Seven Churches, Seven Messages!
John the Revelator was on the island of Patmos when Jesus Himself told him to write the words we now read in the book of Revelation. In the second chapter we find seven messages to the seven churches of Asio Minor. The messages to these churches could have been written to our churches today. We will start by looking at the message to church of Ephesus:
2 "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
4 "But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. Revelation 2:2-5 (NLT)
Once again we see the message that good works is not enough, God actually wants us to be GOOD! He wants us to love others just as much as we love ourselves. As Romans 10:12 (KJV) says: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.
There is no doubt that when we first get saved, we are so excited that the love of God in us just spills over to include everyone. As time passes and we don’t seek the Lord as much as we did in the beginning, our carnal natures keep rising up trying to regain mastery over our lives. We find it difficult to get along with some people; we may even get irritable and inpatient with the shortcomings of others.
As we see in this message to the Ephesian church God places a high priority on loving each other. Of having a kind and patient spirit. Of establishing a standard whereby true apostles, who are working to establish His Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven operate in leadership. God wants the thrill of our first love and the joy of the honeymoon to never end!
Mari