Revelation 2:1-4 Devotion

"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: '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; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

(Revelation 2:1-4)

Christ comes to the Ephesians as the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, that is, as One intimately aware of all that is going on in the churches. The Ephesian church is first commended for testing and rejecting false apostles. They had considerable discernment, for false teachers often appeared disguised as Angels of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15). 

They have persevered in guarding the internal doctrinal purity of the church's faith, yet have not grown weary. However, they have lost their first love. This probably means they had lost their passion for the message of the gospel. Their focus was on maintaining the inward purity of the church, for which they are commended, so the rebuke must deal with their focus toward the outside world. The mention that He walks among the seven golden lampstands is intended to remind the introverted readers that the primary role in relation to their Lord should be that of a light of witness to the outside world. A passionate love for Christ leads us to love those outside and seek to win them. This they have lost. That losing their first love was tantamount to becoming unzealous witnesses is suggested further by seeing a link with Matthew 24:12-14, which shows such an end-time expectation: "Most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." The Ephesians were to remember how far they had fallen in the loss of their first love, and to return to what they had done at first -a reference to those days in which the entire province of Asia heard the word of the Lord through Paul and the Ephesian church (Acts 19:10). Otherwise, their lampstand will be removed. Those who had contained and shed abroad so much light through their possession of truth might lose it entirely. 

(G.K. Beale)

BTW, I'd like to add that this is not to be distorted as "A little less doctrine and more love". No, the road to Christian maturity is 100% doctrine and 100% love. 

Revelation 1:16b Devotion

“In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”

(Revelation 1:16b)

His Mouth:

'Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword'. This is not to be taken literally as though a steel blade protruded from the mouth of the Lord. Rather, it means that Jesus fights His enemies (and those of His church), not with material weapons, but with His Word.  Ephesians 6:17 speaks of 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' This word is constantly going forth with supernatural power to execute judgment and to destroy the works of the evil one. One old country preacher in North Carolina once said that the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, is the only sword that you can stick into a dead man, and he becomes a living man. 

(Douglas F. Kelly)

Revelation 1:16a Devotion

“In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”

(Revelation 1:16a)

His Right Hand:

The right hand is a place of power and protection. Christ occupies this honored place on the throne with His Father (Psalm 110:1; Heb. 1:3). And in Christ's right hand are the seven stars. Stars could be angels or messengers of the churches. The idea is that Jesus never forsakes His own (for they are in His right hand), even when they pass through 'the valley of the shadow of death'. Every Christian who has died passed through physical death into the fullness of eternal life in the sheltering right hand of God Incarnate. 

(Douglas F. Kelly)

Revelation 1:15b Devotion

“His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.”

(Revelation 1:15b)

His Voice Like Many Waters:

John on the rocky coast of Patmos could hear the slam of the rough waves beating on the rocks: loud, clear and powerful. So when the Lord of the church comes in judgement, nothing can resist His coming. This imagery takes us back to (Ezekiel 43:2), where the prophet describes the glory of God as many waters: 'and His voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory.'

That voice, preceded by the sound of the angelic trumpet, will literally raise the dead (1 Cor. 15:53). That same voice is still raising the spiritually dead from sin and selfishness into a life in union with God in Christ (John 10:3). The 'many waters' they hear are those of the river of eternal life, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). 

(Douglas F. Kelly)

Revelation 1:15a Devotion

“His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.”

(Revelation 1:15a)

His Feet Like Bronze:

The idea is that of the brightness of His coming to trample underfoot His church's enemies.  As the old adage goes, 'the heels of God have lead in them, and are slow in coming. But when they come, they crush completely.' It is a bit like the flashing blue lights of a police car behind us, or the ringing siren of a red fire truck: one must get out of the way! God and His coming judgments seem unreal to us now, but one day that will be the most real thing we ever faced. Nothing else then will matter. 

(Douglas F. Kelly)

Why do I "thank" God for my faith in Christ?

Why do I "thank" God for my faith in Christ?

Because all through Scripture we read that God was entirely responsible for it. 

"Salvation belongs to the LORD!"

(Jonah 2:9)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, FAITH,”

(Galatians 5:22)

"It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for His sake."

(Philippians 1:29)

This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." 

(John 6:65)

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all."

(John 6:63)

"Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction."

(1 Thessalonians 1:5)

"To all who did receive him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(John 1:12-13)

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ HAS BEEN born of God,"

(1 John 5:1)

"No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. 

(1 Corinthians 12:3)

Jesus Christ gets ALL the glory. "For what do you have that you did not receive"(1 Cor. 4:7).

Would you rather tell God that you thank Him for everything else, but that your faith is something you came up with on your own??? Jesus Christ is the "author and perfecter of our faith" (Heb. 12:2). 

Why did I believe and not others?

What makes me differ?

Was it Jesus or something else?

I prefer to trust in what God's Word has reveled to us, that:

 “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins” 

(Colossians 2:13)

Revelation 1:14 Devotion

“His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.”

(Revelation 1:14)

His White Hair:

Again this bright, shining whiteness takes us back to Daniel, where we see a throne upon which 'the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool...(Daniel 7:9). This speaks of antiquity and absolute purity. The One who is in charge of all of the events of the rise and fall of the events of nations is eternal (not subject to the limitations of space and time as are merely earthly kings), and He is absolutely pure in heart and character, so that He is always to be trusted. 

(Douglas F. Kelly)