DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE?
Church, let us all take a moment and visualize how the ways of life have transformed the Word of God into the World and not the World into the Word of GOD. Society has attempted to displace the truth of the Word of God. The acceptance of lifestyles living today is now the new Way of Life, BUT IT IS NOT GOD’S WAY for each of us. See if we all go back down memory lane to the old church. When there was a Mother’s Board, the Senior Choir, and the Deacon Board leading the old hymn, I NEED THEE, OH I NEED THEE, EVERY HOUR; I NEED THEE! O BLESS NOW, MY SAVIOR, I COME TO THEE! We have turned away from our FIRST LOVE: let this scripture make it plain in Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. See in this passage, Saints; it is crucial to understand that we can no longer be transformed into the world by man's ways. See, as I prepared for my ministry studies, I had to study and apply the Articles of Faith in this Minister's walk, but for this message today, the third Article best gives the definition - THE FALL OF MAN: We believe the Scriptures teach that man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not be constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore, under condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse. Let us look at how the world celebrates sinfulness, but as true solid believers, are we disrupting the world enough to make a change? Or are we just living in this world day to day quietly? The point of the message today is to remind each of us to remember our FIRST TRUE LOVE.
Let me ask the question do you remember your first love? You know what I am talking about that first Love in a childhood crush, that high school crush, or the college sweetheart we all have experienced. But the Love I am talking about today is the Love we must have for Jesus Christ. Just visualize with me church, this example I want to put before you. Think back to your first child; you held them and cuddled them, you even laid them down for a nap in the crib, but if they began to wake as you laid them down, you turned on the mobile to play a soft lullaby to calm them back to sleep. The point is that the mobile was not in the bed beside them but dangled above them. Hold that example in your minds because I am going back to the message if we take a moment and look at how we dangle with the Holy Spirit, we dolly with Jesus, and the highest one is when we attempt to entertain God by just putting on a show for the people, as Rev. James would say, “looking pretty for the people in the public” and let me add a twist “not living right for GOD.” This is critical, for we all say we are CHRISTIANS, but do we truly live a CHRIST LIKE LIFE? See, to be CHRIST-LIKE IS to LIVE JUST LIKE JESUS, meaning you love your neighbor, care about the stranger, pray for everyone, help the needy, visit the sick and incarcerated, and even love your enemies as you love yourself.
Today, we are accepting everything plus anything and not truly accepting God. Let me begin with 1 John 2:15-19 The Apostle John clearly explains that Love is the crucial ingredient in our walk in Christ and not our walk in the World. See, today, the phrase I LOVE YOU is taken so lightly that there is no real meaning when we say it. Take a moment and ponder how many times you say that phrase throughout the day and search in your heart if it is the same love we share with God. The bases of this point is that we are to not love the world more than we love GOD, for when we put material, people, jobs, and so forth before the Lord, we become just like the children of Israel who suffered because of their disobedience to Love God First. Remember, in this passage, Apostle John emphasizes the importance of the right attitude as evidence of Christianity meaning the commandment of Love, which is our application of the word in action.
We have even accepted the teachings of False Teachers who have positioned themselves in high places to begin to dissimulate the truth. Now let us understand what this means for in 1 John 2: 18 - Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. Apostle John states that having the correct belief indicates genuine Christianity. Therefore, we are to withstand strong against false teachers by being firm and secure in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, having an intimate personal relationship with the Lord, and finally living in unity with Jesus Christ. See, it is best to try the spirit by the spirit, which is when we rely on our discernment to know who a True Teacher or a False Teacher is. When we Discern the Voice of God, it gives the truth of the Teacher and clarifies who is faithful and who is fake. Church, let me instruct you always to seek God when someone tries to challenge the word of God. Know that Revelation 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Let me be clear: we must listen to God in all matters in life, for the world is trying to dissimulate Christians with false teachings. See, we must be purposeful in our listening when the Voice of God speaks unto each of us. See Deacon Broadwater, Marvin Sapp has a song titled LISTEN- And we as God's children have the way of listening sometimes, especially as believers, that we listen for God to speak to our hearts and return to our first love in Christ Jesus. Let us hold onto that love and let it guide our daily lives. May it be a constant reminder of THE PERFECT TWINS – GRACE AND MERCY, and may we always be FAITHFUL to Him who loves us UNCONDITIONALY.
We seek the Holy Spirit to keep us spiritually alert every season of our lives so that we can see his movements and be aware of his activities. See, here is the application; when you put the wrong key in the lock, does it unlock- NO, because you cannot even turn the key to unlock the door. But saints, when you put the right key in the lock, it opens and assures us we can enter the door. This means we have the Key to Life through the Word of GOD, but we must unlock it by recognizing who is TRUE or FALSE. For in Psalms 31:5 When He Speaks, He speaks the truth. He is the God of Truth. Church, we must start moving with God deeper today because we gain clarity in seeing the Truth and turning from the false.
Let us return to the introduction of the message when I stated there are many translations of the Holy Word, which is faithful to the Word of GOD but understand there are some rewrites that have attempted to try to change the truth of God’s word into the immortality of sin. See, this means that the wicked one places the believers in the sense of confusion that distracts from our purpose in Christ Jesus. Let us get back to the basics and turn our focus unto God, seek his face and his Holiness. See in the hymn book an old hymn HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! Church, we need to strive daily to live Holy in the Lord, and when we live that way, think about how 2 Chronicles 7:14 can create a transformation in this world. We must embrace his transformation, for there is POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS that can create a HOLY GHOST FIRE REVIVAL RISING of his people.
Living a Righteous life is the goal we as believers of Jesus Christ should be firm and wise. Therefore, we must beware and keep our focus on the Lord. When we strive in our relationship with Christ, we are secure in our Christian Walk, which opens us up for the opportunities to be KINGDOM BUILDERS. To be clear to exemplify our God, we must seek daily to repent of all sins; let me be clear sin is not just a specific thing or action. It includes our attitudes, thoughts, desires, lusts, gossiping, violation of our bodies, and how we treat each other in and out of the church. Let me expound on the scriptures relating to the justification of our relationship for in Romans 6:5-8 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
We must turn away from living a sinful life before God lets go of the Perpetration of Holiness is a great sin, and for Saints today, it is clear that God is tired of being tired of how we try to put on righteousness but never truly sacrifice to be true to his word. For in 1 John 1:5-10 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Therefore, again, the title comes to life; God says DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE which means we must seek within ourselves to change our ways, how we think, how we talk, whom we call friends, and even how we act. For each area of our being affects the intimacy of our relationship with God.
See Milton Brunson and this very point: “My Mind is Made Up,” therefore, at this point, God wants each of his children to be with him in Heaven, but we have to get a MADE-UP MIND to create a change with no hindrances of the world. So, my brothers and sisters have a Made-up Mind to go all the way with Jesus Christ, which means that sometimes we have to walk alone and not worry about what others may say or do. See, in the scriptures, it is clear to find that perfect peace that surpasses all our understanding; we must be and be Determined to Walk with Jesus! See, even when you face a battle in this life, know that Jesus is Victorious in winning the Battles for each of us. Know that when we walk in our Faith and mean surely walk-in FAITH, we can overcome life’s challenges by growing stronger and wiser in his Holy Word and Allowing God to Direct our path, and when we do this, we all can say: WHEN GOD MOVES, YOU MOVE JUST LIKE THAT; WHEN GOD MOVES, YOU MOVE JUST LIKE THAT; WHEN GOD MOVES, YOU MOVE JUST LIKE THAT; YES, GOD LET’S MOVE LIKE THAT! And that is the Word of God!
