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Revelation 3:7-13 King James Version
“But who do you say that I am?”
And answering, Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.”
And answering, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah,
because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. And I also say to you that you are ‘Petros,’ and upon this ‘Petra’ I will
build My church, and the gates of Hades will not be victorious over it“ (Matthew 16:13-20)
At that time, not long before his crucifixion, Jesus said, “I will build.” The only occasion possible for this to happen, is in Acts 2. This reference, Acts 2:47 ends, “The Lord added to the church.” That Pentecost is generally accepted as when Christ built, (established) His church.
Notice the use of two different Greek forms of the word for stone when Jesus spoke to Peter in the Matthew reference. “Petros” the Greek for Peter means a small stone, such as gravel, while “Petra” means a great outcrop of stone such as the famous one in Australia. The church was not built on Peter. It was built on the solid, immovably solid fact that “Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.” He adds his promise that the church will not fail. It is eternal. One becomes a part of that church for eternity, even physical death does not separate him.. He can only be separated by his own choice, that is, by returning to his old sins and rejection of Christ.
The two great “R” movements which stand out in the history of the church are the “reformation movement” and the “restoration movement.”
The “Reformation” movement came about as an attempt to reform the church because of its sins, the selling of “indulgences” (permissions to sin), and other practices which had crept into the church at the time. On October 31, 1517, a priest, Martin Luther, listed 95 such evils,
And nailed them on the door of the church. The result was the eventual formation of the Lutheran Church. This movement utterly failed to reform matters, but started the process of many splinter churches which continued for many years.
On Sept 8, 1809, the second “R” came about in America when Alexander Campbell wrote his ‘”Declaration and Address,” urging the restoration of the unity and doctrines of the church to its Biblical origins. At first this swept like wild fire through the scattered prairie settlements. In those days, the Bible was the basic textbook for education and those who had fled religious persecution in Europe had settled in America. The Bible was where it was meant to be, the authority; the Word of God. It was the rock foundation for successful life.
Today many say, “Surely you don’t want to restore the church of Corinth.” No, we don’t. The letters to Corinth show us how to deal with the same sins today, and of the letters to the churches in Revelation, it is only the church at Philadelphia that received no criticism of the Lord. It can be taken as a pattern of what the church should be doing today. It was pleasing to the Lord.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
(Revelation 1:11, Revelation 6:10, 1 John 5:20, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 19:11, Job 12:14, Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 1:18)
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
The way one can know that he is pleasing the Lord, is that God opens doors of opportunity for each of us to use our inherent abilities in the best way to His glory. The foundation of it all is that we be well founded in the Word. One does not have to be a master. I am battling to set up a Kindle given to me by my daughter. It will come, but it is a challenge. I use “Kindle for PC” on my computer, but this is portable where the computer is desk bound. I can transfer the Bible and all that I need from the computer and carry it all in my pocket, once I get it up and running. All but two of my wife’s books are there, but so far, I still have to use the computer monitor and not the built-in one. Perhaps God will send me someone to show me the way.
(Revelation 3:1, Acts 14:27, Revelation 2:13)
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
(Revelation 2:9, Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 49:23, Isaiah 60:14, Isaiah 43:4, John 17:23)
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
We can expect tests of our patience. While we are here on earth, we are tested and forced to grow.
(John 17:6, Revelation 3:8, Revelation 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:12, 2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 2:10, Matthew 24:14, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 8:3, Revelation 11:10, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 14, Revelation 17:8)
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Here is the assurance that Our Lord is aware of our problems and that He will come quickly. Here is our first problem. Our interpretation of quickly is not that of the Lord. We always must learn patience, and trust.
(Revelation 1:3, Revelation 22:7, Revelation 12:20, Revelation 22:5, Revelation 2:10)
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
The award of patience and trust is that we can be what we probably are not now, pillars in the Lord’s church. I remember touring the Parthenon on the top of the mount in Athens. Typically of it’s era, the roof was supported by massive pillars, and they are still standing after all these years. God wants us to be pillars of the faith, and we can be, if He wants that. He made us to be, or He would not have said this.
(Revelation 3:5, 1 Kings 7:21, Jeremiah 1:18, Galatians 2:9, Revelation 14:1, Revelation 22:4, Ezekiel 48:35, Revelation 21:2, Galatians 4:26, Hebrews 13:14, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:10, Isaiah 62:2, Revelation 2:17)
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
So many times we Hear, but we do not “listen.” The Letter to Philadelphia is one we must listen to.
(Revelation 3:6)
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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2011
DECEMBER
4th. Sunday – Daniel 7, 8, Revelation 3:1-10, Psalm 138
5th. Monday – Daniel 9, 10, Revelation 3:11-22, Psalm 139:1-8
6th. Tuesday – Daniel 11, 12, Revelation 4, Proverbs 29:19-27
7th. Wednesday - Ezra 1:1-2:42, Revelation 5, Psalm 139:9-16
8th. Thursday - Ezra 2:43-3:13, Revelation 6, Psalm 139:17-24
9th. Friday – Ezra 4, 5, Revelation 7, Psalm 140:1-5
10th. Saturday - Ezra 6, 7, Revelation 8, Proverbs 30:1-10
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THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9
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New Perspective...
After being married 25 years, a man looked at his wife one day and said, "You know, 25 years ago we lived in a cheap apartment, drove a cheap car, had only a sofa bed and watched a 14" black and white television.
But, every night I got to sleep with a hot 25-year-old blonde."
"Now," he continued, "We have a nice house, a new car, a big flat-screen TV, but I have to sleep with a 50-year-old woman. It doesn't seem fair."
His wife was a reasonable woman.
She replied, "Well, why don't you go out and get yourself a hot 25-year-old blonde? Then I'll make sure you will once again live in a cheap apartment, drive a cheap car, have only a sofa bed and watch a 14" black and white television."
The man rethought his priorities.
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