Conference yukon::christian_v7

Revelation 2:1-7 Ephesus :
   "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
    churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, 
    which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

That tree of life is a fascinating item.  It's available in the centre of
the garden of Eden, at the dawn of time, along with the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil [Genesis 2:9].  These two trees hold a
mysterious access to the spiritual dimension.  Adam and Eve were permitted
to eat from the tree of life, but they didn't.  They weren't permitted to 
eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil - but they did, thereby 
entering the dimension of sin.  Eating from the tree of life would have 
locked them into sinfulness for eternity, so God stepped in immediately and 
protected them from this by keeping them away from the garden - and putting 
angels to prevent them entering [Genesis 3:22,:24].

Had Adam and Eve resisted temptation, and instead first eaten from the tree 
of life, partaking of the then permitted eternal access, the course of 
creation would have been totally different.  But it wasn't, and in a sense 
it's useless to conjecture over what might have been.

As it was, a Saviour was needed, and has been provided.  Currently we live 
in a state of 'being sanctified'.  However, when we see Jesus, we shall be 
like Him ... 1 John 3:2 [therefore endeavouring also to purify ourselves...]
After that glorious transformation, sin will be no part of us .... and - 
once again the tree of life is available!

Ezekiel 47:12 refers to some mysterious fruit trees of all kinds, which grow 
beside the miracle-working waters of the river from the temple.  Their
fruit is food, and their leaves are for healing.  Reminiscent of Psalm 1:3.
These trees are not just an isolated enigma.  Their description has
significant parallels with a certain avenue mentioned in Revelation 22:2 : 

   "...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..."

The tree of life again - that renewal to Eden, although man took the fruit 
in the wrong order...  Of course, the rest of Revelation 22 is thrilling, 
but it was the tree that I wanted to highlight, and I don't want to lose 
sight of it in the wealth of glory.... ;-)

   "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is 
    wise."
							Proverbs 11:30


I will rejoice to meet you as we eat that health-giving fruit, from the 
bounty of our glorious God, and trough His boundless compassion and love.


							Andrew

Revelation 2:8-11 Smyrna :
   "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
    churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."


In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were cut off from life.  From the fellowship of
walking with God in perfect innocence, they suddenly found what it was to
be tainted and ashamed; unable to go where previously was their greatest 
delight.  That nourishing fellowship with the Source of life had, by an 
act of disobedience, become death - they could only hide.  The knowledge of 
good and evil had opened their eyes to the pit of hell over which they were 
poised; a seemingly inevitable eternal death.  Physical death had become 
the lot of all mankind.  The infinitely more dreadful second death gaped 
before them, where the protective screen of the fleshly body melts away.

Only two of the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 have no criticism at all.  
Smyrna is one of these.  But how many of us would rather have the message 
they received?
	"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer....
	    The devil will put some of you in prison to test you....
		You will suffer persecution for ten days....
		    Be faithful, even to the point of death....
			- and I will give you the crown of life!"


Don't all God's children receive the crown of life? - but it's the active
faithfulness that is the evidence, even to us ourselves, that we are who we 
claim to be.  That it rests not just on our word, and certainly not on our 
deeds - but on His work.  The faithful deeds are the demonstration that we 
are strangers and aliens in this world, and have values and a reality whose
attaining supersedes transient mortal ambition or existance.  We are 
citizens of a world to come.

The increasing intensity of persecution is met by the very real presence
and assurance of the LORD.  And in the face of the ultimate sacrifice -
physical death - comes the reminder to the faithful in Smyrna that nothing
will take away their eternity.  However sore the devil's taunts and tests, 
however black the depression he is allowed to pull out of his weaponry, 
_he_ is the one who wil be in eternal exile, because they - we - will be 
with the LORD for eternity.  Not in that eternal doom, devoid of light, the 
second death, which not only cannot consume us; the text of Revelation 2:11 
makes it clear that it cannot touch us.  Remember the fiery furnace of 
Daniel 3:...15...27, which didn't even leave a charred smell on Hananiah, 
Mishael and Azariah, but burnt only their bonds...

   "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of 
    fire is the second death."
							Revelation 20:14

   "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They
    will be His people, and God himself will 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 or=der of things has passed away."
							Revelation 21:3-4

   "No longer will there be any curse.  The throne of God and of the Lamb 
    will be in the city, and His servant will serve Him. They will see His 
    face, and His name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more 
    night.  They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, 
    for the LORD God will give them light.  And they will reign for ever 
    and ever."
							Revelation 22:3-5

					God bless
						Andrew

Revelation 2:12-17 Pergamos :
   "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
    churches; To him that overcometh 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 that receiveth it."

MANNA - the sweet, delicate nourishment of the Israelites in the
wilderness, recorded in Exodus 16.  Unexpected, and received in just the
right amount (Exodus 16:18).  God's nourishment for His people while they 
went through the place where normal food was not easily available.

Here, we live in a world where spiritual nourishment is generally played
down.  The emphasis is put on the physical and material.  But He has given 
us a source of nourishment second to none, in the Bible, and His voice 
speaking through it.  All we need.  And we can come back to it again and 
again to get more.  Hidden from the world, who cannot appreciate it (2 
Corinthians 4:4 : The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers 
so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, 
Who is the image of God."  We are their epistle, and must live to show Him 
forth.

The manna lasted throughout their time in the wilderness.  But it stopped on 
the day they were able to feed on the harvest of the promised land (Exodus
16:35, Joshua 5:12).  When we step into heaven, the natural spiritual
nourishment there will be more complete and more available than anything we 
could start to imagine here below...

WHITE STONE
I think we've mentioned this before in here somewhere, but for completeness, 
I'll include it again.  Voting (typically for membership, say, for secret
societies) was carried out using stones.  Each person voting would put into
the bag (secret ballot) the stone which indicated his choice - black for
'NO', or white for 'YES'.  For occupancy of Heaven, God is the only one
voting, and He has put in the white stone indicating 'YES' for each of His
children. 

"...No matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ..."
							2 Corinthians 1:20


A NEW NAME written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
The name by which God knows each of us is not just a meaningless tag; a 
number, or sound.  It describes us.  Not the fallen us, in our mortality, 
but the 'us' He has in view for eternity.  It describes our position in 
the eternal Jerusalem; our function as a living stone in the structure of 
the church, the bride of Christ.

If He has shown you your name, you probably don't feel it's at all 
suitable.  It's something you could never attain; totally unlike you, and 
maybe almost embarassing to think of.  That's because you, more than anyone 
else, need to be aware of what it means; aware of mankind's inability to 
reach it in his own strength; aware of every fall from that description -
so that you will be ready to accept His strength to reach His standard in
that area.  He's got all your life to prepare you for that name, and plans
to make it complete.  - His design is for you to reach _His_ standard of
that description - not yours or mine.  No half measures, limited by human
perception, compromise or weariness are good enough.  You might get a rest
from time to time, but He will return to keep working on you. And : 

	"He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion 
	 until the day of Jesus Christ".  Philippians 1:6 

						God bless
								Andrew

Revelation 2:18-17 Thyatira :
  "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 hath an ear,
   let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

This is the only promise to the Revelation churches which has a condition
beyond that of being an overcomer.  For Thyatira, there is an extra promise for
those who remain faithful 'to the end'. 

While the church in Thyatira was commended for its deeds, love, faith service
and perseverance, it was also a church where there was gross sin. Those who
were faithful in such an environment were seen as having stood under
opposition, and shown themselves worthy.  They are promised a special place of
responsibility in God's kingdom.  The extra temptation of facing the sin met in
others is referred to in Galatians 6:1 - "Brothers, if someone is caught in a
sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.  But watch yourself, or
you also may be tempted." 

The promise has key parallels with the millennial pointers in Psalm 2 and
Revelation 19-20.  The iron sceptre of authority is referred to in Psalm 2:9
and Revelation 19:15.  The share of saints in the millennial rule is mentioned
in Revelation 20:4.  It is intersting to compare the corresponding 
circumstances.

"...to him will I give power over the nations" is a small indication of the
value God places on us, and how He longs for us to be those He can share with -
as He did with Abraham in Genesis 18:17-19:
  "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?..... I have chosen him..." 
The 'rod of iron' is the token of authority ultimately wielded by the LORD 
Jesus, and where we operate as His emissaries, we also exercise that authority. 
"I also am a man under authority" said the Roman centurion.  He meant that even 
as his word represented the authority and might, not just of him as an 
individual, but of the Roman army which gave him his position, so he could 
recognise that Jesus authority came not just from His humanity, but from His 
divinity.  Here was God speaking words which must be obeyed.
Any opposition is as effective as fighting a sword with a pottery mug.
   "as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers"


One phrase remains of the promise to the faithful overcomers of Thyatira:
	"And I will give him the morning star."

Morning stars are referred to in Job, in the context of creation:
	"...when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God
    	 shouted for joy?"
								Job 38:7

 - referring to the angels' wonder at the LORD's work of creation.  However
this is not just any morning star - there were many angels.  These are promised
'the' morning star.  And in Revelation 22:16, we are told: 

	"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
	 in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, 
	 and the bright and morning star."
						Revelation 22:16

To me, this speaks of a special access and blessing associated with the LORD 
Jesus Christ Himself.  How glorious our future will be in eternity, we cannot 
begin to fathom!

Praise the LORD! - and be faithful to Him!

								Andrew