It is a marvel to me there isn't more preaching on Revelation, Chapters Two and Three. Maybe it's because these two chapters are a love letter to the Bride and those who are merely church attenders are blind and deaf to it.

Here we have the rewards, the goals of our salvation. They are spelled out for us.

We have made our own goals such as eternal residence in a mansion doing nothing, a harp (are you into harps?), golden slippers (they hurt the feet), and acres of diamonds. It's funny that none of these appear here as rewards to the overcomer. Maybe they are the rewards to the nonovercomer, the defeated believer.

The main idea of these two ignored chapters is that salvation is expressed in works. The Lord keeps talking about works.

Oh, now Reverend Thompson is saying we are saved by works. No, Reverend Thompson is not saying we are saved by works. Reverend Thompson is saying if we really are saved we are going to obey God's commandments.

If we are Christians we are supposed to act like it.

Revelation Two and Three are about righteous behavior. If you behave righteously you will sit in the throne. If you don't you stand in danger of being blotted from the Book of Life. The Lord doesn't talk about your faith but about your works.

Maybe this is why the two chapters are ignored. They don't fit current theology.

I will now quit harping about righteous behavior and get to the point of this essay the rewards to the victorious saint.

First I better talk about what it means to be a conqueror, an overcomer, a victorious saint, a winner. The opposite is to be a loser, a defeated believer.

Each day there is something God wants you to do. If you are doing it, you are an overcomer. If you are not doing it, you are a loser. (And you thought you were going to hear something profound!)

We get talked out of our assurance. We are convinced no one could ever do God's perfect will. Horsefeathers! Of course you can do God's perfect will. It is Satan, not God, you can never please.

So we walk around with a guilty conscience, afraid if we hear from God He will tell us to do some fantastic thing impossible to us. Satan is running a bluff on us.

Right now, before you go to work, tell God today you, with His help, are going to do His perfect will. "Show me what to do and with Your help I will do it."

Now the ball is in God's court.

Do what He tells you to do. He will help you. Now you are an overcomer, a victorious saint, a winner. That wasn't so painful was it?

Tomorrow you have to do the same thing. And the next day. And the next for eternity.

Satan tries to make it complicated but actually all there is to it is what we just said.

To be continued.