Loyal, Lasting Love

What is love, really? There are many different answers, for there are different types of love. Happy feelings and sweet gestures between a husband and a wife is usually the first type of love which comes to mind.  The sharing of one life, one purpose, one goal. And then there is the deeper, sacrificial love in a marriage that makes a marriage strong and enduring. There is also family love that gives itself through devotion, camaraderie, and friendship. There is brotherly love between two kindred hearts, and the love for those we share sweet fellowship with in the house of the LORD. But the best love, the greatest human love, is love directed toward the LORD God, love that is with all the heart, soul, mind and strength.

Just what does it mean to love God completely?

Love is Loyal

Love is defined to be, in part, unselfish loyalty. As Americans, one thing which demands our loyalty is our nation, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Throughout America's glorious history, millions of our homeland's men and women have put their lives on the line because of their fervent love and loyalty. They gave all they could because they believed our valuable Constitution and priceless freedoms, bestowed by God in His grace, were worthy to defend.

I am truly sickened when I consider the ungrateful citizens of our country who rail against our valiant soldiers, thoughtless of the fact that, because of the people they despise, they aren't dictated or living in poverty. We cannot tell how much we owe to them! I am so proud of our soldiers and am deeply thankful for their unselfish sacrifice so that our liberties may survive.

As soldiers in the army of the Lord, loyalty is a must. Quite simply, loyalty is but due to our Commander-in-Chief. Compromise with this world makes us enemies of the cross, aiding the enemy who wants to destroy God's work in every believer's life. As a solider in Christ's heavenly army, we are given clear commands from His Word. Giving all we can muster in obedience to those orders, denying the sinful flesh, and boldly following our victorious Lord is dauntless proof of firm loyalty.

When you boil down the choices we have as soldiers of the Lord, we have only two: conquer or compromise. Win or lose. Victory or defeat. Giving in is a whole lot easier than fighting faithfully, and very often that is the weak decision of the flesh. But if we trust in the power of His might, crying to Him in the battle, the victory is already secure through our risen Lord. As the soul-ascending hymn rings, "Onward come our great Commander; Cheer, my comrades, cheer!" It's up to us to choose to obey His orders. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3)

Love is Devoted

When I think of loyalty, an image enters my mind... the content, trusting eyes of a dog gazing into the face of his master as he is being gently, lovingly petted. This is a sight we see quite often. Do you think such a happy creature would have a single thought in his furry mind of leaving the side of his master? Certainly not! Once a good petting is begun, there aren't many things that can coax away such a pleased puppy.

Needed: Righteousness

Devotional by Pastor Tim Luchon; from Baptist Bread

Psalm 18:24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

I have heard many professing believers, when brought to task about their outward sins, say, "Well, God knows my heart!" To their attempt to excuse their sin I have said, "Yes, He does know your heart. But He also saw your hands do the wrong."

There is a principle that is many times overlooked, which is the principle of practical righteousness in the sight of God and men. A Bible believer understands that there are four types of righteousness in the Bible.

1. The righteousness of Jesus Christ--Revelation 16:5
2. Our own righteousness--Isaiah 64:6
3. Imputed righteousness--Romans 4:6-7
4. Practical righteousness--Psalm 18:24

As born-again believers, we have a responsibility to do that which is right in the sight of God and in the sight of men. This kind of righteousness is to be included in all of our attitudes, actions and our appearance before the God who sees all, and all who see us.

Our verse teaches that we can be blessed of God as a believer, but our level of blessing will be in direct proportion to how much we purpose to live practical righteousness in the sight of our Savior.

Let's make sure we do not forget that what our hands do in this world is to be witness of a heart surrendered to a Holy God!

The Worshiping Church

Devotional by Dr. Keith Gomez; from Baptist Bread

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

A real church glorifies God. Most of the liberal churches in America glorify man in the flesh. You can tell by their music, their preaching, their dress, and their attitude. It has nothing to do with the spirit of God. It has everything to do with the fact that they are glorifying man. But the real church glorifies God.

Not only does a real church glorify God, but a real church worships God. We have been taught that we have worship services. The Word of God does not talk about a worship service. You'll find what we do described as a preaching service, but you'll not find a worship service. We come to worship. It is not a ritual. Worship is a "choice communion" with God. Worship in a real church is a wonderful thing. Worship is giving to God, not taking from God. When we worship God, we sing unto Him, and we sing His praises. A real church worships God.

The offering is another opportunity to worship God. It's a type of worship, and a real church worships God. When we pass the offering plate, it is an act of worship and it is right to do. I thank God that real churches are worshiping churches. A worshiping church will say "AMEN!" right there!

Patrick Stood upon the Rock

Patrick of Ireland. He is most famous in our society today for being a Catholic saint who did good things in Ireland. His name is associated with the color green (for being Irish, supposedly) and four-leaf clovers. Most people, curious about the holiday on their calendars which rolls around each year, have sought out factual information about who he really was and what he really did. Most people, however, have not learned the entire historical truth about this great man of God.

For centuries of history, the Roman Empire struggled to conquer the Celtic people of the British Isles. Eventually, the teachings of Christianity were established in this land and the evil Druid religion, which once tightly gripped Celtic society, lost its power over the lives of the people. The historian Tertullian gave an account that Christianity accomplished what the Roman Empire could not.

Because the British Isles were separated from mainland Europe, the British were not greatly impacted by affairs which rampaged in Europe. Consequently, only one Roman persecution upon the Christian church reached them during this period of history, and while the church and state were being united under Emperor Constantine, the Celtic churches remained independent. Until the seventh century, churches of various religions in Britain were unaffected by Roman Catholicism. Although separate churches held their own doctrinal positions, some contrary to Scripture, the beliefs and practices of baptismal regeneration, infant baptism, salvation by church membership, and an organized priesthood were not even conceived in the churches before Roman Catholicism's military conquest of the British Isles.

The man we know as Patrick of Ireland was born Succat of England in the late 4th century A.D. His father was deacon of a church which was, of course, independent. Although he grew up in a Christian home, as a teenager Patrick was rebellious toward Christianity. It was when Patrick was sixteen years old that he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery. 

Their Rock Is Not Our Rock

Devotional by Evangelist Tim Green

I Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

In Ireland, a street preacher was preaching of Christ, the Rock of our salvation. A heckler began to cry out, "What about shamrock? What about shamrock?" To the delight of the serious listeners, the faithful orator cried out in reply, "On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other rocks are sham rocks!" How true!

If you are trusting or standing on anything but the Rock Christ Jesus today, you are relying on sham rock. Your feet are in the quicksand of confusion or the miry clay of misplaced hope. Jesus Christ is not the best foothold to stand upon--He is the only one! "I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name."

Our faith should be firmly placed in the Rock of Ages, the Stone cut out without hands, the Rock upon which the church was built. Join in chorus with the Irish street preacher as he leads his pedestrian congregation and shuts the mouths of his gainsayers: "On Christ the solid Rock I stand. All other rocks are sham rocks."