The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life

Words of Faith 11-13-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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Revelation 2

        [6]  But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [7]  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

        The Lord brought the words of encouragement and rebuke through John the Apostle. These are thoughts and imperatives that search the heart of any believer in any age. You need to remember and pursue your first love. Get your agape back.

         But there was one more thing. It was actually an encouragement. You have this going for you. You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  

          Okay. Now we might think this was some small thing, but the Lord made a pretty big deal about it. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is the paradise of God. Now that sounds big.

          So, who were these Nicolaitans? And why would Jesus hate them? Now, let’s be careful. He actually hates the practices or works of the Nicolaitans, not the Nicolaitans themselves.

           As near as we can tell, this was a gnostic group, according to early church father Irenaeus. We might call them a religious cult today. They were a heretical splinter group in the early church who taught immorality and idolatry.         They may have also given in to the demand to worship the emperor by burning incense to his statue.

           These things of the world are not an option for believers. Are we listening? He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

            Another way to say that is-- Who has your ear? Are you listening more to the world or the Word? Are you listening more to your feelings or to the Spirit of God within you? Are you listening to the accusations of your past? Or more to your peers? We need to hear what the Spirit says.

           The Spirit says that we must recapture our first love.            Simply working hard is not enough. Simply holding to doctrinal integrity is not enough. Simply patiently enduring hard times is not enough. And simply hating the works of evil that Jesus also hates is not enough.

            We must remember, repent, and revive. This is the path to conquering the enemy that targeted us. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ 

         Father God, cleanse me. Purify my heart. Keep my spirit and my path clear from the draw of the world. Keep me from those places of compromise that would draw me away from the tree of life. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.