1 Corinthains 13:1-13

Instruction :

• In your own words define what "Love" is.
• Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and see what God's Word says Love is.
• Answer the question, does your definition and God's definition agree? It should!
• Click here to read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
  

My Study : (NIV translation)

• v1-2 And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Prevously in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul is making known the gifts of the Spirit of God. Here he continues but gives a very clear truth concerning Love. Paul says that even if I have all of these great gifts of the Spirit of God, if I do not have love, I am NOTHING.

Powerful words coming from Paul here.. Sometimes the Bible can challenge our beliefs, our philosophies. When reading that, did you completely agree to it or did you begin to make up excuses in your head and try and think of another verse that seems to contradict in order that your thinking might not change? Be careful that you are not deceived; the Bible clearly reads, that even if I have faith that can move MOUNTAINS, but have not love, I am nothing.

Obviously since the Bible teaches that Love is even greater than faith, we had better pay attention and strive to learn God's definition of Love.

• v3 If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Can you imagine really giving away everything you own? No more house, no more cards, no more computers, tvs, xbox, tractors, 4-wheelers, whatever you posess you give it away.

Now imagine that you give your body to the flames but because you do not love, you gain NOTHING.

How important is Love? God's Word shows us that it is more important than anything else that we can do.

Now, if you're like me.. you think.. well I love people.. so I've got this down. I mean I LOVE my wife, and I LOVE my friends. So yeah, I do LOVE. Well we won't know if we're truly loving, I mean with God's definition, if we don't look to see what God's definition is...

• v4-8 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 preserves. Love never fails..
  

Round 1 - what defines love.
Love is..

Patient - am I patient? I can certainly say that often I am not.

Kind - am I kind? not always.. depends on my mood (right..)

Does not Envy - do I desire things that other people own? hmm...

Does not Boast - what about when I do something awesome.. fail.

Is not Proud - but I'm a man.. fail.

Is not Rude - Even when someone cuts me off? Cheats me? Does me wrong??

Is not Self-Seeking - So I can't seek (look to) do things that benefit me?

Is not Easily Angered - even when someone cuts me off!?

Keeps NO Record of Wrongs - forgiveness is so key.. as a matter of fact Jesus said that if we don't forgive our Father in Heaven won't forgive us. Read (Matthew 18:21-35)

Have you ever noticed that in the Lord's prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 in verse 12 it says "And forgive us our debts, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS."

Love, does not delight in Evil - do I ever enjoy hearing when someone loses their big nice beautiful home? NO? Not even when it's someone that has wronged me? do I ever think to myself "they got what they deserved" that is the delight in evil.

Love Rejoices with Truth - Do you rejoice in truth even when it convicts, even when the truth is opposing to what we want to believe?

Love, Always Protects, Always Trusts, Always Hopes, Always Preserves. Always? Always.

Love Never Fails

I think it's safe to say that most people reading this, have been convicted of one thing or another listed here. If you haven't you had better make sure it's the Spirit that assures your faith and not the enemy that would promote self righteousness.

• v8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies they will cease; where there are tonuges, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

What in the World is Paul talking about here? This is typically one of those verses where you go.. well I don't know what he's saying, next verse please.

I believe I have the Spirit and the Spirit has made this known to me. What Paul says is saying is that if I am a prophet, my prophecies will pass away in time. If I speak in tongues, the words I utter and even my body will pass away; making the tongues cease. And where there is knowledge, it will pass away. Do you see the pattern yet? All of which refer to man ceasing to exist, passing away and with it their deeds.

So what does all of this have to do with anything? It has to do with Love. Love never fails. While all of these other things will pass away with time, Love endures through the generations by God's sovereign power and gracious will.

• v11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Here is what Paul means..

When I was a child (obedient to sin), I talked like a child (spoke evil), I thought like a child (thought evil) I reasoned like a child (reasoned selfishly) When I became a man (received the Spirit of God) I put childish ways behind me. (put away the old sinful body) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror(the old is passing away); then we shall see face to face. (I believe this is to mean, to see the Lord)

• v13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

And what is Love? I encourage you to pray that God's spirit in you brings about his love from you, to everyone and in all things.


Closing Prayer
Father teach me your ways and put away the things of my flesh, for in you are the things of truth and love. Please give me the heart you desire and keep my eyes from being blind but give me the sight of truth for the glory of your name. Amen.

Romans 8:9-14 Study

Instruction :

• Read Romans (in a quiet place without interruption)
  
• Read it again - this time highlight or underline passages or sentences that stick out
• Read it for the 3rd time but this time read only the highlighted/underlined portion
• Pray those passages to God and let God speak to you about them
  
• Share it here, for the edification of the BODY!
• Click here to read Romans 8:9-14

My Study : (NIV translation)

• v9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
  

My first thoughts are, IF? (the Spirit of God lives in you)
IF.. is a huge word here because it goes on to say that IF we do not have the Spirit of Christ then we do not belong to Christ.

So this tiny word IF could go under the "Major Category" as listed in one of our previous studies. Because it suggest that IF we do not then we do not have the Spirit of Christ.
"because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God"

Fortunately, God is trying to show us how we know if we belong to him. And that is known by the way we ACT (this is not a popular teaching however it is scriptural). BUT! Who has the power for us to ACT accordingly? The Spirit does! Not man, so that man can boast! Are we then controlled by the Spirit or by sin? That is the question that we must answer for ourselves.

• v13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

In verse 13 we are challenged yet again with another IF. So, IF I live according to the sinful nature (of my body/flesh) I will die.

What does that mean; to live according to the sinful nature?
Galatians 5:19-23

Notice here Paul gives us both sides to the equation. So ask yourself, which do you live under? Which do you PRACTICE? Do you have love, joy, peace, longsuffering(patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (MEN?)


And notice at the end of Galatians 5:23.. Against such there is no law.

So how are we free from the law of sin which brings forth death and condemnation? We accept the gift of God and we have faith that the Spirit of God is creating in us a "new man" and by that faith the works of the Spirit will dwell in us rather than the works of sin.

Something to note..

It is without question by faith that we are saved.
By faith in God to make us new men and women to live in obedience.

It is without question that it is by believing in Jesus Christ that we are saved.
Believing that he has the power to raise us from the dead as he did himself. Power over death.

It is without question that we are forgiven of ALL SIN OF ALL TIME.
By belief in Christ and faith in him that he will do as he promised.

Listen, you cannot by works save yourself. But you can by faith accept the saving of your soul by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only by faith that we are saved but it is only a true faith that saves us! Many people have a false faith, a faith that is based more on what they see and what they hear. A faith that is based on the actions of men rather than the promises of God. If you, sincerely believe in your heart that our God will do as he promised then you will be transformed. The reason Paul, through inspiration of the Spirit gave us these actions that must take place is so that we will know if we are in the Spirit or not. It is ONLY by the Spirit of God that we are able to overcome the flesh.

We CANNOT be saved by our own works, hopes, thoughts, beliefs, ACTIONS. It requires a relationship with Jesus Christ. A oneness with him, our role is faith. His role is fulfilled promise. Do you have faith that he will do his part? Do you have a real faith that believes what his word says?

Let me assure you that God is faithful and just in all of his promises. Pray that the Lord gives you the kind of faith that is sincere and true, the FAITH that saves you, the FAITH that brings you to fullness in Christ.

God bless, pray for each other and keep the faith! (and spread it! haha)

Ephesians 4:1-5

Instruction :

• Read Ephesians (in a quiet place without interruption)
  
• Read it again - this time highlight or underline passages or sentences that stick out
• Read it for the 3rd time but this time read only the highlighted/underlined portion
• Pray those passages to God and let God speak to you about them
  
• Share it here, for the edification of the BODY!
• Click here to read Ephesians 4:1-5 Online

My Study : To myself and to all believers

• v1 A prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

If we're really called, (really meaning we have the Spirit of God) then we should feel compelled to live a life worthy to our calling. A lot of people claim the name of Christ but don't actually have the Spirit of God living in them. Just read Matt 7:22-23 Jesus said MANY will say to me... but notice at the end of Matt 23, you who practice what? LAWLESSNESS.

Let me note something here, if you have the Spirit of God living in you, you should be desiring to live a life worthy of your calling; in other words you should have a desire in your heart to do what is honoring to your Father in Heaven. I'm not saying that you won't struggle with the flesh, that will always plague us so long as we live in this earthly body but what I am saying is that the desires of your heart will be to do what glorifies God! You will delight in the name of the Lord, you will DESIRE to follow him, from your heart. (Hebrews 8:6-13)

So then, live according to your heart's (with the Spirit) desire and do what is honoring to the Lord..

• v2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Here we have a list of actions that are required to live this "life worthy". Have you ever noticed how our "flesh" naturally does what is wrong and it takes God's instruction to do what is right?

Let me ask you this question, have you ever needed a peptalk to do what was wrong? Have you ever needed someone to cheer you on and tell you to "keep on trying man, you'll get it, just stick with it!" NO...

But we do need help maintaining what is right in the eyes of the Lord. We need help loving each other when times get tough or when that person you're supposed to be loving is slandering your name and bringing grief upon you or your family; yet that's what we're called to do!

The secular man would tell you that .. generally MAN is good. But the Bible shows us that MAN is born into sin (Romans 5:12-13) and SIN is DEATH.

To conclude, It's difficult to do what is honoring to God because right now we are still physically in this fleshly body, but God made us a way out, he gave us his Son who endured all things and all temptations so that we would have eternal life. I, like Paul urge you to do what is right in the sight of the Lord; it is what we were created for and if we trample on the cross and continue, willfully in sin even though we have been set free, then "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." (Hebrews 10:26-31)

• v4 There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called-one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
  

We should be all of one mind as we are of one Spirit of one Lord and one faith. Yet we argue and bicker about what we think scripture means on different subjects. I've found that it's good to categorize these "subjects".

Here's the way I am trying to see it..
Critical Subjects - One God, Salvation issues...
and
Everything else..

There's no point in arguing and breaking peace when we're supposed to be the bringers of peace! 95% of the time if you're arguing it's because of pride and we know pride is sin. Forget those things and LOVE one another. Rebuke those who cause problems and exhort those who practice peace and Love according to the Spirit of God!

Now, with that said I'm not suggesting that we EXCUSE sin for the sake of peace.. but true love is a correcting love. Why else does scripture tell us that we HATE OUR CHILDREN if we spare the rod? We just need to make sure that our focus is right and our motives are righteous in God's eyes otherwise we may be the one getting the correction!

I'm running short on time here.. please reply and post your findings regarding this or any scripture for that matter. Grace love and peace from God be with you all, pray for each other and do what is pleasing to God!

Psalm 9 Study

Instruction :

• Read Psalm 9:1-20 (in a quiet place w/out interruption)
  
• Read it again - this time highlight or underline passages or sentences that stick out
• Read it for the 3rd time but this time read only the highlighted/underlined portion
• Pray those passages to God and let God speak to you about them
  
• Share it here, for the edification of the BODY!
• Click here to Read Psalm 9 online
  

My Study:

• v1. I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

This verse reminds me "with all my heart" of how we're supposed to worship in spirit and in truth according to John 4:24. We should always test ourselves and make sure that our heart is always FULLY focused on God when praising and praying.

• v1(continued) I will tell of all your wonders.

I am reminded to share the goodness that God does for me, my daily experiences with him will never do anyone any good if I do not share it.

• v4. You have upheld my right and my cause;

As long as I remain faithful and in line with God's will, no matter who comes against me, God almighty will uphold my right and my cause; supporting me in whatever I do.

• v10. Those who know your name will trust in you,

If my trust is not in God then it's in me and I cannot save myself, only Christ, God himself can save me so my trust must remain in Him.

• v10. (continued) for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

It blesses me to know that as long as I seek the Lord, he will NEVER forsake me. This verse protects me from the evil that would set out to deceive me and attempt to quench the spirit.

• v13. O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death.

Here the Psalmist cries out to the Lord because of the persecution and trouble that has come upon him. Remember if we seek him, he will never forsake us.. We should seek God and ask for deliverance when in times of trouble.

• v14 that I may declare your praises..

And a motive check, do we seek God for our own personal benefit? Or for the Glory of God? We're supposed to have a relationship with the Father, but how well does a relationship work when only one of the two are committed?

For example - If Tiffany (my wife) was always striving to do what was best for me and truly LOVING me selflessly but I was only going through the motions of love but never fully doing anything truly for her benefit but only for my benefit, how catastrophic would I be to the relationship? Would this be considered a relationship at all? How then are we supposed to have a relationship with almighty God if we're only in it for ourselves? Love is a two-way street.. and we need to keep up our end of the deal.

So to conclude v14.. why was he asking God to deliver him in v13? So that God will be praised for the salvation of this psalmist. Looks like this writer had the proper motive/heart.

• v16. the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

When in the heat of spiritual battle, when I'm trying to justify my own sin and lie to myself saying it's ok when deep down I know it's wrong, Lord remind me of this verse when I am struggling for I do not want to be ensnared by my own hands of wickedness. The Lord judges with righteous Judgement and we know that God is not Mocked! (Gal 6:7)

"God is not Mocked" in other words - God is never and will never be surprised by anything, nothing will EVER slip by God. God sees all and knows all and will judge all righteously. No one will ever be able to say "well I got away with that". WE REAP WHAT WE SOW. It's ONLY God's mercy and love that (through Christ) allows us to repent and accept his forgiveness. But that requires humbling ourselves and with a sincere heart asking God to forgive us because of OUR SIN. No excuses, no other's to blame, WE are the only ones responsible for our sin; and with that confession of the heart, God is righteous and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

• vs17-20 These verses remind me that I should be praying for our nation, for God will judge the nations that live under the sons of disobedience and sin.

Closing Prayer:
Lord help me to remember your word in all that I do, hide it in my heart and bring it to me when I am in need. Thank you for being righteous and keeping me humble, open my eyes to the truth that is in you and keep me from evil. In your sons most holy name Jesus.. amen.