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 can not tolerate wicked men, 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 your first love. Remember the height form which 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 lanpstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:1b-6,7b
There was a time that I was on a very long road trip to a destination that I had never been to before. I remember stopping at a gas station for fuel, food and to try to figure out on the map where I was.
The gas station attendant and I got talking and he told me of a short cut that I should take to save time on the trip. I tried to follow his directions and it lead me directly into a pasture. I lost so much time on trying to take a short cut and got to my destination late into the night.
Jesus is telling the church in Ephesus that He knows the good things that they are doing but also that He knows about what they are not doing.
Essentially He is telling them that there are no short cuts and that the only way to get to eat from the tree of life is to keep doing all the things they started out doing.
If some one tells you it's best to look after yourself first and no need to love your neighbor as yourself they are telling you of a short cut that will lead you of the main road and right into a farmers field.
What we must always remember to do is love God first and everyone else like we love ourselves. And it can't be done in a spirit of religiosity but out of a pure heart after God.
Revelation 2:1b-6,7b
The gas station attendant and I got talking and he told me of a short cut that I should take to save time on the trip. I tried to follow his directions and it lead me directly into a pasture. I lost so much time on trying to take a short cut and got to my destination late into the night.
Jesus is telling the church in Ephesus that He knows the good things that they are doing but also that He knows about what they are not doing.
Essentially He is telling them that there are no short cuts and that the only way to get to eat from the tree of life is to keep doing all the things they started out doing.
If some one tells you it's best to look after yourself first and no need to love your neighbor as yourself they are telling you of a short cut that will lead you of the main road and right into a farmers field.
What we must always remember to do is love God first and everyone else like we love ourselves. And it can't be done in a spirit of religiosity but out of a pure heart after God.
