Revelation 2:4 (KJV) When Faith Becomes Routine

Revelation 2:4 (KJV)

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

There are things in the Bible that are subject to interpretation, and concerning those things, we must not speak too dogmatically. I remember many years ago hearing a good friend, peer, and contemporary in the ministry preach that this “first love” is soul winning.

I would not question that winning souls to Jesus Christ was an almost natural outcome of faith among the original believers. Throughout the New Testament, we see this compulsion that once they had met the Saviour, they told others.

But:

• They did not have organized soul-winning days.
• They did not have soul-winning competitions.
• They did not have soul-winning classes or conferences.

One would be hard-pressed to find in the New Testament where Christians are specifically commanded to do it. The Bible focuses much on spiritual growth, love for Christ, and growing in love for our fellow believers.

The Bible seems much more interested in our endeavoring to keep unity within the local church than in our attempting to win people to Christ.

I believe this first love is that affection we had for the Lord, the things of the Lord, and the people of the Lord when we first came to Christ. Experience has demonstrated to me that, as time passes and we witness the realities of day-to-day faith—that this is not a perfect world, and Christians are not perfect either—our love for these things can become somewhat jaded.

• We see the same people regularly and know their faults.
• We hear our preacher weekly, and sometimes go through a few of them.
• We serve in our church, and sometimes grow tired of doing it.

I think our first love is that early affection for the things of God.

I notice that the Lord says He has “somewhat against thee.” I do not want to make light of that. It was serious enough for the Lord to name it. But there is more.

Let us strive to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind—and let this keep us from drifting into lesser sins.

#Revelation2 #FirstLove #LoveTheLord #WalkWithGod #FaithThatStays

When Faith Becomes Routine: Christ’s Warning About First Love

Have you ever found yourself still serving, still attending church, yet sensing that your love for Christ is not what it once was? I’d love to hear your thoughts—what do you believe “first love” means in Revelation 2:4, and have you ever seen this drift in your own walk with God? Leave a comment below. 

And if you enjoy practical Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, I invite you to visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 2:4 (KJV) When Faith Becomes Routine

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx5XEcBEF8yleGZyQBcbmUys9qhuIAZWMZ?si=dRcIHpFAEkOKMdiH

Revelation 1:10 (KJV) John Was Exiled -

Revelation 1:10 (KJV)

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Gill observes that John was in no position to attend church services, being exiled on the Isle of Patmos. Yet he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” He knew it was the Lord’s day. Being situated where he could not attend, he was still aware that it was the Lord’s day. Further, being aware that it was the Lord’s day, he was “in the Spirit” on this day.

Let’s remember that he was not on the Isle on some sort of vacation or getaway. He was not in the house of God because he could not be. This passage in no way implies that we can forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, and still be in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

That said, I am curious about this phrase, “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” If he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” when he could not be in church, should it not be as true of us that we are “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” while we are at church?

What does it mean to be “in the Spirit”? Is it some ecstatic trance state? While the commentaries tend toward that interpretation, I rather think not.

Gill writes, “he was employed in spiritual contemplations and exercises, and was under a more than ordinary influence of the Spirit of God; and his spirit or soul was wholly intent upon, and taken up with divine and spiritual things…”

Honesty compels me to provide the completion of his text: “with visions and representations that were made unto his mind, which he perceived in his spirit, and not with the organs of his body; he was in an ecstasy of spirit, and knew scarcely whether he was in the body or out of it.”

But I wish to concentrate upon that first portion. Visions, dreams, and “ecstasy of spirit” are things both out of our control and, as I understand the Bible, apparently have ceased for our time because we have the complete Word of God and do not need these “out-of-body” type revelations.

What we do have some control over is this:

We can be “employed in spiritual contemplations…”
Our thoughts can be on the things of God on the Lord’s day.

We can be “employed in spiritual… exercises”
Our efforts can be directed to that which serves the house of the Lord, the glory of God, and the salvation and further encouragement of the souls of men and women on the Lord’s day.

We can be “wholly intent upon, and taken up with divine and spiritual things.”
On this one day, which we know from Scripture as the Lord’s day, would it not become us to be wholly intent upon these things?

#InTheSpirit #LordsDay #Revelation110 #SpiritualContemplation #FocusedOnGod

John Was Exiled—What’s Your Excuse?

What do you believe it means to be “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”? I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment below and join the conversation. 

For more Bible teaching, devotionals, and Christ-centered encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Revelation 1:10 (KJV) John Was Exiled -

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxON7ERemBvbAfs9aP4gBM_ZcBA_odhSw-?si=mXMnrd6U4hMbWbo0

2 Chronicles 13:8 (KJV) The Believer’s Bold Stand

2 Chronicles 13:8 (KJV)

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

Consider the logistics of this encounter.

Jeroboam had basically ten tribes.
Abijah had basically two tribes.

Jeroboam had 800,000 troops.
Abijah had 400,000 troops.

This is a “David and Goliath” type account—one of many in the Word of God.

Abijah dared to suggest that God would have a say in all this. He cited Israel’s rebellion against God’s anointed, their displacement of the Levitical priests, and their adoption of false gods as evidence that they had offended God. He then reminded them that Judah had remained loyal to God’s Word in all of this. (Albeit not perfectly. Whoever has?)

God did intervene, and by day’s end, Israel’s 800,000 had been trimmed to 300,000.

Here’s the thing: Abijah would have been correct in all he said even if Israel had won the day.

The truth is true regardless of outcomes.

And I want to be a man of God and of truth.

#TruthIsTrue #StandForTruth #GodHasTheFinalSay #FaithOverNumbers #ManOfGodAndTruth

The Believer’s Bold Stand: God Had the Final Say

What do you think—does this passage remind us that truth stands whether the crowd agrees or not, and whether the outcome favors us or not? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts. 

For more Bible studies, encouragement, and Christ-centered teaching, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 13:8 (KJV) The Believer’s Bold Stand

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxq6R8-lrkNVP4GJNqZOSKmj8pZkh-bZHU?si=EKoautyEj1-2kEkI

2 Chronicles 12:10 (KJV) When Brass Looks Like Gold

2 Chronicles 12:10 (KJV)

Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

I guess, as an older man, I have become prone to reflect—to look back at memories and things from my past. Even so, this text elicits a memory.

There was at one time a pastor in Ashland, Oregon, whom I began in the ministry with at about the same time. I think I remember he was from Jerome, Idaho. He was one of the most pleasant personalities to be around—calm in demeanor, confident, and he could sing like nobody’s business.

I remember he and I at a pastors’ meeting once. The building we were meeting in was newly constructed. He turned to me and remarked that perhaps God would one day allow us to be full-time pastors and even have a building such as the one we were in.

Later, at a pastors’ fellowship in Aloha, he preached from this text. He described Rehoboam’s unwise choices, his turning from the Lord, the nation’s following him in backsliding, and God’s chastening of Israel because of it. He described how the king of Egypt took the shields of gold Solomon had made, but how Rehoboam instead made shields of brass. He said that those shields, if the sun hit them just right, and if no one looked at them too long, might appear to be as elegant as gold.

Then he applied that to the ministry. He spoke of a false presence of God—a false glory. He spoke of beautiful buildings that, so long as no one really thought about it, could appear to be evidence of God’s blessing.

I frankly think I remember enjoying the message.

But I also remember the response of another pastor there, who led one of the larger churches in our fellowship. As I recall, he took offense to the message and seemed to view it as a criticism of larger churches like his own, and perhaps even the church we were meeting in.

Years have passed.

That pastor’s church and the church in Aloha are neither one Baptist now. One still exists, but it is a shell of its former self. I do not say that to judge, because the church I pastored at that time is no longer what I believe to be a doctrinally sound church either.

Perhaps there were far too many “brass shields” in that room that day—some we would have never expected.

Rehoboam, the Bible says, did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. But the Bible also says that when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord was turned from him, and things went well in Judah.

I have not met a perfect person. But I can say this: the best ones I know do not fake their faith, purposely seek the Lord, and humble themselves often.

#BrassShieldsFaith #SeekTheLord #TrueGloryNotBrass #HumilityBeforeGod #PreparedHeart

When Brass Looks Like Gold: Don’t Let Appearance Replace Authentic Faith

Have you ever seen a “brass shield” in your own life—something that looked strong on the outside but lacked what mattered most within? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Leave a comment below and join me for more Bible reflections, teaching, and encouragement at marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Chronicles 12:10 (KJV) When Brass Looks Like Gold

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxHLoZpqq_EzoDCBpPz5psB2wcYd4fWLGi?si=5B_9uWSrQ5t_2nl5