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For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.

  Good morning. We ended last time with Paul saying to desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. Remember though, you must operate spiritual gifts in love or you are not benefited, even though the other person may have their need met. Why did he say “but especially that you may prophesy”? For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. He’s not talking about speaking in another “learned“ language, like French or German. True, if one spoke in a foreign language that no one there spoke, it would be a “mystery“. Only God would be able to understand what he or she said; but the mysteries that Paul is talking about are not mysteries just because people do not understand that language. They are mysteries because they are spiritual things that are unknown to the people in the church. Not long after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I visited a church of a friend who was P...
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But now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

  Good morning. Finishing the “love“ chapter: Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. Once again, “then“ could not be when the New Testament had come in its complete form, because we do not know fully just as we have been fully known. So if “then“ refers to when the “perfect” comes, that would seem to suggest that the “perfect” coming was Jesus when He returns. Therefore you cannot use those verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit and tongues no longer exist. But now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. We need all three of these here on earth; but “when we all get to heaven” (“what a glorious day that will be”), we won’t need faith or hope. Faith and hope are for when you cannot see or touch that for which you are believing. When Jesus returns, we will experience everything that we are believing and hoping for. Faith and hope may fail (many people experience times when they cannot keep on hopin...
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When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

  Good morning. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. My Bible says that the imagery is of a polished metal (probably bronze) mirror in which one could receive only an imperfect reflection in contrast to seeing the Lord directly and clearly in heaven. That is so true. No matter how “mature“ we’ve become in the Lord, we still only see dimly. What about the word “then“? When is “then“? The closest reference is “when the perfect comes”. If that is what it is talking about, the “perfect“ could not be the New Testament in its complete form, because we don’t yet see “face to face”. Again, if the “perfect“ is Jesus, then tongues and the gifts of the Spirit have not yet ceased. Father help us to see You clearly and to be conformed to the image you see us being.
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Love never fails

  Good morning. Love never fails. Everything else may fail, but love does not. Paul then lists some things that will “fail“; that is, disappear. But if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. These are things that are important in the “here and now”; but there will come a time when they won’t be necessary. Then they will no longer exist. There are some groups that try to use these verses to say that the gifts of the Spirit no longer exist, and that tongues for every day personal use no longer exists. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. These people say that the “perfect“ is the New Testament in its complete present form. Therefore we don’t need these things; and they have ceased. We will return to that idea later. Father You are love, and You never fail.
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Love: does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

  Good morning. Love: does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Even when it does not fit our narrative, we should always abide in truth. Love - bears (covers) all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. When we are walking in love, we should want to believe the best in others, instead of the worst. We should not be quick to shun them. It does not mean that we put on blinders when it comes to the action of others. It means that we should not assume the worst in people, but rather desire that there is really good in them and in their intentions. Again we don’t turn a blind eye to peoples’ actions. We have seen too many cases where a parent believes that their child can do no wrong, when we have seen the wrong actions ourselves. That is not what we mean. We should believe for the best in others. Enduring of things does not mean putting up with bad behavior. No matter what happens to us or to the other person, we should continue our l...
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Love: does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered

  Good morning. Love: does not act unbecomingly (King James - unseemly); it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered. When we act  unbecomingly, it is very likely that people around us will become uncomfortable. If we are walking in love, we will not act in a manner that makes other people feel that way. If we are walking in love, we will not seek our own well-being, but that of others. If we are confident in who we are, we will not provoke others. Provoking others usually happens when the provoker does not feel his or her self worth or is having a “bad hair day“. In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells fathers, “do not provoke your children to anger“. Sadly that also happens between spouses. Speaking of spouses - too many times one spouse takes into account a wrong previously suffered. Every discussion is tainted with the remembrance of what happened in the past. We should “bear no grudges”, whether it is a spouse, a child, or someone e...
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Love is patient, love is kind

  Good morning. Continuing where we left off: and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Remember that Jesus did tell the rich young ruler to give all of his possessions to feed the poor. The young man had felt that he was lacking something, and his reliance on his possessions were keeping him from surrendering completely to God. Even if he had done so, it is highly unlikely that he would’ve done so in love for the people who were poor. Humans want to “do something“ to gain acceptance into the kingdom of God; but the reality is that God has done everything, and we simply have to believe it and accept it. Now Paul lists some of the characteristics of love. He alternates between what love is, and what love is not. Love is patient, love is kind. It says that love is patient, not that it has patience. What’s the difference? You can have patience, but do so without love. In other words, you mer...
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