Tag Archives: love

09/4/13

The Book of Philemon: Buried Treasure

The Book of Philemon is one of the best kept secrets of the Christian Church. This wonderful scripture, written by Paul the Apostle to his friend and fellow minister Philemon encourages him to embrace and receive Onesimus, Philemon’s run away slave, back into his household. Onesimus is now converted to Christianity through the ministry of Paul, and desires to return to his former master not as a slave, but as a free man in Christ.

 

Within my own experience, the ‘Book of Philemon’ is seldom used as sermon material. I am frequently astonished to learn that few Christians have delved into the beauty of this book about accepting others in Christ as changed individuals under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. Paul uses his servanthood gift of persuasion to pave the way for Onesimus to become an asset to his master’s household, not a burden. How we should seek to emulate Onesimus; to turn the other cheek on this world and it’s temptations, and to become a blessing to our Master, Jesus Christ. To seek to hear Jesus tell us that we have done well in Him.

Charlene

 

Philemon 1  (NIV)

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

 

 

3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Thanksgiving and Prayer

 

 

4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

 

 

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

 

 

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[b] who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

 

 

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.

 

15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

 

 

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

 

 

22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

 

 

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

 

 

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

  1. Philemon 1:3 The Greek is plural; also in verses 22 and 25; elsewhere in this letter “you” is singular.

  2. Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful.

 


New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

07/16/13

What is Hope? Colossians 1:27

To whom GOD would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…

 

 

Colossians 1:27

 

 

 

What exactly is hope? Is it wishing , like I hope I win the door prize? Or, is it something deeper than that, an expectation of glorious things to come?

 

 

The word hope has been weakened and washed down because of modern society’s insistence on putting hope in the realm of magic. Wish upon a star and hope for your wish to come true, or put a coin in the wishing well and hope for the same. The Biblical references do not go in this direction, but lean more toward Christ Jesus, our ‘Hope of Glory’.  Hope goes so much further than wishing and dreaming–it is the ‘Hope of The Gospel’ to all people, manifested in ‘The Word Made Flesh”.

 

 

Hope resides in us, as God’s Holy Spirit, sent by God the Father and God the Son to minister, strengthen and aid us. If Hope is then alive in us, then Hope has been raised from the dead, and Hope believes that all things are possible because Hope is the Source of all things.

 

 

Hope is closely bonded with Faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen’…Hebrews 11:1

 

 

“Hoped for’ means that I am relying on Jesus to bring this to pass. I am trusting that what I cannot yet see is already in existence,  brought alive through the urgency and sincerity of my pleas. ‘Hope springs eternal in the human breast’ is a fitting statement to explain how we can go through trial after trial and still hold on to our Saviour and to our beliefs.

 

Do you have hope? Do you believe that what God says in His Word that He will do He will perform? If you do then you have arrived at that place of trust, which is also a part of hope, where you are absolutely depending on God’s Holy Spirit to guide, comfort, and sustain you. You know that what you see in the flesh is not as real as what is occurring in the Spirit realm.

 

 

Let us walk in Hope, for Hope bears a large shield, and joy is its weapon.

 

 

                                                                                                                   Charlene

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06/22/13

Deuteronomy 6 (New International Version)

The beauty of God’s Word is His timelessness. The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, we can be assured of a firm foundation for our own lives.      Charlene

 

 

Love the Lord Your God

6 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

 

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

 

10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 

13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. 14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; 15 for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. 16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 17 Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, 19 thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.

 

20 In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” 21 tell him: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 23 But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

 

Footnotes:

 

Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

02/12/13

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) Love Does Not Dishonor Others: You Are The Salt of The Earth

     This is a world of usage thus there exists service. The term user is applied to many applications today. Mankind delights in service. We expect others to serve us because we live in a generation of conveniences. Whether someone is paid to do that service seldom enters our thoughts. Yet, there are volunteer positions in society and paid positions. What distinguishes one from the other? A paid position comes with a salary. Volunteer positions do not. Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary defines salary as: “fixed compensation paid regularly for services”, but does compensation define the worth of the position? No. As a person who has occupied both paid and volunteer  positions, I feel qualified to express that a position is not defined by whether it is compensated, but by the worth of the position in the servant’s heart. It is connected with passion, with calling, and with the ability to listen to GOD’s Holy Spirit.

 

 

     The term salary has its root in the word ‘salt’. Salt has maintained an important position throughout history as a seasoning, flavor enhancer, and preservative. It is priceless to some. Jesus says in Matthew 5:13:

 

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by man.”

 

     A job is one thing. A calling is another. A calling never loses its flavor, its appeal, or its seasoning. This is because GOD is the salt, the flavor, and the appeal. He is the one who draws, much like the salt, upon our hearts and our spirits. By GOD I mean the Persons of the HOLY Trinity–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They do a perfect work using imperfect beings to prepare the way. This is a key point. Imperfect people do imperfect things. Does this deter GOD from using them? If that imperfect heart knows and expresses true repentance, and if they are willing to be used, GOD will use them to do His will.

 

Numbers 18:19 states:

 

 

“All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before The LORD with you and your descendants with you.”

 

 

     We enter into covenant with GOD when we honor those things that are worth “their salt”. Who determines their worth? GOD does. Mankind is judgmental to the extent that leaving the task  of determining the worth of persons or things becomes totally subjective. What appeals to one person may not appeal to another, be it tangible or ideological. It is not our job to determine worth–this is the work of The Holy Spirit. Just imagine how much more could be done for the Kingdom of GOD if we would refrain from judging others so harshly that we make their ministry ineffective. I have had opportunity to hear and observe how others view former leaders or followers. This is a disposable generation. When someone who has served moves on it is understood that there are others who can take their place. Their ministry is placed on the table and sifted to determine its former effectiveness and how that person can be replaced. Yet, if we are all individuals made by GOD for specific purposes–how can we be replaced? Even if the task at hand requires simple skills–no one does it the same.  This is not egotistical, it is logical. Does this mean that the earth will screech to a grinding halt because we have left a task behind? No, because someone will pick it up. What it does mean is that each person is unique in their approach to life and ministry. Their service, if done in Christ, should be treasured as a gift to those whom they have served. As a result–respect them and love them as GOD loves you. You are both imperfect. You may not always agree on the methods or results of a person’s ministry in Christ–but never lose sight of the fact that they have served you. Love does not dishonor nor cast out others.

 

 

One more thought. It is not mandatory to love those who have given you their time, love, and support. It is GODLY.

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 13

 

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

 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. 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.

 

 

 Footnotes:

 

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:1 Or languages

  2. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Some manuscripts body to the flames

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2013 Charlene Kirst
11/28/11

2 Timothy 2 NIV

2 Timothy 2

New International Version (NIV)

The Appeal Renewed

 1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

 11Here is a trustworthy saying:

   If we died with him,
   we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
   we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
   he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
   he remains faithful,
   for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

 14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

 22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

 
 
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica