The last book of the Bible records a stinging rebuke to a church at Ephesus in Chapter 2. The apostle John, under the direction of the Holy Spirit writes letters to the leaders of seven churches. There are those who question whether these were written to real churches or were figurative in nature. I remind the reader that the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: KJV.” No matter who they were written to this is valid teaching for us in this day. Over the last ten years the Holy Spirit has brought me back to that passage many times and in particular to the letter to the church at Ephesus. I was prompted to share this portion of Revelation 2 on the first night of our Elder’s Retreat in 1997. At the time I had no idea why I was so prompted to share it. But I did. As I read it I was actually hoping for someone to give some confirmation that it was right for that time. There was no confirmation. There was no indication of recognition from the group. That night I was disappointed. I had no idea why nobody else saw anything here. I knew there were ones there who were spiritual and heard from God. Today I am sure I know why I read the passage, it was for that time, and not a single one of us in that group were spiritual enough to recognize it. Read the passage with me.

Rev 2:1-7

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art 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.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

(KJV)

Over the years many in the church have taught on this passage and have emphasized and in some cases twisted the various aspects, but God keeps bringing me back to verse four.

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”

I have pondered this many times. Questions I have asked: “Is this to the church today?” “Is it to the local body I attend?” And more important, “What is our first love?” And then I found a note in the margin of my Bible that I had written some time before. “The great commandment.” I find that when God gives me something like that it is for some appointed time.

The first two questions are easy for me, if God is pointing this out to me so often it is at least our own body if not the Church Universal. As I see Him reveal more to me, I have come to see this passage as a rebuke of our own body and of the church universal. “What is our first love?” I am likely to run afoul of religious correctness (RC from here on) because everyone KNOWS our first love is to God. And it is. But let us examine this premise in the light of the scripture.

I Jn 4:20

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

(KJV)

Oops. If I do not love my brother, can I love God? And if I cannot love God, haven’t I lost my first love? The thread of this love one for another is consistent through the scripture. It oft talks of the love for each other in the Body of Christ. If I have left my love for those of the fellowship, I have lost my first love.

1Thes 4:9

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

(KJV)

II Th 1:3

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

(KJV)

Heb 6:10

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

(KJV)

I can see no case for not having and showing love for one another. But you may say, what about those outside the faith? There are ample indications including the scripture:

Gal 6:10

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

(KJV)

1 Cor 12:31

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

(KJV)

The scripture repeats itself, Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself.

We are told to do good to all men, and the Love chapter in I Corinthians 13 emphatically is lead into by the phrase of the previous chapter on spiritual matters, “and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” Love is that excellent way. And I challenge you to find in I Coronations 13 any difference in the way you are to love a Christian or an unbeliever. It just isn’t there! In fact we are to love the unbeliever enough to lead them to Christ. Isn’t that a deep love?

I have asked God, “What evidence is there that we have left our first love?” I assure you the things he brought to mind did not make me feel warm and fuzzy. And I must partake first.

About six weeks after the bombing of the Federal building at Oklahoma City I sat across the table from a fellow Christian, a man I respected and I heard him call the bombing a “wake up call for the American Government.” I wanted to scream, but could not. The time and place did not allow it, it would be out of place, it would offend, it would not be RC, or so I rationalized. And I blew it. Even today, the thought makes me want to scream. And I have come to the conclusion that I should have at that time and place spoken out, no matter what the consequences. Had the violence ended at Oklahoma City, there would have been too much of it, but it has continued. Names of towns we never heard before are burned into our minds. We have seen bombings, shootings, men and women beaten to death, drowned and dragged behind a truck. I have spoken out against men like Dan Delp and Bill Clinton, politicians who have abused their office, but I, like many other Christians have been curiously silent on the issue of violence. And I have been curiously silent when it might upset a brother if I spoke out. I believe it is well past time for us to stand up and be counted. We are like the men of Jesus’ day that railed on publicans and tax collectors while being silent while people die. Why did they swallow the camel while straining on a gnat? It is easy, political expedience.

I should have known better and spoken out. I did know better, I just let the surroundings blind me to what I knew was right. “He that knoweth to good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” After all, it might have offended someone. And they may have thought less of me. Ouch. I’m a product of the sixties in many ways. Peter, Paul and Mary sang of a hammer and of an answer that was blowing in the wind. We Christians today have that hammer. But we have not used it to ring out the “love between my brothers and sisters, all over this land.” And because of our inaction, “The answer is (still, for me, thirty five years later) blowing in the wind.” It is time for each of us to look at the things around us and begin to speak out. To lend our own voice to the chorus that Peter, Paul and Mary sang, “It’s the hammer of Justice, it’s the bell of freedom, it’s a song about the love between my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.” I do not care if we cannot sing it with the clarity and beauty of their voices. We must sing it daily in our walk in this world. And the voice must be clear and understandable. The last verse of the song, “Blowing in the Wind” says: “How many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn’t see.” That is exactly what I did at that dinner. I turned my head and pretended to not see what was wrong. I pretended that the bombing was regrettable but it happened. But those one hundred and sixty odd people at Oklahoma City were my neighbors. I am reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan. To understand it we must look at the context. Jesus was being tested by the religious leaders and one had asked what was the most important commandment.

Luke 10:26-37

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

(KJV)

Look at this man. He fell among thieves. And the thieves were certainly not his friends, but then, the priest and the Levite were certainly not showing love either! When the man correctly recognized that the Samaritan was the neighbor Jesus told him to go and do likewise. I believe God is giving us the same message today, “Go and do likewise.” Those who stood by were forced to face their own shortcomings.

I am going to present some of the situations of the last few months and SUGGEST that there are acts of love the Body of Christ could have taken. Let me emphasize that there are alternatives that are viable. I am not trying to say to anyone, “This is what we should have done.” To my shame I cannot even say that this is what I have done. I am saying, “We must do something,” and these are viable and reasonable acts. If you have an alternative that also conveys love, do it. I will support you in it.

We have seen wanton acts of violence, churches burned, a man murdered by being dragged behind a truck, a man murdered by being beaten by a gang, people murdered when an abortion clinic was bombed, and a doctor that performs abortions murdered. The law of Moses says, “Thou shalt not murder.” Why do I use the word murder rather than the more widely used word “kill”? Because the scripture prohibits the taking of innocent life, taking life without legal due process. The Torah lays down the valid reasons and process for taking a life. But a life was only taken when that was the valid penalty for an offense and then only when the person stood properly convicted of the offense and properly sentenced. All other taking of a life was murder. This was prohibited. The scripture has no place for vigilantism. It has no place for a “wakeup call to the government” that takes innocent life. And innocent life is any life that has not been properly convicted and sentenced. Even if one of the people killed at Oklahoma City had been clearly guilty of malfeasance and even guilty of taking lives improperly, it would not be valid to take his life without due process.

I make this distinction because there are those in the Body of Christ that believe that it should be open season on some “lower classes” of people. This is to our shame. Generally these are abortion clinic workers and gays. Let me assure you I have no doubt that abortion is wrong. I have no doubt that the practice of homosexuality is wrong. But so are heterosexual acts outside the marriage. And these are no less despicable. But the person does not forfeit his life by doing so, he is not responsible to me, he is not responsible to any man, since the procedure is legal he is not responsible to the government, his responsibility for his sin is to God. The scripture clearly says:

Rom 12:19-21

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

(KJV)

Vengeance is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord. We are not empowered to repay. Read on, it gets more interesting. “Overcome evil with good.” Mull this over. If God is going to meet out vengeance on a person they need all the help they can get. Possibly we should be standing in the gap for them? It is time for us to begin to hate sin without allowing the sin to cloud our eyes and dull our love for the sinner. But the violence is not confined to those who act in ways we find reprehensible. Churches that believe in God have been burned and men who have done nothing wrong have been wantonly killed or imprisoned. And we, the church, have been curiously silent.

Paul said it clearly:

2 Cor 11:29

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

(KJV)

In the body of Christ there has been much teaching about not taking offense, not being easily offended. It has become a basic theology that to take offense is ALWAYS wrong. Yet Paul firmly says here he will stand with that one who is offended. And the phrase “burn not” indicates some passion. It indicates an emotional rise against the wrong. Yet we say that we must not take on the offense of another. Brethern, I say without doubt, this should not be. We must bear one another’s burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. And if any speak out against it, if any preach hatred, if any advocate violence, we should mark that man and have nothing to do with his teaching. For the most part that teaching is self serving.

Gal 6:2

2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

(KJV)

Why are we where we are? What has become the function of the church? We have pulled ourselves into a little bless me club and have closed our eyes and hearts to those who are in need. We have allowed hatred and malice to permeate our towns and we wonder why we must live in fear. Paul said it with eloquence.

2 Cor 7:4-6

4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

(KJV)

When Paul was in distress, with trouble on every side he was comforted by God sending Titus to him. We too are to some degree in distress. There are torments on every side. There are those who would do us harm if the opportunity presented itself. And we all too often stand alone. And we stand alone in our distress because our brothers and sisters stand alone in their distress because we stand silently off to the side when they need our help. Like the Levite, we pass on the other side.

Be clear with what I am saying, I am not making a call to arms, at least not in the physical sense. I am making a call to arms for Christians everywhere. Let us begin to stand. And far be it from me to tell you the role you are to play but I plead with you; begin. Do not do what is comfortable or uncomfortable, do not do what is good, do what God calls you to do. If he has called you to pray, do not march. If he has called you to march, do not be found at home praying.

At the beginning of World War II Ethiopia was attacked by the Italians. The emperor sent out a mobilization order to the citizens. It detailed who was to be pressed into service and ended, “Anyone found at home would be shot.” The order was full mobilization. This was all out war. The survival of the country was at stake. And there can be nothing less than full mobilization that is acceptable in the body of Christ. Be found in your calling. If he has called you to speak out, do it with boldness and excellence. If he has called you to love, love with a passion. If he has called you to give, do it with liberality. I believe he has called many of us to begin a work of love.

The songwriter said, “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, … And in His strength alone, … Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.” It is time for us to be found in His service. And we must not accept any injustice. It must be met with His love. And we must begin to lay our lives on the line, to make the difference.

And a place to start is for our leaders to begin to proclaim the love, to speak out against injustice. Let every Christian hear the message, we stand for the love of God being wrought in lives. Let everyone hear the message, we are against violence. Let us hear the message till we begin to make it such a part of us that we never forget it for a minute. Let us hear the message till we begin to live it that love reigns in our hearts for each other and for every member of a lost and dying world.

Several months ago I began writing a novel about our country. In it I found myself writing a prayer for a man who was to open a meeting to bring things together when everything seemed to be coming apart. Somehow the prayer I wrote for that pastor to pray seems appropriate at this time. If you like, you can pray it with me. In the novel the pastor asked the participants in a meeting to pray with him.

“From Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, the Thirteenth chapter I will read and comment:”

“(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

“Lord there are many here to whom you have given the voice to speak with the tongues of men and angels. We have been charged to speak your word. But we recognize that there were times that we have spoken without having love, and in doing so we became a ridiculous noise, of no value to anyone. For this failure to do your will I personally repent and turn from that ungodly act.”

“(2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

“Oh Lord, no matter how smart I am, or how popular I am, or how much I know, I am nothing and of no value to anyone if I do not have love. My Lord there are times I have acted on my own, relied on my self, and forgot your love, for this I repent.”

“(3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

“I can give every minute of my time, every material possession I have or even my own body but it is of no value if I do not love. Lord I repent of not loving, of trying to replace love by doing other things to soothe my conscience.”

“(4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

“Lord, I have been impatient, I have envied others who have had success, I have boasted in my own achievements, I have been haughty and Lord, I have harbored pride, while deceitfully feigning humility. For that I repent. ”

“(5) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

“Lord I have been offensive at times, sought my own way, not yours, have become angry without cause, and have kept a tab on my brothers and sisters. For this I repent.”

“(6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

“Lord there are times I have been happy to see someone get what they deserved, when I should have been helping them. For that I repent.”

“(7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

“Lord, I have run from situations when I should have stayed, I have at times lost or given up hope, I have at times lost trust in people and I have at times just plain given up on someone because I didn’t feel they were worth my time. For this I repent.”

“(8) Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

Lord, I have put my confidence in many things, all of them are good but none of them will stand. I repent and will from this day put my trust in You and the love You place in me. And I will stand firm, shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters, and I will fight with them against all evil.”

“(9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

(10) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

(11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

(12) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

(13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

“Father, there are many things I do not know, many I do not understand, I want everything perfect, but as I grow older I must put away old ideas and immature acts and learn what you would have me to do. Father, forgive me, help me to grow and most of all, help me to love.”

He raised his eyes to the group, “God gave me a scripture to finish with, it is 2 Chronicles Chapter seven Verse 14 and 15. As I stand here now I believe it is His response to the repentance that is here and is a confirmation that God is pleased with our coming today. I pray that he will also be pleased with what we do with the rest of our time in this place and on this earth.”

(14) if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

(15) Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

I pray that each of us will examine our lives and see if there is somewhere we have left our first love and we will be motivated to return to it with great haste.

Copyright Ralph Brandt 2001, 2007. Not to be used without permission.