As time moves on and we grow closer to the time of our Lord's unexpected appearance we are being encouraged to perfect our walk in every way. Over time we have been instructed to use our talents, skills and abilities in the Lord's service. That message started just before the scamdemic broke out. Here over the recent past the message has expanded to doing that same thing with our talents, skills and abilities but doing so aligned in the very center of the Lord's Will and standing in agreement with Him and then by extension-the Church. Now, maybe the most important part of all is what makes it all work: love.
1 Cor 13
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This love starts with one on one time with the Lord our God:
Luke 10:27
He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
After loving our God, we love each other.
The following passage greatly troubled this servant for many years until the Lord shed some additional light on it:
Matt 7
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
This is the separation of those who thought they could use the Kingdom of God to enrich themselves without loving the Lord their God. Doing the work in order to get paid is a far cry from work done in love for our Father in Heaven. It explains why the Lord works in the midst of even the Nicolaitan churches in spite of, not because of them. All things serve Him. Having a business relationship with the Lord does not equate to being a member of the family.
This servant cannot imagine a worse experience than to stand before the Lord and have Him tell a person "I never knew you." Just devastating.
Rev 2
1“To the [a]angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2“I know your works, your labor, your [b]patience, and that you cannot [c]bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Here it is again, said in a different way in a different place. No love means no entrance to the Kingdom. So we need to fan the flames of our love for Him even if it means forsaking all the other works we are doing for Him for now. Works without love are worthless. We get this right and everything else will figure itself out. He comes first, everything else comes second.
This place of love and adoration is where we need to come back to recharge our batteries at the end of the day. Its our place of safety in the storm. It is how we can rejoice and give thanks in the midst of trials and tribulations. We do all this in a place of love and intimacy with our God who loved us first. He love us so much He died and agonizing death on a cross for us. He did not die for some faceless, nameless mass of people of which you are crowded in a forgotten. He died for you personally, by name. Time stopped on that cross and each and every one of you was seen by name. Every wicked, evil thing you would ever do passed before Him and only then after knowing how terribly rotten we were, in love and mercy He died for us.
So lets remember to put first things first today. Time may be shorter than we think. Even if its not, even if we have years left before us it is time to get things right and stay right with the time we have left. He intends for us to finish strong. We stand in alignment and agreement with that vision so we must do everything we can to finish strong. This is part of it. He is coming back for a spotless Bride. We are double and triple checking the cleanliness of our garments daily now :).
Glory to God
grace and peace
