Love the LORD

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:37-39

We hear so often that God is love in today's church and culture. We also hear that we are to love one another. But how often do we hear the message that we are to love God? I have to admit that I do not honestly think I have heard a preacher or a sermon or anything talk about how we are to love God, it's always love your neighbor because God is love.

Jesus tells us Himself that we are to first love the Lord our God, and that if we love Him, we will obey His commands. (John 14:15) So why has today's church and culture decided to bypass that first and most essential tenant of our faith, and instead skipped to the "love thy neighbor" and "God is love" part? Yes, God is love, but we are to love Him in return with all that we are. What are we to do first? Jesus clearly stated it in Matthew, "Love the Lord your God." He said that it is the first and greatest commandment, not love your neighbor, which is second. So then why have we forgotten what comes first? Why the skipping?

I believe it is because in order to love God, we must obey Him. What is the opposite of obedience? Disobedience, something that every person on this earth does. If we truly love the Lord, our whole heart's desire will be to show Him how much we love Him by being obedient to Him and honoring Him. Not that by being obedient we may in any way earn our salvation, but that our hearts love Him so much, we can't help but desire to obey Him! Yet, I see so many Christians and churches today trying to bypass the first and skip straight to the second in order to promote the "God is love" message, make a name for themselves/their church, or prove that they are righteous. They have made idols out of church, ministry, and people in disobedience to the Lord, rather than love for Him. 

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 

Matthew 6:5

The Lord revealed to me that so many professed Christians are worshipping the Lord with their mouths and ministering to the people in many ways, but their hearts are far from Him - the LORD. I was grieved because a lot of churches do awesome with outreach ministries. Many excel at the "love thy neighbor" command. Yet, the church is filled with idolatry, coveting, greed, immorality, "Christian" witchcraft/occult practices, secular influences, and a plethora of other wickedness. Neither holiness nor discipleship is being taught. The Word of God is not being preached and the people are not being led to the true Christ, but a false one, a religion, or a false deception. A loving God is being promoted, but not a righteous and just God. Churches are boastful in their ministries and their ministers, but rarely is all glory and honor given to the Lord alone. In many churches, the Lord isn't front and center - the church or its ideologies are. People are put first, rather than Christ. Our God is a jealous God and He will not tolerate taking back seat in those churches who claim to serve Him. (Exodus 20:5)

With most churches today, the focus of various ministries isn't to be Christ to the world, or to be obedient to nor glorify God, but to show the world "that we love them". Not Christ's love, our love. The whole, "we're in this together", "we are one," "tolerance and love" mindset. It's not God-first in churches today, but they make it community first. People first. It is all about trying to get people in the door and which church can be the most successful. At a church we once attended, it was very rarely "let's praise Jesus for this or that," nor "let's glorify the Father," but rather, "let's throw a reception for so & so or have a special Sunday devoted to this or that" with the sole reason being to glorify it/them rather than the God they are supposed to be serving and love. When the Lord revealed to us the reality of the church in America (and the westernized world), it was heartbreaking and led us to repent of our own participation in it.  

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelations 2:4

So many in the church today, have turned away from their first Love. When I try to explain this, I find it incredibly difficult for people to understand who are involved in churches like the above. And it is hard! It is hard to understand how we are treating the second command as if it were the first command. Are we not loving God by loving our neighbors? Yes, and no. Again, it all goes back to your heart and your focus. Are you thinking of Christ when you serve and minister, or are you thinking about others/yourself? Is your goal to meet a goal, a quota, a standard.... or is your goal obedience to the Lord? Are you quick to give God the glory, or do you find yourself thanking, praising, exulting in a person, a church, or a ministry? 

If you truly love the Lord our God, with all of your heart, then you will find that you are able to love your neighbor without any ulterior motives nor misplaced praise/gratitude. I'll say it this way:  When your heart's sole desire is to obey God out of love for HIM, you will find that you will be eager to bring Him sole glory and honor through servitude/ministry/evangelism. Let me do this for HIM! Not myself, not this church or that church, not for him/her and not for them....but for the LORD. 

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

(James 4:10)

It's all about God. It's all about Jesus. It's all about the Father. We were created for HIM, not the other way around. So the question is, are you obedient to the first Commandment? Or have you made the second Commandment, first? Does your heart, your thoughts, your motives, and your intentions align with your love for God or your love for man? Love for fellow man can quickly become a slippery slope of idolatry. There is to be no one and nothing who is our first love, except for the LORD. Does it mean we swing wide on the pendulum like a Hegelian and hate our neighbor, man? Incredibly, exorbitantly, fantastically no. Does it mean that we are not to serve nor volunteer in ministry nor fellowship with a church congregation? Absolutely not! Does it mean that every church and every ministry is idolatrous? No!  However, our hearts will dictate whether or not it brings glory to the Lord, or glory to man. 

So how do we know if we truly love the Lord our God first and foremost, being obedient to that first and greatest Commandment? 

1. Do you have your thoughts constantly centered around the Lord and His Word? Trying your hardest to take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to the Lord? (2 Cor. 10:5)
2. Do you find yourself yearning to spend time with Him, seeking Him whenever you have opportunity?
3. Does the thought of any sin make you grieved, broken hearted, angry, or spiritually sick? That you can't stand sinning against the Lord and acting unrighteous in His sight? Yearning for the day that you will no longer be in this sinful body of flesh, prone to temptation, but can live in a righteous body that knows no sin nor disobedience?
4. Do you ask Him how you can serve others and be obedient to Him?
5. Do you even ask Him how to serve, where to serve, who to serve, and when to serve?
6. Do you have a genuine love towards Him, like you would your spouse, a child, a loved one, or a dear friend? 
7. Do you come to Him first, with problems, emotions, joys, trials, questions, etc...?
8. When you experience joy, happiness, or a blessing, do you immediately praise and thank the Lord in your heart, giving Him all glory and credit and honor?
9. When you worship, do you sing as if singing to the Lord? 
10. When thinking about eternity in Heaven, is your greatest desire and hope to be with Christ, to see Him, to worship Him, and to just be in His and the Father's Presence?

If the answer to any of the above is no, then you are being disobedient to the first commandment. Repent, seek the Lord, and ask Him to fill you with that pure and joy-giving love for Him. I get so discouraged and genuinely sad every time I hear of Christians boasting and praising man/ministry/whatever rather than the Lord. It's one thing to thank someone, compliment, to recommend, or to say good job! It's another when you exult someone or something above the Lord - and yet think it's okay because it is someone or something "Christian" or "religious" or "ministry" or "loving/caring/compassionate". 

Also, it grieves me when I hear of Christians, especially mature Christians, talk more longingly about reuniting with deceased loved ones, not ever getting sick, or being able to get rewards and riches for a job well done when we get to Heaven. Very rarely do I hear Christians longingly express their desire to be with Christ and to be in His Presence, where they can no longer sin against Him nor fail Him, but be able to worship Him and the Father without any wickedness and sin hindering them. More people desire and look forward to things and people rather than the very King of Kings Himself. 

So what motivates you? Is it the love of Lord God Almighty, or the love of man and things? There is nothing wrong with wanting to see again a deceased family member, spouse, friend, or even the righteous of ages old in Heaven; nor is it wrong to want to walk those streets of gold in Zion. I want to see my dad again, and I'd love to be able to meet people like Moses and the Apostle Paul. But it is wrong to put those things before the very Lord Himself, Who brings the saints to their eternal rest and Who builds the heavens and the earth with His very hands. I want to drink from the River of Life and eat the fruit of the Tree of Life, but not so I can live forever in bliss, but so I can worship the Great I AM and be in His Presence forever! 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:8

I sincerely hope and pray that every single thing I do brings glory to the Lord. I am by no means any more righteous, holy, or gifted than anyone else who is a follower of Christ. I am a wretched sinner guilty of all the above, yet redeemed and forgiven. I strive to put God first, to love Him first, and to give Him all of the glory. I don't want praise, recognition, fame, or reception dinners for some job well done. No. At the end of the day, all I care about is was I obedient to the Holy Spirit's promptings? Did I bring glory to the Father? Did I demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ? Did I live for Him? Does my life show my love for the LORD? That's all that matters.

I love You Lord, and I'll lift my voice......

To worship You, oh my soul, rejoice. 

Take joy my King, in what you hear.....

May it be a sweet, sweet sound, in Your ear.