OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 5/2/2014 - YOUR FIRST LOVE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

YOUR FIRST LOVE

MEMORISE

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Revelation 2:4

READ

Revelation 2:1-5

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Revelation 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

MESSAGE

As a Christian, your heart ought to be aglow with genuine love for Christ, unless you are not genuinely saved as a result of having not truly repented from your sins even though you have confessed Jesus. At the new birth experience, the Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit and fills it with deep and pure love for God. However, often times, we do not diligently watch to ensure the flame of this love is kept aglow, rather we gradually give prime attention to some spiritual exigencies at the expense of our first love, forgetting that this first love in itself has a way of propelling and driving us into the activities required of us by God. It becomes disastrous when we get to a state where we consider as less important, the condition of our first love. God did not hesitate to point out the mistake the church at Ephesus made by falling into this state. He told them that in spite of those good things they were occupied with, He would remove their candlestick because they had forsaken their first love. Thank God they had the opportunity to repent. May you not get to a state where God will remove your light in Jesus’ Name.

Beloved, what really is this first love for God? This is that deep and pure affection; His kind of love toward us which we are born into at our surrendering to Christ. It is the kind of affection between two lovers by which they share deep intimacies just between themselves to the exclusion of all others. God cherishes His communion with His bride (the believer). The lesson here is that we should not allow our labour or service no matter how expedient to becloud our consciousness and the necessity to maintain our first love for Jesus.

What are the expressions of this love? They include: Strong desire to be in the presence of God in praising, thanking and worshipping Him, spontaneously singing to Him either in private or in public. Another is by spontaneously expressing a fondness of him, making reference to Him at all times. Also, it includes readily resorting to him when confronted with any given difficult situation and finally, enjoying imitating him all the way – such as by living holy. When we measure a life that portrays these expressions against the attitude of some who say they are His children, you will discover that there seems to be no trace of this love, or that it has been suffocated. What shall we say about a Christian who in a restaurant cannot pray over his food, or stylishly prays over the food before eating to avoid being noticed by other people?

ACTION POINT

Pray to God to help you recognise the true state of your first love for Him and ask for help to sustain it. If your love is found wanting, repent and ask for mercy to rediscover it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Isaiah 8-10;

 Psalm 32