GOD DESIRES THAT WE EXPERIENCE LOVE. NOT THE CHEAP IMITATION, WHICH IS LUST, BUT, THAT WHICH BROUGHT JESUS FROM GLORY TO SAVE US. WE HAVE DEFINED LOVE BY SO MANY PHYSICAL MEANS, THAT IT IS CONFUSING TO THINK OF LOVE AS INVISIBLE AND OMNIPRESENT.

1CORINTHIANS 13: When I was a child…Now I see through a glass darkly…But then face to face; Now I know in part…But then shall I know even also as I am known; Now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity, but the greatest of these is CHARITY.

GOD gave us a great and powerful resource, when He allowed us to have Memory. The memories of childhood are usually filled with the truth of how you really acted, spoke, thought, and behaved in certain situations. Even though now, you may not want to admit what was done in childish innocence, your memory reveals the truth to your inner man. These memories should give us patience with others, especially those of the childish persuasion; and in patience, the overwhelming ability to LOVE appears.

Memory is a thorough teacher. While in the mother's uterus, the baby (puppy, kitten, human and other animals) becomes acclimated to the warmth and safety of its environment. The first recognizable sound to the infant is the dependable beat of the mother's heart. These baby creations associate LOVE with the beating heart, warmth and a secure environment.

Children enter the world with a naive sense of well being. They feel that everyone loves and is loving, and must be taught to distrust and be cautious. The growing up experience teaches children, through, differentiating human experiences to mold themselves into and against unwanted contacts. (Or unloving events.), So, as an adult, the need to receive and give love is securely locked away, and _expression through fleshly insincere, imitation emotion is established as YOU. ("Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not.")

Your childish innocence is gone; you view all situations, events and people through unclear wondering and groping perspectives. You now try things measured by an unbalanced scale of the world's calibration. Some things you are sure of the soundness of its doctrine, but, others keep you insecure and uncomfortable. It would be so much easier if you could ‘see' the results of certain major decisions. But, darkness is a dependable element in this journey. Darkness with no steady heartbeat to keep you in peace and security that your inner man longs for. If you could only KNOW for sure! But, the things that you do know are like slices of pie. Yes, it's part of the whole; but, the whole is needed to determine its true value.

NOTE: By the time that I was eleven years old, I had attended many funerals. Sometimes I had to play the piano for these not too comfortable events. There was one thing that was noticeable with all of these sad occasions; the deceased was usually very old, and had grey or white hair.

My mother began to stop dying her hair during these formable and impressionable years of my life. Little by little her black hair was disappearing and the silver hair was blossoming like spring time. Needless to say, the understanding and the knowledge that I had about grey hair had me thrown into a pattern of sleeplessness and horror. My young mind wondered if my mother would die once her hair turned one hundred percent silver. (Today it's laughable.) But, I KNEW IN PART. I only had a piece of the pie. That small piece caused me to morn my mother's death twenty five years before she ever died.

Now we see through a glass darkly . . .If we only knew how much the darkness of this world has influenced our everyday lives, we'd be quick to make the change that Jesus Christ brought with Him from Glory. The enemy has woven a web of confusion that has become so much a part of this society, that we learn about darkness rather than the Light. We learn how to live in darkness; how to prosper in darkness; how to have man's assimilated health in darkness; and how to live longer in darkness. GOD'S way seems NEW, but, in reality, it's the only way to true freedom and life. Jesus is the Door between darkness and Light. Only through Christ, will we ever be able to see clearly.

Now, we know in part . . .because we have been educated in darkness. We've been taught to laugh at those who stumble or falter. The less fortunate have long been the subject of many jokes and the receptacle of abuse and releases of stress. Our conscious has been seared to the degree that unacceptable has become widely acceptable and vulgar is vogue.

Learning under these conditions doesn't give rise to LOVE but lust. Lust drives us to envy and desire financial gain so that we can make more and have more. Lust drives us to the state of "dissatisfaction." Lust is the imitator of Love. Lust is showy, screaming, "LOOK AT ME. ME. ME.
GIVE TO ME. LOVE ME. I NEED. I WANT." (Charity envies not; vaunted not itself; is not puffed up; does not behave unseemingly; seeks not her own.)

Now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity . . . Faith is essential in a world of darkness. You must know that Jesus is the light in order to move through the darkness without temptation. (Without Faith, it is impossible to please GOD.)Faith is our shield that quenches the fiery darts of the wicked.

Faith exercised brings our Hope of an expected end to fruition. (Christ In you, your HOPE of GLORY). A Nation or a people without hope will perish. Hope is a necessary ingredient in living. Is it no wonder that the enemy comes to dash all semblance of Hope. In many readily understandable situations, i.e. comatose loved one; alcoholic relative; unsaved soul; etc, the first voice you'll hear when you attempt to pray for them, is the enemy. He's saying "Well, there's no hope here. No use praying for this. It's a waste of time . . .There's NO HOPE!" That's when you get busy . . .PRAYING.

But the greatest of these is CHARITY . . .GOD is LOVE. GOD is omnipresent. Love is omnipresent. When you were a child and thinking like a child, GOD was there, so was Charity. When you became a man and put away childish things, GOD was there, so was Charity. Now, while you see through a glass darkly, GOD is here, so is Charity.

NOTEWORTHY:
"I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord's workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most."
Charles Spurgeon

FRIDAY'S WORD: charity; char*i*ty (noun) Used 27 times the King James Version, including eight times in 1Cor. 13 for agape, to signify human love for another person, often in the sense of benevolence. It is not used for the Gr. charis, which indicates grace, favor, goodwill. The Gr. agape goes far deeper than the modern concept of charity, welfare, and generosity.
The use of "charity" in 1Cor13 (KJV) does not refer to almsgiving, since verse 3 uses it in the broad sense of love to all. The (KJV) translates the Gr. agape as "charity" 27 times, and as "love" 82 times, both mostly in Paul's writings. The difference must be determined by the context.
Charity shows man's love to man predicated on GOD's love to man. The word comes from the Latin caritas,, which influenced Wycliffe and the Roman Catholic translators. Tyndale and most modern translators prefer to translate the Gr. agape as "love," which avoids the narrower modern implication of generosity to needy people or worthy causes and conveys the idea of man's loving attitude and action to his fellowman as a result of divine grace (Mt. 22:37-40; Romans 13:8; 1Cor 13).
From: Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

IN THE MIRROR:
Johnny's assignment was to write about something he loved. When it was his turn he proudly started to write his composition: "God is who I love with all my heart because . . ." His teacher interrupted him, "You can't love something that doesn't exist. I'll prove it to you. Do you see my dress?" Johnny answered, "Yes." "Do you see my shoes?" "Yes." "Do you see that pencil sharpener?" "Yes." "Now, look around real hard . . . Do you see GOD?" "No." "Very well, then take you seat. You will receive an ‘F'. There is no GOD!"
Another student raised her hand and asked permission to speak to Johnny. The teacher gave it.
The little girl asked Johnny, "Do you see her dress?" "Yes." Replied an embarrassed Johnny. "Do you see her shoes?" "Yes." "Do you see the pencil sharpener?" "Yes." The teacher gloated feeling she had made a disciple. "Now," said the little girl, "look around real hard . . . Do you see her brain???"
Reprinted from TJIFA April 5,2002
Submitted by S.L.C.

INGREDIENTS:
WHITING FISH THAWED; SLICED; EXCESS SURFACE WATER PATTED DRY.
1 BEATEN EGG
1 ½ CUPS MILK
2 CUPS CORN MEAL; OR AUNT JEMIMA BUTTERMILK CORN MEAL MIX (MAKES A DIFFERENCE.)
¼ CUP FLOUR (ALL PURPOSE.)
SALT TO TASTE (LOWRY'S SEASON SALT ADDS GREAT FLAVOR.)
RED AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE
3-4 CUPS OLIVE OIL

PREPARE WHITING FISH, BY PATTING DRY AND PUTTING ASIDE IN A BOWL LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE PIECES OF FISH. BEAT EGG, ADD MILK, AND SET ASIDE.
IN ANOTHER BOWL, LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE SIZES OF THE FISH, MIX CORN MEAL, FLOUR, AND SEASONINGS.
IN A DEEP SKILLET OR HEAVY LARGE DEEP PAN PREPARE THE OLIVE OIL. POUR 3-4 CUPS OLIVE OIL INTO COLD PAN, THEN RAISE THE HEAT. ONCE THE OIL IS HEATED, TURN DOWN TO MEDIUM, AND PROCEED AS FOLLOWS:

DIP AND COAT THE DRY FISH FIRST WITH THE EGG LIQUID; THEN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW WITH THE CORN MEAL MIXTURE.
WHEN YOU HAVE COATED APPROXIMATELY THREE PIECES OF FISH, PLACE THEM IN THE HOT OIL. YOU MAY HAVE TO TURN THE FISH AFTER 1.5 MINUTES, IF SO, COOK BOTH SIDES OF THE FISH IN THE SAME MANNER.
REMOVE FISH AND PLACE ON PLATE COVERED WITH PAPER TOWEL TO CATCH ANY EXCESS DRIPPINGS. OLIVE OIL COOKS CLEAN, AND THE FISH ISN'T FULL OF HEAVY GREASE.