All we need is a love that changes everything

1 Corinthians 13 :1- 13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In an email to my friend Geoff Grice earlier today,  I briefly made a reference to the story of Cindrella, I’ve always wondered why Cindrella never feel in love with Buttons,  Buttons loved Cindrella for she was, but Cindrella didn’t love Buttons in the same way, she chased the myth of love with Prince Charming, yes she lived happy ever after, for many of us we need to stop chasing the myth of love with prince or princess charming and find true (real) love with buttons.

How the New Testament defines love

From http://biblemegasite.com/love.htm

New Testament love is different from the love most people think of when they think of "love". Most English Bible readers think that "love" has the same meaning throughout the NT. Most believe that love simply means "to have great affection for." Actually the New Testament Greek language has 4 different words for "love" and each has a different meaning. Don't worry about the Greek, I will explain them well.

1. eros - Physical attraction. Strawberry Shortcake love: "I want the shortcake. I want it bad! I will consume it without giving it a thought about how the shortcake feels" Eros doesn't appear in the New Testament, but is mentioned in the Greek Old Testament. Eros can often be selfish in the form of lust. A healthy eros would be a physical attraction between a married couple. But having this love and no others would make a mockery out of true love.

2. storge - Family love. We don't love Aunt Minnie because of her eros (physical attraction), but because she is our Aunt Minnie, a part of our family, even though she is blind, deaf, and senile. Storge appears 3 times in the NT, twice in its negative form (astorge - "without family love"), and once combined with phila ("be devoted"). A mother who has her baby and throws it in the trash can is showing astorge. I storge a Christian because he/she is a member of my spiritual family. But what if said Christian renounces Christianity? Could I still love him/her if storge was the only form of love I had?

3. phila - Friendship love. It is warm feelings and affection. It is liking someone. Philia is emotional, spontaneous, and instinctive. The weakness of this love is that in order to show it, it has to be shared. Your phila for me is damaged if I don't show phila for you. I call the weakness of phila "bowling partner" love: "I love you if you keep bowling strikes, but start throwing gutter balls and I'll find a new bowling partner." Many couples make this the main love in their marriage, and the marriage doesn't survive the gutter balls of life. I phila my friends, I have feelings for them, but that isn't enough to truly love them, especially if they don't show affection to me.

4. agape - A desire to do what is best for another. This Greek word is rarely used in other Greek writings and used in a colourless way. The New Testament gives agape a wonderful new meaning. Agape does involve a desire and a devotion, but doesn't depend of affection received from another in order to exist. Its purpose is to treat his fellow man with esteem and respect, even when rebuking someone who has done wrong. Christ said if we love (agape) Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). We are commanded to display agape with all of our heart, soul and mind to God and to show agape to our neighbor as we would do for ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40).

 We are told by Paul to walk in the way of agape (Ephesians 3:16-19). Agape is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:8-10). John stated that agape expresses itself in word and deed and that without agape, we don't know God, who is the very definition of agape (1 John 3:16-19, 4:8). Agape is the word used as love in John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13. In 1 Corinthians 13, it says that "love bears all things." The Greek word for "bear" can also mean "cover," as in agape throwing a cover of silence over the faults of others. I can even agape my enemies, I can desire and act for what is best for them, regardless of their feelings for me. Agape is an act of the will. I truly agape people, and I will do what is best for them, even if they had no eros, storge, phila, or agape for me. What people don't realize is that while eros, storge, and phila come naturally to humans, agape is not, for it is divine. Agape has to be learned, from God's Word.

The Bible is not just a rulebook, but it is the dictionary of agape, whether agape defines how we worship God or how we interact to one another. If we master agape as defined in the Bible, we need nothing else to be more like God, for God IS agape (1 John 4:8)

Eros - Based on the glands. "I love you because I am attracted to you.

Storge - based on genetic ties. "I'm love you because we are kin to each other"

Phila - based on emotions. "I really like you, I love you because I enjoy being with you."

Agape - based on a decision, an act of the will. "I love you", not "I love you if....", not "I love you because....", just simply "I love you".

1 John 4:7-21 New American Standard Bible

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

The life that I have

Is all that I have

And the life that I have

Is yours.

The love that I have

Of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass

Will be yours and yours and yours.

Leo Marks, taken from Carve her Name with Pride the story of Violette Szabo

Sticks & Stones, The power of Speech.

The power of Speech,

I’ve spent a number of years working in various Contact Centre ‘s, I would have said a Call Centre, but many of you know of a certain fly on the wall documentary set in Swansea about life in a Call Centre, to be honest I’ve spend a number of years working in Call Centres/Contact Centres and I have never seen anything or experienced anything seen in that programme.

 I spent five days a week dealing with a variety of customer queries from all parts of the UK and I know first-hand the benefits, disadvantages, advantages, the positive and negative aspects of speech.

Many of us know, the proverb/phrase “'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names/words will never hurt me'” if we’re honest we will know that this phrase isn’t totally true we have all said things that have hurt others by our words and have been hurt by what others have said to us

The writer of proverbs said in Proverbs 18:21 Nasb,

Death  and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

James 3:2-12 Nasb

2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain sends out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

With our words we have power to bring life or death and we all need to decide will we use ours words to bring life or to bring death, however I’m going to give you a clue,

 Deuteronomy 30:15 – 19 Nasb

 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.  17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Christian bakery that refused to make gay marriage cake found GUILTY of discrimination, Daily Express, Peter Hein.

A BAKERY that refused to make a pro-gay marriage cake has been found guilty of discrimination, in a landmark ruling.

Asher's Baking Company, of Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, told some Gareth Lee that he could not have a cake decorated with a pro-gay marriage slogan.

Mr Lee, who is a volunteer of the advocacy group Queer Space then sued the company for discrimination.

After a three-day hearing, it was ruled that Asher's - which describes itself as a Christian bakery - had discriminated against Mr Lee.

Passing judgement, District Judge Isobel Brownlie said: "I believe the defendants did have the knowledge that the plaintiff was gay.

"As much as I acknowledge their religious beliefs this is a business to provide service to all. The law says they must do that.

"The defendants are not a religious organisation. They are a business for profit. There are no exceptions available.

"The defendants have unlawfully discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation.

"This is direct discrimination for which there is no justification."

Read more here:

 

Christian-owned bakery which refused to make 'Bert and Ernie' gay marriage cake found GUILTY of discrimination

• Ashers Baking Company guilty of discrimination for refusing to make cake
• Christian-owned firm refused to 'go against the bible' for gay marriage cake
• Judge made landmark ruling after bakery was taken to court by Gareth Lee
• He ordered a cake which featured an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto 'Support Gay Marriage' but order was rejected

By Emma Glanfield for MailOnline

A Christian-owned family bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan has been found guilty of discrimination after a landmark legal action.

Belfast-based Ashers Baking Company refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee, which featured an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto 'Support Gay Marriage'.

The Northern Ireland Equality Commission took the bakery to court on behalf of Mr Lee and the judge today found the company guilty of 'direct discrimination'.

Giving her ruling at Belfast County Court, district judge Isobel Brownlie said: 'The defendants have unlawfully discriminated against the plaintiff on grounds of sexual discrimination.

'This is direct discrimination for which there can be no justification.'

She ordered the bakery to pay agreed damages of £500 plus court costs.

Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, had wanted a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the slogan 'Support Gay Marriage' for a private function marking International Anti-Homophobia Day.

He paid in full when he placed the order at Ashers' Belfast branch but said he was left stunned two days later, when the company phoned to say it could not be processed.

Daniel McArthur, Ashers general manager, who was supported by his wife Amy and other family members in court today, said prior to the hearing that the bakery had rejected the order because it 'cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says'.

Returning her verdict today, Judge Brownlie said she was satisfied the McArthur family had 'genuine and deeply held religious beliefs' but said they must have been aware that Mr Lee was gay and were aware of the ongoing same sex marriage debate.

The judge said: 'They must have known or had the perception that the plaintiff was gay.

'They must have known that the plaintiff supported gay marriage or associated with others who supported gay marriage.

'They (Ashers) are in a business supplying services to all. The law requires them to do just that.'

The courtroom in Belfast's Laganside complex was packed as the reserved judgement was delivered.

“'WE CANNOT PROMOTE A CAUSE THAT GOES AGAINST THE BIBLE'

A statement released ahead of today's verdict by Daniel McArthur on behalf of Ashers Baking Company.

'It’s now just over a year since Ashers Baking Company declined a customer’s order to decorate a cake with the campaign slogan “Support Gay Marriage”.

'We did not do this because of anything to do with the customer but because of the message – a message supporting a cause with which I and my family fundamentally disagree.

'We happily serve everyone but we cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says about marriage. We have tried to be guided in our actions by our Christian beliefs.

'It has been a difficult time for our family. A year ago, we could not have anticipated that a polite refusal would result in our family being pursued through the courts by a publicly-funded quango.

'Because of the Equality Commission’s decision we have endured many anxious months.

'But we have been sustained throughout by the knowledge that God is faithful. And we have been greatly encouraged by the huge public support we have received – not only here but from around the world.

'We have also been contacted by many people of other faiths and of no faith, and from people who support same-sex marriage as well as people who support traditional marriage.

'Soon we will all know the court’s judgment, after which we may be in a position to make some further comment.'”

Read more here:

 

Words for The Wise, Wisdom, James 1

James 1

English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Greeting

1 James, a servant[a] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass[c] he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The Bible Panorama

James 1

V 1: TWELVE TRIBES James, Jesus’ half-brother, writes to the dispersed twelve tribes of Israel.

 V 2–8: TESTING TRIALS In dealing with trials, our attitude should be one of joyfulness, knowing that God is at work in us through them. Our faith and patience from God is fed by wisdom which He gives to all who ask Him. Single-mindedness, in applying that wisdom and in exercising that faith, is the answer, by God’s grace, to our trials.

 V 9–11: TEMPORARY TREASURE A materially poor Christian should rejoice in his exaltation in Christ. The rich man should rejoice in the fact that his wealth is nothing, and that only what he is in Christ lasts. His treasured wealth is temporary, like a fading flower.

 V 12–15: TEMPTATION TRUTH Blessing comes to those who endure temptation. God does not tempt anyone. Our evil desires cause us to be tempted and give birth to sin. Sin produces death.

V 16–18: TOTALLY TRUSTWORTHY God is referred to as the ‘Father of lights’. He is totally trustworthy. He will neither change direction, nor cast a shadow over the truth He has already given. It is by that truth that we come into blessing. He is a God who gives good and perfect gifts from above.

V 19–25: TOTAL TRANSPARENCY Because God is the God of light, we are to behave in a transparent way. This affects our attitudes and our words. We should be good hearers as well as careful speakers. Filth must be left on one side and we should look at ourselves in the Word of God as in a mirror, and deal with what we see there with God’s help.

V 26–27: TAMED TONGUE Only someone walking with God can have his tongue tamed. That person will also practise concern for orphans and widows and be careful not to be soiled by worldliness.

NIV Application Commentary

God gives wisdom. At this point James moves from moral integrity to wisdom (sophia), whose only source is God. While human beings are, at least in part, responsible for their moral development, wisdom comes only from God. In the New Testament generally, wisdom is allied to understanding God’s purposes and plan and indicates a determination to live accordingly. We need wisdom to know how to cope with trials, for wisdom provides a clear view of our situation from God’s perspective. With wisdom we perceive that what the world calls misfortune, whatever its source, is an opportunity for God to bring about his purpose. Wisdom as the gift of God logically leads to our asking for it. Here again we see verbal links to Jesus: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9); “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (John 14:13).

Some commentators point out that in Luke 11:11–13 Jesus promises to give the Spirit, while in James the gift that comes from God is wisdom. There is no essential conflict here, for Judaism had developed a rich theology of wisdom, often seeing it as personified: Lady Wisdom, who seeks to reveal herself to humanity (e.g., Prov. 1:20–21). The granting of wisdom from God, who alone is truly wise, is a complicated notion. The Jews understood wisdom not only as the mind and purposes of God, but also as the content of revealed truth. In John the Holy Spirit performs both functions. Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come, saying, “[He] will be in you” (John 14:17) and “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (14:26). For this reason it is better to speak of James’s “wisdom pneumatology” rather than his “wisdom Christology.”

James goes on to say that God gives generously without hesitation (v. 5). He contrasts God’s single-hearted devotion and purpose to the varied and complex nature of the fraudulent schemes created by the evil one. God also gives “without finding fault” (me oneidizontos). The root word means “to utter insult” and carries an active tone. As in Jewish literature, one who gives without reproach knows that kindness and generosity are to be granted to the poor (see Sir. 18:15–18). Taken altogether, James conveys the notion that God’s spontaneous generosity is unwavering, regardless of our previous record (see Luke 6:35).

From NIVAC: James by David Nystrom. Published by Zondervan Academic.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

The First Example: Lacking Wisdom (1:5-8)

James then leads his readers into God's grace by calling attention to four facets. As they come in the Greek word order, first God is one who "is giving." The word is didontos, a present active participle; it is God's constant nature to be gracious and giving. Second, God gives to all (pasin). The call to live by faith is extended to everyone, and no one is left without an invitation to trust in God. Third, God gives generously (haplos), emphasizing that God gives freely and without reserve. Fourth, God gives without finding fault, or without reproaching.

You may ask God for the wisdom you need without fear, for God gives without holding your failures or lack of wisdom against you. This is the assurance with which the Christian approaches God, that God is not a harsh Father who responds to our needs by reminding us of our faults. Christ has made atonement for our sin; we receive justification by responding with faith, not by trying with good deeds to become righteous enough to deserve God's favor. This salvation by grace, the very heart of the gospel of Christ, will certainly not be contradicted by God when we come to him for wisdom. God responds to his own people with grace—his undivided, unwavering intent always to give good gifts.

Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside