Seven Churches

Portion for reading - Revelation 2 and 3

Question: "What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for?"

Answer: The seven churches described in Revelation 2-3 are seven literal churches at the time that John the apostle was writing Revelation. Though they were literal churches in that time, there is also spiritual significance for churches and believers today. The first purpose is to write to the literal churches and meet their needs at that time. The second purpose is to reveal seven different types of individuals/churches throughout history and instruct them in God's truth.

A possible third purpose is using the seven churches to represent seven different periods in the history of the Church. The problem with this view is that each of the seven churches describes issues that could fit the Church in any time in its history. So although there may be some truth to the seven churches representing seven eras of the Church, too many people go into far too much speculation in order to determine which church fits which era. Instead, our focus should be on what message God is giving to us through the seven churches. The seven churches are:

(1) Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) - the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4).

(2) Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) - the church that would suffer persecution (2:10).

(3) Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) - the church that needed to repent (2:16).

(4) Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - the church that had a false prophetess (2:20).

(5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) - the church that had fallen asleep (3:2).

(6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) - the church that had endured patiently (3:10).

(7) Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) - the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16).

Activity - Crossword Puzzle

source: gotquestions.org / activity : calvary chapel / pic : p-q . c o m

Book Of Revelation

Portion for the day - Revelation 1

Author: Revelation 1:1,4,9 and 22:8 specifically identify the author of the Book of Revelation as the Apostle John.

Date of Writing: The Book of Revelation was likely written between 90 and 95 A.D.

Purpose of Writing: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave John to show his servants what must soon take place. This book is filled with mysteries and things to come. It is the final warning that the world will surely end and judgment will be certain. It gives us a tiny glimpse of Heaven and all of the glories awaiting we who keep our robes white. Revelation takes us through the great tribulation with all the woes and the final fire that all unbelievers will face for eternity. The book reiterates the fall of Satan and the doom he and his angels are bound for. We are shown the duties of all creatures and angels of heaven and the promises of the saints that will live forever and ever with Jesus in the New Jerusalem. I, like John, cannot find the words to describe what I read in the book of Revelation.

Key Verses: Revelation 1:19, "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."

Revelation 13:16-17, "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name."

Revelation 19:11, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war."

Revelation 20:11, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them."

Revelation 21:1, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea."

Brief Summary: The Revelation is lavish in colorful descriptions of the visions which proclaim for us the Last Days before Christ’s return and the ushering in of the new Heaven and new earth. The Revelation reveals the series of devastations poured out upon the earth; the mark of the beast, “666”; the climatic battle of Armageddon; the binding of Satan; the reign of the Lord; the Great White Throne Judgment; and the nature of the eternal city of God. Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ are fulfilled and a concluding call to His Lordship assures us that He will soon return.

Practical Application: Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? If so, you have nothing to fear from God’s judgment of the world in the Book of Revelation. The judge is on our side. Before the final judgment begins, witness to friends and neighbors about God’s offer of eternal life in Christ. These events in this book are real. Live your life like you believe it and so that others will notice your joy about your future and want to join you in that new and glorious city.

ACTIVITY - Decoder Puzzle

source: gotquestions.org / pic : cemivision.com

PURE

Portion for the day - Titus 1

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

a. To the pure, all things are pure: With their attraction to Jewish legalism, the difficult people Titus had to confront seemed to believe that nothing is pure. They denied Christians basic and godly pleasures that were not sin.

i. Timothy had to deal with the same kind of people. Paul warned Timothy about those forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3). Paul knew that if a Christian walked in the purity of the Lord, these things were pure to him. But to those of a legalistic mind (those who are defiled and unbelieving), they seemed to believe nothing is pure. The problem was with their defiled and unbelieving minds and consciences, not with the things themselves.

ii. All things are pure: Of course, Paul does not mean that obviously sinful things (pornography, illicit drugs, and the like) are pure. Paul has in mind those things which are permitted by Scripture, but forbidden by legalists in a mistaken attempt to earn favor with God.

iii. “Paul was refuting the false teaching of these legalists with reference to foods. They were teaching that Jewish dietary laws still applied to Christian believers.” (Wiersbe)

iv. “The ‘all things’ refers to everything which is non-moral; such as appetite and food, desire and marriage, exchange and commerce, weariness and recreation, and so on through all the varied realm of life. To the pure all these things are pure, and they will be maintained in purity. To the impure, every one of them may be made the vehicle and occasion of impurity.” (Morgan)
b. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him: These difficult people Titus had to deal with were all the more difficult because they talked like Christians. Their profession was all in order, but in works they deny Him. We can’t just go by what a person says. We have to also look at how they live.

i. “They acted as if this Supreme Being was a mere metaphysical abstraction, out of all moral relation to human life, as if He were neither Saviour nor Judge.” (J.H. Bernard, cited in White)

c. Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work: These are strong words, but Paul means it. These difficult people probably pretended to have a higher spirituality than Titus or other godly leaders. But Paul saw right through their spiritual façade and wanted Titus - and all the Christians on Crete - to see through it also.

i. The word abominable has the idea of polluted by idolatry.

ii. Disqualified: The ancient Greek word is adokimos, and was used in many different ways:

•It was used to describe a counterfeit coin.
•It was used to describe a cowardly soldier who failed in battle.
•It was used of a candidate rejected for elected office.
•It was used of stone rejected by builders. If a stone had a bad enough flaw, it was marked with a capital A (for adokimos) and set aside as unfit.

Activity - Cube Buster

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture from : csprinceton . o r g / game: calvary william sport . com

Spirit Of Power and Love

2 Timothy 1

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

a. Paul sees the timidity that is in Timothy; Timothy knows the fear he sometimes feels. God wants Timothy to know that this fear isn’t from the Lord; God has not given us a spirit of fear.

i. We all face situations where we feel timid and afraid; for some, speaking in front of others makes them fear; others are afraid of confrontation, others of being made to look foolish, others are afraid of rejection. We all deal with fear.

ii. The first step in dealing with such fears is to understand that they are not from God! To be able to say, “This isn’t God making me feel like this! God hasn’t given me this!” Perhaps it is from your personality, perhaps a weakness of the flesh, perhaps a demonic attack - but it isn’t from God.

b. The second step in dealing with such fears is understanding what God has given us: a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.

i. God has given us a spirit of power: When we are doing His work, proclaiming His word, representing His kingdom, we have all His power backing us. We are safe in His hands.

ii. God has given us a spirit of love: This tells us a lot about the power He has given us. Many think of power in terms of how much we can control others; but Jesus’ power is expressed in how much we can love and serve others. Remember Jesus, on the night before the cross, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands - what did He do with all that power? He humbly washed His disciples’ feet! (John 13:1-11)

iii. God has given us a sound mind: The Greek word here has the idea of a calm, self-controlled mind, in contrast to the panic and confusion that rushes in on us when we are in a fearful situation.

c. We don’t need to accept what God has not given us (a spirit of fear), and we need to humbly receive and walk in what He has given us (a spirit . . . of power and of love and of a sound mind).

d. Boldness matters; without it, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God’s purpose for you is more than making money, being entertained, and being comfortable; it is for you to use the gifts He has given you to touch His people and help a needy world.

e. Fear and timidity will keep you from using the gifts God has given you to touch His people and a needy world. God wants you to take His power, His love, and His calm thinking and overcome fear to be used of Him with all the gifts He has given you.

Activity - Do You Know Your Words

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture taken from : / game: calvary william sport . com

The folly of the greedy heart

Portion for reading 1 Timothy 6

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

a. Those who desire to be rich: Significantly, the desire for riches is far more dangerous than the riches themselves - and it isn’t only the poor who desire to be rich, it is the rich who want more riches.

i. Poor does not mean godly and rich ungodly; nor is it true the other way around. There were many remarkably godly men in the Bible who were almost unbelievably rich, such as Abraham, David, and Solomon.

ii. But the godly rich have the heart like the Psalmist in Psalm 62:10: If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

b. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare: This desire for riches tempts our heart away from eternal riches, and ensnares us in a trap few can escape - always dreaming of riches, and always setting one’s heart on them.

i. The desire to be rich can really only be satisfied in Jesus Christ, and satisfied with spiritual riches rather than material ones. Everything else falls short.

c. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: The love of money can motivate any evil on this earth. There is no sin that cannot be committed for the sake of money.

d. Pierced themselves through with many sorrows: This is the fate of those who live in the love of money. They are not satisfied. We sometimes want the opportunity to find out if riches can satisfy, but we should trust the Word of God and the experience of many.

i. “So do these strangle, drown, poison their precious souls with profits, pleasures, and preferments, and many times meet with perdition and destruction, that is, with a double destruction, temporal and eternal, as some expound it.” (Trapp)

Activity - Lets Tic Tac Toe

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture taken from : srichinmoypoetry . c o m / game: calvary william sport . com

Keep Yourself Pure

Be careful about approving the ministry of another person.

Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. 1Timothy 5

a. Lay hands on anyone: This is used in the sense of ordination. Paul cautioned Timothy to let a man prove himself before he was recognized in ministry. There should not be a rush; time must season a man and his ministry.

i. Some think the admonition do not lay hands on anyone hastily has to do with receiving repentant people back into the fellowship of the church. It seems that in some early church circles, those who had fallen into scandalous sin had to be received back into the church with the laying on of hands and prayer by church leaders. If so, Paul is saying, “Don’t go too fast. Let them demonstrate their repentance first.”

b. Lay hands on: Since ordination simply recognizes God’s calling, it is all the more reason to not be in a hurry - time should be given to allow those gifts and callings to demonstrate themselves.

i. It isn’t uncommon for a young man in the ministry to be a bit impatient; he wants to do great things for the Lord, and is anxious for pastors and elders to lay hands on them in recognition of God’s work in them.

ii. Yet, there is danger if anyone waits to give themselves fully to serving the Lord until they are recognized with a title or the laying on of hands. This means they are more concerned with image (how it appears to others) than with substance (what they can really be doing for the Lord right now).

c. Keep yourself pure: This connects to an important idea. If Timothy was called to observe and assess the lives of others, it was important that he pay even more attention to his own life.

i. “The intention of the warning would be that Timothy would best avoid clerical scandals by being cautious at the outset as to the character of those whom he ordains.” (White)

ii. Nor share in other people’s sins: We all have enough sin of our own; we do not need to add to it by partaking in the sins of others. There are many ways we can do this.

•We can share in the sins of others by setting a bad example before them.
•We can share in the sins of others by approving of them or ignoring them.
•We can share in the sins of others by joining a church that is spreading dangerous teachings.

Activity - Puzzle

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture taken from : bible.ca/ game: calvary william sport . com

Let no one despise your youth

Portion for reading 1 Timothy 4

These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:11-12

a. These things command: This has the note of authority. Timothy was not to enter the pulpit with speculations and opinions and theories of men. He was to fearlessly bring God’s Word before God’s people and let the chips fall where they may.

b. Let no one despise your youth: Because Timothy was young, he was vulnerable to the errors of youth which bring the often justified criticism of those older. To address this, Paul called him to live a life so that was so godly that no one could despise his youth.

i. The word youth in the ancient Greek was “Used of grown-up military age, extending to the 40th year” (Lock, cited in Earle). It seems that Timothy was about 30 years old at this time; but Paul was around 70, so youth is a relative thing.

ii. “St. Paul shows Timothy ‘a more excellent way’ than self-assertion for the keeping up of his dignity: Give no one any ground by any fault of character for despising thy youth.” (White)

c. Be an example to the believers: The King James Version has be thou an example of the believers. “The rendering of the King James, an example of believers is better.” (Hiebert)

i. Be an example by what you say (word), what you do (conduct), in love, in attitude (spirit), in faith (in the sense of faithfulness), and in purity.

ii. These are the criteria by which to assess a pastor. If he is smart, if he is funny, if he is cool, if he dresses sharp, if he is popular, or if he is any number of other things matter little. You must look for a pastor who is an example in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

iii. “Thus we learn how foolish and ridiculous it is for people to complain that they receive no honour, when in fact there is nothing about them that is worth honouring, but rather they expose themselves to contempt by their ignorance, the example of their impure lives, their light mindedness and other faults. The only way to win respect is by outstanding virtues which will protect us against contempt.” (Calvin)

Activity - SIMON SAYS

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture taken from : livingwordabc . c o m / game: calvary william sport . com