'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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