To the Church in Sardis 1 UST Write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Sardis:‘I am the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I have these things to say to you:“I am aware of what you are doing. You have a reputation for being spiritually vigorous. However, you are not really acting out of zeal for me. BSB BSB: “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead.
2 UST Be careful! You are at risk of losing your devotion for me completely. Renew the devotion that you still have left. You have not yet done all that God knows you should have done. BSB BSB: Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.
3 UST So remember how eagerly you accepted God’ s instruction when you heard it. Be sorry for disobeying and start obeying again. If you are not careful to obey me, I will judge you when you are not expecting it. You will not know at what time I am going to punish you. BSB BSB: Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
4 UST Nevertheless, there are a few believers there in the city of Sardis who have not been doing what is wrong. They will live with me{ forever} and be pure in every way. This is what they deserve. BSB BSB: But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.
5 UST In this way I will completely purify the one who is victorious. I will make sure that his name always remains in the Book of Life. I will tell God my Father and his angels that I know him personally. BSB BSB: Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.
6 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Philadelphia 7 UST Write{ this message} to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Philadelphia:‘I am the one who always does what is right. I am the one who always says what is true. Just as King David had authority to allow people to enter the ancient city of Jerusalem, so I have the authority to allow people to enter heaven. If I create an opportunity for someone, then no one can deny him that opportunity. If I deny an opportunity to someone, then no one can give him that opportunity. I have these things to say to you: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
8 UST “I know what you are doing. I know that although you are weak, you have obeyed my commands You have acknowledged that you believe in me. Be aware that I am giving you an opportunity that no one will be able to deny to you. BSB BSB: I know your deeds. Behold, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. I know that you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.
9 UST Pay attention! Some people{ are denying that you belong to me. Those people} claim to be Jews, but they are not acting the way people do who truly belong to God. When they gather together, they help the devil{ instead of serving God}. Pay attention! I will make those people recognize that I love you. They will come and honor you greatly when they recognize this. BSB BSB: As for those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.
10 UST You obeyed me when I commanded you to endure suffering patiently. And so I will keep you safe during the time of trouble that all of humanity will soon experience. How people everywhere respond to this trouble will show what they are really like. BSB BSB: Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11 UST I am coming soon. So continue to believe in me. Do not let anyone cause you to lose the reward that God wants to give you. BSB BSB: I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
12 UST I will make the one who is victorious secure, like a pillar in the temple of my God. He will remain in God’ s temple forever. I will write my God’ s name on him. I will also write on him the name of the city of my God. That city is the New Jerusalem. It will come down out of heaven from my God. I will also write my new name on the one who is victorious. BSB BSB: The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.
13 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers.”’ BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Laodicea (Colossians 2:1–5)
14 UST Write this message to the angel of the group of believers in the city of Laodicea:‘I am the one who confirms all of God’ s promises. I am the one who testifies about God with complete reliability. I am the ruler over all of God’ s creation. I have these things to say to you: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.
15 UST “I am aware of what you are doing. You have not abandoned your faith, but you do not love me very much. I would rather have you commit yourselves for me or even against me! BSB BSB: I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!
16 UST But you are just mediocre. You do not love me very much, but you still claim that you believe in me. That is disgusting, and because of it, I am going to reject you. BSB BSB: So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!
17 UST You keep bragging about how very rich you are. You do not realize that you are actually unhappy. You need someone to pity you. You are actually poor, blind, and lacking clothes. BSB BSB: You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
18 UST I advise you to get everything from me that you need, as if you were buying pure gold from me that would make you truly rich. Let me make you righteous, as if you were buying white garments from me so that you could be wearing clothes instead of being shamefully naked. Let me help you to understand the truth, as if you were buying eye salve from me to put on your sick eyes so that you could see. BSB BSB: I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
19 UST I carefully discipline everyone I love. So sincerely change your behavior. BSB BSB: Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
20 UST Pay attention! I am urging each one of you to love me genuinely, as if I were standing at the door of your house and knocking to get you to open it. If anyone responds to me by loving me, I will become his dear friend. It will be as if he heard me calling from his door and he opened it and I came into his house and we ate a meal together. BSB BSB: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
22 UST Everyone who is spiritually discerning should pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the groups of believers.”’” BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.