Bringing Revival to a Nation

 “Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord.” – 2 Chronicles 34:21

In the 1990s, 70 percent of the Colombian drug trade was controlled by a cartel in the city of Cali. The Cali Cartel was one of the largest and richest criminal organizations in history, exporting half a billion dollars of cocaine every month. As cartel members drove their shiny black Mercedes through the city, all other traffic would pull to the side of the road. Many drivers who defied this etiquette were blocked, then shot. As many as 15 people a day were killed—just for failing to get out of the way. 

By the early 1990s, Cali Cartel interests controlled virtually every major institution in the city, including banks, businesses, politicians and police. Like everyone else, Christians were weak and scared. But in the mid-1990s, all that changed. A few pastors started meeting for prayer. They prayed for the Christians in Cali, particularly the pastors, to develop a hunger for prayer, unity and holiness. Some of the pastors rented the civic auditorium to assemble their congregations for an evening of joint worship, repentance and prayer. The pastors prepared for a few thousand people. But at the “Cali Revival” event in May 1995, more than 25,000 people filed into the auditorium. They prayed for God’s active participation in their stand against the drug cartels. At one point the mayor proclaimed, “Cali belongs to Jesus Christ!” 

Forty-eight hours later, the headline in the daily newspaper was: “No Homicides!” For the first time in as long as anybody in the city could remember, 24 hours had passed without a single murder. The Colombian government declared all-out war against the drug lords. Over the next four months, 900 cartel-linked officers were fired from the metropolitan police force. One by one, the cartel leaders were arrested or killed. Tens of thousands of Christians were revived and countless unbelievers were saved. Revival had come to Cali, Colombia.

The Cali Revival gives us a taste of what could happen across America when God ushers in the next great revival. In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 34 tells of another inspiring revival: the revival under King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was descended from two of the most evil kings Judah ever had. But Josiah didn’t walk in the wicked ways of his father and grandfather. Eight years into his reign, King Josiah began seeking the God of his forefather, David. He set out to purge Judah and Jerusalem of all idols and pagan worship centers, and he repaired and purified the temple (vs. 3-8). Then, in verse 14, a high priest found an ancient scroll of the Torah (most likely the Book of Deuteronomy) hidden somewhere in the temple. When the high priest found it, he gave it to Josiah’s secretary, who read it to the king.

How did King Josiah respond? “When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes” (v. 19). This was a sign of deep sorrow … and, probably, fear. He said, “Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord” (v. 21). He sent messengers to ask a prophetess, Huldah, what punishment the people could expect for the sins of Judah—past and present. The news wasn’t good. Huldah replied that God would “bring disaster” on Jerusalem and its people. God’s anger “will be poured out and will not be quenched,” because “they have forsaken God” and “provoked Him to anger by all that their hands have made” (vs. 24-25). Judgment was coming.

However, because King Josiah had torn his robes, humbled himself before God and wept over Israel’s sin, God was going to delay His judgment. It wouldn’t come until AFTER Josiah’s death.

So, in verse 30, King Josiah gathered all the people of Judah and read the Book of the Covenant to them. And King Josiah led the people in a renewal of their covenant with God. They promised to turn from their sin and worship and obey God alone. And they kept that promise: “As long as [Josiah] lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their fathers” (v. 33).

Today, I think you’ll agree that America has a sin problem. So, if we desire God to bring revival to our nation the way He brought revival to the nation of Judah, we have to repent. The people of Judah had to turn from their wicked ways, and we have to turn from our wicked ways.

When we Christians confess sin and repent, we tend to just confess and repent from our own personal sin. And on the rare occasions when we do confess the sins of our nation, we tend to confess the sins that disgust us the most. But if we are serious about turning from our wicked ways and ushering in an extraordinary move of God, we cannot simply confess and turn from the sins of our nation that disgust US the most. We must confess and turn from all sin, because all sin disgusts GOD. (I encourage you to listen to my message, “Revival – part 3,” on YouTube for a list of national sins that you might not have considered.)

In the mid-1990s, God moved in the city of Cali, Colombia in extraordinary ways as the Church confessed and turned from the sins of their city AND the Church. God brought revival there, and He will bring revival here if we will humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. He WILL hear from heaven. He WILL forgive our sin. And He WILL heal our land. But turning from our sin begins with confessing our sin. And there’s no doubt: We have a lot of confessing to do. 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church. Beginning on Easter Sunday (April 9^th), join us at our great NEW worship location in Apple Valley (16209 Kamana Road) at 9am and 11am. You can also join us online at Facebook or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

How to Pray for Revival

 “I pray that you may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
– Ephesians 3:18

Back in 1857, a Christian businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier started a noon prayer meeting in New York City. He distributed thousand of flyers calling on businessmen to come to the Old Dutch Church on Fulton Street at noon on Wednesdays to commune with God. Well, on the first day of the prayer meeting, 12 p.m. came and went, and Jeremiah was sitting in the room by himself. 12:10—still nobody. Jeremiah started praying. 12:15, 12:20, 12:25—still nobody. Finally, at 12:30, one businessman came in, then another and another. Six joined him for that remaining half hour of prayer.

The next Wednesday, there were twenty. Then they started meeting daily, and within six months over twenty prayer meetings had sprung up all over the city, until 10,000 businessmen were gathering in New York City for prayer. Prayer meetings also popped up across the country: 200 towns in New York, 150 in Massachusetts, 200 in Ohio, 150 in Indiana, 50 in Missouri, and so on. Historically, we know it as the Fulton Street Revival, or the Prayer Meeting Revival of 1857 and 1858. It is estimated that at the peak of the revival, 10,000 people a week were becoming Christians in New York City alone—50,000 total per week in the United States.

The Fulton Street Revival was a small taste of what could happen across America when God ushers in the next great revival. God is always at work in and through Christ’s Church. But during times of revival, His presence and power reach a whole new level. During times of revival, the Holy Spirit of God FIRST does an extraordinary work among Christians in the Church, and SECOND, He works through revived Christians to do an extraordinary work among unbelievers outside the Church. Tens of thousands—sometimes even millions—of unbelievers get saved.

If you’re looking for an example of revival in the early Church, we see it in the apostle Paul’s time in Ephesus. For three years, Paul preached the Gospel, started a church and sent out missionaries. And according to Acts 19:11-12, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” What took place in Ephesus during those three years was very revival-like. God moved in extraordinary ways.  

A few years later, Paul wrote his famous letter to the Ephesian Christians, and his revival prayer in Ephesians 3 is an integral part in teaching the Church to reach its full potential in Christ. In verses 16-19, Paul prays four things for the Ephesian Christians:

#1: Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus to have inner, spiritual strength (v. 16). It’s very common for Christians to say, “I want to know God better” and “I want God to use me in greater ways.” But honestly, most of us are too spiritually puny to know God better. And we’re too spiritually flabby for God to use us in greater ways. You and I may say we want God to bring revival to our church, families and nation, but, honestly, most of us aren’t preparing for it. We can’t remember the last time we prayed for more than five minutes at a time. We have no spiritual strength or stamina. So, Paul prays that we would bulk up spiritually. Those who experience revival on Day 1 tend to be those who have been prioritizing prayer, so they’ve been strengthened by the Holy Spirit to receive a greater outpouring of God.

#2: Paul prays for the Christians in Ephesus to have inner spiritual depth (v. 17). If we as Christians are serious about making a greater impact in the Victor Valley for Jesus Christ, there’s no way around it: We have to dig deeper and make sure we are solidly grounded in God’s Word and Christ’s love. One of the greatest prayers you could ever pray for me (or for any other Christian you know) is for us to be rooted and established in the Word of God and in the love of Christ. 

#3: Paul prays for Christians in Ephesus to have inner spiritual insight (v. 18). We talk, preach and even sing about the unconditional, never-failing love of Christ. But Christ’s love is immeasurably wide, unfathomably long, incomparably high and unimaginably deep. We have only begun to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. So, Paul prays that the Ephesian Christians—and you and I today—would grasp the love of Christ.

Why did Paul pray so fervently for the Ephesian Christians to have inner spiritual strength, depth and insight? Because, #4: Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians to be filled with the knowledge and fullness of God (v. 19). Paul’s ultimate desire for Christians is that they would know intimately the love of Christ and be completely filled with as much of God as possible.

That sounds like revival to me. Revival is “God.” During times of revival our eyes are opened, and we realize that, up to that point, we’ve barely known God. And any spiritual hunger we had for Him before revival came is only intensified when revival actually comes. We wanted to know God and love God more, but during revival our desire to know and love God intensifies.

If our culture is transformed, it will be on the heels of Christ’s Church being transformed. Christ’s Church is the hope of the world. The Church is Jesus’ chosen vessel for expanding His Kingdom of Heaven here on earth and bringing glory to God. So, won’t you join me in praying for the Church’s revival?

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person at 9 a.m., or online at 10 a.m. on YouTube or Facebook. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Don’t Be a “Knockoff” Christian

 “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are YOU?” – Acts 19:15

You know what a knockoff is, right? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “a copy that sells for less than the original; a copy or imitation of someone or something popular.” Whenever there’s a clothing or food brand that is hugely popular, there are always people looking to make a fast buck by making cheap knockoffs. Here are a few actual examples. For all you coffee lovers, have you ever saved a few bucks sipping on good ol’ “Sunbucks” Coffee? Or maybe you’ve brushed your teeth with “Crust” toothpaste. And this might be my favorite knockoff of all: Who on earth would knowingly drink “Peepi” Cola?

Well, in the Apostle Paul’s day, he established a pretty big name during the three years he spent ministering in Ephesus. In Acts 19:11-12, we read that the Holy Spirit worked “extraordinary miracles” through Paul as people were healed of illness and cured of demonic possession simply by holding aprons and handkerchiefs Paul had touched. Yes, the miracles and exorcisms God was working through Paul were “extraordinary.” And what do wannabes do when they discover something extraordinary? Posers who are just out to make a fast buck quickly come up with a knockoff. In First Century Ephesus, there wasn’t a Starducks Coffee, Crust Toothpaste or Peepi Cola, but there were a bunch of wannabes running around trying to knock off the healings and exorcisms they saw Paul doing. And it came back to bite them. 

In Paul’s day Ephesus was steeped in paganism and the occult, and medical professionals had only a basic understanding of disease and mental illness. So, most people believed the root of most illnesses was spiritual. Instead of going to a doctor, many people would just go to their friendly neighborhood exorcist to get the illness demon cast out. The chief priest in Ephesus, Sceva, had seven sons who made a living performing exorcism house calls. At some point these seven brothers must have witnessed the “extraordinary miracles” that God was working through Paul. So, they tried to cash in. Even though they didn’t believe in Jesus, they decided to invoke the name of Jesus. And even though they didn’t support or follow the Apostle Paul, they decided to invoke the name of the Apostle Paul. Things were going great … until the day these seven brothers encountered an actual demon.

When the seven sons arrived at the home of the demon-possessed man, they whipped out their new favorite exorcism line: “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, we command you to come out!!” Well, the demon wasn’t impressed. But in my opinion, the demon DID have a pretty good sense of humor. It responded: “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who [on earth] are you?” (v. 15). Then the possessed man pounced on all seven brothers: “He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (v. 16).

But even through the demon’s actions, God was working all things together for good. We read in verse 17: “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.” In other words, a lot of wannabe exorcists were put on notice. And Jesus’ name was lifted higher than it had ever been lifted in that town, which led to more unbelievers getting saved and more Christians repenting of their sin and growing in their faith.

Here are two insights to consider:

Insight #1: As long as God’s Spirit is moving powerfully in and through Christians and churches, there will be cheap knockoffs. So, be on guard.  Jesus and His apostles performed miracles for three reasons: 1) to show loving compassion to hurting people; 2) to teach spiritual truths; and 3) to confirm their authority as apostles of Jesus Christ. Sadly, there are some Christian leaders today whose motives for performing miracles are much different than Jesus’ motives. They save their most compassionate acts for times when they themselves are in the spotlight and the camera is rolling. Some Christian leaders use miracles to play with people’s emotions instead of using them to teach spiritual truths. Some try to manipulate a move of God for their own glory, instead of allowing Christ to get the glory. So, be on guard, Christians.

Insight #2: Today most people believe the root of all illness is physical and never spiritual, but don’t count out the healing power of prayer and the Word of God. In First Century Ephesus, most people saw a demon behind every headache and sniffle. In Twenty-First Century America, most people see a virus or disease behind every headache and sniffle. Both viewpoints are wrong. That’s not to say that your congestive heart failure or your sister’s asthma are the result of sin. But many of our illnesses and diseases ARE the result of sin.

And Christians can play a pivotal role in physical healing. Our prayers, at times, make sick people well. And when sinners repent and realign their lifestyles with the Word of God, they can actually experience healing. Make no mistake: At Impact Christian Church, we are pro-doctor and pro-medication when that medication is physically necessary for good health. But we are also pro-prayer, pro-repentance and pro-obedience-to-God’s-Word, because these things are ALSO critical for good health.

It’s too easy to be a knockoff Christian. We come to church and listen to some great music, hear an inspiring message and eat a donut on the way out the door. But don’t forget one of the most important reasons for a worship service: to get right with God. So, don’t fake it hoping to make it. Be the “real deal.” Be a man or woman of prayer and the Word of God.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person at 9 a.m., or online at 10 a.m. on YouTube or Facebook Live. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

How Could God Love ME?

 “I pray that you … may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” - Ephesians 3:17-18

 Two weeks ago, my oldest daughter Kayla graduated from high school. Because of COVID, her graduation ceremony was delayed a month and a half. But my wife Christine and I were so proud to finally see her don her cap and gown and receive her diploma. And knowing that soon she will be leaving for college, in recent months I’ve been thinking of Bible verses that I want to pass on to her and pray for her.

One passage that’s been on my mind a lot is Ephesians 3:17-19. Starting halfway through verse 17, it reads: “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” This is one of my prayers for Kayla. I want her to be firmly rooted in God’s love, and I want her to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. But I don’t want her to simply “grasp” God’s amazing love; I want her to know His love personally.

Most people would agree that the most popular verse in the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Over the years that I’ve been in ministry, I have had more than a few conversations with people who believe that God so loved the world. But they weren’t so sure that God loved THEM.

Sometimes we doubt God’s love for us because of our own insecurities. At other times we doubt His love because our sin seems too big to forgive. And honestly, at times we just have a hard time wrapping our minds around the notion that the Creator of this huge universe would care about us. I’ll bet that at some point in your life you have wondered: “How could the Creator of the universe love ME?”

Well, to be honest, it’s completely illogical for the Creator of the universe to love you. After all, you’re NOT a big, important person. Your influence in this world is rather puny. Your natural resources are few and far between. And, just like the children of Israel, you’re stubborn—you do your fair share of obnoxious complaining and grumbling. In many ways, you and I are both unlovable. So, how could God love me? How could God love you?

Here’s the answer: God loves you, not because of who YOU are or what YOU’VE done. God loves you because of who HE is. When we doubt God’s love for us, it’s inevitably because we’re taking our eyes off Him and focusing on ourselves—on our own insecurities and shortcomings, our own sins and our insignificance. But that’s the wrong place to focus. God’s love for me has NEVER been primarily about me. It’s always been primarily about Him. 1 John 4:8 says point blank: “God is love.” And because God is love, He is going to love me no matter how obnoxious, unlovable and undeserving I am of His love. How could God love us? Because God IS love, and loving undeserving sinners like you and me is what He does best.

God’s love even transcends life and death. And that’s great news for you and me, because according to God’s word, our sins have made us all dead to God. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world…gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” Colossians 2:13 says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” So, there’s no doubt about it. Our rebellious sins have made us spiritually dead to God. But Jesus is ready and willing to raise us back to life.

But why would he do that? Because in spite of ourselves, God loves us. In spite of ourselves, Jesus loves us. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What a glorious verse! While we were still being selfish jerks, Jesus loved us and died for us anyway. While we were still breaking God’s laws and doing whatever we felt like doing, while we were still rebellious and stubborn and complaining and arguing, while we were completely undeserving and unappreciative and unlovable—Jesus loved us and died for us anyway. No wonder the Apostle John writes in 1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

My prayer for my daughter is one of my prayers for you as well. I want you to be firmly rooted in God’s love, and I want you to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. But I don’t want you to simply “grasp” God’s amazing love; I want you to know His love personally—“that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Please join us for our live outdoor worship service Sundays at 9 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Or, join us online at 10 a.m. on our YouTube channel (Impact Christian Church) or on Facebook.

Have a Better Marriage than Your Parents

“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33

Last week, I read a blog written by a woman who had nothing but bad memories of her parents’ marriage. She wrote, “My parents hated each other, and I mean that as in plates flying, cops turning up and thousands of memories as a child of their fighting.” She shared memories of punches, drunkenness, and a repeated cycle of breakups and failed reunions.

Even more sadly, she went on to say, “I can not help [but] feel that some of their bad habits [in] their marriage not only are still with me but will affect my marriage.” And her concern is valid. Experts tell us that most couples, without even realizing it, model their own marriage after their parents’ marriage—for better or for worse.

You may not have grown up in a household with flying plates, but if you’re like me, you had parents whose marriage wasn’t bad … but it wasn’t great either. We don’t want to make the same mistakes they made. And God’s word has the answers. It offers a major tune-up for any broken-down marriage.

In Ephesians 5:22-24, Paul offers an implied command to husbands to “lead” their wives under the authority of Jesus Christ. And wives are commanded to submit to that God-given leadership. Now, in this fallen world of ours, there is no shortage of selfish, arrogant husbands. We’ve heard husbands get onto a high horse and demand that their wives submit to them. And these husbands were—for the most part—lousy husbands.

But in the context of a godly marriage, both husband and wife are following Ephesians 5:21, which says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” And just a few verses later, Paul gives this instruction: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). In that context, a wife’s submission comes much easier.

Now, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the commands given to husbands and wives in verse 33: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” For years I’ve found this verse to be so interesting. Notice that wives are not commanded here to “love” their husbands. And husbands are not commanded to “respect” their wives. Why not?

First, I believe it’s because it’s easy for most wives to love their husbands, and it’s easy for most husbands to respect their wives. Now, there are exceptions to the rule. But as a rule of thumb, even when a marriage is falling apart, a wife still loves her husband. And similarly, as a rule of thumb, even when a marriage is falling apart, a husband still respects his wife. But when a marriage is falling apart, more times than not the wife does not respect her husband, and the husband does not love his wife.

Second, by the same token, wives have a deeper need to be loved, and husbands have a deeper need to be respected. Even though so-called “experts” in gender studies keep on trying to deny it, the fact is, God has wired men and women differently. When conflict happens in a marriage, it’s common for husbands and wives to say things in anger that they later regret having said. When those harsh words are being spoken, a wife usually interprets her husband’s harsh words as unloving. And a husband usually interprets his wife’s harsh words as disrespectful.

And what can easily happen is this: If a wife feels unloved, she will withhold respect from her husband. And if a husband feels disrespected, he will withhold love from his wife. His unloving words feed off of her disrespect. And her disrespect feeds off of his unloving words. And thus begins a vicious cycle of withholding love and respect within the marriage. Now, here’s some good news: It takes two spouses to START this crazy cycle, but it only takes one spouse to STOP it. And the healing begins with one spouse drawing a line in the sand and refusing to pretend that God’s unconditional command is conditional.

Remember, we don’t follow the wisdom of this world. We follow Jesus Christ. Men, aren’t your grateful that Jesus loved you when you were completely unlovable? Women, aren’t you grateful that Jesus showed you enough respect to die on the cross for you even when you said and did plenty of things that were completely disrespectful?

We need to follow in his footsteps. Husbands are commanded to love their wives even their wives are disrespectful. And wives are commanded to respect their husbands even when their husbands are unloving. You and I are commanded to love and respect our spouses UNCONDITIONALLY. And when we do, living out Ephesians 5:33, your marriage could be the very best marriage your family has ever seen.

Dane Davis is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information, visit www.fccvv.com  and join us for worship Sundays at 10 a.m.

Don’t Be a Cold Christian

 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”

– Revelation 2:4

We’ve all met them. At some time or another you may have even been one. I’m talking about cold Christians: Christ followers who do all the “right” things without a bit of love. Many a marriage has fallen apart—not because there was an affair, abuse or abandonment—but because there was no love in the marriage. And just as a marriage can’t survive for very long without love, a church can’t survive very long without love. As Bible scholar Leon Morris puts it, “A church can continue only for so long on a loveless course... If they repent they may yet be saved. But if not, there is no hope.”

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus delivers seven brief letters to seven different churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Christ praises six of these seven churches for doing certain things very well. And his longest list of praises is delivered to the Christian Church in Ephesus. In Revelation 2:2-6, Jesus identifies seven different practices of the Ephesian Christians that are worthy of praise. In short, they practiced good deeds, worked hard, persevered amidst difficulties, refused to tolerate wickedness in the church, discerned false teaching, endured hardship, and hated the practices of those who tried to peddle heresy among their members.

By any estimation, this is an impressive list. Most churches would be ecstatic to have Christ shower them with these compliments. On a scale of 1-10, the Ephesian Church looked like a “10.” But even though it appeared to be a picture-perfect church on the outside, the church had something seriously wrong on the inside. Jesus bluntly tells the Ephesian Christians in verse 4: “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”

What does Jesus mean by this rebuke? Well, there are a couple possibilities. According to Jesus, the greatest command in the Bible is: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30-31). So, “you have forsaken your first love” could indicate that the Ephesian Christians were going through the motions of a Christian who truly loved God, but deep down …they really didn’t. They may have had some admirable motives for living out their religion so well, but love for God wasn’t one of them.

Or possibly “you have forsaken your first love” indicates that the Ephesian Christians had forsaken love for people as a top priority. Years earlier Jesus had told his disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). The Christians in Ephesus had been taught well to embrace God’s love and know God’s love and reflect God’s love in their personal relationships. But somewhere along the line, their love for people had grown cold. Although they looked good on the outside, their perseverance, doctrine, and ministries were loveless. They didn’t do the good things they did out of a deep love for Christ and others. So, despite how good their deeds may have looked to outsiders, the truth was: The Christian Church in Ephesus was dying. And only repentance and a re-prioritizing of love could bring it back to life.

I am reminded of the powerful words written by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” And Paul concludes the chapter with this short but powerful insight: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

As I consider the Ephesian Christians’ lack of love, a few words come to mind: unfeeling, robotic, mechanical, impersonal, loveless, lifeless and cold. Perhaps you could think of a few other words to describe a church that does the right things but does them without love. Regardless of the words that come to mind, I hope and pray that my Christianity will never be these things: unfeeling, mechanical and impersonal. I hope and pray that your Christianity will never be these things: loveless, lifeless and cold.

Friends, just as a husband and wife must guard themselves against a loveless marriage, Christians must guard themselves against a loveless church. We must be very careful. As we persevere through trials and endure hardship and faithfully teach God’s word and carry out some great ministries, we must make sure that we do it all in love. Cold, loveless Christianity is a dying Christianity. And a cold, loveless church is a dying church. The Apostle Paul was right: When it comes to living out our faith, “the greatest of these is love.” So, let’s make sure that we love Christ and others with everything we’ve got. If we don’t, our Christianity is nothing.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of First Christian Church in Victorville. For more information,

visit www.fccvv.com  and join us for our worship celebration Sundays at 10 am.