Thanks Mr. Dryer ☺
Annual Feasts - Overview from Scot Dryer on Vimeo.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
A Trip to the Airport
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I took a little trip to pick up some friends from the airport the other day. It was a nice drive there. I just got back from a camping trip with my husband and three of my four children. It was nice to have a little solitary time on the way there and even nicer to visit with my friends on the way home after I picked them up. It had been a challenging couple of days, well really a challenging couple of months, and a little break from it all was something I really needed. Driving does that for me sometimes. It gets my mind off of my troubles and concerns and it is a good time for me to pray as well. I couldn't articulate what to say to the Father, so I just prayed in the spirit and praised Him, knowing that although my emotions have overwhelmed me as of late He understands. Romans 8: 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
I arrived at the airport and quickly made contact with my friends. It took us a while but we finally navigated ourselves out of the maze at the airport and got on the highway toward our hometown. During our journey we noticed at some point that just about every highway overpass had a number of firemen parked, with their trucks and gear on, setting up American flags to drape over the side of the overpasses. It was then that my friends remarked, both a former fireman and firewoman, that it was very likely that one of their own was killed in the line of duty and this gesture was a way to recognise and give honor to him or her in a coming funeral procession. It really touched my heart to see this and I thought and then remarked that the loyalty, honor and respect they had towards one another was really quite wonderful. Under my sunglasses I felt tears warm my eyes and threaten to fall onto my cheeks. The gesture touched a tender, raw, healing place in my heart. My friend remarked that they had such loyalty because their very lives depended on the other. They learned to depend on one another, bear one another's burdens and even lay down their lives for one another. They didn't wait until one of them was lost to go to bat for one another. Honoring, respecting and protecting one another.....it's what they do. It is pretty incredible when you really think about it. It is really scriptural when you really think about it.
John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Our Messiah asked us to treat one another the same way. Unfortunately this is more the exception than the rule. I sometimes think that we really don't understand what it is to really love one another. Believers are going to have conflicts and we are not always going to agree on everything, but we are all part of the same body if we call Yahshua Messiah. As brothers and sisters in Him we should be loving one another, not causing harm or tolerating harm of one another. Yet it is all too evident that we fall short. Believers hurt each other in ways no different than that of the world.
How do we know we are loving our brother? This set of scriptures tell us what love is and what it isn't. If we'd review it daily, believers, all of us, do you think this world would be a different place? Do you think we'd be more effective in living our lives in a way people would want to emulate? I think so. Maybe I am an idealist and naive, OK I know I am, but I really believe in my heart that demonstrating love in your actions is the best way to represent a loving Elohim and open the ears and hearts of many in the world. Love done His way works. It can't be said enough.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
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.
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.
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.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
We could learn a lot from firemen and firewomen. It is a thankless job. People go on with their lives and don't often realize the incredible sacrifice these brave men and women make for complete strangers, daily. How often do we thank these folks? How often do we pray for their safety? They never ask for anything, they just do their jobs anyway, protecting others and one another. Love, real love for others is a really brave and courageous act.
Sometimes.........
Sometimes your love won't be returned. Sometimes love will have to be tough, so sometimes it won't be recognised for what it is. Sometimes you will get burned and injured. Sometimes in the worst possible ways. Still, it didn't stop our Messiah from loving us and making the ultimate sacrifice and as painful as it might become for us it shouldn't stop us from loving just like He did not just sometimes, but all the time.
Father, I pray that you will give us all the strength to love at all times and look out for one another continuously. Please help us to love how you love because Yours is the only kind that endures. Amen
Sunday, June 5, 2011
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.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
John 13:35
By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death
1 John 4:20
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
2 John 1:5
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.
1 Timothy 1: 5
Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith.
Ephesians 5: 2
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
Romans 12:9
[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
Romans 12: 10
Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.
Proverbs 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.
John 13:34 I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near him].
1 Peter 4:8 Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].
Romans 8: 38-39
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being.
Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Luke 6:32 If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them).
Luke 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, many [as they are], are forgiven her--because she has loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)