Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Exclusive Love
In John's amazing vision, as recorded in the first three chapters of Revelation, he saw Jesus walking in the midst of the seven New Testament churches of Asia. Christ's eyes were aflame, and he was wearing priestly clothes. It was clear that he had come to judge these churches in righteousness.
Peter wrote, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God." (1 Peter 4:17, NKJV).
As Jesus appeared among the seven churches, he began to judge them according to both the good and bad he beheld. These judgments appear in both red-letter chapters in Revelation 2 and 3, meaning every word came directly from Jesus's lips.
These seven churches were actual congregations in real localities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Laodicea and so on. However, John heard God's voice speaking not only to these particular churches but to the universal church or to every believer who looks for Jesus's soon return.
Jesus began his judgments by listing the many good things about the churches that blessed him, and he complimented each church on these things. However, he also saw several things that grieved him deeply and issued a warning to each church.
His first message was to the Christians at Ephesus, a church founded on the godly teaching of the apostle Paul. Jesus's judgment of the Ephesians was that they "have left their first love" (Revelation 2:4).
When Jesus used the words "first love," he was not speaking of the immature love we experience when we are first saved. Rather, he was talking about exclusive love. "I once occupied first place in your heart but now you have lost the exclusivity of your love for me. You have allowed other things to take my place."
Jesus pointed out in these seven churches many sins: adultery, covetousness, lukewarmness, false teachings, Jezebels in authority, dead worship and spiritual blindness. The first sin he names, though, is the one that grieves him most: a loss of affection for him.
__________________
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
|