04/08/2024
This morning we continue to contemplate God's desire for us to commit our love, and lives, to Him. We revisit His desire for us to live and worship Him with zeal. Pastor E.M. Bounds describes the way we should pray in this way: "True prayer must be aflame." And he writes that "The Christian life and character need to be on fire." Today we return once again to Revelation 3 as being the principal scripture that describes God’s expectation of our devotion to Him.
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:15-16 KJV
Bounds selected this verse specifically as he described God's intention that we be totally committed to our worship of Him, and Jesus instructed us regarding what this commitment entailed in the gospels when he answered the Pharisees and Sadducees by quoting Deuteronomy...
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Matthew 22:37 KJV
Let’s read in Deuteronomy where we were given this same commandment:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 KJV
God wants our love and He wants it completely. When we pray we should do so according to our devotion to the Him... with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might. In this way we will avoid being considered lukewarm as the Lord takes us into His mouth.
Ann and I will have been married for 48 years in June. I still remember the day I asked her to be my bride as if it were yesterday. I had no doubt that I loved her completely and just as importantly, I had no doubt she loved me in that way too. There is a reason that the church is called the bride of Christ, and God feels this way about us as well.... He spoke these words through Isaiah...
“For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.”
Isaiah 54:5 KJV
And later in Isaiah chapter 62 it is reiterated:
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.”
Isaiah 62:5 KJV
So just as there should be no doubt regarding the love and fidelity between a man and his wife, there should be no less commitment between ourselves and God, and our prayers should be offered with all the heart and sincerity of a love poem spoken between a married couple... it should be the essence of their relationship. So how do we pray? How do we convey our love to the Lord?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for revealing to us how you love us so completely, and for your Son Jesus Christ, who demonstrates in body, soul, and mind, the true depth of that love. We thank you Lord Jesus for the love and desire you have for the Church, and your heartfelt proposal to take her as your bride. You have sent your Holy Spirit Abba to prepare us for our wedding day, and to make our love perfect and unwavering as we commit it. Help us in our lessons Lord, teach us as a father teaches his children. Remove any semblance of a lukewarm relationship and make us complete and acceptable to you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who hears our prayers, and responds lovingly to them. Praised be your name as you give your good gifts to us, your children, and bless us with your presence every moment of every day. Merciful are you whose grace is limitless, and whose love abounds, even when we are unworthy and sinful in nature. You take us into your arms, and offer us the very life of your Son Jesus, and we love you for that, and Him in His humility, and obedience. Cleanse us with His blood Father, and by His sacrifice see no sin in us, only His perfection. Make us perfect as He is perfect, and call us your children in whom you are well pleased. On the day of our judgement seat us beside Jesus at your table, as you announce the eternal marriage of the Church to Him. In this moment we will praise and worship you forevermore. Hallelujah!
Amen, Amen, Amen.
Rich Forbes