Posted By Gerry on June 22nd, 2010

I have Secondary Progressive MS and have lived with the disease for twenty seven years. I have been under the care of a physician and neurologist for the past thirteen years. To this day, the only treatment that I have received is medication to relieve pain. Every two weeks, $300 is spent at the Pharmacist. I take high levels of…

Posts Tagged ‘Ephesus’

Have You Lost Your First Love?

Posted By Gerry on August 21st, 2009

In the Book of Revelation, Christ gives his assessment of 7 Churches, real Churches that give powerful similarities to our lives and Churches today. To the one Church, Ephesus, Christ says that while their work is to be commended, it is all being done without the love they once had for Christ and their brothers and sisters in Christ.

I recently found this list that describes what this loss looks like. Do you find similarities?

When my delight in the Lord is no longer as great as my delight in someone else, I have lost my first love.
When my soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God’s Word or in prayer, I have lost my first love.
When my thoughts during leisure moments do not reflect upon the Lord, I have lost my first love.

(more…)

Unlike

Posted in 7 Churches, Bible, Devotionals, Ministry, Revelation, christian life

Comments (0)

Ephesus – The Careless Church

Posted By Gerry on June 29th, 2009

While I served as a Pastor, we would periodically conduct a survey to help us discern the health of our Church. It helped served as a tool to help us determine how well we were doing and it also helped us discern where we should expend energies and resources to face the future. Usually these surveys were very encouraging but at the same time it could bring anxious moments, fearing what the outcome might be.

Imagine Christ showing up to critique your local Church, examining each of the Church members, their faith and its expression through the variety of programs the Church has chosen to have. Christ then publishes his report on the internet, encouraging the world to read and study the report. That is the story within the 7 Churches of Revelation.

Here in the Book of Revelation, we see Jesus giving his assessment of the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus was a real church, similar to the other 6 churches mentioned here in Revelation. It is also written to us for a guide of self-examination for the Church and for each of us as believers.

The City of Ephesus

This letter was written when the Church was about 40 years old. That would make it a 2^nd generation Church. It is thought by many to be the largest church of the New Testament times and we do know that it was started by the Apostle Paul[1]. Paul stayed there 3 years while the church was in its early stages.

This city is noted for their worship of the goddess Artemis. They had a temple of which the dimensions were 425 ft. long, 225 feet wide and a roof that was supported by 127 columns reaching 60 feet high.

(more…)

Unlike