everybody what is going on you know what time it is you're listening to join the journey podcast

with your host emma daughter thanks for joining and merry christmas in today's reading assignment

the seven churches are addressed individually and as author nancy guthrie puts it revelation two and

three they're like a report card for the seven churches.

But the person grading them, Jesus, he doesn't just see their performance or behaviors or

actions. His knowledge extends to the deepest degree. He sees their hearts at the level of motive

and belief. And the thing that's interesting about

Revelation 2 and 3 is that everybody got to hear everybody else's report card. That's chapter 2

verse 7. These reports would have been read aloud to entire congregations as John's letter was

passed around. I mean, think about it. We are reading a report card that

was written about real people and sent to real people and is still being read by real people

today. Would you want your spiritual report card, so to speak, to be passed around throughout

generations of believers? What if everyone in your community group

knew that you were like the church at Ephesus, having abandoned your first love? What if you

walked into church on Sunday and those sitting next to you knew that you were drifting? How would you

feel if you and everyone around you knew that you were about to face

intense persecution, as was the case for the church in Smyrna? How would you act? How would other

believers treat you? Or what would your life be like if everyone knew that someone in your family

was perpetuating the worship of false gods.

Would they think it was you?

Would you be quick to throw that person under the bus making sure people knew that you weren't

the one worshipping false gods?

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