JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines His letter to the church at Ephesus.

It appears in Revelation 2. This is the first of seven churches to receive a message from the Lord. Each message is different, but they reflect the character of the same God who is loving and holy.

The main message to the church at Ephesus is this: “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.”

Here was a church that was still working for the Lord and enduring hardships. They were discerning truth from error among their teachers. However, over time, they lost their first love. They may have been going through the motions of the Christian life, but lost the delight of their service and their radiance.

Jesus loves this church, and because He cares, He calls them to return to the love they once had for Him-to recapture that sense of wonder of God’s amazing grace that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A daily connection with Christ calls us back to our first love.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com