-18 |
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5. Wisdom For Families |
Prov 4:1-27, Eph 6:1-9 |
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6. Wisdom and Money |
Prov 3:5-18 |
Series: 17: Esther
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Esther
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Esther - Pt 1 (Chs 1-4) |
Esther 2:5-18 |
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Esther - Pt 2 |
Esther 5:9-6:14 |
Series: 41: Mark 4-9
- Details
- Written by: Chris Appleby
Mark 4-9
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1. Jesus Still a Storm |
Mark 4:35-41 |
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2. A dead girl and a sick woman |
Mark 5:21-43 |
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3. Jesus sends out the Twelve |
Mark 6:1-13 |
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4. John the Baptist is beheaded |
Mark 6:14-29 |
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5. Jesus feeds the 5000 |
Mark 6:30-56 |
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6. Clean and Unclean |
Mark 7:1-23 |
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7. The Syro-Phoenician Woman and the deaf mute |
Mark 7:24-37 |
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8. Jesus heals a blind man |
Mark 8:22-26 |
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9. Jesus foretells his Death and Resurrection |
Mark 8:27-9:1 |
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10. The Transfiguration |
Mark 9:2-13 |
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11. Jesus casts out an Evil Spirit |
Mark 9:14-29 |
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12. Who is the Greatest? |
Mark 9:30-37 |
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13.Who is for Us? |
Mark 9:38-50 |
