I have often heard this part of scripture spoken in a variety of ways and uses in my own lifetime: "Return (or Go Back) to your first love". For example, as St. Valentine's Day approaches, many lovers will recant this partial verse to emphasize their want to keep a relationship on "fire"....., while others have quoted this text to reinforce a cause....giving to the needy for example.
It's a popular phrase that has been quoted, misquoted, and quite frankly, used in ways I don't think it was originally intended.
I seem to hear things like that quite often....you know, things like "Money is the root of all evil...it says that in the Bible you know!" No, that is not what the Bible says...it says: "the love of money is the root of all evil". Or I hear stuff that is not even in the Bible but people say it is, like: "Godliness is next to cleanliness". I think people who hear or read words that end in "iness"...think it must be from the Bible, that's my guess anyway.
Revelation 2:1-7 is one full of impact to anyone who has made the decision to follow Him. The book itself, Revelation is an amazing collection of a vision given to John (many deem this to be the Apostle John), and has always been one of the books of the Bible that grabs the world's interest as to it's meaning and what lays hold for the future of mankind. The word Armageddon alone has almost become a generic word....just the other day at work a guy seemed a little down, I happened to walk by and say, "Hey..you doin' alright? (I happen to know his wife as well)...he said, "Well, not really...work is fine..but home...it's Armageddon."
Now in chapter 2 of Revelation, Christ Jesus makes an amazing statement. He puts a charge to the Church of Ephesus saying: "I have this against you, you have lost your First Love." Christ went on to say that if they don't find a way to return to their "First Love", He will be forced to remove the "Light" from the church itself.
Ok, that is heavy! That is something none of us would want Him to do....to any believer. So, that being said, I would have to conclude He definitely got our attention!
So, my first thought is: "What's up with Ephesus?" John himself when writing this letter was on the island of Patmos, a place with a whole lot of rocks and not much plant life. It is an island approximately 8 miles long and 5 miles wide. It is located about 40 miles off the mainland of Asia and was about 65 miles from Ephesus (if there were a straight road by today's standard...about an hour's drive).
It isn't exactly clear as to how John ended up there, nor is it a 100% certain he was a prisoner. What is clear is the fact one of the rulers of the Asian province had sent John there, so most likely John had said some things (speaking of our freedom in Christ Jesus) that "rubbed" people the wrong way...and so he was sent to a "vacation spot" on the island of Patmos.
It is here he wrote the letter to the "7 churches", beginning with Ephesus.
Ephesus...during the era John lived...this was a "real happening place". The impression I get from reading on the history of Ephesus, it would be like planning a trip to "Vegas".
From a worldly view, this place was "alive"....with plenty to enjoy in reference to getting drunk or having sex. In fact, Ephesus had made a religion that encouraged those of that faith to have sex (with Priestesses at the Temple of Diana or she went by another title: goddess of Artemis), which by the way traces back to the land of Canaan...the one Israel was suppose to destroy when they entered the Promised Land, but didn't...probably for similar reasons the people of Ephesus had her in high esteem as well.
Ephesus! What a city! It is thought around 250,000 called this place their home. Ephesus was a harbor city, in fact, the largest in Asia at the time of John's writing. Basically, anyone travelling from Asia to Rome... went through Ephesus.
Now, as far as the worship of Diana... this was the "in-thing" to do at Ephesus! The temple of Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the world!!...at the time.
Here is where you would always take something home with you when you came to Ephesus and visited the Temple of Diana.
It was like when you plan a vacation, and you pick up all the "trinkets" that shows you were there. Here, in the area where I live in Ohio for example, Cedar Point is a popular place to go....it is the "Roller Coaster Amusement Park" of the world! I have magnetic stuff on my refrigerator that spells out "Cedar Point", hats that say "Cedar Point"...and of course T-shirts...what would we do without our advertised T-shirts?
Well, Ephesus wasn't any different. At that time, having little silver models of the Temple of Diana was the hot commodity!....how do we know? Because there was a guy named Paul, a believer in Christ Jesus who lived in Ephesus for a time and when he preached the Good News of Jesus...sales of the model shrines plummeted. Needless to say, those who refused to accept the Gospel which Paul proclaimed...didn't have any "love in the house" for Paul.
Ephesus did not stop there...there were other attractions you could see and visit! They had temples to emperors, who were considered gods...like Claudius and the infamous Nero. And, if you were concerned about your life and it's future: sorcery, magic, and fortune-telling were readily available!
Yet, in all the "plagues of sin" that were upon Ephesus...there was a church...a church that proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and King......
It's a popular phrase that has been quoted, misquoted, and quite frankly, used in ways I don't think it was originally intended.
I seem to hear things like that quite often....you know, things like "Money is the root of all evil...it says that in the Bible you know!" No, that is not what the Bible says...it says: "the love of money is the root of all evil". Or I hear stuff that is not even in the Bible but people say it is, like: "Godliness is next to cleanliness". I think people who hear or read words that end in "iness"...think it must be from the Bible, that's my guess anyway.
Revelation 2:1-7 is one full of impact to anyone who has made the decision to follow Him. The book itself, Revelation is an amazing collection of a vision given to John (many deem this to be the Apostle John), and has always been one of the books of the Bible that grabs the world's interest as to it's meaning and what lays hold for the future of mankind. The word Armageddon alone has almost become a generic word....just the other day at work a guy seemed a little down, I happened to walk by and say, "Hey..you doin' alright? (I happen to know his wife as well)...he said, "Well, not really...work is fine..but home...it's Armageddon."
Now in chapter 2 of Revelation, Christ Jesus makes an amazing statement. He puts a charge to the Church of Ephesus saying: "I have this against you, you have lost your First Love." Christ went on to say that if they don't find a way to return to their "First Love", He will be forced to remove the "Light" from the church itself.
Ok, that is heavy! That is something none of us would want Him to do....to any believer. So, that being said, I would have to conclude He definitely got our attention!
So, my first thought is: "What's up with Ephesus?" John himself when writing this letter was on the island of Patmos, a place with a whole lot of rocks and not much plant life. It is an island approximately 8 miles long and 5 miles wide. It is located about 40 miles off the mainland of Asia and was about 65 miles from Ephesus (if there were a straight road by today's standard...about an hour's drive).
It isn't exactly clear as to how John ended up there, nor is it a 100% certain he was a prisoner. What is clear is the fact one of the rulers of the Asian province had sent John there, so most likely John had said some things (speaking of our freedom in Christ Jesus) that "rubbed" people the wrong way...and so he was sent to a "vacation spot" on the island of Patmos.
It is here he wrote the letter to the "7 churches", beginning with Ephesus.
Ephesus...during the era John lived...this was a "real happening place". The impression I get from reading on the history of Ephesus, it would be like planning a trip to "Vegas".
From a worldly view, this place was "alive"....with plenty to enjoy in reference to getting drunk or having sex. In fact, Ephesus had made a religion that encouraged those of that faith to have sex (with Priestesses at the Temple of Diana or she went by another title: goddess of Artemis), which by the way traces back to the land of Canaan...the one Israel was suppose to destroy when they entered the Promised Land, but didn't...probably for similar reasons the people of Ephesus had her in high esteem as well.
Ephesus! What a city! It is thought around 250,000 called this place their home. Ephesus was a harbor city, in fact, the largest in Asia at the time of John's writing. Basically, anyone travelling from Asia to Rome... went through Ephesus.
Now, as far as the worship of Diana... this was the "in-thing" to do at Ephesus! The temple of Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the world!!...at the time.
Here is where you would always take something home with you when you came to Ephesus and visited the Temple of Diana.
It was like when you plan a vacation, and you pick up all the "trinkets" that shows you were there. Here, in the area where I live in Ohio for example, Cedar Point is a popular place to go....it is the "Roller Coaster Amusement Park" of the world! I have magnetic stuff on my refrigerator that spells out "Cedar Point", hats that say "Cedar Point"...and of course T-shirts...what would we do without our advertised T-shirts?
Well, Ephesus wasn't any different. At that time, having little silver models of the Temple of Diana was the hot commodity!....how do we know? Because there was a guy named Paul, a believer in Christ Jesus who lived in Ephesus for a time and when he preached the Good News of Jesus...sales of the model shrines plummeted. Needless to say, those who refused to accept the Gospel which Paul proclaimed...didn't have any "love in the house" for Paul.
Ephesus did not stop there...there were other attractions you could see and visit! They had temples to emperors, who were considered gods...like Claudius and the infamous Nero. And, if you were concerned about your life and it's future: sorcery, magic, and fortune-telling were readily available!
Yet, in all the "plagues of sin" that were upon Ephesus...there was a church...a church that proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and King......
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