Wednesday, January 13, 2010

First Love

FIRST LOVE


One day we all want to hear well done you good and faithful servant. Jesus summed it up clearly in the gospels that we needed to take up our cross daily and follow Him. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are sinners saved by grace and God is calling us to a repentant walk. There is a cost to following Jesus! Men will know of our love for Jesus by our love for one another. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)
What kind of gospel are we hearing? Are we discerning what we are hearing before we let it take up residence in our spirit? The Lord is speaking and we want to hear Him. We also need to be aware of the counterfeit. The Galatians were told that they had so soon turned to another gospel and this was not a gospel at all but a counterfeit. There is one that appears as an angel of light .Test and try every spirit to know whether it is of God or not. Just because prophet or apostle said it does not make it true? Jesus said one sign of the last days would be false prophets. Let us back up what we see and hear by the Word of God. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for correction and instruction in righteousness. Let us take time to sit down with the Lord and hear Him. What kind of signs followed those that believed? Mark 16:17-18 says 17"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (NASB)

The gifts and fruit of the Spirit need to be maturing in our life. We are not to judge but should test the fruit. Rotten fruit is not very appealing and we need to be fruit inspectors. Patience is also needed with those new in the faith and need to grow up in Him. A good tree will bring forth good fruit. Where there is the genuine there will also be the false. The wheat and tares will grow together to the end. In being married for any period of time one realizes that relationships take work. Two people loving one another helps much in making a good relationship. Think of the effort you put into the relationship when you first met. Likewise, when you first met Jesus you your heart was full of love for Him. The book of The Revelation speaks clearly about Jesus being our first love.

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Rev. 2:4 We are being admonished to come back to our first love! What has taken you from your first love! What keeps you too busy from spending time with Jesus? Make your calling and election sure. Make loving Jesus your priority and give Him first place in your life. The Lord is saying to come to Him and not delay. Deception and a great falling away are signs of the end times so daily let's get close to Him. Little foxes spoil the vine. Let us root them out of our lives. Weeding your garden will yield good fruit. Come closer to Him and out of your relationship to the Lord you will touch the lives of others.