Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4)

Have you ever met someone who appears to have it all together spiritually? They have many scriptures memorised and such flows eloquently from their tongues. They can preach, teach and employ God’s word, as efficiently as a samurai warrior could employ his sword. They not only can expose theological error with truth, but they also sacrifice time and personal treasure to build up the church. Ministry is their lifeblood. Nothing dissuades them from their duty and diligence, as a good soldier of Christ. But then you discover one day, with great alarm, that this person treats their family horribly. You discover a heartless indifference is lurking beneath their garb of spirituality.

The church at Ephesus became a spiritual titan in the first century. But something happened to it with the passing of time. From an external perspective, it was still spiritually vibrant. It had great endurance, no matter what pressure or attack came upon it; it flinched not from truth or duty. The church’s ministry was vigorous as it routed out evil and falsehood.

Yet Jesus tells it, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love”. He exposes their spiritual Achilles’ heel, their lack of heart! They had left their first love. They still had the mechanics of truth, but they were running without the fuel of Heaven. This was reflected in their human relationships. It is in these that the truth of our heart is most observable.

If we are lacking divine love, we are then, at best, operating on fumes. Therefore, Jesus admonishes Ephesus to repent and “do the first works”. When a marriage grows cold, it is needful to recapture the flame. It is therefore beneficial for the couple to retrace their steps, going back to the time they first fell in love. What attracted them to each other? What motivated them to focus their time and energy on the other? It is important to revitalise the relationship by doing what they did at first.

If your relationship with God has waned, then go back to His word and to the cross, contemplate His amazing love, mercy and compassion. Spend time with Him in prayer, take walks in nature and contemplate His majesty, power and grandeur. Spend time in fellowship with other believers, whose bright flame of love can help you to rekindle your own. Serve the hurting and needy. If we do such, the light of Christ can be recaptured and burn brightly once again. And our love for God will compel us to love others.

But you say the church you attend is cold and heartless! In fact, you are ready to flee from its chilly chambers. Would it not be better to bring your heater to it? First, rejuvenate your heart in the fervor of Christ’s love. Then He can use it to thaw the icy hearts around you.

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And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…. (Revelation 5:6). 

What’s in the centre of the cosmos? We find that It’s God’s throne (Revelation 4:1-5). The throne shows that God is in control and has the full right to govern all things. And as He created all things, He is therefore worthy of worship from all those He created. But there is more. At the centre of heaven, in the midst of the throne, we find a most curious thing! A lamb.

A LAMB? Why is such an unusual thing positioned at the most strategic place in the entire universe? And it’s no ordinary lamb at that. It was slain but is now alive, standing triumphantly. Why at the centre of all things? It’s simple. This lamb represents the essence of who God is and His awesome governess.

The lamb appears 29 times in Revelation. It is a gentle and submissive creature by nature. It was also the prime animal used for sacrifices in the temple services. It is the apt symbol of Jesus, who is meek and lowly, who became the lamb “slain” from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). What we have at the apex of the universe is this: The cross of Christ!

The centrality of the cross tells us much about God. It reveals that He is love and that such love is selfless, self-emptying and sacrificial. It also reveals that He is just! God did not discard His law or the consequences of its violation. The penalty had to be paid for justice to be fulfilled. But wonder beyond wonder, we see that it was God Himself who bore the penalty in Christ. And in doing so His mercy has been unleashed and lavished on us all. It is undeserved by us, to be sure, and yet it is so!

Although slain and buried, the good news is that Jesus did not remain in the tomb. He rose and ascended to heaven, triumphant over sin, death and the grave (Revelation 1:18; 2:8). And at Pentecost, our redeemer was inaugurated and installed as our great high priest. This is the scene we behold, with the Spirit being poured out into the whole Earth (Revelation 5:6). Therefore, the cross opened the spigot in which salvation freely flows to us. Through the blood of the lamb, we are redeemed, cleansed and freed from our sins (Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 7:14). And it’s through the blood of Christ that we shall be victorious (Revelation 12:11).

THINK OF IT! God revealed His power not through might but through weakness. The cross was a horrid thing: of physical, emotional and mental brutality, of shame and alienation. Although the cross was an instrument of weakness, it reveals the power of God’s selfless love. It is such power we may have if we receive it each day. DO SO! Pray that God will station the cross in the centre of your heart.

^{Image used by permission of SermonView}

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…. (Revelation 5:6). 

What’s in the centre of the cosmos? We find that It’s God’s throne (Revelation 4:1-5). The throne shows that God is in control and has the full right to govern all things. And as He created all things, He is therefore worthy of worship from all those He created. But there is more. At the centre of heaven, in the midst of the throne, we find a most curious thing! A lamb.

A LAMB? Why is such an unusual thing positioned at the most strategic place in the entire universe? And it’s no ordinary lamb at that. It was slain but is now alive, standing triumphantly. Why at the centre of all things? It’s simple. This lamb represents the essence of who God is and His awesome governess.

The lamb appears 29 times in Revelation. It is a gentle and submissive creature by nature. It was also the prime animal used for sacrifices in the temple services. It is the apt symbol of Jesus, who is meek and lowly, who became the lamb “slain” from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). What we have at the apex of the universe is this: The cross of Christ!

The centrality of the cross tells us much about God. It reveals that He is love and that such love is selfless, self-emptying and sacrificial. It also reveals that He is just! God did not discard His law or the consequences of its violation. The penalty had to be paid for justice to be fulfilled. But wonder beyond wonder, we see that it was God Himself who bore the penalty in Christ. And in doing so His mercy has been unleashed and lavished on us all. It is undeserved by us, to be sure, and yet it is so!

Although slain and buried, the good news is that Jesus did not remain in the tomb. He rose and ascended to heaven, triumphant over sin, death and the grave (Revelation 1:18; 2:8). And at Pentecost, our redeemer was inaugurated and installed as our great high priest. This is the scene we behold, with the Spirit being poured out into the whole Earth (Revelation 5:6). Therefore, the cross opened the spigot in which salvation freely flows to us. Through the blood of the lamb, we are redeemed, cleansed and freed from our sins (Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 7:14). And it’s through the blood of Christ that we shall be victorious (Revelation 12:11).

THINK OF IT! God revealed His power not through might but through weakness. The cross was a horrid thing: of physical, emotional and mental brutality, of shame and alienation. Although the cross was an instrument of weakness, it reveals the power of God’s selfless love. It is such power we may have if we receive it each day. DO SO! Pray that God will station the cross in the centre of your heart.

^{Image used by permission of SermonView}