FIRST LOVE IS MISSING

When you were deeply in love with me, everything about me drives you crazy. You can’t sleep without hearing from me, after talking with you, my voice will be resounding to your head to an extent you smiles holding me in the heart. I was once the music in you and the language you speak! Remember your day dream about me when you should be working; you keep imagining how hibiscus/beautiful I am.

Remember quiet mornings of choosing the good portion as you sat at his feet. Remember the glory that you saw and the Savior that you sang to when you were filled with first love “joy unspeakable.” Remember the time you invested in eternity when you met with other believers to worship him.

Do you remember when God first awakened your soul? Do you remember the excitement you had when he plucked you out of darkness? How joyful did you dance, from an orphan to a son, a dead sinner to a resurrected saint, an enemy with God to his beloved? Do you remember?

Did you once run to prayer, not to take your daily dose of spiritual medicine, but because your Great Love waited for you there? Did you ever sing in the silence, There is nothing I desire besides you? Did you stay up late to undress your soul before him? Did you rise up early to put on heavenly attire? Do you remember? All this things you were doing before is now lacking, that is why I hold it against you that first love is missing. Revelation 2;4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

The terrifying answer is that the Lord reveals himself to the world, largely through his church. It’s a scary thought because the church often appears to be so messed up and messy church too often leads to messy and confused views of Christ.
Jesus’ letter to the ‘angel’ (possibly the church leaders) of the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2 gives us a big clue as to how this works.
The Theology of the Book of Revelation points out that the role of Christ in prophesying to the churches is essential to our prophesying to the world. In other words, if we are not listening to Christ, then we will not be able to communicate him to the world. I suspect that much of the reason for the decline of the church in our world today. We have ceased to listen to the words of Christ and as a result the world has ceased to listen to us.

Ephesus was a Greek colony in modern day Turkey. It was a busy commercial port situated near the mouth of the Cayster river and was considered the gateway to Asia. It was also the headquarters of the cult of the Greek goddess Diana. Her temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world with 127 marble columns each 62 feet high. Beside her temple was an impressive 25,000 seater stadium, the ruins of which you can still visit today. The Ephesians prided themselves on being particularly civilised and enlightened – indeed, the city was known as the light of Asia.

The church in Ephesus had quite a spectacular start (which you can read about in Acts 19). The baptism of the Holy Spirit, a three month series of debates by Paul in the local synagogue, two years of daily lectures in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, extraordinary handkerchief miracles, casting out of evil spirits and a massive city-wide riot leading to Paul and his companions being shouted at in the stadium for two hours, before they were rescued by the Roman magistrate and then left the city. It is to this church that Christ speaks several decades later in Revelation 2:1-7.

Churches should stand up now! Those who want to control the world are highly working strategically. Can’t you see how they lock up churches and the world using coronavirus as opportunity? Can’t you see how God use President Trump and fail them and they go to Africa and collide with Nigeria Government to Islamize Nigeria? Their first assignment is that the Christian church finance will be control by Islamic government. Dishearten!

I once read a story about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve a favour to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me. “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him. “There’s something you should know the son continued, he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us. “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live. “No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us. “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.” At that point, the son hung up the phone.

The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg. The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up.

Christianity primary teaching is LOVE, which involves prize. Many even become burnt because they are hurt while trying to practice love. But I let you the truth. Never underestimate the power of true love. It can be repaid in different way because to show love is to demonstrate Christ. When filled with God’s love, we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us. Remember LOVE knows no boundary!

Fly unlimited.