Faith , Hope and Love

I think it was Elisha that lamented I am no better than my fathers.
I have come pretty close to lamenting that I am no better than those Corinthians.

Joyfully I report that my situation has taken a turn for the better.

I gladly report my word of testimony today with a clearer view of where I am going.

Just saying that I will not be like the Levite or Pharisee who passed by the beaten up Samaritan lying beside the road, doesn't get it with me anymore.

No I am not going to go out to the highways and the byways. There are plenty of beaten up Samaritans right in my church. They are there and they are hurting and for whatever reason this is how it is for them, Jesus has what they need .

I have been ignoring them long enough. My only excuse for such blatant anti- Christianity is that I was like the Corinthians. (Only I have not been comfortable being like a Corinthian. )
I have been struggling for weeks hoping some insight would come to set me free from my bondage of Corinthian like living.

What is going to set me free is "faith" "hope" and "love."

Romans 5:1- 5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I want to live (by faith in) the blood of the lamb.
I want to speak a word of testimony that declares that I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
I want to live like someone who has the love of God poured out in her heart by the Holy Spirit.

Oh, but what a weak vessel I am to do such a big job. I have just a little strength , maybe the least one in the whole kingdom of God.

I broke down this past Sunday because someone forgot all about me. I'd committed to pray until the baby was born but no one called . I was praying along at a good pace until 12:45 a.m. and then the minutes began to drag by. So I opened my Bible and decided to pray verses out of the Bible for the mother and the baby . Soon about 1:30 a.m. I decided to pray one last prayer, "Father wake me up if You need me to pray."

When I found out the next day that the baby was born at 12:45 a.m. was my first thought how gracious God was to let me know in the Spirit that it was okay to go to sleep when I did?
No, that is not the first thought. The first thought was these people do not love me. They forgot about me .

Then I thought about how tired they all must of been and just ready to go to bed themselves. Still I felt hurt. The hurt began to go away though as stories came about how difficult a night it had been for everyone.
As I prayed that the Holy Spirit would help me bring my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ , this thought came into my head. Those foolish Corinthians wouldn't believe that Paul loved them, do I want to be like them?

The answer was "no". So I need to believe that I am loved , and certainly I had proof that I was loved by Christ Jesus as the Spirit had stopped leading me to pray about the time the baby was born.

Later I remembered how many things I had said I would do for one member of the team and had forgotten to do them. Why do I have a backwards memory ? Now I remember vividly telling her about a website link that I knew of that would be helpful for her daughters homework. And there was the time I'd video taped her daughter doing something at a church event and I was going to make a copy for her.

I can open my heart up and believe that God loves me. I can believe that His people are doing as good as they can to let the love that has been poured in their hearts , pour out on me. I can pray everyday that this love I have opened my heart to accept would somehow pour itself out on them. I can stop ignoring them.