Today's Passage - Ephesians 1:1-2

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Ephesians 1:1-2   "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."   Book of Ephesians is one of the four "Prison Epistles" that Paul wrote in Rome while imprisoned.  He first greeted the saints in Ephesus and addressed them as "the faithful in Christ Jesus."  "In Christ Jesus" is an important term in Pauline theology.  Since the first day Paul accepted the Lord, he had profoundly experienced the close relationship between Christ and the saints.   When Paul was on the way to Damascus, suddenly a bright light flashed upon him, and there was a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  At first, Paul didn't understand what it meant, and then he suddenly came to realize that persecuting Christians is same as persecuting Jesus!  Later on, when he reached Damascus, God sent Ananias to lay hands and pray for Paul because Paul's eyes turned blind as if there were scales on them.  As soon as Ananias said "Brother Saul..." the scales fell off Paul's eyes, and Paul realized that everyone's brother and sister in the Lord!  When he heard Ananias calling him a brother, his heart was opened by God and he understood that in Christ he's connected with the Lord and with fellow brothers and sisters.  This kind of relationship can be even closer than those between brothers and sisters in flesh!   Paul also addressed the saints in Ephesus as "the faithful."  The Ephesian church is faithful, but in Revelations chapter two, the Lord rebuked them that "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance...  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."  The Ephesian church was faithful, but it had lost its "first love" for the Lord.  This is somewhat similar to the condition of the Chinese church today.  We serve faithfully and we do whatever we should without complaints, but we don't have a zealous heart or a momentum to serve the Lord.  A love that is responsible yet have no flame will not satisfy anyone in a relationship, and in the same manner a love without flame will not satisfy God!  What is your condition now?  Do you have a flaming love for God?  May the Lord help us to repent and turn back to Him, and let God's love touch us once again!                                                                                 Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, we love because you loved us first.  You chose us and in Christ we can be connected with you and with brothers and sisters.  May your love continue to touch us, let us be faithful to you in our daily life, and to have flaming love for you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!