Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

Well, yesterday’s trivia question was; Which book in the Bible is the shortest? Drum roll… and the answer is 3rd John which has 14 verses. The key verse is verse 11: “Beloved; Follow not that which is evil, but that which is good.”

Here’s another trivia question: Which chocolatier is credited with the idea of gifting chocolate on Valentine’s Day? Was it; Milton Hershey; Richard Cadbury; Russell Stover; Henri Nestle’?

Challenge:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. … 14:1 Follow the way of love…”

Do you notice that Paul gives this treatise of how we can be loving right in the middle of speaking to the church of Corinth on their use of spiritual gifts in Chapter 12 & 14. It is as though he knew that all of the giftedness in the world is empty without the ingredient of LOVE.

With that in mind lets delve into this special gift that God desires to encourage us to develop in our lives.

Love is patient… Have you noticed that when a person is continually giving to others, the natural outcome is a rich sweetness that surrounds them? We can do many kind things in our lives, but the great truth is that without being patient all of those many loving actions we will fall short of their intention.

Love is kind… Can you think of a person in your life who is literally driven by kindness? I can think of many such people in my life. Two such people that can be wracked by illness, sickness, and pain, but they always pour out kindness in the middle of these things in their lives. Can you??? Now I can tell you one of those people because she will probably not become aware of what I am writing about her.

So my telling you who she is will not put undue pressure on her.

Sh….. don’t tell her, but one such person in my life that each day of my existence has always been driven by love in my life from my very birth was my big sister, Nancy. My first memories of her was her peaking over my crib wall with loving words and smiles towards me. Then later rocking me and comforting me when life had thrown at me its struggles. Along with that a lifetime of words of love and encouragement over these many years, that can’t even humanly be described.

My second person was the person who God brought into my life as an adult, who has always cared for me each and everyday since my coming to know her. She was the person whose aggressive action brought me back from Covid’s grips. Oh, I know you can guess who that was, my dearest wife Becky. She has also made that great sacrifice of creating and gifting me with five wonderful gifts from God in my children. She has also always lovingly put up with my many failures throughout this life. I could go on but I won’t bore you with all the wonderful things that she has brought to my life.

I’m sure you are racking your mind about that person or persons in your life, as you think about thes loving people in your life. I have also been blessed with many such people in my life. If I were to list them in totallity I would fill this post and this whole years posts, and many more.

But in this treatise Paul went on and told us what being loving is not … in the next few verses.

Then he goes back to what a loving person pours out of their life, on all of those that they are around.

Rejoices when truth is declared,

Protects the reputation of others,

Is trustworthy in all of their dealings

Walks each day with hopeful purpose

Is constant in their actions to all who they meet (hopeful)

Love never fails to be their constant desire to pass out to all of those in their lives.

1 Corinthians 14:1 finishes his words with this one thought, “FOLLOW THE WAY OF LOVE…”

SO GO WITH GOD my lovely one, for He has only loving things in mind for you in the coming days. Even those hardships in your present days have at the center of them, their intention is bring loving things into your life. Happy Valentines Day to you and today bask in God’s love for you, For He is flowing into your life a bucket load, no a wheel barrow full, no a whole dumpster load, of LOVE for you with each passing day.