First Church Of The Lampstand

Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand. - Revelation 2:5



I love it when churches have name like "King of Glory Lutheran Church" or "Alpha and Omega Missionary Baptist Church." If the church in Ephesus were still around, maybe we'd call them something nifty like "First Church of the Lampstand."

We often miss the significance of John's glorious vision in Revelation 1 of Jesus standing among the seven golden lampstands. These weren't just decorative candelabras but substantial sources of light. How significant, then, that the lampstands represent the seven churches who were called to bring the light of Jesus into a very dark world.

We live in dark world that desperately needs the candlepower of Christ shining through us. Let's be careful, then, not to repeat the mistake of the Ephesians who "left first love" (Rev. 2:4). Although praised for doing many things well, they had falled to keep Jesus in first place.

It's easy to let things crowd Jesus out until soon we're doing "church work" for all the wrong reasons. What then? We lose our impact. Jesus warned, "Repent and do the first works, or else I will... remove your lampstand from its place" (v. 5). We can't afford to let that happen. Keep Jesus Christ in first place so that His light will continue to shine brightly in this dark world. - Joe Stowell



Lord, help us always put You first

In everything we say and do

So that Your light will shine through us

And show the world their need of You. - Sper



Works that are done out of love for Jesus shine brightest in a dark world.

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Revelation 1:10-2:5

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet saying, "What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyma, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And among the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest.

His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceed a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, "Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lampstands are seven assemblies.

To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: "He who holds the seven star in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lampstands says these things: "I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can't tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false. You have perseverance and have endured for my name's sake, and have not grown weary.

But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent.

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Whatever we do, let's put the work of Lord at the first place... and we shall get blessing from Him... Not only work for the blessing... don't you think that we suppose to do so?!... I love it so I do it... is like when loving someone, you will definitely do whatever it is for your love one... same goes to Christian... when we really love God, we won't do something to hurt Him... or make Him the last work... we won't... we will just do for Him... no matter what...