What God’s love is #20: Love Never Fails
What God’s love is #20: Love Never Fails from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
(1Co 13:8 AMP) 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as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
If something has been superseded it means that is has been set aside, displaced, replaced, or removed; all because the issue/item has become obsolete, inferior, or antiquated.
- This gives us a better understanding of out text.
- The text connotes that the gifts of prophecy and tongues have had and continue to have their role in the Kingdom of God, but there will come a time where they will become obsolete.
- When Jesus returns (ultimately) or when a believer dies (more directly) the role of prophecy and tongues ceases; but love will continue to operate, because God is love (1stJohn 4:8).
- Love is an eternal requirement so we might as well come to grips with it.
Love will never lose its relevancy, never become outdated, and never be replaced by some “higher” characteristic.
- Most importantly, love will never become inferior to anything else.
- Love is God’s highest calling.
- You can’t get around it, over it, or under it.
So:
1. God requires us to operate in love today and forever.
2. There will be no hatred in heaven, so we might as well prepare ourselves now (in time) for eternity.
3. Create a checklist of these 20 characteristics of love and seek to perfect them in your life.
4. If you want to know if you are growing in Christ, then simply measure whether or not you are growing in love.
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 #2: Love is Patient (ONE-SIDED)
Major points I want to make this week:
- God’s love remains the same (always).
- God’s love is ONE-SIDED!
What God’s Love Is #2: Love is Patient (ONE-SIDED) from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
(1 Cor 13:4 AMP) 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.
Last week I told you that verses 4 through 8 of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 contain 20 characteristics of love; and we took a look at the first one: love endures long. We learned how the love of God lasts through the ups and downs of life. This week we look at the cousin of enduring long, in the characteristic of patience.
- A while back I taught on “Faith and Patience – the Power Twins!”
- Patience is the ability to remain the same or “the force of consistency.”
- While God’s love is enduring long, it’s must also remain the same while it’s enduring.
- If you complain every step of the way, that’s not the love of God!
God’s love (patient love) is ONE-SIDED!
- Paul said of God and His love, “We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him” (Rom 5:7,8 MSG).
- Even while we ignored, disrespected, and dishonored God; He loved us enough to send His son to die for our sins.
- His love endured long and His love was patient. His love remained the same.
- His love was one-sided.
After coming to God, did God get rid of us when we missed the mark? Did God stop loving us when we failed to love Him? Did He retract His love? Did He change the way He dealt with us? Did He start treating us with a ‘ten foot pole?’ No! God’s love never changes, because His love is one-sided.
So remember:
- God’s love does not require a tit for a tat.
- God’s love empowers you to love others, even when you do not like what they are doing.
- God’s love enables you to look beyond flaws and still love the flawed.
- God’s love equips you with His consistency, even while the object of your love is inconsistent.
- God’s love is one-sided! When you operate in one-sided love, you are able to consistently love others, even while they are living inconsistent lives!
Developing in the Love of God
Major points I want to make this week:
1. Love is the Rod that holds everything else in place.
2. Jesus simplified the message of the Bible down to this: Love God and Love others.
3. The Love of God is the foundation for Christian living.
Developing in the Love of God from Rick Pina on Vimeo.
True Love
God loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in your place…. that’s love!
Worship Element: True Love from Adam Kring on Vimeo.
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!
Purpose and Vision – Part 5
Two major points I want to make this week:
- You can’t do any of what we have taught this month if you don’t know who you are.
- You won’t know who you are until you know who Jesus is!
(Mat 16:13-19 KJV) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Simon discerned Jesus’ true identity:
- Jesus asked who others identified Him to be
- Other misidentified Jesus to be either: John the Baptist, Jeremiah, Isaiah, or one of the prophets
- He then wanted to know is His disciples could properly identify Him
- The question was posed to all 12
- Only one (Simon) received the answer
- The answer came by revelation (not flesh and blood)
By identifying Jesus’ true identity, Simon found his own (Peter):
- You ID’d me, so let me now ID you
- Simon, You are Peter
Closing thoughts:
- When you find Jesus you are able to find yourself
- When you find yourself you will be able to discover your purpose
- You don’t come up with your purpose, you discover it
- When you discover your purpose you will receive incremental vision
- When you walk in accordance with God-given vision you will experience divine provision and favor
Merry Christmas – The Gift of God!
I trust you are enjoying your Christmas break and especially this Christmas Day. In this week’s video I will talk to you about The Gift of God:
1. The Greatest Giver – God.
2. The Greatest Gift – Jesus.
3. The Greatest Motivation – Love.
4. The Greatest Audience – the World.
5. The Greatest Requirement – Belief… Faith.
6. The Greatest Reward – Shall not perish… Everlasting Life.
*** The Greatest Choice… Receiving JESUS!
Watch and be blessed:
Jesus vs. Santa
Christmas is so commercialized these days that some have left CHRIST out of it. The countless images of Santa, reindeer, ‘Happy Holidays’ posters, and etc. fail to acknowledge the reason for the season. I don’t mind my kids believing in Santa or enjoying Christmas, just as long as they don’t forgot CHRIST!
I hope you enjoy this video:
Jesus is STILL the Answer
We live in a world where everything is constantly changing. The economy changes (we are all aware of that right now), the weather changes, people change, we change, everyone changes… but through it all God is the only constant. Sure, we are all busy, but have you slowed down long enough to realize that God is still trying to get your attention and that He can still make a difference in your life.
After 2,000 years, JESUS is STILL the ANSWER!