“Behold, I Am Coming Soon!"

He is like a tree planted by streams of water

Revelation 22 opens with a crystal clear river of water flowing right down the middle of the new city....it flows right out of Jesus throne: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse." 


Notice how this parallels the life of the "blessed man" in Psalm 1:2-3: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."


When we live with the Lord....both here in His word...and when we live in His presence in Heaven...our lives will be "fruitful"...we will be like a tree planted next to life-giving source of water...an unlimited supply of moisture...making the tree abundant and fruit bearing.


Next, we notice that Jesus states 3 times:  "I am coming soon." 


1. “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”
2. “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."
3. “Yes, I am coming soon.”


Jesus is coming soon.  Don't live life as though you have all the time in the world.  Life is short....Jesus is coming, soon.  Repent and follow Jesus.


A life spent with Him...is a fruitful life.  A life of growing and reproducing....not death and destruction.   So take Jesus up on His simple offer: “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." 


Jesus wants us to come follow Him...to taste of the life with Him....eternal life with Jesus.  Come...say "yes" to Jesus' invitation.  Won't you taste and see that the Lord is good?

“I Am Making Everything New!”

 as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband

It's hard to beat something new.  We all want a new car...a new house...a new dress or tie.  Unused...a new life of it's own...no parts warn out. Well, in Revelation 21 we hear and see the promised...."New Jerusalem."  This city will provide a new start....void of sin.  No more imperfection.  A new glorious city to live in....a new dwelling place with God. 


So let's take a closer look...."Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."


Wow, this city is beautiful like a bride..... the city is dressed in pure gold...with foundations adorn with jewels, gates of pearl....and perfectly designed. The New City is adorn like a new bride...ready for a new life together with Her bridegroom.


Even though a big deal is made of the city's looks and design....who lives there and life there...is far more important:  “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”


The city is new...but the life there is new, too. We will live as God intended for us to live....just as in the Garden....life there in the "New Jerusalem"  will be lived face to face with God.

The Dead Were Judged According to What They Had Done

Have you ever wondered if justice will ever be served....Revelation 20 tells of the time when Jesus will sit on the white throne and judge every man's actions.  It is comforting to know that injustice, prejudice, hate, murder, rape will not be swept under a rug somewhere.  These things are written in the Book of Life...and won't be forgotten.


"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."


Jesus is the only one righteous enough to judge...to judge rightly...to not show any favoritism.  He is the one we will face at the white thrown judgement.

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

All through the bible, Jesus is the humble servant...always coming in the "back door."  What do I mean?  Instead of a hero's entrance...He usually comes in a very "understated" way.  He was born in a small town....to poor parents...He was a common man...when he rode in to his grand entrance to the city, He rode a small donkey instead of a white horse.


But in Revelation 19: 11-16, Jesus is riding that hero's white horse that people in his day were expecting....but never experienced during His earthly ministry.  They had dreamed of a messiah conquering King....instead they were disappointed with Jesus' "love not war" style. Most rejected Him as King....they didn't understanding He was coming to save them from their sins....not their earthly enemies.


"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."


His name has always been the Word of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (I John 1)  So Jesus, the "Word of God" sits on His white war horse...wearing His crown and a blood-soaked robe...with the armies of heaven riding behind Him.  There is nothing "back door" about His entrance.  This is a "front and center" performance. 


Surely Jesus is the "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." His judgement will stand....and He will rule forever and ever!!! 

“‘Woe! Woe, O Great City..."

Was there ever a city like this great city?

Cities....Great cities....men build them....people flock to them.....they seek jobs, power, position, treasure, nightlife, recreation, fun.  Businesses are based in the big cities.  Commerce is King.


In Revelation 18 ....we hear of the the Judgement of "The Great City".  It is called "Babylon the Great"... but when God allows it to fall....it only takes one hour.  Years of labor....but only an hour to bring her to ruin.
"She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her."


So what city is this?


Is this city New York?  Is it Rome?  Is it the "Saddam Hussein" construction project to rebuild Babylon?  We don't know....but we do know that worldly cities have not traditionally been honoring to God. With all the allure of sin in big cities... the last three lines of the chapter sums up the judgement to bring her down: "By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.” 


No matter the city...no matter the time.....I think the message here... is that the World and it's glitz, glamour, and glory....are tempting us with all the cities have....but we must resist.  We must stand firm in the Lord.  We must know that the Lord will judge the sins of the world, harshly. And that time will come on us before we know it.


Living apart from Jesus.....will lead to death and destruction.  Life with Christ will be reward.

With Him will be His Called, Chosen and Faithful Followers

Revelation 17 is mainly explaining the punishment of the great prostitute (woman)  riding the beast. At the end of the chapter we find out that she is the great city.


But in verses 12-14...war is waged against Jesus, the Lamb....by 10 kings and the beast.....but with no success.   "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome.... because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."  


How does He overcome?  How can he overcome 10 Kings?   He is King of Kings....Lord of Lords. He is the ultimate authority...and we...His call, chosen and faithful followers are with Him.  Let's shout and praise God....for He is King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords.

“Behold, I Come Like a Thief"

I don't want one bowl of God's wrath....let alone 7 bowls of God's wrath. In Revelation 16, there is an account of the wrath of God's judgement being poured out on in pain and destruction on the earth.  Even during these terrible times...people refused to repent of their sins and follow God.  In verse 15: “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” 




Other "thief in the night" passages appear in scripture:


 1.)  I Thessalonians 5:1-6 says, "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night..... But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."


2.)  Matthew 24: 42-44 says: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."


We are not to live life on earth as if there is plenty of time to get right with God.  We are to be ready and alert.  We are to be receptive to His call.  We are to expect God...anticipate His return...and live as if He were God...and we were His people...because we are. Repent and follow Jesus....today....not at a later date.

The Song of the Lamb

In Revelation 15 we get a glimpse into heaven and observe the ones who had been victorious over the Beast  and over the number of his name.  And what do we see?   Worship.  They are singing praises to God and making music.  Listen to words of the worship hymn in verses 3-4:


“Great and marvelous are your deeds, 
   Lord God Almighty. 
Just and true are your ways, 
   King of the ages. 
Who will not fear you, O Lord, 
   and bring glory to your name? 
For you alone are holy. 
All nations will come 
   and worship before you, 
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”


This is a love song to their savior...their God.... God has saved them...kept them...and delivered them.  They know He is God...and they are His people.
Out of their hearts pour this grateful and heart felt worship.....


Why wait until we get to heaven?  Know God... and let your worship flow out of a grateful heart.

They were Trampled in the Winepress

In the last part of Revelation 14, Jesus is seated on the clouds wearing a gold crown and holding a sickle. With one swing of the sickle...He harvests the earth of Christians.  


Another angel came out of the temple in heaven and harvests those who did not follow God...but who were followers of the worlds ways.   “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.”  What are they talking about?


In James 1:14-15  there is an example that explains the produce of a worldly life.....it says, "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."  This tells how the seeds of sin and death are sown....then they grow in to full maturity.  This type of worldly life apart from Jesus matures into full-grown death. To me this is what the "earth's vine" produces....death.  It's fruit is death.  At the great harvest, God presses every drop of blood from these people to quench His wrath.

He Deceived the Inhabitants of the Earth

In Revelation we are introduced to 2 beasts.


The first beast come out from the sea. He utters proud, boastful words and blasphemies..... and is given authority over all inhabitants on earth....except those written in the Lamb's book of life.  (Good news for Christians)....but it comes with a warning:"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."


The second beast comes out from the earth. Because of the authority given him....he will deceive the inhabitants of the earth.  He will cause all who don't worship the first beast to be killed.  He will also force everyone regardless of social status...to receive the mark of the beast...666 or the number of his name.


Then comes another warning about this time: "This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number."


This "mark of the beast" has been highly debated over the years.  I will not shed any new light in this controversy...let's just focus on our actions as Christians during these last days:  Be patient...have endurance...be faithful...use wisdom...be watchful for this "mark of the beast."
These are good gifts that God gives His followers when they are dependent on Him.  God is Faithful.  He is Able....which gives us strength and power to be the same!!!!

They Overcame Him by the Blood

I really like the "loud" statements that come from heaven...

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ."  The end times are good news for the believer....because God's plan comes together...just as He promises.

"For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."  The Devil...Satan has been defeated...and will be thrown down once and for all time.

"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

This is how we Christians overcome..temptation, trouble, discouragement, despair, disease, lies, persecution, hate, war, disappointment and other consequences of sin.  We trust in Jesus not in our own abilities. We believe God's word, trust Him and apply His truth to our lives...we do not listen to the lies of the world.We live life not frightened  or discouraged by death...knowing that it can not hold us.

"Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

If you are a Jesus follower...REJOICE...If you have lived your life apart from God...BEWARE.  Time is short either way!!!!

He Will Reign for Ever and Ever.

In chapter 11 of Revelation....we come to the end of 2 of the 3 woes and we come to the seventh and final trumpet blast. 


This seems like we should be approaching the end of the prophecy....but we are only half way through the chapter.....Then loud voices from heaven pronounce:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”


All this signals God taking back his reign of this world.  The 24 elders bowed down to worship and praise Him....and say, "The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” 


Followers of God rejoice...this is good news...after several disturbing chapters...God gives us a reason to celebrate.  .... "servants, prophets and saint will be rewarded"....and destruction will be dealt to those opposed to God. God will reign and reward.....Good News.

It Tasted as Sweet as Honey in My Mouth

In John 10:8...John hears a voice from heaven,  “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”


When John asks for the little scroll...the angel tells him, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”


I think this little scroll is God's word... the same word that guides us and directs us today...    If you have ever heard from God through His word...you know what the angel is saying here...."In your mouth it will be sweet as honey."


In Psalms, Proverbs and Ezekiel... this "sweet as honey" phrase is used to describe the "word of God." It is a great description for God's word which more than satisfies our soul's desire for the one true God. It is so good...so sweet...we can only handle a small amount at a time...too much will upset our stomachs.   


When John heard the brutally honest judgement of God, He knew that mankind was in trouble unless they repented. The prophesy produced a sick feeling in his gut...that would not go away quickly. The word of God cuts both ways...it not only satisfies with it's sweet soul saving message...but it also cuts to the bone with it's truth about the consequences of self and sin.  

Nor did They Repent

"During those days men will seek
 death, but will not find it"

If you thought Chapter 8 was disturbing...chapter nine gets worse.  Chapter 8 ends with John, " As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”


These next three angels bring the big time "Woes" onto the earth.
1. The first Woe is the swarm of locust straight from Hell. They will torture those not belonging to God for 5 months.
2. The second Woe is when 1/3 of mankind are killed by 2 million horseman carrying plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur. This Woe continues over the next few chapters.
3. The third Woe won't come until chapter 12.


With these crazy disturbing events going on...people still fail to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and do not repent: "The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts."


You would think when some one's world is turned upside down...they would turn to God for salvation...for rescue... But No...people are stubborn, knuckled headed, self-centered,and will not surrender to the Lord.  Now..or later....


We must not be caught by surprise....many will perish because they refuse to turn to God. That is true now...it will be true in the future, too.

The Fear of the Lord

In Revelation 8...the last (seventh) seal is opened....at this point there occurred a  half hour calm...silence.   It seems like there is a lull...a time out...a moment of rest...before the final act.


Then they hand out 7 trumpets to 7 different angels.Then another angel...takes a bowl full of the prayers ignites them from the alter smoke and lets the prayers rise to God.  He then fills the golden bowl with fire which he then hurls onto the earth.


This is the start of the trumpet blasts that signal very disturbing judgements...of fire, hail, blood, scorching heat, poisoned water, sea life devastation, and absence of light.  Each blast of the trumpet... sounds the reversal of creation....now it is destruction of the old earth.  It is like a signal to summon another round of battle. ...another round of attacks.


I do not claim to know exactly what all this revelation...this end time prophecy is about....but it sounds scary.  I tell you...I want to be right with God.  I do not want to be on His bad side when His righteous wrath is displayed.   Psalms 111:10 says: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." That means that God is serious...we better get serious, too.


We do not have to fully know God...to get the gist of His message in Revelation.  He seems to bless those who follow Him and are obedient to his commands...those who hear His words..and put them into practice.   For those who have ignored the "Call of God".... JUDGEMENT....DISTRUCTION.   What's my advice?  Repent today and follow Jesus

They were Wearing White Robes

In the last half of Revelation 7 there is "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes... "


Then one of the elder explains their identity: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."




Because they have accepted salvation from the Lord and endured even through tribulation with their faith....they are reward with:


1. Safely and joyously dwelling and serving at the foot of God
2. Never again thirsting or being hungry
3. Never enduring physical discomfort or shedding tears
4.They will be lead by God and experience all his good gifts


No wonder.....All the angels worship God....His love, mercy and grace is lavished on us ...now and in eternity.  Make sure to get your robe washed in His Blood, very soon. 

The Wrath of the Lamb

Well...this passage of scripture is very humbling.  These verses are "deep waters"...not easy to understand...even harder to explain....but we pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you personally through this passage. Today we will only look at the Famous Four Horsemen...the first 4 judgement of the seven seals.


We have been discussing the innocent and loving "Lamb of God."...but now we get to hear about the "Wrath of the Lamb."  This is the side of Jesus that executes God's righteousness.  It is the same Jesus that executed righteousness in the the temple...when he fashioned a whip and overturned the tables of the money-changers and clearing the temple....it was His zeal for his Father's house.


The opening of the seven seals...represents the judgments of God going out across time.  
1. The 1st rider riding on the white horse is "a conqueror bent on conquest." It is Jesus.... taking His gospel out across time against opposition.
2. The second rider is "War".. wielding a sword and riding on a red horse...sent "to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other." 
3. The third horseman is "Famine" riding a black horse and is carrying scales saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
4. The fourth horseman is "Death" and Hades is close behind...."They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth."


The message I get from this passage is that God does judge the world...and He uses many ways through time and through circumstance.   Many live life as though there is no God...and if there is a God...most everyone will go to heaven.  I think this passage is clear that God is a righteous God....He will not be mocked. It is not so much when Jesus will judge...but that He does judge.  His messengers deliver judgement and will continue until the end of time. "Repent."

Behold the Lamb of God

The lamb of God..phrase... is used a few times in scripture.  The first time begins with Abraham conversing with his son about the faithfulness of God in Genesis 22:7-8 “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”


In the Genesis passage... God is providing the (lamb) sacrifice to satisfy His own requirement for Abraham. So God commands Abraham to act in faith...and in the end...it is God who is faithful...by providing the lamb to sacrifice instead of Abraham's son.


In John 1:29... John the Baptist identifies Jesus...as he spotlights the long- awaited Messiah..who would bring salvation to the world....The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!


Jesus, the Messiah who was to save the world from their sins... was God's son...the ultimate gift from a loving God...prophesied from the beginning of time.  Jesus was not a Conquering King...He was a Suffering Servant.  He did not ride in on a white stallion...he rode to his death sentence on a small donkey.  He was God's Sacrificial Lamb coming to satisfy our sin debt.


Finally in the chapter 5 of Revelation John reports from Heaven... what he sees..."Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne.."


Here is Jesus in the throne room of heaven...and everyone there begins to worship. They pull out the harps and sing a new song:
  “You are worthy to take the scroll 
   and to open its seals, 
because you were slain, 
   and with your blood you purchased men for God 
   from every tribe and language and people and nation. 
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, 
   and they will reign on the earth.”


This Lamb of God is Jesus.  He is as innocent as a little lamb.  His blood..His life is the sacrifice for your sin.  He loves you and me so much that He freely laid down His life as the sacrifice for our sin.  Behold, the Lamb of God...He is worthy of our worship and praise.

The Throne Room

In Revelation 4...John gives us a glimpse of the throne room of heaven.  We can't even imagine the brilliant light...the rolling thunder...the sparkling of jewels and blazing lights...with a smooth crystal clear sea in front of the throne.  It is easy to get caught up with the peripheral sights and the amazing creatures surrounding Jesus....but the focus is on Jesus Himself...do not kid yourself.   The worship taking place is a spontaneous response to His Greatness....to His Glory.


Day and night (the winged creatures) never stop saying:

   “Holy, holy, holy

   is the Lord God Almighty,

   who was, and is, and is to come.”



(The 24 elders) lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
   to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
   and by your will they were created
   and have their being.”

This is not insincere worship...this is not ungrateful made-up praise...this is not boring, check-the-box church music....this worship is not forced or assigned...


This is worship from the heart...from the pit of their souls...an out crying of thanksgiving...a outpouring of worship that is beautiful and never ending. This is the kind of worship we will experience when we lay our eyes on Jesus. We won't have to worry...it will flow out of our souls...no confusion...it will be perfect worship.  I can't wait...can you????  Maybe we shouldn't wait.  We can start pouring our souls out to Jesus in thanksgiving, praise and love....let's start today!!!!

He Who Overcomes

In Chapter 3 John continues his report of Jesus words to the seven churches...with 3 letters to Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea:


Sardis: Jesus tells this church that they have a great reputation...but they are dead in spirit.  Jesus then says. "Wake up...you guys need to put into practice what you have heard or received from me....and if you don't I will come back and take it back from you when you least expect it.  (This is not directed toward all of you...for there are many that are walking with me.)


Philadelphia: Jesus says, "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."  Jesus continues by saying, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."


Laodicea:  Finally Jesus speaks to the church where the members were very self-sufficient...maybe a rich suburban church full of high charging successful people.  Jesus criticizes them because they don't realize they need a savior. He says, " I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  Whoa...doesn't sound good...does it?


But Jesus...then says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."


With all 7 churches Jesus has one common statement, "To him who overcomes"  What does He mean? Is Jesus saying it is about works? I think he is warning and encouraging us to hang on to Him...to truly believe in Him with all our heart....and not rely on ourselves...not get tangled in the "world"...not lose heart....but keep seeking the God we once trusted...keep living and believing that "Jesus is Lord".

These Are the Words of Him Who Holds the Seven Stars

The Church is a body of believers,
not a building with a steeple.

John is writing Jesus' words to the 7 churches.  Chapter 2 contains the first 4 messages to the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum & Thyatira.


Here is a overview of Jesus' rebukes and promises to these churches (and to us...if the shoe fits!!!!)


Ephesus:
Sounds like a hard-working, bible believing right wing church....but Jesus says,  "You have forsaken your first love." interpretation....where's your love? ...you started out as such a loving church...but you've grown cold... harden by orthodox and rules.
Then He says, "Repent, and do the things you did at first"


Smyrna:
This church sounds like it's full of impoverished born-again believers who will be jailed and persecuted because of Jesus.  Jesus promises, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Pergamum:
This sounds like the once faithful church who begins to backslide and let heresies creep into their faith.  Jesus rebukes saying," Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."  

Thyatira:
This is to the secular church that appears to be doing all the right stuff...but has slipped... by blending into the culture around them.  Jesus encourages them to hang on, "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations."

It is easy to read these words as a historical letter of warning and rebuke to those crazy mixed-up 1st century Christians....but it is also relevant to us today. As with all scripture...we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us our hearts in light of these scriptures.  How is God stirring in your heart...right now?  Do you need to do something different than your current mode of operation?

Because the Time is Near

Do you think that your time is near?   Whether through your death or the return of Jesus?  We are not promised time here on earth...other than today.  So why do we live as if there will always be a tomorrow?  Why do we put off the good that we could do today?  Why do we not tell this person or that person that we love them?  Why do we not make peace with God today?  John has a "word" for us from an angel of God....a direct word to us which he revealed to John in this revelation:

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. "


So John writes down the Revelation...so that he could earnestly warn his readers.  
Why is he so earnest?  John hears from Jesus...he actually see Jesus...and then what?
The natural thing for a mere mortal being... when he encounters the "resurrected" Jesus...he falls down as if he were dead.


After that encounter...John is serious.  He want to report Jesus' warnings to the Church...just as he was shown.  We would be wise to heed the revelation.
It is a matter of life or death....with Jesus.