Monday, March 27, 2017

Do we REALLY love the Lord?

'The church at Ephesus, according to Revelation 2, works and toils for the Lord, yet He is displeased with them because they have abandoned their first love.

 If our service is rendered for love’s sake the Lord will certainly be pleased; but what value is it to Him if we undertake endeavors for Him without truly possessing a heart for Him?

We should be aware how possible it is to labor for the Lord and yet not love the Lord. '  (Excerpt - The Spiritual Man- by Watchman Nee

Labor for the Lord but NOT love Him?  This sounds almost impossible doesn't it? I mean, no one is required to love the Lord or work for Him, no one. People choose to love and work for the Lord.  How can a person be forced to work for the Lord? Perhaps a child being raised up in a family business of religion might go into that business without real love for the Lord. Maybe a person might go into religion for money. As I think on it more and more I can understand that there are probably a lot of people who would claim to love the Lord and work for the Lord without ever really loving Him at all. It's a very sad reality and something we have to look at ourselves for as well. Do we LOVE the Lord? Truly, do we LOVE the LORD?  DO…WE…LOVE…THE…LORD?


Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

The Lord will NOT know those who do not love Him, because those who do not love Him are not His. And a person who isn't the LORD's can do all they want in HIS name but it is meaningless to the Lord.

Do you remember this--

Act 19:13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 
Act 19:14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 
Act 19:15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 
Act 19:16  And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 

These men who tried to exorcise evil spirits in Jesus' name were unable to do so, why? Because they weren't known by Jesus, they didn't love Jesus. Jesus did not live in them. They had NO power from our Savior, none from the Holy Spirit in order do any real work for the Lord.  Right there is a bit of proof that a person can try and work for Jesus but in truth not be working for Him at all.  What those men were doing was a good thing- wanting to rid someone of evil spirits- but they wanted to do it for their own glory, using their own power.

We need to LOVE the LORD, truly love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, with all that we are.

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ! Please Lord, we would LOVE You! 

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