1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
This is how to love. It is how to do the greatest thing you can do, the greatest commandment that our savior gives. It is also in Matthew 22:37-40 "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, & mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." It is important to know and understand what love is & is not. It is self controlled but not controlling. Love denies its own good for the good of others. You can lie and cheat all day long, you wouldn't be escaping the truth of God, but love might believe you, even if it didn't; love would love you anyway, and rejoice if you told the truth. I encourage everyone to read and understand this passage. God is Love. Read it over & over again and again, every word of this Corinthians verse has something. Don't destroy it or take it out of context. Embrace these words and live by them. The only way that Gods Grace is enough is that His Love is more than enough. Understand this. Love is Gods and somehow we made it worldly. Lets give it back to God in our actions, in our speech, in our lives.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Have I not commanded you?
"Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
I don't like going scary places - Period. And going alone is a whole different story. But depending on who you are with, scary places seem much less frightening. If I go to a dark place with the Light of the world, it isn't dark anymore. If I go through a storm with the One who can calm wind and sea, the storm no longer seems perilous. This is where strength and courage come from. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed- remember who you are with.
I don't like going scary places - Period. And going alone is a whole different story. But depending on who you are with, scary places seem much less frightening. If I go to a dark place with the Light of the world, it isn't dark anymore. If I go through a storm with the One who can calm wind and sea, the storm no longer seems perilous. This is where strength and courage come from. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed- remember who you are with.
Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things, Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of Kings. We are living in desperate times my brothers and sisters in Christ. It is time to be done away with the things of this world and follow Jesus with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Matthew 16:24 says, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'" So many times we allow ourselves to get side tracked with very small things that we thought we had under control. We are taken away from what really matters; serving Jesus Christ with our all. I read this some time ago and it’s very simple yet forgotten by many; Chuck Smith once said, “The ground that we have taken away from the enemy through prayer, MUST be held by prayer. Let us be on our knees before the Lord asking Him to help us daily in our walks and to RISE UP as men and women of God.
All Things
"And we know all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). There is a promise I can hold on to when nothing adds up. It’s the same promise I look to when I’m drowned in the memory of my mistakes. Yes I look back to it when every thing seems to be going wrong. Over and over the Lord has used this passage to minister to me in my distress. It comforts me and reassures me that He has truly fashioned all the days of my life.
Galatians 5:13
When we were saved, we were freed from sin. Our eyes were open to see what sin is and what it does. So now that we have been set free from it, we are not to go back to it. Freedom is not a opportunity to do selfish and sinful things, but to serve one another with love. You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). Its not just to serve one another, but also family, friends, neighbors, & people no matter what. Jesus served us no matter how sordid we were or are. We are not to serve with sordid gain, and the way to do that is to have the love of Christ in us and through us.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Sorrow & Repentance
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, that eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” -2 Corinthians 7:10-11
Do our past mistakes condemn us or do they lead to joy in God’s deliverance and forgiveness? The devil always wants to remind us of the offenses of our past to try to destroy our future, but because of godly sorrow we are brought to a place of humility where we are able to call out to the Lord. Worldly sorrow, however, includes things like regret for being exposed, for getting caught or because we are suffering the consequences. Only through godly sorrow are we able to accept the gift of repentance leading to salvation, through worldly sorrow we reject God’s grace and choose to stay in a condemned state. The fruit of godly sorrow can be viewed as a sequence of internal events that lead to restoration. It begins earnestness and ends with readiness. This is a theme repeated throughout the entire bible; God is the Great Redeemer who wants to save us, but he requires us to have earnestly repented and desired forgiveness. Only then will we be ready for Him to save us.
Do our past mistakes condemn us or do they lead to joy in God’s deliverance and forgiveness? The devil always wants to remind us of the offenses of our past to try to destroy our future, but because of godly sorrow we are brought to a place of humility where we are able to call out to the Lord. Worldly sorrow, however, includes things like regret for being exposed, for getting caught or because we are suffering the consequences. Only through godly sorrow are we able to accept the gift of repentance leading to salvation, through worldly sorrow we reject God’s grace and choose to stay in a condemned state. The fruit of godly sorrow can be viewed as a sequence of internal events that lead to restoration. It begins earnestness and ends with readiness. This is a theme repeated throughout the entire bible; God is the Great Redeemer who wants to save us, but he requires us to have earnestly repented and desired forgiveness. Only then will we be ready for Him to save us.
Be Stretched
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you." 1 Peter 4:12
Peter writes to remind his readers that part of the christian life is to suffer as Christ suffered. Suffering will come and Christians should be prepared. Fire is a way to purify; tests and trials are the way the LORD molds and shapes His children into the vessels He had in mind since before time. The LORD tries all His children in hopes that they may be found faithful! One thing the LORD always reminds me: The LORD can only do in us what we allow Him to do! How are you allowing the LORD to mold, shape, and stretch you?
Peter writes to remind his readers that part of the christian life is to suffer as Christ suffered. Suffering will come and Christians should be prepared. Fire is a way to purify; tests and trials are the way the LORD molds and shapes His children into the vessels He had in mind since before time. The LORD tries all His children in hopes that they may be found faithful! One thing the LORD always reminds me: The LORD can only do in us what we allow Him to do! How are you allowing the LORD to mold, shape, and stretch you?
The Savior
"Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed" Mark 6:51
In times of trouble, things can seem like they just get worse and worse; as if your efforts are meaningless and only create more chaos in your life. In the end does not the Lord see us through safely? Through tumultuous seas of temptation, burden, hardships, trials, does not the Lord see us through? Take courage, for through the hardships, burdens, temptations, trials He is teaching us. He teaches us that He is there, that if we call out to Him, He will answer: He will save us. He strengthens our faith in such a manner to show us that everything will be all right in the end, even through the worst of situations. For if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved; through thick and thin, Don't be afraid, for He is there and the winds will die down, and we will be completely amazed.
In times of trouble, things can seem like they just get worse and worse; as if your efforts are meaningless and only create more chaos in your life. In the end does not the Lord see us through safely? Through tumultuous seas of temptation, burden, hardships, trials, does not the Lord see us through? Take courage, for through the hardships, burdens, temptations, trials He is teaching us. He teaches us that He is there, that if we call out to Him, He will answer: He will save us. He strengthens our faith in such a manner to show us that everything will be all right in the end, even through the worst of situations. For if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved; through thick and thin, Don't be afraid, for He is there and the winds will die down, and we will be completely amazed.
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