One Heart - PeacemakersSample

A MORE EXCELLENT WAY

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:7-10 ESV

“Mister Pentecost”, David du Plessis, the South African born leader in the World Pentecostal Movement, once remarked: "It seems to me that the apostle Paul specifically had the churches in our time in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 13."

All the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches should remember: “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

For all the Protestant churches for whom faith and knowledge and theology and sound preaching are of so much importance, the message is: “If I have the gift of prophecy (preaching) and can fathom all mysteries, and all knowledge, and I have faith that can move mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing”.

And for the Roman Catholic Church, with its proud tradition of self-sacrifice and service, with its many monasteries across the world, Paul says: “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but I have not love, I gain nothing.”

Uncle David, as thousands of South Africans have come to call him, hit the nail on its head! We have millions of believers belonging to many churches in our countries, and each of us, every denomination, has a unique contribution to make. We need one another’s gifts and talents. But all of us need to remember: the greatest of all is love! Our love for the Lord and for one another – as well as the love that we extend to the world around us – will determine if we will ever reach our goal of reconciliation and peace.

Scriptures to meditate on before praying:

1Cor.13; 1Pet.4:8-12.

PRAYER POINTS

ME: Decide today to open your heart for your fellow brothers and sisters from other denominations. Pray and seek to be filled with the love of Christ that will enable you to really love all people. Earnestly strive to make your love practical with acts of love, caring, and compassion and to cover the sins of others.

US: Pray that the Lord will bless the process of reconciliation amongst the different Churches of your nation. Pray that the Church in your nation will demonstrate the love of the Lord in such a way that the world will know that Jesus Christ is Lord.

THEM: If there is one thing that the world out there needs, then it is an expression of God's love. Not a soppy, superficial, self-indulgent, over-sentimental, sugar-coated love, but an unconditional, sacrificial, compassionate, patient love and kindness. Ask the Lord to empower Christians to honestly love the people in their nation.

"A bell is no bell until you ring it, A song is no song until you sing it, and love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love, until you give it away." – Oscar Hammerstein II