The church at Pergamum was living in an impressive city in the Roman world, full of idols and altars to gods, a center of spirituality and learning. This church faced heavy persecution for following the one true God, idols were so common, and honoring them was so ingrained and expected (to avoid angering the false gods) that to deviate came at a heavy cost. Jesus demands our respect beyond all others and God doesn’t tolerate compromise, He demands obedience – you can’t live a double life. What is it that we worship? What idols do we have in our life that take the place of God? Repentance is the way out of judgment and there is a promised reward to the one who overcomes.

There are moments that impact our lives and, for some, move people on to their eternal journey – for better or for worse. We can see practical examples of God’s nature, in the physical surrounding around us, to help us understand difficult concepts and truths which show us who He is, designed to reveal himself to us and teach us about Him. We can secure our trust and faith in Him so that we can spend eternity with Him – in light rather than in darkness.