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

A Faithful Saying

Portion for the day - 1 Timothy

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15

a. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: This unusual phrase introduces a statement of special importance. Paul used this phrase 5 times – all in the Pastoral Epistles.

b. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: Jesus came to save sinners, not those living under the illusion of their own righteousness. It is the sick who need a physician (Mark 2:17).

Since Jesus came into the world to save sinners, this is the first necessary qualification for being a child of God - being a sinner. Sinners are not disqualified from coming to God, because Jesus came to save them. We also see the great danger in taking the terms sin and sinner out of our vocabulary. Many preachers deliberately do this today, because they don’t want to offend anyone from the pulpit. But if Jesus came to save sinners, shouldn’t we identify who those sinners are? How else will they come to salvation? “Even those who recognize that Christ’s work is to save admit that it is more difficult to believe that this salvation belongs to sinners. Our mind is always prone to dwell on our own worthiness and, as soon as our unworthiness becomes apparent, our confidence fails. Thus the more a man feels the burden of his sins, he ought with greater courage to betake himself to Christ, relying on what is here taught, that He came to bring salvation not to the righteous but to sinners.” (Calvin)

b. Of whom I am chief: Paul’s claim to be the chief of sinners was not an expression of some super-pious false humility. He genuinely felt his sins made him more accountable before God than others.

Aren’t we all equally sinners? No; “All men are truly sinners, but all men are not equally sinners. They are all in the mire; but they have not all sunk to an equal depth in it.” (Spurgeon) Paul felt - rightly so - his sins were worse because he was responsible for the death, imprisonment, and suffering of Christians, whom he persecuted before his life was changed by Jesus (Acts 8:3; 9:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:9, Galatians 1:13, Philippians 3:6). In Acts 26:11, Paul explained to Agrippa what might have been his worst sin: And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. He compelled others to blaspheme Jesus. “This, indeed, was a very horrible part of Saul’s sinfulness. To destroy their bodies was bad enough, but to destroy their souls too-to compel them to blaspheme, to speak evil of that name which they confessed to be their joy and their hope, surely that was the worst form that even persecution could assume. He forced them under torture to abjure the Christ whom their hearts loved. As it were he was not content to kill them, but he must damn them too.” (Spurgeon)

There are worse kinds of sin; sins that harm God’s people are especially bad in God’s eyes. We must soberly consider if we are guilty, now or in the past, of harming God’s people. “[God] remembers jests and scoffs leveled at his little ones, and he bids those who indulge in them to take heed. You had better offend a king than one of the Lord’s little ones.” (Spurgeon) “Despair’s head is cut off and stuck on a pole by the salvation of ‘the chief of sinners.’ No man can now say that he is too great a sinner to be saved, because the chief of sinners was saved eighteen hundred years ago. If the ringleader, the chief of the gang, has been washed in the precious blood, and is now in heaven, why not I? Why not you?” (Spurgeon)

Activity – Dots

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

Guidance for Body Life

Portion for the day - 2 Thessalonians 3

For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. Verses 11-13

a. There are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner: The idleness of some had become a source of sin. It was not only because of the work that they didn’t do, but also because of the harm they did do with their idle time (but are busybodies).

i. There is a play on words between the ancient Greek phrasing in the lines not working at all and but are busybodies. The idea is something like “busybodies who do no business.”
ii. Perhaps these busybodies thought that if Jesus was coming soon, it made no sense to work. It would then be easy for them to intrude into the lives of others and take advantage of Christian generosity.
iii. “It is the inactive drones whom Paul is berating – those who live by the sweat of others while they themselves do nothing for the common good to help the human race, such as our monks and priests who acquire ample dimensions by their inactivity.” (Calvin)

b. Now those who are such we command: With authority, through our Lord Jesus, Paul commanded these busybodies to work, to get out of the business of others (in quietness) and to provide for their own needs (eat their own bread) instead of expecting other Christians to provide for them.

i. The early church did provide for the truly needy among them, but only after being certain that they were truly needy and after putting them to work for the church (1 Timothy 5:3-16).
ii. “Paul forbids the Thessalonians to encourage their laziness by indulging it, and teaches that it is those who proved themselves with the necessities of life by honourable and useful work that lead a life of holiness.” (Calvin)

c. Do not grow weary in doing good: This was a proper encouragement for those who were working as they should. Few things are more wearying than seeing others take advantage of Christian generosity. But we should never let the manipulations of some discourage us from doing good to the truly needy.

i. The older King James Version has this, be not weary in well doing. There is plenty of well-wishing in the world, well-resolving, well-suggesting, and well-criticizing are also found in plenty. Many people are good at well-talking, but there is not enough of simple well doing.
ii. “But well doing consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods; tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day’s work; sweeping the carpets and dusting the chairs, if you happen to be a domestic servant. Well doing is attending to the duties that arise out of our relationships in life – attending carefully to them, and seeing that in nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers, but in everything are seeking to serve God.” (Spurgeon)
iii. There are many excuses one might make to allowing weariness in doing good, but they should all be rejected.

·“It takes so much effort to keep doing good” – but you will extend effort towards the things of the world.
·“It takes so much self-denial to keep doing good” – but it is worth it when we consider the reward.
·“It just brings me persecution to do good” – but your persecutions are nothing compared to that which others have suffered.
·“People don’t respond and there are little results when I do good” – but remember how slow you were to respond to Jesus Christ. “It doesn’t earn much gratitude when I do good” – but God sends many blessings even to those who do not thank or appreciate Him.

Activity - The Day Of The Lord

Source: David Guzik Commentary, enduringword.com / picture taken from : hicterphoto . c o m

The inner life of prayer and the outer life of witness

Portion for reading - Colossians 4

1. The inner life of prayer.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (Verses 2-4)

a. Continue earnestly in prayer: Paul supported the Colossian church through His prayers for them (Colossians 1:3-8). Their life and ministry would continue to prosper through continued vigilance in prayer, including prayer on their part.

i. The ancient Greek word translated continue is “Built on a root meaning ‘to be strong,’ it always connotes earnest adherence to a person or thing. In this passage it implies persistence and fervor.” (Vaughan)

ii. This sort of earnest prayer is important, but does not come easy. Earnestly in prayer speaks of great effort steadily applied. “Heaven’s gate is not to be stormed by one weapon but by many. Spare no arrows, Christian. Watch and see that none of the arms in thy armoury are rusty. Besiege the throne of God with a hundred hands, and look at the promise with a hundred eyes. You have a great work on hand for you have to move the arm that moves the world; watch, then, for every means of moving that arm. See to it that you ply every promise; that you use every argument; that you wrestle with all might.” (Spurgeon)

b. Being vigilant in it with thanksgiving: We are to be vigilant in prayer, but always praying with thanksgiving for the great things God has done.

i. Barclay on vigilant: “Literally the Greek means to be wakeful. The phrase could well mean that Paul is telling them not to go to sleep when they pray.” Sometimes, because of the tiredness of our body or mind, we struggle against sleep when we pray. Other times we pray as if we were asleep, and our prayers simply sound and feel tired and sleepy.

ii. “Prayer should be mingled with praise. I have heard that in New England after the Puritans had settled there a long while, they used to have very often a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, till they had so many days of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, that at last a good senator proposed that they should change it for once, and have a day of thanksgiving.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “The connection here with thanksgiving may suggest the threefold rhythm: intercession, ‘watching’ for answers to prayer, and thanksgiving when answers appear.” (Wright)

c. Meanwhile praying also for us: Paul seemed to say, “As long as we are on the subject of prayer, please pray for us!” But Paul didn’t ask for prayer for his personal needs (which were many), but that God would open to us a door for the word.

i. The same word picture of an open door as an open opportunity for the gospel is seen in passages such as Acts 14:27, 1 Corinthians 16:9, and 2 Corinthians 2:12.

d. As I ought to speak: Even though Paul was in chains for his faithfulness to the gospel, he knew that he ought to speak it in a way that would make it manifest (clearly evident). Paul wanted prayer that he would continue to make the gospel clear and evident, even if it meant more chains.

2. The outer life of witness.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Verses 5-6)

source: enduringword

Activity For The Day - Scramble

Vision and Communion

“Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord. (Genesis 13:17-18)

a. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you: As a token of Abram’s reception of the land by faith, God wants Abram to explore the land of promise, to walk through it as if it were his, though he does not have “title deed” to it yet.

i. In the same way, God wants us to explore our “land of promise,” His Word, where God has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), where He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He wants us to walk through this “land,” possessing it by faith.

b. Dwelt by the terbinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron: The name Mamre means, “vision.”; Hebron means “communion.” Abram is once again walking in the Lord’s vision for him and in communion with the Lord.

Right or left, Abram knew he could trust God. He did it because he learned God would provide for his needs, and he did not have to worry about being too generous. Abram knew whatever Lot chose God would make sure Abram came out all right. Now, he is wiser and is willing to let God look out for his interests. Right or left, it didn’t matter to Abram, because God would be there. Because he trusted in God, Abram did not have to be obsessed with his own “rights” and neither do we. The only right we truly have is the right to go to hell. Everything else is the free gift of God and has nothing to do with our “rights.”

Source : Enduringword

This Is Love

"This is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." 2 John 1:6

We don't often think of love in terms of obedience and yet obedience was so much a part of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on our behalf. It was through obedience to the Father's will that He proved his undying love for Him, as well as each of us. He was willing to walk the road of shame, ignominy and pain to prove his love for both His Father and for every human being on this earth. It was through obedience to the Father's plan that he proved his love. So it is with each of us. If we are to be made into the image of our risen Savior, we must walk in obedience to the commands of the Father. By obedience to His will in our lives, we show Him how much we love Him. We prove that our love for Him will take us anywhere and sacrifice anything for Him. If we take this a step further; our love for our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even our enemies will sometimes take us where we would not normally wish to go. Ultimately, love is obedience to the will of the Father. It means sacrifice for the good of others, it means laying down our lives, it means doing whatever is asked of us. Jesus held back nothing to prove his love for us; let us follow in his footsteps and walk in love. We have the opportunity to make an impact for Christ by expressing our love to others through sacrifice. May we never lose that opportunity, but remain obedient to the Father's will.

Activity - "What Is Love?"

Source : sermons4kids

What Manner of Love

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1 KJV

Love: what manner of love is this, a father’s love? It is a love that watches and waits and never gives up on a wayward son. It is a love that chooses the most worthless children and makes them sons and daughters of the King. It is a love that gives that which is dearest to Him, His Son, that He might call us His children. This is a love that we can now taste, a love beyond anything we have ever known or experienced on this earth. It is unmatched; priceless; and it is ours!

Precious Father, how in awe we are of you and your love for us! You have everything, and yet you desired that we would become your children. You left no stone unturned to gain us as your children and you spared no expense, even though it cost you the life of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. You adopted us because you wanted to and for no other reason. Thank you, Father, for letting us experience this kind of love, a love without condition. Oh, that we might be worthy of such a Father as you! All we can do is to bow in adoration at your feet and say, "Thank you for loving us so." Amen.

Activity - Word Search

Source : qwchristiandevotions

Walk As Jesus Did

Passage : 1 John 2

"Whoever claims to live in him, must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6

Whoever claims Jesus Christ as Lord, whoever professes that they have life in Jesus, must walk in His footsteps. This is a BIG task. His are enormous footsteps to follow, but we are not alone. Christ has promised to live within us. Col. 1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" The only way to have Christ live within us is for us to open up our hearts to him, and to become one with him. We can only do that if we know him in an intimate way. The obvious question then is, "How did Jesus walk?" Jesus gave us four gospel accounts that shed light on how he walked. It is only by studying these accounts and by spending time with him in prayer that we will begin to understand what his walk was about. Jesus Christ walked in obedience to his Father's will. He never wavered from that course. The Scriptures tell us that he delighted to do the will of his Father, even though it led him to the cross. We will see that Jesus spent many hours in prayer and fellowship with his Father: this was how he maintained his focus. He surrounded himself with godly men, who loved his Father and wished to serve Him. He reached out to a hurting world and gave of himself entirely. He was selfless: sacrificing his own needs for those of others. He laid down his life not only for his friends, but also for his enemies. Indeed this is a big challenge, but with God all things are possible! We have claimed the name of Jesus, which is only the first step; now we must follow in his footsteps.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

The Light

Passage : 1 John 1

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare from you: God is light; in him there is not darkness at all." 1 John 1:5

Light represents what is good and true and holy. Indeed light personifies GOD. In His presence there is no darkness, not even a shadow for He is light! (qwcd). If we are sitting in a dark room we wont be able to see the dust and dirt in that room. But when we turn on a bright light we will start to see all the dust and dirt in the room. And we will start to clean it because we cant live in a room that is filled with dirt and filth. When we go into the presence of the LORD, His light does its work in our lives, it exposes our sins. Thank goodness it does not end there, for once our sins have been exposed, we can confess them and Jesus' blood can be applied on our behalf. And once we have been cleansed and when we kneel in the presence of God and all that His light exposes is the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness that covers us and our sins. How grateful we should be for His light in our lives! It is a light that brings life! (qwcd).

God is a light of righteousness and when we ask his light to shine in our lives every passing second of our lives. His light will shine so bright that no sin can dwell in us. God is a good and true and holy God. We should ask God everyday to expose to us our sins so that we might confess then and be forgiven and right in relationship with God. Jesus Christ blood that was shed for us and our sins is very powerful. It brings life to all who come to Christ Jesus. Ask and Allow Gods light to shine in your lives and let the Blood of Christ wash you clean and protect it.

By : Ss

Resources : qwchristiandevotions

Patient Toward You

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you" 2 Peter 3:9

Whether we are worried about God fulfilling a promise to us personally, or are looking toward the promise of His kingdom being fully established, God is not slow to fulfill these promises. We must remember that the LORD has everything planned out and in His due time, all will be fulfilled. Remember, it took thousands of years before Jesus came to this earth to redeem mankind. Yet the redemption of mankind took place at exactly the time that God planned it, not a minute sooner or later. He may seem slow to us humans, but He is working things out according to His plan, not ours. As we look back over our finite lives, we cannot help but reflect upon His perfect timing. God's timing would rarely be our timing; we like things done now and are not patient like our Father is toward us. We do not always see the need for patience, because we lack God's wisdom and vision. A day with the LORD is as a thousand years: that is far more than a lifetime to you and me! Let us rest in Him, knowing He will fulfill his promises to us and the entire world in due time. Let us learn patience from the God of all patience. He patiently waited for us that we might find salvation. Imagine how different things would be had God fulfilled all his promises quickly! None of us would be here! If He were to give us what we ask immediately, how would we grow? God has promised that He has a plan, not only for the world, but also for each of us. Our job is to patiently wait and watch as He fulfills that plan for our lives in His own due time.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

The Lord Will Rescue

Passage : 2 Peter 2

"...the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials..." 2 Peter 2:9

There need be no question in our minds that God can rescue godly men from their trials. Peter states plainly that God will do it. The question is, "How will the rescue take place?" God is surely at no loss for the means by which to rescue his people. We only need to look in scripture to see Him, time and again, rescuing His people from trials in a variety of ways. There many other scriptures which plainly state that He will make a way of escape for His children. We need only stand back and watch God work. Let us be careful that in doing so, we listen to His voice and obey. This passage in Peter is telling the story of Lot and the circumstances that surrounded his escape from Sodom and Gormorrah. The Lord commanded Lot and his family to flee to the mountains, but he hesitated. The Lord had made a way of escape, but for whatever reasons, known only to Lot, he did not follow the Lord’s instruction. He hesitated. Fear may have immobilized him: the passage does not say. Regardless of the reason, the angels of the Lord stepped in and moved Lot and his family out of a deadly situation. The angels literally took their hands and pulled them out of the city to their deliverance. Like Lot, and all godly men, we will find ourselves in trials. The Lord’s children are not preserved from trials and temptations, but the Lord will preserve them in those experiences and He will deliver His children out of them. That is the promise given here. Let us take hope in this promise! The deliverer of our souls is in charge and He will rescue us. We can rest assured He will not abandon us in our time of need.

Activity - Bunch It Up

Source : qwchristiandevotions

Faithful Creator

Passage : 1 Peter 4

“Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a Faithful Creator.” 1 Peter 4:19

God is a faithful Creator. Do we wonder if the sun will rise each morning? Do we worry that the earth will spin out of orbit? Do we have to know why the stars do not fall to the earth? No, we have come to take all these things for granted. Stop and ponder your faithful Creator. He provides for the tiniest sparrow; surely He will take care of you and me. We need but commit ourselves to God, the faithful Creator. Surely He will complete the work in us He began. Nothing He does is half-hearted. Surely it is all good, very good, and so it will be with you and me. He is faithful and we can trust Him. Your entire being is safe in His care. He will do what is good in His sight. He will be just as faithful to us as He is to the sun and the earth and the sparrow. His mercies are new every morning; His faithfulness encompasses the entire universe. There is nothing to fear; just trust Him. He is not only a faithful creator, but He is your Father. He will work out all for our eternal good and His glory.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

In His Steps

Passage : 1 Peter 2

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow IN HIS STEPS." 1 Peter 2:21

We’ve all heard the ever popular phrase, "What Would Jesus Do?" and this passage gives us the very key to finding the answers to that question. Jesus Christ was empowered to do the things he did on this earth because he learned obedience by the things he suffered. That is the key to following in his steps. We all suffer, but have we learned obedience and submission to the Father through that suffering? If not, we are not following in Jesus' steps. He left us an example and the gospels are filled with stories of how Jesus sacrificed his own desires for those around him. He was the very epitome of submission to the Father’s will. No matter what the cost, no matter what the sacrifice; if it was the Father’s will, he delighted to do it. May we ever look to the author and finisher of our faith and use him as our guide through life. May we always be willing to lay down our lives as he did. May we reach out to others in love and compassion, even when we are burned out. Let us study our Saviour. Let us take in his every action as we read about him in the Word, and may we reflect him to the dying world in which we live. May we empty ourselves so that He can shine through us, and be a light in this dark place. He did indeed leave us an example; let us follow IN HIS STEPS daily.

Source : qwchristiandevotions

Living Hope

Passage: 1 Peter 1

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

Before Jesus' death, his followers had a great hope that he was the Messiah. They were excited and sure that he was the one who would deliver them from the Romans. When Jesus was put to death on the cross, their hope died with him. When Jesus was laid to rest in the grave, their hope was buried with him. Peter lived through that time, and he remembers going back to his fishing boat, saddened that Jesus' death had brought an end to his hope for the future. He remembered how his hope had died and was buried in Christ. Peter is contrasting that experience with what he feels now. His Savior is alive and so is his hope for eternal life. His hope was once dead, but now is alive because Jesus is alive and all the hope that rested on him is alive with him, brought to life again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the foundation of the hope we have for the future. All that Jesus had said to Peter, all that he had promised for the future, is alive. We can count on every word to come true. Hope for eternal life is real! Hope that the world of mankind will come to know and love God is sure! Hope that one day Jesus will take us home is a reality because Jesus lives!

Source : qwchristiandevotions