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Ray Lewis, the star linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens was interviewed by his former teammate Shannon Sharpe hours prior to Super Bowl 47. Football was not discussed but God's glory was.
Lewis was asked what he would say to the families of the two men killed in Atlanta after the Super Bowl in 2000. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after that incident. The families have spoken out in the last month including a story in USA Today about Lewis being celebrated for what he has accomplished in the NFL. "It’s simple," Lewis said, "God has never made a mistake. That’s just who He is, you see...To the family, if you knew, if you really knew the way God works, he don’t use people who commits anything like that for His glory. No way. It’s the total opposite."
What Lewis is implying is that God would not have allowed him to reach such an unprecedented level of success in the NFL if he was culpable in any way for the murders. Incidentally, most football experts consider Lewis to be one of the best middle linebackers to ever play the game.
But Lewis takes this concept of God's favor one step further by suggesting that his football career has brought glory to God. This fact, in Lewis' mind, vindicates him from that ugly night in Atlanta because, after all, God would not use murderers for His glory even though one third of the Bible is written by murderers. Moses, author of the first five books of the Bible killed an Egyptian slave-master and buried his body in the sand (Exodus 2:12); King David, author of more than half of the Psalms had Uriah murdered, Bathsheba's husband with whom he had an adulterous affair (2 Samuel 11:15); and the Apostle Paul, author of 13 New Testement letters persecuted and killed Christians before his dramatic conversion on the Damascus road (Galatians 1:13).
What Lewis fails to grasp is that if people are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because they believe God will help them win football games. It's because Jesus Himself is appealing, and what He says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.
What Christianity really needs is for its members to unflinchingly obey the commands of Jesus Christ and exhibit the abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John chapter 10. Shortly before his death, the Marxist leader Lenin said, “Give me ten men like Francis of Assisi and I will rule the world.” It is the power of the life transformed by Jesus Christ that makes the world sit up and take notice not pregame dances and multimillion dollar contracts.
And to be honest, if the gospel was truly proclaimed many of the folks that claim to be Christian would shrink fast. America has moved so far away from preaching the cross that it is not surprising that our professional athletes who claim the name of Christ do so because they want Him to help them win. English Christian evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill once said, "Christianity is not measured in success but in sacrifice." Truly a lost concept in today's world.
We need to come to the place where our lives mirror what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him [Jesus] and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” This is our charter as believers. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be ready to obey Christ as unconditionally as the first disciples. That is our calling, not Super Bowl rings.
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“God is able to take your life, with all of the heartache, all of the pain, all of the regret, all of the missed opportunities, and use you for His glory.” - Charles R. Swindoll, Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication
Showing posts with label Leonard Ravenhill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leonard Ravenhill. Show all posts
Friday, February 8, 2013
Friday, December 3, 2010
Precious Things Are Saved Only by Sacrifice
During the past two years the Lord has taught me much about sacrifice. Sadly, in today’s “me first” society, sacrifice has lost its true meaning. Most think of it only in terms of sacrificing one thing in order to attain something bigger or better. We gladly sacrifice a little here or a little there as long as we are sure the outcome will be in our favor. But true sacrifice, the kind that fuels the passion of the soul, has no such expectations.
The abundant life that Jesus offers is one that is based on sacrifice, but of course this message is not one that today’s world wants to hear much less live by. Jesus said that you would know His disciples by their love one toward another. He continually admonished His followers to love their neighbor as themselves and to even love their enemies. He lived the life of a servant and told His disciples when they asked Him who would be the greatest in His kingdom that “if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
So, it is no wonder that the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. We can conclude then that the key to spiritual victory is not getting all you can get, but giving all you have. Many people flock into churches and seek spiritual experiences to get more of God when the issue is not what they need to GET but what they need to GIVE.
I don’t pretend that this is easy but as John MacArthur has skillfully said, “This [presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice] is absolutely necessary if we are ever to know the fullness of the blessing of God and be able to render to him the service that is due to Him and bring Him glory. Most Christians never really come to that place fully. They flirt with the world, they flirt with the flesh. They flirt with their own personal indulgences and desires. They become victims of the philosophy and psychology of the world around them. They buy into the world's bag. They entertain themselves with the world's mode of entertainment. They think along the lines the world thinks. And so they never really come to the place of total commitment that is discussed in these two verses and therefore they forfeit the fullness of the blessing that God would have for them.”
I think for many of us we meet a need here or help someone over there and we feel pretty good but God is asking for our mind, body, and soul. When He is in possession of us than we are most suited to serve others as He did and experience His full blessing in our lives. In other words, if our vertical relationship with God is where it should be than our horizontal relationships with others will also be in harmony.
I think so often we have this backwards. We work on our horizontal relationships in our own power and then feel like a failure and wonder why our walk has become a burden when the key from the start is to fill up on God and let his power flow through us. Of course, this takes much sacrifice, doesn’t it? It means turning off the TV, the radio, the computer, and communing with the Living God in His Word and in prayer.
What is even more frustrating is that when I have truly committed myself to the Lord my Christian life feels effortless and full of joy but soon, for whatever reason, I revert back to doing things myself and in my own power and soon the drudgery resurfaces.
I think it is important as we seek to know God more and to glorify Him within our lives to remember that anything worth having, anything that truly endures is always attained by sacrifice and the Lord is asking us to be a living sacrifice unto Him. Surely, this is not too much to ask by the One who sacrificed His own life for us so we may obtain eternal life.
“The Christian life is never measured in success but in sacrifice.” – Leonard Ravenhill
The abundant life that Jesus offers is one that is based on sacrifice, but of course this message is not one that today’s world wants to hear much less live by. Jesus said that you would know His disciples by their love one toward another. He continually admonished His followers to love their neighbor as themselves and to even love their enemies. He lived the life of a servant and told His disciples when they asked Him who would be the greatest in His kingdom that “if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
So, it is no wonder that the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. We can conclude then that the key to spiritual victory is not getting all you can get, but giving all you have. Many people flock into churches and seek spiritual experiences to get more of God when the issue is not what they need to GET but what they need to GIVE.
I don’t pretend that this is easy but as John MacArthur has skillfully said, “This [presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice] is absolutely necessary if we are ever to know the fullness of the blessing of God and be able to render to him the service that is due to Him and bring Him glory. Most Christians never really come to that place fully. They flirt with the world, they flirt with the flesh. They flirt with their own personal indulgences and desires. They become victims of the philosophy and psychology of the world around them. They buy into the world's bag. They entertain themselves with the world's mode of entertainment. They think along the lines the world thinks. And so they never really come to the place of total commitment that is discussed in these two verses and therefore they forfeit the fullness of the blessing that God would have for them.”
I think for many of us we meet a need here or help someone over there and we feel pretty good but God is asking for our mind, body, and soul. When He is in possession of us than we are most suited to serve others as He did and experience His full blessing in our lives. In other words, if our vertical relationship with God is where it should be than our horizontal relationships with others will also be in harmony.
I think so often we have this backwards. We work on our horizontal relationships in our own power and then feel like a failure and wonder why our walk has become a burden when the key from the start is to fill up on God and let his power flow through us. Of course, this takes much sacrifice, doesn’t it? It means turning off the TV, the radio, the computer, and communing with the Living God in His Word and in prayer.
What is even more frustrating is that when I have truly committed myself to the Lord my Christian life feels effortless and full of joy but soon, for whatever reason, I revert back to doing things myself and in my own power and soon the drudgery resurfaces.
I think it is important as we seek to know God more and to glorify Him within our lives to remember that anything worth having, anything that truly endures is always attained by sacrifice and the Lord is asking us to be a living sacrifice unto Him. Surely, this is not too much to ask by the One who sacrificed His own life for us so we may obtain eternal life.
“The Christian life is never measured in success but in sacrifice.” – Leonard Ravenhill
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Prayer: Our Secret Weapon
Last week I had discussed the importance of prayer and its power to transform our lives and bring about revival. Incidentally, no revival ever took place that was not ignited first through persistent and heartfelt prayer. This week I wanted to take a look at what prayer accomplishes in the life of the believer.
As I had mentioned last week, prayer is our opportunity to commune directly with God. This relationship was made by possible by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter six tells us that we war against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places and urges us to put on the whole armor of God daily. The armor has five pieces for defense and the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) as our only offensive weapon but I would also suggest that prayer is our secret weapon.
In his profound but little known work, The Weapon of Prayer, E.M. Bounds says, “The most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God, in prosecuting His work upon the earth, and in standing as a breakwater against the billows of evil, have been praying church leaders. God depends upon them, employs them, and blesses them.”
Leonard Ravenhill argues that even Satan “would rather have us increase in Bible knowledge as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts? What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God? … What use is religious piety if we have soul carnality? ... Who can take comfort in social popularity if he is unknown in hell? Prayer takes care of all these spiritual maladjustments.”
I believe that prayer is as vital to the spiritual man as breathing is to the physical man. Prayer is the great divider of those that claim to be spiritual versus those whose hearts beat in unison with the Living God.
Prayer also safeguards us against our two worst enemies – pride and pity. God is always trying to get us to a place where we are balanced right between pride and pity. He wants us to recognize our self worth in Him and boast as the Apostle Paul did in Him alone. But He also wants us to acknowledge our sin before Him with a broken and contrite heart so in our humility He can exalt us.
It is unfeasible to strike this balance without a consistent prayer life. I would also suggest that it is impossible to have a successful prayer life if we are not committed to the Word as it is through God’s Word that we know His mind and are able to have confidence in Him that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I think for many Christians our prayer life is lacking because we simply do not believe God. We have lost confidence that our prayers are moving angels into action. Perhaps part of the reason is because God does not allow us to see everything He is doing when we pray. I heard a preacher say once that if he had been Daniel praying for God’s revelation, the answer would have been delayed three years instead of three weeks. That is a very depressing statement, but alas, it may be a reality for many of us.
It is within our power to change. If we are dry spiritually than let us pray for the living water that Jesus promised is ours in Him; if we are feeling like we are just going through the motions of our faith than let us pray for renewed passion; if we no longer witness to others because we are fearful of their reaction than let us pray for boldness. God is still faithful. His chief desire is it to revive His people. He is at the door knocking. Prayer is the key.
To make my weak heart strong and brave,
Send the fire.
To live a dying world to save, send the fire.
Oh, see me on thy altar lay
My life, my all, this very day;
To crown the offering now I pray:
Send the fire!
-F. de L. Booth-Tucker
As I had mentioned last week, prayer is our opportunity to commune directly with God. This relationship was made by possible by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter six tells us that we war against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places and urges us to put on the whole armor of God daily. The armor has five pieces for defense and the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) as our only offensive weapon but I would also suggest that prayer is our secret weapon.
In his profound but little known work, The Weapon of Prayer, E.M. Bounds says, “The most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God, in prosecuting His work upon the earth, and in standing as a breakwater against the billows of evil, have been praying church leaders. God depends upon them, employs them, and blesses them.”
Leonard Ravenhill argues that even Satan “would rather have us increase in Bible knowledge as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts? What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God? … What use is religious piety if we have soul carnality? ... Who can take comfort in social popularity if he is unknown in hell? Prayer takes care of all these spiritual maladjustments.”
I believe that prayer is as vital to the spiritual man as breathing is to the physical man. Prayer is the great divider of those that claim to be spiritual versus those whose hearts beat in unison with the Living God.
Prayer also safeguards us against our two worst enemies – pride and pity. God is always trying to get us to a place where we are balanced right between pride and pity. He wants us to recognize our self worth in Him and boast as the Apostle Paul did in Him alone. But He also wants us to acknowledge our sin before Him with a broken and contrite heart so in our humility He can exalt us.
It is unfeasible to strike this balance without a consistent prayer life. I would also suggest that it is impossible to have a successful prayer life if we are not committed to the Word as it is through God’s Word that we know His mind and are able to have confidence in Him that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I think for many Christians our prayer life is lacking because we simply do not believe God. We have lost confidence that our prayers are moving angels into action. Perhaps part of the reason is because God does not allow us to see everything He is doing when we pray. I heard a preacher say once that if he had been Daniel praying for God’s revelation, the answer would have been delayed three years instead of three weeks. That is a very depressing statement, but alas, it may be a reality for many of us.
It is within our power to change. If we are dry spiritually than let us pray for the living water that Jesus promised is ours in Him; if we are feeling like we are just going through the motions of our faith than let us pray for renewed passion; if we no longer witness to others because we are fearful of their reaction than let us pray for boldness. God is still faithful. His chief desire is it to revive His people. He is at the door knocking. Prayer is the key.
To make my weak heart strong and brave,
Send the fire.
To live a dying world to save, send the fire.
Oh, see me on thy altar lay
My life, my all, this very day;
To crown the offering now I pray:
Send the fire!
-F. de L. Booth-Tucker
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Throne Room Awaits
No man or woman is greater than his/her prayer life. The dictionary defines prayer as a reverent petition made to God or another object of worship. When Jesus Christ died on Calvary the veil of the temple was torn in two which represented the fact that now man could come into the presence of God himself instead of going through the temple priest. In is through Jesus Christ and His life, ministry, death, and resurrection that we can now commune with God directly. But how many of us take full advantage of this unlimited access to the throne room of God?
The Bible exhorts us to pray unceasingly, fervently, and earnestly but for most of us the fulfillment of this command is not a reality. Leonard Ravenhill in his classic Christian book, Why Revival Tarries says the church is most poverty-stricken in the area of prayer, “We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few prayer-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
I believe the Christian life can be counterfeited in just about every area except for prayer. A true prayer warrior brings the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter six, the Apostle Paul states that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” As we beseech the throne room of God, spiritual forces are battling either on our behalf or against us. Given this spiritual truth, it is possible that one man or woman praying on earth can move angels into action.
Earlier in my Christian life, I was very ministry focused. I saw the doing of God’s work as the top priority but in actuality, without prayer, even our good intentions on God’s behalf are futile. Prayer is the time when the Lord is able to cleanse us, teach us His mind and will, and make the impossible possible.
A church is truly set on fire by its commitment to prayer. The world is not waiting for a new definition of the gospel; they are waiting for a new demonstration of the power of the gospel. It is the life that is transformed that makes the world sit up and take notice. That is why the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 exhorts us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It is only as our mind is renewed that we are able to prove and do God’s will.
I think for many Christians we view the reading of God’s Word and prayer as separate, but I believe they are intimately connected. The Word allows us to know the mind of God; prayer enables us to commune with God. What a marvelous privilege - to commune directly with the Living God!
I often find that when I am reading the Word of God, I will stop frequently and begin praying. It is as if God is teaching me His Word and at the same time prompting me to pray for the things that are His will for my life. Of course, I John 5:14-15 underscores this symbiotic relationship between God’s will and prayer, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I don’t think anyone of us is ever truly satisfied with our prayer life but if we want to experience the power of God and see our churches and ourselves revived, we need to begin with prayer. God will answer if we are faithful.
“In the spiritual sphere, the riches garments of the soul are spun on the looms of prayer and dyed in the travail that fills up the sufferings of Christ.” – Leonard Ravenhill
The Bible exhorts us to pray unceasingly, fervently, and earnestly but for most of us the fulfillment of this command is not a reality. Leonard Ravenhill in his classic Christian book, Why Revival Tarries says the church is most poverty-stricken in the area of prayer, “We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few prayer-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
I believe the Christian life can be counterfeited in just about every area except for prayer. A true prayer warrior brings the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter six, the Apostle Paul states that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” As we beseech the throne room of God, spiritual forces are battling either on our behalf or against us. Given this spiritual truth, it is possible that one man or woman praying on earth can move angels into action.
Earlier in my Christian life, I was very ministry focused. I saw the doing of God’s work as the top priority but in actuality, without prayer, even our good intentions on God’s behalf are futile. Prayer is the time when the Lord is able to cleanse us, teach us His mind and will, and make the impossible possible.
A church is truly set on fire by its commitment to prayer. The world is not waiting for a new definition of the gospel; they are waiting for a new demonstration of the power of the gospel. It is the life that is transformed that makes the world sit up and take notice. That is why the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 exhorts us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” It is only as our mind is renewed that we are able to prove and do God’s will.
I think for many Christians we view the reading of God’s Word and prayer as separate, but I believe they are intimately connected. The Word allows us to know the mind of God; prayer enables us to commune with God. What a marvelous privilege - to commune directly with the Living God!
I often find that when I am reading the Word of God, I will stop frequently and begin praying. It is as if God is teaching me His Word and at the same time prompting me to pray for the things that are His will for my life. Of course, I John 5:14-15 underscores this symbiotic relationship between God’s will and prayer, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I don’t think anyone of us is ever truly satisfied with our prayer life but if we want to experience the power of God and see our churches and ourselves revived, we need to begin with prayer. God will answer if we are faithful.
“In the spiritual sphere, the riches garments of the soul are spun on the looms of prayer and dyed in the travail that fills up the sufferings of Christ.” – Leonard Ravenhill
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sacrifice Not Success
Last Monday I began taking a Revivalism college course that is being held onsite at my church. During the class, my professor showed a YouTube video called “Agony” that contained an excerpt from one of Leonard Ravenhill’s sermons entitled "The Cost of Discipleship." Ravenhill was a 19th century English Christian evangelist and author who focused on the subjects of prayer and revival. He is best known for challenging the modern church to compare itself to the early Christian Church as chronicled in the Book of Acts. His most notable book is Why Revival Tarries, which has sold more than a million copies worldwide.
At one point during his sermon, Ravenhill says Christianity is not measured in success but in sacrifice. This point really caught my attention because I believe that part of the reason the Church today is not as effective as the early Christian Church is because we are a results driven society. We are constantly bombarded in our daily lives with statistics and metrics to measure how we are performing at work, at school, at home. It is no wonder that this mindset has crept into the church.
Jesus never focused on success when it came to the ministry. If anything, He continually admonished us to go and preach the gospel and let the Father worry about the increase (I Corinthians 1:6-7). He told us to love others, even our enemies, but perhaps due to our human nature and pride, we just can’t leave it at that, can we? We need something to achieve. We need a barometer to justify and validate our efforts.
One of the most quoted verses from the Old Testament is Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” I think when most people read this verse and see the word “prosper” they assume it means a person is saved as a result of hearing the Word of God. But the Word of God also prospers unto judgment too. I think of Noah and all that time he spent building the ark and warning his contemporaries of God’s pending judgment and no one got into the ark except for Noah and his family – eight souls total. Most would view that “result” and conclude that Noah failed in his mission because so few were saved; but in God’s view, Noah was a complete success because the Word of God he spoke and lived as he tirelessly built that ark was unto judgment.
My life and your life if you are a Christian, will not only be examples unto salvation but also unto judgment as God will use our words and lives to exact His justice upon those who have refused His salvation. This is why his Word is always prospering when it goes out because its purpose is two-fold – to save and to judge.
The key I believe for those of us walking with the Lord is to understand God’s gauge for success and it has nothing to do with pie charts, bar graphs, or flow charts. God’s measurement for success is simple – how much do you love Me? When Peter first saw Jesus after He resurrected in the Gospel of John, He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and three times Peter said yes, and three times Jesus told him to “feed His sheep.” Jesus is always measuring our heart never our actions or results. He looks upon the heart to see the love for Him and how it is manifested toward others. And to be honest, when the love of Jesus has captured your heart, all else fades away, doesn’t it? When we are truly ministering to the Lord than the response of others no longer matters as our “success” is found in Him alone.
“Five minutes inside of eternity I believe everyone one of us will have wished we had sacrificed more, prayed more, loved more, sweated more, grieved more, wept more.” – Leonard Ravenhill
At one point during his sermon, Ravenhill says Christianity is not measured in success but in sacrifice. This point really caught my attention because I believe that part of the reason the Church today is not as effective as the early Christian Church is because we are a results driven society. We are constantly bombarded in our daily lives with statistics and metrics to measure how we are performing at work, at school, at home. It is no wonder that this mindset has crept into the church.
Jesus never focused on success when it came to the ministry. If anything, He continually admonished us to go and preach the gospel and let the Father worry about the increase (I Corinthians 1:6-7). He told us to love others, even our enemies, but perhaps due to our human nature and pride, we just can’t leave it at that, can we? We need something to achieve. We need a barometer to justify and validate our efforts.
One of the most quoted verses from the Old Testament is Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” I think when most people read this verse and see the word “prosper” they assume it means a person is saved as a result of hearing the Word of God. But the Word of God also prospers unto judgment too. I think of Noah and all that time he spent building the ark and warning his contemporaries of God’s pending judgment and no one got into the ark except for Noah and his family – eight souls total. Most would view that “result” and conclude that Noah failed in his mission because so few were saved; but in God’s view, Noah was a complete success because the Word of God he spoke and lived as he tirelessly built that ark was unto judgment.
My life and your life if you are a Christian, will not only be examples unto salvation but also unto judgment as God will use our words and lives to exact His justice upon those who have refused His salvation. This is why his Word is always prospering when it goes out because its purpose is two-fold – to save and to judge.
The key I believe for those of us walking with the Lord is to understand God’s gauge for success and it has nothing to do with pie charts, bar graphs, or flow charts. God’s measurement for success is simple – how much do you love Me? When Peter first saw Jesus after He resurrected in the Gospel of John, He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and three times Peter said yes, and three times Jesus told him to “feed His sheep.” Jesus is always measuring our heart never our actions or results. He looks upon the heart to see the love for Him and how it is manifested toward others. And to be honest, when the love of Jesus has captured your heart, all else fades away, doesn’t it? When we are truly ministering to the Lord than the response of others no longer matters as our “success” is found in Him alone.
“Five minutes inside of eternity I believe everyone one of us will have wished we had sacrificed more, prayed more, loved more, sweated more, grieved more, wept more.” – Leonard Ravenhill
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