SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/13/2015
1:59 PM
My Worship Time Focus: The
Unfolding of the Vision PT-4-5
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation 1:15b, 16a, 20a
Message of the
verses: We will first look at
Revelation 1:15a in our study for today.
Christs Speaks Authoritatively To His Church: (Revelation
1:15a): “and his voice was like the
sound of many waters.”
Notice we have that word “like” in this section as
perhaps John had a difficult time truly explaining what he heard. When we heard Christ speak in verse ten it
was like the sound of a trumpet. The
sound of many waters could mean like the waves crashing into the seashore, or
perhaps even a waterfalls. When one goes
to visit Nigeria Falls they will never forget the sound that the falls make
especially if you go on one of the boat rides that goes close to the bottom of
the falls. The voice that John heard was
a voice of sovereign power showing once again that Christ is God. This same voice will one fulfill the
following words: “28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is
coming, in which all who
are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29
and will come
forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who
committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29).”
When Christ speaks to His church we must listen. Remember what the Father said when Christ was
on the Mt. of Transfiguration: “This is
My beloved Son,…listen to Him!” (Matt. 17:5).
One more verse to look at and that is Hebrews 1:1-2 “1 God, after He
spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many
ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He
appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Christ Controls His Church (Revelation 1:16a, 20a): “In His right hand He held seven stars…the
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.”
In the book of Ephesians we learn that Christ is the head
of the church: “but speaking the truth
in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ
(Eph. 4:15.” “For the husband is the
head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being
the Savior of the body (5:23).” Next is
Col. 1:18 “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place
in everything.” We notice as John speaks
of the vision of Christ he tells us that the seven stars, which represent the 7
churches is in the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, and being in His right
hand it represents control.
I want to, at this time quote from my commentary that I
wrote on this section on Feb. 8 2005 to help us to see what the word ‘angels”
means. “Jesus says that the seven stars
are the angels of the seven churches, and the word means messengers, which is
the word that is used for angels many times in the Bible. Some think it refers to the Pastors or
Ministers, but it certainly could mean that God has appointed an angel over
each of His Churches.” I hope this
helps.
My opinion of this is that they are not angels, but they
are the leaders of the churches. Let me
explain one of the reasons why I believe that this word is speaking of the
physical leaders of these seven churches.
When Christ died on the cross and was resurrected from the grace He gave
authority to His disciples, and in the second chapter of Acts, on the Day of Pentecost
we see the church begin. As we work our
way through the book of Acts we see the Holy Spirit moving in the lives of the
apostles, especially Peter and then Paul to establish the churches. Once these men died there were never any more
apostles, but what we see in the book of Acts and also in Paul’s letters that
he appoints different men, Elders, Pastors, deacons to lead the new local churches
and the seven churches in Revelation are a part of those local churches. God’s way of having His Word taught in His
churches is through the leaders of those churches and I do not believe that
there are angels who are the heads of any local church today or when the church
began. I am not saying that in the
spiritual realm that there are not angels to help protect different churches,
for this is most probably the case, but not teaching the churches.
Spiritual meaning
form my life today: One of the
things that I want to make sure of when I join a church or even visit a church
is that the Pastor of that church has been called by God and can tell me when
it was that he was called by God. In
this way I can believe that the messages that he is giving are from the Lord,
for if he were not called then that would not be the case. I am thankful that all of our Pastors in our
church have been called by the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To love the Lord with all of my heart, soul,
and strength, and to live like I know that He loves me.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:5-8.
5 Now for this very reason
also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in
your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in
your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your
godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are
increasing they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Acts.”
Today’s Bible
question: “How many times did Joash
smite the arrows to the ground?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/13/2015 2:43 PM
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