July 24, 2015

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." I Corinthians 13:6

Okay, I shared a couple of big ideas - truth defines what is right and truth defines what is real, but what do those mean to you in every day living?

That's a GREAT question!

The answer - it means good decision-making! It means having strong weapons for resisting temptation!

In the final mention of things love isn't we see love does not delight in evil. That means you must know what is evil and what is good. How can you know that?

You know that by knowing what is true!

Love commits to what is true. When tempted emotionally or physically or morally people who love God and who love truth ask, "Is this right?" Then they ask, "Is this real or is it temporary?"

This is another way of asking, "Is this the wise thing to do?"

Take a moment and reflect back on some of the tragic decisions you have made. How different would you life be today if you would have paused to ask these two questions before you made a decision?

If you love God and if you love life you must love truth more that you love evil. If the love of God is present and active in your life you will love truth more than evil. And when you love truth more than evil you will make decisions based on what is right and what is real!

To see how this works, study Matthew 4:1-11.

How did Jesus determine what was right?

How did He decide what was real?

Jesus asked delighted in the truth to make it possible for you to delight in His love!

July 23, 2015

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." I Corinthians 13:6

Truth defines what's right and it also defines what's real.

You and I were born into this world with a warped sense of reality. We arrived upon planet earth believing it was all about us. 

That reality worked for awhile until you ran into others operating under a similar reality. Then you discovered the reality of conflict. 

The tendency of the sinful human nature is to construct it's own reality, a world where I am in charge and answer to no one. Ask Lucifer or Adam and Eve about that.

Knowing what is right is a major first step toward knowing what is real but it doesn't guarantee you will get there. Lucifer lived in the glorious presence of God and still lost his grip on reality. Adam walked with God and talked to Him face to face and yet he lost touch with reality.

When being right doesn't keep you in touch with reality sometimes getting it wrong can clarify so things for you. Just ask the foolish son in the parable of the Prodigal about it. I imagine Lucifer and Adam each got a quick reality check as well.

Eventually, everyone will have a clear and simultaneous moment of reality when "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord". Unfortunately, that will be a moment too late for many.

So how do you stay connected to truth, centered in what's right and certain of what's real?

The answer is at the end of this Chapter:

"Now remain these three, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13:13

Faith keeps you in touch with reality because, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Reality is eternity. What you see, hear, touch, taste or smell is NOT real it is only temporary. What is more real, something that lasts for a moment or something that lasts forever?Eternity trumps the momentary every time! Faith understands that! Faith connects with the eternal God!

Hope facilitates faith in your life because "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Hope is the will to believe! Hope is the desire to believe beyond the limits of your comprehension. Hope is elevating the spiritual part of your being above the rational part because you are focused on eternity.

Love is the greatest reality because it is the one thing that will endure forever since it is at the very essence of God's nature! Faith is a powerful thing but there is a day when it will be rendered unnecessary. Hope gives strength to endure difficult days but when you enter into you eternal home you will not longer need to hope! 

Love is right and love is real and that's the truth!

July 22, 2015

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." I Corinthians 13:6

Truth defines two important things:

The first thing it defines is what is right.

Were you born into this world knowing right from wrong?

Me neither. I had to be taught what is right and what is wrong. There was a considerable amount of punishment required to accomplish the task.

The same was true of my children and from what I hear, their children required some training as well.

Since training in right and is necessary who should be the one to do it? 

It needs to be someone who loves you and someone who already knows what is right. Who fits that description better than parents? And really good parents teach their children God's truth as recorded in God's Word. 

As Moses was preparing to lead God's people into the Promises Land, God commanded him to give these instructions to His People:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 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 6:4-9

What better way to learn to love the truth and to learn the truth from someone we love?

And no wonder Paul admonishes the Church at Ephesus to "speak the truth in love" !  If you learn the truth from parents and pastors and Sunday School teachers and church family who love enough to courageously speak truth in love  you have a MUCH greater chance of rejoicing in the truth.

"Loving you to LIFE" became the passion of my ministry because it has been the joy of my life to learn right and wrong from people who loved me to life, people who rejoiced with the truth!

I hope that's true of you as well!

July 21, 2015

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” I Corinthians 13:6

Godly love loves what God loves!

Godly love also despises what God despises!

This is further evidence that God’s love is operating in you!

What God loves is truth and what He despises is anything that opposes truth.

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

He made the assumption that truth is a creed or a concept. Truth is a Person!

Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life.”

Whenever you walk in truth you walk in fellowship with Christ.

Truth is also revealed through God’s written Word, the Bible. Rejoicing in truth means rejoicing in the Word.

Do you do that?

Do you rejoice in God’s Word?

In John 1, Jesus is presented as the Word of God that became flesh. So the written Word of God is the Bible and the Living Word of God is Jesus.

No wonder love rejoices in the Truth! How could God’s love NOT rejoice in His Son!

If you don’t rejoice in truth you will delight in evil which is the rejection or denial of truth. As we have already established, rejecting truth or denying it is to reject or deny Jesus. That never ends well.

The truth is you are not truthful by nature. You are born with a sinful nature and a deceitful heart. So, if you suddenly find yourself loving God’s Word and God’s Son you will know you have been changed by His truth!

So, what is true about your love?

July 20, 2015

"The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident."  Psalm 27:1-3

You were wired for faith not for fear.

Like faith, fear is a decision. You can choose to be afraid or you can choose to believe.

Here in this Psalm, David declares his decision to not give in to fear. That decision is based upon His knowledge that God is his light and his salvation. He chose to believe that a God who is able to do that for him is also able to deliver him from fear.

This does not mean that you may not have feelings of fear, but it does mean you do not have to give in to those feelings or act upon them. Rather, you speak faith to those fears just as David does in the first verse of this Psalm.

When he writes, "The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?", who do you think he is addressing? He is refocusing his mind by focusing on his faith not his fears. AND he is speaking to his fear.

That decision is best made ahead of time rather than when you are under attack by a fierce enemy. In fact, every day you should remind yourself that God is your Light and your salvation. Rejoice in that truth. Reinforce it in your mind. Saturate you spirit with it. Such a daily confess of faith will remove your fear. Speak it aloud so you can hear yourself declare it. Acknowledge His presence and power in your life.

When the day of trouble comes and the enemy is breathing his threats, you will find that faith has become your default setting. You will be able to choose faith over fear.

You can choose to live in faith and not by fear. 

Will you?

You can declare your faith every day! 

Do you?

July 19, 2015

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love and the need for love are some of the most powerful human emotions. You've heard it said, "You do for love what you wouldn't do for money."

The Captain and Tennille sang, "Love will keep you together."

Thousands of songs have been inspired by love.

During the Summer we are studying this significant section of Scripture for four important reasons:

It describes the supernatural love God has for each of us!

It demonstrates how God desires us to love others!

It dares us to open our lives to receiving this love!

It details how we can know that we have received this love!

Paul called this love "the most excellent way".

John Wesley would call it "perfect love" which is another word for holiness. This description of love provides an excellent definition of holiness. Watch what happens when I substitute the world "holiness" for the word "love".

"Holiness is patient, holiness is kind. Holiness does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Holiness does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angers, it does not keep a record of wrongs. Holiness does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. Holiness always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Holiness never fails." 

How do holy Christians love?

How do holy Christians live?

See the description above.......

July 18, 2015

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." I Corinthians 13:4-8

Wow! What a powerful and beautiful portion of Scripture! There is no more beautiful or instructive description of love than this!

Even if you aren't a Christian or a spiritual person you have heard this read at a wedding or two.

Love tops everyone's list because we are wired to need love. Each of us were created for relationships. For relationships to work well we must be adept at giving love and receiving it.

During the Summer we are studying this significant section of Scripture for several important reasons:

• It describes the supernatural love God has for each of us!
• It demonstrates how God desires us to love others!
• It dares us to open our lives to receiving this love!
• It details how we can know that we have received this love!

This Scripture not only describes the nature of God and godly love, it paints a picture of spiritual maturity. In fact, to make this point let me substitute the word "maturity" for the word "love".

"Maturity is patient, maturity is kind. Maturity does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Maturity does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angers, it does not keep a record of wrongs. Maturity does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. Maturity always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Maturity never fails." 

How do mature Christians love?

How do mature Christians live?

See the description above.......