LOVE CHANGES THINGS

LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING

Sunday, March 31, 2019

1Corinthians chapter 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity {Strong’s: G26 ἀγάπη agapē; ag-ah'-pay; From G25; love, that is, affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast: - (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

  Some time ago a friend of mine challenged our entire congregation to read the 13^th chapter of 1^st Corinthians each day for one full month. I love challenges and the next morning I started reading.

  Memorizing comes easily to me, so it wasn’t long until I’d memorized the whole chapter. One day I was driving and listening to a tape “Love Changes Everything”, from a 1990 Broadway play by Andrew Lloyd Weber, it dawned on me that 1^st Corinthians 13 and that music go together.

  I have since given the “Love Chapter” as a reading using the music as background. If I time my speaking correctly it fits perfectly. It never ceases to stir me and each time I am reminded that God’s love changed me!

Leslie Nivens