Today, Saturday March 05
Laodicea, Jesus Is Still Speaking Revelation 3:14-17 "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—“
Today we begin our study in Revelation on the seventh church that received a letter from Jesus, which was the Church of Laodicea. Did you notice that every letter to these seven churches begin with the words, “These things says ….”? And then we read some identifying characteristic of the Lord Jesus Christ that relates to that particular church in the specific city that the church was located. In other words, it is very clear that it is Jesus Himself who is speaking to each church!
Did you also notice that every letter to these seven churches ended with the words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” No doubt this is teaching us several things about God and the Trinity. The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are both God and are both speaking a word to the churches.
Did you also notice that even though each letter had a specific message to each church, dealing with a particular sin or issue in that church, the Holy Spirit meant for every church to listen to all seven letters. I’ll never forget something I heard in Bible College that went like this: “All the Bible was not written to me, but all the Bible was written for me.”
We need to remember that Jesus loves His church, which means He also loves every specific member of His church. When you love someone you desire to communicate with them! Jesus is still speaking to His church, and also to you and me today through His written Word, which we call the Holy Bible! Jesus Himself said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Every word in the Bible is the “breath of God”. (2 Timothy 3:16) When you read your Bible you need to realize that Jesus is every Word that you read!
The Apostle John told us this in John 1:1-3: “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 were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” He also referred to this in 1 John 1:1-2: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us..”
John said that with his own eyes he saw Jesus, he looked upon Jesus, his hands handled Jesus, and then He called Jesus “the Word of life.” If we could only believe and realize that our Bible is not just any book, It is the Book of Life, and when we read It, we are interacting and experiencing Jesus in every Word in the Bible!!!!!!
So, with that said, Jesus has a message for you today from His Word just like He did to these seven churches. And His Holy Spirit is the One who wants to make a specific application to your life from this living Word. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:26 & 16:13-14: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
Do you have an ear for His Word today? Are you listening to hear His Voice? What is He saying to you?
God bless!