Where is the love?

John 13:34 This one new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you.

To understand Jesus' words let's look at what love is

1Corinthians 13:4-6 (amp)
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful, 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.

In a society based on shows that glamorize love as sometimes you love them and sometimes you don't. With the divorce rate higher than it has ever been and broken homes more common than not. With shows that come on for children that portray manipulation and back stabbing as common place it is no wonder how we have lost what love really is.

My heart is saddened as I have watched lately how people will begin to tear others down?

Why is it that it is ok to push other people to a place below us in an attempt to make our self look better?

In the christian circle it looks no different than the world. One pastor blasting another pastor through public forums such as Twitter, Facebook or a blog. It grieves my heart to see this happening and it makes me wonder have we all forgotten what love is?

Are we so obsessed with being right that we will do anything it takes to prove our point even if that means defiling another man's name?

There needs to be a revelation in the body of Christ that we are all on the same team. Weather you are Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Non-Denominational or fill in the blank. We are all on the same team. The minute we start mud-slinging at other believers in an attempt to prove our point we have lost what Jesus sent us to do. Jesus didn't send us to fight against one another He sent us to save a lost and dieing world.

Somewhere along the way we think it is our job as believers to go around and correct every one's doctrine and point out their sins. T.D. Jakes puts it best like this "We should be known for what we stand for not what we are against."

Romans 14:22 Says for YOU to follow your convictions and to keep them to yourself. Your personal convictions are not a platform to now try and wound your fellow believer......

You might be asking has someone spoken out against me that has me upset? The answer is no. In fact most of the people I have watched this happen to I personally don't know I just feel grieved in the spirit to watch this happening.

So in closing I will end with this quote by John Osteen "Make your words sweet because you never know when you might have to eat them." Let your words be full of encouragment not negativity. I hope this touched your heart as it has mine.

Empty Arms Real Promise

There are some stories in the Bible that capture my heart no matter how many times I read them. The story of Hannah is very much one of those kind of stories. In 1st Samuel chapter one we get to meet this amazing woman.

There are some people in the Bible it is so easy to see yourself in their shoes. Although the time which we live in is so varied and even the difficulties differ yet there is something that makes our hearts connect.

Hannah wanted a baby so bad while her sister had children with ease Hannah had none. She had a dream in her heart of a baby yet it says year after year she had none. All the while her sister uses this as an opportunity to belittle her sister.

We have created a society that is so unwilling to wait for anything. We want instant dinners along side our instant success. Unfortunately in life things are anything but instant. I think about how Hannah had a dream in her heart for a family and she was unwilling to budge no matter how things looked or how long it took. She knew that God was going to give her that which she had asked for...

How confident are you about the desires in your heart? Do you quit at the first sign it isn't going to happen? Would it be written that year after year you still believed?

I preached a message on this the other day. Take a moment and listen here hope you enjoy it!