about love and stuff
November 21, 2010
About Love
The Theme of Love has been emanating pretty strongly from God lately in my life:
Today I had the privilege of leading worship at the Thanksgiving Seminar for our church’s undergraduate ministry, AGAPE Christian Fellowship. Dovetailing from my previous post, “a Warrior’s Heart”, about the letting go of bitterness, I received confirmation from God during the thanksgiving seminar that I need to let go of my bitterness in order for God’s Holy Spirit to fill me, to fully receive and exercise His spiritual gifts.
Then, tying in with the theme of love and supplementing my thoughts on 1 Cor 13 love in that previous post, Pastor Tim (the guest speaker) helped us understand the context behind 1 Cor 13 better: God was primarily not referring to weddings and/or romantic love (even though it is a commonly used passage, and of course appropriate in that setting). Instead, love is the greatest spiritual gift (!):
1 Corinthians 12
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
…
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
I LOVE IT WHEN THINGS ARE READ IN CONTEXT! It’s so paradigm-shattering for me to see 1 Cor 13 in context!! LOVE is the GREATEST GIFT we can offer!! Pastor Tim offered a really powerful example, among many other great examples: he tells of this encounter where a pastor performed deliverance ministry on a demon-possessed person by HUGGING that person in love!!! which released that person. Trust me, this is the first time i’m hearing of such an ‘exorcism’.
The theme of love has been emanating so strongly lately. Christine was sharing with me from her letter 1 John 4:9-16 (“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and Only Son into the world that we might live through Him… Dear friends: since God loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us”) during the same time when I started reading CS Lewis’ “The 4 Loves”.
About stuff
So, a few things God spoke to me today (crikey, by the time i publish this post it will be past midnight, so it will be ‘yesterday’ by the time this goes up on my blog):
Submission
Trust
Do you trust that I want the best for you?
Molding
In the same vein, the following song really spoke to me today:
The Potter’s Hand
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful savior
I know for sure all of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into your perfect plans
You gently called me into your presence
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life
Through your eyes
I’m captured by your holy calling
Set me apart. I know you’re drawing me to yourself
lead me, Lord. I pray
Chorus:
Take me, mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the potter’s hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the potter’s hand
