- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 17,929
Do you love God?
'YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE.' REVELATIONS 2:4
The Church in Ephesus was the kind of church you'd want to be at: 'I know your deeds and your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men...You have...endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary' (Revelation 2:2 NIV).
So far so good. But then there's a snag: 'I have this against you,' says the Lord. 'You have left your first love.' Ouch! The Church had started out as passionate evangelists, lovers of the poor and needy. They probably had awesome worship times, exciting preaching and were known for being packed with vision, excitement and a fiery, head-over heels love for God. So what happened? The Bible says, 'You have left your first love'.
Their hearts had cooled down and the fire was on it's way out, and they didn't even realise! These guys were living the life, serving the poor and doing everything by the book, but it was all done out of a sense of duty. How sad.
Our relationship with God is the single most important thing in our lives. Without spending time with the God we love the fire is doomed to go out. A fire needs fuel, the more the fuel the greater the blaze! The sad truth is that there are many Christians who go to church every week - without fail. They pray, they read their Bible every single day - yet they don't truly love God.
Loving God is a commitment, a decision, an attitude resulting in action - a decision to include Him in all you say and do. So, do you love God? How are you going to show it today?
written by Bob Gass
'YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE.' REVELATIONS 2:4
The Church in Ephesus was the kind of church you'd want to be at: 'I know your deeds and your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men...You have...endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary' (Revelation 2:2 NIV).
So far so good. But then there's a snag: 'I have this against you,' says the Lord. 'You have left your first love.' Ouch! The Church had started out as passionate evangelists, lovers of the poor and needy. They probably had awesome worship times, exciting preaching and were known for being packed with vision, excitement and a fiery, head-over heels love for God. So what happened? The Bible says, 'You have left your first love'.
Their hearts had cooled down and the fire was on it's way out, and they didn't even realise! These guys were living the life, serving the poor and doing everything by the book, but it was all done out of a sense of duty. How sad.
Our relationship with God is the single most important thing in our lives. Without spending time with the God we love the fire is doomed to go out. A fire needs fuel, the more the fuel the greater the blaze! The sad truth is that there are many Christians who go to church every week - without fail. They pray, they read their Bible every single day - yet they don't truly love God.
Loving God is a commitment, a decision, an attitude resulting in action - a decision to include Him in all you say and do. So, do you love God? How are you going to show it today?
written by Bob Gass
