Tuesday, June 23, 2015

June 24, 2015

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love envies not; love flaunts not itself and is not puffed up.” I Corinthians 13:4

Our challenge this Summer will be to get our human minds around the idea of a supernatural love.

No pressure!

You get the idea you may be in trouble when you learn that the first characteristic of this “agape” love is patience. We learned that patience means having a “long fuse”. It is the ability to take abuse from another without being overcome by anger. If you can do that you have love but if not, you don’t!

Yikes!

Love is also kind. Paired with patience, kindness means that a loving “long fused” person absorbs unkindness and returns kindness. If you can do that you have love. If you cannot you don’t have it.

One of the barriers to patience and kindness is envy. You can’t be patient or kind if envy is in your heart. The word used for envy means to “boil over” with zeal for what someone else is or for what someone else has. You cannot love a person and be envious toward them. You won’t find it in you to be patient or kind, either.

Is there someone you envy?

Think about your attitude toward him.

Are you happy when that person succeeds?

Can you congratulate him and really mean it?

Probably not!

It was envy that motivated Cain to kill Abel. You would think a brother would love his brother, but because of envy he couldn’t.

What caused Joseph’s brothers to toss him into a pit to kill him and then deciding to sell him as a slave? It was envy!

Envy drove King Saul to pursue David with the intention of killing him.

Love does not envy.

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

This is going to be hard, isn’t it?




June 23, 2015

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  II Corinthians 5:17

There are a lot of things I would have liked to change about myself.

Growing up in Indiana where high school basketball is SO important, I wanted to be taller than I was. But I wasn't.

I wish I could have changed the amount of athleticism I possessed so I could have been quicker and faster and jumped higher. But I couldn't.

If I could have been more talented in music I would have made that change. But I couldn't.

God knew that we are capable of changing ourselves. That is precisely why He sent Jesus to change things for us!

One of the major change points in your life will be the day you understand how little you can actually change.

But change you must! I must change. Here's why:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  Romans 3:

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

You and I are born as sinners. As sinners we have separated ourselves from a holy God. That was the reason Jesus came. He came to take our sins upon Himself and die as a sacrificial offering for our sins. We deserved death because we are sinful. He deserved the best of life since He was holy.

Jesus changed His address by coming to earth. He changed form by coming as a man. And He changed from holy to sinful as He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. And the only reason He made all those changes was so He could change us.

If you will change your mind and trust Him for your salvation rather than trying to earn it yourself, everything will change! You will become a new creation in Christ! Your relationship with God will change. You will have a change of heart. Your mind will be transformed. Your eternal destination will change. Your desires and motivations will change.

One small change from you is all it takes for Him to make big changes in you!