Love Speaks - Hold Up Under Pressure

From the beginning, it seemed it would be an easy win for the Dallas Mavericks.  They held a double-digit lead and were consistently making good shots.  Everyone was playing their “A” game.  Something happened in the fourth quarter that cannot be explained.  Their opponent began to gain momentum, and the lead was dwindled down to two points.  In the middle of the fourth quarter the opponent was ahead and the Mavericks began to lose the game. The Mavericks controlled the ball with three seconds on the clock.  They had time for one last chance to win the game.  The score was 98 to 95.  The Mavericks needed to make a three-point basket in order to take the game into overtime.  It seemed impossible but the players believed they could make it happen.  The ball was tossed in; the player caught it and turned and shot the ball at the basket.  The buzzard sounded after the ball was in the air.  The three-point basket was good.  The player made the basket under so much pressure.  Now the game goes into overtime.

Love that bears all things is like the Maverick players in the scenario.  To bear something is to hold up under pressure.  Even when the pressure seems to be unbearable love does as the player did, it makes the basket. 

Love from God expects a favorable outcome.  It embraces the inevitable with a strong desire to display the power of God in all situations. 

Everyday love is tested.  Some tests come early in the day, and other tests come at the end of the day just when it is time to rest.  Love holds up under pressure.

Pressure is when a child is sick, and you have tried all you could to make them feel better.  You are tired 

the child is cranky, and nothing is alleviating the pain.  Love speaks through the pressure in that it continues to hold up until the pain subsides without blowing its top.

Pressure is being on a thankless, pointless, demeaning job.  The job market is soft, and you remember how hard it was to get this job.  Love speaks when you speak in the morning to people who like you don’t want to be there.  Love speaks in the afternoon in the way you speak about your leaders at your break.  Love speaks in the evening when you return home to your family and remember why you took the job in the first place.

Love Speaks in the pressure of life of the plan of God to make all things work for His children.

13 Day Love Challenge

Day 10

Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time due to an argument or disagreement.

Love Speaks - I Corinthians 13:6 - Tells the Truth

Each day our lives are affected by the concepts and beliefs we have chosen to adopt as part of your moral value system. Interwoven in our belief system are many outside influences, which have helped us to embrace what we consider as truth for our present life.

Truth is a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like.  It is also defined as being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something.

Truth is what is true in any matter under consideration.  Its purpose is to appertain to the principles of God, which will lead to personal excellence and reverence of Him. 

When truth prevails the people excel.  John 14:6 reads, “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” Absolute truth is found in Christ. 

The bible has been a bestseller for many years, and it is one of the most investigated books in history.  When a religion wants to prove its legitimacy, it compares itself to the bible.  When a person wants to prove they are telling the truth, they put their hand on the bible.  The bible is the foundation for our laws, moral values and moral criticism.

Truth exists and you must find the truth, believe the truth, speak the truth, act on the truth and defend the truth. 

Love speaks truth eye to eye with all people. 

There is no need to cover for anything spoken in truth.  Truth is the balance scale upon which all spoken words should be weighed. 

Love rejoices in the truth.  It gets joy when truth prevails in such a generation as this.  Truth is not always popular, but it is always right.

Christians have just as much right to live out their beliefs as anyone else. We do not force our beliefs on anyone, but we are commanded to set the captives free.  The only way to set captives free is through the absolute truth of Christ.

You have been given the Spirit of God to guide you into all truths.  Simply put He is there to make sure you know what the will of the Father is for whatever life presents to you.  The voice you often refer to when you realize you have made a wrong decision is usually His voice directing you against the norm into the perfect will of God. 

Truth Test

1.     Does it align with the Word of God?

2.     Will it please God?

3.     Will it positively benefit the plan of God for His creation?

4.     Will what you are following help someone outside of yourself?

13 Day Love Challenge

      Day 9   

Send a donation to an organization that is standing for the truth in our culture.

 (ex. Crisis pregnancy center, outreach ministry outside your church) 

Donation can be clothes, money or time. 

Get involved in the truth.