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Returning to our first love! “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary, But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place-unless you repent.” Rev. 2:2-5. Here Jesus first commends the Ephesian church for their deeds, toil, and perseverance. They had rid the church of evil men and endured without growing weary. What wonderful praise from the Lord Jesus Christ. A church in this situation today would be considered a very spiritual and healthy church by many standards. Why did Jesus call them to repent? Because, to Jesus, it is not acceptable for a believer to have drifted away from their first love. If we have drifted away from our first love, we also must repent and return to that first love. I remember when I first came to Jesus I wanted nothing else but Jesus. I wanted to spend most of my time talking with Him, reading His love letter to us the Bible, worshiping and praising Him. I just wanted Jesus and wanted others to know Him also. Though everyone’s first love may vary, there are many similarities. The result of this love is to want to obey God in everything! No need for pressure from the outside, everything within me wanted to totally serve the Lord Jesus Christ. What can cause this first love to fade? The cares of this world can take so much time that we stop spending the needed time communicating with God. It is so easy to begin to gradually love the things of this world in a desire to be like everyone else. The Bible says we cannot love God and this world also. Over business is deadly to our walk with God in this life. Also, if we are too busy doing activity for God that we do not have much time to pray, we are way too busy. Another big love of God killer is the love of money. It is so easy to fall in love with money and not realize it. Are our decisions made by what is most financially profitable or by what is of God? Are we trusting in our bank accounts and jobs or in God who is our provider? The Bible says we cannot love God and money also. Filling our mind, eyes, and ears with things that are not pleasing to God grieves the Holy Spirit and affects our intimacy with God. There are many other things that can affect our love for God. God will have to show each person what those things in their lives are that are hurting their love relation with Jesus Christ if one needs to renew their first love. We must repent from these things and surrender our heart anew totally to God our creator. Coming back to our first love for those who need to is not an option. Jesus commanded the Ephesian church to repent and return to that fist love and He extends that same call to those who have left their first love! This will also result in us doing the deeds we did at first or even greater deeds from a heart of total love for God. The greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matt. 22:37 Ted Parks, servant of Jesus Christ
A Call to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:26,27 NASV Here Jesus is talking about the cost of discipleship. In this verse the word hate is used to show the extreme contrast between our love for Jesus and our love for our family. Yes, we are called to love our family as well as all people, yet, in comparison to our love for God it is more like the difference between hate and love. When Matthew shares this contrast, he writes that we must not love our family more than God. Of course we would not usually admit that we love our family more than Jesus. But let us look at our lives. Are our decisions that we make, time that we spend, money that we use, and etc. more influenced by the Lord Jesus Christ and His desire for our lives or by our families desires. As long as we are seeking God first and His kingdom and righteousness, as a result we will be able to effectively love and minister to our family where they need it. Yet, God must always be first and the one that directs our decisions. Jesus then goes on to say that we must hate even our own lives. This is clearified by Him saying that we must take up our cross and follow Him to be His disciple. Jesus never taught less than total surrender for those who follow Him! The cross is for dying on, therefore we are to live a life of death to this world and its desires and be totally submitted to Jesus' direction and plan for us. It is not to be my will but Jesus' will. It is not to be my desires but Jesus' desires for my life. When I came to Jesus I gave Him my whole life, giving up my right to be Lord of my own life and gave that right over to Jesus. The best life that we can live is the one God has for us. Sometimes it can be hard with many things that we do not understand. Other times there is great blessing and joy. This life is only temporary. Life with Jesus will be forever. Let us keep our eyes on the eternal and live our lives totally sold out to Jesus Christ! Ted Parks, servant of Jesus Christ. |
