As I sit back and watch the world in which we live grow increasingly wicked, I am drawn more and more to Jesus. He is the only constant. He is the embodiment of love, grace, and mercy, yet He never fails in His righteousness and judgment.
Over and over the Scriptures tell of the cycles of rebellion and repentance of the Israelites of antiquity. Hundreds of years before the Israelites existed, the people of Noah’s day were inextricably mired in sin and rebellion. Genesis 6:5 describes those days in this way:
‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’ Genesis 6: 5 (NKJV), emphasis, mine
That’s pretty intense, my friends. As bad as it is in 2013, I’m thinking we’re not there yet…close, but not quite at the place where Noah’s generation seemed to be.
I want to be a Noah in my generation. I want to be the one that God calls ‘righteous’. I bet you do, too. Being a Noah doesn’t happen by accident. We must be intentional in our pursuit of righteousness and holiness.
In the final book of Scripture, the apostle John is given a ‘revelation’ from God through Jesus Christ about the days to come. Over the past couple of months, the Lord has drawn my attention to chapters 1-3 of Revelation…the chapters where Jesus send messages of encouragement and warning to the seven churches in Asia. There is much we can learn from the messages to the seven churches that will help us in 2013. I want to learn…I want to hear from Jesus concerning those things which are pleasing to Him, and especially, those things which are not. I want to adjust my life accordingly.
Beginning on Tuesday morning, March 19th (Lord willing), I will be leading a ladies Bible study/discussion group through an examination of the seven churches of The Revelation. I’m calling this study ‘Vital Signs: Lessons from the Seven Churches of The Revelation’.
In week one, we will cover background material and all of chapter one of Revelation. In the seven weeks that follow, we will observe one church per week, seeking to learn what Jesus liked and did not like about each church. Each person who participates in the study group will be asked to peruse Scripture, as well as other pertinent literature, in order to add to the group discussion about the specific church we are studying. We will come together each Tuesday to share what we have learned. The take-away each week will be what each church can teach us in 2013.
Although we may utilize commentaries and other source material, our primary text will be the Bible.
Ladies, I invite you to join us for Vital Signs. Here is more information:
What: Vital Signs: Lessons from the Seven Churches of The Revelation – a Bible study/discussion group
Who: Any lady interested in the study of Scripture with the goal of a closer walk with Jesus Christ
When: Tuesday mornings at 9am beginning March 19th
Where: Blairsville, GA. Exact location to be determined based on group size
Cost: Free NO childcare will be provided. Please make outside arrangements for children.
What to bring: Bible, pen or pencil, notebook, and a hunger to study Scripture
If you are interested in participating in this group study or have questions, please contact me at either [email protected] or call 706 835 7084 by March 12th.
