A Good Church in the Eyes of Christ
Two of the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 are found without fault in the message from Jesus. And they both share one thing in common: They both don't look that impressive to themselves. The Lord describes the first church in Smyrna like this: Revelation 2:9 (ESV) ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. To the Church in Philadelphia, the Lord says: Revelation 3:8 (ESV) ‘I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. These two churches held in common the first Beatitude listed by the Lord's great Sermon on the Mount: They were both poor in spirit. That is they both understood that to stay humble and needful of the Lord is the greatest and most powerful place to live, because you shall have Him. It is those who begin to feel they've made it, that they've acquired enough knowledge, reputation, ...