IPFS
The Power of LOVE (a very good friend sent this to me)
Written by Ernest Hancock Subject: LOVE“The Bread" is a daily devotional written by members of the
Body of Christ at YUM! Brands, Inc. and abroad for its employees and others who
have expressed a desire to receive it. It does not reflect the beliefs and
opinions held by YUM! Brands, Inc.
This message was created by Cathleen Murphy who can
be reached by email at: catmurphy7@yahoo.com
Bread 9-8-09 Under Attack
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places.
Matt 5:44
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you...
Since my church doesn't have much of a "helps" ministry, they often give people my phone number. And since I work for a homeless shelter, it
falls within my job description to help people in crisis find
the resources they need.
But when Theresa called me yesterday, I couldn't figure out
why the church secretary referred her to me. She didn't need or want a shelter,
and
she made too much money to qualify for our low-income housing.
Basically, she had a neighbor problem.
Recently, her next-door neighbor had begun acting
strangely--speaking rudely to her, playing loud music past midnight with his
speakers turned
up full blast, and smoking cigars so that the thick smoke
poured into her apartment through the ventilation system. He ignored her
requests to turn
the music down after 11 pm, and both the management and the
police sided with him.
Theresa was a lot smarter than most Christians. She didn't
focus her frustration on her neighbor. Instead, she realized she needed to pray
for
him. In fact, the more she felt "attacked" by him, the more
she increased her praying--from one hour daily to three.
As she talked, I asked the Lord to give me some idea why we
were having this conversation. She obviously had the gift of intercession, which
I
don't have. I had no help or advice to offer her.
Then I asked exactly how she was praying for him. Her answers
were very good; she was praying for his salvation, that he would be a kind and
considerate person, and that she would have some peace and quiet. The more she
prayed, the worse things got.
Then something clicked with me from my own experience with
aggravating people. I said, "Theresa, I believe there is a battle going on here
for
your neighbor's soul. You don't know how much time this man
has left; he could drop dead any moment. The fact that things get worse the more
you pray, tells me that Satan doesn't want this man saved. In
fact, I believe he wants you to hate this man and stop praying for him
altogether. But
God wants you to love him. God wants you to pray for him to be
blessed! You are quite possibly the only person on earth standing between this
man and hell."
Immediately, she understood and agreed. She told me her mother
recently had a dream in which this same neighbor died. The last thing we did
was agree together in prayer for his salvation, that God would
bless him, and that He would give Theresa strength and peace. Then we thanked
God for answering our prayers. I am expecting her to call back
any day with a praise report.
If you feel like you are under attack by someone, remember
that he or she is just a pawn. Your true enemy is the one you can't
see.
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2 Comments in Response to The Power of LOVE (a very good friend sent this to me)
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels,
but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.
And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I dole out all my goods, and
if I deliver my body that I may boast
but have not love, nothing I am profited.
Love is long suffering,
love is kind,
it is not jealous,
love does not boast,
it is not inflated.
It is not discourteous,
it is not selfish,
it is not irritable,
it does not enumerate the evil.
It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth
It covers all things,
it has faith for all things,
it hopes in all things,
it endures in all things.
Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.
For we know in part and we prophecy in part.
But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.
When I was an infant,
I spoke as an infant,
I reckoned as an infant;
when I became [an adult],
I abolished the things of the infant.
For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.
But now remains
faith, hope, love,
these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
"Your true enemy is the one you can't see."
Well done. True Spirit Warrior coming along here.