What About You? 3-15–26

Welcome to the word for the week. In Revelation 2:4 we see that Jesus is talking to the church of Ephesus. He tells them “nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left they first love.” He commended a lot of things about them in verses 2 and 3. If He would have stopped there we would clearly see a church moving in a way that pleases God. Let’s make sure we are clear here that Jesus found no fault in the things mentioned in those two verses. In spite of all of the good there was something drastically worse. They had left their first love. It can almost seem confusing to try to process how they could do so many things right and yet leave their first love. We assume that if someone is doing as much as they were commended for then surely their life must be pleasing to God. Instead, this is a reminder that while we look at the outside of people, God looks inside at what really matters.

There is no way to understand how they could leave their first love which means God. We look today at people who God has done so much for and unfortunately we still see the same thing. It pains me to say this but sometimes it does not matter how much God does for some people. It is as if they take it all for granted and never change. To leave your first love is more than simply falling back. It is willfully done. There is no mistaking when we fall. We know it. We feel it. We sense that God is missing. The emptiness we feel from that cannot be put into words. It is not a good place to be in and I truly believe that is the only thing that will wake us up to change. The prodigal son had to put down a lot of himself in order to go back to his father but the outcome far outweighed the journey back home. God never intended for us to turn back on Him. The expectation is that His goodness is so good to us until we would never want to leave Him.

This week’s word does not stop with the church of Ephesus. What about you? They were guilty of leaving their first love. If God were to call you out today what would it be about? What issue would He have with you in spite of all that you do? There is a point in all of this. The same way we can look and be stunned on why they left their first love is the same way we need to look in the mirror. God has been good to all of you reading this. Can you say that you have shown your appreciation for that through your life living? Are you still in your right place with God? Do you pray more than ever now? Do you study more than ever now? Are you more faithful at this point in your life than ever before? God has increased you tremendously. Have you increased your desire for more of Him? Are you at a point in your life now where you cannot see your life without Him? Is He first in everything you do? Do you pray about everything before you make decisions? Do you complain less today because you realize all things truly work together for the good of those that love the Lord?

It is easy to read the word of God and say what a shame about the people in the story. But you and I have received far more than some of them in the stories we read. There were some who could only dream of Jesus setting them free. Some could never imagine life with the spirit of God dwelling in them. We are truly blessed in this hour! Do we know that? Do you recognize that? Do we honor that? Do we wake up in the morning and go to bed at night giving thanks to God? Do we go through the day with Jesus on our mind? When things are worked out on our behalf are we like the one leper who went back to say thanks or are we like the other nine who just kept on going? Does God have to ask us where we are like He did Adam or can we be easily found? Again, they left their first love but what about you? Is everything still intact in your life with Christ? Are you currently progressing or regressing as you read this? Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Whatever you need to fix today is what you need to make sure is fixed today. No excuses, no delays, and no denials about the truth of where you are in Christ. Get it right before it’s too late.
 
May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon