EPISODE 30 – THE PRACTICE OF LOVE 5
Apostle BennieBy Benjamin Nana Amissah Ansah
MACHAIRA
(Pronounced makh’-ahee-rah)
Daily revelatory thoughts to sharpen you and to
help you grow in deep spiritual understanding and
knowledge.
Scriptures for your daily meditation.
Daily Christ-centered and apostolic-prophetic
prayers.
Tuesday 21st February, 2023
THE PRACTICE OF LOVE 5
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…“ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NKJV)
We have already looked at nine (9) items Paul mentioned in the opening verses above.
We touched on:
1. Love suffers long.
2. Love is Kind.
3. Love does not envy.
4. Love does not parade itself.
5. Love is not puffed up.
6. Love does not behave rudely.
7. Love does not seek its own.
8. Love is not provoked.
9. Love thinks no evil.
Remember, these things are not laws listed to demand our obedience. These are things we demonstrate because the love of Christ is poured in our hearts. These are expressions of “Agape”. We often talk about love as a choice, however, these are more than choices. These are fruits of love at work in us. There are times you have to make a decision or a choice. However, there are situations you may not have the luxury of time to choose. This is why you allow the love of Christ to fully dominate your heart through continuous delight in the Lord. When you set your delight and affection on the Lord, you are easily compelled by the Lord to practice and demonstrate His love in every situation. You do it according to the capacity of His love poured into you. Beloved, the love of God is more than a choice or decision. The love of God is a strong force within you.
The next point makes it more intense as well.
10. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth.
Just as love keeps no record of wrong; love does not rejoice in the iniquity of others. It means love takes no delight in wrong, whether it is found in others or in us. As you are induced with the love of God, yours is to continually foster the victory of truth in a world full of malignant pleasure. Beloved, it is in apposition of the truth of God in us, to rejoice over a trouble or negative situation which happens to someone you don’t like.
Firstly, why should there be someone you don’t like? You may not like what people do wrongly, but there should be no one you don’t like. You may not keep company with the wicked, but don’t create any space in your heart where there is someone you don’t like. Love and like all men. Nevertheless, rejoice only over what is honest. Don’t seek for evil to happen to others. If there should be anything you rejoice over, rejoice over what is true, good and honest. Don’t rejoice when people who hurt you or wrong you are also wronged. Our Lord Jesus never sought for evil to happen to those who acted wickedly towards Him.
11. Love bears all things.
“To bear” means, to roof over, the Greek word is stegō; it also means to cover silently and endure patience. It means to protect. Love is a safe place of shelter. You must be a haven of rest to anyone that comes in contact with you. You carry the burdens of others without giving up. Love doesn’t say I have done enough. It endures patiently to remain as a shelter and to provide protection to others.
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV).
Love does not promulgate the imperfections, mistakes, wrongs, faults, and negativity of others. Love conceals the wrongs of others and provides needed help of change without making noise.
12. Love believes all things
Greek word for believe is, pisteuō, which means to trust in something. This is a practice of love. The usage of believe is not a one time thing. To believe is a continous entrusting of one’s faith or confidence in the other.
It’s like you never stop believing in the best of others and in every situation. Even when people give up on themselves, you maintain a strong believe in them and you supply relentless encouragement. This is the love of Christ.
The love of God is not to be blind, ignorant and stupid. The love of God sees all the wrongs and the negativity in situations. However, it sees a better way to terminate the wrongs and to bring to life, the beauty and the glory in others.
13. Love hope all things
Hope is the backbone of our believe, the Greek word is, elpizō, it depicts the expectation of good things.
It is to maintain the anticipation that glorious things are going to happen. This is the God kind of love. This is the stretch of love.
Someone asked, didn’t God know that man may betray and disobey Him?
God knew, yet He trusted man with His dominion. Look at Jesus (who is God made flesh), ate with Judas even though He knew he was going to betray Him.
Jesus knew Peter was going to deny Him as well, yet He never gave up on Him. Interestingly, a lot of people think Jesus was going to give up on Judas. NO PLEASE!
If Judas was alive, Jesus would have gone to show Himself to Him and touched Him with His love. Jesus reached out to Peter specifically, and touched Him with His love. (Mark 16:7).
These things I write to you are not things I have not experienced. To some degree both as a born again, and as a servant of my Lord Jesus, called into this ministry of the Lord, I have been stretched and tested on this path of love several times.
I write these with tears of joy. Hallelujah.
Knowing that, by the empowering ability of the love of Christ, I have become a shelter of love to many, refused to rejoice in the defeats of those who wronged me, believed and had great hope in those I lead despite their faults.
Love people even as they speak evil of you. Be like Jesus, for His love is poured out into you.
There were times I was accused of contributing to “evil” by trusting in some leaders who made some mistakes. Meanwhile, those making accusations also had their wrongs and were still roofed in the ministry.
Even our Lord was accused of eating with sinners. (Matthew 9:10-17; Mark 2:15-22; Luke 5:29-39).
Beloved, Jesus showed us how to love no matter the wrongs. This, you should continue to do as you have also been loved by the Lord.
Glory to God
Shalom
DIG DEEPER
( Hebrews 1:9; Psalm 45:7; Galatians 6:1-10; Acts 20:35; John 21:20-25)
WE PRAY
– That that Lord supplies with great help that our hearts will not rejoice in the failures of others who wrong us.
– That we will relentlessly believe in others, see beyond their errors and continue to be a haven of hope irrespective of their faults.
BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2023
Day 22: Genesis 35-38
DECLARE THESE WORDS:
The love of God is relentlessly at work in me. I am a home of love to many. I expect good things in people. I believe and encourage people no matter their mistakes. I don’t promulgate bad news of others. I am empowered by the love of Christ daily. I am an example of hope to many. Thank you Lord for making me and expression of love to all men.
Hallelujah.
Love conceals the wrongs of others and provides needed help of change without making noise.
Thank you, sir, for being an example of love.
I follow the way of love.
Aww thank you Lord Jesus.
I am an example of hope to many.
I see beyond the errors of others.
HALLELUJAH!!!
Glory to God!
The love of God dominates my heart!!
I am so much blessed with today’s Machaira.
Thank you Apostle for the word so sweet.
Love hopeth all things! This is a gem! I just had to keep reading the point 13 again and again! What a blessing
I practice love exactly as i have been loved.
Indeed the love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. I am expression of the love of God.
I believe and encourage people no matter their mistakes. I don’t
I am filled with the love of Christ.
I believe and encourage people no matter their mistakes.