"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: "This is the message from the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know what you are doing; I know that you have the reputation of being alive, even though you are dead!

I know what you have done; I know how hard you have worked and how patient you have been. I know that you cannot tolerate evil people and that you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and have found out that they are liars.

But this is what I have against you: you do not love me now as you did at first.

Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold.

I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment,

Our friends, we must thank God at all times for you. It is right for us to do so, because your faith is growing so much and the love each of you has for the others is becoming greater.

Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.

If only they would always feel this way! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever.

"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not obey me.

How I wish my people would listen to me; how I wish they would obey me!

I am afraid that when I get there I will find you different from what I would like you to be and you will find me different from what you would like me to be. I am afraid that I will find quarreling and jealousy, hot tempers and selfishness, insults and gossip, pride and disorder.

If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD."

The LORD our God brought our fathers and us out of slavery in Egypt, and we saw the miracles that he performed. He kept us safe wherever we went among all the nations through which we passed.

Joshua said to the people, "But you may not be able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God and will not forgive your sins. He will tolerate no rivals,

The people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD."

"Then get rid of those foreign gods that you have," he demanded, "and pledge your loyalty to the LORD, the God of Israel."

Elijah went up to the people and said, "How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!" But the people didn't say a word.

Pay close attention, son, and let my life be your example.

The LORD says, "The people of Israel are like a half-baked loaf of bread. They rely on the nations around them

The people whose hearts are deceitful must now suffer for their sins. God will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

I will destroy anyone who goes up on the roof and worships the sun, the moon, and the stars. I will also destroy those who worship me and swear loyalty to me, but then take oaths in the name of the god Molech.

I will destroy those who have turned back and no longer follow me, those who do not come to me or ask me to guide them."

"You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

"Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples.

Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job.

Whoever does not love the Lord---a curse on him! Marana tha---Our Lord, come!

(SEE 1:7)