Jesus the Giver [Revelation 2]

  1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
      These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:2'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 4'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

 5'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent. 6'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'


 

This morning as I read the first three of the letters to the seven churches I was struck with how many times Jesus said that He will give something.  May you return to your first love for Jesus as you praise Him this morning.  He is "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, and He says,"


v. 7 - To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'

v. 10 - Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
v. 17 - 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
v. 26-29 - 26'He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;28and I will give him the morning star. 29'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Verna McCrillis, 10/3/2009