Love

A Legacy of Love

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Philemon 7 ESV

When we think of great leaders, there are few who compare with Alexander the Great. He became King of the small nation of Macedon at the age of 20, after the assassination of his father. At first Alexander simply consolidated power in the region of modern-day Greece. But what happened next was truly amazing. In just 12 short years Alexander went on to conquer all of the middle east, including Turkey, Iran and Iraq, along with Israel, Syria and Egypt. When at the age of thirty-two Alexander died, he left an incredible legacy of military conquest though his kingdom was soon divided between his generals.

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Philemon on the other hand was a different kind of leader. Though Paul begins his letter mentioning that a church is meeting at Philemon’s house, the New Testament says very little about his position. In fact, when Paul writes to the Colossian church he does not even mention Philemon. What we do know about is Philemon’s love. Paul begins his letter by calling Philemon beloved, and then goes on to say he thanks God in his prayers because of the reports he has heard about Philemon’s love. Then we come to today’s verse and Paul tells his friend that he is comforted and joyful because of his love. While Alexander was great because of battles, Philemon was great because he refreshed the hearts of others when he shared the love of Christ. Philemon’s legacy is not the cities named after him or the statues carved in his honor, but his love for others. What greater legacy could anyone leave than that?

Will You Answer That?

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I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV

When our cell phone rings, it is common for us to look at the number and decide whether to pick the call, reject it or just let it go to voice mail. But when I was a kid, a phone call was actually quite an event. Our only phone hung on the wall in the kitchen, and if it rang when mom had her hands in the dishwater, she would yell out, “Will somebody answer that please!” Then either my sister or I would run to pick it up. In those days, we couldn’t just say, “Hello!” Instead, we had to begin by saying, “This is the Jones residence; may I help you please?”

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The Bible tells us about the most important call of all: the one from God. Some of us may be letting God’s call go through to voice mail because we are afraid of what we think He is planning. We picture being sent off to some scary place overseas or emptying our bank account to help the poor. But we are missing what God’s call is about. Today’s verse tells us that He is far more interested in who we are than in what we do. So, go ahead. Be brave. Pick up the phone because you just may discover that God is calling for us to be humble in how we think of ourselves and gentle in how we treat others. We also may find out He is asking us to be patient when things don’t happen as quickly as we hoped (which is often) and loving forbearance when people fail us. And with all the callings and messages we are hearing it is most important of all to remember that everything God asks of us, He has already done when He picked up His phone and answered our call for mercy!

God Remembers Hummingbirds and Sparrows

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Luke 12:6 KJV

Hummingbirds live in Florida year-round because it rarely gets below freezing. But on one of those rare mornings that it did get cold, a friend of mine spotted a hummingbird lying on the side of the street. He gently reached down and picked up the poor frozen bird and cupped it in his hands to take a closer look. As the warmth of his hands slowly seeped into the bird’s body, it began to quiver. So, he gently carried it inside where he mixed up some sugar water. Next, as he held the dish near the tiny bird put out his tongue and licked up a little of the sweet liquid. In a matter of minutes, my friend told me that the hummingbird was strong enough to stand up. Finally, he took it outside and was able to release it. His story made me think of how God has remembered us.

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When God remembers us it is different from when we remember friends by glancing nostalgically through photo albums or fondly dusting off mementoes we bought somewhere. God remembered us by stooping low to the cross where Jesus died, so that He could pick us up from where we had fallen. Then God carried us to His own house where he gave us the sweet milk of His word and gave us strength to stand. Finally, He led us out to freedom and released our soul from sin and death. How wonderful that this freedom which God gives is even better than being free like a bird to fly away. Instead, God gives us the wings of His Spirit so we can fly after Him and worship Him forever!