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humbling thoughts [+] Wednesday E-Devotions


This past Sunday I shared a message with The Community Fellowship in our reVerb series titled "make some noise" and the key verses were these:


1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (nlt) --- If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.


Then I talked through these verses:


Revelation 3:15-16 (nlt) --- I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!


This is a tough message, yet God continues to breathe in my direction, really shout at me about this thing of loving people like He loves us. I am so overwhelmed by how much God loves us and how little we love Him in return. Do you get that? Far too often our lives are twisted to, tied to and revolving around the stuff that doesn't matter. Yes we have to live on earth and care for stuff day to day, but what really matters is God, what He has done for us and the stuff that makes this life and the next sweeter.


Lets get honest, as I close, with some more words from Frances Chan and his book Crazy Love:


We disgust God when we weigh and compare Him against the things of this world. It makes Him sick when we actually decide those things are better for us than God Himself. We believe we don't need anything Jesus offers, but we fail to realize that slowly, almost imperceptibly, we are drifting downstream. And in the process we are becoming bond, being stripped naked, and turning into impoverished wretches.


No wonder Jesus says He will pit lukewarm people out of His mouth!


Hear me clearly in this, because it is vital - in fact, there is nothing more important or eternal: are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or people in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving people He has made?


If the answer to those questions is yes, then let your bet match your talk. True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity. (page 95)

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