Talk Tuesday - What is Love?

What is Love? Lately, whenever I get into an argument with my wife I pull out my Bible and read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. I don't know about you but when I get mad I don't really feel the love. I know I love my wife but in the heat of the moment all I want to do is fight. One day after we had an argument, the Lord led me to this passage of scripture. We are all familiar with these verses from all the weddings we have attended but do we really understand the truth of these Words. The passage goes....

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind.

Are you patient with your spouse? Do you use kind words when you speak to him/her?

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Do you think you are right? Do you beat your chest?

⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

When I first got married, we would get into arguments and I would always tell my wife that we were on the same TEAM. Don't dishonor your wife in your anger. Seek her best not yours. Don't bring up things from the past.

⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Do not delight in the fight. Some people just like to fight. Don't be one of them. Rejoice with the truth.

⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Read verse 7 again....'It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres'...and most of all...

⁸ Love never fails.

I guarantee if you are in an argument and you take sometime off to read this piece of scripture over and over again, God will soften your heart so you can go back to your spouse and work things out.


Love never fails.


God Bless
Andrew

Bible Talk - June 20-26

I fell behind in my reading but I am now back on schedule.  If you are way behind don't give up. We can do it together.

God Bless.
Andrew

The scripture reading for this week:

Jun 20: Jud 8-9 
Jun 21: Jud 10-12 
Jun 22: Jud 13-15 
Jun 23: Jud 16-18 
Jun 24: Jud 19-21 
Jun 25: Ruth
Jun 26: 1Sam 1-3 

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Talk Tuesday-Obedience: The Heart of the Matter

Saul disobeyed GOD and was eventually removed as King over Israel. His disobedience was not sudden, but a gradual slide towards rebellion. At the beginning of his journey, we see the humility of his heart. When the prophet Samuel anoints him as King over all of Israel, he responds by saying, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” 1 Samuel 9:21. When Samuel assembles all the tribes of Israel to publicly proclaim Saul as King, instead of proudly waiting to be called forth, Saul goes into hiding: “But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, 'Has the man come here yet?' And the LORD answered, 'There he is, hidden among the equipment'” 1 Samuel 10:21-22. When news reaches King Saul about the imminent attack on Jabesh Gilead he is found tending the herd (1 Samuel 11:5). When he defeats the Ammonites on behalf of Jabesh Gilead, he stoutly declares, “...for today the LORD has accomplished the salvation of Israel” 1 Samuel 11:13. Here we see a humble king.

Often times disobedience is the result of distrust, and distrust is borne out of fear. Within two years of Saul's reign, he found himself on the cusp of a battle with the Philistines. It was customary to seek the LORD for his blessing prior to battle. Only a priest could perform the sacrifice, and Samuel was both prophet and priest. Samuel instructed Saul to wait seven days for his arrival. Instead of obeying, Saul took matters into his own hands. He presented the burnt offering and the peace offering to GOD himself.

“Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, 'What have you done?' Saul said, 'When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.' And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue.'” 1 Samuel 13:10-14

Saul's feeling of compulsion drove him to an act of disobedience. He did not WAIT on the LORD. He allowed 'sight' to dictate his actions rather than 'faith'. He believed that GOD would respond to his sacrifice, yet he defied GOD's instruction on how it was to be done. He allowed his fear to supersede his knowledge of who GOD is and what He commands. At the heart of the matter lies the fundamental question which we must all ask ourselves; DO WE REALLY TRUST GOD? GOD does not require partial obedience, but full obedience. The right thing done the wrong way is still the wrong thing. How can we guard our hearts from repeating Saul's sin? We want to hear from you. Please click on the 'comments' link below to share your responses with the BGO community. Let us strengthen and encourage one another this journey of life for the honour and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Talk Tuesday-The Altar of Your Heart: Abraham's Sacrifice

Who or what do you worship? What is the most important thing to you in your life? Is it your health and strength, your wealth, your children, your spouse, yourself? What god is on the altar of your heart? Who or what is your first love? The account of Abraham's Sacrifice reveals the faithfulness of GOD and the blessings of obedience. It is also a reflection of the human heart whose altar should be raised solely to GOD.

Abraham and Sarah were both childless and old. Yet the LORD promised them a son would be born to them in their old age. "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him-whom Sarah born to him-Isaac." Genesis 21:1-3

The Bible tells us that Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. This was the child of promise, whom Abraham and Sarah had wanted their whole lives. Imagine the pride, joy and great love his parents felt for him! This was the fruit of their loins, the offspring of their union.

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, 'Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him." Genesis 22:1-3

As they approach the altar Isaac asks his father where their offering is, to which his reply is that GOD Himself will provide. Then Abraham arranges the altar, lays Isaac out upon it, ready to obey the LORD's instruction concerning the child.

"And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Genesis 22:10-12

God's request of Abraham showed Abraham what was on the altar of his own heart. Abraham's act of obedience said many things about who he believed GOD to be. He knew GOD to be the Almighty Creator, the GOD of the universe, to whom all things were possible and there were no limits. Abraham TRUSTED God, Abraham OBEYED God. Abraham put God FIRST, holding no idols, not even his only son, because his love for God trumped his love for Isaac. WOW. I think about that and I am truly amazed. I wonder, can we honestly say that the altar of our hearts completely belong to God? Is He truly our first love? Are we willing to obey Him, even to the point of intense personal sacrifice? Abraham's sacrifice and obedience resulted in unimaginable blessings:

"Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said: 'By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son-blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore: and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" Genesis 22:15-18

Obedience brings blessings. How has this account impacted you? What is the importance of putting GOD first and worshiping Him alone? What personal revelation did you have while reading this? Click on the comments link below to share your insights with us here at BGO.