The Qualities of Love

"Love is patient and kind."                 1 Corinthians 13:4   NLT 

What is love? Well, if we take a look at 1 John 4:16, we read: 'God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.' The creator God is not only our Father but, He is love. Therefore, straightaway we know what love is, it is God. Let us look at this love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

'Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.8Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages b and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!'

This piece of scripture perfectly describes God. Thankfully, He is patient with us, even when we make mistake after mistake, He remains kind and never asks 'Why did you do that? We don't even have to give Him an explanation why we have messed up. Check out The Prodigal Son in Luke 15. As he returned to his father he was rehearsing what he would say but, when he arrived he never had the chance to say it all, such was his father's love for him v18-21. God is love or Love is God.

God does not even keep a record of our wrongs; thanks goodness for that. He would have lorry loads of mine if He did. Don't laugh, you would would be the same. Can we say the same about the record we keep of wrongs that people have made against us? Let's be honest, we all have records of the wrong that people have done to us. I have a library of them at home but, come on, so do you, be honest. Don't you think it's time that we all threw them away - shred them and remember them no more. 'Well, that's impossible,' you may say. No it isn't, with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 NKJV). If God holds no wrongs against us, we have no right to hold them against other people. Time to throw them out, people.

Verse 8 in the NKJV says 'Love never fails' So, if God is love, then this means that God never fails - never ever. I know it sounds strange calling God love but hey, I didn't write the bible and the bible says, 'God is love.' If this wasn't so, why would John write this, it wouldn't make sense. Tony Evans comments:'God is love. This truth is revealed to us in the Word, but it was also revealed on the cross, where Christ died for us.'God is love' is not simply a doctrine in the bible; it is an external fact clearly demonstrated at Calvary (Rom 5:8). God has said something to us, and God has done something for us.'

                                                         The Tony Evans Study Bible

Therefore, God is love and Love is God.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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'What shall I do Lord?'

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."   

                                                                                       Proverbs 3:5-6   NLT 

You have the offer of a job; it looks tempting but what are you going to do? The job you are in is ok, it pays the bills, but this offer is a dream come true. It's a new company and with an elevated position, you will be on a good salary, but you may think, 'what if the company goes bust after a few months? I'll have lost everything.' Decisions and more decisions.

From time to time, we all have to make some sort of decision - where to live? What area to work in? Should I get married or should I join the Armed Forces? These are all important questions to ponder and they need a wise answer for us to process. Perhaps you are wanting to go to Uni and go through all of the entrance exams and interviewing but, halfway through this process, a good job offer comes your way. Should you go for the years at Uni with practically nothing to live on or, should you take this very good job that is offering a good salary right now?

As a Christian you can ask God for direction, but when He doesn't answer quickly, you may not have the time to wait, so you go rushing in and make a hasty decision, just hoping it's the right one. Take a look at this verse and make up your own mind:

'Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes'

                                    Proverbs 19:2  NLT

Is it really worth dashing in before you are fully persuaded it is the right decision? Of course, we can't always be certain, However, with God, you can be. Take a look at our text above. We either believe God's Word or we don't. He will never mis-lead us, He is always truthful. But the thing is, He doesn't always give us the answer straightaway and we just have to remain patient. This is not because He wants to keep us guessing, not at all. There are things that He knows that we don't and He needs to test the way ahead for us. There is no rush no matter how much you think there is; God is always on time, never late, never early. Just the fact in our earlier example of waiting for a place in Uni and also being offered a job, speaks of confusion and the only one who promotes this is the devil. Don't go there.

At this time, you may be waiting for something that is important but also something that is causing you stress. Now the devil loves stress, so once again, don't go there. Just relax and wait for the divine decision. You will know when it comes because your heart will pound with excitement but, also with relief and the knowledge that this is God.

However, until that moment, (that may come sooner than you think), keep alert to God's wishes and refuse to rush into anything.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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Restored to serve

"After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?'                                                     John 21:15   NLT 

Remember, Peter had denied Jesus three times - totally denied Him to save himself. Now was the time for Jesus to forgive him and restore him and give him his final ministry, from fisherman to evangelist. 

Note what Jesus asked him in v15, 'do you love Me more than these.' Jesus wasn't asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than he loved the other disciples. He was asking him if he loved Jesus more than they loved Jesus. Watch this. Jesus used the Greek word for love Agape, which is a self-sacrificial love. Peter answered with the Greek word phileo which signifies affection or brotherly love. Jesus was asking Peter if he was still the most committed disciple because he had professed a more superior love for Jesus in Matthew 26:33-35. Was he still in competition with the others? But Peter answered with phileo love, the love between good friends, and Jesus told him to feed His lambs.

Jesus again asked Peter, 'Do you love Me? (Agape love). Peter told him, 'Yes Lord, You know I love You' (phileo love). Jesus answered, 'Then take care of My sheep.' (Agape love). On the third question, Jesus used phileo love, 'Simon - do you love Me? This hurt Peter, but Jesus wanted to be sure if Peter had learned his lesson. Peter had to face his own true feelings and motives when Jesus confronted him - whether he fully understood where he had gone wrong the first time. And Peter was humbled by it all, he had lost his superior, arrogant and argumentative attitude, the one that signified to the others that, 'I'm better than you.' He realised that he had nothing to prove; this was not a game where the players are in competition with each other. Jesus had called them all to be equal.

With this over, Jesus was able to restore Peter because, Jesus could see that he didn't think of himself more highly than the others and Jesus was now able to use him efficiently.

Don't ever think yourself better than anyone else. You are who God made you to be, that is all. You are not a copy of anyone either, you are unique, and the gift God has given you is yours and fits you well. We are not in a battle with team members, we are united together and called to work this way.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Armour Part 2

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  

                                                                            Ephesians 6:10-11   NKJV

Today, let us continue our study of The Armour of God:

FAITH

This Shield is the weapon that protects our faith. The devil fires darts at us in the form of, insults, condemnation, setbacks and temptations. The Roman soldier’s shield was covered in leather and could be soaked in water. This would extinguish the flaming arrows that were fired at him. Our faith in God and His promises extinguishes the lies and hurtful attacks from Satan. These arrows come at us like scud missiles. Bob Gass coined the acronym for SCUD as SATAN CONTINUOUSLY USES DISTRACTIONS.

SALAVATION

The weapon for this is the helmet. The head is the most vulnerable part in battle and so Satan will keep trying to put doubt in our minds. The helmet of salvation protects our mind from doubting God's salvation work within us. Doubt is a big element if we allow it. It's the opposite of faith so, what we believe by faith in God, Satan counteracts by giving us doubt. When we doubt, faith doesn't work.

WORD OF GOD

This is the sword of the Spirit. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), He used the Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God. He spoke to Satan with authority and in the end, the devil had to leave. he was no match for the Sword. We too, need to learn to quote scripture whenever we are in any type of attack. It is not the time to sit down and panic but, to stand in the mighty power of God, with the sword and speak to the spirits of darkness. 

PRAYER

Jerry Vine, author of the Vine's Expository Bible writes: 'The greatest of Christian warriors is measured not by scars on his back, but by bruises on his knees. The best warrior is a kneeling warrior.' Prayer is an indispensable weapon in spiritual warfare, we cannot be victorious without it and yet, it is one of the most neglected weapons in our armour. 

Remember one thing, the battle we fight on a daily basis has already been won, this is why we are called, 'more than conquerors' (Romans 8:37). We just have to grasp hold of that fact. As you put on your armour daily, you are a victorious warrior. Don't you forget that!

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Armour Part 1

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  

                                                                            Ephesians 6:10-11   NKJV

 The devil schemes against us and it can be quite stressful to fend off his efforts at times. This is when we need to be immune to his scheming and attack. Because the devil is like a type of histamine - blocking our senses and throwing us out of sync, We need to use the anti-histamine of spiritual power - the Armour of God. This armour contains six weapons and a star-studded one, prayer. Let's look at three of these today:

TRUTH

This is the belt that holds the sword and breastplate in place. Let's be honest, the devil does not speak the truth, he comes close sometimes to trick us. But his whole intention is spreading lies that we often fall prey to and believe. Truth serves as the central point of the battle at hand. If we lose the truth, we lose the battle. Things come into our minds and before checking the validity of them, we take them on board, believing the lies are true. The is where we go wrong. Live in truth, believe the truth and refuse to accept anything until you have checked it over with Jesus.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

This weapon is the breastplate or body armour and, because the devil attacks our hearts, our emotions, self-worth and trust, righteousness protects the spiritual life of the Christian. If the devil can make us feel unworthy, useless and so full of sin that God will never forgive us, he will do. He will attack our emotions. Don't forget that our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions so, if Satan can knock these out of sync, you can bet he will do, and then he is on route to victory. Don't let him get that far.

PEACE

This weapon is the shoes. Roman soldiers wore armoured sandals that gave them great traction in moving around in battle. There was a peace about it, and this peace was transferred onto us and can give us the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that only God can offer to all who will accept it. The devil will do all he can to ensure that you lose your peace, whether it be through an argument with someone, or a lie that you have received and are struggling with. Be careful of it.

Think about these first three pieces of the armour. Truth must be an uppermost priority in your life. If you don't walk in the truth, no one will accept you. Then of course, watch your heart and emotions. Malicious statements and gossip can render you incapable of carrying the flag of Jesus Christ. And finally, keep your peace in every situation, keep it,  live in it and promote it.

We'll look at the  other weapons tomorrow. Until then, practice what we've discussed.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Word of the Lord remains forever

"For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living Word of God. 24 As the scriptures say, people are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. 25 But the Word of the Lord remains forever."    

                                        1 Peter 1:23-25   NLT

Looking around my garden the other day, I was pleased to see roses in full bloom, whites, pinks and reds. However, following a long, sharp downpour, the roses were just petals on the patio; no flower remained. 

Nothing is really permanent in this life, except God and His Word. The rest is here today and, gone tomorrow. And this is the same with life. People live their lives and then, it's over in a short time. But Jesus offers all who believe in Him, eternal life and that is something to praise Him for.

Only God's Word, will and work are permanent. We need to stop grabbing the temporary and begin focusing all we have, life, money and energy on the permanent, which is the eternal life Jesus gives us. No matter how rich we are or fine mansion and fast car we possess, they are only temporary. We cannot take them with us when we die. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, 'While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' The hope we have, when we experience severe illness, persecution and pain, is the realisation that this is only temporary - there is life after death. When we know we will live forever with God, it can help us contend with anything that we may face in life.

People may irritate us, offend us, abuse us, rob us; they may even try to distract us and of course, temptation is all around ready to strike. But, it can only affect us if we allow this. It is difficult, but it can be helpful to develop a immune system to ward off all of these negative attacks. God has already provided one - The Armour of God. I think we will spend a little time going through this tomorrow and you will discover that God has given us this to meet every situation we may face. Also to live knowing that the Word of the Lord remains forever.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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How much do you trust God?

"If I must die, I must die"             Esther 4:16   NLT 

Esther, a Jew, was a very beautiful lady and when Queen Vashti refused to obey an order from her husband King Xerxes, she was banished from his kingdom and Esther eventually replaced her as the Queen. It was not easy being the Queen; the only time she could approach him, was when he gave her permission to move towards him. There were no guarantees that he would do that and she could be risking her life. However, the King loved her and gave her favour.

Haman, the Kings aide, was promoted to second in command of the empire and demanded respect by everyone having to bow to him. Mordecai however, Esther's older cousin, refused to do this. He was a Jew and he only bowed down to God. This infuriated Haman, who plotted to have him and all the Jews executed. Haman was a selfish, ungodly man who wanted everything he asked for. If he couldn't get this, people would have to be careful. Mordecai asked Esther if she would approach the King and ask him if he would save her people. This in itself was a risk, as she had to admit she also was a Jew. 

However, she said, 'If I must die, I must die.' She made a stand for God. In the mean-time,

Haman built gallows in his garden and he intended to execute Mordecai on these. 

Esther met with the King and following two banquets which the King, Esther and Haman attended, she revealed that Haman had plotted to kill the Jews together with Mordecai. Haman, died on his own gallows that he had intended for Mordecai.

There is a lesson here, if a person plots evil against someone, they need to be careful that it doesn't come back on them  (Psalm 37:1-40). Haman thought he had it all stitched up, but he was in for a shock. Esther, even though fearful inside, made a stand for God and approached the King. That day, she saved the Jewish nation.

How much do you trust God? Could you have been an Esther and saved the day?Sometimes, we have to be willing to make a stand for Jesus; it's never easy and one never knows if it may explode in our face. But, as we seize our God-given opportunity, we may forge a way for God to make improvements in our land and situation. Is God speaking to you right now?

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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