This week we began a new series entitled, "7 Letters for 7 Churches" where we are examining the letters given to the Apostle John as he penned the book of Revelation. While these were seven literal churches located in Asia, the contents of each letter are applicable to the body of Christ today. The challenge for us is to genuinely reflect on the accolades and the admonishments and then adjust our lives accordingly.  In this first installment, we look at the message for the Ephesian church.

When God reveals His purpose to us we need to realize it requires action from us. We must step up and say, "Here I am God, choose me" and be willing to step out in faith and follow Him.  In this message, we look at how God's purpose for our lives depends on us, but His purpose does not end with us.

In Ezekiel chapter 22:30, God is looking for a man to stand in the gap for His people, Israel and lead them out of idolatry. The tragedy is, other than the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God cannot find such a man.  The world today finds itself caught in the same rebelliousness and rejection of God as Israel and it needs men of God who will be strong leaders and rely on Him.  Are you willing to stand in the gap?

Our lives are hectic and we find ourselves working to satisfy the demands of our families, our jobs, and the church.  We burn so much energy constantly "doing" that the effectiveness of our work is negatively impacted.  We learn in Mark chapter six Jesus understood the importance of rest when He instructed the twelve disciples to find a secluded place and rest after a time of intensive ministry.  We cannot pour into the lives of others if we ourselves are running on empty.

In this message we look at the ways Satan tries to use our perceptions to distort God's reality in our lives.