SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/23/2015
2:39 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
Christ’s Counsel for Philadelphia
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
3:12-13
Message of the
verses: “12 ’He who overcomes, I
will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it
anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city
of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and
My new name. 13 ’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.’”
Now we have talked about those who overcome in every
letter that we have looked at so far, I will repeat it for this church also “Who
is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son
of God? (1 John 5:5).”
First promise that Christ gives is that those who are
believers, He “will make them a pillar in the temple of God, and he will not go
out from it anymore.” When one looks at
a pillar they think of stability, something that is permanent and immovable. Just yesterday our Pastor gave a report of
his mission’s trip to Europe and we saw pictures of many pillars in the city of
Rome, pillars that have been there for over 2000 years. Now in pagan temples you would often see
pictures carved on them to honor a particular deity. Those who John wrote this letter to would
understand this better than we do.
MacArthur writes “The marvelous promise Christ makes to believers is
that they will have an eternal place of honor in the temple of God
(heaven). To people used fleeing their
city because of earthquakes and enemies, the promise that they will not go out
from heaven was understood as security in eternal glory.”
Next promise is that Christ will write on them the name
of God and this speaks of ownership. Perhaps when your children were small and you
took them to their Sunday School class you would put their name on them and
this meant that these children belonged to you.
The next promise speaks of something that is mentioned
for the first time in the book of Revelation and that is the New Jerusalem and
Christ promises to believers that they will have a home in this city that is
described in Revelation chapter 21. This
is the city that is a fifteen hundred mile cube with streets of gold so pure
that they are transparent.
Finally we see that Christ promises believers His new
name. MacArthur writes “Christ’s name
represents the fullness of His person.
In heaven, believers will ‘see Him just as He is’ (1 John 3:2), and
whatever we may have known of Him will pale in the reality in which we will
then see Him. The new name by which we
will be privileged to call Him will reflect that glorious revelation of His person.”
Christ ends the letter with the same words He has ended
all of them “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.” Let us look at this verse in
several different versions of the Bible. "Are your ears awake? Listen.
Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches."
(Message) “Anyone with ears to hear must
listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
(NLT) Let the listener hear what the
Spirit says to the Churches. (Philips)
Christ is telling those who read this to listen and beware what has been
told to this church listen and take it in. In the Greek the words “let him hear”
are one word and here are some of the meaning of this word: “2b) to attend to, consider what is or has
been said; to give ear to a teaching or a teacher; to comprehend, to understand.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am a person who
is often times in a hurry and don’t take time to listen as well as I should, so
this message given for the sixth time brings conviction to my heart.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To love the Lord with all of my heart, soul,
mind, and strength, and to better understand and live in the love Christ has
for me.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Israel” (2 Kings 15:27).
Today’s Bible question: “Who pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom?”
Today’s Bible question: “Who pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom?”
Answer in our next SD.
2/23/2015 3:12 PM
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