Today Pastor Gina Elmes speaks about our first love, Jesus Christ. For the Christian there is one central point within our lives that all other parts of our lives should flow - our love for Christ. Together with His love for us we have relationship. Gina looks at various books of the bible (Hosea, Son of Songs) before focusing on the greatest commandment (Mark 12:20 NIV “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”).

She then looks in depth at Revelation 2, 1-7 (NIV) “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. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”.

Pastor Gina explains the background to the Book of Revelation, the meaning behind the references to stars and lampstands then challenges us personally to see whether we have forsaken our first love for Christ, and if so will we follow the instructions given above – will we repent and put Jesus first?

Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. If we seek Jesus first all the other things we were worried about will fall into place naturally. This is how God intended us to live.