The church suffers from not cross referencing, correlating, and combining All of Scripture. The result becomes a haphazard and heretical view of how to serve The Most High. We teach in churches that we are to "love God, and love others." We deceive ourselves into thinking that if we attend worship service, bible study, and important holidays, we will fufill the loving God command and loving others. But in actuality, the church follows the second command, "love your neighbor as yourself," wih more devotion and zeal, than the former, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and body." What happens is people try to build the cross with the horizontal beam, which is impossible without the tall vertical beam that connects Christ to mankind. Because the Scriptures have been watered down by preachers and pastors, people think we are suppose to simply "love God, and love others." But the Scripture really said, "Love the Lord your God (Yahweh is Lord, we confess Jesus is Yahweh Romans 10:9) with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul, this is the greatest of the two commandments, the second it like this, love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:47-40). Notice that loving God takes precedent and if the second command is abused and leads you from first, you are to honor the First command.
The Church does not do this. People would rather betray the Truth who is Jesus (John 14:6) by telling untruths to their friends and in their lies maintain the relationship. There are more thar fear man than fear God these days. And if the church was honest, there are more believers who love people more than God! For rather than love god with their whole hearts, to the point of denying themselves frinedships that violate this or that lead them to betray the Truth and lie to keep the friendship, the result would be people, "worshipping in Spirit and Truth." (John 4:24). The Church has no stomach to really love Its own Savior! They profess in iambic pantamter, with powerpoint presentations, and perfect pitch in a worship song: "We love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and strength," but they actually love people more, and walk away from the Truth, filling their minds with the pseudo-gospel of love one another in lies and peer pressure, and their strength comes not from the Lord (which is only place we can get strength, see Psalm 28:7 and Phillippians 4:13) it comes from toxic relationships, the controlling church system they've had a hand in creating, and the Pharisacitalism (religious prestige, pomp, position, and power) that they have gained.
The saints are sacrificing their faith for friendship with this world. We are told by Jesus Himself nad the Apostles that we are not friends of this earth:
Jesus Christ our God said, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you," (John 15:19),
The Apostle John says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them," (1 John 2:15),
The apostle James says, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God," (James 4:4),
The Apostle Paul says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2),
and The Apostle Peter says, "Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." (1 Peter 2:11-12). From Word of God to most of the Spirit inspired Writers of the New Testament, the consensus is the same, do not love this world and love God will all your being.
The Greater of the two commandments is to "Love the Lord God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) with all that you are." We are not to yield any part of ourselves to others and thus vioate this command. We are to be enemies of this world, and friends of God. We are to love our neighbor and love each other (Mark 12:31, John 13:34-35), but that comes secondary to God. If friends, coworkers, family members, and more try to get you to compromise your singular devotion to Christ Jesus, and your Love for the Godhead; they cut them loose! Do not conform to their wishes, but be transformed by the Word of God who is Jesus Christ! (John 1:1, John 1:15). Our love for God must exceed and even be an enemy to our love for others. These days the church has it the opposite, where more people would rather be remembering for being loving towards people, than loving the Truth who is Christ () and be willing to suffer in this world, suffer the loss of relationships, and the loss of possessions, wealth, and even their very lives to love God completely.
Valentine's Day is coming and so many will have on their minds to express love towards their romantic lovers. But I ask you? Do you love The Lord God Jesus Christ enough to sacrifice those friendships, family, and even your position at a job or organization? Or have you sold out and decided that your love for your neighbor will suffice before the Judgement Seat of God? I will answer from Christ what he thinks of those who would rather love men more than God, "They will say, we propheced in your name, caste out demons, and healed the sick, but I will say, "I never knew you, away with you workers of wickedness!" (Matthew 7:22-23), and "I would rather you be hot or cold, but because you are the lukewarm I spew out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16). We have a hard choice before us brothers and sisters, and new believers and seekers! The love our Lord requires is more than our love for other people. And its not a one way thing, He suffered, was flogged, and was nailed to cross to die for us! Christ gave His very life for us out of love (John 3:16, ). Will we give our lives for Him? Will we carry our cross and suffer in this life, considering ourselves sojourners, pilgrims, and foreigners of this world? Decide today, for the hour is late, and the time short tell Christ's Second Coming.
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