The Church of Ephesus was, if not founded, certainly heavily influenced by the beloved Apostle Paul. Paul had written a letter to the Ephesians a few years before this church was brought up in Revelation, and had instructed them and encouraged them on a number of issues in relation to Christ's love and love for one another.
Paul, as in Revelation commends the Ephesian church for their stand on Christ Jesus, and in chapters 2 and 3 of Ephesians he stresses the importance of unity, Christ's peace, and accepting one another regardless of their backgrounds. He later in his letter to them writes of love in the home as well as love within the church.
So, what happened that Christ would bring this charge to the church in Revelation 2? Here then is a Gleaning from Revelation 2:1-7
" I know the hard work you have already done; your labors, toils and troubles, and your patient endurance.You are persistent in the Doctrine of Faith, and I love the fact you do not tolerate the teachings or even the advice from workers of evil, examining all who call themselves "special messengers of Christ"...only to find them in reality nothing more than impostors and liars.
You have had to put up with much, for My Sake, and yet you have not gotten tired or exhausted from all the things others "throw" at you...simply refusing to become weary.
Yet, with all that, I do bring a serious charge against you: in the process of standing up against so many things...You lost Me....You lost the real reason we came together in the very first place...you have left the most important part of the "equation of Life"...the very thing that makes us one....you have lost your love for Me.
You have fallen from great heights in regards to loving Me and loving one another. It is of utmost necessity you return...to Me. Stir up those things in your hearts that remind you when you first met Me, the gentle words and kind thoughts we shared with one another.
For if you choose to "take this road" of hardness, having perhaps all the right doctrine, yet not having a relationship with Me....it will amount to nothing! I will come and extinguish the light you now have...it won't work your way....only being sound in what you say, in what you do, and in what you believe...if there is no love between us.
I do appreciate your stand and take notice of how you reject and abhor the teachings of the Nicolaitans...I hate that as well!
But you must understand it is of supreme importance you concentrate on Love....love for Me and for one another. Hear what I am saying...you must overcome and be victorious in this...this is the very Life of the church....this is the Life for which you uphold...that is to Love...with all your hearts!"
As I give thought to this warning given by Christ Jesus, this can be as a "wake-up" call. As I prepare for Lent, this one thing becomes more obvious and important to me: people everywhere are starving...starving for love...not an "eros" love as in romance, not even a "phileo" love as in brotherly love....it is the Agape love.....God's love in each individual heart.
Agape love can not be given by simply preaching, or studying, or defending something you know is right...Agape love is only received by taking time to be with Christ Jesus...in prayer, or in devotion, or just being in His Presence, and allowing Him to fill you with His "agape" love.
Have you ever been around or seen a movie where there is a good family....no divorce, parents seem to get along, kids are nice and obedient...yet there seems to be something missing? The family is very "religious" in nature, and there is a seemingly perfect, systematic order to what they do....yet...something isn't quite right? In fact, you feel that way to the point you would never really want to be a part of that family?
A little further investigation reveals things, things like: a coldness the father has toward his own son or daughter, a mother who is so devoted to her husband she does whatever he says...like sending a child to bed because it is time to go to bed...and ignoring the tears coming from the child's eyes because of an incident that had happened earlier that day, or everyone getting ready to go to church because "you must honor the Lord"....yet the heart of a child already building up a bitterness within because he/she hates the thought of even doing so....and nobody taking the time to find out or explain what or why those feelings are there.
I think that is why Christ Jesus put this charge against the church of Ephesus....without His love as our main motivator to sharing the Good News....it is useless.
Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.
Paul, as in Revelation commends the Ephesian church for their stand on Christ Jesus, and in chapters 2 and 3 of Ephesians he stresses the importance of unity, Christ's peace, and accepting one another regardless of their backgrounds. He later in his letter to them writes of love in the home as well as love within the church.
So, what happened that Christ would bring this charge to the church in Revelation 2? Here then is a Gleaning from Revelation 2:1-7
" I know the hard work you have already done; your labors, toils and troubles, and your patient endurance.You are persistent in the Doctrine of Faith, and I love the fact you do not tolerate the teachings or even the advice from workers of evil, examining all who call themselves "special messengers of Christ"...only to find them in reality nothing more than impostors and liars.
You have had to put up with much, for My Sake, and yet you have not gotten tired or exhausted from all the things others "throw" at you...simply refusing to become weary.
Yet, with all that, I do bring a serious charge against you: in the process of standing up against so many things...You lost Me....You lost the real reason we came together in the very first place...you have left the most important part of the "equation of Life"...the very thing that makes us one....you have lost your love for Me.
You have fallen from great heights in regards to loving Me and loving one another. It is of utmost necessity you return...to Me. Stir up those things in your hearts that remind you when you first met Me, the gentle words and kind thoughts we shared with one another.
For if you choose to "take this road" of hardness, having perhaps all the right doctrine, yet not having a relationship with Me....it will amount to nothing! I will come and extinguish the light you now have...it won't work your way....only being sound in what you say, in what you do, and in what you believe...if there is no love between us.
I do appreciate your stand and take notice of how you reject and abhor the teachings of the Nicolaitans...I hate that as well!
But you must understand it is of supreme importance you concentrate on Love....love for Me and for one another. Hear what I am saying...you must overcome and be victorious in this...this is the very Life of the church....this is the Life for which you uphold...that is to Love...with all your hearts!"
As I give thought to this warning given by Christ Jesus, this can be as a "wake-up" call. As I prepare for Lent, this one thing becomes more obvious and important to me: people everywhere are starving...starving for love...not an "eros" love as in romance, not even a "phileo" love as in brotherly love....it is the Agape love.....God's love in each individual heart.
Agape love can not be given by simply preaching, or studying, or defending something you know is right...Agape love is only received by taking time to be with Christ Jesus...in prayer, or in devotion, or just being in His Presence, and allowing Him to fill you with His "agape" love.
Have you ever been around or seen a movie where there is a good family....no divorce, parents seem to get along, kids are nice and obedient...yet there seems to be something missing? The family is very "religious" in nature, and there is a seemingly perfect, systematic order to what they do....yet...something isn't quite right? In fact, you feel that way to the point you would never really want to be a part of that family?
A little further investigation reveals things, things like: a coldness the father has toward his own son or daughter, a mother who is so devoted to her husband she does whatever he says...like sending a child to bed because it is time to go to bed...and ignoring the tears coming from the child's eyes because of an incident that had happened earlier that day, or everyone getting ready to go to church because "you must honor the Lord"....yet the heart of a child already building up a bitterness within because he/she hates the thought of even doing so....and nobody taking the time to find out or explain what or why those feelings are there.
I think that is why Christ Jesus put this charge against the church of Ephesus....without His love as our main motivator to sharing the Good News....it is useless.
Lent can be a journey accompanied by Christ Jesus...to the Cross.
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