Daily Devotion by Ray Stedman

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JUNE 27TH​

The Sword of the Spirit​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 6:10-17

Take the…sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

This is the last of these pieces of the armor of the Christian. The sword of the Spirit is Christ, Christ made available to us in practical ways through the sayings of his Word. The authority of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Scripture are one and the same. They are indivisible. To attempt to distinguish the two is like asking which leg of a pair of pants is more necessary. We know Christ through the Bible, and we understand the Bible through the knowledge of Christ.

The two cannot be separated.

In the phrase, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Paul is not referring to the complete Bible. There are two words used in Scripture for the word of God. There is the word logos, which refers to the complete revelation of what God has said. Then there is another word, used less frequently, rhema, which is different in meaning. Rhema means a specific saying of God, a passage or a verse which has special application to an immediate situation.

Rhema is the word used here. The sword of the Spirit is the saying of God applied to a specific situation. This is the great weapon placed in the hands of a believer. We have all read passages of Scripture when the words suddenly seem to come alive and leap out of the page at us. Perhaps in some moment of temptation or doubt, when we were assailed by the flaming arrows of the evil one, it has been answered immediately by a passage of Scripture which flashed to mind. Or perhaps we have been asked a question, and for a moment we did not know how to answer, when suddenly a word of Scripture came to mind, and we saw what the answer was.

All this is the rhema of God which strikes home like arrows to the heart. That is why this is called the sword of the Spirit, because it is not only originated by him as the author of the word, but it is also recalled to mind by the Spirit and made powerful by him in our lives. It is his answer to the attack of the devil, who comes to discourage us, defeat us, lure us aside, deceive us, misguide us, or mislead us in some way — but then a word comes to mind instantly. This is the sword of the Spirit.

Father, how helpful your word is in the midst of my pressures and discouragements! May I use this great sword that is given to me in Jesus Christ.

​

Life Application​

Have I learned to recognize and utilize the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhema of God in times of temptation and doubt?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JUNE 28TH​

Family Talk​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 6:18-20

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Ephesians 6:18a

There is a very strong and powerful relationship between putting on the armor of God and praying. It is not enough to pray; you must also have put on the armor of God. Prayer follows putting on the armor of God. It is a natural, normal outgrowth. I am not suggesting that we will not need to take our wills and put them to a task and follow through. But the place where our will should come in is not, first, in prayer, but in doing what is involved in putting on the armor of God. First, think through the implications of our faith, and then prayer will follow naturally. When it comes in that order it will be thoughtful prayer, prayer which has meaning and significance.

This is the problem with much of our praying now, is it not? It is so shallow, so superficial, on a level with that jingle you have all heard of the man who prayed, Bless me and my wife, my son John and his wife, us four and no more. Sometimes our prayers are only a cut above the simple childhood prayer, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

What is needed? Prayer should he an outgrowth of thoughtfulness about the implications of faith. This adds depth, meaning, and significance to it. Prayer should be pointed and purposeful.

What is prayer? Is it a mere superstition, as some people think — a mumbling, a talking to yourself under the deluded dream that you are addressing a deity? Or is it a form of black magic by which some heavenly genie is expected to manipulate life to our desire? Or is it, as certain groups tell us, self-communion — a psychological form of talking to yourself in which you discover depths in your being that were there all the time, but you did not realize it until you prayed? All of these ideas of prayer are quite dissimilar to what is mentioned in Scripture.

If you take the whole range of Bible teaching on this great subject of prayer, you will find that underlying all of the biblical presentation is the idea that prayer is conversation with God. Christians are in the family of God. Prayer is family talk. It is friendly, intimate, frank, unrestricted talking with God, and it is into this close and intimate relationship that every individual is brought by faith in Christ. By faith in him, we pass out of the realm of being strangers to God and aliens to the family of God and into the intimate family circle of the children of God. It is easy to talk within a family circle, but think what harm is done to that intimacy if people refuse to talk. Prayer, basically then, is simply carrying on a conversation with God.

Paul also mentions specific requests. In our conversation with God it is perfectly proper to ask, because we are children and he is a father. What the apostle is saying is, After you have put on the armor of God, after you have thought through the implications of your faith in the ways that have been suggested previously, then talk to God about it. Tell him the whole thing. Tell him your reactions, tell him how you feel, describe your relationship to life around you and your reactions to them, and ask him for what you need.

Lord, teach me to pray in a pointed and powerful way as a natural outgrowth of putting on the armor of God.

​

Life Application​

Is your prayer life characterized by shallow cliches, or is it an honest and intimate conversation with God?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JUNE 29TH​

Pray in the Spirit​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 6:18-20

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Ephesians 6:18a

Prayer reveals three facts: When we pray we recognize, first, the existence of an invisible kingdom. We would never pray at all if we did not have some awareness that someone is listening, that there is behind the realm of visibility an invisible kingdom. It is not far off in space somewhere; it is right here. It surrounds us on every side. We are constantly in touch with it, though we do not always recognize it. It lies behind the facade of life, and all through the Scriptures are exhortations to take heed of this, reckon with it, deal with it, acknowledge that it exists.

The second fact prayer reveals is that we Christians have confidence that the kingdom of God is highly significant, that it affects our lives directly, that the visible things which are happening in our world are a direct result of something happening in the realm of invisibility. Therefore, if you want to change the visibilities, you must start with the invisibilities.

Third, our prayers play an essential part in bringing God's invisible power to bear on visible life. God answers prayer. Prayer is purposeful and powerful; it is not pitiful and pathetic pleading with only a rare chance that it might be answered. No, it is powerful. God answers! Prayer is an essential link in the working of God in the world today. Without it he does not often work; with it, he certainly does. These three facts are all revealed in the matter of prayer.

But we must immediately add that God answers prayer according to his promises. This is so necessary to say today, for there is a very vague but widespread concept that God answers any kind of prayer, that no matter what you want or how you ask for it, he commits himself to give it. This, of course, results frequently in disappointments and gives rise to the widespread belief that prayer is ineffectual. The truth is, God answers every prayer which is based upon a promise.

This is what Paul means by his reminder that we are to pray at all times in the Spirit. In the Spirit! Many take this phrase as though it describes the emotions we should have when we pray. They think it is necessary to be greatly moved before prayer can be effectual. Now this is possible at times, but it is not essential to the effectiveness of prayer. And it is certainly not what is meant by this phrase, in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit means to pray according to the promises which the Spirit has given, and the character of God which the Spirit has made known. God has never promised to answer just any prayer, but he does promise to answer prayer in a way that he has carefully outlined for us.

When you learn to pray on this basis, you will discover that exciting and unexpected things are constantly happening, and that there is a quiet but mighty power at work upon which you can rely. As you learn to pray in this way, you find there is put at your disposal a tremendous weapon, a mighty power to influence your own life and the lives of others, especially as it relates to withstanding the attacks of the enemy.

Father, thank you for your precious and magnificent promises, by which I can confidently pray in the Spirit.

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Life Application​

Take some time to make a list of the promises of God. How can these promises transform your prayer life?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JUNE 30TH​

Pray Also For Me​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 6:18-20

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:18b-20

This matter of praying applies to others besides ourselves. We are not alone in this battle, this conflict with doubt, dismay, fear, confusion, and uncertainty. No, there are others around us who are weaker and younger in Christ than we are, and still others who are stronger than we are, and we all are fighting this battle together. We cannot put on the armor of God for another person, but we can pray for that other person. We can call in reinforcements when we find him engaged in a struggle greater than he can handle for the moment, or perhaps for which he is not fully equipped, or if he has not yet learned how to handle his armor adequately. We are to be aware of other people's problems and pray for them, to open their eyes to danger and to help them realize how much is available to them in the armor God has given them, and to obtain specific help and strength for a specific trial.

Notice how Paul asks this for himself in this very passage. This mighty apostle has a deep sense of his need for prayer. You find another notable example of the apostle's desire for prayer in Romans 15:30-33, where he asks the Christians to pray for physical safety when he visits Jerusalem, a sensitive, tactful spirit when he speaks to the Christians there, and an opportunity to visit the city of Rome. Three specific requests, and each of them was answered exactly as Paul had asked.

I read through the prayers of Paul, and I find that he deals with many matters in his prayers. But, primarily and repeatedly, one request comes out again and again: He prays for other Christians, that their spiritual understanding might be enlightened. He asks that the eyes of their mind, their intelligence, might be opened, unveiled. This indicates the importance of understanding intelligently what life is about, what is true and what is false, what is real and what is phony. It also illustrates the power of the devil to blind and confuse, and to make things look one way when they are quite another. So the repeated prayer of the apostle is, Lord, open their eyes that their understanding may be enlightened, that their intelligence may be clarified, that they may see things as they are.

The prayer of another person can change the whole atmosphere of one person's life, oftentimes overnight. It does not always happen overnight; sometimes it takes much longer. Time is a factor which God alone controls, and he never suggests a time limit in his instructions about prayer. But he constantly calls us to this ministry of prayer, both for ourselves and for one another. When we learn to pray as God teaches us to pray, we release in our own lives and in the lives of others the immense, enormous resources of God to strengthen the spirit and give inner stability and power to meet the pressures and problems of life.

Father, I know so little about this mighty ministry of prayer. I pray, as the disciples prayed: Lord, teach us to pray.

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Life Application​

Who is in the trenches of prayer with you? How can your prayers for one another be transformed from requests for circumstantial change to what is true and real?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 1ST​

The Revelation of a Mystery​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:1-3

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Rev 1:1-3

Two words in this paragraph tell us the nature of the book. The word revelation is the Greek word apocalypse, which means an unveiling. Apocalypses have to do with mysteries and their meaning. Throughout Revelation we will find many mysteries made clear. The mystery of evil is unveiled, why it persists and what its ultimate end will be. And the mystery of godliness is made clear. How can one live a godly life in the midst of a broken and evil world?

We also read that this book is a prophecy. Revelation is not only an unveiling, it is a prediction. It deals with persons and events yet to come. We learn what personalities will appear in the last days, and what great events will unfold as history rolls on to its final consummation.

How this book comes to us is stated: He (Jesus) made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. Those words made it known are one Greek word, which in English should be translated signified, i.e. made known by signs or symbols. Symbols are ways of understanding things you cannot draw a picture of. Almost all the symbols of Revelation appear elsewhere in the Bible. That is why it is wrong to read the book of Revelation without reading first the whole Bible. If you read through the rest of the Bible, when you reach Revelation you will immediately understand many of the symbols.

The author is not John the Apostle, though he is involved in giving us this book. The author is God himself! Notice the words, The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. This book began among the Godhead and God the Father is its author. He revealed the book to his Son. It all began in the mind of the Father and then was revealed to Jesus, his Son. Then the Son passed it on to an angel who in turn made it known by symbols to John the Apostle, and eventually it comes to us. No other book was given in quite this way. It comes from the mind of God the Father, through the Son of God, to an angel of God, and finally to the apostle of God, John the Apostle.

Notice the blessing promised to the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it… The word blessed is probably based on a Hebrew word that is not the usual word for blessing. The word Esher, to guide, is more likely in John’s mind than Barak, to bow down. If we pay attention to the book of Revelation and take it to heart, we shall be guided through all the confusing pathways that exist around us.

Thank you Lord for this revelation. Thank you that it unveils and predicts the great events that will affect every human being upon the planet. Help me to understand these things and more importantly, to take seriously what is written. Amen.

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Life Application​

What will you do today to not just hear but take to heart what is written in the book of Revelation?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 2ND​

From Him Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is To Come​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:4-6

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Rev 1:4-5a

That is all we are told about the author at this point, his name alone. We know from comparison with other Scriptures and the tradition of the early church, that this was John the Apostle, the brother of James, a son of Zebedee. Some raise the possibility that another John (called John the Presbyter) wrote this, but there is so much evidence linking this writing with the Gospel of John and the three letters of John in our Bibles that it is difficult to view this as coming from any other hand than the apostle's. He wrote this toward the end of his life; probably he was in his eighties when this vision was given to him. It comes to us as a letter written to a series of seven selected churches located in the Roman province of Asia.

John describes God the Father, the Eternal One. His name in Hebrew, Yahweh, means I Am, and this statement is a parsing of that verb. I am he who is, and he who was, and he who is to come, thus he is the eternally Existing One. He also describes this being from the seven spirits before his throne. This is the first of a series of sevens mentioned in this book. When you find seven of anything in Revelation, it is a symbol of completeness and perfection. This is the Spirit of God in the perfection of his being. The seven spirits are the Holy Spirit in his fullness. It is he who gives us this book, and it is from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Our Lord Jesus is the central figure, but here he is introduced to us for the first time, in a threefold manner. He is the faithful witness, i.e., what he says is true. You can count on it. He utters absolute reality. Nothing means more to me when reading the Bible than to understand that here is the revelation of things as they really are. We live in a confusing world. We are bombarded by conflicting philosophies, and we must often ask ourselves, Which is right? Well, here is the word from the Faithful Witness, the one who tells us the truth. He is also called the firstborn from the dead.

That is a reference to his resurrection. He is the first one to rise in glory from having once been dead. All others who were raised from the dead in the Bible returned to the same earthly life they had before, but not Jesus. When he was raised, he was glorified, and it is that glorified life which he gives to those who believe in him. He is the life giver. Finally, he is introduced as the ruler of the kings of the earth. Is that not encouraging? All these powerful leaders we have today claim to be sovereign and able to work their will, and yet here is one who appears as the ruler of the kings of the earth. He sets the limits in which all others must live. Thus he is the great law maker, king over all other kings.

Lord Jesus, I bow before you today and worship you as the Eternal One, the Faithful Witness, and the first born from the dead. Open the eyes of my heart to see more of you and reality only you can unveil. Amen.

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Life Application​

Are you growing in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 3RD​

To Him Who Loves Us​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:4-6

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Rev 1:5b-6

This is a paean of praise that recognizes the greatness of our Lord. He loves us. That is in the present tense, not past tense. It is true that he loved us, but Jesus loves us now. Everything in the life of a believer ought to be based upon the love of the Lord Jesus. It is the most amazing thing, to know in our hearts that we are faithless and foolish and often arrogantly sinful and selfish, yet still he loves us. What a difference it makes when one begins to believe that.

Years ago, I met a man who told us the story of his conversion. He was a student at Cambridge University when D. L. Moody was invited to speak there. He was one of a group of students who were angry that an invitation was given to a backwoods American preacher who often murdered the king’s English. They determined that they would upset the meetings by jeering at him. When the meeting began, they were in the front row ready to upset the meeting. But before Moody spoke, Ira Sankey, his gospel singer, sang. His voice quieted the crowd and when he finished, Moody stepped to the platform, pointed his finger at the young men in the front row and said, Young gentlemen, don't ever think God don't love you, for he do. They were so stunned by this ungrammatical beginning, that they listened quietly to Moody. He came back to his theme later and said again, Young gentlemen, don't think God don't love you, for he do. This man said that Moody went on to speak of the love of Jesus for a lost race, and he told us, I began to see myself in a different light, and by the end of the meeting I gave my heart to Christ.

John dedicates the book to Him who loves us and, in addition, has freed us from our sins by his blood. He breaks the shackles of evil habits in our lives. He sets us free from dependencies that we have allowed to shackle us. Those who have struggled with alcohol dependency know what a grip it can get on your life. But here is one who frees us! We are all sinfully dependent people. We have all been shackled by evil of one sort or another: selfish attitudes, hot tempers, lustful passions, angry self-centered talk. We are as much victims of evil as any alcoholic may be, but here is one who has freed us by the sacrifice of his own life.

But more than that, he has made us a kingdom of priests to serve the Lord our God. A priest was to heal the alienation which people felt with God. Sinners feel estranged from God. They cut themselves off from a holy God by their behavior. But they are to be brought near by priests.
That is the work of believers today. We are to help lost people realize that God is longing to draw them to himself and heal their alienation. For this work Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests. Do you ever think of yourself as a priest? That is what God has sent you to do.

Lord, your love has conquered me, and I pray that I might grow in the knowledge of your love and the calling you have given me as priest to serve you and the Lord my God. Amen.

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Life Application​

Is your service as a priest in His Kingdom being fueled and motivated by the love of Christ or the desire to be loved by Christ?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 4TH​

The Focal Point of History​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:7-8

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Rev 1:7-8

This is the focal point of history, that one far off, divine event, toward which the whole creation moves. One of these days he will break through the skies, as he once left this earth, and come again in glory. His coming will have universal impact.


First, every eye will see him. Jesus himself tells us this. If you have read Matthew 24, you know that he himself describes this event. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. No one will miss it. He will appear everywhere in that uniqueness of Deity that can be visible to everybody around the earth at once. Paul calls this event, the splendor of his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8b), literally, the outshining of his parousia.

Even the Jews will recognize him. John says, …even those who pierced him. This is a reference to a prophecy in Zechariah 12, where we are told that when he appears, those who pierced him shall look upon him and shall mourn for him with a great mourning. They shall ask him, What are these wounds in your hands?, and he will say, Those which I received in the house of my friends… (Zechariah 13:6 KJV).

I was with a number of rabbis discussing the differences between Christianity and Judaism. One of them said to me, When the Messiah does come, the Jews will say, Welcome but you Christians will say, Welcome back. And I said, But what will the Messiah say? He said, I think he will say, No comment. One of the puzzles of history has been why the Jewish people have so resolutely turned their backs on the evidence that Jesus is their promised Messiah. But it will not be forever. The day will come when Israel will recognize their Messiah. Prophecy predicts it and Jesus here confirms it; even those who pierced him (Zechariah 12:10), shall see him on that day.

The third result is that, all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. I believe this is a reference to that great event described in Philippians 2. There we are told that, at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:10-11). At last people will realize, in the appearance of the Lord himself, where they have stood in relationship to him. They will mourn because they will see how terribly they have treated him and his work for them upon the cross.

In verse eight it is as though God takes a pen and with his own hand, signs this book with his own name: I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. In no other book of the Bible do we have this wonderful imprimatur of God. God has signed this book with his own name and has identified himself for us. When we read this book, we are reading a copy autographed by the author!

Thank you, Father, for that day for which all creation longs, when your Son will return in glory. Teach me to live with expectancy and readiness for the day I will see him. Amen.

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Life Application​

Am I living today as if it may be the last before Jesus returns? Is that a day I long for or dread?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 5TH​

On the Lord’s Day​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:9-16

I, John … was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches…
Rev 1:9-11a

John tells us that all this happened to him one Sunday morning when he was on the island of Patmos, a tiny island just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. John was banished to this island because of his testimony about Jesus. But one Sunday morning (that is what is meant by the Lord's Day, for the early Christians met not on Saturday as the Jews did, but on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection), John was in the Spirit. That means he was worshipping. It does not mean he was in a state of high ecstasy. He was honoring God, thinking about him, paying tribute to his majesty, his greatness and his power — worshipping God.

John heard a voice behind him like a great trumpet blasting out. The voice told him to write on a scroll what he was about to see and send it to the seven churches. John turned around to see who it was that sounded so powerful, and what he saw was the Lord standing among seven golden lampstands, holding seven stars in his hand. He was dressed in priestly garments, revealing his role as the Great High Priest.

This vision is given to help us see that our High Priest is still ministering among his churches. His ministry is characterized by what is revealed here. He had on a long robe reaching down to his feet with a golden sash about his chest. Gold speaks of deity in Scripture, so it indicates that Jesus is a priest who is himself God. His head and his hair were white. These symbols speak of his wisdom and of purity. His eyes were like blazing fire, from which nothing could be hid. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice like the sound of rushing waters. His face was like the sun shining in its strength. Fire speaks of judgment and his face was lighted with unbearable brilliance, symbolizing the intensity of truth.

The voice John heard was like the sound of the surf as it dashes on the rocks, the sound of many waters, a great roaring voice. The two-edged sword is clearly a symbol of the Word of God. These symbols tell us what he will be doing in this book. He is the Great High Priest ministering to his own in a scene of desolation and judgment, yet he is in charge of all the events and, in the midst of everything, is revealing truth by the Word of God.

Jesus, you are my great High Priest, and I thank you that you are still ministering among the churches. Amen.

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Life Application​

In what ways do I see Jesus, our Great High Priest, ministering among the churches today?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 6TH​

Do Not Be Afraid​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Rev 1:17-18

This is John's commission to write this book, and his reaction is one frequently seen whenever a man encounters the glorious God. He fell at his feet as though dead, struck dumb by the awesomeness of the character of God. Isaiah does the same when he sees the Lord high and lifted up with his train filling the temple. Job does this also when the wisdom and wonder of God is revealed to him. Throughout the Bible it is the only place to be when God appears — fall on your face as though dead.

But the reaction of Jesus is typical, very characteristic of him. Notice that he does three things. First, he touched John! He laid his right hand upon him. Read the Gospels; Jesus is always touching people. When he healed a leper he touched him. When he opened the eyes of the blind he put his hands upon their eyes. So here, Jesus touched him. And then, he reassured him. Fear not, he said. Don't be afraid. I am not your enemy. I am your friend. I am the First and the Last. [I set the boundaries of time and history. Everybody must live within the limits that I have determined]. I am the Living One. [I am always available.] I am alive forevermore, for ever and ever. [There will never be a moment when you need me that I will not be there, available to you.] And I hold the keys of death and Hades [death, the enemy of the physical life; Hades (or Hell), the enemy of the spiritual life. I am in charge of both places, both forces.] So you need not fear.

The point of this first chapter is to focus our attention upon Jesus. He is the central figure of all history. Christians are called to live as seeing him who is invisible. Every day this ought to affect us. Here is the One who goes with you to work tomorrow. This is the One who rides beside you as you drive your car. This is the One who watches as you sleep. This is the One who selects the circumstances of your life. He is ready to impart, at any time you need it, courage, peace, forgiveness, wisdom, and help in time of need. So John fulfills the purpose that he was given: to elevate and focus upon the figure of Jesus, that we might know him, who he is, and understand what he is willing to do.

Father, I confess how often I am driven by my fears. Thank you for how you reassure me and encourage me to fear not. You are so worthy of my trust. Amen.

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Life Application​

What are the things I fear the most? Take some time and lay these fears at the feet of the One who said, "Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last."

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 7TH​

Lampstands​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1:19-20

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Rev 1:19-20

In Chapters 2-3 we have remarkable letters to the seven churches. Many people would like to skip these letters and get on into the juicier sections of Revelation where the great upheavals of the last days are depicted. But it is a great mistake to do that. Our Lord set his church in the midst of the world and it is his instrument to control and determine human history. The church is expected to exert tremendous influence in the world's affairs. It is a mistake to pass over these letters. Here we see our Lord correcting things within the church, encouraging and teaching it how to live influentially in the day in which it is called to live.

As we come to these letters we must ask ourselves: Why are there only seven churches, and why these particular seven? The only good answer is they represent conditions that will exist throughout the whole period of church history from its beginning to its end. In other words, there are only seven types of churches that exist at any one given period of time.

Here these churches are called lampstands. They are not the light themselves, but they hold or bear the light. The light is the truth as it is in Jesus. There are many truths that are unknown to man in his natural state. No university, important as it may be, has knowledge of the truth which the church is given to tell the world. That is the moral and redemptive light which the church is called to reflect to a dark world. It is the business of the church to tell truth to the world. We are not simply to make our way through this difficult world as best we can, coming together in little holy huddles to survive until the coming of the Lord. We have an influence to exercise, and these letters to the seven churches marvelously reflect that fact.

Each letter is addressed to the angel of the church. Some have seen this is as a reference to the pastor of the church. That is not likely, since in all the churches of the New Testament you never find a single human leader. Leadership is always in the plural — elders and pastors of churches. The word angel appears many times in the book outside these seven letters, and in every case it refers to a heavenly being — what we normally think of as an angel. It suggests that each church has a heavenly being responsible for it. The angel of the church is the one responsible to help the human leaders of the church to know the mind of the Lord. In Hebrews we are told that angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to serve the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14 KJV). It seems likely that in those invisible realms, which are very real but which we cannot see, there are angels assigned to each church to help the leaders and the congregation know what is on the heart of its Lord.

Lord, you are the light of the world, and I pray that the church today might reflect your light to a dark and weary world. Amen.

​

Life Application​

In what ways do you see the church being the moral and redemptive light in the world today? How can we do better?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 8TH​

First Love​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:1-7

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Rev 2:1-4

The Lord sees three commendable things about the church at Ephesus. First, they were hard, committed workers. They witnessed; they labored; they ministered to human needs. Second, their doctrine was orthodox. Their faith was well defined and well defended. They did not run after every theological fad that came along, but examined them as to whether or not they were true. Third, they had persisted in their teaching and their work despite much discouragement and hardship. They were not quitters. They were sturdy, determined disciples, faithfully working and witnessing and not deviating from the truth they had received. Up to this point in the letter, they were getting a grade of A+.

But despite all the commendable things, there is something seriously wrong, so serious that he says he will remove their lampstand if they don’t correct it. This does not mean that individuals in the church would be condemned to hell. It means the church would lose its ability to shed the light of truth. They would become a church with no influence spiritually on the community around them. They would be busy doing religious, but entirely irrelevant, things. They would still be working, still orthodox, but inconsequential, with no light, no impact. There are thousands of churches like this in our country. They are still meeting Sunday after Sunday, doing religious things, but having no spiritual impact, seeing no change in people's lives.

What causes this condition? Our Lord puts it in one brief phrase, You have forsaken the love you had at first. This is the love you felt for Jesus when you first came to know him. It is that wonderful sense of discovery that he loved you, delivered you, and freed you from your sins. Your heart went out to him in gratitude and thanksgiving. Watch a couple who have fallen in love. Note how they have eyes only for each other. Talk to them, and they do not even hear you. They are only thinking of the wonder of each other. So it is with a Christian when he first comes to Christ. His heart is filled with gratitude. What an amazing thing it is to him that he has been forgiven! He can hardly believe it. The love of Christ seems almost incredible to him.

But gradually there comes an almost imperceptible shift of focus. We get busy, and what we do for Christ begins to be less and less important to us. Gradually our position, our status, the longing for approval, begin to take first place. We go on doing the same things but not from the same motive. We drift into the loss of first love. There are always symptoms of this happening. There is the loss of the joy and glow of Christian life. It soon becomes humdrum and routine. You begin to feel like you have heard it all already. Church seems mechanical, routine, dull and drab. Then you lose your ability to love others. When we lose that consciousness of the wonder of Jesus' love, we also find our love for others fading. We become critical, censorious, complaining. Finally, we lose a healthy perspective of ourselves. We become more and more important in our thinking. Instead of what the Lord wants, we begin to think of what we want and what will please us.

Lord, help me to recover that first love we shared, when I first discovered all that you had done for me and how deep your love is for me. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Take some time to reflect on the "first love" between you and the Lord. What feelings does that evoke? Do you show symptoms
of one who has lost that first love?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 9TH​

Remember, Repent, Return​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:1-7

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:5-6

What do you do when you have lost your first love? How do you recover from this? Our Lord gives three clear, specific steps to take. First, remember what it was like when you first came to Jesus. Remember the joy you had in the Lord. Remember the closeness you felt to him. Remember the inner support you leaned upon in times of pressure and trouble. Remember the ease with which you prayed. Remember the delight you took in other Christians, in the reading of the Word and in the hearing of it. Remember how you could hardly bear to miss a service because you were learning so much of the truth about life. Remember that? Look back. Think back. Our Lord says, Consider how far you have fallen.

And then, repent! Change your mind. That is what repentance means. Change your mind about what has taken the place of Jesus in your life. Renounce that ambition, that pride of position, that longing for approval that has become all-important to you and is motivating your work. Give up your critical spirit, your complaining attitude, your reliance on your knowledge to make an impact in life. Put the Lord back in the center and focus of all your endeavors.

Finally, return! Do the things you did at first, Jesus says. What are those things? Well, you read your Bible with eager eyes. You could not get enough of it. You longed to find out what the Word of God said. And you prayed about everything — even finding a parking place! You responded to the hurts and the needs around you with compassion and with love, and you did not count it an imposition. Above all, you praised God from your heart. You loved to sing praises to his name and to think about his grace to you. Now, do that again, Jesus says. Start there.
At this point, Jesus says a strange thing: But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Why did he not mention that in the things he commended earlier?

The answer is that here was a starting point. In one thing they still retain something of their first love: They hated the practices of the Nicolaitans. As best we can tell, this was a group that linked Christian faith with loose sexual practices. They believed you could be Christian but your sex life could still reflect that of the world. They tied that in with a false religious piety. They laid claim to special position and power with God, but they lived like the world. Jesus is saying, Retain your hatred of such practices. That is a vestige of your first love still remaining. You hate them because I hate them. Start there. Continue to abhor such practices, but then go back and do the rest of the things again.

Thank you that you are God, who invites me to return regardless of how far I have drifted. I return to you now and give thanks for a grace that never runs out. Amen.

Life Application​

Take some time to remember, repent, and return. Do one thing today that resembles "the things you did at first."

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 10TH​

Ears To Hear?​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:1-7

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Rev 2:7

Do you have an ear to hear what Jesus says? Do you respond with sympathy and obedience to the word that he gives us? Do you have an opened ear? Then, this is what he says: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The tree of life was in the Garden of Eden at the beginning. It was the tree that Adam and Eve were free to partake of until they sinned. After that, they were excluded from the Garden, lest they should eat of the tree of life. It appears again in the book of Revelation, chapter 22. There we see the new heaven and the new earth, and the tree of life is in the midst of the city. Its twelve fruits, one for each month, is the food of the people of the city. It is the Fruit of the Month Club, if you like!

Our Lord is himself that tree of life. This is a symbol of Jesus. If we think of him much and draw strength from him, praying to him, and taking from him that strength he offers, we will find ourselves internally strengthened to meet the pressures and the battles we face today. That is what he is saying. Feed upon the tree of life. Listen to what Jesus says and obey it, and you will soon find your spiritual life flourishing. You will grow strong in the pressures and struggles that come your way.

When we celebrate communion, we should observe a reminder of our Lord's life and death. What we feed upon, of course, is the bread, which is another symbol of him. We are to gain strength by feeding upon the life of Jesus, taking from him that which we need to motivate us to be all that he wants us to be. In these times you should ask yourself the question, Do I still love Jesus? Do I still feel about him as I did at the beginning? Is he richer and deeper and clearer than he ever was before? Perhaps we should often sing that chorus,

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
There’s just something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all heaven and earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there's something about that name.

Though the heavens and earth may pass away, still that name remains, and is to be a fragrance in our hearts whenever we think of him.

Lord Jesus, there is indeed something about your name. I worship you today as my Master, Savior and King. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Are you drawing strength from him, praying to him, and taking from him that strength he offers?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 11TH​

A Church in Trouble​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:8-11

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:8-9

This is a church in trouble. The name Smyrna means myrrh. It is a fitting name because myrrh is a perfume, the fragrance of which is released by crushing. Here was a church being crushed through persecution. It was tough to be a Christian in Smyrna because they had to live constantly between two extremes. There was within the church a rich and loving fellowship, which must have greatly warmed their hearts and strengthened their faith, but outside they faced continuous cruel and persistent hostility. The Christians of Smyrna lived within these two extremes.

But notice how the Lord reveals himself to them. He says, I am the First and the Last. I am the one who died and who lives. Those are extremes: first and last; death and life. Jesus presents himself as the Lord of the extremes. He encompasses all the forces and events between these two extremes. It must have been a great encouragement to the Christians at Smyrna to receive this word from their Lord.

There is an ascending scale of troubles harassing the church. The first thing the Lord says is, I know your afflictions. The Greek word means distresses. It is a picture of crushing, unending pressure upon them. Every day they were hounded and harassed on every side. They were humiliated and attacked without mercy.

The second thing Jesus says is, I know your poverty. We do not know what made them poor. Smyrna was a prosperous city, but it may have been that this poverty was caused by the persecutions they were experiencing. Their homes perhaps had been pillaged, their possessions taken away. Yet the Lord says their fellowship within the congregation and their families was rich indeed.

I well recall during the Great Depression, when I was in high school, that we did not have much to eat. We had no luxuries. We could not afford to buy anything but the most basics; even clothing came with great difficulty. But we had a wonderful time together. We did not have television; we had radio, but where I lived radios were battery operated and used sparingly. Yet we had a wonderfully rich time, because we enjoyed each other. We learned again the simple joys of family fellowship.

Thirdly, Jesus says, I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. There was a smear campaign going on against these Christians. Since the Christians talked about eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ, they were accused of being cannibals. Also, because they refused to visit the pagan temples, they were called atheists. This slander is what produced much of the persecution of the early Christians. It came, we are told here, from false Jews. These were physical descendants of Abraham and they had a synagogue there in Smyrna, but they persecuted these believers, proving they did not have the faith of Abraham.

Thank you, Lord, that you know. You know all that I going through and you provide a richness even in the midst of my affections. Amen.

​

Life Application​

In the midst of your afflictions, what are the ways you see the richness of the Lord’s provision?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 12TH​

Suffering and Testing​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:8-11

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Rev 2:10

As the letter to the afflicted church at Smyrna continues, Jesus says, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you. This is the first mention of the devil in the book of Revelation. The Lord acknowledges that he who is the First and the Last is going to allow the devil to put some of them in prison. Those Roman prisons were terrible places where prisoners were faced with the threat of execution at any moment. But our Lord says three very encouraging things.

First, You are going to be put into prison to test you. Many read this as though it is God who is the one who is going to learn something by this test. But that cannot be, since God already knows our hearts. He knows what you can take before you ever have to endure it. He does not learn anything new from your testing. But you do! It is to test you that this hardship is given. It is to show you how much you have grown. It is to strip off the superficial supports you have been leaning on and to show you how much you have truly learned to rely upon the grace and the strength of God.

Second, he says it will be only for a limited time. He is going to test you ten days. We do not know when or how this took place, though it undoubtedly did occur to this church at Smyrna, but the encouraging thing is that the Lord determined the limits. The test cannot go beyond it. No force or power on earth could make this last eleven days! It was ten days that he had determined.

Third, he says, Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Surely that is intended to be a contrast to the Crown of Asia, the pagan temple buildings that were built on the hill of Pagos. That was an earthly crown, a recognition of earthly status, and a source of great pride to this city. But our Lord says that he will give something much better — a Crown of Life, of eternal life. What a much greater thing that is! The Apostle Paul tells us, This light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us to produce an eternal weight of glory, (2 Corinthians 4:17). We are constantly encouraged by the fact that these trials and testings and pressures are doing something valuable to us.

The whole period has been termed the Age of the Martyrs. One of the first was a man named Polycarp who was the bishop of this very church at Smyrna. In 155 A. D., at the age of 86, he was sentenced to death by being burnt at the stake for his faith. When the Proconsul said to him, Reproach Christ, and I will set you free, Polycarp responded, 86 years have I have served him and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? In his death he gave an eloquent testimony to his love for Christ.

Thank you, Father, for the way you test me and mature me through my testings. Help me to be faithful to the point of death. Amen.

​

Life Application​

What has the Lord revealed to you through your testings?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 13TH​

Living Where Satan Has His Throne​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:12-17

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live — where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives.
Rev 2:12-13

This church is in sharp contrast to the church at Smyrna. Smyrna was enduring persecution; this church was faced with enticement and corruption. The devil has only two ways of approach. If he cannot make you knuckle under with hostility and persecution, he will begin to entice you and lure you into something dangerous. It is either intimidation or enticement. It is either the violence of a roaring lion or the corruption of an angel of light. Pergamum is the church that is being undermined by corrupt practices and corrupt teaching.

Our Lord identifies himself as the one having the sharp, doubled-edged sword. That is the symbol of the Word of God coming from his lips. It is double-edged; it cuts two ways. That refers to the fact that the Word can cleave the skull to get to the mind, and it can pierce the heart to touch the emotions. It can awaken us to reality. By the Word of God our minds begin to learn truth that we never saw before. We see things the way they are, and it motivates us to action. It can also pierce the heart. On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter had finished his message, the people were cut to the heart. That is the power of the Word.

Pergamum was the Roman capital of the province of Asia. It was a center of pagan worship and there was a temple to Caesar there as well. It is called here the place where Satan lives and rules. This is his headquarters. Many scholars think that refers to the great altar of Zeus which was on the hillside overlooking the city. It was a great throne, forty feet high, and any citizen could look up and see what Jesus calls Satan's throne. This was a center of pagan worship and the very center of evil.

In his appraisal, our Lord assesses the strengths of this church: He says, first, You remain true to my name. They had refused to budge on their view of his person. They held to the truth about Jesus. They saw him as the God-man, combining in one person two natures. That is the teaching of the church from its very beginning, and clearly evident in the Scripture. Against all the corrupting influences around them, these people had held to that truth. Almost all heresies today flow out of a denial of the deity of Jesus. But we must not also deny the humanity of Jesus. Both are true.

Second, they held to this at the risk of their own lives. Jesus says, You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives. Antipas means against all. We do not know much about this man, although he is said to be the first martyr under the Roman persecution in Asia. Tradition says he was roasted to death in a brazen bull that was heated to a white heat. That is the price that he had to pay for being true to the doctrine about Jesus. He had to stand against all!

Lord, strengthen me to remain true to your name in the midst of places where Satan has his throne. Amen.

​

Life Application​

What are the unique ways Satan might have his throne where you live?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 14TH​

Secret Things​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:12-17

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
Rev 2:14-17

Despite their strengths, two errors were undermining the church at Pergamum: one is called the teaching of Balaam. Balaam was a false prophet who had been hired by the King of Moab to curse Israel, but when he tried to do so, God wouldn’t let him. So he paid beautiful maidens to parade before the young men of Israel, tempting them into sexual immorality. Since these women were worshipers of idols, by that means he introduced idol worship into Israel. The counterpart we face in our day is the practice of pornography and fornication among Christians and the acceptance of couples living together apart from marriage.

They were also being seduced by the error of the Nicolaitans. Along with encouraging immorality, it appears they claimed to have a special relationship to God. They professed to be the beneficiaries of revelations that were not given to others, and they therefore had an inside track with God. They presumed to take the place of the priesthood in Judaism and carried that error into the Christian church. This error is reflected today in the supremacy of pastors who claim to have more intimate relationships with God and thus are regarded as better than the rest of the people.

The way you handle either error is with the two-edged sword! Jesus said, Repent! Otherwise, I will come to you and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. God’s word exposes both the error of immorality and the error of priestly superiority. The reason why the exposition of Scripture is resisted in many churches is that many people do not want to hear this message!

Our Lord's final appeal is to those who will take heed to the warnings of this letter. If they stand fast against immorality and the love of religious power, they will be given the hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Notice that both the manna and the new name are secret things. It is a picture of close intimacy. Manna was the food that Moses fed the Israelites in the wilderness.

Jesus said, I am the bread sent down from heaven (John 6:41). He is that hidden manna. He is food for the inner spirit, food that others do not know about. Then, with it, is the white stone with a secret name upon it. White stones were used among the Romans as a mark of special favor. A secret name is a sign of intimacy. If you know the Lord Jesus, and your heart is kept from the corrupting influences of the world around, you will enjoy an intimacy with him in which the new nature he has given you (depicted by the new name here) becomes stronger and more developed, and you enter into beautiful fellowship and intimacy with him.

Thank you, Father, for your mercy and grace to me. Thank you for teaching me so plainly and clearly in these letters what I am to face up to. Help me, Lord, to heed what the Spirit says to the churches. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Are you experiencing the intimacy of relationship with Jesus, whereby you feed on hidden manna and rejoice in the new name he’s given you?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 15TH​

I Know Your Deeds​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:18-27

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Rev 2:18-19

Notice that Jesus uses, for the first and only time in the book of Revelation, the title the Son of God. There are people who claim that Jesus never said that he was the Son of God, but here is one of several places in the New Testament where he makes that claim very clearly. He is stressing his deity. As the Son of God, he has eyes like blazing fire, eyes that can pierce the facades, the disguises, the postures and pretensions of his people, and get right to the heart of what they are doing.

He has feet like burnished bronze which can trample sin under foot and severely punish that which is wrong, if need be. Both are needed in the church at Thyatira. It is the most corrupt of the seven churches that are presented here.

But there were some good things going on in this church. Our Lord tells us what they are. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and your perseverance. Those are related. Love leads to service; faith leads to perseverance. If you love God, you will serve his people. You cannot help it. It is the sign that you love when you are willing to serve. And if you have faith you will persevere; you will understand that God is in control and things will work out according to his purpose. You keep at your work; you do not quit. So here was a church that had many people who loved God and served his people. They had faith in his word and they persevered. They helped many, and they kept it up. As others then got involved, the church grew. So the deeds, or the works, of the church were impressive.

That is the way a church grows. If you and I had been there at Thyatira, we would have been greatly impressed by this church. It was a busy, bustling, active church with some wonderful people in it who obviously manifested love and faith, concern and care for others. It must have seemed a very attractive church, although, as we’ll see, it was also corrupt. As a result, the blazing eyes and burning feet of Jesus will go into action.

Lord, you see through me and know that sometimes my deeds and service are a cover-up for deeper issues of inward rebellion. Amen.

​

Life Application​

How can we manifest good deeds, love, faith and perseverance, but at the same time be so corrupt?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.

 

[Obadiah]

A DAILY DEVOTION FOR JULY 16TH​

Tolerating Jezebel​

READ THE SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:18-27

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
Rev 2:20-21

Evidently there was in the church at Thyatira a woman who was a very dominant leader. Jesus names her Jezebel. That was not her name, of course, but our Lord always names people according to their character. Here he chooses the name of the most evil woman in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament Jezebel was the daughter of the king of Sidon. She was the wife of King Ahab of Israel, and she is particularly noted for having made the worship of the god Baal popular in Israel. Baal was a fertility god, and his worship involved immoral practices. There were temple prostitutes, both male and female, associated with the worship of Baal. She was a ruthless, immoral seducer of the people, and that is why Jesus selects her name for this dominant woman at Thyatira.

This Jezebel in Thyatira called herself a prophetess. There is nothing wrong with that in itself. But the trouble with Jezebel is that she was a false prophet. She taught that it was all right for Christians to indulge in sexual immorality and idolatry.

This whole scenario is paralleled in many churches today that accept the easy-going sexuality and lack of standards that is so widespread in our society. Some churches approve of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle. Many do not discipline their members when they fall into sexual immorality. Others allow pornography to go unchallenged in their midst. But the Lord holds the church responsible. His accusation to the church in Thyatira is, You tolerate that woman Jezebel. This is a problem that church leadership has to face in our day as well.

Notice that the Lord links sexual immorality with idolatry. We may find that strange, but actually one inevitably leads to the other. The reason is this: fornication and adultery are both clear-cut violations of specific and explicit statements in the Word of God. It is wrong for believers to indulge in sexual immorality of any sort. When one does, he or she has deliberately violated the authority of God, therefore, in practice, if not in profession, God is no longer their God. The result is, they must find another god, for it is impossible for the human spirit to live without something to live for. That is what a god is. Whatever you are living for, whatever makes life worthwhile to you, becomes your god. It may be the god of pleasure, even sexual pleasure. It may be the god of wealth. It may be the god of power, a lust for power and ambition. It may be the search for fame. Your place of work will often be the place of greatest temptation in this regard. It is right where you work that you will be under pressure to compromise, and to go along with the standards of the world around you.

Father, forgive me for the ways in which I tolerate Jezebel, perhaps without even knowing it. Show me my own lust for power, pleasure, and selfish ambition. Amen.

​

Life Application​

Evaluate what you are really living for, at work and at home. What are the things besides God that you feel you cannot live without?

Daily Devotion © 2024 by Ray Stedman Ministries.