Revelation Chapter 1- Christ speaking to John

In order for Christians and non-Christians to understand the importance of living each day on earth for Christ, we must be able to comprehend the "revelation" given to John by Jesus Christ. Using "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart as a reference, I will point out the key verses that touch my heart as important in day to day living through Christ, and expand as best as I can. The first chapter illustrates Christ Jesus and how he appeared before John.

I will paraphrase or quote the chapter below:
v 1,2 Jesus comes to John in order to address the future.
v 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 
v 4-6 A letter from John is sent to seven churches
 ⁷ “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
   and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
   and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
            So shall it be! Amen.

 ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

A voice called out behind John and told him to write down what he saw and heard on a scroll and send it to the 7 churches:
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea

v 12-20

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

   “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Image from:  
http://heavenawaits.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/7-lampstands.jpg