A year and eleven days ago, 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls were released. Brought to freedom. Given a new lease on life.
The things happening in this world—in Nigeria, with the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, and all over elsewhere– are nothing short of fascinating. As seen in this post, prophecies found in various passages of the Bible are coming to pass in a relatively short amount of time. Everyone has said that we are closer than ever to seeing Jesus Christ come back for his bride, the worldwide Church (Believing Christians from all over the world). “This all sounds like a beautiful, great, grand thing,” you might say… but what does any of it really mean? Here are some details about “the end”:
- 1 Thessalonians 4 says that, upon Christ coming, we will be brought up into the clouds with Him. This is called “the rapture.”
- After the seven-year tribulation, Jesus will come down to earth, in a way everyone will see and witness. He will set up His earthly kingdom, and reign for 1,000 years (Revelation 1:7; Revelation 20:2-7).
- It means that satan, and all his cohorts, will ultimately lose. Everything satan has been doing here on earth will come to nothing, as he will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast (the antichrist) and false prophet would be thrown (Revelation 20:10).
- It means that all pain and anguish will be no more. As we go through the day-to-day pain of a fallen world—such as hearing of the news of the School Shooting at Santa Fe Highschool in Texas— it is vital to understand that it will not last forever, and those who know Christ have eternal life ahead of them (Revelation 21:4; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
As we look at what is happening around us, and how quickly things change, I want to bring one more thing to your mind, as food for thought and soul.
Look for Part 2 of this message, coming very soon! 🙂
In Revelation 2, Jesus says this to the church of Ephesus.
“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 people, 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 the love you had at first. Consider how far 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. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
(Revelation 2:1-6, emphasis mine)
Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for their good deeds, their perseverance, and their hate for perversion of the truth. They stayed true to the Word, and stayed loyal to Christ through many trials. Yet, there was one thing Jesus was grieved by: they had lost their First Love for Him. They had become a loveless church.
Reading this, I recognize that I, too, have lost my First Love for Christ. My question for you, is, “Have you?”
As you think about these things, I pray that they would stir up your hearts to come nearer to Christ than ever before. Wait on Him, friends—He is coming back again!
Tribute:
This series of posts was written right as the news about the Santa Fe highschool shooting was reported. This blog is in tribute to the children who lost their lives in this horrific Shooting. May these hurting people know Jesus’ comfort, Love, and strength.
Do you know Jesus?
Jesus Christ died, just so that we could be with Him, forever and ever. Learn more about who He is, and why He came to earth, here.
Please pray for (you can find the prayer sheet for this blog post, here):
- For the families, friends, and loved ones of those injured and killed in the Santa Fe School Shooting. May the Church, near and far from the location of the shooting, come together and lift them up to Jesus. May He be seen in a huge way, there.
- For those who do not know Christ. Whoever they may be, Jesus is coming back soon—and He is the only way to the Father.
- For the Chibok girls, and Leah Sharibu. You can find their names and pictures, here.
- For a revival in the worldwide church. Jesus is doing a lot, here; may the Church wake up, and be about His business as we await His return!
Thank you for your prayers!!!
ISAIAH 62 PRAYER MINISTRY 
One response to “Our First Love: Part I”
[…] In Part One of this post, we spoke about the end times, how Jesus will come back, what happens when He comes back, and, finally, why whether or not we have lost our First Love for Jesus matters. […]
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