Rev 1.9

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 1:9

A passionate enduring love for our Savior is the only sufficient endurance. Patient endurance in service is not sufficient. Endurance in good works is not enough. Endurance in the Scriptures is not enough. Endurance in prayer is not enough. Endurance as a missionary is not enough. While all of these things are beautiful overflows, they are not our saving grace. When you jump to Revelation Chapter 2 the message from Jesus to the church of Ephesus was “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” We are encouraged in God’s word to not grow weary while doing good, but in this message from Jesus to His Church, I see even more than growing weary while doing, my love for Jesus can never grow weary. This strikes a holy fear into my heart because so often I will endure in the things of God, but forget to endure in my love for Him.

When I went out with Keith and Nicole yesterday it really did change my life. As I felt the weight of the cross on my shoulder, I felt so intimately close to Jesus. The pressure that rested on me was nothing compared to what He went through for my sake, but it brought it to light for me. Since I have been told about the love and death of Jesus as long as I can remember, I have found it easy to grow numb to the cross. That is a tragedy as the cross should literally be the last thing I could grow numb from. If I am really picking up my cross and following Him daily, His death on the cross will be ever real and present in my life. It won’t just be a story or abstract thing that happened, it will be tangible and real. When we are compelled by the love of Jesus, taking up our cross is a privilege. Enduring with Him becomes a privilege. Through these passages, I am humbled that Jesus really wants our heart. He doesn’t look at us and want our service and what we can do for Him, He wants our whole heart. And when it is His, He will use us for His glory and kingdom come. There are many ways I will grow weary in this life, but my prayer is that I remain humble at His cross, allowing His grace to continually change me and fill me with love overflowing for Jesus Christ. Out of that love, endurance for everything He has for me will overflow. As John prayed in verse 6 “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen

Application: Today In my On the Mount Time, I will meditate and pray over the perfect enduring love of Christ and pray for a passionate love for Him that never faints or waves.