Word for the Day October
16
By:
Evang. Cascille Hammack
"Remember
the height from which 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." Revelation 2:5
When John saw Jesus standing with seven golden lampstands, he was afraid and fell
down at His feet. Jesus touched him and told him to not be afraid. He explained to him that the seven golden lampstands
were for the seven churches. To the first church, He commanded them to return to Him and if they did not, He explained
the consequences in Rev. 2:5. The message He gave to them was that He knew how hard they worked but that they had forgotten
how to love Him. He told them to love Him as they did at first or else He must take away their lampstand before Him.
The Lord knows what is in the heart of each person. As the Lord said to the prophet Samuel when He chose David
as king, 1 Samuel 16:7, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not
look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” The
Lord sees into the heart and He can see what is hidden to others. He knows when someone's heart is truly toward
Him or not. 2 Chronicles 16:9 explains, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth
to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."
This is what Jesus said in Revelation 2:1-5, “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."
Then He said, "But
you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." The Nicolaitans taught,
as the teaching of Balaam, that immorality did not affect ones salvation. God hates the heresy that teaches that
we can be saved and at the same time live immoral lives.
Jesus concludes His warning and instructions in Revelation 2:7,
"He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the
right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." When the veil of your heart
has been torn and you receive Jesus as Savior, He opens your spiritual ears and you can hear His instructions and receive
them in your spirit. Afterward, His encouragement and promise is for us to overcome and then He will give us the
right to eat from the tree of life in glory in God's presence. If there were not going to be obstacles, He would not
have commanded us to overcome. An overcomer (Greek - nikon) is one who, by His grace received through faith in Christ,
has experienced new birth and remains constant in victory over sin, the world and Satan. If you love Him, you will obey
Him. If you love Him, you will do what He says.
How can you show Him you love Him right now?