THURSDAY, August 26

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-3, James 2:10-13

Can we see God bringing judgment to the church?  What will judgment look like?  What will mercy look like?  Revelation 3 makes it a little clearer.  Jesus told the church at Sardis, “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.  Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”  If they did not repent, He would to come and take everything they had away.  If He took their anointing, just death would remain!  Jesus in the book of Revelation is confrontational with sin in the church.  Jesus gave the church a chance to repent.  His approach to the world is very dramatic.  First He judges the church and then the world.  Jesus the Judge is here!  He is at the door.  He is starting with leadership and then He is going to the world.  Perhaps some of what is occurring in nature is speaking to our national failures.  When the gulf is bleeding, even creation is groaning against what we are doing!  We need to be repent!