290St Week, Revelation Intro - Chapter 3 (Click on Title for Video Intro)

 Click on Title for Video Intro

Monday, Revelation Intro

Revelation Intro

Delores Little

THOUGHT

Most people are afraid to get into Revelation. When you accept Jesus, this book is better every time you read it.

The number 7 is in this book 52 times, and it means completeness. Grace is found only twice. You will see Jesus in a new way. You will find this book a book of worship and praise, glory and judgment and new life in the heavens with God.

A lot of what is in the Old Testament is found in this book.  So put on your seat belts as we are going for a Spiritual Ride through this great book. As John states in the first chapter, “Blessed is the one who READS the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, open our eyes and hearts to hear and understand what You have for us to learn in this book. We praise and thank You right now as You take the lead and drive us through the verses, chapters, and pages of this great book. Let Your Holy Spirit open it up for us all.  In Jesus Name. AMEN

Tuesday, Revelation Chapter 1

Revelation 1

Delores Little

THOUGHT

This whole chapter centers on Jesus Christ.  

Verse 2 states the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In Verse 4 John says, “Grace and peace to you FROM HIM WHO IS, AND WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME”.

Verse 5 tells us about the 7 Spirits, first born from the dead, ruler of kings on the earth, to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by HIS BLOOD.

Verse 7 states that He is coming back and every eye will see Him. 

Verse 8 says, “I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA,” says the Lord God, “WHO IS, AND WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY.” We see this in part of verse 4.

The 7 churches are named in verse 10 and were located in Turkey at that time.

Verses 12-16:  I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was SOMEONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN, dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

Here we read about Jesus looking different than what we read in the gospels - as a baby, a 12 year old boy, and then a man walking and talking with His followers. He is now in His heavenly dress and appearance.  He is the High Priest. His white hair suggests wisdom and dignity, his eyes like blazing fire-penetrating insight. Sharp double-edged sword suggests divine judgment, but also He is the Word of God. 

John falls at His feet in verse 17, but God speaks to him in a loving way and is about to teach John some heavenly things now and things to come. 

I really believe we are in the end times.  We need to know what the Word has to say about how to live and talk and be lights for this world we live in. We need to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks us what our hope is in. Truly it is in our Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

PRAYER

Father, forgive us when we get too busy to spend time with You daily. Teach us to follow You wherever You take us and help us shine to others. Heal all who are ill and comfort all who have lost loved ones. Bless us all, Lord, daily with Your wisdom and insight.  In Jesus Name.  AMEN

Wednesday, Revelation Chapter 2

Revelation 2

Delores Little

THOUGHT

There are 7 churches, and 4 are covered in this chapter, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. Today the only one that still exists is Ephesus.  My oldest son and family were stationed in Turkey for 2 years.  My oldest granddaughter graduated in Ephesus in the ruins where Paul preached. A Kilometer down the road from it was the temple, Diana. Smyrna is now Izmir. In the 1920’s over thousands of Christians were killed in that city while the USA ships were off the coast and did nothing to stop it. Just a little history of what my family came to know while there.

Verses 4-5 have always stood out to me. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

We are reading about Christianity in Turkey at this time, and this was a Christian country back then.  Now we see what has happened because they had forsaken their first love, Jesus Christ. 

In these churches John tells about the devil, and if we remain true, we will have the right to the Tree of Life (Jesus) in paradise. There are many promises given to us in this chapter if we just stand firm and do what He tells us to do.  We are to bring the Good News to all. This is for our churches today also. I have been in Churches that think they have it all right but are DEAD, LUKEWARM, SELF CONTROLLED, or REFUSE TO LET THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVE IN THEM. Boy, what a joy it is when we go to churches that are moved by the Holy Spirit.  We feel so full of joy and want to go out and share what we have learned.

We need to pray for our churches to come back to their first love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  I confess to you all that I have been there. So busy with things to do that I have put God on a shelf and what a mistake that was. Like the church of Pergamum, they did not renounce their faith in Him, but held to the teaching of Balaam, who enticed the Israelites to sacrifice to idols and commit sexual immorality. 

As you read this chapter, let us ask ourselves, ‘where am I in all this???’ I fall short of God’s glory in each church one way or another. 

PRAYER

Father, we ask You to forgive us when we don’t do the right things.  We are so thankful You sent Jesus to teach us the right things to do.  Help us do so by Your power and grace through Jesus. Order our steps every day.  Thank You for everything and bless us all.  In Jesus Name. AMEN

Thursday, Revelation Chapter 3

Delores Little

February 7, 2008

THOUGHT

Today we will look at the 3 churches of Sardis, Philadelphia & Laodicea.

Sardis is called a dead church in verse one, and they are to wake up in verse two.  Yet in verses 4-6 there are a few people who have not soiled their clothes and will walk with Jesus dressed in white. Their names are written in the book of life.

Philadelphia of the seven churches seems to be the one more on track with God than the other six. They had little strength, yet they kept God’s Word and had not denied His name.  Verse 8 looks at the promise God gave them. In verses 11-13 it states,  “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God; and I will also write on him My new name.  He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Laodicea is told in verses 15-16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of My mouth.”  They think they are rich, but they are not.  Verse 20 says, “Here I AM! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”

Thank God we heard Him knocking and opened our hearts and life to Him to come in and live in us and to teach us by His Holy Spirit. WE NEED TO SHINE FOR JESUS EVERYDAY OF OUR LIFE WHETHER WE FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT AND TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM.  

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for always being here for us even when we don’t feel and think You are. Your Word says You will never leave or forsake us.  How thankful we are for that. Heal all who have cancer and going through treatments.  Be with our service men and women overseas and here on our own land.  AMEN

Friday, The Seven Churches

EPHESUS was a church that worked hard, showed perseverance and rejected the false apostles. 

    Jesus told them, "You have forsaken your first love."  They had become spiritually dutiful but lacked deep love for Christ and others. 

    Instructed to Repent and return to the things they did at first.

  

SMYRNA  was a faithful church despite suffering, poverty, and persecution.  

    Jesus did not rebuke them.  

    He just instructed them to not fear suffering and be faithful even unto death.   

PERGAMUM was a church that held firmly to Christ's name even in persecution.  

    However, some tolerated false teaching and immorality.  References were made to the teachings of Balaam and Nicolaitans. 

    Jesus instructed them to repent.

THYATIRA  was a church that demonstrated love, faith, service, and perseverance.  Their later works exceeded the first.  However they tolerated the false prophetess, Jezebel.  

    This led to immorality and idolatry.

    Jesus instructed them to hold fast to true teaching and  repent.   

SARDIS  had a small remnant of the church that remained faithful.  

    They had a reputation of being alive, but spiritually dead.

    Jesus told them to wake up, strengthen what remains and repent and obey. 

PHILADELPHIA  was the strong church that kept Christ's word faithfully despite limited strength.           They did not deny His name. 

     Jesus told them to hold fast to what they had. 

LAODICEA  was a lukewarm spiritual church that was neither hot nor cold for the love of Christ.  It was self-sufficient materially but spiritually poor, blind, and naked.  

    Jesus told them to repent, seek true riches, righteousness, and spiritual sight from Christ.  

Smyrna and Philadelphia received the best praise while Laodicea received none.  The most common warnings were spiritual compromise, false teaching, moral corruption, losing spiritual passion and becoming spiritually complacent.  Most of Jesus's instructions were for perseverance, repentance, remaining faithful and holding firmly to Christ.  

This is a map of the seven churches located in modern-day Turkey.

This was known as Asia Minor.