Revelation 3:7

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 3:7 

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, and who shuts, and no one opens, says this:” – Revelation 3:7

Over seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

Next, Jesus writes to the sixth Church in this list, the Church of Philadelphia.  This was located southeast of Sardis. It was founded by Attalos II, the king of Pergamum in the second century B.C. Philadelphia’s population was mixed and included people from Lydia and Mysia, along with Macedonians and Roman businesspeople. During this time, the city was the administrative center for many of the nearby towns, although the judicial center was in nearby Sardis.  The soil was very fertile and wine production flourished.  Some of the industries were textile and leather goods.  The city had a good relationship with Rome, and as Sardis when their city was devastated by the earthquake of 17 C.E., Emperor Tiberius granted tax exemptions along with workers for the following five years while the city was being rebuilt.

The principal deity of Philadelphia was Anaitis, a goddess of  Persian origin.  Her identity blended with that of the Anatolian mother goddess Meter as well as the Greek god Artemis.  Philadelphia had its own local cult of Augustus and Rome by 27–26 B.C.  There was also a Jewish community in Philadelphia as in many other Asian cities. 

This starts with our focus verse, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, and who shuts, and no one opens, says this:” Revelation 3:7.  It declares two attributes which Jesus is known by; He who is holy and He who is true.  These attributes are essential attributes of God in the Old Testament.  “Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away from Him.” Isaiah 1:4. And, “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;” Exodus 34:6.  Also, to have the ‘key of David refers to having control and authority:  therefore, having the Key of David would give one control of David’s domain, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David, and the kingdom of Israel. 

Next, we read, “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8.  The open door means access to God. Readers already have access to God through prayer, and in the future, they have the hope of resurrection to life in God’s presence. The idea is that the Church in Philadelphia need access to God’s presence because Christians are being heavily pressured to deny their faith. If Christians at Philadelphia had been questioned by a Roman magistrate, they might have been pressured to deny Jesus’ name to escape punishment.  However, they have stayed true to Christ and were unwilling to deny their Lord and Savior. 

Then He follows this with, “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:9. The idea here is like what we see in Isaiah.  “And the sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14. This verse speaks of the adversaries of Christians eventually to bow at their feet. Note, this is not their idea.  ‘I will make them to come and bow down at your feet.” They will be forced to bow in subjection before them, in humility before those they despised, those who were followers of the God they hated, and declare them the people of God.  And because of this, they will know that the Lord loves them.

Next in verse ten, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour, which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.” Revelation 3:10.  This is like a verse found in John’s gospel, and I feel they communicate the same basic idea. “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15-16. The related expression can also mean protection from evil for those living in the middle of evil.  And this is promised because they fervently kept His word that was the cause of their suffering and persecution.

He then finishes this letter with words of encouragement. “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. 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 upon 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.” Revelation 3:11-12. The word ‘crown’ comes from the Greek word for ‘laurel wreath’. A laurel wreath was given to those who won a victory in an athletic contest or military battle, as well as those honored for public service. Here, it is given to those who win victory through faithfulness to God and Christ in the face of opposition. It signifies resurrection to life in the New Jerusalem. As for the pillar, this metaphor is based on the image of a temple with pillars in it. Revelation uses pillar imagery to show that the faithful constitute God’s temple and have a permanent place in God’s presence, which was a great blessing in the first century. And as for the writing of His name and the New Jerusalem, this was something done often in this time. Readers would have been familiar with the practice of inscribing pillars and monuments with the names of donors, gods, and cities. For example, a first-century inscription on a column at Ephesus commemorated the building of the imperial temple during Domitian’s reign. It named both the city of Teos and the emperor. Columns in the temples of Artemis at Ephesus and Sardis were inscribed with the names of donors, and similar practices are attested in other cities. This was done in honor of the one who’s name was written.

This Church had no negativity written about them.  They stood strong for Christ and did not turn from God.  So, those who struggled with weakness Jesus makes everlasting pillars in the house of God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Jesus’ words of comfort certainly would have been a blessing to the Philadelphians who had faithfully stood for Christ in their pagan culture. His words continue to serve as an encouragement to faithful believers today.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Revelation 3:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 3:1 

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” – Revelation 3:1 

Over seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

Next, Jesus writes to the fifth Church in this list, the Church of Sardis.  Sardis was located about forty miles southeast the Thyatira and around fifty miles east of Smyrna.  It had been the capital of the kingdom of Lydia in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.  Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, the city came under Hellenistic rule and was the capital of the Seleucid kingdom in the third century BCE. After 133 BCE Sardis became part of Roman Asia, where it was a judicial center. Because they were part of the area ruled by the Seleucids, they have a Greek bent in their religious lives which focused on Greek gods including Artemis of Sardis and Zeus Polieus, the guardian of civic welfare. Sardis had a cult of the goddess Roma, a female deity who personified the Roman state before the end of the second century BCE.

Note the first part of our focus verse.  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this:” Revelation 3:1a. Only Jesus has the seven spirits (or “seven-fold Spirit,” meaning the complete or perfect Spirit of God), and only Jesus holds the seven stars, i.e., the seven angels (or pastors) of the seven churches. “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20.  He then says, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Revelation 3:1b.  This church had a good reputation; however, they did not live up to that reputation.  The church appeared to be full of people, but the majority of those coming probably were not Christians but were simply going through the motions.  As Jesus had said when discussing this issue, “He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat and went away.” Matthew 13:24-25. 

He then tells the Church, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.” Revelation 3:2. Jesus then calls for them to repent of their sin. The idea of wake up is they need to start paying attention to what is going on there and stop pretending to be Christians but make it real; to turn from the sins and live as God desires. They needed to stop looking carelessly about what their real situation was before God. And if they do not repent, then things will not go well for them. “Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason, you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matthew 24:42-44.

After this He adds.  “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4. The idea of soiled garments are clothes that were defiled, physically unclean and ritually unsuitable to be worn in God’s presence. “The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments:” and then “So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments.” Exodus 19:10, 14. The promised reward accords with the character of those to be rewarded: keeping their garments undefiled and white through the blood of the Lamb now, they shall walk with Him in white hereafter.  

Then in closing His message to the Church in Sardis He writes this.  “He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5. Here He reiterates the idea of walking in garments of white, denoting being clean before God.  But then He adds two additional blessings.  First, they will not have their names removed from the Lambs book of life.  This is interesting wording.  This denotes the idea of condemnation, but in a way that people could understand. Our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life from the foundations of the world.  “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Revelation 13:8. God knew who would accept His Son from the foundations of the earth. Jesus, through John uses this idea to urge the Church of Sardis to remain faithful and true, using a method or idea they would understand. And not only will their name remain in the Book of Life, but Jesus also acknowledges their name before the Father and His angels.  Acknowledging someone means affirming a relationship with that person in a way that shows loyalty and favor. Since Jesus has a place of honor before the Father and the angels, those he acknowledges share in the honor that belongs to Him. And this refers to someone who does not shy away from acknowledging Christ.  “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33. 

Therefore, never shy away from declaring Jesus in this world, and acknowledging your relationship with Him.  He loves you more than you can know, and is worthy of all the honor we can give Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Revelation 2:18

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 2:18 

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:” – Revelation 2:18

Over seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message to each that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

We now come to the fourth church, the Church of Thyatira.  Thyatira was a wealthy town on the Lycus River in the Roman province of Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey.  This is the only one of the messages to the seven Churches where the Jesus is called the Son of God. Its wealth no doubt came from the various industries that is found in the city, those being textile and clothing, coppersmiths, potters, tanners, leather cutters and bakers.  It was also a regional center in the Asian slave trade network.  An inscription mentions a slave trader who oversaw the public market at Thyatira and funded festivities for the imperial cult.  Worship in the city centered on the Greek gods Apollo and Artemis, the protectors of civic welfare.  They were originally Anatolian deities who were identified with Apollo and Artemis in the Greek pantheon.  In fact, the Greek gods were given great remembrance and honor among the people, which probably brought much difficulty to the Church in their work. 

The letter starts by, as in all the letters, declaring the good found in the Church.  “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.”  Revelation 2:19.  The works of the congregation are specified in four ways: “Love (agape)” which includes love for God and acts of compassion for others.  It means giving oneself for others as Christ did.  “Faith”, which includes faith in God and Christ and faithfulness to God and his people. The faithful bear public witness to God in the face of conflict.  “Service” which probably included actions ranging from witnessing to the lost and providing for the needy.  And He adds that they have grown in the works they do, in that the works they do now are greater than when they started.

However, He has an issue with them as well.  “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bondservants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Revelation 2:20. Jezebel is a nickname that John gives to the woman at Thyatira in order to compare her to Queen Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel. “And it came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians and went to serve Baal and worshiped him.” 1 Kings 16:31.  This woman refers to herself as a prophetess, but her teachings are far from truth, specifically she seduces the servants of God to immoral conduct and to the eating of meats that had been sacrificed to idols.  He gave her opportunities to repent, but she did not. “And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality.” Revelation 2:21.  And since she did not repent of leading many astray with her evil teachings, “Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” Revelation 2:22-23.  And as it says in the above verse, “I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of their ways.” Revelation 2:22b.

And to those who do not follow the ways of Jezebel but remain true to God He says, “I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless, what you have, hold fast until I come.” Revelation 2:24b-23. The faithful believers did not fall into Satan’s trap, and they only needed to remain faithful until Christ’s return.

Then Jesus lists His promises to the believers in Thyatira. “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my father. and I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:26-28. At Christ’s coming the saints shall possess the kingdom over the whole earth.  These blessings include along with authority over the earth, victory over all the enemies, and the morning star.  And since Jesus is the morning star, this means He will give Himself to His Church, and be in fellowship with them forever. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” Revelation 22:16.  Is not this a wonderful blessing to us who remain true to Christ and oppose the ways of Satan and his followers?

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Revelation 2:12

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 2:12 

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: – Revelation 2:12

Over the seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message to each that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

Now we come to the Church in Pergamum.  Pergamum (modern Bergama, Turkey) was a major city located about sixty-five miles north of Smyrna by road and fifteen miles from the Aegean Sea. The heart of the city was the acropolis, which rose above the valley below. Although the city had been settled long before, the Pergamene rulers of the third and second centuries BCE transformed it by building impressive walls, temples, palaces, and a renowned library that was second only to that of Alexandria.

In our focus verse, Christ is said to have a ‘sharp two-edged sword coming from His mouth.  This is referring to the Word of God.  “And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” Revelation 1:16.  Then He next tells them of their strengths. “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Revelation 2:13. They were a Church that remained strong even while residing  in a place known as a center of pagan cults.  The idea is probably a reference to the fact Pergamum was the center of the worship of the Roman Emperor.  Rome was the most recent and most powerful agent of Satan because of its demands for absolute allegiance, as well as the presence of the alter to Zeus which looked like a throne. And through all this they remained faithful. “And you hold fast My name and did not deny My faith.” Revelation 2:13b. 

Then after this, He brings up areas He has against them. “But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.” Revelation 2:14.  Balaam was a seer, perhaps from upper Syria, who was called by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse Israel. (See Numbers 22-24).  The positive side of Balaam’s legacy is that he pronounced blessings instead of curses. His promise that a star would rise from Jacob was understood to anticipate a messianic ruler and the image is used this way in later Jewish sources and Revelation. The negative side of Balaam’s legacy is that he was implicated in Israel’s sexual immorality and worship of Baal (See Numbers 25:1-5).  And within the Church were people who followed the teachings of Balaam, who by doing this put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality which were abominations to God. And because of this there were some who held to the beliefs of the Nicolaitans. (The Nicolaitans were a Christian group that considered it acceptable to eat what was offered to Greco-Roman deities.)

 He then tells them, “Repent therefore or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” Revelation 2:16. He is not speaking of when He returns at the end times.  However, It is best to construe it as a limited disciplinary visitation before the end. Here his coming is conditional: He will come if people refuse to repent, which implies that if they do repent, he will not come. His coming is also limited to people at Pergamum, whereas his final coming will defeat God’s opponents everywhere.

Note the final part of the message. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Revelation 2:17.  He who overcomes the temptations that exist are promised three blessings.  “The precise explanation of these three items is disputed; however, all three blessings must concern the believer’s victorious reign with Christ, consistent with the blessings bestowed on the other six churches. The “hidden manna” is likely an allusion to the manna hidden in the Ark of the Covenant representative of God’s faithful presence and sustenance.  The white stone could be a reference to the stones used for entrance into temple events in ancient times or to one of the stones on the high priest’s breastplate, although the exact meaning of the stone is uncertain.

The Church in Pergamum had many pagan and sinful practices to reject and teach the same.  They were persecuted by pagan cults and Rome.  As they did, it is important that we reject the ways of this world and focus on what is pleasing to God in all things.  We must not fall for the trickery of false prophets, and we must say NO when it is demanded of us to participate in sinful practices.  When we do this, we will be blessed with eternal fellowship with the King, Jesus the Christ.  Therefore, stand strong no matter what.  It is worth the suffering that may come our way.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Revelation 2:8

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 2:8  

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:” – Revelation 2:8

Over the seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message to each that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

Now we come to the Church in Smyrna.  In our focus verse it says, “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this.” Revelation 2:8b.  This is clear evidence that it is Jesus, the Christ, who is speaking here.  In Revelation one we see both ideas brought forth.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8.  Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Among the Jewish rabbis, it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of anything, from beginning to end. Jesus as the beginning and end of all things is a clear reference to eternity and could apply only to God.  Then farther down we read, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18.  These two references specifically state He was the beginning and end, but also the one who was dead but came back to life. 

Smyrna was a large, important city on the western coast of Asia Minor, famed for its schools of medicine and science. The words of Jesus to the church in Smyrna offer insight into the life of a first-century congregation.  Jesus starts by acknowledging their trials, which were many.  “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.” Revelation 1:9.  First, in their physical poverty, they were extraordinarily rich due to their spiritual wealth they had laid up for themselves  in the good work they do.  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;” Matthew 5:19-20.

They also received much blaspheme from those claiming to be Jews but were not. Synagogue members at Smyrna presumably considered opposition to the church to be consistent with Israel’s tradition, since they thought Jesus followers had departed from the tradition by making elevated claims about Jesus.  From these verses’ perspective, their attempt to denounce Jesus’ followers, especially when this could lead to imprisonment and/or death was incompatible with loyalty to Israel’s God.  However, for John who was writing God’s message to them, those who denounced Christians thereby denounced the God to whom they bear witness to and therefore called it blaspheme. Also, the Jews who denounced them joined forces with civic and provincial authorities who worshipped other gods in the effort to get the Christians arrested. 

Then He encourages them.  “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10. Back in this time, and in the Old Testament times, “ten days” seems to be a round number to indicate a limited period of time. He is telling them to remain strong and not to fear what will come.  He does not want them to be surprised, so He tells them that Satan will have some of them thrown into prison.  The threat of imminent suffering often inspires fear (Aristotle, Rhet. 2.5.1).  However, this revelation counters the fear by giving them confidence that members of the community will not be abandoned but will be brought through the suffering with God’s help to everlasting life by way of the resurrection.

Difficult times are coming for all of us Christians.  Some will go through more trials than others, however, we all will no doubt go through some degree of troubles.  However, one thing we can be confident in, and that is Christ will be with us to strengthen and remind us of the great eternal future we have awaiting us.  Do not let the fear of man and the enemy take away our peace and joy for we know where we are going, and it is a wonderful place. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Revelation 2:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 2:1  

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:” – Revelation 2:1 

Over the seven days, I will be looking at what John wrote, by the inspiration of God, to the seven major churches in Asia Minor.  In these seven letters, God gives a message to each that is specific to each and speaks of issues that could fit the Churches throughout history.  It is important to look at these and examine our church and ultimately ourselves to see where we stand regarding these. 

We will start this series with the Church in Ephesus.  “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:” Revelation 2:1.  We know from chapter one what He is referring to.  “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20.   There are many ideas regarding what the seven stars representative.  However, a reasonable explanation is that as the lampstands are the Churches, the angels probably refer to the leaders of each church.  Also, notice the wording in our focus verse.  “To the angel of the of the Church in Ephesus”.  Revelation 2:1a.   

This starts out stating what is good and honorable. “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake and have not grown weary.” Revelation 2:2-3. Christ is telling them through John that He knows the hard work they are doing, the deeds they are doing for Christ.  They are commendable works that show the overall manner of their life.  They had toiled long and hard and patiently bore the hostility of a society at odds with their goals.  And they uprooted those who claimed Christian beliefs and of being apostles, placing themselves within the Church but were wicked people whose only goal was to lead true Christians astray.  And in all this, they did not grow weary, but persevered in the work of the Church. And this was not all that easy, for Ephesus was home to the emperor’s cult and the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis.

However, He had one thing against them which required correction. “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4.  Jesus commends the Ephesians for their many acts of good and hard work.  They tested teachers to see whether their professions were real, and  they endured hardship and persevered without growing weary. But they had lost their warmth and zeal for Christ, which caused them to simply go through the motions of good works, motivated not by the love of and for Christ, but by the works themselves. What was once a love relationship cooled into mere religion. Their passion for Him became little more than cold orthodoxy.  And being surrounded by so much paganism and false teachings, they had many opportunities to correct doctrines that were false and confront the false teachers. But these things became, in some ways, the focus of their work and not their love for Christ. 

Christ then says one more good word to them.  “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Revelation 2:6.  These were men who encouraged each other to eat that which was sacrificed to idols as well as committing various forms of sexual immorality. Christ called these to repent and return to Him, and commended the Ephesians for standing strong.

 And we face this same challenge the Ephesian Church did, and there are few churches that are not in danger of having a certain number of false teachers. However, it is essential that we reprove these teachers in love. And we can only do this if our focus is on our love for Christ and for our neighbor and not on the act of the false teachers. It is essential that what drives us is our love for Jesus and not anything else.  The Ephesians became toi focused on everything else but in the process neglected their love for Christ.  And when this happens, we leave the love that brought us to Christ and we focus on everything else.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 10:36

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Luke 10:36   

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” – Luke 10:36

This question was asked by Jesus to a lawyer who had previously asked the question, “Who is my neighbor?”  A lawyer as described here is different than our modern-day lawyers.  Both are experts in the Law, however,  to first century Jewish lawyers it referred to the Mosaic Law. They essentially fulfilled the same role as a Scribe.

So it starts by this lawyer asking Jesus a question. “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25.  Notice the words in verse 21, “to put Him to the test”.  He was not asking Jesus because he wanted to learn something, but to confuse Him, wanting Jesus to, if possible, to contradict some of the requirements of the Law.  However, Jesus did not fall for it and answered him with two questions.  “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” Luke 10:26b. The lawyer then answers as you would expect as a teacher of the Mosaic Law.  “And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  Deuteronomy 6:4, Leviticus 19:18.  “And he said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:28.  “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29.  The lawyer wanted to let Jesus know he was a righteous man and always kept the Law, just as a lawyer would do. 

Jesus answers this with a parable which tells the story of a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho.  This man was robbed of all he had, including his clothing and was beaten nearly to death.  Along comes a priest who showed no love or compassion for the man by failing to help him and passing on the other side of the road so as not to get involved. The next person to pass by is a Levite who does exactly what the priest did: he passes by without showing any compassion. These are two people who would have known the law, but they chose not to follow it. 

Finally a Samaritan comes by, the one least likely to have helped him in the Lawyers eyes, because they were considered a low class of people by the Jews.  There is no indication as to whether the victim was a Jew of Gentile, but it made no difference to the Samaritan.  He saw only a person in dire need of assistance, and assist him he did, above and beyond the minimum required. He dresses the man’s wounds with wine (to disinfect) and oil (to sooth the pain). He puts the man on his animal and takes him to an inn for a time of healing and pays the innkeeper with his own money. He then goes beyond common decency and tells the innkeeper to take good care of the man, and he would pay for any extra expenses on his return trip.  Jesus then asked the Lawyer a question, as found in out our focus verse, which  disarmed his prejudice.   “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?“ Luke 10:36.  And honestly he had to answer, “He said, The one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:37. 

The Lawyer’s prejudice would not permit him to name the Samaritan, yet his conscience obliged him to acknowledge that he was the only righteous person of the three.  Jesus told him to be even as those whom he despised because they did the right thing, whereas those who were of his people did not.  However, his “Jewish” prejudice would not permit him to name the Samaritan, but there was no impropriety, even in his view, in saying that the man who showed so much mercy was really the neighbor to the afflicted, and not he who professed to be his neighbor but who would do nothing to help.   

The major thought here is that our neighbor is anyone we come across, just as the Samaritan came across the man on the side of the road.  It does not matter if we know them or not, if they are kind to us or a part of a group that believes contrary to our beliefs or has contempt for us and our views.  We are called to love everyone, no matter what.  We are to love as Jesus loved; to love everyone no matter who they are or what they have ever done.  If someone is in need, do what is necessary to help them.  Shake off all prejudices and love as Jesus did.  And if we can show the love we have, we can then make a difference in their lives that can bring them to Christ, or if already a Christian show them what this Christian life is truly all about. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

1 Peter 4:10

Verse of the Day Devotion:  1 Peter 4:10   

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10

In this verse, Peter is telling Christians that God has given each of us at least one special gift for us to use in His service.  He does not list the types of gifts so we cannot tell if he is speaking of a specific gift or simply the gift of the Holy Spirit, which we know all Christians receive.  But whatever that gift is, it is given to us in order to serve the Church, meaning those who are Christians. 

And it is important though to remember we cannot control how God has distributed them out.  We can pray that God will give us certain gifts, but ultimately He is the one who decides how they will be disseminated.  And there are various spiritual gifts.  Paul said, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-5.  God chooses which gifts we will receive and what we will do in ministry.  What is important is that we all are given gifts for the purpose of serving God and the church.

And there are two different type of gifts.  The first, as seen in 1 Corinthians are the spiritual gifts.  These are stated as manifestations of the Spirit.  These being the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and the word of knowledge through the Spirit.  To some the working of miracles. To others the gift of faith, which is the special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God’s promises.  An example of this may be those in places of persecution in countries which are adamantly against the Christian faith. And to some prophesy and  distinguishing of spirits, to some speaking in tongues, and to some the interpretation of tongues.  And these are needed gifts, or God would not give them today.  Some believe that tongues has ended, however the scriptures do not say anything like this, therefore we must be careful here.  God will provide any gift He deems necessary within the Church.

And second, some gifts He gives us are not any of the above but are important in His service.  For instance, the gift of public speaking or of  organization.  Maybe the gift of consolation or being able to understand what people are going through more than others.  These can be gifts that He gives us through interactions with people He has put in our path.  Sometimes He will give us natural gifts in order to serve His people, such as the gift and desire to cook, or clean, or caring for those who need care from another. Or possibly physical things such as Bibles to spread throughout the world, or food to give to Christians who are starving. Sometimes the gift can be a desire given to us for filling God’s peoples need. And in Ephesians, we see He gifts the Church with what is needed for the Body of Christ to grow in the Lord.  These gifts include but are not limited to prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. 

 In closing, God disperses His gifts as He chooses, for the benefit of the Body of Christ, and to help them be a witness to those who are not Christians, helping them become followers of Christ.  And the purpose of these gifts is to serve God and the Church  according to His calling to us.  Use the gifts you know God has given you.  If you are not sure what your gifts  are, pray that God will show you and follow His guidance.  As we get closer to the return of Christ, these gifts will become even more important in order to reach the lost and strengthen Christians in their walk. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Proverbs 27:2

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Proverbs 27:2    

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, a stranger, and not your own lips.” – Proverbs 27:2

This verse deals with pride, arrogance and humility.  Some people do things in order to be noticed and  be honored for it.  I have seen this many times, especially famous people who want to be remembered and lifted up.  However, Solomon writes a much different concept, one where we just do something simply because it is needed.  He says, in or focus verse, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2.

Now we are to do good things.  “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8.  We are called to do good works to both assist our brothers and sisters, our neighbor and to glorify and honor God.  If someone needs help, offer it and give them assistance.  If they are struggling because of trials that are besetting them, go to them and give them the help and encouragement they need.  As the theologian Matthew Henry says, “We must do that which is commendable, for which even strangers may praise us. Our light must shine before men, and we must do good works that may be seen.”  We are called to shine the light of Christ into the darkness.  However, he finishes this thought in this way.  “though we must not do them on purpose that they may be seen. Let our own works be such as will praise us, even in the gates,” The world needs to see us, as Christians, doing good things for the benefit of others. 

But when we do these good things we must not do them for the purpose that they may be seen. Let our own works be such as will praise us, but we must not seek praise from others for these good works.  There may be times where we may need to discuss what we did, but it does not become us to applaud ourselves in the process.  Paul puts our calling this way.  “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3.    

Everything we do must not be to honor ourselves.  “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17.  It is important it be done for His purpose.  Do everything because he requires and commands it, and with a desire to honor him. His authority should be our reason, his glory the aim of all our actions and words. 

Lastly, Jesus tells His disciples not to exalt themselves for any reason.  “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”  Matthew 23:12.  The way to arrive at the highest degree of dignity, in the sight of God, is by being willing to become the servant of all.  Nothing is more undesirable in the sight of God then pride and arrogance.

We will be lifted up by others at times because of their thankfulness for what we have done for them.  However, we must accept this humbly, without building ourselves up in the process.  If anyone is to be exalted, it is God who has given us the opportunities to do His work here on this earth, and the ability and knowledge to make it happen.  If anyone deserves praise, it is Him.  So, instead of focusing on ourselves we should focus on God in all matters.  What joy will be derived by giving Him all the glory.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 12:1

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Luke 12:1 

“Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” – Luke 12:1 

An important idea is found in our focus verse, in the last part, that being “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”  Luke 12:1b.  Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were known to demand more from those who heard their teachings then from themselves who were the teachers.  There is an old saying that says, “Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say”. Another way this put it is, “We are to say what we do and do what we say.”  This is in essence what Jesus was saying.  Beware of those who say one thing yet do another. 

After this He gives them this warning.  “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.” Luke 12:2.  Do not do anything different from what you say, for when you do there is a good possibility it shall be found out and it shall be told to many.  And even if it is not discovered here in this life, it will be revealed in the next.  Many times the Jewish leaders would say it is wrong to do this or that, but then when they are by themselves they would practice the same things they declared as wrong.  No sin, be it ever so secret or privately done, is more covered than hypocrisy, but likely to be found out sooner or later; if not in this world, then in the world to come.  Jesus then continues.  “Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:3.  Hypocrisy has a way of making itself known. 

A Pastor I know fell into this and it did not end well for him.  He was having an affair and somehow, and I do not know how, the word got out regarding what was happening.  He lost his pastorship, almost lost his wife, and many lost faith in him.  We must remember that the enemy wants to destroy our message, and what better way to do this then to make public the hypocrisy of Christians.  

We must also remember that as we judge we will be judged.  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2.  How can we honestly judge others for what we ourselves are doing?  “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5.  If we tell someone that what they are doing is wrong and then go out and do it ourselves, possibly in a greater way than they do, how are we doing anything different than the Pharisees and Sadducees?  And if the other person finds out we are doing the same thing we denounced in them, we will be seen as a hypocrite and will probably lose the ability to speak into their lives.  And always remember that these things have a tendency to get talked about with others, which could destroy our impact and darken our light that should be shining bright in the world (Matthew 5:14-16).

It is important that, as Christians, we be real and genuine with people.  By doing so, people will be more inclined to listen and believe our testimony regarding the love of God and His desire to save them and develop a loving relation with them.  Many Jews lost confidence with the Pharisees because of their acts of hypocrisy.  Let us do nothing that will destroy our witness to a world that needs to hear it.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.