Steve Nandwa's Spiritual Nourishment (2024)

07/07/2023

I was at home that day when my mum called me to run an errand for her. (I had no idea what was coming)

She handed some money over to me. It was for a tin of tomatoes. I looked at the money and indeed it was for just one tin.

“Just one?” I thought to my self
I knew I could easily get that on the street, so I wasn’t bordered.

But she wasn’t done...
She went on to describe the particular shop(at the market) to get this, how to get there and what the woman looked like.

“Why travel all the way to the market? All for just a tin of tomatoes?” I thought to my self.

Like I said, I had no idea what was coming. She really made sure I understood the instruction perfectly. As if that wasn’t enough, she instructed me to be home soon( it was getting late already).

Now I’ve always been swift to errands. i wasn’t going to break the record, not that day! There was no way I would be back late...

In few minutes I set on the journey.
When I got to the market, this particular tomato was just everywhere I turned. It seemed that was the only thing I noticed in the market that day.

I could easily get it anywhere without her knowing and without wasting much time too. I still had to walk back home. After all , she will be impressed if I get home on time.

But because I had an instruction to obey, I continued walking.

Now, locating the woman’s shop wasn’t exactly easy. I had to ask and seek just to get there. Time too was against me.

Few minutes into the market, it started raining. Since I didn’t plan on getting drenched and probably catching a cold. I had to find shelter in one of the shops closest to me.

Of course, I found one! It wasn’t difficult, the owner was a woman. I respectfully greeted her and guess what? She responded with a very nice tone. She even offered to get me a seat.

Now, I only had to wait for the outpouring to stop so i can continue my journey.

Finally, the rain died down... I just stood up to leave when I heard her. “Do you want to buy something from me?”

It seemed like she haven’t had any customers since morning and what I wanted to buy was right there staring back at me.

“Why not just get this from her, you’ll be making her day” I thought for a while.

“No! I don’t” I replied.

Having thanked her, I turned around and left.
Of course, I had to struggle with my mind for a while. (Whether or not I made the right decision)

I know am a nice person, but I’m simply obeying my mum’s instruction.

Wait! I just lost my way... ! I couldn’t figure out the path to take anymore. I was obviously buried in thoughts. I had to seek for directions.

Looking up, I saw a lady sitting in her shop. I quietly walked up to her. Before I could say a word, she had already asked what I wanted to buy.

“No ma! I don’t want anything”...
She smiles and sat back down.
I requested that she direct me to where I wanted to get to and she did. She clearly answered all of my questions.

Now, She also had that same tomatoes I was asked to get.

“Ifyyyyyyy, just get this here... it’s already getting late. Your mum isn’t going to find out anyway”

But no... i just had to do exactly as I was told.

With her help, I traced my way to the woman’s shop. I met the lady sitting faced down. She wasn’t looking as bright and nice as the other women. But I greeted her ofcourse, then she reluctantly replied.

“What do you want?” She asked.
(I didn’t exactly love her approach but I just had to tell her about the tomatoes and get going)

“My mum sent me here to get a tin of tomatoes for her” I said.
She then looked straight at me and asked, “WHO IS YOUR MUM?”

On mentioning my mums name, her countenance changed.

No rush! Just wait!
She wasn’t angry... she now was smiling.

(What in the world is she smiling for_ weird)

She got up, went straight to the shelve and started packing food stuffs... Probably for the next customer.

I was waiting for her to collect the money from me, since I’ve gotten what I wanted. She was still busy, So I waited.

When she was done packing the rice, beans, spag... et cetera in a huge bag.
She then handed the bag to me.

I was shocked at first...
“No ma, they are not for me” I said.
I knew I only came for the tomatoes.

Then she said... “YOUR MUM CALLED, And she told me what exactly to give you”

(Unknown to me, my mum had called the woman before hand, telling her everything she needed. I only had my eyes on the money I was given and was holding on to the instruction she gave. I had no idea what was on the way).

I was still in a mini-shock...
She seeing the money I was holding towards her said, “That is for your transport back home”

The joy I felt that day.
I got more than I went for, returned home on time and had a plate of jollof rice for dinner.

I simply had to obey an instruction in the face of more logical alternatives.

There are consequences to disobedience and rewards to obedience.

Hold on to that instruction you’ve received!Irrespective of what you see, hear or encounter on the way.

Stick to that Mission and Purpose.

You might meet a couple of nice people on the way.
Be sensitive to recognize when someone is sent to you and when they are sent through you!

You might offer someone a shelter for a season but if they are not sent to you, they will leave! Yours will come and they will stay!

Either they leave or stay... you are blessing lives and facilitating the father’s business. And you will get your reward.

What is yours will come!
Be swift to recognize them!

Don’t be distracted.
Whatever you do... make sure you get there.

You are likely to loose your way... Please ask questions. If He truly has set you on that path, He’ll will lead you to your destination.

Don’t return to him empty handed.
Do away with distractions.
Get the result!
It’s the fathers will!

Life is no cruise... get a purpose... get a life!
Let your life be as inviting as the gospel of Jesus.

Blessings.
Christiana ifeyinwa.

07/07/2023

7 WAYS TO GROW LARGE IN YOUR SPIRIT

1. Maintain a consistent prayer life. Prayer will restore you back to your factory settings....the factor is God. A man who cannot pray cannot access and communicate with divinity. Prayer is communication with God

2. Study the scriptures to show thyself approved unto God. Meditate on the scriptures regularly until it becomes life.

3. Avoid Distractions from anyone, anything and anywhere. Cut out impure thoughts and habits. Simply focus on things that help

4. Live a life of consecration and sacrifice

5. Maintain a regular life of fasting, separation and waiting. They will lead you to the point of encounters

6. Be sensitive to the impulse of the Holy Ghost in your spirit. Anything the Lord impress on your spirit to do at different times, do it.

7. Trust the LORD always for mercy. Be bold to approach the throne of grace to obtain mercy for every need ( Hebrew 4:15-16NLT). Proverbs 3:3 says let not mercy and Truth forsake thee.

04/07/2023

Must Read Moral Story

An elderly woman had two large pots, each hung on
the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot
was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For full two years, this went on daily, with the
woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that
it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter
failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?' 'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.

For two years I have been able to
pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would
not be this beauty to grace the house.

Moral of the Story:
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the
cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives
together so very interesting and rewarding. You've
just got to take each person for what they are and
look for the good in them.

04/07/2023

THE 4 KEYS FOR KINGDOM SUCCESS.

1. Be fruitful; God never said be seedful, the first command God gave man is to be fruitful.
it is impossible to produce fruit unless it was proceeded by seed,God will never demand what does not exist already.
To be fruitful in the Hebrew word does not mean to have children but to be productive, it means to produce something.
POVERTY; Is the absent of self production,Poor people are not those who lack but none productive ones.
The first Command God gave man is to produce,POVERTY IS WHEN YOU STOP PRODUCING.
The command God gave Adam is to be fruitful, God never gave Adam a table or a chair, He hide them in the trees.
God never gave man shoes, He hide them in the cows.
God never put up a building , He hide them in the dirt [concrete], He hide the cars in the ore[ the mountains].
The future of your country is not in other countries,is in your country, the capacity to produce is right there in your country.
Poverty is lack of creativity not a lack of resources,there is no crisis except the crisis of creativity.
No money has left the planet, is all still here,and it will be attracted to creativity,because crisis create creativity and renovation and is only who are
productive can attract resources.

2. Multiply ;means to reproduce.
McDonalds in many part of the world is the same Big Mac,McDonalds produce a product call Big Mac, you cannot find a Mac anywhere else that produce fruit,
having a good product , you will still die of starvation,an idea does not make you wealthy or successful, you have to move to stage number two which is to MULTIPLY.
McDonalds produce 1billion Big Mac every month and is the same Big Mac in China, Ukraine, in Mexico, is the same in Bahamas in Jamaica, in Trindad,in London.
They produce and they reproduce.
Every successful business on earth has stolen Gods process and we the church has missed it does why we are broke.
Bill Gate on produce one good fruit [ Micro soft] and he system it to multiply it.
WHAT YOU CANNOT REPRODUCE WILL DIE.

3. Replenish; it means to distribute.
Its incredible that all God ideas are also business ideas because you are a manager.
No matter how good your product is and no matter how many times you reproduce it,nothing can destroy a company faster than DEAD INVENTORY.

You can have the best product in the world in your warehouse and still die of starvation,
you must move to DISTRIBUTION.
The church was not build by God just to become a good product , he wants to reproduce it a thousand times in a city
and distribute it to other nations of the world.
Any company who are successful in the world has follow Gods program.

4.Subdue;it means to control the market.
McDonald's is not after competition, he is after DOMINION.
If you are in a business and you dont have a plan to dominate the market,
GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS.

Bill Gate became the richest man in the world because he followed God's program, He produce a product and reproduce it and distributed it in every computer,
an he was so successful that the entire was threatened in the United States,
he began to dominate every computer system in the world, so the called him in the congress and said you are too successful, you cant do this, you cannot control every computer in the world, he's success became a threat.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR GIFT...
Every body was born with a gift, your life is a package seed bag.

God said;
BE FRUITFUL- Produce
MULTIPLY- Reproduce
REPLENISH- Distribute
SUBDUE - Control the market
and the results WILL BE DOMINION.

DOMINION THEREFORE IS NOT A PERSUE IS A RESULTS.

- Dr. Myles Munroe

04/07/2023

A Short Moral Story.

There was a poor boy who hawked flowers on the highway. One day, an old man stopped him and said.

"Why do you hawk flowers on such a busy and dangerous road?"

The boy responded.
"My family is poor and can't afford my school expenses"

The old man said.
"But you're doing it wrong little boy. You take so much risk by running through the main road. Do you know that you could get hit by a vehicle?"

The boy whispered.
"I just need to earn money so I can get back to school"

The old man snapped.
"But your life is more important than education. So many people did not attend school but ended up becoming great people. Are you going to die all because you want to be educated? Now listen, if you get hit by a car, you're going to die, and if you die, there would be no education for you. Do you understand me?"

Then the old man added.
"Education is not the key to success. Don't risk your life for it"

The poor boy pondered over the old man's words as he watched him walk away. For many days, he thought and thought until he vowed to himself never to sell flowers again.

Fifteen years later, the poor boy had grown into a young man and was poorer without any source of income. One day, he met an old man and pleaded.

"Excuse me sir, can you spare some change?"

The old man stormed.
"Urgh! Why didn't you study to become useful for yourself?"

The young man replied.
"My parents were poor and couldn't send me to school"

The old man blurted out.
"Don't blame your parents. So many people worked really hard and risked their lives as kids to pay their school expenses, because they knew the importance of education. But you did nothing, so it's all your fault!"

The young man felt hurt and downcasted by the old man's words. And even more when he realized he was the same old man he met fifteen years ago.

How often do you listen to people who try to discourage you from doing the things you want to do? How often do you let the opinions of others consume you? Do you know that the people who discourage you from chasing your dream, are the same people who will blame you for not reaching your dream? They are quick to judge your job, but won't help you when you're broke. Take control of your destiny. Believe in yourself. Ignore those who try to discourage you. You decide who you want to become and other people's opinions shouldn't matter.

Author: Chima_Dickson Official

25/06/2023

10 TIME WASTERS:

1. Worrying
2. Complaining
3. Watching TV
4. Overthinking
5. Procrastination
6. The fear of failure
7. Trying to be perfect
8. Waiting to be inspired
9. Caring what people think
10. Repeating the same mistake

24/06/2023

STUDIES ON LOVE (PART I)

One of the words that is very frequently met in the Bible is the word "love". Given the importance that the Word of God gives to this word we will devote to examine it in more detail.

LOVE: WHAT IS IT?
Before we are able to speak about love, we have to make sure that we understand what it is. We have therefore to study the Word of God to see what this Word defines as love. This is exactly what we are going to do today, starting from Galatians 5.

1. LOVE: A PRODUCT OF THE NEW NATURE
Galatians 5 is a chapter that is in a large degree devoted to a contrast between the old nature (called "flesh" in Galatians 5), and the new nature (called "spirit" in the same chapter), and the conflict that there is between them. Regarding now the terms "old nature" and "new nature", they are employed to describe the state of a man before and after he believes respectively. Before one becomes a Christian, i.e. before he confesses with his mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), he is described as "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Whatever work a non-saved man may do, before God he is always considered as dead in trespasses and sins. He may seem polite, he may give to charities, he may demonstrate for peace, for the animals, for the environment, but from God's point of view, he is dead in trespasses and sins, a ruined man, a man "alienated from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:18) exactly as Adam was after the fall. Some of the terms that the Bible uses to describe this man, this ruined nature, are: "old man" (Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:9), "flesh" (Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 8:1-13), "natural man" (I Corinthians 2:14), "body of death" (Romans 7:24). The term "old nature" will be used throughout this study.

Fortunately, this ruined nature is not the only possibility for a man. A man is not condemned to remain eternally dead in trespasses and sins. This situation can be changed by confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing with the heart that God raised him from the dead. As Romans 10:9 tells us:

Romans 10:9
"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED"

When one confesses with his mouth the Lord Jesus and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead, he is born again and as a result he receives a new nature. From God's point of view, he is no longer dead in trespasses and sins but he is saved (Romans 10:9), he is holy and righteous before Him (Romans 3:21-28, I Corinthians 1:30), he has holy spirit that he can also operate (I Corinthians 12:8-10) and he becomes a son of God (Galatians 3:26), to refer just a few of the things that one has as a result of the new birth. All these things that a man has because of the new birth constitute the new nature, or to use the Bible's terminology, the "new man" (Ephesians 4:24), or "spirit" (Galatians 5:5-25). However, the fact that after one believes he receives a new nature does not mean that the old nature disappears automatically. Instead after the new birth a child of God has in him both the old nature and the new nature. The fact that these two natures are opposite to each other creates a conflict between them. As Galatians 5:16-17 tells us:

Galatians 5:16-17
"I say then: Walk in [Greek: by] the spirit [the new nature], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh [the old nature]. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish"

The old nature or flesh is against the new nature or spirit. To be winner in this conflict what is needed is not to try to tidy up the ruined old nature. Instead, what should be done is to walk directly by the new nature. As the passage says: "Walk by the spirit AND [AS A RESULT] you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." The way to not fulfill the lust of the flesh is not by keeping a list of do and don'ts but by walking by the new nature i.e. by putting on and utilizing all the things that the Word of God says that we are and we can do. As we do this, the works of the flesh, of the old nature, will be eliminated.

The result of the walk by the new nature, by the spirit, is given in Galatians 5:19-23 together with the results of the walk by the old nature, by the flesh:

Galatians 5:19-23
"Now the works of the flesh are evident which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

The first category of acts or attitudes are works of the flesh i.e. works that are the manifestation of the old nature. In contrast the second category consists "the fruit of the spirit" i.e. the product of the walk by the spirit, by the new nature. We repeat that this product does not come by tiding up the old nature but by walking with the new nature i.e. by putting on and utilizing all that the Word of God says that we are and we can do. As we can see from the above passage, love belongs to the fruit of the new nature. Love therefore is not a quality to be found in the old man, since it is fruit of the NEW man, the new nature. With the new nature we got the ability to love, to have joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. By putting on this new nature, all these come as a product, as a fruit into our lives.

To conclude therefore: love is something that has to do with the new nature only. The old nature is dead in trespasses and sins and nothing good comes from it. This probably may help us to understand better the wrong of the phrase "I love you" as it is used in the world's vocabulary. Love, as it is defined in the Bible, is a product of the new nature and cannot be produced but only by those who have this nature (i.e. by people who have confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in their hearts that God raised him from the dead), AND also walk by this nature.

2. I Corinthians 13:4-7: love is.....
Having clarified that love is a result of our walk by the new nature, we will now go to I Corinthians 13:4-7 to examine some of the things that love is and some that it is not. There we read:

I Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things"

Below we will try to examine in more depth each of the things that love is and each of the things that it is not, aiming in a more precise understanding of them.

i) LOVE SUFFERS LONG;
The phrase "suffers long" is the Greek verb "makrothumeo" that is composed of the words "makros" that means "long" and "thumos" that means "anger", "wrath". In other words, "makrothumeo" means "to be long before being angry" and it is the opposite of "short tempered". "Makrothumeo" has more the meaning of being patient with people than of being patient with situations. For the latter there is another Greek word that is used later in the same passage of I Corinthians. Love therefore does not get angry with people quickly, it is not short tempered, but it endures patiently.

ii) LOVE IS KIND;
Something else that characterises love is that it is kind. The Greek word for "kind" is the verb "chresteuomai" that is used only here in the New Testament. However, it is used quite a few times, in two other forms. The one is the adjective "chrestos" while the other is the noun "chrestotes". "Chrestos" means "good, gentle, benevolent, benign; actively beneficent in spite of ingratitude". Consequently "chresteuomai" means to show one's self chrestos i.e. to be gentle, good, kind despite that you may be confronted with ingratitude.

iii) LOVE DOES NOT ENVY;
The word "envy" that is used in this passage is the Greek verb "zeloo". The corresponding noun is "zelos". Zeloo and zelos are both used in a good and in a bad sense. In a good sense they are used with the meaning of zeal, ardour. Thus for example, in I Corinthians 14:1 we are called to pursue love, and desire [zeloo] the things of the spirit. However, zelos and zeloo are mostly used in a bad sense. In this sense zelos means envy, jealousy. James 3:14-16 makes clear the results and the source of jealousy:

James 3:14-16
"But if you have bitter envy [zelos] and strife in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy [zelos] and strife is, there is confusion and every evil thing" (NKJV-KJV)

The source of envy and jealousy is the flesh, the old nature (see also Galatians 5:20). When there is jealousy, you are glad when I suffer and you suffer when I am glad, quite the contrary of what the Word of God commands (I Corinthians 12:26). In contrast, and since love does not envy, when you love, you are glad when I am glad and you suffer with me when I suffer.

iv) LOVE DOES NOT BOAST
The word translated as "boast" here is the Greek verb "perpereuomai" that means "to show one's self a boaster or braggart". It is that kind of behaviour that says continuously "I did, I have, I made,...etc." The word "I" is very frequently used from a such kind of person. As Christians we also sometimes do the same thing. We say: "I did this for the Lord...", "I have prayed that much", "I spent so much time studying the Bible today", "I know this and that from the Bible" meaning that I am worthier than you that you probably did not do "that much". However, when we really love we do not boast, for we recognize that there is nothing that makes us different from any other brother or sister in the body. As I Corinthians 4:7 says:

I Corinthians 4:7
"who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"

Everything that we have was given to us from the Lord. We did not achieve it. That's why we have no right to boast in anything or anyone else than the Lord. As I Corinthians 1:31 tells us:

I Corinthians 1:31
"LET HIM WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THE LORD"

Will we therefore boast in our abilities, worth or even devotion? No if we love. For if we love we will boast in the Lord and only in Him.

v) LOVE IS NOT PUFFED UP
Another thing that love does not do is to be puffed up. The Greek word for "puffed up" is the verb "fusioo" that literally means "to blow, puff, inflate". In the New Testament it is used 7 times, 6 of which in the first epistle to Corinthians. In all cases it is used metaphorically with the meaning of pride. A characteristic usage of this word is in I Corinthians 8:1 where we read:

I Corinthians 8:1-3
"Now concerning things offered to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up [fusioo], but loves edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him."

Head knowledge puffs up. We do not study the Bible just to earn head knowledge but to know God, who reveals Himself in it. As I John 4:8 says: "he who does not love does not know God, for God is love". Without love we will not know God even if we have full head knowledge of the Scripture. Moreover, if this head knowledge remains mere head knowledge and it is not accompanied by love then the result is to be puffed up, quite the contrary of what love is.

vi) LOVE DOES NOT BEHAVE RUDELY
Another thing that love does not do is to behave "rudely". The word "rudely" here is the Greek verb "aschemoneo" that means "to behave in unseemly guise, be void of proper deportment, to act with moral deformity". Thus for example in Romans 1:27 the wrong of homosexuality is called "aschemosune" (the product of "aschemoneo"). Love therefore does not behave with an immoral or unseemly way, and when such a behaviour is observed does not come but from the old man.

vii) LOVE DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN
Something else that love does not do is to seek its own. The phrase "its own" is the Greek adjective "eautou" whose meaning is himself, herself, itself. There are quite a few places in the Bible that instruct us not to seek our own. Romans 15:1-3 tells us:

Romans 15:1-3
"We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves [eautou]. Let each of us please hisneighbour for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please himself [eautou]; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me"

Also I Corinthians 10:23-24
"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial; all things are lawful for me but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's"

When we walk with love we do not seek to please ourselves, making ourselves the center of our activities (individualism). In contrast, by serving God in love we seek to please, to bless, the others. That's what Jesus Christ did. He served God in love and he did not seek to please himself. That's why he also went to the cross. As Philippians 2:7-11 tells us:

Phillipians 2:7-11
"but [Jesus] MADE HIMSELF [eautou] OF NO REPUTATION [Greek: "emptied himself"], taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became OBEDIENT to the point of death, even the death of the cross. THEREFORE [as a result] God highly exalted him and gave him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"

Jesus because of the love that he had for us emptied himself and went to the cross for our own sake. But was it something that was done in vain or something that ended up in a personal loss? NO. In contrast, because he did that, God EXALTED him. Similarly, when we love we give to our private interests the second place and to the fellow brothers and sisters in the body the first place. The result is not a personal loss but a multitude of rewards here and in heaven. As Christ said in John 12:25-26:

John 12:25-26
"He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. IF ANYONE SERVES ME, HIM THE FATHER WILL HONOR."

Also Mark 10:29-30
"So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly I say to you, there is no one who has LEFT house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive A HUNDREDFOLD NOW IN THIS TIME- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions - AND IN THE AGE TO COME, eternal life."

How many investments do you know that give back "A HUNDREDFOLD NOW IN THIS TIME"? Apart from turning from seeking our own first to seeking God's and the others' brothers and sisters in the body, I do not know any. To conclude: either we become individualists and lose everything, or we love and instead of caring first for ourselves we care first for God and the others brothers and sisters in the body. In this case we get back "a hundredfold" plus honors from God Himself.

viii) LOVE IS NOT PROVOKED
The word translated as "provoked" here is the Greek verb "paroxuno" that literally means "to sharpen by rubbing on anything, to whet; to sharpen, incite, exasperate". The corresponding noun is the word "paroxusmos" from which the English derives the word "paroxysm". Evidently, provocation and anger can in no way coexist with honest love, for they are opposite to it.

ix) LOVE THINKS NO EVIL
The word "think" here is the Greek verb "logizomai" that should most properly be translated as "reckon". It literally means "to put together with one's mind, to count to occupy oneself with reckonings and calculations." From the 40 times that it occurs in the New Testament, the KJV translates it 3 times as "to account", 5 "to count", 6 "to reckon", 8 "to impute" and 8 times "to think". A more accurate translation is given by the NIV that reads: "love keeps no record of wrongs" i.e. love quickly and permanently forgets the evils that may have been done to it. Sometimes people in the world work for years planning how to avenge someone that harmed them. However, when we walk by the new nature, when we walk by love, then we do not keep a record of the wrongs that may have been done to us but we forget them.

x) LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY, BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH
The word "iniquity" is the Greek word "adikia" that is used 25 times in the New Testament and is translated (KJV) unrightseousness 16, iniquity 6, wrong 1, unjust 2. Its meaning is: "what is not conformable to right, what ought not to be; that which ought not to be because of revealed truth; hence, wrong, unrightseousness." Everything that is against the truth is unrightseousness. And since from John 17:17 we know that the truth is the Word of God, whatever is against this Word, is "adikia", unrightseousness. Thus, according to this passage, love rejoices with the truth, the Word of God, and not with what is against it, which is unrightseousness.

xi) LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS
The word "bears" is the Greek verb "stego". A characteristic usage of this word is in I Corinthians 9:12 where we read that Paul and his company, despite their great responsibilities, preferred not to use their right to "live from the gospel" but "suffer [stego] all things lest we [Paul and his company] hinder the gospel of Christ." They suffered all things for the sake of the gospel of Christ, and they did it out of love, for love suffers, bears, all things.

xii) LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS
The word "believe" is the Greek verb "pisteuo" that occurs 246 times in the New Testament and is translated (KJV) almost always (238 times) as "to believe". Biblically speaking believing means to believe what the written rightly divided Word of God says and what God says through the manifestations of the spirit. Love therefore believes all things that God says both in His written rightly divided Word and through the manifestations of the spirit.

xiii) LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS
Another thing that the Word of God tells us that love does is to hope all things. Again the phrase "all things" has to be taken within the more general context of the Word of God. As with believing so with hoping the reference is to all things that the Word of God says. Love therefore hopes all things that have been defined by God as future realities.

xiv) LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS
Finally we learn that love endures "all things". The word "endures" here is the verb "hupomeno". Its meaning is similar to the meaning of "makrothumeo" (to longsuffer) that we examined previously. Their difference is that "whereas hupomeno refers to one's response toward circumstances, denoting perseverance in the face of difficulties, makrothumeo refers to one's response toward people, denoting a patient endurance of faults and even provocations of others without retaliating". Love therefore apart from being very patient with people (makrothumeo) is also very patient with circumstances (hupomeno). It waits patiently without fainting in difficulties.

3. CONCLUSION
Concluding this part, we saw that love is a product of walking by the new nature, i.e. it is produced as we put on and utilise all the things that the Word of God says that we are and we can do. We also examined in detail the things that I Corinthians 13:4-7 says about love. In the next issue we will continue to see some more things on the same topic.

Steve Nandwa's Spiritual Nourishment

07/07/2023

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