Open Door

I feel like this Scripture might be for someone reading my blog, or to share with a friend...

What's the open door the Lord has set before you?

http://bible.us/Rev3.8.ESV "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

First Love

I will be preaching tomorrow (Sunday) at The Chapel in Somerset, KY. The section of Scripture I plan to preach from is Revelation 2:1-7. God has been doing a work in my own heart as I have prepared for this message... Have I left my first love?

Take a look below at Jesus's letter to Ephesus and try not to be challenged! The version I used below is the Amplified version...

1TO THE angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him Who holds the seven stars [which are the messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, Who goes about among the seven golden lampstands [which are the seven churches]:

2I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.

3I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.

4But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

5Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

6Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest.

7He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Intimate

I read this morning from the book of Revelation, specifically the letter to the church in Ephesus in chapter 2. To each church Jesus introduces Himself in a particular way, and to this church, he states,

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.'"

Jesus goes on to tell this church that they had left their first love. They were busy working for Him, but had fallen out of love with Him - something we all can do.

The way Jesus introduced Himself seemed to be specific to this church as He knew their spiritual condition. Knowing they had fallen out of love with Him, He introduces Himself in a way that speaks of intimacy.

He speaks of holding the stars (angels - or messengers - as he states in the previous chapter) in his right hand. What a phenomenal and intimate thing to be held in the hand of God! He then says that he walks among the seven churches (lampstands). Again, another picture of intimacy. He walks among the churches. He is well familiar with our ways, our heart, our struggles, our passions, our shortcomings, our victories... Even the very number of the hairs on our head are known to Him.

He is well acquainted and intimate with us.

My encouragement today would be for us to respond to his invitation to intimacy with Himself, the God of the Universe. That we wouldn't distance ourselves from God with worldly distractions and sin, but that we would lay down all other loves, casting down our idols, to be most intimate with the Most High.

A Deadly Neglect

You can be doing things right, and in the midst of the right, be treacherously wrong. You can be walking in holiness, serving the family of God, performing good works with toil and patient endurance for the Master, and yet neglect the Master altogether, a potentially deadly mistake.

I venture to say deadly from what we read in the letter to Ephesus in Revelation 2. The church in Ephesus were commended by Jesus this way...

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.

I would love to hear this from the Master! He is commending them on their good works. However, the next thing He says is...

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

In the midst of their good works, the Ephesians had left their first love. In working for the Master, they forgot about the Master Himself. Here, we see Jesus's heart to have true intimacy and a love relationship with His Bride, His people. And we also see the potentially eternally deadly consequence of abandoning our first love - I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

In the midst of our work for God, we cannot forget or neglect a heart beating with love and passion for Him. In the midst of doing right for Him, we cannot neglect Him. Mike Bickle said, "there are lovers and there are workers, and lovers get more work done than do workers." Jesus is the lover of our soul, the One passion and longing of our hearts!

If you have fallen out of love with the Master, heed the loving, and I emphasize loving, words of Jesus and repent, today. Let's do the works we did when we first met our Savior and fell in love with Him.