SPIRITUAL TEMPERATURE

"The Love of many will grow cold..."

I would like to challenge you today to take your spiritual temperature.  Jesus warned His disciples that in the last days, times would be difficult.  Much like our day!  Natural disasters, wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, not to mention political disaster everywhere! In our Christian nation it is becoming less and less popular to actually BE a Christian!  We are in the times when many are turning away from the faith.  Jesus said in Matthew 24: 12-13, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

In our nation we are seeing an increase in immorality, shamelessness, rebellion against God and throwing off of moral restraint.  If you try to speak into people's lives they call you old fashion and not hip with the times.  They call us intolerant and mean spirited. The problem is there are many Christians who name the name of Jesus, but don't actually know Him or love Him.  This "knowing" Him means to experience His Presence in such a way that everything changes.  We should be those who have a passion to read the Word, to devour it and to spend time with Jesus.  Then we will be filled with Him and His love will flow from us to others!

 In the Old Testament God told Moses to teach the priests to keep the fire burning on the altar continuously.  Leviticus 6: 12-13, "The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out.  Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire...The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out."  In 1 Peter 2:9 we are told that we are the "royal priesthood" now! The altar of His Presence is found within our hearts.  It is in our hearts where we have communion with Him and know Him!  So every morning I must get up and put fire on the altar!  I have to keep the flame burning within my heart, keep my passion for God vibrant and burning!  Proverbs 4: 23 tells us that above everything else in this world we must guard our hearts!  In my heart is everything that determines how I will live my life!

 How do I do that?  

 By spending time with Him.  It can't be said enough!  Only I can keep the fire burning in my heart!  I must fuel the fire, by worship and prayer, by reading His word, by communion with Him, by yielding myself to His will and His ways.  The only thing that can separate me from the love God has for me is MYSELF!  If I refuse to fuel the fire every day and keep my passion for Him alive, then my heart's love for Him WILL grow cold.  Jesus told the church in Laodicea that they were neither hot or cold and he wished they would be one or the other.  Because they were lukewarm he was ready to spit them out of his mouth.  Ouch!

 Time for a reality check!  What is the temperature of your heart today? 



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