Showing posts with label True Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label True Love. Show all posts

Saturday 30 April 2016

Let Love

Let Love

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.  
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” 
                                                                                                              Romans 12:9-18.
Do you Love? If you claim to be Christian do you love in the way the Bible intended you to love?
The apostle Paul gave Christians the standard for Christian love in 1 Corinthians 13 he wrote,
“Love is patient, love is kind. 
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
 Love does not delight in evil
 but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
 always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                         1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
It seems our society is becoming less loving. As connected as we are through technology we are I think a less loving society. One just has to look at the murder rate. One figure I heard was ninety-nine people die from gun violence in the United States every day. On top of that there are thousands of other violent crimes that show a lack of love.
Politicians argue in the United States about whether to give affordable universal  health care to all, something considered a human right in all other western democracies. While they themselves have good health care.
In Canada as I write this there are several Native communities in Canada’s north that have declared a state of emergency due to a rise in suicides. Many Native communities lack safe drinking water, and adequate housing. Again something considered a human right.
All of this could be solved by a government who acted swiftly out of true love for their citizens.
Canada and the United States are not alone. Every country around the world has their problems. Places where if only Love is shown the problem could end quickly.
The Talmud has a story I like to quote. One which I can see happening to all people eventually it states,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?”
                                                                                                              The Talmud.
I believe not only politicians but all people will one day be held accountable to God for all we do. For our lack of love toward our fellow man.
Jesus said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets”
             Matthew 7:12.
I believe all of us want to be loved therefor we should be doing to others as we would have others do to us.
Please think about it.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

A Proponent of Love

A proponent of Love

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 
Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” 
                                                                                                           Proverbs 3:3,4
Here is a message I want all Christians to hear.
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. “ Proverbs 3:3.
And the reason we should do this
“...you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:4.
What are the characteristics of Love? The apostle Paul tells us that saying,
“Love is patient, love is kind.
 It does not envy, it does not boast, 
it is not proud.  
It is not rude, 
it is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, 
it keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects,
 always trusts,
 always hopes,
 always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
 But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                           1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
You cannot have true Christian love if you are not showing the characteristics of Love Paul is talking about.
Paul knew a lot about showing love especially in difficult circumstances. He was stoned and left for dead by men that hated him. He was thrown in prison, he shipwrecked and had faced many troubles in his life as a Christian.
He was persecuted under the emperor Nero a man who killed Christians in most hideous ways. Yet Paul could write,
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone....
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”   
                                                                         Romans 12:18,20,21.
He also wrote,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  
“Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  
                                                                                         Romans 13:1,2.
The apostle Peter backs up Paul saying.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 
                                                                          1 Peter 2:11,12.
The writer of Hebrews said,
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 
         Hebrews 12:14.
Jesus and the apostles in all situations showed love to all people. They did not protest against anything. They were known for their love.
Dear Christian
Are you known for your unconditional love? Is the church you attend showing unconditional love?  Are all people welcomed equally by you and the church you attend? Would a man who lives on the street who enters smelling badly be welcome at your Sunday Service? How about a gay man or woman?
Again I ask you, do you show love?
Please think about it.

Wednesday 25 November 2015

A Check List for Love

A check list for Love
“Love is patient,
 love is kind.
 It does not envy, 
it does not boast,
 it is not proud.  
It is not rude, 
it is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, 
it keeps no record of wrongs.
 Love does not delight in evil
 but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects,
 always trusts,
 always hopes, 
always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13 to me is God’s checklist for love. Does the kind of love you have correspond to that list?
Do you put conditions on your love? Love with conditions is not love at all.
As I write this the Syrian refugee crisis is in full swing. The Paris terrorist attacks were just a week ago. And the President of France to his credit while politicians in the United States want to block refugees from entering the States, the President of France says France will continue to take them because quote, “it is the right thing to do”. France is showing the kind Love and compassion we all should be showing.
Christian and non-Christian alike I believe can understand the teachings of Jesus who said,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                                                 Matthew 22:36-40.
Even people who do not believe in God can understand the need to show love to one’s fellow man.
Martin Luther King Jr. Said,
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
                                                                                               Martin Luther King, Jr.
Many years ago while still in my teens I saw a movie called good by Mr. Chips the theme song of the move has stayed with me all my life its called In the morning of my life and it states,
In the Morning of My Life

In the morning of my life
I will look to the Sunrise
At a moment in my life 
When the world is new.

And the Question
I shall ask only God can answer.
Will I be brave and strong and true,
Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?
Will I fill the world with love my whole life through?

In the evening of my life
I will look to the sunset
At a moment in my life 
When my life is through.

And the question I shall ask only I can answer 
Was I brave and strong and true.
Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?
Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

                                                                   From the Musical Good by Mr chips

At the end of your life will you be able to say you filled the world with love your whole life through. What will people say about you. What will God say.
Please think about it.

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Real Love

Real Love

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails.” 
       1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Poets throughout the ages have tried to express what love is. Yet I believe there is no better words for describing love than the words of the apostle Paul.
It’s a check list for true love.
We live in a society where marriage is easy and divorce is easier. Divorce statistics are unbelievably high.
I think the reason we have such high rates of divorce is that we don’t know what love is.
Love in the twenty-first century seems to be mistaken for that bubbly feel good thing that we get around someone we like, or the feeling we get from having intimate relationships with someone.
While that may be part of an overall love relationship it is not entirely what love is. Love is more.
Love is there for the long haul.
I’ve been on this earth as of my last birthday sixty plus years. Thirty-four years of which have been in a loving marriage relationship.
My wife and I have gone through the feel good stage at one end and at the other end of the spectrum we’ve been totally ticked off at each other.
We’ve done things that drive each other insane. We still do. Never the less in the end we make up, cuddle up and still after all of these years enjoy being with each other.
I can honestly say that I can’t remember what our last disagreement was about. I just asked my wife if she could remember and she couldn’t.
We know we’ve argued, and had disagreements especially when we were younger. We are both very strong willed with very definite ideas on things. Our arguments at one time I’m sure could be heard across town. But in the end we kissed and made up.
But over the years our disagreements have actually become less and less. And we honestly upon reflection as I was preparing to write this, can’t remember much of what our arguments were about.
What we do remember is when we lived in the Toronto area travelling to Niagara Falls walking hand in hand for a short time before returning home, only to have to rush to the hospital so my wife could give birth to our first son.
We remember the little things, like holding hands when we went to church on Sunday. The reasons she has an artificial rose beside her computer.
When we were about to get married our pastor at the time quoted the above verses from 1 Corinthians Thirteen to us. He reminded us that true love is not a physical thing although that is a part of it.
He reminded us that true love is a spiritual union of two souls that become one.
Over the years we in our marriage we have proven that to be true. We look at what Paul wrote,
“Love is patient, love is kind.
 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
 it is not easily angered,
 it keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts, 
always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails.” 
                                                                 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
And we know it’s true.
Think about it.

Saturday 14 February 2015

True Love

True Love

What is true Love?
Some say it is a feeling. Some believe it is a physical act. Some say it’s both. But love is more than that. You see feelings end as does the physical act.
In Shakespear’s play Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence, warns Romeo and Juliet’s about physical love. He doesn’t question their love for one another but he warns about the ‘violent delights’ the emotion based dangers of physical love saying,
“These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness and in the taste confounds the appetite.
Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so. Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.”
All too often what we perceive as a love relationship starts with a strong emotional feeling and leads quickly to physical act. Which might feel good at the beginning of a relationship but ultimately will fade to some degree.
If all one is basing their love for another person on is a feeling and a physical act one will ultimately learn that it is hollow love.
We are all human and strong positive feelings for someone does feel nice as does the sexual act. But love is more.
The apostle Paul writes,
“Love is patient, love is kind.
 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, it 
keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts,
 always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love.”  
                                                                                          1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13
Love continues on through the trials of life. It continues when the physical act is not possible. It continues through those dark days when the positive feelings are absent, or masked for whatever reason.
                Love, true is...
“... is patient, love is kind.
 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 
it is not easily angered, it 
keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth.  
It always protects, always trusts,
 always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails....
Think about it.