We will now study the Church at Sardis (1400–1844):

To the angel of the church in Sardis write; these things says He that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but are dead.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found you works completed before God (Revelation 3:1-2 NKJV).

Throughout the Old Testament, we have seen times when Israel gathered to the sound of a trumpet. In almost every case, the trumpet was used to either wage war or to anoint a new king. The trumpet was the instrument that gathered. In the Book of Revelation, we have trumpets that represent the major messages of the Lord going forth. Looking back in church history, we can see these trumpets being blown by messengers, creating powerful moves of God that dictated the course of the church through history.

Reinventing became the rage in industry a couple of decades ago. This included reinventing everything from basic organizational structure, to how the process of making a product was done, to how it was marketed and delivered. This was helpful to many industries and businesses, but for others it only helped them to make and distribute the wrong product better, and of course they still failed.

For centuries, there has been much speculation and accusation about who the great harlot, or "mystery, Babylon," is in Revelation 17. Because of verse 9, "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits" (Revelation 17:9), the Reformers nearly universally agreed that this was a reference to the seven hills that Rome is built upon, and therefore was a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.

The next fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is “kindness,” which is defined as being considerate, generous, and benevolent. Kindness is the character trait that is the opposite of selfishness, and is the nature of one who is thinking of others.

Last week we learned that because of the root of evil (the love of money), and the coming of the beast and his mark (an economic mark), understanding and living by Christian economics is going to become one of the important issues of our time.

This week we continue our study with one of the more problematic verses in this epistle for modern times, Ephesians 5:22-24:
 

     To live a great Christian life does not mean you must become famous. Some of the most well-known people on earth could be the least known in heaven. Likewise, the most well known in heaven could be the least known on earth. Having a great Christian life is not about fame. Rather it is having a life that is pleasing to the Lord and hearing on that great Judgment Day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (see Matthew 25:21 NKJV).