Do You Love the Lord Jesus Christ This Much?

I knew a man who loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all His heart. He yearned for the return of Jesus Christ or just leaving this world in death to be able to be with His Lord.

One day as he was working in his garden at the age of 95 he keeled over in a massive heart attack. A few hours later he awakened in the hospital as the faces of his family loomed over him praying that he would regain his strength and continue to live.

As he opened his eyes he heaved a huge sigh in disappointment. His family members asked if he was in pain, and his answer was "No, I am not in pain, I was hoping I would be waking up in heaven with Jesus!!!!

This is when we know how much we love Christ when we would rather go home to Him than spend one more day on this earth.

Even though the old man had family who loved him, he still loved Christ more than he loved his family.

Matthew 10:37

37 “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."

If Jesus Christ does not take first place in our hearts over everyone else on earth then He is not important to us. Or, even worse perhaps those who ignore or neglect Him don't really believe in Him. Their confession to be a Christian is only emotionalism and words without substance.

How could we know how much Jesus Christ gave to save us, His very life and still place Him second to others?

“You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3.

If anyone else takes priority over Jesus Christ we are engaging in idolatry.

If we have regard more for a person than we do for Jesus Christ we have left our first love. God is a jealous God.

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).

Deuteronomy 4:24

"24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

If you have placed God first in your life you know how wonderful it is to no longer be in bondage to ungodly ties that keep us locked into worldly thinking. We are free to speak the truth and leave the results to God. If no one else loves us we know He loves us and will never leave us.

Matthew 13:23-33 "23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

Weeds among Wheat

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.

26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.

27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’

28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’

29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’

The weeds have entered the church buildings in these last days of apostasy, we cannot avoid them, but we can remain faithful to God anyway, avoiding those who say they are Christians but do not have the fruit of the Spirit. We may even have to leave gatherings that will not obey the word of God.

Believers are enjoying the blessing of living in these last days. The days the prophets wrote about but didn't understand what they are writing, we are watching play out in front of our very eyes. Perhaps one day the impact of this will hit us and we will realize what a privilege it is to see it first hand. Hallelujah!