Reviving Your First Love

Published on January 17th, 2011 08:50
Published in UNITED KINGDOM

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Original source: Cornerstone The Church

Often we talk about revival in the context of God's quickening presence among His people - touching their hearts and deepening His work of grace in their lives in a unique and extraordinary way. This view of revival is recognised as an extraordinary movement of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results in the realm of human existence. I’m sure we would like to experience this. However, there is another and far more important revival that prepares the way for such a unique and profound move of God. And it is found in Revelation 2:1-7.... “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Note, the first of the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor is to the church in the city of Ephesus. Ephesus was the greatest city of the Roman province of Asia. Ephesus was an important commercial and export centre for Asia with three major trade routes converging at the city harbour. Ephesus was a free city, granted by Rome the right of self-government. It boasted a major stadium capable of seating some 25,000 persons, a market place, and a theatre. Going from the harbo...

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