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If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly,but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)
I can't believe it's just Tuesday! Have you ever said or thought that? Yesterday seemed like two days' worth of things to do! But it is Tuesday, and I pray it be a tremendous one for you, dear Friend! I suppose anytime we have to leave Seguin early to be in San Antonio and run some errands is a long day just in that, a day to drive back, and then the day left with things to do. Okay, so it was three or four days yesterday.
This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Paul, in whose footsteps we will walk in September, outdid himself in writing it. This may well be the most favorite of the verses read in weddings, especially from verse 4 to 8. Yet, as much as I love this chapter it makes me sad that the reason behind his writing this was the lack of love in the church. Someone In Corinth didn't like the drapes and wanted them changed. A committee was formed and arguments broke out over the color. Someone suggested replacing the windows with stained glass, and again, a committee and its delightful "discussions" over that process. Someone didn't like the pastor that Paul appointed to their church, and again, the SPRC held townhall (and auto-correct on this computer changed townhall to downhill. hmmm.) There were jealousies in the church, someone sat in Aunt Mildred's pew for two Sundays in a row and now Mildred won't come back to church! So, the Apostle sits down with parchment and pen and pens this masterpiece to try to bring love back into the place that should specialize in receiving and sharing God's love.
The officers in the Corinthian church were faithful in their service, but lacked love. The givers in that same church were generous but were withholding love. The people with strong faith were weak in love. There were people who were envious and boastful and some were arrogant. And some were downright rude! In the church? Yes, in the church!
Paul says, "love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. (Love) does not insist on its own way; (love) is not irritable or resentful; (love) does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. (Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." Wow. Love is key in marriages. Love is key in relationships. Love should be key in the Church as it should be the key element in us as individuals. Paul affirms the key three of a successful, faithful, fruitful church: Faith, hope, and love - but the greatest is love. If any church does not come across as loving, close the doors, start frying chicken and sell it, for your purpose as a church has come to an end (the legend some believe Church's Chicken came to be!). If you don't have love as a person, kneel before the Almighty and confess that, and ask nicely and the Lord will fill your heart to overflowing with love.
PRAYER: Loving God, start with me. I need a double portion of my daily allowance of love. Fill it to overflowing, dear Jesus. Let me be known as a person of love. And I pray for my church, fill it with love overflowing as well. Bless and protect my pastor and fill him/her with love overflowing as well. Let us be the church you have called us to be. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! It's not too early to be someone's Valentine of love, showing love like Jesus.
Eradio Valverde
