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Revelation 1:1-3 ESV
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
REFERENCES: Revelation 2:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible where God declares that there will be a blessing for those who read it aloud. That alone should tell us how important the last book of the Bible is for our growth as the body of Christ. In the second and third chapters, God describes seven churches that not only represented seven actual churches of that time but that are also representative of the churches today. Two of the seven churches were moving in the right direction, but the other five had serious issues they needed to address. And one of those five churches was worse off than the others. Despite this, God encouraged each of the churches and addressed the specific areas where they needed to improve.
“I read Revelation not to get new information, but to revive my imagination.” - Eugene Peterson
1. Why Jesus is our First Love
We fell in love with Jesus because He loved us first. He was there to mend our broken hearts, He was our strength when we felt weak, and He was our light when we walked in darkness. Your greatest love is for those who are with you in the valley and celebrate you on the mountaintop.
We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3
2. How to Recover Your First Love
Sometimes life gets overwhelming and we forget how faithful and merciful God is to us. If you feel that you lost the sparkles that you had when you first met Him, allow yourself to remember how it was, not to feel bad about it, but to recover that flame. Repent and re-do what you used to do in the beginning, He is ready to forgive you.
Jesus embodies humility and authority at the same time. His humility sets the example for how to love others, and His authority is the gentle correction of a loving Father. When we forget that we are called to love others because He first loved us, we are subject to the consequences of His discipline and risk losing our light. In order to be an effective church that is a lamp stand for the lost and a home for the brokenhearted, we must remember that the heart of our mission is love.
How are you REMEMBERING the joy of your salvation? This week as you are REPENTING and REDOING, as you did in the beginning of your walk, join us in sharing your story via the link below.
Share your story with VOUS https://www.vouschurch.com/story
