Category Archives: Love & Works

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June 22, 2026

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Church & Worship, Love & Works, Sharing Our Faith, Spiritual Gifts, Wisdom & Guidance

WITH LOVE

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  [1 Corinthians 13:1 (CSB)]

grey catbirdDuring his second missionary journey, Paul spent 18-months establishing the church in Corinth before returning to Jerusalem. In 53 AD, he set off on his third mission and ended up in Ephesus. Upon receiving disturbing reports of immorality among Corinthian believers, Paul wrote to them. After a delegation from Corinth arrived with a letter containing a series of questions for him and another group visited the evangelist with reports of divisiveness in Corinth’s church, Paul replied to them with the letter we know as 1 Corinthians. Although Paul’s epistle was written to correct such things as errors in doctrine, divisiveness within the church, a sectarian spirit, and sexual immorality, this rebuke to a troubled church has one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13.

When unpacking Paul’s figurative language, it’s likely that the tongues of men to which he referred were the supposedly wise and multilingual tongues of the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial and administrative council of the Jews. Said to be men of distinction and wisdom, its members were to be conversant in the seventy known languages of man so that interpreters weren’t needed in court. As for angels’ tongues, angels are ministering spirits and have no need for tongues; nevertheless, they must communicate in a wonderful angelic language. Moreover, when they took on flesh and appeared to man as God’s messengers, they were inspiring and eloquent in their speech.

The loud sound of bronze was familiar in 1st century Corinth and gongs and cymbals were used in public processions, celebrations, theatrical performances, and both pagan and Jewish rituals. The word translated as clanging, alalazon, comes from alalai, meaning a battle cry, and the harsh reverberating sounds from loud gongs and cymbals were as attention-grabbing as any call to war! Nevertheless, the spectacular noise of gongs and cymbals soon fades leaving nothing of substance in its wake. Paul’s mention of cymbals may have been a wonderful play on words. The Greek word for cymbals is kumbalon and the writers of his day often used kumbalon to refer to a boastful, foolish orator.

In other words, Paul is saying that even if someone speaks with great wisdom, in every language known to man, and as magnificently and eloquently as an angel, if their words don’t come from a heart of love, they would be meaningless. Although heard, they would be nothing but sound without substance—a splendid but worthless performance!

Because the Apostle’s words in this chapter are often read at weddings, we miss some of his original meaning. Having just written about spiritual gifts in the previous chapter, Paul was writing about the necessity of love when using those gifts. Translated as love or charity, Paul used the word agape, which has nothing to do with attraction, romance, or emotion; agape doesn’t stem from natural affection. Originating in God, agape is an authentic, sacrificial, selfless, and unconditional love for all. Displayed perfectly in Jesus, this unrestricted, unrestrained, and unconditional love is implanted in believers by the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s words to a troubled church are as important and relevant today as they were back in 55 AD. They apply any of the gifts of the Spirit—whether communication, wisdom, teaching, faith, leadership, serving, giving, or something else. When the gifts of the Spirit are used without agape/love, they are worthless. As Warren Wiersbe said in his commentary on this chapter, “Spiritual gifts, no matter how exciting and wonderful, are useless and even destructive if they are not ministered in love.”

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. [Theodore Roosevelt]

If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. … Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love. [1 Corinthians 13:2-3,13 (CSB)]

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June 1, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Love & Works, Spiritual Gifts

DIFFERENT GIFTS

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:40-42 (CSB)]

Martha, the elder sister of Lazarus and Mary, was chided by Jesus when she complained about her sister not helping with dinner preparations. Her fault, however, was in her fretfulness and reproach more than the work she was doing. She had more than a dozen hungry men to feed but, wanting to be the proper hostess, Martha’s preparations probably were more elaborate than necessary. Could it be that she’d become more interested in impressing her dinner guest than knowing Him? “Worried and upset by many things” that night, she lost sight of Jesus. Praiseworthy service must never obscure our view of the Lord!

Hard-working Martha was a woman of action; seeing what needed to get done, she did it. It was Martha who, even in her grief at Lazarus’ death, left her house of mourning and ran to greet Jesus while Mary stayed home in her sorrow. It was Martha who spoke to Jesus about the possibility of another miracle and it was Martha who declared that He was the Messiah. Apparently, Martha hadn’t been so busy with those dinner preparations that she’d missed Jesus’ message. Without a doubt Martha, like Mary, was a woman of faith; she just demonstrated it in a different way.

While industrious Martha was the busy one, Mary was the quiet sister who sat at Jesus’ feet to learn. She was the one who fell at his feet in grief and knelt before Him to anoint His feet. Busy preparing a meal, Martha made the mistake of comparison and judgment—of thinking her work was superior to that of Mary. Later, when Mary extravagantly anointed Jesus’ feet with a year’s worth of wages in perfume, there is no record of complaint on Martha’s part even though she was serving again! After Jesus’ first rebuke, she had learned to respect the different ways of service.

Both Mary’s choice of quiet contemplation and Martha’s of service and hospitality were worthy activities. Nevertheless, when reading about these sisters, we often judge one against the other. Because Mary was the deep thinker, inner mystic, and prayer warrior, we often think of her as the more faithful of the sisters. But, if we were all Marys, not much would get done around our churches. If we only had people who sit quietly listening, praying, and meditating on God’s word, there would be no food at the pot lucks, no teachers for the children, and no one to drive the sick and elderly to church or medical appointments. Tables and chairs wouldn’t get set up, the food pantry would be bare, sidewalks wouldn’t get shoveled, grass wouldn’t get cut, the choir loft would be empty, and flowers would never get on the altar.

Martha, the doer, was the practical sister. When Jesus commanded that Lazarus’ tomb be opened, she reminded him that the corpse would smell. While, on this occasion, she needn’t have been concerned because a miracle was in the works, a certain amount of practicality is needed in even the most faithful. There are times we all need someone to tell us an idea stinks!

There are both Marys and Marthas in our churches; neither way of serving is superior to the other and both should be respected. We need both thinkers and doers, worshippers and servers, the pious and industrious, the dreamers and the practical. Those of us who are Marthas, however, might want to temper our practicality and busyness with a bit more faith and contemplation while those of us who are Marys might want to temper our spirituality with a little more helpfulness and service.

Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. [C.S. Lewis]

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. [1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (CSB)]

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April 30, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Knowing Him, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Today: Make it Count

SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD (Anointing – Part 3)

But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me.” [Mark 14:4-7 (CSB)]

walking irisWhile anointing people seems a bit strange to us in the 21st century, in Jesus’ day it was a tradition among the Hebrews to anoint a guest with oil as a way of welcoming them into your home. Anointing them with perfume like nard, however, was a costly and significant act of devotion and honor—one saved for exceptional occasions. A major economic sacrifice, it signaled wholehearted commitment. That twelve ounces of nard used to anoint Jesus in Bethany represented a full year’s wages!

Unlike us, the people at that dinner in Bethany didn’t have the benefit of the gospels—they didn’t know what soon would happen. Had you been at that dinner some 2,000 years ago, what would you think if you saw a woman use an entire jar of expensive nard to anoint Jesus? Would that have seemed wasteful to you? If she were so willing to part with it, couldn’t she have used less on Jesus and sold the rest to serve the poor? The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with commands to care for widows and orphans and it was Jesus who told the rich young ruler to sell all his belongings and give to the poor! The disciples’ indignation at such extravagance is understandable and I might have joined in their criticism of her actions.

Were the disciples surprised when, rather than agreeing with them, Jesus said to leave his anointer alone and then praised her? He repeated the first part of Deuteronomy 15:11: “For there will never cease to be poor people in the land….” but didn’t say the rest: “that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’” True, the poor always will be with us in this broken world, but Jesus’ words seem somewhat callous until we understand His point. He wasn’t denying the importance of charity and the opportunities for charity will never cease. Nevertheless, there would not be another opportunity to do for Him what had been done! Unlike the poor, He would be there only a little longer and any chance to show Him love soon would be gone.

Had this been anyone else, Jesus’ words would have been outrageous and self-centered. But, Jesus wasn’t a narcissist, He was God! The God who, for our sake, “Though he was rich… became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” [2 Cor 8:9] Let us remember that the first of the great commandments is to love God above all others and that is exactly what the woman did! Yes, we are to care for the poor but, first and foremost, we are to worship God! When she saw an opportunity to serve Jesus, she did and saved nothing for herself. That alabaster jar of nard, worth 300 denarii, might have been her dowry!

Genuine devotion never considers the cost; it simply does all that it can. When she anointed Jesus that night in Bethany, this woman simply did what she could. Jesus asks nothing more of us—we are to do what we can. In his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, J.D. Jones said this about her: “She spent herself to the uttermost. ‘What she could’: and I confess that I feel a stab at my conscience as I read the little phrase. How many of us can say that?” I can’t; can you?

She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” [Mark 14:8-9 (CSB)]

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April 13, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Fruit of the Spirit, Love & Works, Temptation & Sin

THE JESUS METER

When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. [John 15:8 (NLT)]

grapesIf there were a litmus test for Christians, it would not be pious words, powerful preaching, grandiose gestures, or even extraordinary feats; it would be the presence of the Fruit of the Spirit. If love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control aren’t evident in our lives, we may be talking the talk but we’re clearly not walking the walk. Jesus recognizes us by our fruit and, if we’re bearing the Fruit of the Spirit, people will see some of Christ in us.

It’s not always easy to exhibit the Spirit’s fruit and I’m reminded of Shirley who lived in our Colorado mountain town. Although the town’s bus service was free and frequent, we often saw her hitch-hiking around town. Carrying her ever-present travel mug of coffee, Shirley would stand in the middle of traffic and shout at drivers who passed without stopping. Although she maintained sobriety, years of hard living, drug and alcohol abuse, along with a traumatic brain injury had taken their toll. Shirley usually attended our church but she could be found at any church’s activity when free food was involved. Supported by family but living on her own, Shirley meant well but she was erratic and could be disruptive, muddled, and even volatile. When a pastor friend called her his “Jesus meter,” knowing Shirley, I understood what he meant. This challenging woman was his litmus test for Christlikeness!

While my friend’s “Jesus meter” was Shirley, ours could be the neighbor whose dog poops in our yard, the never-ending complainer at work, the perpetually late friend, a certain politician, or the relative who dithers about everything. Your meter may be tested by the customer service rep, aggressive drivers, or the person who takes your parking spot! While it’s different for each of us, we all have certain people and situations that rub us the wrong way, challenge our patience, or frustrate, annoy, and exasperate us. How we react in those challenging situations tells us where we stand on our “Jesus meter.” A low score on His meter tells us we’re not walking His walk!

When we encounter the Shirleys of the world, let us remember what Jesus said about loving our neighbor and doing for the “least of these.” Being a Christ follower doesn’t mean life will be without its temptations and challenges; there always will be people and situations that challenge our capacity to act as would Jesus. I suspect our Shirleys are part of God’s character building! They’ll try our patience, test our faith, challenge our self-control, and make us question our ability to love our neighbor. Flawed people that we are, we can’t bear Christ’s fruit on our power alone; it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that makes it possible! Nevertheless, sometimes we’ll get aggravated, exasperated, irritable, or anxious—times when we’ll fail to turn the other cheek, lose our tempers, and even say things we shouldn’t. When our “Jesus meter” fails to register, we must ask forgiveness, repent, take comfort in God’s grace, learn from our errors, reconnect with the Holy Spirit, and continue to grow on His vine.

God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you’re tempted to express the exact opposite quality. Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity.[Rick Warren]

Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. [John 15:4-5 (CSB)]

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April 9, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Love & Works, Salvation: A New You

A LITTLE LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. [Galatians 5:22-23 (CSB)]

In contrast to works, which are produced by us, the Fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Holy Spirit. Rather than a basket with a variety of fruit, this is one indivisible fruit characterized by nine virtues: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We could call this the “Christlikeness fruit” because these characteristics describe Jesus and should describe us.

Planted by the Spirit in our hearts when we accept Jesus, the Fruit of the Spirit is a little like a Swiss Army knife with its numerous functions. Just as the multi-faceted pocketknife can provide us with two blades, along with a corkscrew, screwdriver, bottle opener, scissors, toothpick, tweezers, can opener, and key ring, the Fruit of the Spirit is an all-purpose spiritual tool providing us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Victorinox, however, doesn’t equip every Swiss Army knife with the same tools. With its 13 functions, their rescue knife comes with a saw for cutting shatterproof glass, a seatbelt cutter, and a window breaker but it doesn’t have the huntsman knife’s corkscrew and multi-purpose hook or the mini champ’s cuticle pusher and orange peeler! Unlike the knife maker, however, God equips every one of His children with the same nine all-purpose attributes in the Fruit of the Spirit!

It’s not Victorinox’s “cross on shield” logo that identifies it; the knife is known by its tools! In the same way, it’s not labeling ourselves Christians that identifies us as such—we’re known as Christ’s followers when the Fruit of the Spirit is evident in our behavior. The tools on any Swiss Army knife are meant to be used but, once it’s sold, Victorinox doesn’t care if you never open the knife. The virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit, however, are meant to be evident and God notices when they aren’t.

When describing the Fruit of the Spirit in “newspaper English,” famed preacher Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) may have said it best: “The Fruit of the Spirit is an affectionate, lovable disposition, a radiant spirit and a cheerful temper, a tranquil mind and a quiet manner, a forbearing patience in provoking circumstances and with trying people, a sympathetic insight and tactful helpfulness, generous judgment and a big-souled charity, loyalty and reliableness under all circumstances, humility that forgets self in the joy of others, in all things self-mastered and self-controlled, which is the final mark of perfecting.” It is the presence of the Fruit of the Spirit that enables us to grow more like Jesus every day—to have His purpose, thoughts, words and actions be ours.

We recognize a Swiss Army knife by its tools; do people recognize us by our fruit?

“I give you a new command: ‘Love one another.’ Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  [John 13:34-35 (CSB)]

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March 9, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Church & Worship, Fruit of the Spirit, Love & Works, Sharing Our Faith

A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

The Lord spoke to Moses: “See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to me, because every firstborn belongs to me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, both man and animal. They are mine; I am the Lord.” [Numbers 3:11-13 (CSB)]

cabbage white butterflyHaving spared Israel’s first-born males during the final plague on Egypt, God called for every first-born Israelite male, whether man or beast, to be consecrated to Him. The entire male population of the tribe of Levi was 22,000 (about the same number of first-born Israelite men) and God substituted the Levites for the other first-born males. Substituting the Levites for the first-born male in every tribe centralized the sacred duties to one tribe without disrupting the other tribes’ families.

Appointed to minister and serve in the Tabernacle, the Levites didn’t get to choose their careers—that decision was made for them by God. By divine appointment, they were charged maintaining the holiness of the sanctuary, guarding the worship of Jehovah, instructing the people in God’s Word, and warning Israel of idolatry. While only Aaron’s lineage could serve as priests, the other Levite clans were destined to serve the Lord and His priests in supportive roles. Some clans were responsible for preparing sacrifices or washing the hands of the priests, while others guarded the temple and its furnishings, made music, or led worship. Still other families were assigned to make repairs to the Tabernacle/Temple and its equipment or were to act as gatekeepers, secretaries, or scribes.

Like the Israelites, Christ’s followers are a unique nation. However, rather than a nation based on ethnicity, physical characteristics, culture, or language, we are one people united by faith. Prior to Jesus, only the descendants of Levi were dedicated to God; today, all of Christ’s followers are consecrated to Him. Regardless of lineage, we all are “people for His possession.” Although only Aaron’s descendants could be priests, every follower of Jesus belongs to a “royal priesthood.” While the Levites’ various duties were determined by their specific lineage within the tribe of Levi, our duties are determined by the Holy Spirit’s gifts to us. But, like the Levites who didn’t receive an allocation of land as did the other tribes, our inheritance is not found in earthly things like property; it is found in God! Like the Levites of long ago, rather than seeking to be served, we are called to serve the Lord. Just as their responsibility was to work for the Lord and proclaim the goodness of God, we are called to do the same.

As members of Christ’s royal priesthood, our service doesn’t end with the closing hymn on Sunday morning—that’s when it begins! Whether it’s teaching Sunday school, visiting the sick, shopping for shut-ins, sending cards, packing food, writing newsletters, cooking meals, greeting visitors, filling communion cups, ironing paraments, mowing the lawn, singing in the choir, providing transportation, making calls, being a prayer warrior, setting up chairs, running the sound equipment, knitting prayer shawls, folding programs, or running the website, we are called to serve in the household of faith. As humble and mundane as it may seem, our service is glorious work because, like the work of the Levites, it is done to serve the Lord!

The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer. [John R. Mott]

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. [1 Peter 2:9-10 (CSB)]

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