26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,To them I will give authority over all the nations.
-------------------------------
This chapter was very interesting. Jesus is telling groups of people that they are doign well in some areas but not in others. They were not selling themselves completely over to Christ and He was not please with that. Now, it's the same thing. We need to live lives in complete surrender to Christ...not partial surrender because that will not get us anywhere. He calls the obedient ones victorious! The ones who obey him to the very end. These are the people that He will give authority over all the nations! We need to stand up in His name and glorify him with what we do every day...it's an act of worship and it pleases Him!
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
ReplyDeleteThis passage commands the people being read this letter to listen!!! The Spirit is talking directly to these Churches and now in our present day we can delve into the meaning and aplications of what is being said. The Lord will provide for us with the hidden manna - in everthing we must trust in him. He will give us a clean, white stone that reflects our new name and new nature. Not holding us to the facts of our paths once we repent with a trusting heart. I think its really interesting how we will be the only one who knows the name on the stone just as the reincarnate Jesus has a name that only he knows written on his cloths.
All is GRrrrrrreat.. in the Lord
Paul Shackelford
10 "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 sill suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."
ReplyDeleteThroughout this chapter the Lord tells us and explains to us the difference in the way we will suffer. He states the way He will punish those who are doing wrong and then explains what Satan will do to us. And to some suffering is suffering, but it is explained very well which is which. It also says to be faithful to the point of death! This is a very powerful verse to where even if we are faced with death we are to claim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and if we do this we are given life. We are given life when we die with faith. If you are reading this, I would like to type it again. We are given life when we die with faith.
26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations;
ReplyDeleteIn each of the seven letters to the seven churches, there is a promise to those who overcome. Each letter shows a church going through something different, from trials and tribulations at Smyrna to the luke-warm church at Laodicea. At the end of each of these, Jesus promises that those who overcome the issues will be rewarded.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
ReplyDeleteJesus is saying that they are doing all these great things, but they have forgotten the most important thing, the only thing that matters, "their first love." There is nothing more important than knowing God. Even "good works" pale in comparison to that. Have we forgotten our first love?