“Our Daily Bread”   

http://odb.org/2012/11/06/the-romance/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht

1 Corinthians 13:4-5… Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul wrote this opening scripture as part of chapter 13 in the Book of 1 Corinthians, written to the believers in the church in Corinth; because they were fighting amongst themselves in regards to the spiritual gifts that God had given to them… This entire chapter was devoted to love, because there was no love being exhibited among many of the church members…  Many of them thought only of themselves, instead of placing the needs of others ahead of their own prideful, selfish desires…

Jesus’ first and second most important Commandments were all about love… Christians are called to love the Lord with ALL  of their heart, ALL  of their soul, and ALL  of their mind…  And the second most important Commandment given by Jesus was to love those around us as we love ourselves…Matthew 22:35-40…

The first part of this chapter 13 has the Apostle Paul reminding Christians that with all their spiritual wisdom and knowledge, and enough faith to move mountains, (Matthew 17:20), and though they gave much of their time or resources to help the poor…if they weren’t filled with the love of Christ, they had nothing…1 Corinthians 13:2-3…

This reminds me of the loveless church of Ephesus that the Apostle John wrote about, as one of the 7 sinful churches in the Book of Revelation, in…Revelation 2:1-7… (Here is the link…

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rev2:1-7&version=NKJV )… This church at Ephesus was founded some 35 or so years earlier by the Apostle Paul… Most of these Ephesians were believers, but they had somehow lost their first love, Christ Himself…Revelation 2:4-5…

How many of us who consider ourselves to be Christians, have found ourselves in the same situation ??… Some of us get so bogged down in our lives…in our jobs…in our families…and maybe even in all the good works we do in the name of the Lord, for our church or for the poor… But somehow we have lost the fullness of the love of Christ in our hearts…  Sometimes what we want becomes more important than what God wants for us… If our focus is taken off of the Lord, the selfish desires of the “me first” attitude, of envy, and pride itself, that the Apostle Paul warns us about in the opening scripture (including the evil thoughts), can creep into our lives…

The Apostle Peter wrote this about the Christian’s love for others, in…1 Peter 4:8… And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”  (NKJV)   …When the Apostle Peter wrote this, he may have been remembering scripture in the Old Testament written by Solomon, in…Proverbs 10:12… Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.  (NKJV)

A heart that is filled with the love of Christ has no room for fear… The Apostle John wrote scripture telling us this very thing, in…1 John 4:18… There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  (NKJV)

And notice what the Apostle John says in this scripture…“because fear involves torment”… Torment is always from Satan…  Perfection in our love for the Lord can only occur if we are filled with the Holy Spirit…  And it is only the full power of the Holy Spirit living with-in the Christian (if left in total control), that will help the Christians fend off Satan’s attacks… The Apostle James reveals this truth, in…James 4:7…  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  (NKJV)

I write about the need to confess and repent of our sins if we are a Christian, all the time… If the following scripture (or something like it) isn’t prayed on a regular basis…the Christian is most likely harboring sins in their life that is keeping them from the sweet fellowship that walking with the Lord will bring…

1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (NKJV)

Heavenly Father, I pray that all of Your children will find this perfect love of Christ, that walking with You as obedient children will bring to their lives… Help us Lord to remain humbled to living our lives in Your will and Your ways…  I pray for this perfect peace for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

written by bruce r mills