Thurs.’s Devo - The first Three Churches

Read: Amos 1:1-3:15; Revelation 2:1-17; Psalm 129:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20 Amos means to put a burden on something or someone. Amos is one of the 12 minor prophets. He was a native of Tekota, a town about 12 miles south-east of Bethlehem. He was a man of humble birth, neither a "prophet nor a prophet's son," but an herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees. He prophesied in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and was contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea. Under Jeroboam II the kingdom of Israel had risen to the height of its prosperity; but that was followed by the time of luxury and vice and idolatry. Amos was called from his obscurity to remind the people of the law of God's justice, and to call them to repentance. He gave this prophecy two years before the earthquake. The earthquake occurred when Uzziah was struck with leprosy for usurping the priest's office. Amos begins his judgement against Damascus and Hazazel, the King of Israel. Then he spoke against Ben-Haddad the king of Aram. He went on to Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and Israel. Amos lists their sins that had accumulated until their cup was full. In Revelation, John wrote first to the church at Ephesus. The seven churches that God picked were all Greek churches who had the characteristics of the church ages that would exist from the time of the formation of the Church at Pentecost to the end of the ages and the Church Age is over. The first church was Ephesus. This was one of the first churches that Paul started. It had began with fire and passion for Jesus. It had discernment to know what was true and what was false teaching but the one thing that Jesus found against it was that it had lost its first love which was him. This had led them to stop doing the works for Him that they had done at first. Their warning was to repent and turn back. If they didn’t, their lamp stand would be removed. They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans which were false teachers who taught that to know the sin you had been delivered from you needed to experience it. They taught that it was okay to sin because they lived under grace. When the angel told them to write to the church at Ephesus, the earthly “angel” or messenger that this was addressing was Paul. This was what he was the message he was to preach to them. This age started at Pentecost and lasted until 100 A.D. The next church was written to the church in Smyrna. Smyrna means “myrrh”. Smyrna was an ancient city of Ionia, on the western coast of Asia Minor, about 40 miles to the north of Ephesus. Smyrna was a mixed population of about 200,000, of whom about one-third are professed Christians. The church founded here was one of the seven addressed by our Lord. Polycarp, a pupil of the apostle John, and bishop who lived a wholly consecrated blameless life. He was the messenger of the second church age and suffered martyrdom in A.D. 155. It says of that church that though they were poor in this world, they were rich in heaven’s perspective. Many persecuted them and their beliefs. He warned them that their enemy the devil, would throw many of them in prison and kill others. He encouraged them to remain faithful even to death. The Persecuted Church Age lasted till 312 A.D. To the church at Pergamum, he wrote that they were in the midst of Satan’s throne and yet they had refused to deny Him. Pergamum was a city totally given over to idols. Antipas was a faithful witness that was martyred there. This was the time of great persecution for the church, yet God had some complaints of them. They had tolerated the false teaching of those who like Balaam used their spiritual gifts for money. God told them to repent or God would fight against them with the Word of God. For those you endured they would receive the white stone with a new name written on it. Only the one who receives their name will be able to understand it. This age lasted until 606 A.D. Lord, help us to be willing to die for what we believe and understand the name God has given us.