What does God think of that? Theyre building a palace for me over there. This is what He compliments them for being, meaning they have a commendable measure of obedience. Letters From Those Impacted by Philadelphia Church of God (2022) Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. The annual religious festivals that God commands true Christians to observe are clearly discussed in Leviticus 23. Another example would be to study the words used to describe love in 1 Corinthians 13. Then review them at least one more time, perhaps the following Sabbath before services. A leper approached Jesus and said, If You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus touched the man, saying, I am willing; be cleansedand he was healed (Mark 1:40-42). What were the characteristics of the church of Philadelphia? Baptism is an important step in your spiritual life and it must be done properly - at the right time and in the right way . Encountering God Bible Study by Kelly Minter | Lifeway Ezekiel is the prophet of the glory of the Lord. The Holy One is a common Old Testament title for God (Isaiah 40:25; 43:15). Nevertheless, in todays world, Bible helps can be usefulprimarily in matters of translation and as time-saving tools. Bible students can enroll, study and take tests at bcc.hwacollege.org. And it also happened to Jonah: The word of the Lord came to Jonah the first time (Jonah 1:1) and then the second time (Jonah 3:1). Christ sets before the Philadelphian an "open door" because he has only a little capacity for mighty works, and yet he still keeps God's Word and does not deny God's name by the way he lives his life. It surely evoked deep introspection among the believers in that ancient city and, we trust, a repentant spirit. We can study their livesput ourselves in their shoes. To be honest, we would have to make the same assumption for each of the groups, and no one has been able to make a significant conclusion in this vein for the Ephesian group in regard to the name "Ephesus," or for the Thyatiran group with "Thyatira," or for the others. Are you letting Him speak to you? Commentaries are more apt to be off track than other Bible helps because the authors have more room to insert their own thoughts and ideas. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! If you are not already enrolled in the On-Line Bible Study, but would like to be, there are openings available. He commands us, therefore, to [s]tudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). 1. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). Integers, from a Latin root meaning whole or entire. The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances. Philadelphia: A Call to Persevere & Know You're Loved - Lessons From Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Be careful in using paraphrases such as the Living Bible or the Amplified Bible. 2. As Mr. Armstrong often said, those who have their hearts in the Work grow spiritually. It is elevated above the valley, on the n.e. We will start at 7:00pm at 3269 Independence Pkwy, Plano Tx. Question: "I was baptized at age 11 by a minister of a large denomination, but I didn't understand the true meaning of repentance until I began studying my Bible and hearing your broadcasts. D. L. Moody, In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Matthew uses the word kingdom 56 times. Television Program. We cannot go through life without being hurt by others, so we should learn to forgive. The conventional interpretation among those who have come out of the Worldwide Church of God is that Christ has given the Philadelphians an open door to preach the gospel, an idea that is not without merit. They do have good characteristics, but they are weak. The key of David Those who attain that level of character will be able to serve as kings! And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Revelation 3: 7. G. Campbell Morgan, When Jesus saw [the friends] faith, He said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven you. Follow Abrahams example as a faithful father by deepening your friendship with God. That is integrity. We are among the generation addressed by Jesus: "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Moreover, the fruit of this interpretation has been exclusivity, comparing ourselves among ourselves, division, competition, and a pitiful supply of loveworks of the flesh rather than fruit of the Spirit. of Ephesus. In the description of New Jerusalem, the gate is open only to those whose names are written in the Book of Life (Revelation 21:27; 22:14). But thankfully, Scripture gives us illustrations: Like us, Jesus suffered, experienced hunger, required sleep, ate food, and had limits on His knowledge (Mark 13:32). Amid the strange and apocalyptic vision described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-year-old exile to be a powerful prophet. Notice, however, that they have "a little strength"they are weak. Reading and Writing Plans - Life, Hope & Truth But we need to remember that knowledge not used is really of no value. Bible study gives us something that this world desperately needs. God has given us plenty of promises that are full of hope. God can always be counted on to keep his promises (Titus 1:2). (From Forerunner Commentary). Life is full of hardships and heaviness. Over 98,000 students from around the world have enrolled in this unique, 36-lesson course of biblical understanding. The more we study, the more we become familiar with how God guides, delivers and heals His people. Note for example what the Holman Bible Dictionary says about Laodicea: Laodicea was well known in the ancient world for its wealth [see Revelation 3:17]. Other Bible helps that should be mentioned are A Harmony of the Gospels, which combines all four gospels side-by-side so that the gospels can be read simultaneously in time sequence order. Obviously, studying the life of Jesus Christ is the best example. In fact, even with the record we have in Johns writings, most people still do not understand Christ as John described Him. Chronological Bible Reading Plan On May 5, 2001, God signaled the beginning of a new phase in this rapidly fading age of man. The more we let Gods Word correct our natural carnal thinking, the more we are fashioned into Gods image and prepared to be born into His eternal Family. Biographies. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my . God gave him a second chance. Samuel B. Jackson - Mailhandler - United States Postal Service - LinkedIn I attended Herbert W. Armstrong College (HWAC) for three and a half years, and was a writer for the Philadelphia Trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15:58. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of Godthe throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Lets review a few of the many blessings that flow from studying Gods Word. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold. The word study in this verse means to make haste and be diligent about it. Is it Christ? Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. But he never concluded his third epistle. . God tells us to study His Word because He knows its good for us. Many countries coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an island of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. When we attend services, we are in class at Gods college for teachers. Colossians 3:1 tells us to seek those things which are above, where Christ is. In verse 5 were told to put to death the passions that come from below"fornication, uncleanness, passion, and evil desire. Then the Lord added the sin of greed or covetousness to the list, calling it idolatry. The Apostle John wrote about a savage persecution that tore apart God's Church in the first century. We have not seen many mountains moving out of their places. Doesnt it make sense to take notes and study them later? (Part Four). How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above .. Paul mentions about 20 personalities in the context of faith. God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. How did He stay on track and endure? It is true for us today also. Richard Sibbes, DavidJeremiah.blog is part of the broadcast ministry of David Jeremiah. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Have we studied in detail what the Bible says about prayer, fasting, trials and overcoming? America is full of them. It begins with the tremendous help available to those who are weak, but who keep God's Word, who do not deny His name, and who persevere in faith. Individuals in the Bible are noteworthy of study. He has served as Youth Pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Camden, NJ and Mount Zion Holmesburg Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. Also, as Interim Pastor of Faith Fellowship Non-Denominational . The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. We can imagine a child writing an appreciative and sentimental memoir about her perfect father, understanding that perfect was not intended to be taken literally. He is in fact commending them for doing as well as they have. The website was conceived eight years ago, but underwent two long delays in the process. This rosy evaluation is suspect from the standpoint that we also think it is the church . In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that new heaven and a new earth, our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:1-2). Thus, the One they seek responds, giving more of His Spirit. . 8. The Message to Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13) | Bible.org Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. If our prayers are getting stale and were running out of things to say, maybe were not listening enough. The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world. God has placed each one of us into His bodythe Church. Gods Church has many doctrines that differ from this worlds contrived religions. What about marriage or the doctrine of the Old and New Covenants? . For example, the book of Matthew focuses on Christ, the King. First Great Awakening - Wikipedia Even if they get their lessons in the mail, we hope they will take tests online to be scored immediately so they can get on with the course.. If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long (verse 3). Almighty God's words say, " The church of Philadelphia has taken shape, which is entirely due to the grace and mercy of God. When we think life has collapsed around us, the God of glory appears above us. Philly Bible Study (Philadelphia, PA) | Meetup That in turn enables the Church to have more of an impact in doing Gods Work! by King Attallus of Pergamum, whose nickname was Philadelphus, which means "lover of a brother." . slope of Mt. The religions of the world teach that the law is done away. The Laodiceans are largely derived from a base that came from the Philadelphians, making them weaker still, due to their lackadaisical inattention to their relationships with God.