And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (KJV)

Coming of age in the 80’s, I remember when Bernard Wright penned a love song he sang to his then-girlfriend answering her question if his love for her was true.  The chorus of the song is the girlfriend asking constantly “Who do you love and are you for sure?”

You see he declares that He has changed his cheating ways because she is the only woman he is willing to be real with. He declares that he loves her and only her.

I was driving home from church service and this song jumped into my spirit.  God started singing to me “Who do you love and are you for sure?” God is calling us out.  He is calling us faithless, untrusting and unbelieving.  He is asking all of us “who do we love and are we for sure?”

Deuteronomy 6:5 is part of the Jewish “Shema” in which Jews gather every morning at dawn to declare that they Love the Lord with all their heart and souls.  God requires us to give him everything that is within us to love Him.

It is difficult to stay faithful to God.  Throughout scripture, God calls us cheaters, prostitutes, whores.  These are tough words from the God who loves us.  We cheat on him when we don’t thank Him for what He has provided and when we don’t worship Him, we cheat on him.  We cheat on him when we are not obedient.  God allowed Hosea to marry a harlot to show the Jews their unfaithfulness.  God calls us throughout scripture faithless.

We allow the world to tell us that what we believe is crazy.  We allow the world to tell us that we are fools for believing in Jesus.  This year a talk-show host told the world that praying and hearing the voice of God is equal to mental illness.  Mental Illness!  What did you do when she called you “crazy” for loving a Holy God?  Did you get angry?  Did you call the show’s producers and complain?  There is that question again.  Who do you love and are you for sure?

God is calling us to love him with all that we are.  If we say we love God we should do what He tells us to do.  We should be in His Word, we should be praying, we should be quiet enough so that the Lord God can speak to us.  When we love someone it is imperative that you speak with them or they will begin to think you don’t really love them.  Doubt begins to enter the mind and play tricks on them.  They believe you really don’t love them even though you tell them every day.

In Luke 6:46 Jesus tells his followers “Why call me Lord, Lord and do not the things I say? Can you say that You love God but continue to do things your own way? Who do you love and are you for sure?

You have that burning love for your Lord and Savior Jesus?  Is he your all and all?  Is He first in all that you do, think, or say?  I know I am guilty of getting before God.  Racing and running out in front of Him.   I am here to confess that I don’t want to live like I don’t love God.  Who do you love and are you for sure?

When people put down Jesus are you the first to be righteously upset?  How many of you called the View switchboard when Joy Behar equated mental illness with prayer.  Did you start praying for her and others who have mocked what you believe?  Who do you love and are you for sure?

Jesus showed us the ultimate love of God through His death and resurrection.  There is no question about God’s love for us.  He demonstrates it to us by sending His only Son and allowing Him to go through a bloody death for us.

We didn’t love God, He loved us first.  Who do you love and are you for sure?

When I was caught up in my sin, and you were caught up in sin Jesus Christ came and died for us.  Died the kind of death that should have put him in the grave forever, but He rose from the dead with all power in his hands.

Who do you love and are you for sure?

So, when the world tells you that the God you believe in isn’t real, or prayer is likened to mental illness ask yourself Who do you love and are you for sure? Remember our God is God there is no one like Him

He loves you and me with a love that is like no other.  Love is his bloody death and bodily resurrection real. When I think of the time that the crowds chose Barabbas over Jesus I am reminded who do I love and am I for sure?

When I say I love Jesus but don’t forgive?  Who do I love and am I for sure?  When I love to say I love but don’t give what God has blessed me with  Who do I love and am I for sure?

I leave you with this thought who do YOU love and are you for sure?