《今日靈修默想》:「然而,有一件事我要責備你,就是你把起初的愛心離棄了。所以應當回想你是從哪裡墜落的,並要悔改,行起初所行的事。」(啟2:4-5)

默想一:今天教會要防患的試探是什麼?把精神專注在維護真道上,可能聖經知識增加了,但弟兄姊妹感受不到基督的愛;之間的交流只變成形式化的問候;表面上有活力,教會內的愛裡合一不見了。沒有愛的教會,一切的事工都是枉然;失去愛心,教會根本就無法吸引人歸向主,更不能為主發光。

默想二:如何重燃起初的愛(First love)?經文裡提供三個英文字母「R」:腦要回想Remember,心要悔改Repent,腳要回轉Return走正路。深切地「回想」當初神的救恩如何臨到,會帶來徹底「悔改」的途徑。但「悔改」必須帶出真正轉回向神的「行動」。有悔改的心證明還有希望,但若不把握機會悔改,絕望是注定了。

禱告:感謝神,因祢的慈愛常存,袮的信實直到萬代。求袮的聖靈光照我,重燃我起初對袮的愛。袮為我捨命在十字架上,袮犧牲的愛拯救了我這卑微的人。主!我願盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力來回應袮的愛,用我的一生服事袮。奉主耶穌的聖名禱告,阿們!

《Today’s spiritual meditation》:  “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.” (Rev 2: 4-5)

Meditation one: What is the temptation that today’s church should guard against? When focusing on the truth, perhaps the knowledge of the Bible is increased, but brothers and sisters may not feel the love of Christ. The fellowship among them just turns into a superficial greeting. It appears to have vitality, yet the unification in love in the church is gone. A church without love, all ministries are in vain. If you forsake love, the church will not be able to attract people to the Lord, and never even be possible to shine for the Lord.

Meditation two: How to restore the love you had at first (First love)? There are three “R’s” in the scripture: the mind needs to “Remember”, the heart needs to “Repent”, and the foot needs to “Return” to the right way. Deeply “remembering” how God’s salvation came, will bring a thorough path to “repentance.” But “repentance” must bring out true “action” to return to God. Having a heart of repentance means there is a hope, but if one does not seize the opportunity to repent, despair is doomed.

Prayer: Thank God since Your love endures forever. Your faithfulness endures to all generations. May Your Holy Spirit shine on me and restore my first love for you. You laid down Your life on the cross for me. Your sacrificing love saved such low estate person like me. Oh Lord! I would like to respond to Your love with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength and commit my whole life to serve You. I pray in the holy name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!

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