A LOT OF NOISE

1 Corinthians 13:1 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.

I once heard of a church who was looking for a pastor. They were trying to decide between two men. When they finally chose one of them he wondered why they chose him over the other. One of the members explained, "Well, you both preached from the same text. You both preached like you thought we were bound for hell." He paused, "But the other preacher acted like he was glad of it and you seemed to be sorry about it."
When we warn others of their sins it seems just like a bunch of noise if we don't do it with love. One of the things that I learned early in my ministry was that everyone was not going to love me. God convicted me that he did not send me there to be loved by them but so that I might love them.
A young girl was visiting a mission field when she saw how dirty all the little children were. She asked the missionary, "How can they let their children be so dirty? Don't they love them?"
He answered, "Yes they love them. They just don't hate dirt. You hate dirt but you don't love the children. It is only when someone who hates dirt and loves the children comes along that they will be cleaned up."
That is the way with reaching the world. We must hate sin and it's destructiveness and at the same time love the sinner that is being destroyed. It is only then that we can lead them to Christ. Anything else is just noise.

REMEMBER WHEN

REMEMBER WHEN
BY Jeremy Burkes
Falsly Accused,
Beaten and Bruised,
He did it for me.
WillinglyHe bore my shame,
Willingly He felt my pain,
He carried His cross because,
He knew I would be lost,
Had nails driven in His hands and feet,
So that someday I could walk down golden streets,
A crown of thorns he gladly wore,
For my bad thoughts he suffered more,
He took my place to offer amazing grace,
Rose again on the third day,
To offer me a way to be saved,
Prepared a place so that one day,
I could see His glorious face.
(From my family, our church, to you, I wish you a happy and blessed Easter.)

LAYING ASIDE MALICE

1st Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Sometimes we read words in the Bible and we just casually pass them by without ever looking at them closely and examining them. The word malice basicly means holding a grudge or wishing someone bad fortune.
When Peter wrote this verse it preceded:
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.
Before we can grow spiritually we need to get rid of some things that hinder us. Malice might just be one of the most destructive.
The word malice comes from the same root word as malignant. When we wish ill toward others it is like a cancer to us spiritually just like a malignancy is to the body. It will eat away at our spirituality.
Lay aside any ill feelings you have toward others. You will be pleasantly surprised at how you will begin to grow in grace.