I Corinthians 13 v. 8a. LOVE NEVER FAILS
Blessings to you my friend today. All is well. I am delighted to be able to speak to you today to encourage you. I am glad that there is a light around you and that your love is far reaching without exception. Yes, I know that I don’t see you very much and my plan to keep in touch with you falls short sometimes; but I care about you. I have some very special words for you today. This is why you have this letter.
You know, even though you may not ever hear this or maybe you do but just not enough…you’re a great person. You have special talents and only you can do some things that no one else can do. This makes you very unique. Many have noticed. Sometimes you have this way about you of cracking a joke or saying something witty or wise that no one but you could pull off. Sometimes it’s just a smile or a laugh. It makes those of us who know you, feel rewarded. When this happens we all say that you’re special and we’re very glad that we know you. Did I ever tell you that you are also generous? You are greatly capable of giving of yourself, your time, your energy, your compassion to those around you. Let’s talk about those talents that you have. Not the known ones but the ones yet to come: the creative and generous things that you think that you’ll do one day.
Let me tell you that we all have those kinds of ideas. I was amazed when someone told me that God puts those ideas right there in your heart. Really. Psalms 37: verse 4 says: “Delight yourselves in the Lord and he will give you the hidden desires of your heart.” I found this to be true as I began to delight in God, He began to give me my hidden desires in my heart. It surely is a good thing.
My main purpose for writing to you is to tell you how much God loves you. It’s a whole lot. He loves you. YOU ARE the apple of God’s eye. He wants you well, healthy and whole with everything in your life in place…EVERYTHING. You are special. I just wanted to tell you that God knows it and I know it too. Stay connected to Him, He’s the POWER SOURCE. If you know someone who can stand to hear this message, I encourage you to share it with them. Many thanks. Be well my friend, be well. Love Sister Elaine
Showing posts with label God's love is in us. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's love is in us. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2007
THOUGHT YOU"D ENJOY THIS (MONDAY, JULY 30, 2007)
1 Corinthians 13 (The Message Bible)
1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love
1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love
1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.
11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.
12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
BLAMELESS By Elaine Davenport (Sunday, July 1, 2007)
You can’t be in faith and not understand God’s Word. He said He will not withhold from anyone whose walk is blameless. So let your walk be blameless.
God is so wonderful. He looked down the road at our world in the Year 2007 and He left us a command; to the body of Christ and even to the churches. He said:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV, John 13:34-35)
The world watches the Body of Christ with great amusement. So does the devil. And sometimes I wonder if we’re accommodating them unwittingly. Close critiquing of ministries that are different is widespread within the body of Christ even though the bible is clear about the body.
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV)
Romans 12:4-8
Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 12:18-22
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you." And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, (NIV)
I give you the Word of God and I’ll tell you that if you see another ministry that fails or misses the mark in your eyesight, pray for them and ask God what you can do to help them and wait for His instruction. Don’t give ammunition to the world by openly criticizing another ministry.
Many times I observe people complaining about other ministries; but I never see a reply very often. It’s probably because of the following verse. Get in the Word, I encourage you to meditate upon these scriptures before you publicly or privately criticize your brothers or sisters in Christ.
THE WORD IS REAL….
1 Corinthians 12:26-27
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)
"There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you. In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (TLB, Matthew 5:43-48)
"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. (NAS, Matthew 6:14-15)
MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE BLAMELESS...IT'S HARD OR IT'S EASY; THAT DEPENDS ON YOU.
______________________________________________________________________________________
God is so wonderful. He looked down the road at our world in the Year 2007 and He left us a command; to the body of Christ and even to the churches. He said:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV, John 13:34-35)
The world watches the Body of Christ with great amusement. So does the devil. And sometimes I wonder if we’re accommodating them unwittingly. Close critiquing of ministries that are different is widespread within the body of Christ even though the bible is clear about the body.
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV)
Romans 12:4-8
Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 12:18-22
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you." And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, (NIV)
I give you the Word of God and I’ll tell you that if you see another ministry that fails or misses the mark in your eyesight, pray for them and ask God what you can do to help them and wait for His instruction. Don’t give ammunition to the world by openly criticizing another ministry.
Many times I observe people complaining about other ministries; but I never see a reply very often. It’s probably because of the following verse. Get in the Word, I encourage you to meditate upon these scriptures before you publicly or privately criticize your brothers or sisters in Christ.
THE WORD IS REAL….
1 Corinthians 12:26-27
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)
"There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you. In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (TLB, Matthew 5:43-48)
"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. (NAS, Matthew 6:14-15)
MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE BLAMELESS...IT'S HARD OR IT'S EASY; THAT DEPENDS ON YOU.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Failure to Love by Elaine Davenport (Monday, June 25, 2007)
My ministry had been teaching a lot about Love. We had spent a lot of time in 1Corinthians 13 where it talks about Love. I had the most unusual experience not too long after that. It gave me an opportunity to put the teaching into practice; not by teaching someone else but by learning through visualization.
* Sometimes it is hard to love people; especially when they don't want to love back, but we have to do it.
I was invited to a wonderful gathering. When I arrived; I was immediately notified that I would be the speaker. I'm sorry, I admit that it caught me off guard, only because writing is my comfort zone and I try to stay in that zone. However, I went to a quiet place to pray to find out what I would speak about. In my heart, there was an overwhelming need which came upon me to speak on Love; with an emphasis on First Corinthians Chapter Thirteen.
I was sure of it and prepared my speech. On the surface, I couldn't "see" where it was necessary but I gave it anyway. Then something phenomenal happened. Four more people who were also men and women of God whom I did not know spoke. Every single person spoke on Love. I believe that each one of us was called to minister on the message of Love for such a time as that.
Failure to Love can result in a great deal of pain. More explicitly; the denial that such a problem exists as we self examine can ultimately cause great pain.
When a small child sees fire for the first time; the parent may look at the child, point to the fire and say don't touch, fire burns.
This message is just that serious.
I HAVE A FRIEND
I have a friend who had a very close relationship with her daughter. They had been through many ups and downs. My friend has a rather strong personality; but she is a great person. By and by the daughter met and married a great guy who had children that he was raising. To many people, they are a perfect couple, but not to her mother. Over time, the mother and the son-in -law became distant only communicating through the daughter; if at all. There were several incidents of drama between them. My friend received the Love message; but she did not hear it. My friend has experienced great anguish and pain from this experience. When I asked my friend about loving her son in law; she brushed it off and made a remark about what the son in law had done to her. Two years later, my friend was in worse pain over the situation because things had gone from bad to worse and her daughter no longer visits.
In First Corinthians 13 it says:
1 Corinthians 13
If [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such [a]as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers ([b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or [c] in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).
But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as [e]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand [f]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been [g]fully and clearly known and understood [[h]by God].
And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.
LET'S TALK ABOUT HEARING
We can't be deaf to the Word of God and we can't afford to be in denial. The cost of the ticket is way too much and we don't have time. I didn't say "you", I said "we."
Blessings
_____________________________________________________________________________________
* Sometimes it is hard to love people; especially when they don't want to love back, but we have to do it.
I was invited to a wonderful gathering. When I arrived; I was immediately notified that I would be the speaker. I'm sorry, I admit that it caught me off guard, only because writing is my comfort zone and I try to stay in that zone. However, I went to a quiet place to pray to find out what I would speak about. In my heart, there was an overwhelming need which came upon me to speak on Love; with an emphasis on First Corinthians Chapter Thirteen.
I was sure of it and prepared my speech. On the surface, I couldn't "see" where it was necessary but I gave it anyway. Then something phenomenal happened. Four more people who were also men and women of God whom I did not know spoke. Every single person spoke on Love. I believe that each one of us was called to minister on the message of Love for such a time as that.
Failure to Love can result in a great deal of pain. More explicitly; the denial that such a problem exists as we self examine can ultimately cause great pain.
When a small child sees fire for the first time; the parent may look at the child, point to the fire and say don't touch, fire burns.
This message is just that serious.
I HAVE A FRIEND
I have a friend who had a very close relationship with her daughter. They had been through many ups and downs. My friend has a rather strong personality; but she is a great person. By and by the daughter met and married a great guy who had children that he was raising. To many people, they are a perfect couple, but not to her mother. Over time, the mother and the son-in -law became distant only communicating through the daughter; if at all. There were several incidents of drama between them. My friend received the Love message; but she did not hear it. My friend has experienced great anguish and pain from this experience. When I asked my friend about loving her son in law; she brushed it off and made a remark about what the son in law had done to her. Two years later, my friend was in worse pain over the situation because things had gone from bad to worse and her daughter no longer visits.
In First Corinthians 13 it says:
1 Corinthians 13
If [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such [a]as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers ([b]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or [c] in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([d]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).
But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.
For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as [e]in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand [f]fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been [g]fully and clearly known and understood [[h]by God].
And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.
LET'S TALK ABOUT HEARING
We can't be deaf to the Word of God and we can't afford to be in denial. The cost of the ticket is way too much and we don't have time. I didn't say "you", I said "we."
Blessings
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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