Look for topics that will help you overcome and develop character. Only then can we ensure that we keep the right attitude when studying the Bible and that we study for the right reasons (as outlined earlier in this article). The Seven Churches of Revelation - Philadelphia - End time Deuteronomy 11:12, In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how Gods hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.. Australia and the Philippines, campers participate in athletic activities, Bible studies and a wide variety of social and educational activities during the two to three-week camp. The Church of God in Philadelphia. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. name of his foundation means "brotherly love.". What was Jesus' message to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation The church of Philadelphia would be victorious over its enemies. A concordance is a time-saving toolparticularly Strongs Exhaustive Concordance, because it lists every word used in the Bible and groups all the scriptures together that use that same word. 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). Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to usobedience to God's Word (Matthew 4:111; Hebrews 5:8). Jonah repented and called on the Lord and was delivered. Bible study is one of those assignments! "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. Welcome to our Philadelphia church website! He also is a resident faculty member at the Ambassador Bible . It is profound, describing where we approach in spirit when we pray. They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. Philadelphia - Pennsylvania | World Mission Society Church of God If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? For example, the book of Matthew focuses on Christ, the King. World News, Economics and Analysis Based on Bible Prophecy Philadelphia Church of God Info - Exit & Support Network The homepage of the Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course, Armstrong International Cultural Foundation. Individuals in the Bible are noteworthy of study. But they also know that the only way to endure courageously ( Revelation 3:10) is to seek the strength of God. In Philadelphia, the Church of God has been dedicated to serving neighbors by hosting Bible seminars, family events and smile campaigns. What was His motivation? A fifth reason for studying the Bible is to be able to do Gods Work. God commissioned Jonah to go east to Assyria, to the capital of Nineveh and deliver a message of judgment. As Mr. Armstrong often said, those who have their hearts in the Work grow spiritually. . Young's Literal Translation shows this emphasis: "I have known thy works; lo, I have set before thee a dooropened, and no one is able to shut it, because thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name" (emphasis ours). As a young man, Ezekiel had dedicated himself to be a priest. We are among the generation addressed by Jesus: "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. There are many exciting ways to study the Bible that will enrich your life! We are Gods FamilyHis royal householdand we need to thoroughly digest the meat contained in these articles. Such images are in stark contrast to the pristine beauty and glory of Eden as presented in Genesis. If pride expands ones importance, does humility deflate ones importance? E. M. Bounds, All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Ezekiel 1:1, NIV, We often need fresh starts after enduring bitter disappointments. Who doesnt want and need more faith? They deeply pleased Jesus. We cannot go through life without being hurt by others, so we should learn to forgive. The ministers have prepared what God knows we need to hearmaterial that is currently relevant and appropriate and possibly urgent. We have a much better chance of putting the knowledge we gain in class to practical use if we prayerfully study and review what God teaches us each and every week through His instructorsthe ministry. The Church of Laodicea: The Church that Grew Too Comfortable We can talk about what He has taught us and rehearse it with Him. Includes comments and link to the letters ESN received at the time. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Two of the seven churches have nothing condemning them in the letter because they are the regenerate church. Bible study builds up our faith. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. 2 Peter 3:9. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation? Some say the city was founded by Eumenes, in honor of his brother. That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. Study Bibles identify themes and provide outlines for each book of the Bible along with some commentary, among other things. Knowing something about the historical city of Laodicea enhances our understanding of the language Christ chose to correct it. 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. Philadelphia Dallas Monday Night Service. In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves soberlythat is, realistically or accurately. To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. Letters From Those Impacted by Philadelphia Church of God (2022) - Exit & Support Network Exit & Support Network Aiding those spiritually abused by Worldwide Church of God and offshoots Letters From Those Impacted by Philadelphia Church of God (2022) Best of the Letters for 2022 When He was very tired? The website was conceived eight years ago, but underwent two long delays in the process. His words are reliable. The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your pathbut only if you read it and heed it. There are hundreds of such subjects! Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. This rosy evaluation is suspect from the standpoint that we also think it is the church . Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means. We should neither overestimate the gift of Gods grace or underestimate it. EDMONDIndividuals who want to learn about the Bible can now do so online, as the 36-lesson Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course went live this afternoon. Home Page | Philadelphia Church of God [It] was rebuilt without the financial help of Rome after the disastrous earthquake of a.d. 60. If you need a victory in your life, begin every day by renewing your faith in Christ in whom all our victories are to be realized. 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. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). Luke 6:12. God inspired the original text of the Bible, but not the translations in to our modern languages, which can contain errors. 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. Sample doctrines include the three resurrections, born again, the soul and salvation. A great help to any Bible study is the use of a concordance. Notice what Jesus says in Luke 11:9-10, 13: So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Its the act of becoming too attached to the material things of the worldfalling more in love with the things on earth than on things in heaven. J. Vernon McGee, The Lord your God cares. None of us is above God's discipline if we engage in sin. The non-conclusion of 3 John exposes that the attack on God's Church didn't end in the first century. How can we benefit from lessons learned? Hello heaven! Books of the Bible. Using a concordance, one can search out key words related to any one of these doctrines. On May 5, 2001, God signaled the beginning of a new phase in this rapidly fading age of man. 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! Hebrews 11:1, 6 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that . In Revelation 3:8, the phrase "open door" is being used, not so much as an opportunity, but as a reward. He healed the mans paralysis. 5. Pauls topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. As we study we get to know the mind of Godhow He thinks. We sponsor the global broadcast of the "Tomorrow's World" television programa weekly half-hour telecast explaining the end-time prophecies of the Bible, announcing the good news of the Kingdom of God, and spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death. | Philadelphia Church of God It has also served the community through its unceasing volunteer efforts, living up to the city's nickname . But when he was about twenty-five, Ezekiel was seized and taken to Babylon, and he never saw the temple again. The Living Church of God is devoted to that mission. What does God think of that? The Little Church that Tried | Rev 3:7-13 | RayStedman.org We can study their livesput ourselves in their shoes. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. Thus, the One they seek responds, giving more of His Spirit. To help students avoid this fee, pcg regional offices in Canada, the Philippines and Australia collected tests from those nations and sent them overnight to Edmond for grading and processing. The ancient city of Philadelphia, which sits near the Cogamus River, is 44 kilometers (27 miles) from Sardis and 77 kilometers (48 miles) from Laodicea. The world is very confused about Satan, sin, worldliness and hell. Christ praised the believers for four principles that we often lose sight of among the practices and programs of modern church culture. Philadelphia means brotherly love. Hiding sin does not remove it from Gods sight; but when we seek Gods forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restoredthat is the power of confession. Is it difficult for you to get really excited about your future? What Is the Work of God Now? It surely evoked deep introspection among the believers in that ancient city and, we trust, a repentant spirit. Philadelphia, [N] [E] [H] strictly Philadelphia ( brotherly love ), a town on the confines of Lydia and Phrygia Catacecaumene, 25 southeast of Sardis, and built by Attalus II., king of Pergamos, who died B.C. Do any of them have problems similar to ours? This is most helpful when studying a particular doctrine or topic. Friendship is the marriage of affections. God may have given him only two talents, but He knows that if he is faithful with a small amount of power, in the Kingdom he will faithfully administer all of the responsibility and effectiveness that God bestows upon him. Robert Murray McCheyne, an early 19th-century pastor and preacher in Scotland, created this well-known reading plan. (From Forerunner Commentary). Colossians 3:5. And when he believed God, [God] accounted it to [Abraham] for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). A Place of Safety? . But we need to remember that knowledge not used is really of no value. The Philadelphia period of church history (Adventist Movement), gave greatly increased attention to God's Word, particularly the prophecies of Daniel and of the Revelation, and to personal godliness, which is God's will for us during these end times we live in. James 2:23. He is also true in the sense that he is faithful and trustworthy. Inside was $4,000! Yet He did, following the example of godly men like Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:16-18). Unlike the other letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, correction is not to be found. The pcg won the copyright to the correspondence courses predecessor, the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, in 2003. The Seven Churches: Philadelphia - Church of the Great God As far as a good education spiritually, what else do we have that compares to the Bible correspondence course? There are no "new" temptations in life. The town received its name from his nickname, Philadelphus or brother lover. Our natural thoughts and actions are not Gods thoughts and actions (Isaiah 55:8-9). Because they consistently knock, Christ reminds them of His pivotal position as second-in-command to the Absolute Deity and that through Him as Steward, they have access to the throne of God. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty. We now study the second last message addressed to Philadelphia, the faithful church (Revelation 3:7-13). Hello Jesus! You can place your steadfast trust in Him. The first, the First Council of Nicaea, met to agree on the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as both Son of God and Son of Man, as both fully divine and fully human. With false humility? But he did manifest some qualities that every father should emulate. Far from suggesting that the Philadelphians are going to heaven, the chapter reiterates the fact of their access to the One in heaven. Some outstanding Bible helps include: Langes Commentary ; Jamieson, Faussett and Brown Commentary ;the Anchor Bible Dictionary ; the Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon and Thompsons Topical Chain Reference, to name but a few. It was named as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The biblical city was located about 28 miles southeast of the city of Sardis. The Apostle John wrote about a savage persecution that tore apart God's Church in the first century. This has nothing to do with how much money you do or dont havea poverty-stricken person can covet just as much as a billionaire. 'Freely you have receivedfreely give ' We want to share God's truth with as many who want to receive it. God has seen to it that His Church is well-fed. Jonah was a disobedient prophet. After the pcgs information services department completed the mammoth task of rolling out a new contact management system, Cedar, in May, programmers, graphic designers and writers continued the online Bible course project in earnest. was prophesied by name more than 150 years before he came on the scene. If we put these study ideas into action, Bible study will be exciting, fun and richly rewardingsomething to eagerly look forward to! To what things was Paul referring? Note the qualities He exhibited and ask yourself how you would act and how you should act, according to His example. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sinssomething only God can do. Plain Answers. Click a link to view a PDF workbook: Lessons With the other prophets, the second time meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. The more we study, the more we become familiar with how God guides, delivers and heals His people. Were hoping we can get as many people online as possible, Herbert W. Armstrong College registrar Jason Hensley said. This church may picture the modern missionary era of church history. 4 Lessons From the Philadelphia Church in Revelation M. S. Kimber in The Sunday School World, 1893, I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside. With that in mind, the sermon on the mount, for example, takes on a deeper perspective. The Christians victory is through Christ. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. What about marriage or the doctrine of the Old and New Covenants? John had a profound understanding of Jesus Christ. It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. The major weakness of Laodicea was its lack of a water supply. Philadelphia: A Call to Persevere & Know You're Loved - Lessons From By Grant Turgeon Dec. 7, 2016 The homepage of the Herbert W. Armstrong College Bible Correspondence Course Thomas Watson, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. God tells us to study His Word because He knows its good for us. Samuel B. Jackson - Mailhandler - United States Postal Service - LinkedIn The homepage of the online Bible course states that 100,000 individuals have enrolled in the mail-in correspondence course prior to its online launch. With pride? Bible students can enroll, study and take tests at bcc.hwacollege.org. Revelation 3:7-13 NIV - To the Church in Philadelphia - "To - Bible Gateway We will start at 7:00pm at 3269 Independence Pkwy, Plano Tx. J. C. Ryle, I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. That its the same old routine day in and day out? . The Church Of God International provides these free courses to help you grow in strength and knowledge of His Word. Philly Bible Study (Philadelphia, PA) | Meetup It is located in the Kuzucay valley, near the bottom of Mount Bozdad, in modern Turkey's province of Manisa. Make sure Christ is at the center of your life and that your love for Him eclipses everything else! Jesus Christs sacrifice for sin is essential for salvation! These can be used to get an overview of a particular book, but the commentary provided can sometimes be misguided because the authors do not have the framework of Gods overall plan for man as revealed to His Church. The creation is both a monument of Gods power, and a looking-glass in which we may see his wisdom. When you see opportunities to care for creationnature or your own bodydo so as a way of glorifying the Creator. Sometimes the meaning of a word is lost in the translation. Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. But this metaphor has no connection at all to Christ's quotation of Isaiah 22:22. Many other Bible prophecies have already been fulfilled and are substantiated by . The key of David After the student passes a test, he or she receives the next four lessons. As a result of searching the Scriptures, the brethren in Thessalonica believed what they were taught (Acts 17:11-12). The PCG publishes books and booklets and a correspondence course. Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession. Although Philadelphia is the only church as a whole that Jesus promises to rescue from the hour of temptation, He reveals that among those taken to heaven will be some from Sardis (Rev. Although Christ addressed Revelation 3:7-13 to the church in Philadelphia as a body, His encouragement applies to every believer, then and now. The other three tires are prayer, fasting and meditation. Harriet Buell, in her hymn A Child of the King. And that mandate extends to our personal life as well. Today, these churches occupied the areas that ranged from Asia Minor to present-day Turkey. The letter to the church at Philadelphia is the one to which most current church members relate. Gods Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. TGC Course | Knowing the Bible: Revelation - The Gospel Coalition Could any father set a more worthy example to his children or grandchildren than that of being friends with God? That kind of knowledge may only inflate the intellect and puff us up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Philadelphia Christian Church (Part Four). They are weak. Again, not perfect or sinless, but in a right standing with God. This can be done with dozens of other booklets. Perhaps only one name does fit somewhat: Laodicea, which means "judgment of the people.". Philadelphia in the Bible - Definition, Meaning and References What Is Your Area of Weakness? | Philadelphia Church of God Bible Correspondence Course Website Launches on 27th PCG Anniversary Herbert W. Armstrong College site allows users to study lessons, take tests online. Wayne Turgeon Dec. 30, 2022 What Is the Unpardonable Sin? Paul writes that we belong to God and we are to glorify Him with our care and use of our body. . Because Christ criticizes Philadelphia very little, opens doors before her, and offers protection from the Tribulation, it is easy to think we "have it made" if we were or are part of Philadelphia. Privacy Policy, Then God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. The magazines name illustrates that the material within is intended for royalty! No one can shut that open door, though we can certainly ignore it and neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3). Nevertheless, in todays world, Bible helps can be usefulprimarily in matters of translation and as time-saving tools. The religions of the world teach that the law is done away. Out of the seven churches, only this church and the church in Smryna received unqualified praise and approval. Message to Philadelphia Revelation 3:7-13. Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the resulta new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of Godthe throne of God surrounded by angelic beings. Almighty God's words say, " The church of Philadelphia has taken shape, which is entirely due to the grace and mercy of God.