YOUR FIRST LOVE series - GOD

YOUR FIRST LOVE? – GOD

God is love! God is fearful and merciful. The fear here is not to have an appearance that is scary or to condemn, it is for us to know that He is all in all. The mercies of God are past finding out and inexhaustible from eternity past to eternity future. We love Him because He first love us. In utmost term, God is love. It is on this basis we need to approach Him and love Him more. He is our Shield and Buckler, The Lifter up of Our head. Alpha and Omega. The Beginning Himself and the Ending. For as many that believe on the Name of Jesus Christ and are born of the Spirit, they are God’s. For it is written that, “...ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” It is high time we began to turn and depend on Him forever for our sustenance and victory. His love is great that while we were yet sinners Christ came and died for us. But come to think of it, how glorious and wonderful is it going to be now that we have been redeemed from the shackles and chains of sins.

HE THAT LOVETH NOT KNOWETH NOT GOD; FOR GOD IS LOVE – I John 4:8

On this alone must we correct our perspective on or of love that our so called “love” won’t turn out to be lust at the latter end. Now, may we ask one another, do we really love God? Love is first and if we ever desire to be the first in all things we must have the seed of THE FIRST in us else the struggles are not paying off. Let us call ourselves to reasoning. The scripture says, whosoever that does not love does not know God because God is love. What can we deduce from here? There are some or many beliefs in the world presently. This is the most vital part we need to dedicate our whole being to – to God. We say or it appears that we love money, pleasure, inordinate affections, houses, professions, career, jobs, cars, wife, husband, children, cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches. If we look vividly, that is not love. And if it is not love, it can never be love. The only record of love is God. What we exhibit or claim to have can be liken to self-gratification. Let’s look into the following with open heart:

BECAUSE THOU SAYEST, I AM RICH, AND INCREASED WITH GOODS, AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING; AND KNOWEST NOT THAT THOU ART WRETCHED, AND MISERABLE, AND POOR, AND BLIND, AND NAKED – Revelation 3:17.

From here we can see that, what we are all after is not God but just want to have names for ourselves, and that is not in the record of God. Those whose names are recorded are those that love God. Do you? We all love to say, “things that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard…” but what we jumped and did not specifically emphasis is the latter part of it which says, “…those things God has for them that love Him.” That is where the real record lies. If you don’t have God, then you have nothing! I am rich – that’s wealth or money; Am increased in goods – That’s material things; And Have need of nothing – Self-sufficient or independence. Those are what we believe we have but no, not at all. Our educational status and certificates, the money in the bank and the likes have really turned our heart away from God just like the heart of King Solomon was turned to strange gods. We believe we have no need of God. Who deceived us? This deception has led us to, being wretched, miserable, poverty here and there, blindness and nakedness. We can see all these around us – the are things which testify that the Word of God is infallible.

Brethren, Yes, you are rich you said. But let the glass of God’s love brings light through the mirror of grace to your heart today that you may know that, you are poor. We say we are increased in goods but if we could only see and see through that no treasure is laid for us in eternity. And we deceive ourselves to believing that we have need of nothing, whereas we don’t even have anything in the first place. We claim we are covered and see us on the streets, our nakedness is testifying against us – showing to us that we are not in any way covered. You see, all we are saying is for us to return to God but it is clear that many are adamant and they go headlong perishing. It won’t speak well of us, to whom this word of reconciliation is coming that after reading this we remain in our sins. And if after this we remain, then there is no cloak for sin.

NEVERTHELESS I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE – Revelation 2:4

Isn’t it glaring to us and these things are staring on and at our faces that we have left the first love, yet we believe not. None of us wants to accept fault. We don’t want to be blamed for this. If we don’t want to, should God be taken a liar? God forbid! Are His words to us now turning to be untrue? Be it far from God that he is a man that lies. We better accept our weakness and disobedience today and come to Him. The earlier the better for us. The passion we first had for the things of God and God Himself, where is it? In fact, in this period of lockdown, many are happy that they are not gathering to worship Him. Many more are in their houses behind closed doors doing what is not right for mouth to utter or for heart to conceive. What a condescending! Howebeit, we still have few, who are working on better relationship with God daily. Those whose raiment are kept clean and undefiled – “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”

Our education has failed, for through it immorality is taught and certified. Businesses are not helping, for by them deceitfulness and lies are legalized. Marriages that ought to be a model of Heaven on Earth are not encouraging as well, for it is through the love of pleasures, infidelity has been promoted and encouraged. Politics and Government are like brother and sister of the same parents begotten by corruption. The system of the world is falling we don’t want to admit it but all we keep hammering and believing is that, technology is advancing and civilization is going to its peak. This is sure that anything that gets to peak outside of God is doomed to fall and we can see all these in the level of immorality, perversion, deceitfulness, covetousness, pride and others – increasing by the day. Since it is clear to us that we have left our first love, what is it expected of us or from us?

FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL; IN RETURNING AND REST SHALL YE BE SAVED; IN QUIETNESS AND IN CONFIDENCE SHALL BE YOUR STRENGTH: AND YE WOULD NOT – Isaiah 30:15.

We are expected to RETURN. Return to where? Return to who? Returning to our first love and returning to God. It is in returning to God that we have our joy and love but the saddening part of it is in the latter part which says, “and ye would not.” Oh, God see through our hearts, purge, cleanse, sanctify and draw us to Yourself that we may return! Draw us, Oh God! Show us the way to you, oh, God!

Hallelujah!!! He has shown and given us the way and HE will guide and lead us through till the very end. What or which way is that? JESUS! Yes, Jesus is the way. What says the Scripture about Him, “…no one cometh to the Father except by/through Me (Jesus).” What is it that we must do to starting walking on the way returning to our first love. Believe in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of the world from destruction and untoward generation. And not just the Saviour of the World but He is also your Saviour. Accept Him – “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE; AND HE THAT HATH NOT THE SON OF GOD HATH NOT LIFE – I John 5:12.

Without Him, we are dead but with Him we are alive it is only then the words of Isaiah would be meaning to us that, “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth – Isaiah 38:19.” A dead person cannot praise God. Therefore, Believe in the Lord Jesus and live. RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE TODAY!

RETUNING GREETINGS TO YOU