Love is ( 1Corinthians 13 v 6 )8

Love does not rejoice in evil but rejoices with the truth v 6,There is a perverseness in humanity that actually rejoices in evil, and even delights in evil,there are endless examples of that. Evil must be seen for what it is,and not to be laughed at ,we pray that the Lord will deliver us from evil.'In ancient Rome people took a delight in the gladiatorial games where for entertainment people fought to to the death.The story is told that a monk called Telemachus from Asia,heard an inner voice telling him to go to Rome,he ended up in the colosseum,where  to his horror  he saw two gladiators fighting,he ran between them calling out ,'in the name of Christ stop'.The result was he was run through with a sword,as he lay dead,the crowds left  the stadium.it had an affect and eventually the games came to an end.' In these days when moral values are being eroded by people who delight in evil practices,may we not go along with evil doers but be like that dear monk who stood against the evil which he witnessed.

Love is ( 1 Corinthians 13 v 5 ) 7

 Love keeps no record of wrongs  v 5 ,I wonder if you every got your own back on someone? the movies are full of people who kept a record of the wrongs done to them and took vengence on them.In the Bible  Joab  and Absalom both kept a record of wrong  done to them and likewise took vengence. Stalin was a very wicked person anyone who harmed or opposed him would be dealt with,he nursed that memory kept it warm.and at a chosen moment he had them put to death. Here we have very challenging words,'Love  keeps no record of wrongs.Two OT saints lived that out in their own lives,the first one was Joseph who forgave his brothers all the wrong they did to him,he not only forgive them but was very kind to them. ( Genesis 50 v 15-21) David was  treated very badly by King Saul,but when Saul died David showed great kindness to his son. (2 Samuel 9)In November 8th 1987,at a rememberance service,the IRA  planted a bomb killing a number of people.one of the people injured was Gordon Wilson, I believe he was a Christian,his daughter was seriously injured,and eventually she died.Before she died she took hold of her fathers hand held it very tightly,and said,'Daddy I love'.Painful beyond words,but when Gordon was interviewed by the BBC he said,'' I bear no ill ,no grudge''.

                                             ' Love forgets as well as forgives

                                               and does not keep a record of

                                               things said or done against them'

Love is ( 1 Corinthians 13 v 4 ) 6

Love is not easily angered v 5,I have friend and he tells me when  his wife gets annoyed with him,she gets even more annoyed,because he stays calm.Oh, how I wish I was more like my friend, I have always had a short fuse,all my life, William Barclay translates ,'Love is not easily angered',as 'Love never flies into a temper'that I'm sure is  an aspect of it,and he makes the following comments,'Exasperation is always a sign of defeat;When we loose our temper we loose everything.Kipling said it was a test of a man if he could keep his head when everyone else was loosing his and blaming it on him,and if he was hated he did not give way to hating' .I know someone personally who let his emotions get the better of him and the result was he lost his job. Anger got the better of Cain and he murdered his brother,in spite of what God had said to him (Genesis 4 v 6 -8 ). How many murders have been committed since then,by people who ran with their anger.Many murders have been committed,over triflies,by people letting their emotions run away with them. Not all anger is sinful in Ephesians 4 v26 we read of righteous anger, that anger will not manifest itself  in a sinful way. How can we overcome sinful anger,yes recognise it for it is ,confess it to God and seek God to help us to  know victory over that spirit of anger ,that can cause so much harm to ourselves and to others.

                                                      

                                                          'Dark passions subdue,

                                                           look ever to Jesus ,He'll

                                                           carry you through.

                                                             Words H R .Palmer.

                                                   

Love is ( 1 Corinthians 13 v 5)5

 Love does not dishonour others v 5. We dishonour others when we speak wrongfully of them,it is often the case that we pass are bad opinion of someone to others. We have been hurt by a certain person so in order to hurt  that person we spread rumours,we are not  to speak ill of no man. Vindictiveness should have no place in the child of God's heart, it is very easy to ruin someone by what  what we say,We may try to justify our attitude , but it will not wash, the God of love says it is wrong. Next we consider, 'Love is not self seeking',someone said,'Love is the very antithesis of self seeking',it does not push itself to the front of the queue,it is not ,'me first'. Thats self seeking,and someone has added,'I've  been there'.

                                                                     A prayer.

                                        'Dear lord help me to watch how I speak about other's.

                                        and help me to put You first,others second ,and myself

                                         last ,Amen.

                                         

                                                           

Love is ( 1 Corinthians 13 v4 ) 4

'Love is not proud' v 4,one translation reads,'Love is not inflated with its own importance', Winston Churchill said of a politician who had inflated  an opinion of himself,'There but by the grace of God goes God',Napoleon said of himself,''I am not a man like other men,the laws of morality do not apply to me''. So we could go on giving examples,we all at time let pride creep in one way or the other,our Saviour taught us many things,that when we pray,and give we should do it anonymously ( Matthew 6 v 1-6).It is nice to receive a compliment,but we need to be careful that it does not cause pride to rise in our heart,give us a big head. Our dear Saviour more than any one else personified humility,oh that we were more like him. One of the greatest examples of pride was King Nebuchadnezzar, who boasted of all the great things he had done,and God dealt with him .( Daniel 6 v 28 ff) Just before our Lord was betrayed the disciples were arguing  with each other as to which one of them would be considered the greatest,and Jesus replied that the one who served will be considered the greatest.Dear John Bunyan wrote a poem here is a verse from it'

                                                   'He that is down needs fear no fall,

                                                    He that is low no pride;

                                                    He that is humble ever shall

                                                     Have God to be his guide.'

Love is (1 Corinthians 13 v 4 (3)

We have considered that love is kind , now the writer goes on to highlight seven things that are contrary to love,the first one ,'It does not envy', (v4)  the 10th commandment tells we are not to covet (Exodus 20 v17) envy is similar but it has a malignant aspect to it,it can be spiteful, hostile,malicious,evil intentioned,full of hate,vicious,cruel. We read in Matthew 27 v18,that Pilate knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy. This blinded them and filled them with hatred,that bordered on madness and manifested itself in outragious wickedness towards our blessed Saviour,it is far from love.Next we consider, 'that love does not boast', it does not brag,it does it to be heard,it does it to humiliate people.a person I know personally boasted how he prayed and studied the Bible in order to humiliate someone.Jesus told about two men who went up to the temple to pray,one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood away from the tax collector,and he prayed,''God, I thank you that I am not like other people,robbers,evildoers,adulterers,or even this tax collector.I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get',(Luke 18 v9ff) Now that's a boaster, one filled with pride,one who despised others.I read recently about a remark made about a certain politician,that she looked down on people.

                                                'Naught have I gotten ,but what I received,

                                                 Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed,

                                                 Boasting excluded pride I abase,

                                                 I'm only a sinner saved by grace'

                                                      'Words James Martin Gray'

                                     

9

Love is ( 1 Corinthians 13 v 4) 2

Love is kind v 4 ,the world needs a lot of things,it diffently needs more kindness,Max Hastings book  on the second world war,tells us of the awful things that took place,the unrestrained brutality by conquering armies,but it also tells us of the handships soldiers had to cope with,which Hollywood leaves out. We know it involved  defeating an enemy,but it cost.Many soldiers were scared stiff,and it manifested itself in different ways,some had breakdowns,as the allies pushed towards Germany as the winter set in, so it was tough going.Max tells about one soldier who was struggling in the wet and the cold,and a little French girl came out and handed him two pillows. I'm sure that soldier would never forget that simple act of kindness by that child.I look back on my life especially when I was at Bible college and had no money,and I received many kindnesses from people.I hightlight one man who every Sunday gave me two pounds, they called him Jackie,and I will be always grateful for what he did. Glen Camlbell wrote a song called,'Show a little kindness',here are some of the words from it.

                                                'If you see your brother  standing by the road  

                                                With a heavy load from the seed he has sown.

                                                 And if you see your sister fallen by the way,

                                                 Just stop and say,''Your going the wrong way''

                                                 Don't walk around the down and out

                                                 Lend a helping hand instead of doubt,

                                                 And the kindness you have shown everyday,

                                                 Will help someone along the way'