The Church of Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

Christ's Introduction: One who holds the 7 stars (angels of the churches) Rev 1:20 and One who walks in the midst (Rev 1:13) of the 7 candlesticks (the 7 churches) Rev 1:20
Reveals: Christ's protection and control of the churches

Affirmations: good works, perseverance in labors, patience, endurance, abhorrence of evil, tested and exposed false apostles, hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes (name means: to consume the people) Rev 2:2,3,6

Faults/Sins: left their first love, fallen from a higher standing or relationship w/Christ, lost zeal of service and commitment Rev2:4,5

Penalties & Instructions: Remember prior relationship/commitment, Repent (change direction), Do first works- Return to prior level of service/ put back in order Rev 2:5
Failure to do these things will result in the removal of the church from Christ's presence.

Promises to overcomers: Access to the Tree of Life which is in Paradise/eternal life in the place of fellowship w/Christ. Rev 2:7

Link- intro w/penalties & promises: He who holds the angels of the churches and walks in the midst of the churches, determines the eternal position of the same.

Application: True love and worship can be lost in the wake of service/works. Works will never replace relationship.

This church could be characterized as a traditional church complete with programs yet lacking love. With out love, this church had lost it's vitality; it could be called a 'has-been' church. One that had replaced true Christian service with man's traditions, much like the scribes of
Matthew 15:6..."Thus you have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

Getting Started

For the purpose of this study as well as most found on this site; I have used the following reference material: The Bible- various translations, Strong's Concordance, Nave's Topical Dictionary, and The Expositors Bible Commentary by Zondervan.

I am neither a prophet or theologian. I hold no ministerial degrees or credentials. I am however called by God to be both student and teacher of His Word. I believe the Word of God can be understood by those who have an earnest desire to understand and a willingness to spend time in prayer and Bible study. The material presented on this site is not meant to be considered as exhaustive by any means. Rather it is my intent to give basic exposition of the scriptures and whet the reader's appetite for more of the Word of God.

And unto the church.......

The message of Revelation is relevant to today. "Blessings to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy, for the time is at hand." Rev.1:3 and Rev. 22:7

The message given to each of the 7 churches of Asia was not for that church alone, it was for "He who hath an ear, let him hear....."

The promises of good things are made to the ones who triumph over the failures and sins attributed to each church. "To him who overcomes...."

The faults of 5 of the churches are mentioned as things that God holds against them. The remaining 2 churches had faults as well, although they are a bit less obvious in the text. Scripture also reveals the penalties for the sinful acts and negligence of each church.

Christ's introduction to each church reveals certain characteristics of His power to deliver both the penalties and promises to each one.

One Critical Flaw

Why are the Ten Commandments being taken out of our courtrooms? Why are detention centers filled with young people? Why does the teen pregnancy rate continue to climb? How did one woman get prayer taken out of our schools? How can a homosexual relationship be considered a sacred union and be called a marriage? How can Islam be the fastest growing religion in the United States?

The obvious answer is sin. No fluff, no hype, no sugar coating, just plain sin; sin in the world, sin in the government, sin in the streets, sin in our homes, and sadly, sin in our churches. What is not so obvious is how sin gained such a foothold in a country which was founded upon biblical principles by godly men.

The answer can be found in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation. True it is a prophetic book containing the mysteries of the apocalypse, but much of it is relevant to the world today. While John records the characteristics of seven distinct churches, I believe they had one common fault. That fault is the same one that plagues the church today. That fault is without question, the reason the church has removed herself from the fight. It is why she can not even muster a good argument against the evil practices that proliferate in our society.

Can you name that one characteristic, that one flaw, that one sin, that has given rise to the degradation of our nation? Your comments are welcome, but be brief. I need something left to post concerning this matter. Actually, I have planned a couple of installments.

For a post related to the removal of the 10 commandments from U.S. courthouses, see Voice of Vision: Patriotic Pietism

C.O.D.

For this discussion C.O.D. stands for 'cause of death' not 'cash on delivery'. However the idea of payment due upon receipt can be applied in a sense.

As this post unfolds I hope to show how it relates to the question presented in my last post: "What is God willing to accept from me/you?". The text is found in Leviticus 10:1-3, using the immediate context of chapters 8,9,&10 and an expanded context of Exodus 28,29,&30.

Leviticus 10:1-3
1)Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2)So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3) Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: "'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.'" Aaron remained silent.

Basic info: Aaron was the high priest. Nadab and Abihu were his sons. God had commanded Moses to consecrate them for the priesthood. The pattern for this consecration is recorded in Exodus chapter 28 and was followed in every detail in Leviticus chapter 8. The ordination ritual included ceremonial washings, putting on the appropriate clothing including undergarments, and the application of blood to various body parts. The duties of the priests were also clearly outlined.

Clearly scripture states that the fire offered by Nadab and Abihu was unauthorized. It does not say they were unauthorized to use fire. As sons of Aaron they were of the lineage chosen by God to be priests. By the physical ordinances, they had been consecrated/sanctified by following Moses' instructions. One of their duties was to keep the fire burning at all times. Fire in a censor was the means of lighting lamps and incense. However this time, the fire offered was not as God had commanded. The problem was not with the fire alone, it was with the priests who offered it.

Some insight as to the condition of Nadab and Abihu may be gleaned from the words the Lord spoke to Aaron in Leviticus 10:8-10. 8) Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9) "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 10) You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses."

The death sentence was not put upon them because they were drunk, disorderly, or confused about what they were doing, although I believe they were all of those things. They died due to what came before being drunk, disorderly, and confused. They were consecrated on the outside, but not in their hearts. They were appointed by God, they were dressed right, they had been sprinkled with blood, they were in the right place, they had the right tools, but they did not reverence God. Why else would Moses remind Aaron of what God had spoken? (see verse 3 of our text)

For sake of space and time I'll cut right to the application of this passage. A person may be saved, called, and appointed by God. He/she may be properly instructed on required duties, and may be following orders to the letter. He/she may be dressed appropriately and fully equipped for service. But, their service will not be blessed if there is no reverence of God in their heart. The inner man must be clean in order to properly hallow the Almighty.

As my pastor would say,"now I'm going to meddle a little bit". It does not matter how holy you look, act, or talk. It doesn't matter how well you teach or preach. It doesn't matter how many gifts of the Spirit you operate in, or how many fruit of the Spirit you think you have, if you heart is not clean your service is merely a strange offering. Instead of ushering in the blessing of God you will only bring reproach upon yourself. Continuing in this deceitful charade will certainly hasten your spiritual death and perhaps even your physical death.

God will accept no offering without purity, no service without holiness, no action that does not honor Him. What is God willing to accept? Obedience and that with a clean heart.

Although I don't actually feel deserving, someone dear to me thought I was. My prayer is to be a blessing and encouragement to all who stop by. God bless you all.

Question to Ponder

I am currently working on a post about the death of Nadab and Abihu. Actually, it is more about the cause of their death. If you would like to get a head start on the post, you can be reading Leviticus chapters 9 and 10. Today, I want you to ask yourself a question that was once posed to me. The question came from a local pastor in response to the question I had brought to him. The question I had asked was one everyone asks at some point in their lives. While I won't be specific at this time, the question was this: what am I supposed to do about ______? At first I was stunned with what he asked me. I could not answer immediately. We prayer together and I left. A counselling session that took all of 15 minutes has made an eternal impact on my life. After some time of meditation, prayer, and reflection on God's word, the answer came. I don't know how many times I have used this encounter to counsel with others who have come to me with questions concerning choices that had to be made. Thank God for a wise pastor. The question he posed? What is God willing to accept from you?

Gone Exploring: Will Return Soon

When I began this blog I intended to revamp and record previous studies. Somehow in the process of choosing which studies to post, I have jumped off on various tangents. These have led me into new studies all together. I believe the better the preparation the better the presentation. I would rather skip posting a few days than to put out some sloppy excuse for a post.

If you are disappointed with today's post or lack there of, please visit some of the folks in my sidebar. If you prefer something meaty in the Word; check out Voice of Vision
or Lessons from Life. If you just need a peaceful encounter, click on the Psalms 23 Movie and relax.

One of my favorite picks for a devotional is The Upper Room. You can link to it through my sidebar too. Eventually, I will learn how to put those links right in here with the post. lol
I may be one of those self-taught, do-it-yourselfers but I can get the job done given enough time. My daddy always told me there was nothing that I couldn't do. My Bible tells me, I can do all things with Christ. Amen.

P.S. Thanks to Even So for the tag pointers.