FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

By reading the epistle of Jesus to the Church in Ephesus, contained in the book of Revelation, it is apparent that the elders heeded Paul’s advice and wisdom. This is acknowledged through John in that book. The commendation from the Lord through John was that they had indeed “ tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars .” This is a very powerful message that the leaders of the city were given a warning of what was going to happen, and then leaders of the city took heed and were then commended for the work they did to try and negate the threat. To know that as a leader they had listened to their apostle and were being commended for doing so by their Lord makes the words that much more meaningful. It also emphasizes to me the attention that the Lord Jesus gives to His Church, that He would address something so important as a warning before it would occur and as a commendation after it had occurred. However, the connection Jesus made to His own prophecy in Matthew should also now be apparent. He connected the false ministry with the effect it would have on the love people carried with them. In Revelation, Jesus again connects the influence of false ministers and the love of the people. Ephesus was not a disobedient Church in the sense that they had fallen into deep deception or wrong doctrine. What was wrong was in their application of the life of disciples of Christ. He said they had “ persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary .” They were busy doing the things they had been instructed to pursue. Yet, like many who are busy doing good, it is possible to be busy doing the work and forget the reason for the work. Luke 10:41-42: " And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. " Our relationship with the Lord is the good part that Martha had missed and it is also the part from which the Church in Ephesus had been drawn. Most likely this did not happen all at once and, like so many things that need attention daily, it was lost in the emergency of the situation presented by the self-promoting ministers. There is a lesson here for all of us to learn, that in the course of guarding the things which are precious to us that we may lose sight of the reason

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