Luke 1:38

Verse of the Day Devotion: Luke 1:38

“And Mary said, “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:38  

Mary, the chosen mother of Christ, was visited by the archangel Gabriel and brought a message from the Lord to her. “And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28. Now, this confused her, and she pondered in her mind what was said to her and what could it mean.  It appears she feared Gabriel. “The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:30-33.

Now, this was again confusing to her, for she had never laid with a man up to this point, so she wondered how this could possibly be.  She had followed the law faithfully. So, what was he saying?  Therefore, “Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34.  In response to this question, “The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason, the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35. It would not be Joseph who she was currently engaged to who would be the father.  She would be a mother not by any man, but by God Himself. This is prophesied by Isaiah when he said, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14. Matthew clarifies this by stating Immanuel in the Hebrew means ‘God with Us’. (Found in Matthew 1:23).  This child she will give birth to is God.  Now, she probably was questioning this in her mind, so Gabriel says to her, “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.” Luke 1:36.  This was probably told to her to give her confidence that if God could cause Elizabeth to have a baby in her old age, then He could cause her to have a child with the promise given her. He then ends his words with, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37.

Without any more questions, she says through the focus verse, “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38. This was an expression of giving herself over to the will of God.  This shows us the commitment Mary had to God and why she was chosen for this purpose.  For her to have a child by someone other than Joseph, to whom she was engaged to, would have had her ostracized because she broke the law by committing adultery. She knew what this meant regarding her reputation, but she followed the will of God completely, no matter the consequences.  My question to all of us here is, would we do the same?  Would we follow what God tells us no matter how anyone thinks of us, or what we would look like in their eyes?  Are we willing to be humiliated before men to be found pleasing before God?  Something to think about.  Is how God sees us more important than how man sees us?  Sometimes He calls us to do things that are not acceptable to the ways of men.  And we, as Mary did, should be willing to go against the ways of man to obey Him.  It is hard but think about it.  Who is more important?  This will give us the answer we need.

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

Luke 1:13

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 1:13 

“But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” –  Luke 1:13 

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

This verse is an important one, for it foretells the coming of John the Baptist: the forerunner of the Messiah.  “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.” Luke 1:5.  This speaks of a priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth.  They were both righteous before God, however up to this time they were unable to have children.  And now being advanced in years, it was not probable they ever would.

Now while Zacharias was performing his priestly functions, an amazing thing happened. “And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped him.” Luke 1:11-12. It is probable that the angel appeared while his eyes were closed, but when he did see him, he became afraid.  The angel who appeared to Zacharias was not simply like a man with wings. This angel was a glorious, fearful, and an awesome creature, and like most angels in the Bible, the first thing this angel had to say to his human contact was “Do not be afraid.”

Then the angel tells Zacharias in our focus verse.  “Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” Luke 1:13.  The angel told them they would have a child.  And they were told they were to name him John. And according to Thayer’s Hebrew dictionary, his name means “Jehovah is a gracious giver”. Then Gabriel went on to say, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:14-17.

Zacharias and Elizabeth had their prayer answered.  In their old age, they shall have a son.  Their son would be seen as great in God’s sight.  He will probably live under the Nazirite vow due to not drinking wine or strong drink.  He also would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.  This has the idea that he was appointed to and set apart to the work God called him to before he was born.  We see the same with the prophet Jeremiah.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. And even more so, of Jesus.  “Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my God from my mother’s womb.” Psalm 22:9-10.

And finally, we see what his calling was in the gospel of Mark.  “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:2-8. John came into this world to prepare the way of the Messiah and to inform Israel of His coming, calling them to repent and be baptized in reference to the remission of sin.  Repentance prepared the soul for it, and Baptism was the type or pledge of it.   

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

Revelation 3:14

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Revelation 3:14 

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:” – Revelation 3:14

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. 

Now Jesus writes to the last Church in this list, the Church of Laodicea.  Laodicea was in the Lycus Valley about sixty miles southeast of Philadelphia and a hundred miles west of Ephesus. It was situated where a major east-west route from Ephesus intersected other roads going north to Philadelphia and Sardis and south to the Mediterranean coast. Founded by the Seleucids in the mid-third century B.C. on the site of older settlements, it came under the control of Pergamum in 188 BCE and then Rome after 133 BCE. Laodicea was home to Greeks and Roman businesspeople. Like many of the cities in in this list, it was an administrative center where court cases were heard during the Roman period. The city’s relations with Rome were strong. Laodicea competed for the honor of building a provincial temple to the emperor Tiberius in 23 A.D., although permission was given to Smyrna. In 79 A.D. a statue at Laodicea honored Titus as “son of god,” since he was the son of the deified Vespasian. Laodicea was formerly called Diospolis, or “city of Zeus.” In Roman times there was a statue and altar to Zeus, who was often called the Savior, along with other dedications to Zeus and sometimes Hermes his messenger. A coin from the city shows Domitian on one side and Zeus on the other.

In our focus verse, we read the introduction to this letter.  “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:” Revelation 3:14. In this verse, AMEN is a title referring to ‘the faithful one’. It also refers to Christ as “the beginning of the creation of God.”. This is reiterated by John in his gospel when he says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3.  Then, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” John 1:10.  And finally, the person is alluded to in verse 14 as Jesus. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.

Then, He states the issue He has with them. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16.  Notice that both cold and hot are understood as being positive states, in comparison to tepidness, or being lukewarm.  Theologian Craig Koester puts it like this.  “The message addresses readers whose wealth made them comfortable, and the writer turns images of wealth into a critique that is designed to make them uncomfortable. Banquets were occasions for displaying wealth, when people would be served fine foods with chilled or heated wine. To challenge them, the message invokes the banquet images of hot, cold, and tepid to critique the congregation’s complacency before the risen Christ and to call for the repentance that will allow him to eat with them in true friendship.”

The Laodiceans became complacent in their faith, and Jesus would rather them passionate.  The Lord is describing the “lukewarm” heart attitude of those in the Laodicean church, an attitude manifested by their deeds. The Laodiceans were neither cold nor hot in relation to God, just lukewarm. Hot water can cleanse and purify; cold water can refresh and enliven. But lukewarm water carries no similar value. The Laodiceans understood the Lord’s analogy because their city drinking water came over an aqueduct from a spring six miles to the south, and it arrived disgustingly lukewarm. Laodicean water was not hot like the nearby hot springs that people bathed in, nor was it refreshingly cold for drinking. It was lukewarm, good for nothing. In fact, it was nauseating, and that was the Lord’s response to the Laodiceans—they sickened Him, and He said, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  This is essentially what Jesus is saying to them.  You do not care about your faith.  There are many that witness to people to be saved by helping them understand the truth or point out errors within their brothers and sisters; getting them to repent (Hot).  Then there are those who encourage believers in their faith, building them up to be stronger and more perseverant (Cold). They did neither of these, for they were more attached to their wealth, and along with their ‘semblance’ of true religion, led them to a false sense of security and independence.  They cared more about their wealth than their faith. 

He finishes this idea with, “Because you say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17.  Jesus has no good words for them.  He says they are wretched and miserable people, and that they are not all that rich or wise, but poor. Blind and naked.  They had nothing going for them that was useful in the kingdom of God.  This is harsh, but it seems this Church was more interested in physical wealth that spiritual passion. Then He tells them to repent.  “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. “ Revelation 3:18.  He is calling on them to give up their love for earthly riches and replace them with spiritual riches.  Then they will wear the white robes promised to all believers so that their nakedness will not be seen, and they can begin to see more clearly, as one who applies medicine to their weak eyes can regain their sight. He then closes this section out by declaring that He loves them, for He would not have reproved or disciplined them if He had not. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19. 

He then closes this out with a positive ending.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:20-21.  He is calling them to come to Him, give themselves to Him, repent and relinquish their love for physical wealth, looking for spiritual, never ending wealth.  Jesus is saying that His authority is extended to His followers, “as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21:b.

The Laodiceans enjoyed material prosperity that, coupled with a semblance of true religion, led them to a false sense of security and independence. The expression “I am rich; I have acquired wealth” stresses that the wealth attained came through self-exertion. Spiritually, they had great needs. A self-sufficient attitude and lukewarm faith are constant dangers when people live lives of ease and prosperity. In summary, the church at Laodicea had become apathetic in their love for Christ. They were allowing “the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things [to] come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Christ called them to repent and live zealously for Him. “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15.   The Lord Jesus called the Church in Laodicea to choose who they will serve, Him or wealth. And the same call is made to those who say they follow Him today.

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

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 2:8

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. 

Acts 8:26

Verse of the Day Devotion: Acts 8:26

“But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” –  Acts 8:26

Philip, after the incident in Samaria regarding Simon the magician, Philip is visited by an angel of the Lord who commanded him to go south on the road leading to Gaza.  He gave him no other information, just to go south.  Did he ask the angel why or what for?  Did he sit and think about it?  Here is Philip’s response to the angel.  “So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.” Acts 8:27.  He immediately got up from where he was and left. 

In the book of Isaiah, we see another similar event.  He is having a vision that God is showing him.  “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.” Isaiah 6:1.  This is one of the most astonishing visions men have had as recorded in scriptures.  Because of this, he realized his sin as well as the sin of Israel and he humbly repented.  “Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”  Isaiah 6:5.  Because of this repentance, God forgave him, after which God calls Isaiah to a task in the form of a question, upon which Isaiah answered immediately.  “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:6:8. 

Both of these passages record the calling of God on the lives of believers.  In Acts 8, Philip is called to go south to speak with an Ethiopian eunuch about Christ, and In Isaiah 6, Isaiah is called to go to the people of Israel to declare their future due to the sins of Israel.  But there is one thing that links these two passages together.  That is neither questioned the calling, but immediately obeyed and followed.

Each one of the disciples whom Jesus called also left immediately when called.  This is an important idea to understand.  When God calls us to a particular task, we should immediately say, as Isaiah said. “Here am I, send me”.  Isaiah 6:8b.  And we should act as Philip did by not hesitating but respond at that time by obeying.  I see any calling of God as an incredible honor and privilege given to us.  And this from God who knows everything.  He knows the end from the beginning therefore He already knows what is necessary and who can fulfill it as He desires.  Therefore, if He calls us to do something, He both knows we are able to do it as He wants with the best outcome there is.  There may be times when we think we are not qualified or are unable because of the all the requirements.  I thought the same way at times.  But I have learned that He never calls us to do anything on our own.  “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.  We are never alone, for it says in His Word, “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8. 

We can trust God in everything.  He will never call us to anything we cannot accomplish, for He will be with us through the process.  Therefore, when He calls us to anything, do as Philip does and do not hesitate or question it, but realize you will be working with Him to accomplish something good, and say as Isaiah stated, “Here am I, send me”.

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