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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