The Ephesus Warning

The Ephesus Warning.
It is said each of the Seven churches spoken to in Revelations are kinds of church’s that are in every generation. It can also be said that these churches also are reflected in the lives of individuals.
The Apostle John writing in the book of Revelations records these words given by Jesus,
“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 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 from 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 lampstand from its place.  
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelations 2:1-7
Here Jesus commends the church of Ephesus as having good works. That they have persevered. That they cannot tolerate wicked men and have even tested those who claim to be Christians but are not.
He then point out,
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  
Remember the height from 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 lampstand from its place.’
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Ephesus had one thing going in their favour they hated the practice of the Nicolations who were a heretical group who were immoral and idolatrous.
Jesus points out however the church at Ephesus had lost it’s first love. Their first love being God, being Jesus. They seemed to have gone their own way leaving God out of their lives.
This is happening today. Men and women claiming to be Christians dislike heretical groups and idolatrous groups. Groups who say Jesus is not divine or other things untrue about Jesus.
However all too often many who claim to be Christians do not put Christ first in their life. They let the ways of the world take first place.
Many who say they love the Lord quite often will put a sporting event or concert or other things of the world ahead of God.
They, even though they don’t need the extra money, will work overtime and put their job before God. God it seems always takes second, third or even last place in their lives.
We as followers of Christ need to heed what is said to those in Ephesus. We need to look at our lives and ask ourselves if God truly takes first place in our lives.
Please think about it.
  

Warning to Christians

Warning to Christians
The apostle Paul wrote,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”2 Timothy 3:1-4
Later in chapter four of 2 Timothy he writes,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
People in Paul’s day were deviating from the truth about Jesus. People were twisting God’s word to suit their own agenda. It is happening today. Such things are made even worse by the electronic age we live in.
Christians in the twenty-first century need to be vigilant more than ever. We need to question pastors, evangelist and teachers about what they are teaching. We need to be studying the word of God ourselves.
When we hear a sermon don’t take it at face value. Study it. Check the scriptures to see if they are taken in context. If you have any questions ask the person who gave the sermon. If they won’t answer you or don’t answer you correctly have nothing to do with them.
Don’t give to a ministry until you have checked them out. Ask them for a full accounting If you are uncertain about them don’t send a penny to them.
Here in Canada where I live our Church is required to give a full accounting to the members at least once a year. That includes listing salaries of all workers for the church. All ministries should do that.
The bulk of the money given to a Christian ministry should be going to the work of the ministry to spreading the word of God. Not into salaries.
Remember the words of Jesus who said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
Included in those Jesus talks about will not only be those sitting in the pew but pastors, evangelist and teachers.
Thus the word to Christians is the same as the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, saying,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Please think about it.