What God’s love is #17: Love is ever ready to believe the best
(1Co 13:7 AMP) Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Love #17 from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
This is a big one. I have dealt with many people who consistently believe the worst of people. Love is always ready to believe the best, no matter what.
- This does not mean that God wants you to be gullible.
- It does not mean that the person walking in the influence of God’s love is under some type of mystical spell that makes them all naïve;
- that they are prone to believe a falsehood as the truth; or that they do not make the effort to investigate the truth.
- What is means is that a person walking in the love of God is disposed to give the benefit of the doubt to others;
- is ready to put the most positive slant on the information they receive about others;
- and tends to believe that others are acting upon good motives.
- Love produces this type of positive expectation because it rejoices in the happiness and goodness of others and refuses to believe the contrary except on irrefutable evidence.
To put it another way, love has faith in men.
- Love wants to believe that people are good and not evil.
- Love wants to believe the best and not he worst.
- I have met many people that have lost faith in people.
- They have been hurt so many times that they now refuse to allow others to get close to them and they expect the worst out of people.
- These types of people close themselves down towards others and build up walls of resentment, bitterness, and pain.
- Love refuses to allow the actions of a few to influence our actions towards the masses.
So:
1. Don’t allow yourself to expect the worst in people, just because some people did you wrong.
Have people mistreated me? Sure. Have some led me astray? Of course. But those are not grounds for me to taint my opinion of people as a whole. Love empowers us to forgive those that have hurt us in particular and to continue to expect the best out of people in general.
2. Don’t allow the actions of a few to influence your attitude towards the masses.
Have you been hurt in the past? Please don’t allow the hurt caused by a few to cause you to expect the worst of the rest of the world. There are people in this world that are here to bless you and others here for you to bless. If you have the wrong attitude you might miss both opportunities!
What God’s love is #14: Love does not rejoice at injustice
(1 Cor 13:6 AMP) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
What God’s love is #14: Love does not rejoice at injustice from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
To rejoice: simply put, is to experience joy; an intense feeling of happiness.
- Love does not break out into this intense feeling of happiness over the misfortune of another.
- Have you every met someone who loved to see others fail or hurt?
- These people are simply not walking in the love of God.
- Christians should not take the opportunity to celebrate the fact that others are going through tough times. As a matter of fact, we should sympathize with and show compassion towards those who are “going through.”
- We should seek to be a blessing and not a burden.
Jesus had an intense meeting with a family that he loved in John chapter 11. Mary and Martha were crying because their brother (Lazarus) was dead and he had been dead for four days. They sent word to Jesus while Lazarus was still alive. Jesus got there and would later raise Lazarus from the dead, but before He did, He encountered a hurting family. What did He do when He met with the family that was grieving? What did He do when He saw their tears? Did He break out into a dance and celebrate the fact that they were hurting? Of course not! The Bible says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
- He cried with them.
- He shared their feelings.
- He shared their pain.
- Why? Because He was operating in the love of God.
Paul said:
(Romans 12:4,5 CEV) A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
(1 Corinthians 12:26 CEV) If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
(Romans 12:15 AMP) Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].
So:
1. Be considerate. Put yourself in their situation.
2. Celebrate with others when they are celebrating, but also be compassionate towards those who are hurting.
3. Never take pleasure in other’s pain; but rather seek to be a blessing while they are down.
What God’s love is #12: Love is not Touchy, Fretful, or Resentful
(1 Cor 13:5 AMP) It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
What God’s love is #12: Love is not Touchy, Fretful, or Resentful from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
Touchy: This is a person who tends to take offense for the slightest reason. They are oversensitive.
- This person requires special tact to deal with them.
- Any insignificant event may cause them to fly off the handle.
Have you ever met a person like this? I am sure you have. Walking up to a touchy person is like walking into a mine zone. You may say something like, “I like your shoes. Where did you get them?” And they might reply, “Why do you want to know where I get my shoes? I can’t stand copycats! I am tired of people trying to copy me! Why can’t you just find your own shoes?”
Fretful: This person is inclined to be displeased or troubled. They look for things to go wrong and looking for ways to be upset.
- This person seemingly likes being upset, they are looking for ways to be displeased, and if you are not careful, they will pour their fret into you!
Resentful: This person keeps a persistent ill will towards those who have wronged them.
- Even after an apology has been rendered, a resentful person will harbor ill feelings for a long time.
The Major Point is: When you walk in God’s love you learn to Rule Your Emotions and you don’t allow your Emotions to Rule You!
- Emotional people are touchy, fretful and resentful.
- Emotional people are unstable, unbalanced and insecure.
- Emotional people live their lives like a roller coaster (a continual series of ups and downs).
- Develop in God’s Love and you will be able to live a Strong, Stable, and Secure life!
What God’s Love Is #11: Love is not Self-Seeking
(1 Cor 13:5 AMP) It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
- To be self-seeking is to be overly concerned with your own interests, desires, or needs.
- Being passionate and determined for personal advancement in and of itself is not a bad thing, but people who are self-seeking are passionate about their personal advancement, even if it comes as the cost of others.
- Self-seeking people are simply selfish. The root word for selfish is “self.”
- These are people that simply put their desires above everyone else’s and neglect others in their pursuit of personal satisfaction. This is definitely not a characteristic of a person who is walking in the love of God.
What God’s love is #11: Love is not Self-Seeking from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
There are many descriptions in the Bible of what God is “like,” but I have only found two declarations of what God literally “is.”
- (1 John 1:5) says “God is light.”
- (1 John 4:8) says “God is love.”
- God is like many things, but it is clear that He literally is both light and love.
- The opposite of light is darkness. There are many scriptures that support the fact that God wants us to “walk in the light” and not the darkness of this world.
- The opposite of love is selfishness. There are many scriptures (today’s text included) that support the fact God does not want us to be selfish.
In closing:
1. Your success should not come at the expense of others.
- You should strive to be your best, you should endeavor to succeed in everything God allows you to do, and you should seek excellence in every area of your life; but you should not do it while neglecting and stepping on/over other people.
2. The Blessing is not limited. Others being successful does not threaten your success.
- The Father wants you to be blessed, but to also bless others along the way.
- God does not want to know how many times you made it up the mountain of success; He wants to know how many people you were able to take with you.
3. Don’t seek self, seek God!
- When pursue God – who is love – success will pursue you. (Mat 6:33)
- You can give without loving, but you cannot truly love without giving.
What God’s Love Is #1: Love Endures Long
Major points I want to make this week:
- Pursuing God’s love is greater than pursuing spiritual gifts.
- When you truly love someone you are able to look beyond faults, flaws, and failures and love still them.
What God’s Love Is: #1) Love Endures Long from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
(1 Cor 13:4-8 Amplified Bible) “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].”
- There are 20 characteristics of God’s love in these 5 verses and we will look at each one.
Characteristic #1: Love endures long
- Simply put, love does not give up easily.
- When you truly love someone you are able to look beyond faults, flaws, and failures and love still them.
- The story of the prodigal son is a good example (see Luke 15:11-31).
- This kid disrespected his father by asking for his inheritance early.
- He then set off for a distant country and wasted the money on fast living.
- After the kid was broke (financially) and broken (in spirit), he decided to come back home and ask his father for a job.
- He knew he had messed up and no longer considered himself a son.
- He was willing to take the position of a hired servant.
- His father, on the other hand, was operating in love. He woke up every day expecting that his son would come home. One day, while the kid was still a good ways off, the father saw him coming and was filled with compassion for him.
- The father was not filled with rage, resentment, or bitterness. This father was filled with a love for his son that “endured long.”
- He did not wait for his son to make it to him, he ran out to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.
- The son tried to explain that he was willing to be a hired servant, but the father ignored the foolish comments.
- Instead of saying, “I told you so,” the father told his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.”
****God enables you to endure disappointments from and mistakes by the ones that you love.
- When you operate in the love of God you are not quick to hold grudges, nor focus on the bad. You are quick to forgive and to move forward and you don’t live in the past.
- Are you operating in the love of God?
- Does your love endure long, or is it a love that only loves when others do what you like?
Resurrection Sunday 2012
Major points I want to make this week:
1. Jesus is ALIVE!
2. If the Resurrection is not true, we don’t have Christianity.
3. We can GO because He CAME!
4. We can OVERCOME because He OVERCAME!
Resurrection Sunday 2012 from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
1. Jesus is ALIVE!
(Mark 16:1-6 NIV) When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Solome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young many dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
a. This is the truth that changes everything.
b. Jesus is the only historical religious figure who is still alive!
c. You can be a Muslim without ever meeting Muhammad, you can be a Buddhist without ever meeting Buddha, but if you are going to be a Christ, you have to meet Jesus the Christ for yourself!
2. If the Resurrection is not true, we don’t have Christianity
(1 Cor 15:12-14,20) But tell me this-since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless… But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
a. This is the most important event in History.
b. Jesus conquered death so that we could do the same.
c. We shall LIVE FOREVER!
3. We can GO because He CAME! (The Great Commission)
(Mat 28:18-20) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
a. Jesus gained ALL POWER and based upon that, He told us to GO!
b. We don’t have to be afraid, but we MUST share the Gospel with the LOST!
4. We can OVERCOME because He OVERCAME!
a. Jesus overcame satan.
b. Jesus took the sting out of death.
c. Jesus now offers us everlasting and abundant life!
Love the Unlovable
Once you get your UPWARD (loving God) right, you will get your OUTWARD (loving others) right.
Still On The Wheel!
Damaged, but still Destined! Not Perfect, but you still have Purpose! Watch this and be blessed…
The Fine Art of Forgetting
Hasn’t the Father forgiven you? Well then, forgiven people forgive people.
When I meet someone who is overly critical of others and who harbors bitterness, nursing and rehearsing past wrongs, I know right away that that person is NOT mature in Christ. The closer you get to God, to more you realize how much He has forgiven you. The more you realize how much the Father has had to forgive you for, the more apt you are to forgive!!!!!