You came through it: The revelation of and from Jesus Christ

Looking back on your life, you will remember the worst of times when you thought you would never get through it. But here you are. Maybe you are in that moment today. Hold on. You will get through again.

To the second church Jesus writes:

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live – where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city – where Satan lives.” Revelation 2:12-13

Look at these words above, ‘… even in the days of …’
What would you put there? That period of time.
When you nearly gave up but you didn’t?

Maybe like Pergamum you know the experience of being a Christian in a place/circumstance/city where Satan just seemed to roam/destroy/live.
But you followed Jesus even though it seemed like you were walking through a hell of a time, when you just didn’t know whether you could get through a day never mind the next chapter of your life.
You held on to the name of Jesus and though you may have given up on many things and perhaps you questioned many times over whether God really was there, you are still here, now, still believing, holding to the faith!!

Not everyone was able to do that. They have walked away or they have got lost within the crowd and Jesus addresses that next. But ‘even in the days of …. Antipas’. Who was he?

He was their Bishop who tradition says died a martyr as he was burnt alive in a brass bull-shaped altar on the orders of Nero.

Jesus message to you is that you came through. Well done! Scarred perhaps, maybe walking differently in life now, wounded and hurt, but you were not overcome and you held onto the name of Jesus.
If you came through it then, even in the days of … then you will come through it again!