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Teach us to Love

http://bible.com/116/1co.13.1-7.nlt If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
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Is it just me? This reminds me of how little I look like Christ. In fact this whole book reminds me of how little I look like Christ.

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Forgetful

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“This do in remembrance of me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:24

With this verse,  it seems that Christians may forget Christ! There wouldn’t be a reason for this loving persuasion, if there wasn’t a fearful belief that our memories may fail and prove themselves treacherous. And this is not an empty fear: it is unfortunately true! And it is all to well confirmed in our own life experience,  not just as a possibility,  but as a sad,  sad fact.

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How are you?

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“How are you?”

A wise friend recently asked, “Is there any other question that leads us to lie more consistently on a daily basis?”

Hasn’t “How are you?” become the social norm for acknowledging someone’s presence, while dismissing their value?

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The only way out is up

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

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Love Is

Love is friendship matured and shared. Love is being tied together with someone else through strong bonds that unite in a common purpose instead of individual wills at war with each other. Love is patient and kind because we value and weigh the other person’s opinion just as we do our own. Love is not prideful or boastful because the focus is no longer on self,  but on this new unity in a bond that is not meant to be broken.  Love doesn’t seek to win arguments, it hopes to find truth and agreement. Love does not end,  it endures.

Love is not lust.
Love is not sexual pleasure.
Love is not living together.
Love is not a state marriage license.
Love is not birthing babies together.
Love is not raising a family.
Love is not putting someone on a pedestal.
Love is not letting them have their way.
Love is not keeping score.
Love is not giving up on them.

Love IS walking together in unity, with Christ as the strong bond that ties us together, demonstrating patience,  kindness,  gentleness,  love,  compassion,  encouragement, and the type of love and mercy and forgiveness towards others that Christ has shown us.

Oh,  how I need to love more in my life.

I love you,  friend. Even if I don’t show it enough, please know that it is true.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

hballingerLeave a comment

Speach – Eloquent or Truthful?

Proverbs 17:7 KJV
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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It is interesting to me when I examine the multiple translations available today and how each of them handles this passage. They vary drastically, and each perspective gives a glimpse into the voice of the translator to me.

For example, some focus on the words “excellent speech” or “eloquent speech”, while others focus on the words “truthful speech”. To me, the use of the words eloquent or excellent in this passage are useful when talking about those that the world considers fools in the temporal sense.

For example, the world would consider a man that does not have a high education and that is not wealthy a fool. So of course, for their understanding of what a fool is, it would make sense to talk about a fool not being able to use eloquent or excellent speech.

But for the spiritual, a man can be highly educated and have all of the wealth of the world, but if he has hardened his heart against his fellow man, and against God, and against the offer of grace, and only looks out for himself, he is a fool. This is because that man has placed his trust in those things that will fail him, things that with rot and rust, and that cannot be taken with him when his short time in this body is over. Whatever he piles up while he is here will be turned over to others when he is gone. So it is clear that when talking about a spiritual fool, the words “truthful speech” apply.

And who is a fool? The man who think himself wise but is a fool, or the one who is humble?

I’m not as humble as I should be, but the more that I learn, the more reason that I have to be humbled. No, I don’t want to be a fool in either of these two perspectives – but if I am going to set something as my goal, it is not eloquent speech, it is truthful speech.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 KJV
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

This is how I feel. I don’t feel wise. I feel confident in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but my understanding of the world has been shaken, it has been torn by this change in my life. I’m trying to understand because that is what the mind does, it tries to wrap itself around an idea. But God is too big for my little mind to comprehend – so it is maddening to try to accomplish the impossible.

And this too humbles me, and it has its intended effect – to push me back to faith instead of relying on fulfilling my own complete understanding. And some of the educated will argue that I am following blindly, but do they personally know the depth of every scientific discovery and understand everything about matter, energy, physics, chemistry, biology, and all of the extents of the studies of this physical realm that we can see and touch – or would it be maddening to try to comprehend it all? So how much more maddening would it be to try to understand the unseen in all its completeness?

So, I set my goal as truth – not eloquence or excellence because those are the measured opinions of men around me. I seek truth – both truth about this physical realm and truth about the unseen.

And doesn’t this begin to demonstrate the fullness of this verse? Doesn’t the completion of the verse deal with truthfulness?

Some translations use “ruler” or “prince”, while others use “righteous one” or “noble person”. Again, for me, this speaks to perspective – is this a discussion about the temporal or about the spiritual? Because of the subject matter, I’m more interested in the spiritual discussion.

And if we call ourselves children of God, aren’t we by inheritance princes, rulers, righteous ones, and noble? Or let me clarify – if we claim to be children of God, isn’t that what we are supposed to be?

And since that is true, what is this really saying to me?

It screams – KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Truthful speech.

It’s pretty important.

Without it, I’m a fool.

Because if I’m a child of God, I shouldn’t be a liar.

So instead of talking about things that I don’t fully understand as if my opinion is truth, shouldn’t I stick to the foundational truths? Those things that are solid and proven, and not argue over those things that I don’t yet know. But I will keep seeking and learning and sharing – just not arguing or insisting that I am right. And faithfully one day, like Paul, I will be witness to the power. And one day my words and faith will be proven truthful, or I will be a fool to be pitied by all. There is no middle ground for me, my destination is in the hands of the Lord.

Is your destination in the hands of Jesus Christ this morning, friend?

Do you know Him closely, are you seeking Him in your life daily?

Yes, our time is short. It seems to move faster every day.

TODAY is our day to see Christ move in our lives in powerful ways – to see change within our hearts – to share hope, faith, love, and truth with those in our lives – to see healing and power and change in this world around us – to see a revival in the body of Christ – to see light shining brightly throughout this world of darkness – to see evil and wickedness fleeing from our resistance.

I love you friend.

I plead the blood of Christ over your life today. May no evil touch you or come against you friend. You are sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Walk today as a risen child of God, and let the enemy scatter and run in fear before you.

hballingerLeave a comment

Good is good, Bad is bad

Evil does not change based on public or personal opinion. Good is good, bad is bad. One may decide to apply “relative morality” to a circumstance to try to justify actions comparatively, but that doesn’t change evil into good – it simply makes an attempt to compare one set of evils to another.

But it does matter how we use this knowledge of good and evil. Because the law can be executed unwisely by men in judgement and accusation who are blind to love – which represents a situation where truth and justice are not served.

For example, if a sheep is lost – isn’t it clear that helping that sheep is more critical than the letter of the law? Isn’t it clear that mercy, forgiveness, and love are the more perfect demonstration of God’s grace and the nature of His Spirit towards His beloved children? Isn’t this the lesson that Christ taught us about understanding the spirit of the law instead of focusing on the letter of the law:

Matthew 12:1-14 NLT
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Yes, He wants a relationship, He wants us to show mercy just like He shows mercy, not cold hearted practicers of religion:

Hosea 6:6 NLT
I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

I can stand my ground on what is right and what is wrong – while offering mercy, and forgiveness, and love, and hope for the lost – and while sharing this Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it isn’t my job to judge the lost, it is my job to offer them this same grace that I received.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

If we are to follow Christ’s example, are we going out and sitting down with those that need this message of grace – and not in judgement, but in love:

Luke 5:27-32 NLT
Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum? ” Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Are we going out? Or are we comfortable hanging in the pew with our friends?

Mark 16:15-20 NLT
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

Give me the courage and strength and faith and reliance on Christ in me to go out – in Love, and to share this good news, not in judgement to strike fear and win converts, but to let others know this wonderful grace that I have, this amazing friend that I know – so they might know Him as well.

And yeah – He told us to do it. That’s probably a really good reason to do it too.

hballingerLeave a comment

Am I Loving?

I walk through this life.

I see broken and hurting people around me.

And I say,  “I’ll pray for you,  friend.”

But how many times do I wrap my arms around them with an encouraging hug?

How many times do I show up at their door with actual help, mourning with those who mourn, crying with those who are in pain, rejoicing with those who rejoice – versus throwing my words over the proverbial wall sprinkling my good intentions towards their lives?

How often do I care enough to act instead of just speaking?

Way too few,  I fear.

I tell myself that words have power and that this message is important – and it is.

But if I am only studying it, if I am only sharing it, if I am only teaching it – can I strongly make the argument that I am a theologian,  but weakly defend that I am a follower of Christ?

Am I finding myself satisfied just being a mouthpiece,  a noisy gong – because it isn’t as messy as getting involved in the dirty job of actually loving and helping others that are in pain?

Am I closing off my life from loving and serving others because I’m tucked away on my own with my Bible, and my concordance, and my prayers,  and my praise,  and my worship,  and my seeking to understand God’s will and direction for my life – blindly looking for the forest, and complaining about all of these trees that are getting in the way along my way to find the forest?

The greatest religious scholars may be great theologians,  but are they walking like Christ, trusting in Him?

Or are we “studiers of the Word” relying on our intellectual pursuit to put God inside a box small enough to be contained neatly packaged within the “safe” confines of our own understanding?

Or am I a friend to those in pain? Like He is a friend to me when I am hurting?

Please, don’t let me just be a student, I want to be a friend of Christ. And if I am a friend of Christ,  won’t I be like Christ – and be a friend to others? Even a friend to those who might think to themselves that they are my enemy.

Because isn’t this the amazing story of Christ,  that He was our friend – even when we were His enemy?

Isn’t this the part that is so hard for us to grasp with our hardened hearts and our intellectual struggles to understand what is so simple that a child understands it better than we do?

He loves, so we should love.

Love extended without an expectation that it be repaid.

Love extended in hope that it might be accepted.

Love extended to friend and to enemy.

Love extended.

Love.

1 Corinthians 13:2-7 NLT
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If I have one thing, let it be love.

If I can have two things let them be Love and Wisdom.

But please,  don’t let me mistake knowledge for understanding, nor understanding for wisdom, nor wisdom for love.

We are called to love.

And if we have this love of Christ in our jar, it need to be poured out into others as well.

I love you,  friend. Have a blessed Saturday.

Please pray for me to be a friend,  not just a student.

hballingerLeave a comment

To whom am I yoked?

I enjoy reading 2 Corinthians 6 in the light of 1 Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

We aren’t to be UNEQUALLY YOKED. This doesn’t mean that we abandon or judge the unbelievers around us in our lives:

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ESV
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Because we are to be the light of the world. We are supposed to love and help unbelievers have an opportunity to find their way to this love and salvation. We are to “go out” to the lost with this Good News. We aren’t to separate ourselves physically from the lost, nor are we supposed to love them less or treat them badly because they are unbelievers. We are to hold fellow believers accountable, not kick a lost man while he is down. Our enemies are not flesh and blood. So even if our true enemies are using a person against us, aren’t we instructed to behave in this manner towards even those being used against us –

Luke 6:27-36 ESV
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

But that does not mean that we become yoked, tied together, with unbelievers and their worldly ways. That does not mean that we should be actively participating in those things we know that we should not be doing. We are supposed to share light, but resist any temptation to sin. If we love Christ, if He is our Lord and Savior, we seek His Kingdom –

Matthew 5:13-16 ESV
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

So if someone is lost and does not yet have Christ, it benefits them greatly to remove themselves from the worldly ways and people around them that are influencing them. It benefits them greatly to surround themselves with others that are believers that love God, and love others, and who are actively seeking and serving God in their lives.

And if someone is saved and has Christ alive in their life, it benefits them greatly to yoke themselves with other believers – the more faithful the better, because even they will stumble at times. Because we work together to build each other up – so that we are filled with His strength, and His Truth, and His Way – so that when unbelievers come to join us, we can help bear their burdens – and the Christ inside us (this Holy Spirit) will be strong in lifting and bearing this cross through both ourselves and our brothers and sisters.

We should each through Christ bear the share of these burdens – and when we are working together in the unity of Christ, we find that the burden is light, because we are yoked to Christ, and they are yoked to Christ, and He is the foundation that bins us together.

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Philippians 2:1-3 ESV
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Amos 3:3 ESV
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

Ephesians 4:3 ESV
Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

If we yoke ourselves to Christ (trust in Him), then through Him we will be yoked to our true brothers and sisters. We place our trust the Lord, not in men of flesh and blood.

Psalm 146:1-10 ESV
Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord , O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord !

Psalm 118:6-9 ESV
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.