Ephesus
As I begin with the seven churches, the first one is Ephesus and the next as they are listed in Revelation, chapters 1-3. What the readers will see is, Jesus commended the church for doing a good work; He also told the church He had something against them.
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him [this is not the rapture, but the second coming].
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“To the angel [pastor] of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.
And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
The internet- Forty years after the establishment of the church in Ephesus, they still held to sound doctrine and worked ardently for the Lord, yet they did not love Him as much as they did at the beginning. They lost red-hot love for the Lord. This was so serious that He said in the next verse that He would remove the church from existence if they did not deal with it.
Do you remember how you were on fire for the Lord after being born again? Well, it is probably the same with most Christians. But as time goes on, your passion for the Lord seems to grow colder and colder.
There is a possibility that even though they held on to sound doctrine, they could leave their first love because of their surroundings. Not only that, but it also had to be a real struggle to not be affected by other ungodly things in Ephesus. Many unsaved people worshipped the goddess, Diana. The church of our time is affected by all kinds of ungodliness, and it seems to have left her first love; the fervor is gone.
These messages from John who was instructed by Jesus, is for churches of all times- Take heed and listen to what the Spirit is saying to all churches.
Next- The Church at Pergamos – Doctrine of Balaam
His handmaiden, Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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