Remember From Where You are Fallen Revelation 2:5

After John the apostle saw the vision of Jesus in chapter one of “Revelation”, he began to write to the “seven churches in Asia”. He started with the church located in “Ephesus”, and he added Jesus' words, “I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you cannot not bear them which are evil: and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars, and have borne, and have patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted.” Furthermore John wrote, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love.” In chapter two and verse five of Revelation, John shared Jesus' words, “Remember therefore from where you are fallen” where we read:

Remember therefore from where you are 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.

The verse begins, “Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works;” John began with the word, “remember” which means “be mindful of, call to mind and hold in memory” “therefore” or “accordingly, consequently and these things being so” “from where you are fallen” which refers to “from the place, condition, source and origin of your position and course”, “and repent” or “change your mind for better and heartily amend with abhorrence past sins”, “and do” which means “and make, produce, construct, form and fashion” “the first works” which refers to “the chief, primary, principal business, employment and that which one is occupied of influence and honor”. Jesus called the church of Ephesus to “recall and be mindful of” the “place and condition” they used to be and “turn back” toward the “primary business” with God.

The verse continues, “or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent.” John added the words, “or else” or “or if and whether” “I will come unto you quickly” which means “Jesus would arise, appear and show Himself to the church in Ephesus with speed and haste”, “and will remove” or “and will move from a place, excite, riot and disturb” “your candlestick” which means “the church in Ephesus' candle in a lamp stand or candelabrum” “out of his place” or “from it's position, portion or space marked off”, “except you repent” which means “if and no less if the church in Ephesus changes their mind for better and heartily amend with abhorrence past sins”. Jesus' promise to the “church in Ephesus” was that He would “rapidly appear” among them and “take away” their “candlestick” if they did not “change their minds for the better”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we see what an ominous warning this is from Jesus. He was and is serious about the charge of “leaving the first love”. Though “works and labors” may be accomplished in the Kingdom of God, there is no greater work than staying “in love” with Jesus. God desires to have a “loving” relationship with every person who will receive His Son Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”, and from that point on, the greatest “work” to be done is to keep “in love” with Him. Let all who read these words “remember” if they have fallen out of “love” with God, and may we all be about the “first works” of being in “love” with Him.

Next time John shares how Jesus told Ephesus, “you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.