The Holy Spirit, being the ultimate messenger to the church in Sardis, revealed that spiritual growth for the believers in Sardis was desperately needed. Because they were "unlearned and unstable," the coming "day of the Lord" would catch them by surprise. Not knowing the hour that the Lord would come for their development toward spiritual maturity, they would find themselves being overcome by the trouble, the perplexity, the pressure, and the put downs that would come upon them. Instead of being able to "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of [their] faith, even the salvation of [their} souls" in their trials of life (1 Pet. 1:8-9), they would find themselves overwhelmed with distress, despair, and a sense of being forsaken and destroyed (2 Cor. 4:7-9). Peter, in his letter to some of the same people that John was addressing in his apocalypse, gave a very graphic picture of the process of the matriculation (the schooling) process of all believers. He stated that the onslaught of trouble, perplexity, persecution, or being put down is the beginning of "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). In addition, he would state, "wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" (2 Pet. 3:12). Peter, in his letter to some of the same people that John was addressing in his apocalypse, gave a very graphic picture of the process of the matriculation (the schooling) process of all believers. He stated that the onslaught of trouble, perplexity, persecution, or being put down is the beginning of "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). In addition, he would state, "wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" (2 Pet. 3:12). Peter would add, <pstyle=""dext-lign:center>Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2 Pet. 3:17-18). Peter was admonishing his readers to "grow in grace." With grace being the power of God in action for the believers, he was urging them to grow in learning how not to resist God working in and through the apocalyptic events in their lives (the trouble, the perplexity, the persecution, and the put downs). Because of man’s freedom (a freedom that man has only within his own mind), Peter is urging the believers to learn how to grow in grace, the matriculation process for all men. He is urging them not to resist God in his work to bring the believer to where he was intended to be. Heavenly Father, I confess that I have failed to understand what you were doing, as you worked through the circumstances I have faced in the living of life. I need my thinking to change heavenly Father. Permeate by mind, baptize me with your Holy Spirit, that I might experience the mind of Christ in the many challenges of living my life. Open my eyes to your ways. Give me ears to hear your words. Let my mind be controlled by your Holy Spirit as the trouble, as the perplexing situation, as I face the pressure of living life today. This, I pray. Amen!