Peace and grace in the love of our love Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2:1
2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
There are two kinds of Jesus’ appearance for the church in Ephesus as follows.
Revelation 2:2-3
2:2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
2:3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Jesus as the High Priest extremely pays attention and appreciates all things we have done for God. He never belittles nor ignores the things we have done, but He replies us with the wage, both for our present and everlasting life. He never fools us.
Revelation 22:12
22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My rewardis with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
Revelation 2:4-5
2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place––unless you repent.
Jesus as the High Priest also has something against the church in Ephesus because they have left the first love. It refers to the sanctification. It is indeed a pain for our flesh, but to perfect us to become the Bride of God who is ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming.
The first love is God’s love through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Thus, the last sanctification for the church in Ephesus that has left the first love is to make them return to it.
Losing the first love means there is no love. Such condition is the same as Cain’s although the ministry seems to be great. All things will be useless, in vain, and destroyed if there is no love.
1 John 3:11-12, 15
3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
3:12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Cain killed Abel because the deeds of Abel were righteous. It means the hatred without any cause or not loving the brother. In such condition, there must be no love to God.
1 John 4:20-21
4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
4:21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Returning to the first love is the same as loving one another.
Loving one another is written five times in the epistle of John as follows.
Why must the Word be preached repetitively?
We learn about loving one another.
God blesses you.
Revelation 2:1
2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
There are two kinds of Jesus’ appearance for the church in Ephesus as follows.
- Jesus who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.
It means that Jesus as the High Priest is performing the ministry of reconciliation or sanctification for the congregation. Jesus extremely pays attention to the congregation in the last days who actually are not worthy both in physical and spiritual life. - Jesus who holds the seven stars.
It means that Jesus as the High Priest longs for the congregation and the pastor’s not falling because of any influence in the world, but becoming the possession of God that cannot be charged against by anything forever.
Revelation 2:2-3
2:2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
2:3 "and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Jesus as the High Priest extremely pays attention and appreciates all things we have done for God. He never belittles nor ignores the things we have done, but He replies us with the wage, both for our present and everlasting life. He never fools us.
Revelation 22:12
22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My rewardis with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
Revelation 2:4-5
2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place––unless you repent.
Jesus as the High Priest also has something against the church in Ephesus because they have left the first love. It refers to the sanctification. It is indeed a pain for our flesh, but to perfect us to become the Bride of God who is ready to welcome Jesus’ second coming.
The first love is God’s love through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Thus, the last sanctification for the church in Ephesus that has left the first love is to make them return to it.
Losing the first love means there is no love. Such condition is the same as Cain’s although the ministry seems to be great. All things will be useless, in vain, and destroyed if there is no love.
1 John 3:11-12, 15
3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
3:12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Cain killed Abel because the deeds of Abel were righteous. It means the hatred without any cause or not loving the brother. In such condition, there must be no love to God.
1 John 4:20-21
4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
4:21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Returning to the first love is the same as loving one another.
Loving one another is written five times in the epistle of John as follows.
- 1 John 3:11
3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, - 1 John 3:23
3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. - 1 John 4:7
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:10-11
4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:12
4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
Why must the Word be preached repetitively?
- For giving us the surety or firmness of faith so that we are not deceived by false teachings, gossip, and so on.
Philippians 3:1b-2
3:1b For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! - For increasing our spirituality through the increase in the revelation of God’s Word. We can be mature in our spirituality until perfect.
We learn about loving one another.
- Loving one another as a message.
1 John 3:11
3:11 For this is the messagethat you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
The core of the preaching of Bride Tidings is loving one another. Why do we have to love one another?- So that we do not hate one another, even with the hatred without any cause.
Matthew 24:9-10
24:9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
24:10 "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
For example, Cain to Abel, the brothers of Joseph to Joseph, and Judas to Jesus. They became the same as the antichrist. - So that we do not abide in the death or forever perdition.
1 John 3:14-15
3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
- So that we do not hate one another, even with the hatred without any cause.
- Loving one another is the commandment of God we have to do.
1 John 3:23
3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
If we do not love one another, we will hate others. It means that we do not do the commandment of God, but transgress it or sin and become the den of thieves. Consequently, the wage of sin is death or perdition.
1 John 3:24
3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
If we do the commandment of God to love one another, we will be the temple or the dwelling place of Holy Spirit. We can live in righteousness and holiness to be the house of prayer. Our prayer is answered by God and we can rejoice; all things are easy and light. - Loving one another as an invitation.
1 John 4:7
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of Godand knows God.
If we love one another, we will be born of God.
1 John 3:9
3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
The facts found in it are living in righteousness and not sinning anymore. Until we cannot sin, but live as righteous as Jesus is.
Revelation 22:16-17
22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testifyto you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
The main duty of the church that has experienced the rebirth of God is testifying and inviting the thirsty lives to get the living water from heaven freely.
As a result, we will appear as the bright morning star or the light of the world like Jesus.
Not testifying nor inviting, one will only gossip and blame others like Satan, the fallen star. - Loving one another as the example.
1 John 4:10-11
4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The facts found in being the example in loving one another are as follows.- Finishing the debts of money and sins.
Romans 13:8
13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
We finish the debt of sin by making reconciliation, confessing and forgiving sins one another. God gives us long age to make us finish our sins, not add them. - Loving others who are in deficiency physically and spiritually through giving in truth, without any purpose to get physical advantage.
1 John 3:16-18
3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
For example, we give the time, thought, his brother in needfeelings, energy, riches, even our soul.
- Finishing the debts of money and sins.
- Loving one another until we get the perfect love.
1 John 4:12
4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and Hislove has been perfectedin us.
Matthew 5:43-45, 48
5:43 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
5:45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sunrise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The perfect love is the same as the sun that shines to the world. We can love others as ourselves, even our enemy. We can repay good for evil.
Psalm 84:11
84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
The functions of the love like the sun are as follows.- The sun is as the shield.
Genesis 19:20-23
19:20 "See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live."
19:21 And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
19:22 "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
19:23 The sun had risenupon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
The love like the sun is able to preserve our life in the midst of difficulties and impossibilities in the world.
It also able to protect us from sins up to the peak, namely sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
We can live in righteousness and holiness and rejoice in our marriage and household.
The love like the sun is also able to protect us from disaster, temptation, and the judgment of God. We are not overthrown; we have the peace and all things are easy and light until we get the eternal life forever. - The sun refers to the mercy and goodness of God or the key of David.
The mercy and goodness of God will open the doors.
The door of victory over Goliath will be open. It means that impossible problems can be finished by the love of God.
The door of beautiful future can also be open like David, who was a shepherd, could be a king.
The door of restoration and lifting up can be open. David fell in adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband. He was unclean and evil, but the mercy and goodness of God lifted up and restore him.
Finally, the door of heaven will be open for us. - The love like the sun is the glory of God that changes us from fleshly man to spiritual one as Jesus is. It begins from our face, sincere heart, and honest mouth. We can honestly confess our sins, Jesus, and the true teaching Word. Our ears are obedient.
Mark 7:37
7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
If our mouth and ears are good, all things will be good and we will be changed as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time. We can welcome His second coming.
- The sun is as the shield.
God blesses you.