Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“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.”

Revelation 2:1-5 NIV

During my daily devotions this week, the Lord presented me with a question—what is my first love?

Since my wife and I have begun a new journey together this week, it is a very poignant question. For we have recommitted our lives to the importance of family, regardless of the cost. We have stepped into the great unknown, putting our faith in the Lord.

But this question is not about faith, it is about love. So I believe this question is very relevant to not just my life, but pertinent to each one of us, as well as the Church. What is our first love?

See we can have faith like the Church of Ephesus. We can persevere through difficult times and work hard at spreading the gospel. Over time we can help build up great ministries so that they may glorify God. Even our family can be marked with Christian values, establishing the gospel as center to our existence. We can even have holiness and Christian doctrines guiding our life. The Church of Ephesus had a great Christian foundation with many of these attributes and was even commended for their virtue. From their success, this Church even went on to plant the other six churches found in Asia Minor mentioned in the book of Revelation.

So it was a very thriving Church and probably one of the “greatest” Christian Churches of all time. Yet is this what God really wants? Does God want us going through the motions to prove our Christian values or does He want something else?

The Church of Ephesus is no longer with us today two thousand years later, regardless of its “greatness”. Therefore I believe we must focus our attention on verse 4 to find out why: ‘Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.’

I believe we all can fall into a routine, continuing in our Christianity because it is the right thing to do. I believe Churches do this all the time, continuing a ministry or program because it glorifies God in its existence. But its continuation is only because of a sense of duty, not because of a love for Christ.

God wants love from us, not routines or a sense of duty. He wants us to hold Him as our first love in everything we do, not in second place to a program or person. There is nothing more desirable to our Lord then to receive our love, which is why he has created ‘free will’ for all of mankind.

For it has been written in the Scriptures: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'” Matthew 22: 36-37 NIV

My wife and I have committed ourselves to the Lord in our new journey by faith. But the real question is, have we committed this step out in faith through our love for God? For faith and love are two very different things. We believe we have and because of our love for God are so grateful for this opportunity. From this love comes a whole new sense of His glory.

Brothers, may all of us continue to live a life full of love for God. May we not fall into the ways of the Church of Ephesus and just go through the routines of life. For the enemy loves when our first love is replaced by only a sense of duty. May we find a new sense of His glory each and every day. May our existence as the Church not be marked with the statement—‘I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.’

Let us love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind…


Prayer requests

Ernie – pray for the health of wife in her leg and knee

Kelcy – pray for dizziness of mother and her health, pray for pastors and staff

Ramon – pray for him to follow God’s will, pray for less distractions from life, pray for wife’s health

Carmine – pray for the Presidential election and bringing forth a ‘godly’ leader

Steve – pray that he will not suppress the Spirit and allow Him to work in his life

Dick – pray for strength in new employment

David – pray that the presence of the Lord will be visible to others in order that he may bless them

Tim – pray for discernment on his direction in life

Mark – pray that I will be a good steward of God’s money, pray that I may continue to shepherd others through God’s strength, not my own

***Pray for relationship building throughout the Northshore Christian Church

Continued prayer needs

Joe – pray that his condo may sell quickly and that he may finally be settled here in Mukilteo

Craig – pray that he will receive the blessing of health and guidance during the next few weeks

Norman – praise for the health of daughter in dealing with her seizures

Larry – pray for leadership in leading group of men with CTL, pray that the marriage ministry will begin to make a larger impact on the Church

Gary – pray for strength in working with IRS, pray for stepdaughters in their struggles

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life

*** pray also for the men’s ministry in developing Godly leaders


Future Meetings

Please make note that the next meeting is back in the Fireside Room at Northshore. Here is the upcoming meeting schedule:

Wednesday, February 13th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, February 27th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 12th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting in the Fireside room at Northshore Christian Church

Challenge

May we find peace and power within our inner being in order to build unity throughout the Church…

Memory Verse

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16 NIV