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I lead Small Groups for the church I attend. Small Groups are gatherings of people who meet to have dinner, study a book, participate in a sporting event, or study the Bible. It’s a way to get people together to form relationships, pray for, and support each other.

There’s a 13-week Fall semester and another in the Spring. Summer is a six-week semester, and most leaders choose light, fun topics. Then there’s me. Instead of Taco Tuesday, which is one of my favorite Small Groups, I was impressed to study the letter to the churches in Revelations. I have never considered the book of Revelation to be light and fun, yet the prompting to study the first three chapters was too strong for me to ignore.

I dove in, and several other ladies joined. Before even getting to the first church, I was arrested by the story of John, the one to whom Jesus revealed the message.

John was on the small, rocky island of Patmos, exiled because he refused to stop preaching the gospel. I wonder if he thought his ministry was over. I wonder if the Romans thought they had silenced him. Instead, he received instructions to send to seven churches and God’s plan for the future.

And here is where I stopped to ask myself a few questions. If I was exiled on an island, would I, like John in Revelation 1:10, still observe the Lord’s day? If Jesus told me to a letter, would I do it without wanting to know how it would possibly get inro the right hands? Would I think my voice had been silenced by the Romans?

From the beginning of my study, I was once again reminded that God is not bound by circumstances.

 

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.