Today’s Reading:  Ezek 16:1–63, Rev 6:1–7:8, Job 34:1–15

Today’s Theme: Brazen Whores, Redeemed

With today’s theme, we look at the vivid picture that God paints of Israel as an unfaithful wife, who has become a brazen whore, and we see a parallel application for our lives personally and collectively, as the Bride of Christ.

We did not become the Bride of Christ because we were the most beautiful or faithful, we were in sin and darkness, the same as the lowest whore. Yet God in His grace and love, redeemed us and faithfully works with us through the power of the Gospel and His Holy Spirit, to bring reform and transformation to our lives.

It is amazing the way God’s grace has taken the lowest people like us, with lives disfigured and marked by the fall and sin, and makes us royalty, a bride without spot or blemish.

Ezekiel 16:1–63

The hated, redeemed

“And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’(Ezekiel 16:6, ESV)

God caused hated Israel to live, God does the same for us in salvation.

The covenant of love

“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.(Ezekiel 16:8, ESV)

Another beautiful picture of God’s love and commitment to His people. We belong to Him like a wife does to her husband.

Don’t be a whore

“But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his.(Ezekiel 16:15, ESV)

The treachery of the human heart, God has made us beautiful and gifted us, we must not whore ourselves out spiritually. We must faithfully serve the Lord.

The curse of faithlessness

You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbours, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger.(Ezekiel 16:26, ESV)

God sees our faithlessness as a wife who was picked up off the scrap heap and made royalty by a loving husband, but then becomes the lowest of whores.

Brazen whore vs faithful wife

“How sick is your heart, declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute,(Ezekiel 16:30, ESV)

We are like a brazen prostitute when we give way to compromise and temptation. Lord, help us to be like the image of a faithful wife (Saint), to a loving husband (God).

The price of sin

So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different.(Ezekiel 16:34, ESV)

We pay sin, sin pays us nothing but death in our spiritual adultery.

Judged through sin

therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.(Ezekiel 16:37, ESV)

The very things we compromise with, sin with and idolise in faithlessness, become the very tools of our judgement and destruction.

Stop playing the whore

And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. I will make you stop playing the whore, and you shall also give payment no more.(Ezekiel 16:41, ESV)

God’s purpose in Judgement.

Soul corruption

Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.(Ezekiel 16:47, ESV)

A Christian in compromise and sin will become worse than those in the world. This also gives an indication to how badly Israel had fallen in sin.

God’s love and grace

yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant.(Ezekiel 16:60, ESV)

Without God’s love and grace, Israel and the church would be lost.

God has atoned

that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 16:63, ESV)

Jesus did this for us.

Revelation 6:1–7:8

Judgement on man’s spiritual whoredom

And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.(Revelation 6:8, ESV)

Only because of today’s earlier reading in Ezekiel, do these four types of judgement start to make sense.

Lord avenge us

They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”(Revelation 6:10, ESV)

This is a really different way to pray for the suffering church. Like the psalms, we can seek God to avenge us.

Asteroids fall

and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.(Revelation 6:13, ESV)

This does not mean a galactic star, the word can mean any glorious heavenly being, like an asteroid.

*a luminous body (other than the sun) visible in the sky, star, single star, planet

(Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.)

The angry Lamb

calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,(Revelation 6:16, ESV)

Vivid imagery as lambs do not make you think of anger, this displays both sides of God’s nature.

Actual Israelites

And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:(Revelation 7:4, ESV)

These are real Israelites, not selected Russellites (Jehovah Witnesses were originally called Russellites, after their founder and false prophet Charles Taze Russell).

Job 34:1–15

Test words, listen carefully

for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.(Job 34:3, ESV)

Lord, please help our ears to test words well.

You reap what you sow

For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.(Job 34:11, ESV)

This is true, we do reap what we sow, but Grace also has an effect on all of this too.

God’s dependants

If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,(Job 34:14, ESV)

All life is dependent on God.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Revelation 6

Today’s Reading:  Ezek 14:1–15:8, Rev 5:1–14, Job 33:29–33

Today’s Theme: Every Nation, Tribe and Tongue

Today’s theme is the worship of Jesus, the worthy Lamb and the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as opposed to the worship of worthless idols. He has redeemed us from every nation, tribe and tongue.

The bible describes mankind by three categories, these are nations, tribes and tongues. Notice none of these is colour. God’s groupings for mankind show the dignity with which we should see all men. The disrespectful generalisation of people by the colour of their skin, is a human invention.

Ezekiel 14:1–15:8

Idolatry, a heart problem

“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?(Ezekiel 14:3, ESV)

This is the inevitable result of idolatry, we end up taking the false god into our hearts and become devoted to the thing. Lord, today we ask that you break the power of every idol in our lives.

Idolatry separates us from God

that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.(Ezekiel 14:5, ESV)

Idolatry brings estrangement to our relationship with God.

Don’t go astray

that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 14:11, ESV)

The reason God judges the false prophet and the hypocrite is so that His people will no longer go astray, but will be His people in truth.

The judgement of the city

even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God.(Ezekiel 14:14, ESV)

Us living in London does not mean it will be spared Judgement. Let us pray for our city.

Our Children need to know God

even if these three men were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.(Ezekiel 14:16, ESV)

Our children need to know the Lord for themselves.

God’s tools of judgement

“For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!(Ezekiel 14:21, ESV)

God’s chosen tools of Judgement (not the devil or man).

God’s purpose in judgement

They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 14:23, ESV)

God has a purpose in Judgement. God has a purpose in everything He does.

God’s reason for judgement

And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God.”(Ezekiel 15:8, ESV)

The reason for the judgement is clearly seen here. God does nothing without a reason, even if the reason is not known to us.

Revelation 5:1–14

The Lion of the tribe of Judah

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”(Revelation 5:5, ESV)

Jesus became a man and conquered sin and death in a way that we could not. This seal is in some way connected to mankind and the earth.

These are wonderful titles for Jesus.

Jesus, The Slain Lamb

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.(Revelation 5:6, ESV)

This is another image of Jesus which stands in sharp contrast to the image of Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Jesus is God

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.(Revelation 5:8, ESV)

This verse shows clearly that Jesus is God and He is to be worshipped.

Every nation, tribe and tongue

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,(Revelation 5:9, ESV)

This is where the idea of ‘finish the mission’ comes from, every people group must hear the Gospel, as though God wants a sample from every nation.

Also this is where we get the understanding of the fact that people should be defined by nation, tribe and language, not by the colour of their skin.

We will reign in the earth

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”(Revelation 5:10, ESV)

We will reign in the new earth.

Worthy is the Lamb

saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!”(Revelation 5:12, ESV)

AMEN! Worthy are you Lord Jesus.

Praise God, The Father and The Son

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!”(Revelation 5:13, ESV)

The Worship due to both the Father and the Son.

Job 33:29–33

God’s mission

to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.(Job 33:30, ESV)

God’s great mission to save the souls of men

Speak with power

If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”(Job 33:33, ESV)

Job did remain silent, a sign of the power with which this young man spoke.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Revelation 5

Today’s Reading: Ezek 12:1–13:23, Rev 3:14–4:11, Job 33:19–28

Today’s Theme: Created by God’s will

Today’s theme is, created by God’s will. We see God as sovereign in creation and over creation. In Revelation, we explore a verse which describes Jesus as the beginning of God’s creation and see that it points to Him as the eternal, uncreated Creator.

Ezekiel 12:1–13:23

Don’t walk in rebellion

“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.(Ezekiel 12:2, ESV)

We will remain spiritually blind and deaf as long as we walk in rebellion.

Visual aids

As for you, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.(Ezekiel 12:3, ESV)

God uses visual representations to help His people understand.

God disperses and gathers in

And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.(Ezekiel 12:15, ESV)

God is known in the dispersal as well as the ingathering.

God acts on His word… So pray the word

They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfil their word.(Ezekiel 13:6, ESV)

We must not “Decree and Declare” what God has not expressly told us and expect Him to act on our words, He will act on His own words.

Revelation 3:14–4:11

Jesus, The beginning of God’s Creation?

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.(Revelation 3:14, ESV)

Cults like the Watchtower Society use verses like this to say that Jesus is only a created being and is therefore just a highly exalted angel like Michael, and not God.

However, faithful exposition of this phrase, the wider passage and the full discourse of scriptures, will give us true context. There are at least three senses that Jesus is pointing to here.

1. Jesus is one who began God’s creation, as mentioned in John 1:1-3.
2. The statement signifies Jesus’ rule over all creation, in the context that the firstborn was the one who would inherit everything.
3. Jesus had inaugurated the new creation with His resurrection from the dead.

A promise for overcomers

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.(Revelation 3:21, ESV)

A great promise for overcoming.

No democracy in heaven

 once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.(Revelation 4:2, ESV)

God alone is seated on the throne, heaven is not a democracy. God reigns as King.

The world, created by God’s will

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”(Revelation 4:11, ESV)

Heaven is a place of Worship, where God is worshipped in His glory.

The world was not created by evolution, but by the will of God.

Job 33:19–28

Jesus our mediator

If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,(Job 33:23, ESV)

Thank God that Jesus is our mediator.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on Revelation 3 and Revelation 4

Today’s Reading: Ezek 9:1–11:25, Rev 3:1–13, Job 33:8–18

Today’s Theme: Marked by God

There is no clear theme today, so we take one of the points as our title. Towards the end of our reading, we hear the promise of being marked by God as His own possession, if we persevere till the end. So be encouraged to press forward in your walk with the Lord.

Ezekiel 9:1–11:25

Does sin grieve you?

And the Lord said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”(Ezekiel 9:4, ESV)

God notes if we are grieved by sin and those who rise against Him.

Reaping what you sow involves God’s personal activity

As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”(Ezekiel 9:10, ESV)

Reaping what we sow is not just karma, God is personally involved with meeting out punishment and reward.

Pray strategically

And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city;(Ezekiel 11:2, ESV)

The Lord showed Ezekiel the problems in leadership of the nation. Lord, help us to pray strategically concerning the leadership of our nation.

Cry out to God

And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”(Ezekiel 11:13, ESV)

Ezekiel was not happy about God’s judgement, he was heartbroken for his people.

The gathering

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’(Ezekiel 11:17, ESV)

This happened after Babylon and is happening again today.

A heart of flesh

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,(Ezekiel 11:19, ESV)

This is not just a promise for the future redemption of Israel, but one we can apply to our own lives in Christ today. Lord, keep me from having a hard heart.

Revelation 3:1–13

Don’t believe the hype

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(Revelation 3:1, ESV)

Lord, keep us from the deception of believing our own hype or what others say about us, and keep us from being caught up in the reputation of our church, denomination or ministry. We should not live off past glory but should live for You every day.

Complete the work

Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.(Revelation 3:2, ESV)

Lord, please help us to always finish what we start and to complete the work.

Turn to the bible’s truth

Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.(Revelation 3:3, ESV)

The remedy is to turn to the truth and promises of the Bible, and to repent of heartless, religious observance.

3 amazing promises

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.(Revelation 3:5, ESV)

Three amazing promises to encourage us to endure and overcome; we will walk in white robes of total righteousness, we will have complete security in eternal life and we will have Jesus speaking up for us before God and the angels.

Total control

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.(Revelation 3:7, ESV)

Jesus has total sovereign control.

A healthy, mission focused church

“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(Revelation 3:8, ESV)

Many see this as an open door to mission work.

Right teaching in keeping the word and right living in not denying the Name, characterise this church which is the healthiest of the 7.

God’s special love

Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.(Revelation 3:9, ESV)

God has a special love for His faithful people.

Called to persevere

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.(Revelation 3:10, ESV)

The perseverance of the saints is not some mystical thing, it is a command from the Lord to patiently endure till the end.

Marked by God

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.(Revelation 3:12, ESV)

A great promise pointing towards stability and an important position in God’s house.

Jesus will write God’s name on us. Just as a child writes his name to make clear his ownership, care and protection over his toys (like when Andy writes his name on Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the animated film Toy Story), so God will mark us as belonging to Him personally, throughout eternity.

Job 33:8–18

The greatness of God

“Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.(Job 33:12, ESV)

This young man understands the greatness of God.

God is always speaking

For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.(Job 33:14, ESV)

God is always speaking in many ways although we are not always listening.

God speaks even when we sleep

then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,(Job 33:16, ESV)

God speaks to us in dreams when we are asleep.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition Revelation 3

Today’s Reading: Ezek 6:1–8:18, Rev 2:12–29, Job 33:1–7

Today’s Theme: Judgement for God’s Glory

Today’s theme is the judgement of God. God’s judgement is for His own glory to display His holiness, justice, truth and love.

The judgement and discipline of God calls us to repent and walk in holiness.

Ezekiel 6:1–8:18

Judgement for God’s Glory

And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord.(Ezekiel 6:7, ESV)

This great judgement is for the glory and honour of God, notice the theme of destroying idols and alters.

Be sensitive to God’s heart

then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. (Ezekiel 6:9, ESV)

Wow, what an insight into God’s affections and feelings, more than the sin of the lost, the unfaithfulness and wandering of the people He has chosen to save breaks His heart.

Idolatry leads to death

And you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols.(Ezekiel 6:13, ESV)

Idolatry will lead to death, if we idolise anything or anyone, it will lead to our spiritual death. Idolatry is a deadly sin as it directly affects the zealous passion and jealousy of the Lord resulting in our judgement.

You might not be able to repent!

And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(Ezekiel 7:4, ESV)

A great warning to all who think they can sin now and repent later, NO, God will judge you in the middle of your sin, rebellion and compromise.

The Lord who strikes

And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who strikes.(Ezekiel 7:9, ESV)

God is not anti spanking, He is a God who strikes us in discipline and expects us to follow this pattern with our own children.

Money, a functional idol

They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.(Ezekiel 7:19, ESV)

Money which can become a functional idol and hence be a stumbling block. It cannot save us in times of judgement or discipline from God, when difficult situations arise money can become worthless to us and only God can help

Seek God now

Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders.(Ezekiel 7:26, ESV)

When disaster and judgement strike, it is often too late to seek council, we must seek the Lord before the fact and then He will guide us in the difficult times.

Ezekiel’s status

In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there.(Ezekiel 8:1, ESV)

This shows us that Ezekiel was respected.

Hidden sin… No such thing

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”(Ezekiel 8:12, ESV)

Leaders committing sin in secret and darkness causes disaster to fall upon God’s people. Lord keep us from the folly of so called hidden sin… nothing is hidden from You.

Babylonian religion

Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.(Ezekiel 8:14, ESV)

This is the blatant old religion of Babylon, now adapted into many world religions and esoteric schools of theosophy in the new age movement. We need to run this nonsense out of the church.

Don’t worship nature

And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.(Ezekiel 8:16, ESV)

The worship of nature is all around us in the environmentalist movement and new age movement. We need to guard against this, notice they had turned their backs on the Lord.

God is free

Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”(Ezekiel 8:18, ESV)

Crying out to God does not mean He has to do a thing. He is not bound by cosmic rules etc as is implied by the word of faith movement.

Revelation 2:12–29

False teaching is evil

So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.(Revelation 2:15, ESV)

God will hold us responsible for false teaching especially ones that lead to debauchery.

Combat false teaching

Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.(Revelation 2:16, ESV)

God fights false teaching with teaching of the Bible through servants He raises up to combat the false teachings.

The overcomes reward

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’(Revelation 2:17, ESV)

A great, personal promise and incentive for all of us to overcome in the area of upholding and teaching the truth.

A healthy church

“ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.(Revelation 2:19, ESV)

This was a good church, they were working, loving, had faith, served and were enduring, all healthy signs for a church community.

God knows your actions which come from your heart

and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.(Revelation 2:23, ESV)

Look at the language the Lord uses here, He says yes I search the heart and mind and know the heart and mind… but will reward according to what you do, because what you do came from your heart. So the excuse God knows my heart will not fly.

We must stand up as a church against both sexual immorality and women not submitting to authority, these sins are linked in many ways.

Hold fast

Only hold fast what you have until I come.(Revelation 2:25, ESV)

In the midst of a corrupted church system, God calls His people to hold fast to the truth.

The conquers reward

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,(Revelation 2:26, ESV)

A great promise and reward to look forward to, this gives us insight into the work we will have to do in the kingdom

Job 33:1–7

Humble and bold

Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you.(Job 33:7, ESV)

I think this gives us some insight into the type of man Elihu was, he seems like a humble and gentle man who at the same time was bold to stand for truth.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Revelation 2