Revelation 3:11
Revelation 3:11-13, behold, I come quickly: hold that fast
which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. him that overcometh
will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and
I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God
which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will
write upon him My new name. he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
There
are rewards for serving Christ. And it is possible to lose those rewards. One
of the rewards for serving Christ is a crown. A crown symbolizes authority and
power.
Several times in revelation the church is told to hold fast.To hold that fast means to hold with strength. It is
talking about faith. Your faith should not be decreasing or weakening but it
should be growing.
Revelation 3:14-17 says, And unto the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write; These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest,
I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked:
The church of the Laodiceans is the last
of the 7 churches mentioned. Their key characteristic was that they were lukewarm.
Why were they lukewarm verse 17 explains this. I am rich, and increased with
goods, and have need of nothing. Because they were rich they became blind to their
own spiritual needs. Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. How easy it is indeed for a person who has need of
nothing in a material sense to think that he has need of nothing spiritually.
Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for
a rich man to enter the
Every
day we need Gods mercy. Every day we need God to guide and protect us to
provide for us to give us grace and peace. Every day we need God to comfort us
and encourage us and strengthen us. And yet despite all these needs the laodicians said I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing. What a terrible mistake
they made.
Revelation
The solution to the problem of the loadicians
is suffering. God uses suffering especially persecution to make gold tried in
the fire. When the right sufferings come your way, and God knows just what to
bring, then you will not be lukewarm.
Revelation
Concerning chastisement the Bible says in Hebrews 12:5-11, My son, despise not thou the chastening
of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgetheth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with
sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth
not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons. Furtheremore we have had
fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we
not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they
verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our
profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Revelation
This verse is a gospel verse. It explains how salvation works.
Christ knocks the door of a persons heart and that person in their own free
will responds by either letting Christ in or rejecting him.
if any man hear my voice, and open the door. Faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word of God is important in
reaching lost souls. Without the Word of God souls cannot be saved.
Revelation 3:21-22 says, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
Just by becoming a true believer in Jesus there are great rewards
to be gained in eternity. For those who overcome what a privilege it will be to
sit with Jesus in His throne.
As we reach the end of chapter 3 we also reach the end of the age
of the church. The rest of the events described in the book of Revelation take
place during the seven year tribulation.
Revelation 4:1-3 says, After this I looked, and, behold, a
door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of
a trumpet talking with me; which said, come up hither, and I will shew thee
things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and,
behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat
was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow
round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
What we know about the future begins with Jesus sitting on His
throne. God is all powerful. It is really God who is in control. God is the
Almighty God. This truth will become more evident than ever during the day of
the LORD.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:
and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Its
also interesting to notice that John saw a rainbow. A rainbow is a reminder
that God keeps His promises. God has made many many
promises in His Word what a blessing it is to know them all and to believe
them. Just think of the wonderful promises given here in Revelation chapter 2
and 3 to those that overcome: will I give to eat of the
hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name
written, which no man knoweth saving he tht receiveth it. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works
unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them
with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers:
even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment: and
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his
name before my father, and before his angels. Him that overcometh
will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and
I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God,
which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will
write upon him My new name. To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with My Father in His throne.
Yes this is just a few of the wonderful promises God has made. God
wants us to remember that He keeps His promises this is why there is a rainbow
over the throne.
Of course the greatest promise of all is the promise of
forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus said in John 11:25-26, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in
Me shall never die. Believest thou this?
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Copyright; 2015 by Bruce
Creech
All Rights Reserved