Sunday, August 9, 2009

All we need is love...

Love. It is one of the hardest things to have/share/give, but a common thread throughout The New Testament. In order to truly love someone, you have to show acceptance and forgiveness. Now, people can sit here and say that they don't have to accept someone's faults, but really can you love someone if you don't? Think about that. Can you sit there judging them, tuck them in a neat little box, and love them at the same time? I wonder when I say that how many people start justifying their reasons for why they feel the way they do. How they can pull scripture up, and show that what someone is doing is a sin.

What has brought this on? One simple little verse:
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8.


Simple and straight to the point. I wonder if Jesus and the Disciples got frustrated saying the same thing over and over, but just in different ways. Do you think they sat up at night thinking, 'This has to make sense to them now. How else can I say this?' Why couldn't they think that? It is not a simple coincidence that teacher and preacher sounds so alike. They were teachers. Do you think they sat around at some points thinking of parables and stories to drive their points home? I do. I can picture a group of men talking together and someone (I'm putting someone since we don't know FOR SURE who wrote Matthew~message me if you know for sure) saying, 'I've got it!'

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3


I never really visualized this verse until I was in high school. Think about this: If you have a speck of sawdust in your eye, who does it affect? Only you, right? If there is a plank though, you are going to really affect others. Picture a plank coming out of an eye. As soon as the person turns their head the slightest bit, WHAM it whacks someone else. It stops someone in their journey. Catch that? It is a roadblock, an obstacle, a hindrance not only for the owner of the plank, but for all of those around them.


You think we'd know better by now. After all of these years after Jesus has died, we still are struggling with the same things people did back then.

Peer Pressure:
3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 1 Peter 4: 3-4

Worry:

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifea]">[a]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-35


Oh, and how powerful is this:

Hope

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5


The end of the world:

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray

1Peter 4:7.



Before He died, we were given our mission: LOVE


1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.


John 13:34-35

34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."




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