Revelation 3 (NIV)

Summary:

To the Church in Sardis
Verses 1-6

Description of Christ:  He holds the 7 spirits (or the sevenfold spirit) and the 7 stars.
Praise:  Some of them have not soiled their clothes, so they will walk with Him, dressed in white, because they are worthy.
Warning:  They have a reputation for being alive, but they are actually dead.  Wake up!  Strengthen what is left and about to die.  Their deeds are incomplete in God's eyes.  Remember what you've received and heard.  Obey it and repent.  If you don't wake up, He will come like a thief, when you don't expect Him.
Reward:  Those that overcome will be dressed in white.  He will never blot out their names from the book of life.  He will acknowledge their names before the Father and His angels.  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  (Verse 6)

To the Church in Philadelphia
Verses 7-13

Description of Christ:  He is holy and true.  He holds the key of David.  What He opens, no one can shut.  What He shuts, no one can open. 
Praise:  He knows their deeds.  He has opened a door before them that no one can shut.  They have little strength, but have kept His word and have not denied His name.  They have kept His commands and endured patiently.  He will keep them from the hour of trial and what will happen to the whole world, to test those living on earth.
Warning:  Those of the synagogue of Satan, claiming to be Jews, but are not, are liars.  He will make them fall at the feet of the Philadelphians and acknowledge that God has loved them.  He is coming soon, so hold on to what you have, so no one will take your crown.
Reward:  Those that overcome, He will make a pillar in God's temple.  They will never leave it again.  He will write on them God's name; the name of God's city, that is the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven; and the new name of Jesus.   "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  (Verse 13)

To the Church in Laodicea
Verses 14-22

Description of Christ:  He is the Amen.  He is the faithful and true witness.  He is the ruler of God's creation.
Warning:  He knows their deeds.  They are neither hot nor cold.  Since they are lukewarm, He is about to spit them out of His mouth.  They claim to be rich and that they don't need anything.  In actuality, they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.  Christ counsels them to buy from Him gold refined in fire, so they can be rich; white clothes to cover their shameful nakedness; and salve for their eyes, so they can see.  He rebukes and disciplines those He loves.  Be earnest and repent.  "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and him with me."  (Verse 20)
Reward:  To them that overcome, He will give the right to sit with Him on His throne, just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne.  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  (Verse 22)

Lori's Thoughts:

Description of Jesus:  He holds the key of David.  Christ knocks on our hearts.  If we open our hearts to Him, maybe this is when He opens doorways for us.  If we open doorways to evil spirits by knowingly or unknowingly getting involved in the occult or worshiping a false god, that is a demon or the devil, and God closes these doors when we confess our sins and submit to Him, then He can open a doorway with us when we worship Him, to connect with the Holy Spirit.  Remember, we cannot serve two masters, so we must expel sin from our lives once we accept Christ as our Savior.  The Holy Spirit helps us do this by bringing our sin to our attention.  I know He has for me.

Praise:  Sometimes good people die.  We should not fear the first death.  If your life is in His hands, He may give you rest until the hour of trial is over and it is time to wake up and go Home.  Remember, His will be done, not ours.  My brother had an adopted father, in Christ.  Mr. Maisu.  He was a good man and a good father.  After having been abused by our biological father, it was a blessing to see a loving and selfless man.  Mr. Maisu died of cancer.  Our father is still alive (we haven't lived with him for 10 years).  Some may see this as unfair.  But, we are limited in our thinking.  We see the present only.  God sees all - the beginning, middle, and end.  I believe we will see Mr. Maisu, completely healthy, in heaven.  I believe God is gracious enough to give my biological father time to submit to Him.  God is loving, patient, forgiving, and just.  I praise Him!

Warning:  Be dead to sin and alive in Christ.  This is truly living.  You'll know it when you experience it.  Desire the things of God, not of this world.  Money just brings problems.  The more money you get, the more pride, greed, and loneliness you'll receive.  Your desire and dependency on God diminishes.  Wake up!  God desires to give us what is truly valuable.  There's the story of the blind man, where Jesus spits in dirt to make a salve to plaster on the man's eyes.  He told the blind man to go wash it off and his sight would be restored.  In Revelation, Christ is speaking of spiritual blindness.  He can help us see that our worldly desires are for Satan's bait, which leads to eternal death.  Let us taste and see that God is good and wants us to have eternal life.

Reward:  Christ can present us before the Father as holy and blameless.  Though our sins be as scarlet, we will be "dressed in white".  We will be with God forever in the heavenly temple.  He will seal us, spiritually, with His name.  He claims us.  The devil is trying to claim us as well.  Don't give him a foothold.  We now suffer with Christ, on this earth.  In heaven, we will reign with Christ.