A Homily by Lay Minister Charisma Wooten, A Guest Preacher in Our Pulpit
Reading: I Chronicles 23:30; I Chronicles 16:34; Psalms 109:30
Let us pray. Lord I thank you for your presence today in this House of Prayer, this House of Sanctification, this House of Praise, this House of Forgiveness of Sin, this House of Love.
Lord I pray that you constantly remind me and my Brothers and Sisters to love one another; and that if We just hold our peace and let you fight our battles, that the victory will surely, be ours.
Lord I ask that we remember to pray each and every day the prayer you taught your Disciples to pray...
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever! Amen.
I want to begin by giving God the highest praise possible which is Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
What a wonderful way to start each day by just praising God and thanking Him for life. Even in the evening before we retire we have the privilege to praise God.
But did you know with all our praises, all our dancing, all our good works; and even though we may speak in many languages it is meaningless if we do not have love for my fellow man and woman.
The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not charity, 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.
In other words, we are NOTHING without charity... LOVE. You are nothing without love.
Even if we were to take all our worldly possessions and give them to the poor; even if we give our body to be burned for a sacrifice; if we do not have "love" for our fellow man and woman, we am NOTHING.
We are directed by God to "Love One Another!"
Love is mentioned 237 times in Bible.
On 13 separate occasions, the Bible directs us to Love one another.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Well, I might ask the question, What is love? How do we describe it? What are its traits?
The Bible gives us several examples of love traits.
Love is long suffering. That means no matter what the circumstance we must continue to love each other.
Love is kind. Love does not think about itself. Love is not arrogant and puffed up. You cannot provoke love. Love is not evil. Love is not envious. Love always hopes for the best.
Love is like the Shepard leading her flock through a pasture. Always protecting and caring for her flock's well being.
Turn around and look at someone and say “I Love You.”
What we know in part, we prophesy in part.
But when the truth presents itself, that partial knowledge will 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 woman/ man, I put away childish things.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, and out of these three thing; the greatest of these is charity...love. Turn to someone and tell them "I love you."
Remember, in all our praise to God, let us not forget to love one another as the Lord first loved us.