“‭Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].” Many times we are quick to point out another person’s wrong doings. It makes us seem more righteous but we’re not. We don’t gain brownie points with God because of another person’s failures or faults. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Love is the only thing that can cover up another’s sin. The functioning agape love of God in us won’t allow us to judge another person. Love truly covers a multitude of sins. First of all God is love, and He demonstrated that by allowing His only begotten Son Jesus, to die for our sins. His sacrifice wipes away all sin from every person that receives Him as Lord and Savior of their life. Secondly, as we forgive others of the sin we see they have committed in front of us, instead of becoming CNN news covering the story. That sin will remain between that person and the Lord and not be broadcast by you. Love covers a multitude of wrong doings, be it God through His mercy letting you slide when you mess up, or His children acting like Him forgiving others. Justice will be satisfied and yes, the bill comes due at one point for committing sin. Show mercy and mercy will be shown to you. Love is the great equalizer.

“I WILL praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds!” With my whole heart is what the Lord is saying here. He wants all of us not just a mental assent in wanting Him in our lives. Once our whole heart is in a thing, our souls will command our body into action. To give thanks to the Lord says two things about a person. One, you believe the Lord is there to hear. Two, by giving Him thanks you are exercising your faith in trusting Him for answers. Many times our actions speak louder than our words. We must invoke our will to trust in a God we cannot see with our eyes. As we share our faith and experiences with others about the marvelous works and wonderful deeds of our Lord, we edify each other in the Lord. God can tell whether our hearts are in a thing or not since He created our make-up to be like His (Genesis 1:27). When God created the world He used words to bring about the power which in turn caused creation to appear. Being almighty God couldn’t He have just thought everything into existence. I believe He set the example way back from the beginning of time concerning faith in action. As we use the words of God in our everyday lives, believing with all our hearts, things change for our good. So I will praise Him for His marvelous works.

“Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]–your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” We should honor and hold in the highest regard those leaders who warn and kindly reprove and exhort us. Giving honor where honor is due goes right alone with this text today. Getting to know those who are our spiritual leaders is important. To imitate those who are truly following Jesus is great until you come into your own understanding, and revelations about the ways of God. Giving thanks and admonishment to the Lord for our elders in Christ helps keep us humble. With great knowledge comes the possibility of thorns in the flesh (2Corinthians 12:7-9). From time to time reaching out to those that pretty much held our hand growing in the things of God, is proper protocol in our maturing process. There are no great people in this world that can honestly say I made it to the top all by myself. The main goal here is to live in peace with each other. Always preferring our brother or sister before ourselves, putting our own plans second, especially in those moments where your gifting or talents are needed. To live in peace with each other many times requires supernatural understanding, but we have the mind of Christ (1Corinthins 2:16).

“O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. [I Pet. 2:2, 3.]” There’s a saying christians have when someone asks them how they’re doing. We say, “God is good!”, and many times the person responding in that way doesn’t even know God, they may know of Him but to know God beyond that takes work. Any relationship of value takes time to come about. Until you spend that quality alone time with the Lord, you won’t be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. There’s nothing like an informed opinion, and not simply relying on what someone else says. Throughout the bible we read how the Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever. The crisis and storms that come through our lives are opportunities to see how the Lord is good to us. That may sound like a contradiction but our faith in God is vital for victories over those trials to occur. Faith is the hand that takes from God. Without it how can we survive as christians or please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). To trust and take refuge in God is what He requires to take care of that which concerns you. To be happy, fortunate and to be envied is the man or woman who has tasted and seen that the Lord is indeed good.

“Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]” Our relationships with people can be great or horribly bad. We can be sorely affected by circumstances, inordinate desires, and hurtful experiences that we could use a stabilizer. Humility is a constant inner strength fueled by love, that can hold us down before making rash decisions. Letting this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus is possible. Every thought can be arrested, brought into subjection to the word of God before becoming a bad reality in your life. Keeping a guard over our words can help soften the blow when we must confront someone. How we say what we say, can also make a world of difference in de-escalating a heated moment with someone. We have what it takes to be peace makers if we just slow our roll when it comes to dealing with incompetence and ignorance. Some people will just naturally get on your nerves because of the way they are. How we deal with them can help develop our own love walk unto a sweet smelling fragrance in God’s nostrils. Having the same mindset as Jesus first requires our attention on the subject of why Jesus came to earth and died for our sins. Once we’ve received in our hearts the revelation of this mighty act of God’s love for us, the playing field makes more sense for us to follow in humility.

“For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).” We have been given by God all we need to live a Godly life. The question is, who wants to. There is always work behind anything of value and worth. Godliness is profitable not only in this life but in the life to come, after death (1Timothy 4:8). We believers can come to a certain point in our christian walk where we can be freed from creature comforts. Becoming totally liberated from the “I don’t feel like doing that”, or the I’ll do it later mentality, is vitally important to mature in life, and Godliness. We are children of God called by and to His own glory and excellence, His virtue. We should want to be like our Father God who created us and has the manual of our make-up. Most people to date don’t have a clue why they exist. We just follow what everyone else says, and whatever they’re doing as if that’s right for you individually. God’s power has given us all things suited for life and godliness. That power of God lives in every born again Christian’s heart. That power is released in us according to the level of obedience we have to God’s word. We have all we need in Christ. Time to tap into what makes us tick.

“And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].” Once this gospel has been presented to every living being, the return of Christ can take place. Everyone will be given a chance to accept Him as Lord and Savior of their life. So the great commission has been given. We christians today have a job to do. It’s our job to go out into all the world and preach and publish the gospel. Not everyone will be able to physically travel throughout the world and take the good news that way. Today we have the Internet to reach most of the world. Those areas without the Internet, some of us must physically go to them. The conviction to physically go into the world is in many christians. Our callings are different in life. Our purpose has been placed in us at birth, but we can easily get side track from it by temptations that are more appealing to our flesh than our spirits. Self-control over temptations must be developed in us to learn who we really are, and what we are to become. Your world of travel could be in the same vicinity everyday. This is where you can present the gospel to your part of the world. Each one reaches one for the Lord. The return of Christ is inevitable, will He fine you being about the Father’s business when He comes.

“It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. [Mal. 3:6.] They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.” Thank God for His mercy and loving kindness. We could have been consumed, taken out, if it were not for the Lord’s loving kindness. He is faithful to His make-up, which is love. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. He is a God of judgement but His mercies are new every morning. There’s a balance here of stable, and controlled allocation of God’s discipline and loving encouragement while parenting us. The example has been set for us raising our children. Because of sin in the world we can be grossly affected with our responsibilities as parents. Overbearing at times we could be more understanding. Jumping to conclusions because we haven’t heard the entire truth of our child’s plea for mercy. But having the courage to lay down the law to your children or close friends about their waywardness, or unwarranted bad actions. Everything in this life must be kept in balance, the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we get out of balance simply from life just showing up, that’s the time to know the Lord’s faithful love, and abundant mercy is here for you.

“[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),” We can refute arguments and theories and reasonings along with every lofty thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. By the renewing of our minds with God’s word, His teachings and precepts we will have the understanding of how to bring every opposing thought into subjection. We also will know for ourselves, once renewing our minds, what thoughts are in direct violation of the Lord’s will for us. Yes we can defeat the battles of our thought life. We cannot stop bad thoughts from entering our minds, but it’s all about what we do with them when they come. The Lord would ultimately have us in control of every part of our make-up. Our spirit, soul, and body. Our souls are where our intellect and emotions are. Both intellect and emotions are potential enemies that can control our actions. The knowledge of God is the only defense we have to help control bad thoughts. Everything we do is affected by our thinking, our thoughts in general. Getting a handle on this area of life will cause us to reach higher heights in life for ourselves, and the Lord.

“I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” We can all use a little help as far as direction goes from time to time. With the teachings and precepts of the Lord we gain direction. Walking with His counsel means His eye is upon us. Everyone has a purpose and destiny that should be fulfilled. How can we fully understand our calling without God’s help. He gave each and every one of us a calling, a purpose, a destiny to compete. Once the Lord has His eye upon us, there’s backup on every side to help when we fall. We are in God’s good graces once He sees us walking in His council. The Lord knows the plans He has for us, to prosper us, and to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). We are children of God to bring Him glory by what we do in life. Can we keep ourselves free from the evil, and temptations in the world and complete our mission for God. No one person can be aware of everything at the same time concerning our individual lives except God Himself. Imagine having that kind of overseer watching out for us. It is available as we make ourselves available to the Lord for instructions in righteousness and how to handle trouble. It’s all in the bible, the overlooked, and unrealized treasure of the world.