![]() Jesus directed one of His seven letters in the book of Revelation to the church of Ephesus ( Revelations 2:1-7). This church was so passionate about sharing the Gospel of Christ, riots broke out in the streets (See Acts 19-20). Some think that the apostle John and Jesus’ mother Mary, lived in Ephesus after Jesus returned to heaven ( John 19:26-27). Jewish exorcists, also known as the sons of Sceva attempted to imitate Paul’s power and they were attacked by demons because they did not recognize their spiritual authority ( Acts 19:13-16). Pricilla and Aquilla discipled Apollos ( Acts 18:24-26). The value of these books was worth about 50,000 silver pieces ( Acts 19:19). ![]() Many new believers who practiced the magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. God worked through Paul to even the sick and cast out demons ( Acts 19:11). The church of Ephesus was the setting for several New Testament events: Paul journeyed to Ephesus during his second missionary trip and stayed there for two years so that all-Jews and Greeks who lived there would hear the word of the Lord ( Acts 19:10). The word Ephesus means desirable, and in many ways it was certainly a pleasant place to live. Who Was the Church of Ephesus and What Do We Know about Ephesus?Įphesus is mentioned several times in the Bible. If you’ve wondered what it meant to “go back to your first love” or how to rekindle the flames we can learn about the Church of Ephesus and through their example, light the fire in our hearts. During one particularly marked season, my Pastor told me, “You’ve lost your first love,” and cautioned me to push through the blanket of heaviness to rekindle the flames the once shined so brightly. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever woken up one morning and felt like you didn’t want to go to church? Has Scripture lost its richness and the quiet moments with God that used to be so full, now seem empty? Do you have memories of blazing intimacy in the salvation of Jesus now are now mere ashes? I’ve had a couple of desert seasons like this in my walk with Christ. The church of Ephesus knew what this dark and desert season felt like because the church of Ephesus had become so focused on doing church, they had forgotten what it meant to be the Church. ![]() Darkness is never so heavy as a redeemed soul longing for its first love-Jesus.
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