Daily Devotions with Greg Laurie – Friday,
27 December 2013 – “A Pivotal Moment in Church History”
Then he said to them, "You know how
unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another
nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or
unclean."(Acts 10:28)
A pivotal moment arrived in the spread of
the gospel by the early church with the conversion of a man named Cornelius.
His conversion was significant because Cornelius was not a Jew, but a Gentile.
For us living today in the melting pot
called the United States of America, that doesn't mean a lot. But it did mean a
lot to the first-century Jew. Despite the fact that Jesus told His disciples to
go into all the world and preach the gospel, that really wasn't happening.
Christianity was running the risk of becoming a sect of Judaism.
But that all changed when God impacted
one man, and that man was Simon Peter. Peter was pretty much like any other Jew
living in his time. He was proud of his heritage, and I don't mean that in a
critical way.
The Jews of this time, however, wanted
nothing to do with non-Jews, or Gentiles. So God wanted to redirect the early
church to go to the non-Jews and bring them the message of the gospel. And the
Lord did that through Peter.
Acts 10 tells us that while Peter was
waiting for lunch one day in Joppa, he went up on the housetop to pray. Then he
fell into a trance and saw the sky open, while something resembling a sheet was
lowered that contained all kinds of unclean animals. Then a voice said,
"Rise, Peter; kill and eat" (verse 13).
This wasn't about food as much as it was
about people. God was saying: "Peter, time to leave your comfort zone and
reach a whole new group of people—the Gentiles."
Soon after, Peter preached the gospel to
Cornelius and his relatives and friends, and they believed. Peter obeyed God
and left his comfort zone, and it changed church history.
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Today's Bible Reading:
Revelation Introduction and Salutation
1: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave him to show his servants[a] what must soon take place; he made[b] it known
by sending his angel to his servant[c] John, 2 who testified to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the
words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is
written in it; for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in
Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is
and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his
throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the
dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed[d] us from
our sins by his blood, 6 and made[e] us to be a kingdom, priests serving[f] his
God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says
the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
A Vision of Christ
9 I, John, your brother who share with
you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on
the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus.[g] 10 I was in the spirit[h] on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a
loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it
to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to
Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it
was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in
the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long
robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were
white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his
feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was
like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and
from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun
shining with full force.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as
though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I
am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am
alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write
what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for
the mystery of the seven stars that 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.
The Message to Ephesus
2: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus
write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand,
who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
2 “I know your works, your toil and your
patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested
those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3
I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my
name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you
have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have
fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to
your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let
anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To
everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that
is in the paradise of God.
The Message to Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in
Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and
came to life:
9 “I know your affliction and your
poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who
say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not
fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have
affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11
Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
The Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum
write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13 “I know where you are living, where
Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny
your faith in me[i] even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one,
who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against
you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak
to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat
food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication. 15 So you also have some who
hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent then. If not, I will come to
you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Let anyone
who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone
who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white
stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except
the one who receives it.
The Message to Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in
Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a
flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19 “I know your works—your love, faith,
service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than
the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who
calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants[j] to
practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to
repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22 Beware, I am throwing
her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great
distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children
dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and
hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the
rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned
what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you
any other burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To
everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule[k] them with an iron rod,
as when clay pots are shattered—
28 even as I also received authority from
my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29 Let
anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Sardis
3: “And to the angel of the church in
Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and
the seven stars:
“I know your works; you have a name of
being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on
the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my
God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you
do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I
will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not
soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are
worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I
will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name
before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to
what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the holy one, the
true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
8 “I know your works. Look, I have set
before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but
little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I
will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are
not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and
they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of
patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the
whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold
fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 If you conquer,
I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it.
I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the
new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches.
The Message to Laodicea
14 “And to the angel of the church in
Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
origin[l] of God’s creation:
15 “I know your works; you are neither
cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So, because you are
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17
For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel
you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white
robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen;
and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 I reprove and discipline
those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 20 Listen! I am standing
at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in
to you and eat with you, and you with me. 21 To the one who conquers I will
give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with
my Father on his throne. 22 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit
is saying to the churches.”
The Heavenly Worship
4: After this I looked, and there in
heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me
like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place
after this.” 2 At once I was in the spirit,[m] and there in heaven stood a
throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like
jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an
emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones
are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their
heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and
peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which
are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something
like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of
the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the
first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the
third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living
creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them
with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without
ceasing they sing,
“Holy, holy, holy,
the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.”
9 And whenever the living creatures give
glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever
and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the
throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns
before the throne, singing,
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
Footnotes:
a. Revelation 1:1 Gk slaves
b. Revelation 1:1 Gk and he made
c. Revelation 1:1 Gk slave
d. Revelation 1:5 Other ancient
authorities read washed
e. Revelation 1:6 Gk and he made
f. Revelation 1:6 Gk priests to
g. Revelation 1:9 Or testimony to Jesus
h. Revelation 1:10 Or in the Spirit
i. Revelation 2:13 Or deny my faith
j. Revelation 2:20 Gk slaves
k. Revelation 2:27 Or to shepherd
l. Revelation 3:14 Or beginning
m. Revelation 4:2 Or in the Spirit
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, CA 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1(800)821-3300
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