23 August 2007
Rhema Inspiration
Our Truth for Today messages are
intended not only to share truth but to encourage
disciples of Jesus Christ to search out
truth. Second Timothy 2:15 exhorts us to study the
Word of God, and John 8:31-32 teaches us that true
disciples will continue in the Word and, as a result,
they will know truth and will be made free.
How did the church at Ephesus move
from being commended for their love and faith in
Ephesians 2:15 to being admonished by the Head of the
Church for leaving their first love in Revelation 2:
4-5? The church at Ephesus had received a letter
from Paul with a fresh and more complete revelation of
Jesus Christ and His body, the Church. Within a
few years, they were receiving a message from the Lord
through the apostle John to repent, or else Jesus
Christ, Himself, would come quickly and remove their
lampstand from its place.
The last thing the people at
Ephesus expected to hear was a reprimand, a major
reprimand! Can you imagine how proud they were of their
accomplishments? Do you visualize them smiling and
holding their heads high and their backs straight as
they hear the first few words of their letter from
Jesus Himself? Then they hear the words,
“Nevertheless I have this against you
…” Some must have thought, “This
cannot be right, not me, not us.” The messenger
may have hurried through that part and moved on to,
“But this you have …”
What does Church history reveal
about the church at Ephesus? Did she
hear? Was she a hearer and a doer? Did she
repent and return to her first love and do the first
works? Or was her lampstand removed?
Human nature is the same today as
always. There are numerous churches that are busy
with good works that make up a good resume. The
people are happy with themselves; they are becoming
known in widespread places for all that they are
doing. They publicize near and far the “good
news” of all that they are doing, and their
membership is growing by leaps and bounds because
people want to be a part of this great work. But what
is their first love?
Most of the Church has moved past
her modern messages and are now beaming out postmodern
messages that are promoted as being up-to-date and
relevant. She is dressing and acting like the
world to reach the world. She is presenting a message
that pleases and soothes the soul. She is smiling, she
is proud, with head held high! Don’t dare
tell her that she needs to repent, and definitely
don’t add, “or else …”
_____________________________
BIBLICAL APPLICATION:
Nevertheless I have this against
you, that you have left your first love. Remember
therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the
first works, or else I will come to you quickly and
remove your lampstand from its place—unless you
repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of
the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. “He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise
of God.”’ Revelation 2:4-7 NKJV
Pastor Wayne Wilson
New Covenant Church of Jesus
Christ
3147 Klondike Road, SW, Conyers,
GA 30094 USA
770-760-1101
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© 2007 New Covenant Church of
Jesus Christ, Conyers, GA USA
www.JesusAndHisWord.org
