What Does The FATHER Love ?

HE loves HIS SON+, JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 

HE loves JESUS totally  and has given HIM+ Dominion over all things.

Lenten Meditations

. . .  Setting our Face Toward Jerusalem . . .

Preparing our Hearts in Remembrance of the Paschal Passion of The LAMB+ of GOD, The LORD JESUS CHRIST

2018

" And now, O LORD, we present unto THEE+ our selves, our souls, and our bodies to be a holy and Living Sacrifice unto THEE+ . . . which is our reasonable service."

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What Does THE FATHER Love ?

HE loves HIS SON+, JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 

HE loves JESUS totally  and has given HIM+ Dominion over all things.

And what is the exceeding greatness of HIS ( The FATHER'S ) power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of HIS mighty power,

Which HE wrought in CHRIST, when HE raised HIM+ from the dead, and set HIM+ at HIS own right hand in the Heavenly places,

Far above all principality, 

and power, and might, and dominion,

And every name that is named

, not only in this world,

but also in that which is to come:

And ( The FATHER ) has put all things 

under HIS+ feet,

and gave HIM+ to be the Head+ over all things 

to the Church,

Ephesians 1:19-22

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Do we love ... totally love ... what The FATHER loves ? 

Do we love . . . totally and with undying allegiance ... The FATHER'S beloved SON+ ?

Or, is our allegiance divided ?

Do we love our church MORE than JESUS CHRIST  ? 

Some do. Some will live, sacrifice, and die for their church affiliation, but their love of CHRIST is mechanical and wooden, a have-to sort of thing. There is a "distance" in their hearts between CHRIST and themselves. 

They have lost their FIRST love

 . . . their UNMINGLED love

of CHRIST JESUS the LORD.

Perhaps they are too worn out with the cares of this life.  Perhaps they have grown resentful of the struggle to live without pain. Perhaps a root of bitterness has sprung up within them.

This happened at Ephesus, the very church to which the Apostle Paul wrote those GOD-breathed ( in-spired ) words about the Dominion of CHRIST and at the very church where the Apostle John spent his last years.

Hear what The LORD HIMSELF+ spoke to them: 

Nevertheless

I+ have somewhat against thee,

because thou hast left thy first love.

Revelation 2:4

The church at Ephesus was in grave danger because it lost its FIRST LOVE of CHRIST, even though that church had done many labors for the Kingdom of GOD.

LET US PRAY

O FATHER ! Teach me to Love what YOU Love.

O LORD, I know my zeal has been lagging. My prayers have been dull. Spiritual things have seemed boring to me. I see, the problem is within me.  

There is dead air space between me and YOU+, LORD JESUS.

I see, with sorrow, that I have been too taken with this world.

I have lost my excitement over YOU+ ,  precious SAVIOR+. I have lost my  FIRST LOVE of YOU+.

Forgive me, LORD;  

YOU+ have not lost Your "first love" for me !

Take away those things that have come between me and YOU+. Show me what they are; I hand them over to YOU+ and renounce their deadening grip on my spirit.

I thank YOU+ heartily for bringing those trials to me, trials I would have never chosen for myself.

Help me to love YOU+ as intensely as YOU+ loved me, and gave Your+ Life for me.

Forgive me, O LORD, and take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT from me. Create in me a Clean heart, O LORD, and renew a right spirit within me.

This I pray, O HOLY FATHER, in the Name of CHRIST JESUS Who+ gave His+ all for me . . . that I might be enabled to give my all for HIM+.

Amen

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