Christ's Approval (Rev. 2:2)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 02/10/2005

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus: Approval

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Rev 2:2

 

            Message of the verse:  2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.  (NAS95)  2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.  (NLT) 

            In these letter to the seven churches there is a pattern to what is said to them, and part of that pattern is giving a different description of Christ from the first chapter of Revelations, (as mentioned in the verse note of 2:1), and then if there is something good to say about them Christ will do that, and then He will give His marching orders for them to correct their behavior, and ends with a statement about the one who has ears should hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. 

            In this first letter to the church at Ephesus Christ complements them for their hard work and patience endurance, and that could be concerning the persecution they were going through.  They were a hard working Church, who sacrificed of themselves to do good works, and they held up under pressure, (patience endurance).  They did not tolerate evil people.  They also checked out those who were suppose to be teachers and preachers of the Word to find out if they truly were what they claimed to be and discovered that some were not and dealt with them.  Paul warned them that false teachers would come and try to infiltrate among them.  John wrote a letter about this, (2John).

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This entire letter of Revelations is important, however I believe that these seven letters within this letter show exactly what Christ wants from His Church and His people and it is good to get an idea of what this is.  In this first letter Christ is looking for hard working people who are patience, and who hold up well under fire, and who also are diligent to check out if what people say about themselves is true.

 

The Word of God was again challenging to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I believe that the Lord is asking me to hold up well under the pressures of what I am going through with this job that He has sent me on, for after all I am working for the Lord.