Jeremiah Burroughs Nugget

“My brethren, the reason why you have not got contentment in the things of the world is not because you have not got enough of them.  That is not the reason.  But the reason is because they are not things proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that is capable of God Himself.  Many men think that when they are troubled and have not got contentment, it is because they have but a little in the... world, and if they had more then they would be content.  That is just as if a man were hungry, and to satisfy his craving stomach he should gape and hold open his mouth to take in the wind, and then should think that the reason why he is not satisfied is because he has not got enough of the wind.  No, the reason is because the thing is not suitable to a craving stomach.” 

Jeremiah Burroughs

Portrait of Love - 1 Corinthians 13

I needed a reminder of what the love of Jesus should look like in my life.  I took some time to go through 1 Corinthians 13, along with my John MacArthur commentary.  These are John's insights along with some of my thoughts.  While the context is the misuse of spiritual gifts in the church, the application is widespread...


Love is patient...Love practices being patient with people, without getting curt or angry, even if inconvenienced over and over again.  Love never retaliates, in any form.  Love responds to the faults of others, with kindness.  If you find yourself in a sinful cycle of curtness with another, confess your sin and break the cycle with a sacrificial act of kindness.


 Love is kind...working for the welfare of others, even when tired.  (And acts of kindness will often reproduce in others, acts of kindness.  Pretty soon you have kindness overflowing in abundance all over the place!)


Love is not jealous...love is glad for those who have what we don't have.  


Love does not brag...about what we do have.  The loving person does not parade their accomplishments or gifts.  With Jesus first in our thoughts, we will never brag about ourselves.  Jesus, Who had everything to boast of, never boasted.  


Love is not arrogant...about the gifts and good things we've been given.  Every good gift comes from God.  Pride jades and when pride comes, then comes dishonor. (Pr. 11:2)  Arrogance is putting self first; love is putting others first.


Love does not act unbecomingly...love doesn't use poor manners.  Love isn't rude or short.  Love does not behave "gracelessly."  Love is not brutal.      


Love does not seek its own...Here is the key to everything!  The person who loves is not preoccupied with their own things, but with others.  This is Jesus!  


Love is not provoked...Love guards against being irritated, upset, or angered by things said or done against us personally.  (This does not rule out righteous indignation - being angered by what angers God.)  Love never acts in self-defense.  Jesus again, set the example for us in this.  


Love does not take into account a wrong suffered...Love does not keep a tally of wrongs against us.  No other record exists, but the righteousness of Jesus.  Love forgives - 1) We release the debt owed by the offense. 2) We do not bring the offense up to others.  3) We do not bring the offense up to ourselves.  


Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness...Love never takes satisfaction from sin, whether ours, or another's.  Rejoicing in unrighteousness is to say it is ok.  Jesus never rejoiced in unrighteousness.  Why would we want to rejoice in something that has produced harm, and death, and offends God?  (How many TV programs and movies do we watch that take satisfaction in sin?  Turn it off or walk out!) 


Love rejoices with the truth...Love always rejoices in God's truth and never with falsehood, of any kind, or false teaching.  Love for God's truth will not let God's truth be compromised.  What people believe will matter to the person who loves.  If we know a person is believing a lie, we will do what we can to introduce them to The Truth - Jesus.  We will step out of our comfort zone! 


Love bears all things...Love absorbs the faults and irritations of others.  Love protects others from ridicule or harm.  Love does not expose others' sin with gossip.  Love tries to correct it with the least possible hurt and harm to the guilty person.  Love warns, corrects, exhorts, rebukes, and disciplines, but not with a bullhorn.  Love feels the pain of those it loves and helps carry the burden of the hurt.  Love is redemptive.  It wants to buy back, not condemn, to save, not judge. 


Love believes all things...Love is not suspicious or cynical.  Love works and looks and prays for the best outcome.  


Love hopes all things...Love does not lose hope.  Don't give up praying for someone, until life is over for them.  Love perseveres in prayer for others, love continues to want Jesus and the best for others, to the end of life.  We don't know when God's grace is no longer operative for a person.  As long as there is life, there is hope for a person.  


Love endures all things...Love holds fast to those it loves.  Love endures all things at all costs.  Love bears ridicule to the end.  (Stephen and his stoning...)  We can endure all things because God's power for enduring love has been poured out upon us, through the Holy Spirit.  Genuine faith produces enduring love, which forgives, over and over and over again.  


Jesus modeled love for us.  It is not feelings based.  It is actions based.  We are called to love one another like Jesus loved us, sacrificially, serving, laying aside our interests and desires, and our needs, for the interests, desires, and needs of others.  Our love is to be far reaching, and there is no greater love than giving up our lives for the sake of others.

This is the love that draws people to Jesus, and glorifies Him... 

Any good seen in us is from the Father and for Jesus...

Jesus Paid the Price...

...and He's coming back to pick up His purchase!

Do you know what is going to happen before He returns?  

He's laid it out for us in Matthew 24.

How do you stand firm in the times that are coming?

By knowing Jesus!

Know Jesus and understand your part.  You do that by being 

in the Word, in the Word,

in the WORD!

(I can't say that enough times...)

Who and What It's All About

"In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth."

Ephesians 1:8-10

"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created by Him and for Him.  And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything." 

 Colossians 1:16-18

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  

To Him be the glory forever.  

Amen."

Romans 11:36

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen."

Jude 24, 25

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power 
and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."  


Revelation 5:12

The Bible is God's revelation to us.  It is the story of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It gives us God the Father's plan to ultimately end all things with Jesus Christ being supreme in all things.  Each one of us is written into the story of Jesus.  The one who's life is spent drawing close and learning who Jesus is and living in service and honor and exaltation of Him as Lord and King lives not the easiest life, but it is the hope-filled, joyful life.  With Jesus in us, glory is our future.  Every knee will bow to Jesus Christ.  There is great joy in the willing bow.  There will be no joy in the forced bow.  Life was, is, and always will be, about Jesus.  I hope Jesus is your life!


"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." 


Romans 8:16-18

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me;

and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,

and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

John 14:21

There are times when the child of God's soul is absolutely crushed with longing - to have faith be sight.  There are also times when the child of God's soul is absolutely crushed because of their sin.  Both are a by product of richly dwelling in the Word...