Friday, May 28, 2010

JEANNETTE Langmaack -- PROVERBS 31 Lady

Jeannette Langmaack...December 11, 1936 -- May 21, 2010.

Our sister in CHRIST, Jeannette, has graduated upwards -- where like Martha's sister, Mary -- she may even now be sitting at the LORD's feet, thoroughly enjoying His company.

Behind Pastor Baize is 1 John 4:16, "GOD is love, and he who abides in love abides in GOD, and GOD in Him." Jeannette certainly abided in CHRIST and the Holy SPIRIT powerfully abided in her. The love of GOD flowed through her and bore good fruit in all the loving deeds He accomplished richly through her humble willingness. Jeannette's joy and love for JESUS touched everyone, including myself. Jeannette's abundant life bore much good fruit!

Jeannette was not just a ship passing in the night...she was a sailboat with sails fully unfurled to all of life, taking in many wanderers from all walks of life, nourishing their bodies and souls with bread from her kitchen and the True Bread from above.

PROVERBS 31 Woman...Jeannette is!

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.


31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Thank you, Father in Heaven, for gifting us with Jeannette -- for giving us richness of grace through her loving, joyful, GODly presence in our lives.

Friday, May 7, 2010

AGAPE Love -- 1 Corinthians 13

"To love or not to love...that is the question" -- NOT!
To love as CHRIST loves or not to love as CHRIST loves...THAT is the question. (The word love is in the present tense for JESUS lives.)

How does JESUS love? How does JESUS exemplify true love?

i am a painter of GOD-words (http://ad-for-god.blogspot.com). If i were to paint a portrait of JESUS, using words like brush strokes to describe Him and how He loves, i would find fitting words in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a -- the greatest description of true love ever penned.

The Holy SPIRIT of GOD was the inspiration behind the Apostle Paul's beautiful definition of agape -- unselfish, sacrificial love. GOD the SPIRIT painted a portrait of CHRIST in 1 Corinthians 13 -- the "love" chapter of the New Testament.

JESUS, the CHRIST, is GOD's perfect love manifested in sinless flesh. JESUS is perfect love personified. JESUS is 1 Corinthians 13.

JESUS is patient (with people) and is kind (gracious to people with generosity). JESUS does not envy; JESUS does not parade (brag about) Himself; He is not puffed up (arrogant); JESUS does not behave rudely (or is overbearing); He does not seek His own (but selflessly serves others), He is not provoked (or irritated or angered in personal offense), He thinks no evil -- keeps no record of wrongs; JESUS does not rejoice in iniquity (He finds no pleasure in someone else's sin, even the sin of an enemy), but He rejoices in the truth (He is devoted to the truth).

JESUS bears (protects) all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (within GOD's righteous and gracious will). JESUS never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a in red; per John MacArthur in blue)

Back to the question, "To love or not to love" -- as CHRIST JESUS loves.

Love is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. Love is of GOD -- it is divine. Love is what makes life worth living. To NOT love is to miss out on the real and abundant life.

Love is a verb -- love is action. It's like faith -- good works is the result of faith in action. Sacrificial, unselfish deeds for others is the result of love in action. So how does one live out agape love?

One must honestly examine oneself. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, replace the word "love" with your name (as i did above, replacing "love" with JESUS). Can one truly and consistently live out all the above qualities of true Love -- agape love? Can one be Love as JESUS was the perfect portrait of Love...even to the death?

You can't and i can't...no one can -- except CHRIST JESUS.

But the Holy SPIRIT -- Omnipotent GOD -- can empower self-seeking mortals to love as JESUS loves. When a repentant sinner believes and trusts in JESUS as LORD and Savior, he receives the Holy SPIRIT to dwell within, empowering the believer to live out the Life of JESUS, which is love in action.

(Receiving the gift of the Holy SPIRIT is as simple as repenting -- changing one's mind about sin, truly seeing one's sin as GOD sees it, and turning to GOD for forgiveness, asking JESUS to come into his heart to be LORD and Master of his life. Or redemption may NOT be so simple if one's pride or self-righteousness blinds oneself to the need of the Redeemer.)

True love, agape, is from above -- from GOD the Father Who gave the Son, Who gave His life to redeem whosoever is willing to trust Him as LORD, Who sent the Holy SPIRIT to empower the believer to live out in actuality the new life of true Love.

To love JESUS or not to love JESUS, THAT is the question.